Good morning, Big Story 👉 The Opposition benches in both Houses of Parliament are nearly empty. So far, a total of 141 MPs — 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha — have been suspended for “unruly behaviour”. With this, the Opposition INDIA bloc has now lost more than two-thirds of its strength for the duration of the Winter Session. Here’s where things stand. 👉 During the Opposition’s protest yesterday, a video surfaced online of Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee — surrounded by other protesting MPs — ostensibly mimicking Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen recording the act. Needless to say, Dhankhar didn’t take it too well. 👉 In our opinion section today, Chakshu Roy writes on the suspensions: “Rules of parliamentary procedure were based on pre-Independence British template whose purpose was to ensure that British government’s business had primacy in the legislature. This gives the government the power to convene Parliament” Only in the Express The Uttarkashi tunnel mishap in November could have potentially been avoided if the project had not ruled out the option of a separate escape tunnel, according to a late and rapid environmental impact assessment (EIA) report reviewed by The Indian Express. Why was there no escape tunnel? Here’s what the report had to say. From the Front Page Setting a six-month deadline for completion of proceedings before a Varanasi court in a 1991 suit by Hindu plaintiffs seeking possession of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, the Allahabad High Court has dismissed five petitions by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and the mosque committee. The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Justice has asserted that Indian judicial authorities have “no jurisdiction” in Nikhil Gupta’s case, responding to questions from The Indian Express regarding the habeas corpus petition filed by his family in the Supreme Court last week. Must Read Dr Gufran Beig, the Founder-Director of SAFAR, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting Research, during a chat with The Indian Express on pollution management strategies says: “Whether it’s climate change, weather or geography, these factors do not produce air pollutants. They only redistribute it. We need a long-term strategy.” Read the full conversation here On Monday, the Centre introduced the Telecommunications Bill, 2023, in Parliament. The proposed law attempts to bring in a slew of structural changes to current regulatory mechanisms in the sector, ranging from simplification of the licensing regime, clarity on spectrum assignment, and a stringent requirement of user verification, among other things. Take a deep-dive into what the Bill aims to achieve. At a time when capital inflows have started rising and the economy is revving up, the International Monetary Fund’s directors have agreed that India’s exchange rate flexibility should remain the first line of defense in absorbing external shocks, with foreign exchange interventions limited to addressing disorderly market conditions. And Finally Haseen Rizvi had banned his brother-in-law Tankeeb Akhtar from entering their house. Reason: Tankeeb, a failed cricketer himself, had seen potential in his nephew Sameer Rizvi and wanted him to play for India. On Tuesday, Mamu Tankeeb came one step closer to his dream. The Meerut-resident Sameer was picked for Rs 8.40 crore by Chennai Super Kings after intense bidding to become the day’s highest earning uncapped player. Delhi Confidential: After unveiling a 7-ft-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in a lawyer’s robe on its premises earlier this month, the Supreme Court is now celebrating the centenary of his enrolment as an advocate. A separate tab on the SC’s website lists out the cases that Ambedkar argued, his speeches, books authored by him along with several photographs. In today’s edition of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we take a look at the BJP’s chief ministerial picks in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh; India’s first winter Arctic expedition; and the 141 MPs suspended from Parliament. Until tomorrow, Rahel Philipose and Rounak Bagchi
