Former VP Breaks Silence on his 'Forced' Resignation
☕ India’s Morning Briefing: Sat, November 22
Hello, and welcome to the brief.
Good morning, friends.
Today is a day of profound duality for the Republic; we have a fighter jet down in Dubai, a new labour regime rising in Delhi, and the former VP has broken his silence, telling us what we all already knew but choose to ignore - politics is always dirty; but maybe too dirty here.
Welcome to the 162nd edition of The India Brief
Do not miss the deep dive in the end.
1. 🚨 The National Pulse
✈️ Tejas Down: Dreams Dent in Desert
IAF Tejas Mk1 crashed during Dubai Air Show display
Pilot Wing Commander Namansh Syal (Himachal Pradesh) sustained fatal injuries
Aircraft spiralled during low-level manoeuvre
Court of Inquiry ordered.
HAL shares drop ~3% to ₹4,593
There is a cruel, sinking irony in showcasing “Atmanirbhar Bharat” on a global stage, only for it to end in smoke and silence. Air shows are beauty pageants for military hardware; for the Tejas to falter here is a marketing nightmare wrapped in a genuine human tragedy.
The Signal The immediate tragedy is the loss of a decorated pilot, but the “signal” is reliability anxiety in the export market. Competitors like South Korea (FA-50) and China (JF-17) will subtly leverage this visual failure to highlight the “developmental risks” of Indian platforms to potential buyers like Argentina or the Philippines. 🔗
👷 The Great Labour Overhaul: 29 Laws Become 4
Centre notifies 4 Labour Codes effective Nov 21
Replaces 29 laws; Gig workers get social security
Fixed-term employees get gratuity after 1 year
Unions term it “Black Day”.
Finally, the Band-Aid has been ripped off. If you drive for an app, the government finally admits you exist; if you run a factory, you can now hire and fire more easily (up to 300 staff); and if you’re a union leader, you’re probably sharpening a pitchfork.🔗
🗣️ The Cryptic Exit: Dhankhar Speaks
Former VP Jagdeep Dhankhar breaks silence in Bhopal
Warns against “narrative chakravyuh”
Quotes: “Cannot abandon duty for flight”
Hints at forced exit over judicial confrontation.
Nothing says “I have secrets” like a politician using Mahabharata metaphors to describe their resignation. Dhankhar is effectively saying, “I didn’t jump, I was pushed,” hinting that his strict adherence to duty (likely regarding the judiciary) made him a liability.
The Chessboard: Dhankhar’s exit wasn’t just personal; it was collateral damage in the Executive vs. Judiciary war. By accepting an Opposition motion against a judge, he likely crossed a strategic red line set by the Centre. His cryptic speech is a warning shot: he knows where the institutional bodies are buried. 🔗
2. 🗳️ Politics & The System
⚖️ The Voter List War: Kerala vs. EC
Supreme Court issues notice to Election Commission
Kerala Govt/IUML seek deferment of Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
Allege clash with local polls and “unholy haste” to delete voters.🔗
💼 The Vadra Files: ED Strikes Again
Enforcement Directorate names Robert Vadra as accused in UK arms consultant case
Supplementary prosecution complaint filed
Linked to Sanjay Bhandari and London assets.
Ah, Robert Vadra. The evergreen “break in case of emergency” target. Whenever the political heat rises (say, Labour Code protests), a Vadra file moves a few inches. It’s the comfort food of Indian political distractions.🔗
👅 The Language Wars: Stalin vs. Sanskrit
TN Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin calls Sanskrit a “dead language“
Slams Centre for allotting ₹2,400cr to it vs ₹150cr for Tamil
BJP condemns remarks as “irresponsible”.
It’s the classic Dravidian politics playback: when in doubt, attack Hindi or Sanskrit. But the funding stat he threw out (16x more for Sanskrit) is the real grenade here—a valid budgetary question wrapped in inflammatory rhetoric.
The Bottom Line: Stalin is consolidating his regional identity base. By attacking Sanskrit, he reinforces the “Dravidian Fortress” narrative against “Aryan imposition,” optimising for Tamil pride votes while baiting the BJP into a culture war where the BJP is numerically disadvantaged in the South. 🔗
3. Environment
🌪️ The Weather Bomb: Senyar Approaches
Cyclone Senyar alert for Bay of Bengal
Named by UAE
Threatens Andaman & Nicobar and East Coast; Heavy rainfall and high waves predicted starting today.
November is the cruelest month for the Bay. Just as the monsoon exits, the ocean decides to throw a “Lion” (Senyar) at us. Preparedness is better than it used to be, but the East Coast is bracing for another battering.
