Explainers

Bihar Lok Sabha Polls 2024: According to a seat-sharing agreement within the Mahagathbandhan coalition, the RJD has retained 26 out of Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats, while allocating nine seats to the Congress and five seats to the Left parties.

TRENDS

Why pilots are unhappy with new contracts offered by the Tata Group. MC Explains

While pilots of Air India through two unions the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) had last year in April called for 'industrial unrest' if the airline forces them to accept or sign the terms & conditions, pilots at Vistara called in sick in the last week of March 2024 as a form of protest against the new contracts.

ELECTIONS

AAP bolsters Lok Sabha poll drive without CM via ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ slogan

Delhi Lok Sabha polls: AAP had already finalised the plans for Lok Sabha poll campaigns way ahead of the CM’s arrest. It is said that Kejriwal, himself, had assigned various aspects of the poll campaign in a way that the CM’s presence was not necessary.

BUSINESS

IOCL tweaks tender norms for maiden green hydrogen plant, but what are the revisions? MC Explains

A legal dispute prompted IOCL to reissue the tender for the green hydrogen plant last month, removing the controversial right of first refusal clause. However, potential bidders said that IOCL also introduced changes to the eligibility criteria, making it difficult for them to place bids.

POLITICS

How Prashant Kishor is laying the groundwork for a new political party in Bihar

During his interactions with the media, Kishor revealed that the Congress proposed the formation of Empowered Action Group (EAG), a move he opposed. He mentioned that an EAG cannot effectively reform the party's constitutional body like the Congress Working Committee.

ELECTIONS

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Why a divided Matua community risks losing political clout in Bengal

West Bengal Lok Sabha Polls: The victory of BJP's Shantanu Thakur over Mamata Bala in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections highlights the evolving political dynamics within the Matua community and the broader electoral landscape of the region.

ELECTIONS

Why the Left and Congress should be wary of Indian Secular Front in Bengal

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP put up an impressive performance in West Bengal, clinching 18 seats and securing 40 per cent of the vote share.

ELECTIONS

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Jamui rally sends clear hints of seamless vote share among NDA partners

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Political analysts highlight a contrasting dynamic within the NDA, underscoring the enduring charisma of PM Modi while juxtaposing it with the diminished standing of his coalition partner, Nitish Kumar.

ELECTIONS

Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha 2024: Why Pallavi Patel’s and Owaisi’s PDM may pose a serious threat to Samajwadi Party

Both Apna Dal (K) and AIMIM are making their Lok Sabha poll debuts in Uttar Pradesh. They have contested a fraction of the Assembly seats in the state in the past, eating into votes of big parties in a few.

ELECTIONS

SC to hear plea on EVM-VVPAT tally next week: All you need to know

The reliability of VVPAT systems has been questioned for a while. Many critics have cited instances of malfunctioning printers, paper jams, and discrepancies between electronic and paper records.

ELECTIONS

Can YS Sharmila emerge as the ultimate trump card for the Congress in Andhra Pradesh?

Andhra Pradesh assumes special significance for the Congress as it tries its best to continue its winning streak in the Telugu states.

ELECTIONS

How Parshottam Rupala's speech has reignited Patel-Rajput rivalry in Gujarat's Saurashtra

An important reason that makes Saurashtra different is the centrality of caste divisions in its political lexicon.

EXPLAINERS

New clock for Moon? Why US wants to create lunar standard time

A new Moon-centric time reference system will be able to provide a benchmark for lunar spacecraft and satellites which need extreme precision.

EXPLAINERS

RBI monetary policy decision: Repo rate, stance and other key terms explained

The six-member Monetary Policy Committee of the RBI started its meeting today to decide on interest rates.

BUSINESS

Explainer: How RBI’s rules on penal charges will help loan borrowers

RBI’s rules on penal charges came into effect April 1. Earlier some banks, NBFCs and HFCs use penal rates of interest over and above the applicable ones, in case of defaults. Now, the RBI guidelines prohibit financial institutions from charging penal rates on loan defaults.

ELECTIONS

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Pawar's 1960 struggle echoes in Supriya Sule's duel with Sunetra Pawar

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Polls: Supriya Sule believes that the electoral clash between her and her sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar, is a plot devised by the BJP with the strategic aim of undermining the political influence of NCP founder Sharad Pawar.

EXPLAINERS

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Why Wayanad will be a tightrope walk, and not a cakewalk, for Rahul this time

Kerala Lok Sabha Polls: Rahul Gandhi's victory in the Wayanad constituency during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was significant, especially considering his loss in the traditional Congress stronghold of Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, to BJP's Smriti Irani.

EXPLAINERS

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: How to check your name in voters' list online

With over 97 crore individuals eligible to vote in the upcoming election, the Election Commission (EC) recently announced ways to check whether the name of a particular individual is there on the voter list or not

EXPLAINERS

How Congress, BJP are battling the growing unease over ticket distribution in Karnataka

Five years after BJP's impressive performance in the state, the political landscape has changed in Karnataka. The BJP and JD(S) have come on one side to fight a resurgent Congress that stormed to victory in the Assembly polls eight months ago.

ELECTIONS

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Lalu's political dynasty extends as daughter Rohini pads up for Saran seat

Bihar Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Lalu Prasad's daughter, Rohini Acharya, making her foray into formal politics through the RJD may indeed mark her official entry into the electoral arena. However, her active engagement on social media platforms for several years has already established her as a staunch advocate and defender of her family's interests.

EXPLAINERS

Has your Vistara flight been cancelled? MC explains why

The spate of cancellations, due to pilots taking sick leave en masse to protest the terms of their new contracts following the airline's merger with Air India, has prompted the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to seek a detailed report from Vistara.

EXPLAINERS

India slams China's 'senseless' renaming spree in Arunachal Pradesh: What is Beijing's problem?

Ties between India and China have been frosty due to the dispute over the international border. Both the nations share an “ill-defined 3,440-km-long border”.

EXPLAINERS

India aims for 24x7 power for all but what lies ahead for rural electrification?

In December 2014, the government of India launched the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) with the objective of electrifying all un-electrified villages as per the Census of 2011, which is the latest report covering the demographic, social, and economic data of India.

EXPLAINERS

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Why parties failed to reach consensus on seat-sharing in Maharashtra?

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Polls: The South Mumbai constituency has emerged as a point of contention between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena within the Mahayuti alliance. Meanwhile, Congress' Sanjay Nirupam aims to contest from Mumbai North West, a seat allocated to the Shiv Sena by the MVA.

ELECTIONS

Katchatheevu: How a tiny island became major flashpoint in Tamil Nadu politics

Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha polls: The BJP has always enjoyed a broader support in North India. With the party and its allies eyeing 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu becomes important for BJP.

ELECTIONS

Key takeaways from INDIA bloc's Ramlila rally: From Soft Hindutva to match-fixing charges

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: INDIA bloc leaders have accused the BJP of utilising central investigative agencies to suppress opposition voices. In response, the BJP has dismissed the allegations, labelling the intentions behind the rally as deceptive and designed to safeguard vested interests.