Daily Briefing: Biden to skip India’s Republic Day parade; BJP’s CM picks; and more

US President Joe Biden will not be coming to India for the Republic Day parade in January 2024 and the Quad summit, proposed to be held around that time, is being postponed to the latter part of 2024. “We are looking for revised dates (for Quad) as the dates currently under consideration do not work with all the Quad partners,” sources told The Indian Express.

Only In the Express

In his weekly column, C Raja Mohan writes on the Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 370 and what it means for Jammu and Kashmir: “Domestic legal closure on the question of India’s full sovereignty over Kashmir does not automatically change international attitudes. It depends, above all, on constructing a sustainable new political compact in Kashmir.”

From the Front Page

Express at COP28 | As always, this year’s climate change conference has witnessed multiple stalemates and disagreements. Yet again, one of the major points of contention was the issue of fossil fuel phase-out. Read Amitabh Sinha’s report.

After Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, BJP has now also announced its pick for the post of CM in Rajasthan: first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma.

The Centre has moved amendments which sought to retain the status of the Election Commissioners (ECs) on par with Supreme Court Judges. Here’s what you need to know.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced revised versions of three criminal law Bills in Lok Sabha to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (originally enacted in 1898); and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Here’s what changes.

Must Read

Ethanol is 99.9% pure alcohol that can be blended with petrol. The ethanol blended petrol (EBP) programme has been a significant accomplishment of the Narendra Modi government. We explain how the programme has hit roadblocks due to low stocks of sugar and uncertainties over production this year.

The BJP has unveiled a new set of leadership – relatively younger but not inexperienced – in two of the three heartland states — Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — and a first-time MLA in Rajasthan. The Congress, meanwhile, remains undecided on the organisational way ahead in the three states, with many wondering if the party would have followed the BJP’s way had it won. Read Manoj C G’s ‘Road to 2024’ column.

Kerala has the highest percentage of elderly workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). What’s keeping the young away from the scheme? Sources say it is the high wages that unskilled workers get in the state. Take a look at the data here.

And Finally…

Foreign players have recently flagged ‘problems’ about tournaments held in India. The latest in the list is former World champion and Olympic medallist, Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara, who posted about a long wait at the airport, getting fleeced by a cabbie, and a four-hour wait time in a hotel lobby.

Delhi Confidential: In today’s edition, veteran lawyer Fali S Nariman’s thoughts on the Oxford word of the year, ‘rizz’, and BJP’s new ‘VRS scheme’.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we talk about Mohan Yadav, the BJP’s pick for Madhya Pradesh chief minister, a fatal tinder date and Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of Amit Shah’s remarks on Jawaharlal Nehru.

Until tomorrow,
Rahel Philipose and Sonal Gupta