Above the Fold: Top stories of the day
1. The Indian Meteorological Department's second monsoon forecast said this year's rains will be deficient, coming in at 88% of the average.
2. Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan cut interest rates by 25 basis points, giving some cheer to industry, while saying that the central bank is unlikely to cut further anytime soon now.
3. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter is in New Delhi today to sign a defence pact with India, focusing on four "pathfinder" projects and closer cooperation.
The Big Story: 2-Minute Testing
Maggi noodles, a beloved brand from Nestle, is at risk of disappearing from shelves across the country after several tests have found them to contain both MSG and high levels of lead. An officer in Uttar Pradesh (who is now a local hero) first noted the issue in a routine check that has now gone nationwide, with Delhi authorities also finding lead. The government has called for tests to be conducted everywhere. The instant noodles brand could very soon be pulled from Indian stores, and is already seeing a sharp drop in sales.
Nestle, on its part, has denied the accusations claiming the government's laboratories are failing to note the difference between one kind of glutamate and another, thereby presuming that there is MSG in the noodles. It also claims its internal tests show that lead levels in Maggi are within the permissible limits. Further tests should clarify the matter.
The issue also brings up broader questions of the way food is tested in India. The food safety authority has been headless for some time now and has been unable to deal with the deluge of licence applications that have come its way, let alone testing already licensed products. The focus so far has been one beloved brand, but if the big multinational has been delinquent in its approach to food safety, what about the rest of our staple packaged products?
The Big Scroll: Scroll.in on the day's biggest story
Millions of Indians actually do face the danger of lead poisoning, not just from Maggi, but from contaminated water and even from Ayurvedic medicines.
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.
Politicking & Policying
1. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung are continuing to have turf wars, with Jung now questioning Kejriwal's decision to induct six police officers from Bihar into the Anti Corruption Bureau.
2. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi isn't being subtle about his courting of Dalits. On Tuesday he launched the party's 125th birth anniversary celebrations of BR Ambedkar, calling for the "annihilation of caste".
3. The Samajwadi Party is probably the happiest with its decision to put off a merger of the Janata Parivar, since its leaders believe they had more to lose than gain.
4. The Congress meanwhile, has delivered an ultimatum to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav telling him to fall in line behind Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar or prepare to be isolated.
Punditry
1. The battle against mosquitoes has been going on for decades now, yet we haven't found lasting control, writes Shanthu Shantharam in Mint.
2. A leader in the Business Standard asked if the RBI's decision to be as hawkish as it was in the most recent monetary policy review, saying it is counter productive.
3. Yoginder K Alagh in the Indian Express say the drumbeat of negative indication from the economy have prompted him to call on the Finance Minister to raise public investment by at least 1% of GDP.
4. It almost seems like the accumulating bad faith of our politicians, and our decision to support them, has led to the weather dealing us with bad faith in return, writes Ruchir Joshi in the Telegraph.
Don't Miss
Sania Farooqui says India owes its women citizens the chance to join the armed forces in combat roles.
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1. The Indian Meteorological Department's second monsoon forecast said this year's rains will be deficient, coming in at 88% of the average.
2. Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan cut interest rates by 25 basis points, giving some cheer to industry, while saying that the central bank is unlikely to cut further anytime soon now.
3. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter is in New Delhi today to sign a defence pact with India, focusing on four "pathfinder" projects and closer cooperation.
The Big Story: 2-Minute Testing
Maggi noodles, a beloved brand from Nestle, is at risk of disappearing from shelves across the country after several tests have found them to contain both MSG and high levels of lead. An officer in Uttar Pradesh (who is now a local hero) first noted the issue in a routine check that has now gone nationwide, with Delhi authorities also finding lead. The government has called for tests to be conducted everywhere. The instant noodles brand could very soon be pulled from Indian stores, and is already seeing a sharp drop in sales.
Nestle, on its part, has denied the accusations claiming the government's laboratories are failing to note the difference between one kind of glutamate and another, thereby presuming that there is MSG in the noodles. It also claims its internal tests show that lead levels in Maggi are within the permissible limits. Further tests should clarify the matter.
The issue also brings up broader questions of the way food is tested in India. The food safety authority has been headless for some time now and has been unable to deal with the deluge of licence applications that have come its way, let alone testing already licensed products. The focus so far has been one beloved brand, but if the big multinational has been delinquent in its approach to food safety, what about the rest of our staple packaged products?
The Big Scroll: Scroll.in on the day's biggest story
Millions of Indians actually do face the danger of lead poisoning, not just from Maggi, but from contaminated water and even from Ayurvedic medicines.
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.
Politicking & Policying
1. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung are continuing to have turf wars, with Jung now questioning Kejriwal's decision to induct six police officers from Bihar into the Anti Corruption Bureau.
2. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi isn't being subtle about his courting of Dalits. On Tuesday he launched the party's 125th birth anniversary celebrations of BR Ambedkar, calling for the "annihilation of caste".
3. The Samajwadi Party is probably the happiest with its decision to put off a merger of the Janata Parivar, since its leaders believe they had more to lose than gain.
4. The Congress meanwhile, has delivered an ultimatum to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav telling him to fall in line behind Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar or prepare to be isolated.
Punditry
1. The battle against mosquitoes has been going on for decades now, yet we haven't found lasting control, writes Shanthu Shantharam in Mint.
2. A leader in the Business Standard asked if the RBI's decision to be as hawkish as it was in the most recent monetary policy review, saying it is counter productive.
3. Yoginder K Alagh in the Indian Express say the drumbeat of negative indication from the economy have prompted him to call on the Finance Minister to raise public investment by at least 1% of GDP.
4. It almost seems like the accumulating bad faith of our politicians, and our decision to support them, has led to the weather dealing us with bad faith in return, writes Ruchir Joshi in the Telegraph.
Don't Miss
Sania Farooqui says India owes its women citizens the chance to join the armed forces in combat roles.
By claiming that women cannot participate in combat operations due to safety concerns, the Defence Minister’s statement has made two truths obvious. The first is though the armed forces claim to empower women, it’s clear that they have a long way to go. Even though the minister has said women will be able join “other operational forces”, it is still not clearly evident, what those roles would be and what time span this involves. It is also obvious that the armed forces still treat women as the weaker sex. Parrikar’s statements reinforce the idea that the armed forces are still male dominated and reflect the patronising mindset India has towards its women citizens.
