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Good evening, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his colleagues in the Axiom-4 mission will have an extended stay at the International Space Station (ISS), with the four-member crew’s return confirmed on July 14. Now into their 16th day, Shukla and his colleagues have performed over 60 experiments spanning biomedical science, advanced materials, neuroscience, agriculture, and space technology. The crew is now expected to make the most of their extra time in space, and as my Bengaluru-based colleague Anjali Marar reports, conduct more experiments before their return. During his stay, Shukla conducted several experiments, including the study of space microalgae, a detailed investigation of muscle atrophy in space, and a study on seed germination and early plant development in space. On that note, let’s dive in 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief
Breaking down the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) special intensive revision (SIR) process, starting with Bihar
On 24 June, when the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced it would conduct an intensive verification of electoral rolls across the country, starting with Bihar, it did not expect it to snowball into a subsequent political firestorm. Even as the ECI’s special intensive revision has sowed panic and confusion on the ground in Bihar, the Supreme Court intervened, refusing to halt the process. However, it asked the ECI to recognise Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents, while raising concerns about the timing of the process and the risk of disenfranchising voters without adequate opportunity to contest exclusions before the election. Bone of contention: The ECI, which started the door-to-door process on June 25 to verify nearly eighty million voters, has introduced a new requirement that is stoking panic. Existing voters who were enrolled after 2003 (when the last such intensive revision took place) must provide documentary proof, including their date and place of birth, to confirm their citizenship. However, an estimated thirty million individuals—not listed in the 2003 electoral rolls—face more rigorous documentation requirements, needing one of the eleven specified documents to prove their eligibility to vote. This is where the Supreme Court called upon the ECI to consider Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards. The EC contends that the option to include Aadhaar and voter IDs is voluntary on the enumeration form, but is more to verify identity, not eligibility. A boost: With the month-long process underway and due to be completed by July 25, political parties in the state are ramping up their ground presence. Since the process began, EC data reveal a 13% increase in booth-level agents (BLAs) across political parties, rising from 1,38,680 to 1,56,625. Those in the opposition, chiefly the INDIA bloc, have enrolled a significantly higher percentage of BLAs (around 17.5%). However, in absolute terms, their BLA count of 65,853 is considerably less than that of the ruling Janata Dal (United)-led NDA, which has over 88,700 agents. On-ground impact: The impact of the ECI’s announcement and its aftermath has left Bihar’s voters—everyone from migrant workers in other cities, to even a village mukhiya in an India-Nepal border village (Madhubani district)—scrambling to prove their eligibility. It has also triggered outcry among some of Bihar’s heavily caste-dominated voter blocs, including the extremely backwards classes (EBCs), minorities, and even upper castes.
✍️ From our newsroom
Tragic: In a shocking incident, Radhika Yadav, a rising 25-year-old tennis player and coach, was allegedly shot dead by her father in Gurgaon. The police say that her father, Deepak, allegedly could not stand her success and the fact that the house was “running on her money.” So, he took his licensed revolver out and fired five shots at around 10:30 am on Thursday. Three of them hit Radhika and killed her. Radhika was a rising state-level tennis player, reaching a career high of 75 in the Girls U-18, and was ranked 113 on the ITF circuit. She was gaining traction both on and off the court, coaching at an academy while training elite clients. But that success, police say, became a point of resentment for Deepak, who faced jibes from neighbours about being financially dependent on her. Despite owning rental properties, he reportedly asked her to quit multiple times, which she refused. On Thursday morning, Deepak allegedly snapped and killed her.
🔎 Need to know
Fresh salvo: US President Donald Trump shot a letter to his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, announcing a 35% tariff on imports coming from the north of the border. Carney suggested that Canada will continue to “defend the country’s workers and businesses” in its negotiations with the US.
Bull’s eye: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval revealed that India had hit nine terror targets across Pakistan with “precision” while missing none of them during May’s Operation Sindoor, adding that it was “precise to the point where we knew who was where.” Relief plea: Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer Yash Dayal has approached the Allahabad High Court seeking a stay on his arrest. The action follows the Ghaziabad Police booking Dayal on Sunday for allegedly “emotionally, mentally, and physically” exploiting a woman after promising to marry her.
🎙️Expresso Playlist
In today’s Playlist, I’ll recommend a brilliant 30-minute episode from Sportly, which explores Wimbledon’s traditions (quirky or stiff as they are)—strawberries, dress code, and the legendary 6 am queue—that have endured over time.
✋🏽 One last thing
I’ll leave you with an interesting BBC story on the secrets of the perfect political slogan, as revealed by political strategist and pollster Chris Bruni-Lowe.
Have a great weekend! Until Monday, Venkat Ananth |
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