The Catch Up: 20 August

3 Things

This is the CatchUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
Today is the 20th of August and here are the headlines.
After a UPSC advertisement for filling up 45 posts through “lateral entry” triggered a political controversy, the Central Government today asked the UPSC to cancel it.
In a letter to UPSC Chairperson Minister for Department of Personnel and Training Jitendra Singh said that it is important that the constitutional mandate towards social justice is upheld so that deserving candidates from marginalized communities get their rightful representation in the government services.” On August 17, the UPSC issued an advertisement seeking applications for “talented and motivated Indian nationals for Lateral Recruitment” to the posts of joint secretary, director, and deputy secretary in 24 central ministries.
A series of protests broke out at Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane today over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old school children by a cleaning staff member and the “delay” in police action. This brought Mumbai local train services on the Central Line to a complete halt. Public Relations Officer, Central Railway, said the “rail-roko” protest at the Badlapur railway station affected Mumbai local train services, with no signs of immediate resumption. The protesters also took their demonstration to the streets of Badlapur, obstructing major roads and highways. It intensified as some protesters started throwing stones at the police and the school premises where the alleged sexual assault occurred.
Saying that it was “deeply concerned” about the “virtual absence of safe conditions of work for young doctors across the country”, the Supreme Court today pulled up the West Bengal government over the August 9 rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata, questioned the role of the state police and the former principal of the institution, and put in place a nine-member panel to recommend solutions to issues related to the safety and well-being of medical professionals. Terming the rape and murder “horrific given the nature of the crime”, a three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the CBI to furnish a status report on the investigation by August 22.
On Independence Day, a pregnant elephant died after a burning iron spear was thrown at her during attempts to drive a herd out of West Bengal’s Jhargram town.Three elephants with two calves took shelter on abandoned government land. Soon, a crowd of people gathered, and as per standard practice, the state forest department called upon the “Hula party”, a team of villagers using small spears lit on the sharp ends, to drive away the herd. Now, over the pregnant elephant’s death on August 15, the state forest department has lodged a police complaint, promising “strict action”.
The Israeli military said today that it recovered the bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that started the war in Gaza, as US and Arab mediators tried to advance an agreement to halt the fighting and release scores of other militant-held captives. The military said its forces recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza, without saying when or how the six died. A forum for hostage families said they were kidnapped alive. Hamas says some captives have been killed and wounded in Israeli airstrikes. The recovery is a blow to Hamas, which hopes to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire.
This was the CatchUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express.