Researched by: Rachel John, Aarthi Ramnath & Anannya Parekh
Delimitation dharma: A YouTube explainer
In 2026, there will be a significant readjustment of Lok Sabha seats—granting North Indian states a decisive majority. The reason: the North has far more citizens than the South. So should the South be “punished” for population control—or is it the inevitable price of the one person one vote rule? We look at that very prickly question in our latest video explainer.
Check it out below. Stay tuned for more such explainers on the big fat election coming soon, and be sure to hit the notification button.
The war on Gaza: A UN resolution
The death toll: According to the health ministry in Gaza, more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in the region since the start of the war. Two-thirds of the casualties are women and children. Over 69,000 people have been injured. (Associated Press)
US makes a surprise move: After repeatedly vetoing Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, Washington has actually proposed one of its own. It urges Israel to not go ahead with its plans to attack Rafah—which will almost surely result in a catastrophic number of deaths:
The draft text marks the first time the US has explicitly backed a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, though it adds that the temporary truce should be begun “as soon as practicable”, leaving some room for manoeuvre by the Israeli military.
The US likely wanted to offer a toned-down alternative to an Algerian resolution. The American version does not mention Israel or its military—but condemns Hamas. That said, experts say it will still worry Tel Aviv—as it is unprecedented. (The Guardian)
Meanwhile, in the Red Sea: The crew was forced to abandon a cargo ship in the Red Sea—after it came under attack from Houthi-launched missiles. It was the most damaging such attack—as others have failed to make much impact. And it doesn’t say much for the efficacy of US strikes on the Houthis—who seem unfazed. Meanwhile, the EU has launched a non-military mission to escort cargo ships in the region. This Big Story offers more context on the Houthi attacks.
Farmers protest 2.0: The latest update
The context: Between 2020 and 2021, tens of thousands of farmers angrily protested the new farm laws introduced by the government for a year. In November 2021, the government withdrew the laws. Now, four years later, 250 farmer unions are marching towards Delhi once again. Their primary demand: legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) that was promised by the government. We did detailed explainers on the laws and MSP.
What happened now: After lengthy negotiations with the government, the farmers have rejected its proposal. It had offered to buy five crops at the minimum support price (MSP) for five years—but on a contract system. Government agencies will enter into five-year contracts to do so. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had called this an "innovative, out-of-the-box" plan. But the farmers don’t agree—they want a legal guarantee that cannot be changed at the government’s whim. (The Hindu)
Putin’s new rival: Yulia Navalnaya
The context: Alexei Navalny—Vladimir Putin’s biggest political nemesis—died on February 16. It was an inevitable end after he was arrested and sentenced to a penal colony. Navalny was a lawyer-turned-activist who ran the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which focused on exposing Putin’s inner circle for corrupt practices. He was repeatedly arrested for leading protests against the government, and was the target of several attacks including a near-fatal poisoning. Our Big Story has more on his death and its impact in Russia.
What happened now: Navalny’s wife Yulia issued a videotaped message calling on his supporters “to fight more desperately and furiously than before.” She also positioned herself as his political heir:
I am going to continue the work of Aleksei Navalny and continue to fight for our country. I call on you to stand beside me, to share not only in the grief and endless pain that has enveloped us and won’t let go. I ask you to share my rage — to share my rage, anger and hatred of those who have dared to kill our future.
Until now, Navalnaya has shunned the spotlight—and rejected the idea of entering politics. Her plan to take over Navalny’s mantle faces a significant hurdle:
Ms. Navalnaya cannot return to Russia without the threat of arrest. In June 2023, amid rumours that she might attend one of her husband’s many trials, the state-owned network RT quoted an unidentified law enforcement source as saying that Ms. Navalnaya could be arrested on charges of supporting an extremist organisation if she were to return.
