The Supreme Court’s war on Delhi streeties

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Our daily list of Souk picks

Editor’s note: As you may have noticed, we just unveiled a beta version of Souk—which has one simple goal: To help you find unique, high quality products that are worth your time and money.

One: This is for all the cheese lovers out there! Have you tried Brunost yet? What is it, you ask? It’s made by caramelising whey till it turns golden brown—giving it the flavour of salted milk fudge, and a texture that’ll remind you of peda. This one’s made by Eleftheria in India, and has actually beaten some of the world’s best cheeses at the World Cheese Awards (Super Gold in 2023, Silver in 2021).

Two: We spotted this Matchbox Ashtray and grinned—because it looks like it belongs in a museum gift shop, in the best way. A ceramic ashtray that says “Drugs” in that bold, kitschy matchbox style you’d usually find in old paan shops or tucked into someone’s drawer of oddities. It’s all retro charm—graphic, slightly absurd, and entirely conversation-starting. Originally meant as an ashtray, but we love it for earrings, safety pins—or our favourite: prescription meds, or your emergency stash of Eno.

Three: The Handmade Bubble Mug from Klay List is less 'basic drinkware' and more 'mini sculpture with a side of drama.' Its stacked bubble silhouette is playful and a little retro, while the chrome glaze catches light like a pearl that decided to go rockstar. Sure, you could sip coffee from it—but it really shines as a flower vase, brush holder, or that one piece on your shelf that makes people stop and ask, “Where did you get that?”

PS: This is a beta launch and feedback—good or bad—is key. So please email the team at dearsouk@splainer.in with your thoughts. We want to get this right!

The Supreme Court’s war on Delhi streeties

In a bizarre ruling, a two-judge Supreme Court bench has issued a sweeping order to round up all the street dogs—and put them in shelters. The target: to ensure there are shelters to house at least 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks.

What the ruling said: The ruling issued by Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan which directs authorities of the NCR—Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad—is sweeping:

The ruling... directs civic authorities to capture all strays, sterilise and vaccinate them and relocate them to newly built shelters. The court gave authorities eight weeks to create the facilities and install CCTV monitoring to ensure no animals are released back on to the streets. The bench stressed the need for immediate action. “Round up all stray dogs from all localities … whether sterilised or unsterilised,” Justice JB Pardiwala declared.

The authorities must also keep daily records of captured dogs—and set up a helpline for bite or rabies complaints. They must pick up the offending dog within four hours.

Quotes to note: The language used by the Justices was exceptionally harsh:

You will have to launch a drive with some force… society should be free from stray dogs. You shouldn’t find a single stray dog moving around anywhere in any locality of the city or outskirts. That’s the first step. Then we will decide what is the next step.

The vitriol bordered on the absurd:

“Have you seen Western movies?. There is one called ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’. When Ugly is lying in a soap-filled bathtub, his assailant comes to kill him. The man says he had been searching for Ugly for a long time. Ugly shoots him without a word, and says ‘if you have to shoot a man, shoot and don’t talk’... So, no talk. It is time to act and now,”

The justification: India has the highest number of rabies cases in the world. Each year, about 5,700 people die from rabies, according to government figures—the WHO estimate is as high as 20,000. As for Delhi, the city reported 35,198 animal bite incidents and 49 rabies cases—between January and June of this year alone. That’s around 2,000 bites a day.

Data point to note: According to a 2013 estimate, there were at least 60,000 stray dogs in Delhi—that number has now risen to one million.

Shut up, dog lovers: The Court explicitly dismissed any concerns and petitions of animal activists:

All intervention applications rejected. In the larger interest of the people, having regard to the grim situation prevailing, having regard to the manner in which young children, babies… have fallen prey to these dog bites, we would not like to hear anyone except the Solicitor General and amicus curiae (Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal)... All these animal activists, all these so-called (animal) lovers, will they be able to bring back those children who have fallen prey to rabies?

The Court also issued this warning: “[I]f any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking up stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance.”

Astonishingly this: When asked if the ruling applies to pet dogs, the Justices responded, “Your stray dog should not overnight become a pet dog”—suggesting adopting a streetie won’t save it.

