Good morning, Big Story Sending a worrying signal to the INDIA alliance, the BJP managed to win 10 of the 15 Raja Sabha seats in UP, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. In all three states, the elections were marred by cross-voting, allegations and counter allegations. Here’s what you need to know. A day later, trouble is brewing in Himachal Pradesh. Late last night, the Leader of Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, sparking speculation that the BJP may bring in a no-confidence motion against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government. This comes after six Congress MLAs cross-voted in the recently-concluded polls. Only in the Express In our opinion section today, C Raja Mohan writes on Donald Trump’s Christian nationalism and why it may offer an opportunity for the BJP: “It is not clear if Christian nationalists can overturn liberal hegemony in the US and Europe, but they are bound to make some difference to Western polities, domestically and internationally. This could open up new international possibilities for both the BJP and the Modi government, which have often locked horns with the Western liberal establishments in recent years” From the Front Page The rules for implementation of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) which was enacted by Parliament in December 2019 and spawned protests in parts of the country, are likely to be notified within the next fortnight or so, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. The government’s ambitious Genome India initiative achieved a significant milestone this week, when researchers completed sequencing 10,000 healthy genomes from different regions of the country, representing 99 distinct populations. PM Modi presented to the nation the four astronauts-designate who have been selected for ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission. Must Read Saudi Arabia is betting big on the Indian tourist footfall. Alhasan Aldabbagh, president of Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets of the Saudi Tourism Authority, says they "expect India, which is currently No. 3, to be the No. 1 inbound market for Saudi by 2030." From Indian travellers' favourite destinations in Saudi to how the country is facilitating ease of travel for tourists, here's all that Aldabbagh said. The BJP has long argued that the one way to make India's elections "fair" is to hold them together. Simultaneous polls have been part of election manifestos of the BJP since 1984, the first Lok Sabha election that the party contested at an all-India level. We trace the party's views going back 40 years. From cottage and bulk commodity to automated production and consumer brand marketing – that’s what some entrepreneurs are attempting with gur (jaggery) and khandsari (unrefined country sugar). Here’s how. And Finally. There's more to your edible mushroom than you might have thought of. Two researchers in Goa have said that they synthesised gold nanoparticles from a wild species that is widely eaten as a delicacy in the coastal state. Delhi Confidential: A trained diabetologist himself, Union Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at a recent event said Indians were linked to a higher prevalence of diabetes. But he joked that they had also managed to find = smart ways to conceal the central obesity with six-yard ‘sarees’ and knee-length ‘kurtas’. In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about Fali Nariman, CM Kejriwal refusing the ED summons, and the four Gaganyaan astronauts. Until tomorrow, Rahel Philipose and Sonal Gupta
