Daily Briefing: India gets first vertical lift sea bridge

On that note, let’s get to today’s edition.

Big Story

The Pamban channel slices its namesake island from India’s mainland. Till 2022, a railway bridge, unveiled in 1914, connected the island town of Rameswaram to Tamil Nadu. Known as India’s first sea bridge, the longest until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link opened in 2010, it was an infrastructural marvel of its time. The bridge boasted a unique feature: a central span that would split open like unfolding leaves, letting ships sail through the channel. It now sits defunct, corroded and weakened.

In its prime, the bridge had weathered the 1964 cyclone, when the surging sea swallowed a passenger train, and over 200 residents of the Dhanushkodi town on the island were killed. The town was later declared unfit for habitation and remains so to this date.

A new chapter begins for the town of Rameshwaram. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new 2.08-kilometer-long Pamban bridge —a stunning Rs 535-crore project that embodies the hopes of revival. Unlike its predecessor, the new bridge is India’s first vertical sea lift bridge: its middle span can be raised in just over five minutes, allowing maritime traffic to pass unimpeded.

Dive into this interactive storytelling experience, where my colleague Arun Janardhan brings tales from the island, some dating back 110 years, to life.

Only in Express

India’s credit card usage has shot up in the last three years amid increased consumer spending and the growing popularity of digital payments. This has also meant a rise in the number of customer defaults. The non-performing assets in the credit card segment rose to a whopping Rs 6,742 crores in the 12 months ending December 2024. Take a look at the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data secured by The Indian Express.

From the Front Page

Hit refresh: The CPI(M) has ushered in a new generation of leadership, electing party veteran M A Baby as its general secretary. Letting go of the old guard, including Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Manik Sarkar, the party has inducted six new members into the powerful Politburo.

Design in India: Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government, spoke to us about the future of India as a ‘product nation’. Sood says this may require shifting focus from manufacturing to design.

Must Read

New rules: Are you contemplating studying abroad? Pay attention to the latest University Grants Commission (UGC) rules. The UGC will now issue equivalence certificates for foreign degrees and diplomas, with certain exceptions.

Harsh lines: Recently, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal delivered a scathing attack on start-ups: “We are focused on food delivery apps, turning unemployed youths into cheap labour so the rich can get their meals without moving out of their house.” With India forming the third-largest startup ecosystem globally facing an innovation crisis, Goyal’s remarks strike many an echo.

And Finally…

During his playing days, Ricky Ponting was one of the most feared batters, leading Australia to two World Cups (2003 and 2007). He has now taken up a new coaching gig in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Punjab Kings. As the IPL turns coach-led, Ponting speaks about working with Shreyas Iyer and the state of the global game at the latest Idea Exchange session.

🎧 Before you go, tune in to the latest episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast. Today’s lineup: IIT-Delhi’s toxic culture, hotter summers ahead and the release of Indian fishermen from Sri Lanka.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny