- 6 months ago
In this edition of India Today Explains, Akshita Nandagopal discusses the controversy over handshakes in cricket following the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash, Pak-Saudi defence deal, ethanol-blended petrol and more.
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00:00Welcome, you're watching India Today Explains. I'm Akshita Nanda Gopal.
00:03Over the next 30 minutes, we break down all of the week's biggest stories.
00:07And here's a look first at what's coming your way.
00:10Our top story is the biggest debate this week over cricket.
00:13The new handshake between India and Pakistan.
00:16And Pakistan then seeking action against Captain Surya Kumar Yadav.
00:20Is there a rule that handshakes are mandatory?
00:23We'll tell you all about it.
00:24Also on the show, the Pakistan-Saudi defence deal
00:28and what it really means for India.
00:30Then there's the E-20 blended fuel.
00:33What is it? What is with the outrage?
00:35We'll tell you all about that.
00:37Also on this edition of the show,
00:39we tell you about why celebrities are seeking relief from courts
00:42for their personality rights.
00:43What are personality rights?
00:45All that and more coming your way.
00:47And finally, the illegal betting app case.
00:50And why every week celebrities are being pulled up
00:53by the enforcement directorate.
00:54Lots lined up for you. Let's get started.
00:58The India-Pakistan-Asia Cup 2025 clash has triggered a new controversy.
01:06This time, not about the match itself, but about handshakes.
01:09After the toss, India's captain Surya Kumar Yadav avoided shaking hands
01:13with Pakistan's Salman Agha.
01:15And later, the Indian team skipped post-match handshakes too.
01:20Pakistan even complained.
01:21But this raises the question,
01:23are handshakes mandatory in cricket or for that matter in any other sport?
01:27Let's break that down for you.
01:31Now in cricket, handshakes are a long-standing tradition
01:35rather than a strict rule.
01:36After a match, the two teams usually shake hands with the opposition and the umpires.
01:41Captains shake hands before the toss,
01:43often in front of cameras as a symbol of respect.
01:45Now these gestures aim to end the contest on a friendly note
01:50and uphold the spirit of the game.
01:53Before we dig deeper, it's important to understand
01:57who sets the rules and traditions in cricket.
01:59There's the International Cricket Council, ICC.
02:02It governs the international game,
02:04managing tournaments and enforcing the code of conduct.
02:07While you have the MCC, which is the Marylebone Cricket Club.
02:11It preserves the laws of cricket.
02:13It's the official rule book, if you will.
02:15And also upholds the spirit behind them.
02:18Now both clearly play crucial but rather different roles
02:22in shaping how the game is played and respected worldwide.
02:26But let's get down to it about the handshake.
02:30The ICC's spirit of cricket preamble makes respect central to the game.
02:35And I'll read out from it.
02:37Congratulate the opposition of their successes
02:39and thank the officials and your opponents at the end of the match,
02:42whatever the result.
02:43Refusing such curtesies may fall under Article 211 of the Code of Conduct.
02:48Which lists conduct contrary to the spirit of the game as a level 1 offence.
02:53But important to highlight that it carries no fixed punishment.
02:57Any sanction would depend on ICC discretion.
03:01What about the MCC laws?
03:02Well, they stress on respect, fairness, discipline.
03:06But the word handshake, and it's important to highlight this,
03:09the word handshake doesn't appear in the MCC list.
03:12While the preamble and these laws 41 and 42
03:15cover issues of player behaviour and unfair play,
03:18none of them actually refers to handshakes as a compulsory act.
03:22What the MCC does emphasise, however,
03:25is players' conduct within the spirit of cricket.
03:28The law state, and I'll quote for you,
03:30cricket owes much of its appeal and enjoyment to the fact that it should be played
03:34not only according to the laws,
03:36but also within the spirit of cricket.
03:38The major responsibility for ensuring fair play rests with the captains,
03:41but extends to all players, match officials,
03:45and especially in junior cricket, teachers, coaches and parents.
03:51Now, let's also look beyond cricket.
03:53Many sports actually encourage, but do not strictly enforce handshakes.
03:57For example, FIFA's fair play guidelines promote handshakes between teams and officials,
04:02but it isn't punishable if skipped.
04:04In tennis, players traditionally shake hands at the net,
04:07yet neither the Association of Tennis Professionals,
04:10which is the ATP rulebook,
04:11nor the Women's Tennis Association, which is the WTA rulebook,
04:15makes it compulsory.
04:16Even in basketball or American football,
04:18leagues like the NBA and NFL promote post-game respect,
04:21but handshakes are merely gestures of sportsmanship,
04:25not legal obligations.
