This Week in Explainers: Is it protected to take a dip at Maha Kumbh Mela?

It’s been per week of ups and downs for India. On the diplomatic entrance, New Delhi scored a giant win with Qatar, because it elevated ties to a “strategic partnership”. Nonetheless, there was an incident which angered Nepal – the suicide of a 20-year-old Nepali scholar on the KIIT campus in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar. The case snowballed with Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli having to step in.

The highlight on Indian deportees from the US continues. Two extra flights have returned to India this week, a complete of three up to now. Whereas there was hope that the immigrants can be handled higher after PM Modi met Donald Trump earlier within the month that was on the case. Those that got here again spoke about their ordeal and damaged goals and revealed a brand new ‘dunki’ path to get to the US – through Europe. We inform you extra.

On the political entrance, it was an essential week for the BJP in Delhi. After weeks of suspense following the 8 February victory within the Delhi Meeting election, the celebration introduced the identify of its CM – Rekha Gupta. The celebration’s second chief minister within the Captial can also be a girl. The primary was Sushma Swaraj.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, which will probably be quickly concluding, grabbed headlines for the fallacious causes. A report by the Air pollution Management Board (PCB) pointed to excessive ranges of faecal micro organism within the waters of the rivers, the place hundreds of thousands have been bathing. Nonetheless, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath insists the water is protected to drink. There was additionally a row over movies of ladies taking a dip on the gathering being bought on-line.

Our weekly roundup of explainers from India dives deep into the headlines that caught your consideration and extra.

1. The Trump administration is undeterred when slicing down on international help. India now finds itself in the course of a snowballing controversy. A publish by Elon Musk-led Doge (Division of Authorities Effectivity) has triggered a political row. The company mentioned that it was cancelling a $21-million grant for “voter turnout in India”. The BJP was fast to level fingers on the Opposition Congress with
Trump now hinting at election interference by the sooner US administration. We clarify
how this all began.

2. Because the row over the $21-million grant refuses to die down, the eye has turned to former USAID India mission director Veena Reddy. Eminent lawyer and former Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani wrote on X that the Indian-American diplomat was despatched to India in 2021 and returned to the US after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However
what’s her alleged connection to the grant?

3. Diplomacy is an artwork and PM Modi excels at it. In a uncommon gesture, the prime minister welcomed Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on the New Delhi airport. The monarch was visiting the nation on a two-day go to. This story seems to be on the
budding relationship between New Delhi and Doha and why it issues.

4. India had a diplomatic incident with Nepal. It began with the suicide of Prakriti Lamsal, a scholar at KIIT in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar. Her demise triggered protests by college students from Nepal, however as tensions gripped the campus KIIT authorities requested them to vacate and return to their nation. This prompted Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli to intervene. We’ve been monitoring this story intently. Our explainers inform you about
Prakriti Lamsal and the
uproar over her demise.

5. The US continues to ship again unlawful Indian immigrants to India. Thus far, three flights have landed. Reliving the ordeal, many deportees spoke about how they reached America. For lengthy, unlawful migrants have taken the
‘dunki’ route, traversing from Latin America to Central America. However now many are going through Europe.
This story tells you extra.

6. It’s solely 4 days earlier than the Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest spiritual gathering concludes on February 26. Thousands and thousands have taken a dip on the Sangam during the last month. However now the Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB) has raised doubts in regards to the Ganga water. A report says that there are excessive ranges of faecal matter current within the river in Prayagraj, a declare that
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has denied.
Is the water protected? We reply the query.

7. After greater than 27 years, the BJP is again in energy in Delhi. On Wednesday (19 February), the celebration ended weeks of suspense and introduced Rekha Gupta as its chief minister. She is Delhi’s fourth lady CM. What can we learn about
the first-time MLA?
Why did the BJP decide Gupta over different well-liked faces?

8. In Punjab, going to the Americas – the US and Canada – is a giant dream. However right here is the story of a person who returned from Brampton and has been in hiding in Mohali. Simran Preet Panesar is a suspect in Canada’s greatest gold heist value 20 million {dollars}. Now the ED has raided his home in Punjab.
What’s occurring?

That’s the advisable listing of our most-read and most attention-grabbing explainers of the week. Should you like our tackle the information, you will discover extra such tales
right here.