The most notable fact: This was a suo motu ruling—in other words, the Justices decided to intervene without any petition asking them to do so. But, but, but: the government’s Attorney General supported the ruling—and Delhi’s ruling BJP CM Rekha Gupta promised “our foremost priority is to provide relief to the citizens of Delhi.”

Is this unprecedented? It is certainly the most sweeping edict ever issued by the Court. But the Delhi government has a track record of rounding up strays—with great haste and little compassion. Example: The ‘On Duty G20’ squads sent out to clean up the city ahead of the global summit.

Cruel, unusual and unfeasible: Critics of the ruling make three key points. One, it creates “chaos and suffering” for the dogs. Two, it is “financially unviable.” As Maneka Gandhi points out:

To make those shelters, you have to spend at least Rs 15,000 crore... You'll have to find 3000 places for shelters in places where no one lives. How will you find these many places?... This can't be done in two months... You'll have to employ 1.5 lakh people to just be sanitation workers, which will again cost crores.

Three, it simply won’t work:

"Displacement and jailing of dogs has never worked. Such actions will not curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent bites, as dogs eventually return to their territories," said Dr Mini Aravindan, senior director of veterinary affairs at PETA India. She added that the government should instead boost the sterilisation and vaccination programmes, shut down illegal pet shops and breeders, and encourage adoption.

Point to note: The Court claims sterilization doesn’t prevent rabies—but didn’t acknowledge that vaccination will.

What’s next: There were spontaneous protests at India Gate yesterday—many of those who attended were detained. But it isn’t clear who can stop this SC+sarkaar juggernaut. No one seems to be willing to listen to reason—or look at reasonable solutions for what is a very real menace.

Reading list: Indian Express and The Hindu have the details of the grim ruling. Hindustan Times has reactions to the ruling from animal rights campaigners. The Guardian and Associated Press have international coverage of the verdict. Read Reuters for details on the drive conducted before the G20 summit.

New restaurant rules: A special licence to serve meat?

India’s food safety watchdog—the FSSAI—is introducing new regulations that will require restaurants applying for a licence to declare their “menu type”—as in veg or non-veg. Those who serve meat will also have to specify whether they serve pork or beef. And any vegetarian restaurant that decides to serve meat must apply for a fresh licence. All of this information will be entered into a national database—of vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants.

The justification: All of this is being done in the guise of a) customer empowerment:

“The move aims to respect cultural dietary practices while ensuring consumers have clear information about the food they are purchasing or eating at the restaurants," an official aware of the matter said… “The FSSAI’s commitment is to ensure food safety and consumer empowerment. By clearly stating their food type on their licence and registration applications, businesses are providing customers with the necessary information to make informed choices that align with their personal beliefs and preferences," the second official said.

And b) food safety. State-level food safety officers (FSO) will “prioritize” inspections of restaurants serving “high-risk foods”:

"Each FSO has to inspect 10 food businesses per month; high-risk businesses to be given priority," the official said, adding items such as meat and eggs can spoil quickly and cause food poisoning if not handled correctly.

That new handy database will help them keep track of which outlet to ‘prioritize’.

Quote to note: Experts in food safety list an entirely different list of factors that affect food safety:

In reality, it can occur in any setting, regardless of whether the restaurant is vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Risks arise from multiple factors: poor hygiene among staff, unclean equipment, contamination at the source, lapses in maintaining the cold chain and proper storage, unsafe water supply and inadequate compliance with food safety protocols. Even the handling and delivery of food parcels can contribute to contamination.

The big picture: We’ve moved from moral policing to khana policing. We are astonished that only Mint (paywalled) has this story—and that it hasn’t caused greater hue and cry.

Very good news about grasslands in Gujarat

A quick definition: A carbon sink “is anything that absorbs more carbon than it produces, especially if it can store captured carbon indefinitely.” The natural versions include oceans, forests and grasslands. They can help offset emissions—but won’t mitigate global warming entirely.

The good news: A new study has found that the Banni grasslands—Asia’s largest—is a “surprisingly effective” carbon sink. It stores 27.69 million tonnes of carbon—thanks to its saline soil:

“The Banni grasslands are a relatively new land formation, and the texture of the soil has to do with the deposition of sand from rivers across millennia,” said Chetan Misher, co-author of the study.. The texture of the soil is fine, resembling the silt and clay in some parts, making it very dense. “The silt is compact, and for a long time was undisturbed,” he added.