04:27So, across sports, it's seen more as etiquette than obligations.
04:31So, to answer everyone's question,
04:33are handshakes mandatory?
04:34The short answer, the clear answer is no.
04:37Cricket's laws, like most sports,
04:39encourage them as a symbol of respect,
04:41but they're not compulsory.
04:43There's no sanction against India.
04:45The handshake remains a goodwill gesture,
04:47not a legal requirement.
04:51In a move seen as significant amid heightened regional tension,
04:56Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan
04:59have signed a formal defense pact.
05:02The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement,
05:04which was signed during Pakistan Prime Minister
05:06Shehbar Sharif's state visit to Riyadh,
05:08has raised eyebrows over its wording.
05:11Here's what it says.
05:12Any aggression against either country
05:14shall be considered an aggression against both.
05:17The statement says this without naming any country.
05:20Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a defense relationship
05:24stretching back decades,
05:25in part due to Islamabad's willingness
05:27to defend the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina
05:30in the kingdom.
05:32Pakistani troops first traveled to Saudi Arabia
05:34in the late 1960s
05:36over concerns about Egypt's war in Yemen at that time.
05:40Those ties increased
05:42after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution
05:45and the kingdom's fears of a confrontation with Tehran.
05:48But what does this current deal actually mean for India?
05:52It's a NATO-style defense pact
05:54and the wording of attack on one equals attack on both
05:57will be viewed in Islamabad as a major diplomatic victory.
06:01It will likely see the pact as a strategic deterrence against India.
06:06But experts and geopolitical analysts have said
06:09the agreement doesn't mean that Saudi Arabia
06:11would go to war with India for Pakistan.
06:14Very of the optics surrounding the pact,
06:16Saudi Arabia was quick to actually de-link it
06:19from its ties with India,
06:21which it said was more robust than it's ever been.
06:26And that's important to highlight here
06:28that India and Saudi Arabia share deep economic
06:30and social-cultural ties.
06:32Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest trading partner of India.
06:35New Delhi is the second largest for Riyadh.
06:38And let's break that down in numbers.
06:39In financial year 2024-25,
06:42bilateral trade stood at $41.88 billion.
06:44On the other hand,
06:46you compare that to trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,
06:50barely $3-4 billion.
06:52You stack that up,
06:52$41.88 billion versus just about $3-4 billion.
06:57So it's unlikely that Saudi Arabia
06:59will go ahead and take on India in any way.
07:03As far as India's response is concerned,
07:05in a rather measured response,
07:07said it was aware of the development,
07:09adding it would study its implications
07:11for the country's security and for regional stability.
07:15But beyond India,
07:16the timing of the Saudi-Pakistan pact
07:18appears to carry a stronger message
07:20directed towards another country, Israel.
07:22The agreement came just days after an Israeli strike in Doha
07:26targeted Hamas leaders,
07:27an unprecedented escalation that unsettled the Arab world.
07:32Israel's expanding operations in Iran,
07:34Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and now Qatar
07:37have heightened fears of a widening conflict.
07:40The Doha strike,
07:41reportedly carried out
07:42with tacit U.S. approval under Donald Trump,
07:45has further shaken Gulf Arab states' faith in Washington
07:48as their traditional security guarantor.
07:51Many in the region now worry about
07:52over-dependence on America
07:54amid shifting U.S. priorities.
07:57Saudi Arabia,
07:58aware that Israel is the only nuclear-armed state
08:00in the Middle East,
08:01appears essentially to be leveraging
08:03Pakistan's nuclear status
08:05to project strength.
08:07The pact, therefore,
08:08is less about Pakistan-India
08:10and more about signaling unity
08:12within the Islamic bloc
08:13as well as sending a warning shot
08:15to Israel,
08:16to its allies.
08:21There's a raging debate currently
08:23on blended fuel in India.
08:25Ethanol blended with petrol.
08:27While India is looking to launch E20,
08:29essentially 20% blended fuel,
08:31there have been questions raised
08:33over the mileage
08:34and some other issues by users.
08:36Let's tell you all about
08:37this type of fuel,
08:38the pros and cons as well.
08:40First of all,
08:41what is E20 fuel?
08:43Well, E20 fuel is a type of gasoline
08:46blended with 20% ethanol
08:47and 80% petrol.
08:50Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel
08:52made from sugarcane,
08:53corn or other plant materials.
08:55So, it's renewable,
08:57biodegradable
08:58and burns cleaner than petrol.
08:59Essentially, this is clean energy.
09:02And that's the biggest plus
09:03of E20 fuel.
09:05Lower emissions.
09:06It supports farmers
09:07since it's made from crops
09:08like sugarcane.
