With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:

• Row over HDFC Bank’s marketing spend
• The Abortion Debate
• RCB makes it to the IPL Finale

🚨 Big Story

Just six days before Atanu Chakraborty abruptly resigned as chairman of HDFC Bank, the Audit Committee of the Board (ACB) ordered a formal “Internal Vigilance Investigation” into payments totalling Rs 45 crore made to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), during FY2024 and FY2025. The internal audit, flagging the payment, rated the performance of the bank’s marketing department as “unsatisfactory.” An investigation led by The Indian Express has now revealed that these payments were meant for MSRDC as “differential interest”, that is, interest over and above the specified rate, on its deposits. However, instead of being credited directly to MSRDC’s account, they were routed through the bank’s marketing department, disguised as contributions to a road safety awareness campaign through four local vendors.

Chakraborty’s resignation cited “certain happenings and practices within the bank” that were not in “congruence” with his personal values and ethics. The newly appointed interim chairman, Keki Mistry, however, was quick to declare the bank had “very strong ethics.” The fact that the bank’s top brass – CEO, CFO, CMO – were aware of the Rs 45-crore payment violating RBI rules and bank’s own norms, raises questions about HDFC Bank’s corporate governance and its adherence to its code of ethics. We explain.

⚡ Only in Express

What happens when a woman’s trauma collides with legal timelines, social stigma, medical risks, ethical and moral dilemmas?

A 13-year-old girl’s 27-week pregnancy spotlights this fraught terrain of medical termination of pregnancy (MTP). Over the years, High Courts across India and the Supreme Court have witnessed a steady inflow of cases seeking judicial intervention by women for abortions in pregnancies that may have crossed the statutory limit of 24 weeks. These rulings have triggered debates on the right to life, often pitting the unborn child against the woman’s rights. While reproductive autonomy — the right to decide if, when, with whom, and how to have children — is a fundamental right in India, the language of the MTP Act is framed such that it addresses the medical fraternity, not the reproductive autonomy of the woman, as it tells doctors when they can carry out an MTP. Read more in our special here.

📰 From the Front Page

Leak: Days after arresting the foun­der of a coaching institute in Latur, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now planning to make his minor son — who also gave the NEET-UG exam on May 3 — a “star witness” in the paper leak case. According to a source, “The student has reportedly admitted during questioning that his father procured the NEET question paper for him — Physics, Chemistry and Biology — about 10 days before the exam.”

Fear: It is “fear” that has led about 300 men, women and children to squat with their belongings in small bags, beside the BSF check-post at Hakimpur. “Fear” of police, detention centres, and demolitions have convinced them that staying back is not worth the risk, and that crossing over into Bangladesh is possible from the Hakimpur border outpost. With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive, state elections swept by the BJP, and the Suvendu Adhikari government’s opening of detention camps, the people gathered in Hakimpur say they entered Bengal “illegally” and now want to go back.

Tussle: An all-out tussle for leadership is underway in Karnataka, with the Congress high command conveying to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that it was looking at a transition in the state. In an attempt to reorient the party organisation and government, and keeping in mind the future challenges, the leadership wants the CM to step down and make way for a new leader. Sources say the CM has been given time to mull over the idea. Meanwhile, a shocked Siddaramaiah said he will convene a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party soon and announce his decision to step down.

📌 Must Read

Days after the Supreme Court recalled its order against academician Michel Danino, educationist Suparna Divakar and legal researcher Alok Prasanna Kumar over references to corruption and delays in the judiciary in a revised Class 8 social science textbook, NCERT, Danino says, “threw us under the bus.” While he had hoped the institution would place the broader pedagogical vision behind the textbooks before the court, it did not consult him before filing its affidavit. It also did not take responsibility, and removed him from all committees without so much as a phone call. His resignation, when it came, was, as he puts it, “a post-dismissal resignation,” in an interview with The Indian Express.

In our Opinion section today, C Raja Mohan delves into the excitement that visits by United States leaders, such as its Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to India generate in Delhi. He writes: “Rubio’s visit was an effort at reassurance; the Indian establishment will wait to see how this plays out in practice. The Quad foreign ministers’ meeting also reaffirmed the continuing importance of minilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Repairing public sentiment, however, will take longer.”

⏳ And Finally…

Rajat Patidar’s unbeaten 93 in 33 balls remained the highlight of an incredible T20 innings on Tuesday, taking the team to a score of 254/5 – the highest ever in an Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff game. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) steamrolled the Gujarat Titans by 92 runs to return to the IPL finals, laying down a marker for the other three sides in contention. “For the next India T20 squad selection, Patidar’s name should be on the team sheet regardless of who else makes it,” Venkata Krishna B writes. “Right through this season, when the game is in the balance, RCB have invariably found a moment when they wrestle control, raising their game,” he adds.

🎧 Lastly, don’t forget to tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss the anti-drug campaign in Jammu and Kashmir that extends beyond arrests; the recent demolition drive in Mumbai’s Garib Nagar; as well as an alleged mass wedding scam in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district.

That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!

Until next time,
Ariba

Business As Usual by E P Unny