Saturday Briefing: the INS Vikrant story, India and vaccines, Pa Ranjith’s latest, and more

🔴 An all-India effort: INS Vikrant’s is a story of industrial manufacturing entities of various sizes, scales and purposes, from the length and breadth of India, contributing to its construction steered by the Cochin Shipyard Ltd. The design and construction of the IAC was formally sanctioned by the government in January 2003 and the keel was laid in February 2009.

🔴 Push for 3rd aircraft carrier: The Indian Navy now has two aircraft carriers — INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. But against the backdrop of rapidly strengthening carrier fleet of China’s PLA Navy, the push for a third aircraft carrier seems to be getting stronger. 

🔴 Navy gets a new ensign: On the sidelines of the commissioning, PM Narendra Modi also unveiled the Indian Navy’s new ensign. With it, PM Modi said a “burden of slavery” and a symbol of the country’s colonial past has been done away with, befitting India’s rich maritime heritage.

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In our explained section today, we take a look at India’s vaccination success story. From smallpox to Covid-19, India has a long history of successful vaccination with historical accounts of inoculation dating back to the 18th century. Newer vaccines, better infrastructure, and innovative strategies to improve both demand and supply of vaccines have been integral components of programme expansion.

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The National Herald newspaper, founded by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938, has been brought under the spotlight yet again. This time, it is because of Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi coming under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe related to the newspaper. But this isn’t the first time questions were raised about the funding of the Herald. One of Nehru’s party colleagues, Chandra Bhanu Gupta, a four-time UP CM, alleged that the paper, for which he and others collected money, became a mouthpiece of the PM and, later, his daughter Indira Gandhi. “If there is some investigation by an inquiry commission into how funds were collected for National Herald, there will be a big exposé,” he wrote in his memoir. 

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In our opinion section today, educator Ameeta Mulla Wattal shares her wish for schooling this Teachers’ Day: “Let’s not reduce teachers to coaches, facilitators and data analysts under the ruse of democratisation of education. Else, robots will be receiving virtual cards and flowers on teacher’s day in 2020.”

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🍿 What to watch this weekend 

This week, Kirubhakar Purushothaman reviews Pa Ranjith’s latest ‘Natchathiram Nagargiradhu’: Seldom Ranjith’s craft as a filmmaker is discussed as much as his politics and ideologies. The daring experimental tone of Natchathiram Nagargiradhu is personally not surprising because there were glimpses of such eccentricity in Kaala’s ambiguous climax. With Natchathiram Nagargirathu, Ranjith has gone all out. (3.5 ⭐)

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Saturday quiz 

On Friday, Germany announced that it would give $28 million in compensation to the families of Israeli athletes murdered during a major sporting event held in the country. The announcement came ahead of the attack’s 50th anniversary on Monday. What was the sporting event? 

1. Munich Olympics
2. European Championships 
3. Invictus Games 

(🤫 Pssst… the answer is in today’s edition of The Indian Express. Get it here)