Daily Briefing: Why the India-EU pact matters

👉 Among others, actor Dharmendra Singh Deol and former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan have been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. The government will award 13 Padma Bhushans and 113 Padma Shri awards. Read the full list here.

👉 The Padma awards reflect an interesting balance. The honour bestowed upon Achuthanandan and the late Shibhu Soren carries a cross-ideology message. In fact, multiple awards are from poll-bound states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

👉 Meanwhile, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to the International Space Station (ISS), has been honoured with the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award.

On that note, let’s get into the rest of today’s edition👇

🚨 Big Story

India and the EU have readied a pact on security and defence partnership, which is expected to be signed today. This will cover areas of cooperation on maritime security, cyber issues, counter terrorism, and peacekeeping operations, among others. The enhanced collaboration not only lends political momentum to the India-EU relationship but also counters the Trump administration’s softening commitment to protecting the Indo-Pacific.

A win-win? As leaders of both countries gather for the bilateral summit tomorrow, Delhi would like to finalise the India-EU FTA. Notably, the EU has positioned itself as India’s reliable partner amid Trump’s unpredictability. For both India and the EU, a solid partnership is mutually beneficial. Europe gets access to an expanding manufacturing hub, and India could have a dependable ally in the Western Hemisphere. Shubhajit Roy explains.

Also read: Why EU deal is better for farmers than one with US

⚡Only in Express

Priyamvada Natarajan, a professor at Yale University, is among the world’s leading astrophysicists, whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of black holes, dark matter, and the structure of the universe. In a recent Idea Exchange session, Natarajan shared a range of fascinating insights: from our understanding of dark matter to how space telescopes actually work (no, you don’t look through them). She also reflected on black holes, the responsible use of AI, and the evolving nature of scientific discovery. Read.

📰 From the Front Page

Rest in peace: Mark Tully, one of the world’s most revered journalists, served as the BBC’s New Delhi bureau chief for 20 years. Born in India, he died here on Sunday at the age of 90. He received two of India’s highest civilian honours — the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. Veteran journalist Coomi Kapoor writes a fitting tribute.

Tragic: The Government Railway Police has arrested a 27-year-old man, identified as Omkar Eknath Shinde, for allegedly stabbing Alok Kumar Singh to death “in a fit of rage” after a dispute inside a crowded local train in Mumbai on Saturday evening. As many as five police teams hunted down the suspect, scanning footage from at least 200 CCTVs and using facial recognition software.

Singh was a lecturer at NM College and had suffered a six-inch deep injury in the abdomen. He was taken to the hospital by railway officials, but was declared dead on arrival.

📌 Must Read

Superbugs: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is on the rise, making commonly used antibiotics ineffective against superbugs. As of 2019, an estimated 2.97 lakh deaths in India were linked to AMR. Tackling AMR has hence become a priority at AIIMS Delhi, which is running around 15 research projects to understand resistance patterns and promote rational antibiotic use. Ankita Upadhyay reports.

Sticky wicket: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has once again stirred up controversy with his remarks. Backing Bangladesh’s decision to opt out of the T20 World Cup following the ICC’s refusal to allow matches at a neutral venue, Naqvi accused the governing body of “double standards.” He pointed out that ICC extends the same favour to India and Pakistan. However, his comments did not sit right with the ICC, and if Pakistan chooses to boycott the World Cup as well, the country could face sanctions.

⏳ And Finally…

TikTok survived a potential ban in the United States by agreeing to a joint venture in which non-Chinese investors would own 80% of the app, while its parent company, ByteDance, would retain a 20% stake. Could India have pursued a similar arrangement to avoid banning the world’s most popular short-video platform? Soumyarendra Barik explains.

🎧 Before you go, do tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. On the occasion of Republic Day, we revisit three key debates that shaped the Indian Constitution.

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

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