| | | The first phase of the caste-based census kicked off in Bihar on Saturday. Calling the exercise “historic”, deputy chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav said the Bharatiya Janata Party created roadblocks in the survey because of its “anti-poor mindset”. “The BJP is now scared after having tried their level best to stop the exercise. The BJP never wanted the caste head count because it has an anti-poor mindset,” he told reporters in Patna. The Bihar cabinet on June 2 last year decided to conduct the caste-based census in the state, months after the Centre ruled out such an exercise at the national level. The normal decadal census counts religious groups and Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) separately. | THE DAILY QUIZ Even generations on, the obsession remains. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is making this subject mandatory for students till they turn 18. He hopes it will improve their analytical skills. Do the arithmetic and tell us which? a. Maths
b. Statistics
c. Data analytics
d. Coding TAKE THE FULL QUIZ | | THE BIG STORY Bihar: 1st phase of caste-based census begins The first phase of the caste-based census kicked off in Bihar on Saturday, with deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav hailing the exercise as “historic”. The exercise is being conducted in two stages. In the first phase, which is scheduled to end on January 21, the number of all households in the state will be counted. In the second phase, set to begin in March, data pertaining to people of all castes and religions will be collected. Read more. | | THE BIG QUESTION Why did the AAP and LG’s office trade barbs? A day after Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party councillors exchanged blows inside the chambers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s office on Saturday continued to spar over the appointment of 10 nominated members and a presiding officer, even as the BJP and AAP launched street protests over the row. Kejriwal wrote a letter to Saxena, his second in two days, saying that elected governments will become irrelevant if the LG is defined as the “administrator” arbitrarily. Officials from the LG’s office said that the appointments were according to constitutional provisions and the AAP was creating confusion with deliberate attempts to mislead people. Read more. |  | | A LITTLE LIGHT READING Breaking the sound barrier His name may be unfamiliar, but name his songs and eyes light up with recognition. The reclusive MM Keeravani is the music composer behind hits such as Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai (Jism; 2003), Aa Bhi Jaa (Sur; 2002) and Naatu Naatu (RRR; 2022), which recently became the first Indian film track to be shortlisted for Best Original Song at the Oscars (it’s been nominated at the Golden Globes too). Keeravani, 61, shares his last name with a Carnatic raga. In Hindi films, he’s credited as MM Kreem; in Tamil and Malayalam films, as Maragathamani. “Stephen King had two identities (King wrote under the pen name Richard Bachman for a while). I have three,” Keeravani has said. Read more. | | THE WEEKEND FIX 2023 bags full This is set to be a year of turning points, major face-offs, changes in how we eat, what we watch, where we play. There’s big news from the worlds of Barbie, and King Charles. India, meanwhile, is reaching new landmarks in population, solar exploration, moon and manned missions. Where can you learn more? What should you be watching, reading, tuning in to? Start here, with the pop-culture-driven Wknd guide to 2023 Read more. | | THE SPORTING LIFE Shape-shifting ahead of the Cup Stung by a series of poor results from the men’s cricket team in 2022, and with the 50-over World Cup coming to India later this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced some interesting fitness-focused initiatives. Read more. | | Were you forwarded this email? Did you stumble upon it online? Sign up here. | | Written and edited by Kartikeya Ramanathan. Produced by Sukoon Wadhawan. | | | | | | | Get the Hindustan Times app and read premium stories | | | | | | View in Browser | Privacy Policy | Contact us You received this email because you signed up for HT Newsletters or because it is included in your subscription. Copyright © HT Digital Streams. All Rights Reserved | | | | |  | |
