News18 Explainers

A new coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been formed in Pakistan. Despite the media's typical leniency towards new governments, Sharif will unlikely enjoy a honeymoon period. We explain why the country is in crisis and political instability is rife.

On 2nd March, the BJP released a list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. We explain why many prominent names are not being repeated while many others are.

The Supreme Court has ruled that lawmakers can't claim immunity for taking bribes to make a speech or cast a vote in the legislature. We explain the implications of this verdict and why it overrules the 1998 PV Narasimha Rao case verdict.

India's Prime Minister announced the names of four astronaut-designates for India's human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan. They are being trained in Bengaluru and will fly aboard ISRO's heaviest launcher in 2025. The intricacies of the mission are explained in this episode.

The Congress now has a seat-sharing arrangement with the AAP in Delhi, SP in Uttar Pradesh and it will certainly be with the DMK in Tamilnadu, probably NCP in Maharashtra. But will the opposition's numbers add up to face the formidable challenge of a BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Explained.

The Maharashtra government has offered 10-12% reservation to the Maratha community following their agitation. However, whether this is legally possible is unclear, as the Supreme Court has set a 49% limit on reservations. Find out the feasibility of the 'Maratha' quota in today's explainer.

The Supreme Court declared the 2017-18 law introducing electoral bonds void on Feb 15. The ruling followed allegations of corruption and undue advantage enjoyed by ruling parties. We explain how an instrument of transparency went wrong.

Two years after the issue seemed to have been resolved, with the Narendra Modi government withdrawing its three farm reform laws, farmers — mostly from Punjab — are back in the streets, protesting. The politics, economics and feasibility of their demands explained.

Eight Indian Navy veterans, who were released by a Qatar court months after being sentenced to death on the charge of espionage, heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on arrival in New Delhi on Monday. Here's why their release was otherwise unthinkable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the recently concluded parliamentary session that the BJP alone would win more than 370 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the aggregate for NDA will cross 400. We explain where the numbers will come from and why the opposition is hopeless.

Uttarakhand's CM has introduced a bill for a Uniform Civil Code in the legislative assembly. Will this bill set a precedent for a central UCC law? Explained.

The Indian government has decided to confer the Bharat Ratna award on LK Advani, a veteran politician, Swayamsevak, former deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country. This explainer discusses the reasons behind this decision and its implications.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the interim budget ahead of the Lok Sabha elections; this explainer outlines the key highlights of the government's financial plan.

The Bihar government has been shaken once again, thanks to Nitish Kumar, the politician who remains Chief Minister by hook or by crook. This explainer discusses why every political formation humours him rather than take lessons from his unreliable character.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar was on a two-day visit to Iran. He met with President Ebrahim Raisi, and both countries discussed bilateral, regional, and global issues. Is this the beginning of the revival of India-Iran relations? Explained.

On 18 January, Pakistan launched a series of air and artillery strikes inside Iran, targeting Baloch separatist groups. The attacks were in retaliation to the Iranian missile strikes in Pakistan on 16 January. Why has tension between the two nations escalated? Explained.

President Muizzu has asked India to withdraw all military personnel from the Maldives by March 15. If India complies, will it result in the reduction of India's leverage in South Asia? Explained.

In the second leg of Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, another MP has switched camps. Explaining why Milind Deora ditched the Congress and whether it’s a setback for the party.

Congress has decided to abstain from attending the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya on Jan 22, citing it as an RSS/BJP event. Does this show consolidation of the INDI alliance or a lack of independent thought in the opposition? Explained.

The Supreme Court of India quashed the order of premature release granted by the State of Gujarat in August 2022 to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. We explain why the remission was wrong.

The connection between the recent hostility towards India betrayed by the Maldives and viral images of PM Narendra Modi's snorkelling off the coast of Lakshadweep explained.

A Federal Court in New York made public a new set of previously confidential documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday. While Epstein’s case ended in 2019 after he committed suicide, what is the use of these files? Explained.

The nature of management of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which is to be inaugurated on the 22nd of January, has raised many questions. Were those opposed to this temple supposed to be invited? Were those supporting the temple supposed to be excluded? Is this a religious temple or a political temple? We are going to discuss all this and more in today’s explainer.

The Sports Ministry of India suspended the newly formed Wrestling Federation, led by Sanjay Singh. The reasons that led to this decision explained.

The rights and wrongs of the government and the opposition in the current standoff in Parliament due to suspensions and unseemly behaviour explained.