The Gujarat Olympics model: Spend, spend, spend!

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

The Gujarat Olympics model: Spend, spend, spend!

As the government bids for the 2036 Olympics, it has already committed a staggering Rs 6,000 crore (Rs 60 billion) to building new facilities in… Gujarat, of course! These include:'

[T]he Naranpura Sports Complex here. Spread over 20.39 acres, the multi-purpose facility — built at a cost of approximately Rs 631.77 crore [6.317 billion] — will house an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, gymnastics, kabaddi, wrestling and taekwondo arenas, table-tennis room, and a centre of excellence for all these sports.

This one is already in the works—with “over 1,000 labourers are working on a war footing”—and will open in March. Also planned: The Karai Sports Hub, with a 35,000-seater stadium and shooting complex—and a 355-acre Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave—right next door to the mega-cricket stadium in Motera.

The kicker: India’s Olympic bid is at the earliest stage—we’ve only submitted a Letter of Intent, not even a full-fledged proposal. But these projects will go ahead irrespective. The estimated price tag: over Rs 6,000 crore (Rs 60 billion).

Point to note: For all the talk of a “multi-city boost” and making the Olympics “a movement for the full country”—there are zero plans for venues in other states.

Why this matters: For starters, India faces steep competition from ten other bidding nations—among them Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who offer unmatched financial resources and experience hosting global events. They can also afford to finance a money pit—purely to burnish their global brand.

The white elephants of Gujarat? Many countries have realised that hosting big-ticket events often offer very little return. The reason why Malaysia, Singapore and Australia pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games. That’s why the International Olympic Committee is “running out of cities willing to host this thing”:

“It’s become pretty clear to cities that — under the old regime — these were real financial debacles for the cities involved, and wildly expensive with little hope to make money back in the long run”… And when revenue clocks in at a fraction of the cost — averaging about $6 billion to $8 billion since 2005 — the math started making less sense.”

Reading list: Business Standard has more on plans for the big “pre-Olympic” spend. CNN is best on the bad financial math.

LA fire update: Nothing but ashes

The context: Los Angeles has been reeling from a series of wildfires that broke out on Tuesday. The fires are located in four major suburbs. The biggest and most devastating is in the Pacific Palisades, which is one of LA’s fanciest neighbourhoods.

Where we are now: We are getting a clearer picture of the damage so far:

The Palisades fire is now the most destructive in the city’s history.
The 27 square miles (nearly 70 square kilometers) area burned to the ground—also contains numerous celebrity homes—including those of James Woods, Billy Crystal and Mark Hamill.
Across LA, the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) — roughly the size of San Francisco.
While there are no official estimates of the economic loss, others put the number between $135 billion to $150 billion.
The exact death toll is also unknown right now—but there have been five reported deaths.
Some 130,000 people are under evacuation orders.

You can see the fire map below—from BBC News:

And here’s a shocking before/after video of a stretch in Palisades:

Reading list: Associated Press has the latest—while BBC News offers a comprehensive overview—including the climate change angle we covered yesterday.

China’s ‘reeducation’ program for Tibetan kids

The context: One of the core principles of the Xi Jinping regime is the forced assimilation of ethnic minorities—be they Uighur Muslims or Tibetan Buddhists. The Muslims in Xinjiang have been corralled in ‘reeducation camps’—to erase their identity and culture. The campaign against Tibet—annexed in 1950—is far older and has included similar labour camps in the past.

What happened now: A New York Times investigation reveals a long-term, insidious and far more damaging program to assimilate Tibetan children. Hundreds of thousands are being forcibly separated from their families—and sent to “residential schools”—where they are brainwashed from a very young age, even younger than six.

Schools, for instance, celebrate what China calls “Serfs’ Emancipation Day,” referring to the anniversary of the Communist Party’s full takeover of Tibet in 1959, after a failed Tibetan uprising and a Chinese crackdown that forced the Dalai Lama into exile. The party accuses the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, of having ruled over a slaveholding society.

The aim, according to Xi himself: To “implant a shared consciousness of Chinese nationhood in the souls of children from an early age.”

Data point to note: In 2023, three UN experts had warned that around 1 million children had been forcibly separated from their parents into these boarding schools. The Times’ report puts that number at 800,000.

History to remember: Taking children away from their parents—and putting them in boarding schools—is a classic form of colonialist brutality. White governments in the United States, Canada and Australia inflicted the same trauma on generations of Indigenous children. In India, the RSS has been accused of deploying similar tactics with kids from the Northeast. New York Times (splainer gift link) has the original investigation with lots more details, including evidence of abuse.

Breakthrough blood test for endometriosis

The context: Endometriosis is a painful condition that affects roughly 10% of reproductive-age women around the world. That’s about 190 million people! The condition occurs when “tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body, forming lesions.” Symptoms include severe pain, heavy menstrual flow, bowel and bladder issues, fatigue, and difficulty getting pregnant.

What happened now: An Australian company will soon launch a breakthrough blood test to detect endometriosis. PromarkerEndo is 99.7% accurate at identifying severe cases—distinguishing them from patients with similar symptoms but a different disease. It is also 85% accurate at diagnosing the condition in early stages. The company is hopeful to launch the test in the second quarter of the year.

