The selected cartoons appeared first in other publications, either in print or online, or on social media, and are credited appropriately.
In today’s featured cartoon, Sandeep Adhwaryu alludes to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s whirlwind two-day visit to Taiwan. Pelosi met Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, defying Beijing’s threats. After Pelosi departed, China began its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan.
E. P. Unny, compares the China-Taiwan standoff to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has entered its sixth month. Early on, Ukraine’s chances were mostly written off against the military prowess of Putin’s Russia, but it has defied predictions and held its ground.
Satish Acharya takes a dig at finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comment that there is “zero probability of India slipping into recession.” During a discussion on rising prices raised by the opposition in the Lok Sabha, she said the macroeconomic fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong. Meanwhile, the rate of inflation has been rising since last September, and has remained above the upper tolerance limit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a straight six months.
Sajith Kumar refers to a claim made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. Adhikari said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah told him that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be implemented after the Covid precaution dose vaccination exercise is completed in the country.
Nala Ponappa highlights the Indian Air Force (IAF) decision to retire one of its four squadrons of ageing MiG-21 fighter jets in September and to phase out the remaining fleet of the Soviet-era jet by 2025. Inducted into the IAF in 1963, the MiGs are widely held to have outlived their utility, but remain in service due to delays in the induction of new fighter aircraft.