It’s Christmas and there’s a lot to cheer about at the end of the year. The Indian cricket team is preparing for the Boxing Day Test in Australia. 90,000 people are expected to watch the clash at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. There is a curious history of how a game after Christmas came to be known as Boxing Day. It has a lot to do with broadcasting rights and the good old power of marketing. Interestingly, the term comes from the tradition of wealthy families preparing boxes of gifts for the less fortunate as a goodwill gesture. This time around, the The stakes are high After three Test matches, both teams are tied at 1-1. Cricket fans may be in for a treat.
On that note, let’s move on to today’s edition.
big story
The Supreme Court on December 13 barred the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from accessing and copying material from electronic devices seized during the November search of “lottery king” Santiago Martin, his relatives and employees. The ED’s searches came after a complaint by the Meghalaya Police that Martin’s Future Gaming company had “illegally” taken over the state’s lottery business.
Why is this important? The Supreme Court order May set priority for other ongoing cases including those related to Amazon India and NewsClick. This prevents the ED from impinging on the right to privacy and prevents the accused from incriminating themselves.
Rethink: The order could significantly change how the ED works, especially when it comes to seizing citizens’ mobile phones or laptops. Even earlier, the Supreme Court order had forced the ED Change tack How it registers cases.
Only on express
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready for some internal reforms. Who will be the next party president? It will be known only in the middle of February next year after the party’s internal organizational elections. But one thing is certain: the candidate will have seal of approval From Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). After a brief period of friction between the BJP and the RSS in the Lok Sabha elections, their resounding victories in the Maharashtra and Haryana elections have proved that both parties benefit from working together.
From the front page
rumor: ED is not the only one facing the music in confiscating electronic devices of citizens. In Kerala, the journalists are up in arms after the police demanded their fellow journalists Produce your mobile phone As part of ongoing research. Police are trying to find out how Aniru Ashokan got his hands on the ‘top secret’ agenda documents of the Public Service Commission. But Ashokan refused to reveal his source.
Meet and Greet: Preparing for Donald Trump’s arrival in the Oval Office, India has sent External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on a six-day visit to the US. Jaishankar is expected to keep an eye on deepening ties with the US attached Both with the outgoing Joe Biden administration and the Trump team.
Huddle: As India’s economic growth slows, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the need for new and bold reforms in a meeting with economists. With Union Budget 2025-26 barely a month away, suggestions from economists could set the tone for what lies ahead. There was one topic that dominated the discussion taxEconomists with the flag need to reduce taxes in the country.
A must read
Make in IndiaThe government wants to reduce dependence on laptop imports. The reasons are twofold: One, India cannot raise tariffs on laptops, PCs and similar IT products under World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments. And second, there is a growing security concern over the major portion of laptops made in China. There is a need to promote domestic production, and Govt There is a plan.
Towards Social Cohesion: “Politics of division and polarization have unfortunately become powerful electoral weapons,” writes Arun Prakash. in one Opinion pieceThe former navy chief reflects on what we can learn about diversity from both late tabla player Zakir Hussain and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
And finally…
Some 37 years ago, India, under Rajiv Gandhi’s government, banned the import of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses amid much fanfare and fury. Only a month and a half ago, the current government could not submit the notification of 1988 in the court. The book now a Calm back On bookshelves, now only at Baharisons Booksellers in Delhi.
Before you go, tune in to today’s episode The ‘3 Things’ PodcastWhere senior journalist and contributing editor Neerja Chaudhary joins the host to reflect on the biggest events shaping Indian politics this year.
That’s it for today! until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
Business as usual by EP Unny
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