The Hindu

INDIA bloc plans a united front for a possible Deputy Speaker election - It is still uncertain if the Modi government will fill the post in the current Lok Sabha; Opposition is likely to field Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad in case an election is held, though traditionally, the post goes to the single largest Opposition party

‘Dengue may have helped stem COVID-19 wave severity’ - A study was published in Journal of Medical Virology this week; results of the research suggest that the antibodies following a dengue infection were able to ‘neutralise’ the coronavirus

In fear of freak weather - Extreme rainfall, unanticipated dust storms and unprecedented temperatures push cities and States across India into uncharted territory

What was the tussle over Covaxin IPR? - What are the rules for patenting the intellectual property rights of a vaccine? Why was the ICMR not included?

Why has the NTA failed to deliver? - How many examinations are under the charge of the National Testing Agency? Is it equipped to handle the large number of students and centres? What are the challenges? What are the loopholes in the system that can be manipulated by unscrupulous players?

Profile 2 - Om Birla The BJP lawmaker’s first term as Speaker of the Lok Sabha was known for both his inclusive approach as well as the unprecedented punishments he handed to Opposition lawmakers

Rabble-rouser - Björn Höcke The far-right AfD leader, who stands trial for using Nazi-era slogans, calls for a ‘180-degree turn’ in how Germany remembers its past, including Holocaust

India lacks diagnostic tests for emerging infectious diseases - Zika virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen belonging to the flavivirus family of viruses which also includes dengue; India’s lack of significant Zika surveillance means we might never fully understand its spread

Synergy in data must for ‘coherent’ policy decisions: NSC chief - Correlating data such as GST and export-import figures flagged as an example by the National Statistical Commission chairman Karandikar

Storm in the rice bowl - Multiple factors, not just the availability of water for irrigation, have plunged the Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu — widely known as the Granary of South India — into immeasurable distress. T. Ramakrishnan visits the region to record the developments.