A selection of the best news reports, analysis and opinions published by ThePrint this week.
From key Pakistani general to ISIS terrorist ‘killed’ in Jihad, the chilling saga of Shahid Aziz
Reports in Pakistan about Retired Lt. General Shahid Aziz – who served in the Pakistani army for 37-years – having turned to ‘jihad’ have been chilling, to say the least. Husain Haqqani brings the story of Aziz, his life and that of other senior Pakistani army officers who became true believers in extremist causes. Read Husain Haqqani’s piece to understand the dangers of “allowing ideology to supercede professionalism in a modern military”.
With soaring marks in class XII boards, is there space for 70 percenters in India’s colleges?
If you want a 360 degree view of any critical issue, tune in to our feature TalkPoint which brings you quick, short, yet a substantive range of opinions. When the CBSE announced its class XII board results last Sunday, the all-India topper scoring a staggering 99.8 per cent stunned many, while several others felt concerned about the implications of such soaring marks on the education system. Read this edition of TalkPoint to get a variety of views on whether there is any place left for 70 percenters in India’s colleges.
Uniform Civil Code could be delayed by 10 years
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has always been a politically and socially contentious issue, and a move that the ruling BJP has always pushed for. Sanya Dhingra reports that the Law Commission in its final report on UCC could suggest postponing its implementation by 10 years, recommending instead the tweaking of personal laws across religions. UCC is controversial since it seeks to replace personal laws based on the different religious scriptures and customs with a common code. A decision to push its implementation by 10 years would mean the BJP would go to polls next year without fulfilling one of its most important 2014 general election manifesto promises.
Appointment of these 4 as judges has been stuck for 2 yrs & Modi govt hasn’t given reasons
While all the focus has been on the rift between the Modi government and higher judiciary over the elevation of Justice K.M. Joseph, Maneesh Chhibber brings you this important story of four other appointments — of high court judges — that have been inexplicably stuck with the Centre for at least two years. The report explains how the case of these four lawyers is curious since the other names that were recommended along with them have either been accepted or rejected. The story assumes significance given how the selection of judges has been a flashpoint between the Narendra Modi government and the higher judiciary since 2014.
The two mistakes of Narendra Modi
This one is specially for our readers on the go. In our new feature – the 50-Word Edit – we bring ThePrint’s view on the most important issues, instantly. In this edition, read about PM Narendra Modi’s two biggest mistakes, the Modi government’s decision to revive the purchase of Spike anti-tank missile from Israel and why Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma is the perfect case study for a shrink.
Recipe from Bollywood’s top dietician: Take mangoes, add pseudoscience & blame grandma
Are mangoes safe for diabetics? Is sugar an Indian super food? Celebrity dietician Rujuta Diwekar’s claims on what constitutes a healthy diet have often been contentious. Most recently, she stirred up a Twitter row when she said mangoes are safe for diabetics. Sandhya Ramesh brings you a detailed analysis on Diwekar’s claims, what she bases them on, why her voice has become so important and what her critics say. A must-read at a time when a ‘healthy diet’ has almost become a fad.
Death of Indian media is fake news. But scary, some greedy owners fall for a silly con
The recent Cobrapost sting operation on Indian media houses led many to hastily conclude that journalism here is dead, and all journalists are on the take. In these gloomy times, read Shekhar Gupta’s refreshing and much-needed take on how journalism in India is far from dead and why journalists don’t need to hang their heads in shame after the expose. ThePrint Editor-in-Chief lists ten crisp but profound points to illustrate some basic facts about the sting, what it means for journalism and why an obituary on Indian media is premature.