09:09It reduces dependence
09:10also on imported oil
09:12which is a big tick
09:13and a plus for India.
09:15But mind you,
09:16not all vehicles
09:17are E20 compatible.
09:19Using it in non-compatible engines
09:20can cause corrosion,
09:22damage rubber parts
09:23and also reduce mileage.
09:25So, here's where we talk about India.
09:27E20 fuel was launched in India
09:29on February 6th, 2023
09:31by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
09:33The rollout was part
09:34of the government's
09:35ethanol blending programme
09:36to reduce fossil fuel dependency
09:38and carbon emissions.
09:40The E20 transition
09:42is part of India's
09:43climate commitment
09:44to reduce oil imports
09:45and to cut down on emissions.
09:47As of this year, 2025,
09:49E20 fuel is available
09:50in over 7,000 petrol stations
09:53across India,
09:53particularly in urban pockets,
09:56major cities,
09:57in highways as well.
09:58And the government
09:59is aiming for
10:00nationwide E20 availability
10:02by 2026.
10:04Newer models of cars
10:05and two-wheelers
10:06like Maruti Suzuki,
10:08Honda, TVS,
10:09Hero, Tata, Hyundai,
10:11they're all being designed
10:12to be E20 compliant.
10:14But here's why
10:15there's a raging debate
10:16over this kind
10:17of blended fuel.
10:18Many vehicle owners
10:19have claimed
10:20their mileage
10:20has dropped substantially
10:22after switching to E20.
10:24For instance,
10:25some of the examples
10:25being shared on social media,
10:27one Volkswagen Vento,
10:29mileage plummeted
10:30from 10 kilometers per liter
10:31to just 6.3 kilometers per liter.
10:34Many compared
10:35their Hyundai fuel efficiency
10:36to a Mercedes
10:37and no,
10:38that's not a compliment
10:39in this case.
10:40But the government
10:41has refuted these claims.
10:43Listen,
10:43Nintin Nithing Gadkari.
10:4420% ethanol
10:46in the country.
10:47The only thing is that you tell the name in the car.
10:51Now, SIAM has released a statement.
10:54Everyone has already released ARN.
10:57Because of ethanol, there is no problem in any car,
11:00there is no one.
11:02And the other thing,
11:04does this country's import,
11:06which the economy of 22,000,000 crores,
11:08should be reduced?
11:09Does this production in Delhi,
11:11should be reduced?
11:14Now, there is no one that can be reduced,
11:18but don't do that.
11:21So, the government maintaining that the drop in fuel economy is minor.
11:241-2% in compatible vehicles,
11:27up to 3-6% in older ones.
11:30The government has also backed the move,
11:32reiterating how it helps farmers.
11:34From 2014 to 2015 to July 2025,
11:38ethanol blending by public sector oil firms
11:41saved 1.44 lakh crore rupees in foreign exchange,
11:46substituted 245 lakh metric tons of crude,
11:49and cut CO2 emissions,
11:51equal to planting 30 crore trees.
11:54At 20% blending,
11:55farmer payments this year alone,
11:57could reach 40,000 crores,
11:59and forex savings of 43,000 crores.
12:02The government has also highlighted our country,
12:04like Brazil,
12:05has successfully run on E27,
12:06so 27% blended fuel for years.
12:09And that India's vehicle technology,
12:11service networks,
12:12and supply chains have been prepped,
12:14prepared for the E20 shift since 2021.
12:17Filmmaker Karan Johar has approached the Delhi High Court,
12:24seeking protection of his personality,
12:26and publicity rights,
12:28at a time when misuse of celebrity images and names,
12:30for commercial purposes,
12:32is rising on digital platforms.
12:34And interestingly,
12:35he isn't the only celebrity who's done this.
12:37His plea follows a judgment,
12:39that granted Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,
12:41an injunction against similar,
12:43AI-driven misuse of their identities.
12:46But what exactly are personality rights?
12:48And why are celebrities moving court for this?
12:51Well, these rights refer to an individual's ability
12:53to protect, control, and profit from their name,
12:56image, likeness, or even their voice.
12:58For celebrities,
12:59these rights are vital,
13:01because misuse in ads or merchandise,
13:03can actually harm their reputation,
13:05and allow companies to profit from their fame.
13:08Karan Johar, for example,
13:09urged the court to pass an order,
13:11directing certain websites and platforms,
13:13not to illegally sell merchandise.
13:15Mugs, t-shirts, the likes,
13:17all bearing his name and image.
13:19He filed the suit,
13:20claiming various entities,
13:21have been using his name and persona,
13:23without his consent for monetary gains.
13:26Aishwarya Rai,
13:27has been a frequent victim,
13:28of morphed images and false endorsements online.