For perspective, the soil across the entire state of Gujarat—excluding Banni—can store 67 million tonnes.

Why this matters: Climate policies primarily target carbon emissions through reforestation. This study offers an alternative approach:

Such research can shine a lens on the importance of below-ground carbon stocks and restoration, rather than merely tree planting, as an ecologically sensible means to create long-term, sustainable carbon sinks that are tailored to the natural environmental envelopes in which they occur.

But but but: Banni grasslands are shrinking—from an area of approximately 3,800 sq km to about 2,600 sq km. Mongabay has more on the study and explains why the grasslands are in danger.

The Opposition puts on a big protest

Yesterday, nearly 300 Members of Parliament led by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge marched from Parliament House to the Election Commission. They were protesting against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the alleged “vote chori” (explained in detail here). The march didn’t seem all that lively when it started (see below):

But then Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav got a little feisty—jumping over the police barricades (see below):

And Mahua Moitra and Sanjana Jatav followed suit:

How it ended: The leaders were detained by the police midway—who put them in a bus. Amid the excitement, Moitra fainted—creating a kerfuffle. See that video below.

The EC has described the Opposition’s claims as “factually incorrect” and has shared a list of documents in support of its innocence. (India Today)

MAP Academy fellowships alert!!

Editor’s note: As you know, the wonderful MAP Academy is our content partner for Advisory. It is one of the few Indian institutions deeply invested in cultural research and education. They also offer rare funded opportunities for researchers, designers, archivists, journalists, writers and educators. The Nalli Fellowship is one of them.

Over to MAP Academy…

We’re pleased to announce that a new cycle of the MAP Academy & Nalli Fellowships will open to applications soon. Designed to support research and practice in South Asia’s diverse textile traditions, the Fellowship is born out of a collaboration between MAP Academy and Nalli Silks, a heritage textile brand based in India.

Programme Details: Four fellowships, each with a grant of INR 5,50,000, will be awarded.

The programme is open to a wide range of people, from individuals to collectives, from researchers to practitioners. We’re hoping to receive applications on a range of subjects, and these include:

Histories of clothing and costume
Community or personal textile archives
Textiles in religious or liturgical contexts
Environmental impact of textile production and consumption
Endangered or disappearing textile traditions
Critical perspectives on revivalism
Labour in textile production, with a focus on caste, class, and gender
Textiles in relation to other cultural forms—storytelling, poetry, music, architecture, and material culture
Textiles in the context of archaeological study
Textiles as symbols or metaphors in literature or mythology
Techniques and tools used in specific textile traditions

You can read more about the Fellowships here. We will begin accepting applications starting August 18, 2025.

To register your interest and receive a reminder when applications open, please visit this link. For any queries, contact us at: fellowships@map-india.org

what caught our eye

business & tech

Nvidia and AMD will hand 15% of their Chinese AI chip revenues to the US government in exchange for export licenses.
Economic Times has all you need to know on Tesla opening its second India showroom in Delhi’s Aerocity, a month after debuting in Mumbai.
OpenAI has restored its popular GPT-4o model and raised usage limits for paying users after a botched GPT-5 launch sparked a revolt among its most loyal customers.

sports & entertainment

The Madras High Court has ordered the trial to begin in MS Dhoni’s Rs 100 crore defamation case over being linked to the IPL betting scam.
Netflix has renewed its deal with Prince Harry and Meghan’s production company, but for a smaller payout than their previous arrangement.
The Hindu has a good read on how the pirate flag from 'One Piece' has become a global symbol of resistance, rattling real-world governments.
U2’s members have spoken out on the Israel-Gaza conflict, with Bono condemning Netanyahu’s government's usage of starvation as a weapon.

health & environment

Eating three servings of potatoes a week may raise diabetes risk by 5%, while the same amount of French fries could push up the risk factor by 20%, a study finds.
An AI system in Tamil Nadu’s Madukkarai forest has enabled about 2,800 wild elephants to cross railway tracks safely since February 2024.
Thousands of young adults in China are using adult-sized pacifiers to cope with stress and sleepless nights.
A meteorite that smashed through a Georgia home in June is about 20 million years older than Earth, scientists say.

