Daily Briefing: SC begins hearing on electoral bonds; what a normal monsoon hides; and more

Meanwhile, the BCCI has  announced that there won’t be any fireworks display during the World Cup matches in Mumbai and Delhi since it “can add to the pollution level”.

From the Front Page 

The Supreme Court began hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Centre’s Electoral Bonds scheme yesterday. Here are some highlights from the hearing. 

Last week Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was summoned for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Excise Policy case. And this week, AAP leaders and advisors snapped into action — asking for suggestions on a likely replacement, if the need arises. But for AAP, finding a leader to temporarily replace Kejriwal is not going to be easy.

A policeman was killed in a suspected militant attack in north Kashmir yesterday, with the brazen attack coming just a day after the militants shot dead a migrant worker in south Kashmir.

Must Read 

Struggling to come up with a face in its own ranks to take on Congress CM Bhupesh Baghel, the BJP has dropped hints of turning back to Raman Singh. The longest-serving CM of Chhattisgarh, Singh, who spent three terms in power from 2003 to 2018, only to disappear from public sight after the 2018 trouncing, seems a little disconcerted at this sudden return to spotlight.

This is the eighth year in succession that the seasonal rainfall has been broadly in the normal range. Though this makes it seem as though monsoon rainfall in the country has been remarkably consistent in recent years, that is far from being the case. Amitabh Sinha explains what a ‘normal’ monsoon hides.

In our Opinion section today, C Raja Mohan writes on the London summit this week on the safe use of Artificial Intelligence: “The summit is likely to lay out important markers for the unfolding global discourse on its regulation. As an active contributor, India will have to find its own voice on the issue.”

And Finally 

The inauguration of a new ferry, HSC Cheriyapani linking India and Sri Lanka, has brought back memories of the old Boat Mail, an express train and ferry service that connected Madras and Colombo via Dhanushkodi. In our Research section, Arup K Chhatterjee looks back at the legacy of Boat Mail, and the significance of the new ferry service.

Delhi Confidential: Trouble may be brewing for the BJP in Kerala, with leaders of its allies saying that the incidents in Manipur and the government’s response have antagonised the Christian community in the state.

In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about the blasts in Kerala’s Kalamassery, the train accident in Andhra Pradesh and the ill-effect of exposure to air pollutant nitrogen dioxide.

Until tomorrow,

Rahel Philipose and Sonal Gupta