Above the Fold: Top stories of the day
1. Industrialist Yash Birla's name figured in the list of five Indians being probed for tax evasion, according to the Swiss government.
2. Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian said there is scope for monetary easing, ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's review next week.
3. Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said his party would need up to 370 seats in the Lok Sabha, much more than two-thirds majority, to ensure passage of demands like the Ram Temple and the repealing of Article 370.
The Big Story: India's Hot Mess
More than 1,100 people have died from health conditions related to the heat wave that is sweeping across the country and leaving bodies in its wake, more than five times the number of the Kashmir floods from last year. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, in particular, have been badly hit with more than 900 casualties in those two states alone. Some say the numbers there have already crossed the 1,100 figure that is being reported for a national toll.
Unfortunately, there's no relief on the horizon. The Met Department has made it clear that the rest of the week is likely to be equally bad across the country, though there is some hope of rain towards the end of the week. Further up north, the chances of relief are still very low, with the monsoon itself not expected for some time.
Hospitals in most of the affected areas have been kept on high alert, especially for patients with heat stroke. Although heat isn't officially considered a "disaster," it's clear that this is nothing short of a national tragedy.
The Big Scroll
Heat waves in India kill many more than are actually reported, and the situation isn't about to get any better. Ahmedabad's action plan to deal with heat waves, however, could offer a solution for the way to respond to such situations. Scroll's Hot Jobs series covers those who have to be outside in these soaring temperatures. Meanwhile, this map tells you how soon the monsoons will hit your neck of the woods.
To get Scroll's Daily Fix, a compendium of all you need to know for the day (and a little more) on your phone, download our Android app.
Policying & Politicking
1. North East Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju has said that the comment of fellow minister of state for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, telling those who want beef to go to Pakistan was "unpalatable."
2. The Delhi Legislative Assembly saw the introduction of a resolution against the Lt Governor's notification, insisting that power over bureaucrats in the capital doesn't belong in the executive's hands.
3. The construction of a mosque, among other things, seems to have torched off targeted violence against Muslims in Ballabgarh, Faridabad, in Uttar Pradesh, with the area continuing to be on edge.
4. Attempts to cut down on gold imports have led to an all-time high in gold smuggling, with authorities seizing up to Rs 1,000 crore of the stuff.
Giggle
Punditry
1. AK Bhattacharyya in the Business Standard lauds the government for sticking to the fiscal deficit target, but says that the methods to get there have not been sustainable.
2. A leader in the Indian Express points out that the contours of the Lt Governor vs Delhi Government fight may have been legal, but the solution will have to be political.
3. India's newspapers are being silly and short-sighted in fighting over readership survey metrics, and Indian media in general needs to do a better job of understanding how these numbers work, writes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar in the Business Standard.
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1. Industrialist Yash Birla's name figured in the list of five Indians being probed for tax evasion, according to the Swiss government.
2. Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian said there is scope for monetary easing, ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's review next week.
3. Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said his party would need up to 370 seats in the Lok Sabha, much more than two-thirds majority, to ensure passage of demands like the Ram Temple and the repealing of Article 370.
The Big Story: India's Hot Mess
More than 1,100 people have died from health conditions related to the heat wave that is sweeping across the country and leaving bodies in its wake, more than five times the number of the Kashmir floods from last year. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, in particular, have been badly hit with more than 900 casualties in those two states alone. Some say the numbers there have already crossed the 1,100 figure that is being reported for a national toll.
Unfortunately, there's no relief on the horizon. The Met Department has made it clear that the rest of the week is likely to be equally bad across the country, though there is some hope of rain towards the end of the week. Further up north, the chances of relief are still very low, with the monsoon itself not expected for some time.
Hospitals in most of the affected areas have been kept on high alert, especially for patients with heat stroke. Although heat isn't officially considered a "disaster," it's clear that this is nothing short of a national tragedy.
The Big Scroll
Heat waves in India kill many more than are actually reported, and the situation isn't about to get any better. Ahmedabad's action plan to deal with heat waves, however, could offer a solution for the way to respond to such situations. Scroll's Hot Jobs series covers those who have to be outside in these soaring temperatures. Meanwhile, this map tells you how soon the monsoons will hit your neck of the woods.
To get Scroll's Daily Fix, a compendium of all you need to know for the day (and a little more) on your phone, download our Android app.
Policying & Politicking
1. North East Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju has said that the comment of fellow minister of state for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, telling those who want beef to go to Pakistan was "unpalatable."
2. The Delhi Legislative Assembly saw the introduction of a resolution against the Lt Governor's notification, insisting that power over bureaucrats in the capital doesn't belong in the executive's hands.
3. The construction of a mosque, among other things, seems to have torched off targeted violence against Muslims in Ballabgarh, Faridabad, in Uttar Pradesh, with the area continuing to be on edge.
4. Attempts to cut down on gold imports have led to an all-time high in gold smuggling, with authorities seizing up to Rs 1,000 crore of the stuff.
Giggle
#KejriwalVsLG cartoon @ETPolitics @EconomicTimes pic.twitter.com/SENJfqtZWF
— R Prasad (@rprasad66) May 25, 2015Punditry
1. AK Bhattacharyya in the Business Standard lauds the government for sticking to the fiscal deficit target, but says that the methods to get there have not been sustainable.
2. A leader in the Indian Express points out that the contours of the Lt Governor vs Delhi Government fight may have been legal, but the solution will have to be political.
3. India's newspapers are being silly and short-sighted in fighting over readership survey metrics, and Indian media in general needs to do a better job of understanding how these numbers work, writes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar in the Business Standard.