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Journalism of Courage
Good morning,
You may not have heard of Matanomadh, but a decade-old discovery of a rare mineral has put it at the centre of India’s Mars mission, Mangalyaan-2. It is a remote village in Gujarat, nearly 100 km from Bhuj town. With its hard and unforgiving terrain, Matanomadh barely supports plant or human life. The village, however, is rich in jarosite, a yellow, iron-rich sulphate mineral similar to that discovered on Mars in 2004. And recently, researchers dated the jarosite in Matanomadh back to the Palaeocene period in the geological timeline. That’s around 55 million years old! Scientists believe that the village could be the perfect site to test rover motion, instrument testing, drilling, and geochemistry experiments for future Mars missions.
On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition. 👇
In June, the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) failed to issue a joint statement after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign. The point of contention? The omission of any reference to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack. Two months later, with circumstances having changed, the SCO declaration read a whole lot different.
On Pahalgam: While addressing the opening session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the Pahalgam attack, calling it “not only an assault on the conscience of India, but also an open challenge to every nation”. He made the remarks in the presence of his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif. And when the SCO leaders issued the declaration, they condemned the attack, and said that “perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice”. This shift is significant, given that India’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, had alleged collusion between Pakistan and China during Operation Sindoor, while questioning the government.
Tariff spectre: The shadow of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs loomed large over the SCO summit. India faces a 50% levy, including penalties, for buying Russian oil amid the Ukraine war. Against this backdrop, PM Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin for over an hour, stressing that “a way must be found to end this conflict and establish peace.” The two leaders discussed economic, financial, and energy cooperation, with Modi underscoring that their partnership is vital “not only for our people, but also for global peace and stability.”
👉 Despite US pressure, India has held firm on Russian oil imports — and the numbers explain why. In the past three years, discounted crude saved India $12.6 billion. While the savings are lower than expected, as Sukalp Sharma notes, they remain strategically significant.
👉 Meanwhile, Xi slammed the Trump tariffs, stating that the “rules of a few countries must not be imposed on others” and advocating for an “equal and orderly multipolar world”.
Women accounted for a higher proportion of cancer cases in India than men, but made up a lower proportion of cancer deaths. Oral cancer has emerged as the most common type of disease among men. These findings were published by a group of researchers who analysed data collected from 43 cancer registries across the country between 2015 and 2019.
Anonna Dutt explains the key trends in India’s cancer incidence, and what they mean for policy.
Moving out: In the month since his resignation as Vice-President, Dhankhar Jagdeep has been a subject of much intrigue, with many wondering about his whereabouts. On Monday, after days of no public sighting, Dhankhar ventured out of his official residence for a visit to the dentist and then to the farmhouse owned by INLD chief Abhay Singh Chautala. This would be his home till he’s allotted an alternative accommodation.
Wrap up: It was an all-around INDIA show as Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar came to its end on Monday. Congress and RJD flags dominated the event, and INDIA bloc allies, including TMC’s Yusuf Pathan, turned up for the event. In a speech, Gandhi called his revelations of voter theft in Karnataka an “atom bomb”, hinting at another “hydrogen bomb“, that would show the BJP government in “worse light”.
‘Noise’: India’s GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent in April-June was far higher than anyone anticipated. Many Indians cheered on social media, but experts have advised caution. It must be noted that the GDP data released last week was adjusted for inflation. Hence, the nominal GDP (not adjusted) gives a truer picture of the growth at current prices. Siddharth Upasini explains how the government calculates the GDP, its pitfalls, and India’s actual growth.
Memes, parodies and criticism — Jahnvi Kapoor’s Param Sundari has met with all. Many aren’t happy with the way the Malayali heroine was portrayed, leaning into every Malayali stereotype that exists. The film renewed debate about cross-language casting, a practice that has remained prevalent in the decades of Indian cinema. (Think: Sridevi, Rekha, Deepika Padukone or Nayanthara). In the latest ‘Fresh Take’, Cris writes why cross-language casting isn’t all bad when done deftly.
🏸 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty walked away from the World Championships with a bronze medal dangling proudly around their necks. Yet, as they stood on the podium, their smiles carried a hint of what-ifs — they wished the colour could have been different. In a candid chat with The Indian Express, SatChi — as the duo is fondly known — open up about bouncing back from the Paris Olympics heartbreak, toppling two of the world’s finest pairs, and the unwavering support of their coach and families that fuels their journey.
🎧 Before you go, do tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. The lineup: Dharmasthala ‘secret burials’, India’s Mission Sudarshan Chakra, and a judgment on super smart kids.
That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
