Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar
Delhi’s groundhog winter: Part two
We have known the causes for Delhi pollution for decades. And yet we seem unable to do a damn thing about it. Why is that? Part one looked at why we don’t have proper data on an ongoing catastrophe. Part two looks at the most baffling bit: Why aren’t we doing anything about it?
A Supreme Court order on secularism and socialism
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution. In 2020, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and others filed petitions challenging the inclusion of the two words—which were added by Indira Gandhi during Emergency. The Preamble previously read “sovereign, democratic republic.” These are the core elements of the case:
One: The petitioners argued the inclusion of the word ‘secular’ violated the intent of the Framers—who deliberately avoided the term. The Court said the spirit of secularism was embedded throughout the Constitution:
Over time, India has developed its own interpretation of secularism, wherein the State neither supports any religion nor penalises the profession and practice of any faith. This principle is enshrined in Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution, which prohibit discrimination against citizens on religious grounds while guaranteeing equal protection of laws and equal opportunity in public employment.
The Court also said that Article 368—which defines the Indian Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution—extends to the Preamble, as well.
Two: Petitioners pointed out that the changes were made during Emergency—and were therefore suspect. The Court disagreed—saying all the changes made during that period cannot be dismissed as unconstitutional. Besides, these amendments have since been ratified by Parliament—and reviewed by the judiciary. The most stinging bit:
The apex court said, in its seven-page order, that the case was not worth a detailed adjudication as the flaws in the petitioners’ arguments were manifest. Moreover, the court found the motives of the petitions, filed nearly 44 years after ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ were inserted in the Preamble, “questionable”.
Three: As for the word ‘socialist’, the Court was equally dismissive:
Neither the Constitution nor the Preamble mandates a specific economic policy or structure, whether Left or Right. Rather, ‘socialist’ denotes the State’s commitment to be a welfare State and its commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity,” the apex court said.
Why any of this matters: Anything that affirms our nation’s commitment to secularism is a win these days. For more on the ruling, read The Telegraph and The Hindu.
Corbett scandal: Wildlife cameras violate women
A field study by University of Cambridge researchers has uncovered a shameful scandal at the country’s iconic wildlife sanctuary. Over the course of 14 months, they found that camera traps and drones—meant to record wildlife—are being used to spy on women. Example:
A photograph of a woman going to the toilet in the forest—captured on a camera trap supposedly for wildlife monitoring—was circulated on local Facebook and WhatsApp groups as a means of deliberate harassment.
The perpetrators are local officials and village men.
Point to note: Forest officials also use drones to scare women from collecting wood or twigs from the forest—even when it’s legal.
Also this: Apart from the gross and illegal violation of their bodies, the fear of cameras is putting women in harm’s way:
[T]hey feel watched and inhibited by camera traps, so they talk and sing much more quietly. This increases the chance of surprise encounters with potentially dangerous wildlife like elephants and tigers. One woman he interviewed has since been killed in a tiger attack.
Women often go into deep stretches of the forest to avoid cameras—which is equally perilous. Phys.org and India Today have all about the study.
Amazon India is getting ‘Tez’
Amazon is planning to dip its toes into the $7 billion quick commerce pool—to compete with Zepto, Zomato's Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart. The new Amazon venture is tentatively called ‘Tez’—though it’s not official—and is slated to launch in December or early next year. It follows the same business model as its competitors—“setting up dark stores, figuring out the details of stock-keeping units (SKUs) and categories, and putting logistics infrastructure in place”—and is expected to deliver groceries and daily essentials within a 10 to 30 minutes window of ordering.
Point to note: Amazon is the only big e-commerce player that is not in the quick commerce market—which is booming, to put it mildly. According to a Morgan & Stanley report:
“Overall download share of quick commerce apps has increased in the last 6 and 12 months relative to ecommerce apps, as per third party data,” it said. The report estimated a bear and bull case for the quick commerce market at $25 billion and $55 billion, respectively, by 2030… Quick commerce is expected to be just under $7 billion in size for 2024.