Why this matters: Endometriosis is very hard to detect—leaving women to suffer for up to seven years before getting diagnosed. Identifying the condition also involves laparoscopic surgery which is expensive, invasive, and carries risks. So a simple blood test is a huge win! (Science Alert)

Belcastro says ‘no’ to sick people

A mayor’s decree in the Italian village has officially prohibited residents from getting sick—specifically, “to avoid contracting any illness that requires medical assistance, especially an emergency.” That’s a bit harsh given that half of its 1300 villagers are elderly. But it does explain why he’s told them “not to leave the house too often, travel or practice sports, and to rest for the majority of the time.”

The reason for this bizarre injunction: There is very little access to health care in Belcastro. The health center frequently shuts its doors—and there are no on-call doctors on weekends, holidays, or after hours. The nearest ER is 45 kilometers (28 miles) away. The real aim of the injunction is to issue a “cry of help”—by banning cries for help?! (CNN)

what caught our eye

business & tech

Financial Times (splainer gift link) has a must-read on how Meta exempted some of its top advertisers from its usual content moderation process, shielding its multibillion-dollar business.
Samsung’s brand new AI Subscription Club now covers its AI-powered smartphones, but it's only being rolled out in South Korea for now.
Apple has clarified it never sold data collected by Siri or used it to create marketing profiles—after paying out a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit which alleged that Siri routinely recorded their private conversations and disclosed them to advertisers.
Wall Street may cut 200,000 jobs over the next three to five years as AI is encroaching on tasks currently carried out by human workers.
L&T chairman Subrahmanyan made everyone mad by pushing for a 90-hour work week—including Sundays—because "How long can you stare at your wife."

sports & entertainment

The announcement of this year’s Oscar nominations has been delayed, in light of the wildfires that have devastated LA and other parts of Southern California.
Sticking with awards, it’s another historic achievement for ‘All We Imagine As Light’ director Payal Kapadia—she’s been nominated for Best First-Time Director at the DGA Awards.

as for the rest

The INDIA bloc is in crisis—as the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress extend unqualified support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the Congress. A related good read: The Telegraph on why INDIA fell apart.
Bengaluru tops the 2024 list of Top Cities for Women in India (TCWI) report, edging out Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Low prices? No problem—Bengal’s agriculture department will step in, buying big cauliflowers at higher prices to help farmers avoid losses.
According to alarming new research, four in ten freshwater species in the Western Ghats face extinction.
The Wire has a good read on Pritish Nandy’s career, spanning poetry, journalism, and film, all while keeping a private, artistic side.
Three more Gaza hospitals are likely to shut down as UN warns that humanitarian aid is at "breaking point."
Message in a cola bottle: The Guardian has a story on how a Palestinian activist—who launched Gaza Cola in the UK last year—plans to use the profits from the sales to rebuild the al Karama hospital in northern Gaza.
The CRPF is offering up its retired and super well-trained dogs for adoption—in case you're looking for a very good boy.
Forward has a scoop on the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation’s plans to ‘identify and target’ Wikipedia’s anonymous editors.
Trump’s inauguration is reportedly sold out of VIP tickets—and some people who donated more than $1 million will get nothing in return.
The US Supreme Court denies Trump's efforts to block criminal sentencing for 34 felony counts of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. The bottom line: He's still not going to jail.
China has discovered a cluster of the new mutated MPox strain that wreaked havoc in DR Congo last year.
Lebanese lawmakers elected Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, as the new president—after two years of gridlock.
Europe’s record Russian LNG imports in 2024 highlight a major loophole in sanctions and continue funding Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Airbnb is offering free, temporary housing to people impacted by the LA wildfires.
Ever wondered why birds make certain sounds? A global study uncovers how habitat, size, and beak shape influence their frequency and communication.
A Canadian man was caught trying to smuggle a baby crocodile skull through New Delhi’s airport!
New York Times profiles San Francisco’s new mayor Daniel Lurie, a Democrat, and an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune.
Gizmodo has all the nerdy deets on a study which challenges dinosaur origin theories.

Three things to see

One: This massive 276kg bluefin tuna fetched $1.3 million (207 million yen) at the annual auction at Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market. This was the second-most expensive tuna to be sold since record-keeping began in 1999. FYI: The most expensive one went for $3.1 million (333.6 million yen) in 2019. (Kyodo News)

Two: A researcher has found four new species of tarantulas at the Western Ghats. Below is the image of a newly discovered female tarantula Haploclastus bratocolonus (as in “tree dweller”). TBH, it looks just about as scary as any other spider. Mongabay has more on the new creepy crawlies.

Three: A new George RR Martin adaptation is coming soon—and it has nothing to do with ‘Game of Thrones’! ‘In the Lost Lands’ is based on a short story set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world—and stars Milla Jovovich, Dave Bautista, Arly Jover, and Fraser James. It is set to release on March 7. Inverse has all the plot details.

A job ad for Bangalore heritage lovers

Editor’s note: We sometimes support our subscribers by running ads for their business for free. This is one of them:)

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Previous experience as a tour guide (good to have).
Physical fitness to navigate tours with energy.

Why Work With Us? Superior training to master the art of guided storytelling. A flexible schedule—perfect for balancing your passions and work. Opportunities to travel across Karnataka, uncovering its hidden gems.

About Unhurried: We specialize in heritage walks, day tours, and overnight explorations that dive deep into Karnataka’s rich history and culture. Our guides are more than just experts—they’re storytellers who create unforgettable experiences.

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Takshashila: A doorway to public policy

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Over to Takshashila…

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