“Nobody can bring back to life those who have died, but there will be justice” — these were the words of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as he met the families of three civilians who died, allegedly after being picked up by security forces, in Jammu. Singh also met five men who were allegedly tortured by security forces and are currently admitted to a hospital in Rajouri.

👉 Only in Express

Facing an electric vehicle revolution that threatens to gut a significant chunk of their core business, leading auto component manufacturers are pivoting to develop software capabilities to enhance and expand the functionalities of their hardware offerings. With the electrification of vehicles, software is set to define the next phase of growth for tier-1 suppliers in the mobility space.

As bulk of the total 303 passengers on board the Nicaragua-bound Legend Airlines chartered flight landed in Mumbai from Vatry airport in France after authorities in Paris had grounded the aircraft after an anonymous signal alleging “human trafficking”, one feature was striking — of the total passengers, 286 or over 93 per cent were adults (18-plus) and as many as 285 were men. The Indian Express decodes the details of the passengers shared by sources to get an idea of the demography it represents.

📰 From the Front Page

The Congress is in a cleft stick over the invitation by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Aware of the political gains set to flow to the BJP from the ceremony, coming on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress finds itself stranded in a political minefield and struggling to craft a position which will not cause much electoral damage.

While inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia, President Vladimir Putin noted that the domestic political calendar in India is “difficult and complex” next year – elections to Lok Sabha are approaching – and expressed the hope that irrespective of the alignment of political forces, traditional friendly ties between the people of the two countries will remain.

The government has added back 34 lakh farmers as PM-Kisan beneficiaries under the “saturation drive” since the launch of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra on November 15. The move is significant in view of a dwindling number of the scheme’s beneficiaries in the last financial year.

➡️ Must Read

In our Opinion section today, Milind Sohini writes: “Why are people not asking for drinking water from their politicians? This demand must be expressed by the community and not by individual households. Such collectivisation is a political process which should begin with a factual study — does the community have the intellectual ability to conduct such a study? Sadly, the answer is no.”

2023 became a year of wars: fighting between Russia and Ukraine could soon enter its third year, and the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip is now among the most destructive conflicts of recent decades. Diplomatic Editor Shubhajit Roy takes a look at the strategy and foreign affairs for India, going into 2024 – dealing with realities and looking at opportunities.

🔴 And Finally…

Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki is his darkest film yet, but also his driest and dated. “Some gags, a few moments, a lot of deaths. There is nothing new, there isn’t anything old either. It just is. Time for some jaado ki jhappi for Rajkumar Hirani. Clearly, all is not well,” Justin Joseph Rao writes.

📌 Delhi Confidential: The Ram Temple consecration will be held on January 22. Ayodhya is in the air, and here’s what BJP leaders are doing about it.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, discuss the major highlights of the three criminal law Bills set to replace the Indian Penal code, the recent attacks in the Red Sea, and Rajnath Singh’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Until next time,

Sonal Gupta and Rounak Bagchi

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