Three months after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy scam being probed separately by the CBI, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by a Delhi court.
The big relief comes at a time of turmoil for the Aam Aadmi Party as Kejriwal has a multitude of issues to address. We decode what this means for the party and how things are different this time.
While the lower court’s reasons behind granting bail may only be known when the order comes, the fact that bail was granted is of significant legal import because of the high bar set by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for bail. We explain why.
NEET Row
A third-party review of the NEET undergraduate exam this year has found some worrying “non-compliances” at a number of exam centres on May 5. We take a look at the findings of the review and steps taken by the National Testing Agency — which conducts NEET-UG — to address it.
In a first admission of irregularity in the conduct of the NEET exam this year, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has acknowledged that there have been “some errors limited to specific regions” and announced the setting up of a high-level committee to fix responsibility.
The row has also led to unease in the BJP and RSS affiliates including the student wing ABVP. Here’s what they had to say about the ongoing controversy.
Meanwhile, as the Centre scrapped this year’s University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test — key to finding an entry-level teaching job and seeking admissions into PhD programmes in Indian universities — students at the receiving end have accused the authorities of playing with their lives. We speak to them to understand the ground situation.
Only in Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Astana for the SCO leaders’ summit early next month. Signals on ties over the last several weeks have been nuanced, and an Australian recalibration suggests a way for realistic engagement. We analyse how India plans to engage with China during Modi’s third term.
From the Front Page
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Srinagar currently, assured that preparations for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir have begun, and that statehood would soon be returned to the Union Territory. We understand why the PM’s trip to J&K, the first since coming back to power for a third time in row, holds significance.
For Some, yoga at the Olympic Games might be a stretch. But not to India’s sports administrators. As it doubles down on efforts to bring the 2036 Olympics home, India is likely to push for the inclusion of yoga, which has been the country’s soft-power tool, in the sports programme.
And Finally…
As India went past Afghanistan in the Super 8 match in this year’s T20 World Cup, there was a six from Suryakumar Yadav in the 17th over off the wily Fazalhaq Farooqui that captured his skill on a sluggish wicket, and sets him apart from most other Indian batsmen in such conditions. We take a look at it.
Delhi Confidential: On the eve of the International Yoga Day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s — a former wrestler who is also called ‘Mohan pehalwan’ — team shared a video of him performing yoga and appealing to the people to make the practice a part of their daily life.
In today’s edition of the ‘3 things’ podcast, we take a look at North India’s first heat stroke unit, the UGC-NET being cancelled, and understand the importance of an expert accompanying the Indian Olympic contingent to help them improve their sleep.
Business As Usual by E P Unny