This Week in Explainers: How India joined elite aircraft carrier club

It’s been another fascinating week in the news in India.

For us, much of the attention has been on India’s defence capabilities, which have grown significantly in strength these past few years. The Firstpost Defence Summit 2024 is going to be held today in New Delhi and it is an event to watch out for. There will be discussions on India securing its borders, the role of AI and technology in warfare and more.

Farmers are back on the streets. The protests have been halted until 29 February but they are holding ground at the Punjab-Haryana border.

In other news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and inaugurated the history-making Chenab bridge, Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district continued to make headlines, and some states banned candy floss. A heartbreaking story came from Hyderabad after a man died during ‘smile designing’ surgery.

All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers on the big news stories that grabbed headlines in the country.

1. India in recent years has continued Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar’ push.

In the field of defence, India took a major step in 2022 when it commissioned its first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier known as the INS Vikrant.

India joined an elite club comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, China and Russia of countries that can make aircraft carriers.

Constructed for Rs 19,500 crore, the carrier is 262 metres long and 62 metres wide. It has a displacement of over 40,000 tonnes.

Experts have praised the ship which can carry 30 aircraft and the Indian Navy chief has said he is eyeing a third carrier.

But how did this happen? We take you through the rebirth of the INS Vikrant.

2. No one in the know underestimates the importance of the South China Sea.

Spread over 3,685,000 square kilometres, it is bounded to the northeast by the Taiwan Strait, on the east by Taiwan and the Philippines, on the southeast and south by Borneo, the southern limit of the Gulf of Thailand, and the east coast of the Malay Peninsula; and on the west and north by the Asian mainland.

While the countries have been fighting over the territory for decades, tensions have increased to unseen heights in recent years.

But why is the South China Sea so important? Why do experts say it could be the place for the next conflagration? And why is New Delhi looking to constrain Beijing in the area? This piece takes an in-depth look at the entire matter.

3. India now has the world’s highest single-arch railway bridge.

Taller than the Eiffel Tower, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir runs between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district. The engineering wonder, which was commissioned in 2008, is part of the Rs 35,000 crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL).

But what are its key features? And how will it help the region? This article explains it all.

4. Sandeshkhali. That’s the word that has been on the lips of many this past week.

At the heart of the allegations of sexual assault and land grab is one man TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, a man currently on the lam from the authorities.

But who is Shahjahan, the president of the TMC’s Sandeshkhali unit and a man who wields great influence in the area? Where did he come from? How did he find himself enmeshed in this controversy? This piece details the rise of the former driver and vegetable vendor, his wealth and crimes, and the current row.

5. A 28-year-old man, who was set to tie the knot, died after a ‘smile surgery’ went wrong.

The victim, Laxmi Narayana Vinjam, was declared dead on arrival at Apollo Hospitals on 16 February. The police have booked FMS International Dental Clinic in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills for culpable homicide not amounting to murder after Vinjam’s family lodged a complaint.

Vinjam’s father has claimed his son died of an anaesthesia overdose. This piece talks abou the case and takes a look at smile designing surgery and the dangers of anaesthesia.

6. We all know that candy floss isn’t good for you. Many a parent has warned their children about it rotting their teeth.

But now, in a truly alarming development, lab tests revealed the presence of Rhodamine-B, a cancer-causing substance, in cotton candy.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have banned the sugary treat, while other states are considering their options. We give you the low down on cotton candy and the substance that sparked the panic.

That’s all from India this week. Hope our explainers give you some food for thought. If you want to understand the news better, you can come back for  more .

PS: If you are interested in all things defence, tune into the Firstpost Defence summit on 24 February at 3 pm. You can register at  www.firstpostdefencesummit.com