Firstpost Editor's Picks: Geneva convention, opinionated Meghalaya governor, education in Bihar; today's must-read stories

Geneva Convention applies to captured IAF pilots, so Pakistan must treat them humanely and with respect If Pakistan parades them around or tries to make an exhibition, it will be against all tenets of civilised conduct. The convention clearly states prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for taking a direct part in hostilities. Their detention is not a form of punishment, but only aims to prevent further participation in the conflict. They must be released and repatriated without delay after the end of hostilities. ‘Why shouldn’t I hold an opinion?’: Meghalaya guv Tathagata Roy on Kashmir, social media trolls and secularism When asked about how these incidents of violence against Kashmiri Pandits 30 years ago are relevant in the current situation in Kashmir, Tathagata Roy said, “The Kashmiri Pandit issue is extremely important to understand the current debate. Three-and-a-half lakh people were just given a go-by? What kind of justice is this? What kind of politics is this? This is the height of irresponsibility. On the question of taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or thwarting separatists, the Kashmiri Pandits issue is of the highest importance.” Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Iñárritu: How three friends from Mexico took over Hollywood The dominance of the Three Amigos — at least in terms of critical acclaim and awards, if not the cash register — is a rare bright spot in an era where Hollywood continues to create templates rather than ideas, where phrases like “franchise potential” are often the death-knell for promising but commercially unappealing projects. Given the amount of cross-pollination involved in their films (they have, in the past, edited, produced and rewritten each other’s works, dating back more than two decades), it’s remarkable how distinct each of their filmographies — and artistic styles — are. At the World Sacred Spirit Festival 2019, finding the spirit of India in a medieval fort Madan Gopal Singh’s performance had just wrapped up the first evening of the World Sacred Spirit Festival (or WSSF) in Jodhpur. In the beautifully lit confines of Mehrangarh Fort’s magnificent Zenana Deodi Courtyard, the scholar had not only sung, but also translated and explained the work of timeless Sufi and Bhakti poets such as Kabir, Sultan Bahu and, indeed, Bulleh Shah, segueing magically into John Lennon and centuries-old German poetry as well. BJP-JD(U) govt in Bihar claims it transformed education sector, but state of public schools remains lamentable Schools across Bihar face an uncertain future as the state government has decided to close down or merge nearly 3,000 schools, due to unavailability of land or lack of enough students. Amit Kumar, Public Relations Officer for Bihar’s education department said, “The education department has decided to merge schools which don’t have adequate number of students. Also, such primary and middle schools, which don’t have their own building and land, are to be merged with nearby primary or middle schools.”