Firstpost Editor's Picks: Kulbhushan Jadhav case, backlash to Miyah poetry, Kangana Ranaut on spat with media; today's must-read stories

ICJ rules in favour of Kulbhushan Jadhav but Pakistan will offer ex-naval officer's release only if India 'admits he was a spy' The deal Pakistan hopes to make builds on a secret diplomatic offer earlier made to New Delhi. Documents submitted to the International Court of Justice show that Pakistan had first offered to extradite Jadhav in a letter dated 30 October, 2017. Neeraj Shekhar's switch to BJP reflects Modi, Shah's strategy of taking 'acquisition' route to get Rajya Sabha majority In the present situation, the NDA lacks a majority in the Rajya Sabha, which occasionally causes embarrassment to the central government and stalls some key Bills. The NDA had earlier accepted this situation. However, the current BJP dispensation is showing a different approach. Miyah poetry backlash exemplifies the powerful forces unleashed when a group identity is under threat The idea that people have to pledge loyalty to an official language and may not even write poems in their own language — as seen in the backlash to Miyah poetry — seems pretty extreme by exclusionary standards. Where is India’s pharma market headed? Regulatory infrastructure must be put in place to ensure global quality It was not too long ago that the USFDA had found deficiencies relating to medicine quality in India. The issue still persists. This makes it rather imperative to put in place a regulatory infrastructure to ensure that global quality and safety demands are adhered to at the domestic and export front. Kangana Ranaut on her spat with media: Constitution allows journalists to critique, not troll or degrade Ranaut, who has been boycotted by multiple journalist bodies after refusing to apologise for her spat with a reporter, says she doesn’t have to entertain anyone she feels threatened by. “Why do you use the identity of a journalist when you want the freedom of a troll?” she asks.