The Signal: Beyond the wind speed, the agricultural impact will be the sting. A strike now disrupts the Rabi sowing season in coastal Andhra/Odisha. Expect a spike in vegetable and pulse prices in December—a climate shock translating directly into food inflation. 🔗
☀️ The Palate Cleanser (Happy Headlines)
The Golden Girls: Indian Women Boxers sweep 9 Gold Medals at World Boxing Cup; Nikhat Zareen and Minakshi Hooda lead historic dominance.
Sweet Success: Kashmir farmers produce India’s first Lavender Honey; Selling at ₹12,000/kg; “Liquid Gold” revolution in Pulwama.
Green Funding: Agritech startup AgroStar raises $30M from Just Climate; Focus on AI-advisory and sustainable farming inputs.
Women Power: Three Jharkhand SHGs win National Awards; Recognized for livelihood generation in Chatra and East Singhbhum.
🌍 The World View (International Headlines)
Trump Snub: Donald Trump boycotts G20 Summit in South Africa; Cites “anti-US” agenda on trade/climate; PM Modi attends.
Kosovo Crumbles: President dissolves Parliament after govt formation fails; Snap elections called for Dec 28; Second poll in a year.
Sudan Sanctions: EU sanctions RSF commander Abdelrahim Dagalo; Moves to hold paramilitaries accountable for war atrocities.
COP30 Failure: Draft deal in Brazil drops “fossil fuel phaseout”; Bows to petro-state pressure; EU threatens to reject; US absent.
Ukraine Ultimatum: Trump sets “Thursday Deadline” for Kyiv to accept US peace plan; Zelenskyy faces “difficult choice” as aid wavers.
Gaza Agony: UNICEF reports 67 children killed despite ceasefire; Israel strikes “Yellow Line” zones; Truce holding by a thread.
Space Milestone: ISS marks 25 years of human presence; NASA celebrates durability of international cooperation despite earthly tensions.
🧐 Deep Dive: The “Salary Slip” Revolution (Labour Codes for Dummies)
Forget the legal jargon. Effective yesterday, November 21, 2025, the government effectively deleted 29 old laws and replaced them with 4 New Labour Codes. If you have a job, want a job, or hire people, your life just changed. Here is the “No-Nonsense Guide” to what this actually means for you.
1. The “Take-Home Pay” Trap (For White Collar/Corporate Employees)
The Change: The new Code on Wages mandates that your “Basic Pay” must be at least 50% of your total Cost to Company (CTC).
The Reality: Companies love to keep Basic Pay low (usually 30-40%) and load your salary with “allowances” to save on Provident Fund (PF) contributions. That loophole is now closed.
The Good News: Your PF and Gratuity contributions will shoot up. You will retire richer.
The Bad News: Your monthly in-hand salary will likely drop because more money is being locked away in PF. Start budgeting for slightly lighter pockets at the end of the month.
2. The “Gig Worker” Win (For the Swiggy/Zomato/Uber Warriors)
The Change: For the first time in history, gig and platform workers are legally recognised as “workers” under the Social Security Code.
The Reality: Previously, apps called them “partners” to avoid paying benefits. Now, aggregators (like Uber/Zomato) must contribute 1-2% of their annual turnover into a social security fund for these workers.
The Impact: If you drive a cab or deliver pizza, you now get a safety net (health, accident cover) that travels with you.
3. The “Hire & Fire” Ease (For Factory Owners & Blue Collar Workers)
The Change: Under the Industrial Relations Code, companies with up to 300 workers (previously 100) can now fire staff or close units without seeking government permission.
The Reality: This is the “flexibility” India Inc. has screamed for. It encourages companies to grow (no more staying small to avoid laws).
The Catch: Job security for factory workers just became much more fragile. However, to balance this, Fixed Term Employees (Contract) will now get Gratuity after just 1 year of service (instead of the usual 5 years).
4. The “Night Shift” Shift (For Women)
The Change: The OSH Code allows women to work night shifts (7 PM to 6 AM) in any sector, provided the employer ensures safety and gets consent.
The Reality: This removes archaic barriers in manufacturing and logistics, potentially boosting female workforce participation.
The Verdict: The government is betting on a trade-off: Less Job Security (easier firing) in exchange for Better Social Security (universal PF, gig worker protection). It’s a ruthless modernisation designed to make India manufacturing-friendly, but the transition cost will be paid by your monthly cash flow and the anxieties of the factory floor.
Stay Sharp
Aditya S.
Editor, OneRead.News