meanwhile, in the world

Farmers in Vietnam facing eviction for a $1.5 billion Trump-backed golf resort are reportedly being offered rice and as little as $12 per square metre in compensation.
The US has designated Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation—a diplomatic win for Islamabad.
Donald Trump has extended the US-China tariff truce by 90 days, delaying a potential showdown and leaving room for talks with Xi Jinping later this year.
Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe has died, two months after being shot in the head during a campaign rally in Bogotá.
Donald Trump has put Washington DC’s police under federal control and sent in 800 National Guard troops, citing rampant crime—despite local data showing it’s falling.
Malnutrition has killed 63 people, mostly women and children, in a week in Sudan’s besieged El-Fasher city, as fighting in the region worsens and many deaths go unrecorded.
Australia will recognise Palestine, PM Anthony Albanese announced, joining France, Britain and Canada amid growing criticism of Israel’s Gaza offensive.
In China, a boy upset over not getting a Labubu toy smashed a glass ceiling and chandelier worth Rs 48 lakh at a relative’s home.
The Trump administration has issued an order giving political appointees final say over all federal grants, including research funding, requiring projects to align with the president’s policy priorities.
Japan’s population of nationals fell by over 900,000 in 2024—the steepest drop yet for the rapidly aging nation.

meanwhile, in India

The US will scrap its popular ‘Dropbox’ interview waiver for work and student visa applicants starting September 2, 2025.
Air India will suspend its Delhi–Washington flights from September 1, citing a reduced Boeing 787 fleet and Pakistan’s airspace closure, with data suggesting the route may not resume until next year.
Diamond firms in Surat have paused Christmas orders from US clients after Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs, a blow to a season that makes up nearly half their annual international sales.
PM Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Donald Trump claimed India doesn’t care about Ukrainian deaths, discussing the war and Zelensky’s push to curb Russian oil exports.
Nearly four decades after 17-year-old Padmalatha was kidnapped and murdered in Dharmasthala, her family has asked the SIT probing the mass burials to exhume her body and reopen the still-unsolved case.
McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Apple are among US giants facing boycott calls in India as PM Modi’s supporters and business leaders push back against American tariffs.
Odisha has reported its fourth case in a month of a young girl setting herself on fire—a 13-year-old in Bargarh district is now battling for life after allegedly immolating herself on a football ground.
Six men from Bengal allegedly ran a fake police station in Noida—complete with forged ministry certificates, a fake Interpol link, and a logo mimicking a government insignia.

Four things to see

One: On Sunday, five Al Jazeera journalists were killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza City. The best known was Anas al-Sharif—a 28-year-old correspondent. Of course, Israel claims he is the “head of a terrorist cell in Hamas”—its pet excuse for killing people. The Guardian put out a statement—recorded by Anas in case of his death. We prefer to remember him like this—with his little girl Sham:

And yes, we’re going to break your heart. This is her at his funeral. BBC News offers a profile of his work—if you want to know more.

While we’re speaking of Gaza, so are many others. Below is a powerful mosaic memorialising dead Gazan children—made by football fans in Tunisia:

Two: India is not for beginners. This video of a woman tying a rakhi to a leopard in a village in Rajasthan is going viral. The incident has set off alarms in the forest department. Officials are trying to find the poor cat to relocate it—safe from overly familiar ladies. (Indian Express)

Three: Glenn Maxwell took a spectacular catch on the boundary to dismiss Ryan Rickelton in Australia’s T20 win over South Africa on Sunday. The notable bit: It involved the recently altered ICC rules on boundary catches—to prevent fielders from ‘bunny hopping’ with the ball making contact more than once outside the boundary. For instance, Michael Neser’s catch in 2023 would be illegal under the new rules. Check out Maxwell’s catch below. (Indian Express)

Four: Here’s the trailer for a new coming-of-age teenage rock band series titled ‘The Runarounds’—from the creators of the Netflix show ‘Outer Banks’. The cool bit: Though the story is fictional, the band is real. Since forming in 2021, they have recorded an EP and gone on tour. The band members play the characters on the show. The eight episode series drops on Amazon Prime on September 1. (Hollywood Reporter)