
Daily Briefing: EC receives forms of 90% of Bihar's electors; diplomatic win for India as US designates TRF as terrorist organisation
We are back with the seventh edition of Expresso on Culture, bringing you Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, India's G20 Sherpa, and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant as guests on the panel this time to explore yet another intersection between culture and governance. While Saxena shares that governance is tough in Delhi, Kant identifies two issues, which he says, plagued the national capital: encroachment and freebies. Here's what the duo has to say as they engage in an insightful conversation with The Indian Express National Opinion Editor Vandita Mishra!
With that, let's move on to the top 5 stories from today's edition:
🚨 Big Story
The Election Commission has received enumeration forms of 90.12 per cent of Bihar's electors ahead of the July 25 deadline for its special intensive revision (SIR) of the state's electoral roll, and that over 36 lakh were found 'not at their addresses'. As of Friday, the EC said 7.11 crore forms had been received so far and 6.85 crore of them had been digitised. Moreover, as many as 36.86 lakh electors (a little over 4.67% of total voters) had been found to be 'probably' deceased, permanently shifted or enrolled at multiple places. It said 6,978, or 0.01% of the electors, were 'not traceable'.
Setting the tone for the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) Bihar Assembly election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that a Central employment scheme providing Rs 15,000 to youth in their first private sector job will be rolled out from August 1. The PM's comments appear to be a counter to nullify the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) jobs pitch, which was cited for its success in the 2020 Assembly elections.
⚡ Only in Express
With the talk of a train arriving in Mizoram's Sairang station, residents find themselves dreaming of a journey. A 51-km railway line is set to connect the Mizoram capital to the Indian Railways' grid for the first time. With that, Aizawl becomes the fourth northeastern capital after Guwahati, Agartala and Itanagar to be linked to the Indian Railways' grid. The operations on the line are expected to begin by September. Dheeraj Mishra travels along the new line, a project with deep strategic value for a landlocked state, where the arrival of the train is marked by both hope and a sense of foreboding.
💡 Express Explained
The United States' decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation is a diplomatic win for India and a message to Pakistan, but its impact on the ground remains to be seen. The decision comes three months after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 tourists and a local ponywala. The TRF claimed responsibility for the attack on social media channels, however, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) concluded during its investigation that all three attackers were Pakistani nationals. As lines between terror outfits blur in Vallet, we explain the on-ground challenges.
✍️ Express Opinion
In our Opinion section today, Sujan R Chinoy delves into the mending ties between India and China after prolonged estrangement caused by the bloodletting at Galwan in 2020. As both countries deliberate on the need for early de-escalation in the border areas to facilitate normalisation of ties, Chinoy writes: 'The positive signs in India-China relations are encouraging. The deep deficit of trust, however, calls for sustained efforts. The two sides must move forward with realistic expectations. The road ahead is arduous. Yet, forging a stable and cooperative relationship between the two Asian neighbours is a goal worth pursuing.'
🎞️ Watchlist
Wondering what to watch this weekend? We've got you covered! Vir Das' sixth stand-up special for Netflix, Fool Volume, combines his trademark self-effacing delivery with his signature ambition. In his review, Rohan Naahar writes: 'In Fool Volume, Das gazes inward; he glances at the world around him, and then, he gets down to business. The show isn't so much about a comedian finding his voice again as it is about a middle-aged Indian man finding a new voice.'
That's all for today. Have a lovely weekend!
Until next time,
Ariba
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