Daily briefing: Drug pandemic in Kashmir Valley; Chandrayaan-3 moves into last phase of its journey to moon; and more

Across the Kashmir Valley, a silent pandemic of drug addiction is wreaking havo in families and stretching the public health system to its limits: it’s clogging hospitals and clinics, filling up detention centres with mostly young men, piling up FIRs, and leaving a trail of tragedy and loss in its wake.

Over two months, The Indian Express visited several addiction treatment centres, from Baramulla to Srinagar, Kupwara to Anantnag, talked to affected families, doctors, psychiatrists and counsellors, bureaucrats and police officers, to map the unprecedented scale of the problem. Read our investigation for more

In an interview with The Indian Express, Jammu and Kashmir’s top police officer, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, said: “The drug menace, that the society currently faces, is a bigger threat than militancy… a much bigger pain awaits us if we do not pay attention and go all out to face the drug challenge today.” 

⚖️ Only in Express

Amid talk of a Uniform Civil Code for the country, the Goa code, which cuts across religions and has laws that govern everything from gender equality in marriage to personal inheritance is being touted as a model. But how uniform is Goa’s Uniform Civil Code? We find out.

📰 From the front page

🚀 “Thanks for the ride, mate!”: The Chandrayaan-3 mission moved into the last phase of its journey to the Moon, with the Lander Module successfully separating from the main spacecraft on Thursday afternoon.

Two days after Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), wrote an opinion article in a newspaper calling for a new Constitution, the EAC-PM distanced itself and the government from his views. Find out more here

👩‍💻 Must Read

The Supreme Court has said the argument that Article 370 had become permanent after the constituent assembly for Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist in 1957 is belied by the practice of issuing Constitution (Application) Orders from time to time, modifying the Constitution in relation to the erstwhile state. 

With about four months to go for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, the BJP has announced two key poll panels – the manifesto and election management committees – with former chief minister Vasundhara Raje not included in both of them.

In our opinion section, Faizan Mustafa writes on the new penal code: “Definitions of many crimes remain vague and some much-needed improvements, such as criminalisation of marital rape, remain unaddressed”

Bonus read: Taliban took control of Afghanistan two years ago on August 15, 2021, as US and NATO forces made a hurried and chaotic exit after almost two decades of war. As they mark their second anniversary as Afghanistan’s new rulers, international aid agencies estimate that about 15 million people will face “crisis” levels of food insecurity this year, with 2.8 million in the “emergency” category. Here’s a look at the situation there after 2 years of  Taliban rule. 

⌛ And Finally

🏸 Badminton player Mithun Manjunath knows what life at its direst looks like. didn’t grow up in the lap of luxury and there was a time his parents could not afford a new playing kit. 

A job with Railways and a national Championship has eased financial pressure and he’s determined to make the tough times count. Read the latest edition of Shivani Naik’s column ‘Cross Quote’ to find out more about him.

🤫 Find out about Rahul Gandhi’s Ladakh plans, the growing cultural partnership between Israel and India, and more, only in today’s Delhi Confidential!

🎧 In the latest episode of the 3 Things podcast, we discuss an over two-month-long investigation into the Kashmir Valley’s devastating drug addiction crisis reveals the unprecedented scale of the problem.

Until next time,

Arushi Bhaskar and Anamni Gupta