Firstpost Editors' Picks: Modi's focus on nationalism debate, pressures of NYAY scheme on economy, Manchester United gets full-time manager; today's must-read stories

A-SAT test ahead of polls bid to shift focus from bread-and-butter issues: PM seeks to benefit from nationalism debate Modi’s Mission Shakti announcement may wriggle through the technicalities of MCC, but it surely shows chinks in the BJP’s armour. A government that sailed through most polls in the first half of its tenure and maintained its hold on several states despite a reduction in vote shares, should ideally rest its case on its report card of five years and not emotive appeals. But the desperate attempt to shift focus back to national security — considered Modi’s strong point but arguably quite removed from the real-life struggles of citizens — indicates that the BJP is certainly showing signs of nervousness ahead of polls. Rahul Gandhi’s NYAY a test on fiscal prudence: Economy must be strong enough to bear pressure of Rs 3.6 lakh cr Can we bear the cost of Rs 3.6 lakh crore? The practical way of going about this exercise is to substitute this amount for schemes of the government which already exist. Another crucial element is the logistics involved as most of the public schemes fail because of implementation issues. Identifying the beneficiaries is a challenge. The NYAY scheme is to cover all the poor and not just the farmers which was part of the budgetary announcement of the Rs 6,000 per annum scheme. Nationalism vs Garibi Hatao 2.0: BJP’s aspirational narrative may get more traction than Congress’ poverty pitch With less than two weeks to go before the first phase of Lok Sabha elections kick off, the Congress and Opposition parties are focusing on the state of the economy and jobs and have embarked on a Garibi Hatao 2.0 campaign by resurrecting Indira Gandhi’s campaign slogan from 1971. The BJP-led NDA is trying to make it a presidential contest, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm. The BJP stresses on nationalism and Modi as its signifier — the only leader who may take India to its destiny of becoming ‘Vishwa Guru (global reformer and teacher)’. Urvashi Bahuguna’s debut poetry collection Terrarium is delicately crafted and rich in detail Urvashi Bahuguna’s poetry collection Terrarium does not shy away from observing the things that disappoint, that go wrong. Her work is full of wonder for the natural world and the ways in which we connect with it, while also being self-aware of humankind’s messy place in the midst of beauty. Premier League: Manchester United appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as club’s full-time manager on three-year contract Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed Manchester United’s full-time manager on a three-year contract, the club announced on its website on Thursday. The former United forward had been in temporary charge since replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho in December.