We explained how the quick delivery model works at length in this Big Story—and laid out its downside. Economic Times has lots more on the Amazon move.
Carlsen’s got a new game… of chess
Magnus Carlsen is launching a new chess league—the Freestyle Chess World Championship Tour—with a bizarre chess format. Called the Fischer Random, the chess pieces are randomly arranged on the back row—creating 960 possible starting positions. This makes each game more unpredictable and focuses on skill—rather than memorized openings, unlike the classical version of the game.
The money board: The league has already raised $12 million in venture capital funding—attracting top players like Carlsen, #2 Fabiano Caruana and #14 Levon Aronian. The first season kicks off in 2025—with games spread across Germany, France, the US, India, and South Africa.
What this means: Traditional chess is no longer king. On global platforms like Chess.com, 13 of the top 20 most-watched games are in alternative formats. And as with any other sport, there is the push to make a classic game faster and more exciting for a new generation. See: LIV Golf. Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) has more details on the Fischer format.
A cuppa green tea with your Big Mac?
We all stress-eat unhealthy khana when we’re stressed. New research shows there is a way to mitigate the damage: drink either green tea or cocoa along with your Big Mac. High-fat food hurts the flow of oxygen in the blood—hurts your heart—but does nada for your stress. A cup of green tea or cocoa can help reduce the effects of stress—i.e. “significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure.” The reason: They contain flavanols that act as antioxidants. OTOH, neither beverage will improve your mood—or help deliver more oxygen to your brain. So that green tea helps… but only a little. (The Telegraph)
what caught our eye
business & tech
- Huawei’s Mate 70 phone will be released today—and is powered by its own HarmonyOS Next—a rival to iOS and Android.
- The Verge explains how Apple CEO Tim Cook built a close relationship with Trump during his first term—he “used dinner and stuck to one topic at a time.”
- Sony is working on a handheld gaming console to stream PS5 games—to compete with Nintendo and Microsoft.
- Nvidia unveiled "Fugatto," an AI model that will create music in response to text prompts.
sports & entertainment
- India secured a dominant 295-run victory over Australia in the first Test, with standout performances from Bumrah (8 wickets), Jaiswal (161), and Kohli (100*).
- At the end of the two-day IPL mega auction, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest crorepati in league history. Keep an eye out for those age fraud claims though!
as for the rest
- Australia has withdrawn a bill that would have fined platforms for spreading misinformation due to strong opposition.
- Criminal cases against Donald Trump will be shut down because he’s now president—and officially above the law.
- The News Minute has details on how a government survey lets states falsely claim to have ended manual scavenging, even as deaths and dangerous practices continue.
- The next maha-yudh in Maharashtra will be over the CM gaddi. The Telegraph has the Devendra Fadnavis vs Eknath Shinde melodrama.
- Also read: The Hindu on how women delivered Maharashtra for the BJP.
- Heavy rains in Gaza have flooded tent camps, leaving thousands without shelter amid worsening war and cold.
Three things to see
One: The Railways Ministry PSA on how to perform CPR has led to great public embarrassment. The reason: You should never perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a person who is conscious—and speaking to you. (The News Minute)
Two: Kendrick Lamar fans, rejoice! This has already been one hell of a year for the artist—from dropping one bangin’ Drake diss track after another to sweeping Grammy nominations. We now have a surprise album called ‘GNX’ which dropped on Friday. (Hollywood Reporter)
Three: Moving on to Pixar fans… Get ready for ‘Elio’—about a kid abducted by aliens. The movie is helmed by Domee Shi—best known for ‘Turning Red’. It is slated to release on June 13, 2025. (ScreenRant)
feel good place
One: How to put a German Shepherd to sleep…
Two: B-boy birdies—with sweat bands!
Three: Attention, suitcase packer: Take the effing hint!
