Daily Briefing: How SC stay on Rahul conviction could impact electoral politics; 4 years of Article 370 abrogation; Directors of older IIMs kept in dark about new amendments; and more

1) In a major relief for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his 2019 remarks on the Modi surname, stating that the trial court in Surat had not given reasons for awarding the maximum punishment of two years. 

This decision may now pave the way for his return to the Lok Sabha where he represented Wayanad in Kerala. 

In her weekly column, Neerja Chowdhury discusses why the SC’s order has the potential to open up the country’s electoral politics in unforeseen ways: “While the whole affair has added inches to Rahul’s stature, can the Supreme Court stay become a double-edged sword for the Opposition?”

2) “The biggest thing is that a common Kashmiri is not bound by anyone’s diktat. There was a time when people would aim to reach home before sunset, and now people are out till late night in Srinagar city.”

On the 4th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and the effective end to Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, its current Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha talked about development, infrastructure and safety of the common people in an interview with The Indian Express. 

We also take a closer look at the political changes in J&K, including the delimitation exercises, political realignments and speculations over the upcoming Assembly elections. Further, we explain how the security situation has changed: stone throwing and militancy are down, but targeted killings of Kashmiri Hindus and outsiders are a major concern.

3) The Indian Institute of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was passed by Lok Sabha on Friday, dilutes the full autonomy given to the institutes in 2017 by granting the government a say in their functioning.

The Indian Express has learnt that assent for the amendments was taken on last year at a meeting attended by Directors of the newer IIMs, while Directors of the older IIMs in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Indore, Lucknow and Kozhikode were not invited. Find out what these amendments are, and what they mean for the Institutes here

4) In the latest edition of our Explained Live series, Arun K Singh, India’s former ambassador to the United States, discusses the strategic depth of the Indo-US ties, how agreements can work on the ground and challenges going forward. 

5) Wondering what to watch this weekend? Read Shalini Langer’s review of the new horror thriller Talk To Me: “Australian twins the Philippous make a persuasive case for this debutant film of theirs, even if it is yet another movie about spirits being summoned from the dead and then refusing to budge.”

Until next time,

Arushi Bhaskar