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Journalism of Courage
Good morning,
On the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, a massive security breach took place in Lok Sabha yesterday, when two intruders leapt into the chamber from the visitors gallery and opened smoke cans. Meanwhile, outside the Parliament, two others were arrested for protesting with coloured smoke.
But how did they manage to dodge layers of security inside the Parliament House? We explain.
Since the incident, the entry of visitors in the House has now been suspended. As one would expect, jumping into the chamber of the House is not permitted under the Rules of the House. What do the rules say? Read our report.
Turns out, just a day before the security breach, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) floated a tender for additional security infrastructure, including gadgets and bulletproof barriers, for the Parliament complex. We break down the CPWD’s proposed project.
“I was at a vantage point, right outside the chamber from where more MPs rushed out – some anxious, the others agitated.” The Indian Express’ Deputy Editor Liz Mathew witnessed Wednesday’s intrusion from the media gallery of the Parliament. She recounts what happened.
As the COP28 Summit drew to a close, the countries struck a new climate deal that included a transition away from fossil fuels for the first time and operationalised a loss and damage fund that is meant to provide financial help to developing countries in recovering from climate disasters. Among other things, India’s concerns on coal phase-down have also been addressed.
More than two months after the Israel-Hamas war broke out, India has, for the first time, voted in favour of a draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly that demanded an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and unconditional release of all hostages. This is perceived as a shift in New Delhi’s position, as India had not called for a ceasefire in its statements so far.
Internet calls from Hong Kong IP addresses, 148 dubious bank accounts to launder Rs 8.5 crore, the transfer of stolen money to Dubai in the form of cryptocurrency — the first arrests in India in the infamous “Fedex courier scam” has revealed signs of a sophisticated network with multiple independent layers and foreign connections at play. This comes after hundreds of people were defrauded by callers claiming to possess their parcels containing illegal items.
At a time when the Jawaharlal Nehru University has imposed a fine on demonstrations, Satish Deshpande writes: “An unintended side-effect of the war unleashed by the Israeli state in Palestine is the revelation of the limits of the idea of academic freedom in its own birthplace, the modern West. The credibility of this idea is in tatters today as protests against the war in American universities provoke threats from donors. Of course, the authorities in India that is Bharat have stood shoulder to shoulder with their Western counterparts, banning film shows, cancelling talks and demanding apologies from speakers.”
The government is looking at a demand to amend a rule that prevents renewable energy plants set up for captive consumption in Special Economic Zones from receiving tax breaks. We take a look at what the tweak, which is before the Ministry of Commerce, could potentially allow and how green hydrogen projects can be benefitted through it.
Rohit Sharma said that it took a while for him to move on from the disappointment of not winning the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final but the empathetic reaction from fans he has met has helped him heal. Rohit, speaking on the official Instagram account run by his team, said that he found it hard to digest the fact that his team fell short of winning what he felt was the ultimate prize in cricket.
Delhi Confidential: While Parliament security personnel have come under criticism for Wednesday’s breach, the Lok Sabha secretariat has clarified that both Delhi Police and the CRPF are responsible for security. But with the new building, the always-changing security rules and lack of adequate personnel, Parliament security staff have been left overburdened, sources said.
In today’s edition of our ‘3 Things’ podcast, we first take a look at the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav and why this choice surprised the state BJP leadership. We then move on to the tale of the tinder date that proved to be fatal for a Jaipur-based engineer and lastly, we talk about Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on Jawaharlal Nehru.
Until tomorrow,
Rounak Bagchi and Rahel Philipose