Btw, authorities have still not handed over Navalny’s body to his family. You can see Navalnaya’s video message below. (New York Times)
Apple’s big EU payout
The context: In 2019, Spotify filed a complaint in the EU against Apple for limiting choice and competition on its App Store—by charging a 30% fee on all purchases. It also made it near impossible for apps to offer alternative payment systems to its users. A good example: This is the reason you can’t buy a splainer subscription on your app. And there is no guidance on how you could possibly get one. European regulatory authorities formally charged Apple in 2021 and launched an investigation.
What happened now: According to the Financial Times, the EU has imposed a €500 million ($538 million) fine on Apple for anti-competitive practices. Although the findings have not been released, FT reports the judgement will be harsh:
Brussels will accuse Apple of abusing its powerful position and imposing anti-competitive trading practices on rivals, the people said, adding that the EU would say the tech giant’s terms were “unfair trading conditions”.
Why this matters: It is one of the biggest fines slapped on a big tech company by the EU—though it is smaller than the €8 billion in penalties imposed on Google—which it is contesting in court. And this marks the first time Apple will be fined by the EU. (Financial Times, paywall, The Guardian)
Chandigarh mayor election: The soap opera continues…
The context: The mayoral polls in Chandigarh on January 30 were touted as the first real face-off between BJP and the opposition alliance INDIA. The results sparked a great furore on social media. A video of the proceedings suggested the presiding officer—a BJP councillor named Anil Masih—may have secretly scratched eight ballot papers—in order to declare them invalid. Coincidentally, all of them were in favour of the AAP-Congress combine. As a result, the BJP swept the polls—even though it received fewer votes.
What happened now: The matter is in front of the Supreme Court—which has already expressed its unhappiness at the seeming evidence of fraud. It now wants to examine the video and ballot papers. The BJP leader who was appointed mayor—Manoj Sonkar—has resigned from office. But the party has already wooed three councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party—and therefore now has the majority. QED. It isn’t clear if the court case matters—unless there’s a new poll. Why this matters: As we said, this is the first face-off between the BJP and the opposition. (Hindustan Times)
The world is running out of water
A new report reveals that at least 50% of the world's population faces a shortage of water for at least one month each year. The world uses about 4 trillion cubic metres of freshwater annually—which is 6X the amount used nearly 100 years ago. The demand for water greatly exceeds its supply—and that gap is slated to become far wider.
By 2050 the world is projected to demand 20 to 25% more water. And it is estimated that the number of people suffering from severe water scarcity could increase by 40% by the end of this century.
You can read the entire report here.
Government to airlines: Show me the baggage!
The Civil Aviation Ministry has issued orders that require passengers' luggage to be delivered within 10 to 30 minutes after landing—as in the moment the plane engine shuts down. Presumably, the move was sparked by the ministry’s ongoing review of the operations of seven airlines across 3,600 flights. The government is responding to increasing frustration of passengers—who face interminable delays at the airport.The ministry recently also told Mumbai airport to get its act together—maybe Delhi is next. In January, as many as 500 flights across the country were disrupted due to dense fog in Delhi. (BBC News)
Three things to see
One: A peer-reviewed scientific research paper on sperm stem cells in small mammals had to be retracted—not due to plagiarism or fudged results. The culprit: an AI-generated image of a rat with a massive dissected penis. It was labelled with gibberish words such as “iollotte sserotgomar cell” and “testtomcels.” BTW, the paper was authored by three scientists in China, was edited by a researcher in India, and reviewed by two people from the US and India before its publication. You can see the image below. (Popular Science)
Two: Sticking with displeasing displays of male anatomy, an Olympic champion rider in Australia got into trouble with the equestrian governing body—for what he wore at a competition: a G-string bikini, or “mankini.” Shane Rose has since been exonerated—despite causing irreparable damage to public imagination. He later confessed: “I’ve never worn a G-string before, and I can’t recommend it to anyone.” You can see why below. (New York Times)
Three: Moving on to more artistic images, Sir Frederic Leighton’s iconic Victorian painting ‘Flaming June’ has finally been put on display at the Royal Academy in London—128 years after it went missing. The 1895 painting—inspired by Michaelangelo’s work—was finally found in the chimney of a home in Battersea. Artnet has lots more on this greatly beloved painting.
