Daily Briefing: No more weekends?

Time out: In remarks that triggered a meme-fest online, there also lies a more sombre (and age-old) discussion on work-life balance. Industrialist Harsh Goenka weighed in, calling Subrahmanyan’s suggestions of a “perpetual office shift” a “recipe for burnout”. Others labelled it as “corporate slavery”, and called out the mental health implications of working all the time.

Ready for the grind? There are of course those who agree with Subrahmanyan. Lest we forget the billionaire Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy’s call for a 70-hour workweek. When firms elsewhere are experimenting with (and implementing) four-day workweeks, why are India’s top executives advocating for longer labour hours? Does the loftier goal of nation-building require employees to give up their rest days?

I will leave it up to you dear reader. For now, here’s what else we have for you today:

Only in Express

Faulty lines: As India’s power demand surges, the national grid is struggling to keep pace. What’s ailing the thermal power sector? Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), which manufactures and installs critical thermal power equipment, has pointed to thefts, statutory changes, and shortages of labour and raw materials, among others. NTPC Ltd, India’s largest thermal power generating company, has offered solutions. It asked BHEL for “better project management”, as per the minutes of a September meeting obtained by The Indian Express through the Right to Information Act.

From the Front Page

Restricted entry: The Taliban has a tough wish. It has urged India to issue visas to Afghan businessmen, patients and students. The issuance of visas, however, isn’t so easy, given India’s security concerns and lack of consular services in Kabul.

No go: The Supreme Court has dismissed petitions seeking a review of its earlier ruling that had rejected the prayer to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages. A five-judge bench said it found “no error” in the 2023 ruling, and that “no interference is warranted”.

Must Read

Survivor tale: Several men were trapped in a rathole mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district when it flooded on Monday morning. Workers and officials quickly pulled out some 25-odd miners, but nine remained trapped. Since then, six search and rescue attempts by disaster response forces, the Navy and the Army have yielded little results. One body was recovered, and any hope of rescuing eight others is quickly fading. A rescued miner recounts the moment the tragedy struck, and what followed.

Team India: Selectors are facing some tough calls ahead of the white-ball series against England and the following ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin February 19. Despite the Australia fiasco, which put Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma under the scanner, the duo’s spot in the Playing XI is cemented. Who else would make the cut? My colleague Venkata Krishna B brings you a role-wise breakdown of the contenders.

And Finally…

An anticipated 40 crore pilgrims are set to descend on Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh mela. This time, a robust digital infrastructure would be helping the authorities keep everything in check. AI-enabled surveillance systems and underwater drones are in the line-up.

For more on the Maha Kumbh 2025, tune in to today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast.

That’s all for today folks! Until next week,
Sonal Gupta

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