13:31She also moved the Delhi High Court.
13:33The court has protected the personality rights,
13:35of Aishwarya Rai,
13:36barring online platforms,
13:38from illegally using her name.
13:40Now, the reason celebrities are going to court,
13:42is because in India,
13:43personality rights,
13:44don't have a standalone statute,
13:46but they're protected through,
13:47a mix of constitutional,
13:49and statutory provisions.
13:50The constitution's article 21,
13:52safeguards the right to life,
13:54and personal liberty,
13:55which courts have interpreted,
13:57to include privacy,
13:58as well as publicity rights.
14:00So what this means,
14:01is that a celebrity,
14:02or for that matter,
14:03any one of us,
14:04can object,
14:05if our image,
14:06name, or likeness,
14:07is exploited without consent.
14:09There's also,
14:10the Copyright Act of 1957,
14:11which grants,
14:12moral rights,
14:13to authors,
14:14and performers,
14:15so they can demand credit,
14:16for their work,
14:17and stop others,
14:18from distorting it.
14:19Over time,
14:20Indian courts,
14:21have reinforced,
14:22these protections.
14:23In the,
14:24versus Network Solutions,
14:25case of 2011,
14:26the Delhi High Court,
14:27held that a person's name,
14:28if popular,
14:29is more than just,
14:30an identifier.
14:31It becomes,
14:32a valuable attribute,
14:33linked to their reputation,
14:34offline,
14:35and online.
14:36These rights,
14:37also prevent,
14:38the unauthorized use,
14:39of deep fake videos,
14:40AI generated voices,
14:42or made up images.
14:43So cases,
14:44like Karan Johar's,
14:45highlight,
14:46the growing need,
14:47for stronger safeguards,
14:48in the digital era.
14:49Several,
14:50Bollywood celebrities,
14:51have moved,
14:52quotes recently,
14:53to protect,
14:54their identity.
14:55In 2023,
14:56Anil Kapoor,
14:57moved quotes,
14:58seeking protection,
14:59from misuse,
15:00of his iconic,
15:01catch phrases,
15:02like,
15:03and unauthorized,
15:04use of his name,
15:05voice and image.
15:06Then there was,
15:07Jackie Shroff,
15:08in May 2024,
15:09who moved,
15:10the Delhi High Court,
15:11to stop the misuse,
15:12of his name,
15:13voice, images,
15:14and his signature,
15:15face of Bidu.
15:16Big B,
15:17as in the past,
15:18fought against,
15:19the unauthorized use,
15:20of his voice and face,
15:21especially in ads,
15:22every week,
15:24we hear of celebrities,
15:25across India,
15:26being summoned,
15:27by the enforcement directorate,
15:28in an illegal,
15:29betting app case.
15:30The latest,
15:31summon,
15:32was of actor,
15:33Mimi Chakrabarti,
15:34and Urvashi Rotella,
15:35on September 15th,
15:36and 16th.
15:37Previously too,
15:38you've had celebrities,
15:39like Vijay Devrakonda,
15:40Prakash Raj,
15:41Rana Dagobati,
15:42and many,
15:43many more,
15:44over betting apps,
15:45A23,
15:46Jeetwin,
15:47Parimatch,
15:48Lotus 365.
15:49Indian creator,
15:50Suresh Reina,
15:51Shikar Dhawan,
15:52also appeared,
15:53before the ED,
15:54under these,
15:55alleged illegal,
15:56betting apps,
15:57and the investigation,
15:58into this.
15:59Now,
16:00what are,
16:01online betting apps?
16:02Well,
16:03they're essentially,
16:04digital platforms,
16:05that allow users,
16:06to place bets,
16:07or gamble,
16:08on various events,
16:09games,
16:10or outcomes,
16:11using real,
16:12betting apps,
16:13are being banned,
16:14in India,
16:15because they promote,
16:16betting,
16:17which is illegal,
16:18under the,
16:19Public Gambling Act,
16:20of 1867.
16:21Money apps,
16:22also move money,
16:23outside India,
16:24without proper regulations,
16:25and that's,
16:26strictly unlawful activity,
16:27in India.
16:28It's also considered,
16:29quite risky,
16:30because a lot of users,
16:31could also lose,
16:32all of their money,
16:33in these apps.
16:34The promotional regulation,
16:35of online gaming bill,
16:362025,
16:37was introduced,
16:38in the Lok Sabha,
16:39on August 20th,
16:402025.
16:41It was brought in,
16:42to prohibit,
16:43online money games,
16:44and promote them,
16:45and regulate,
16:46certain other,
16:47online games.
16:48And it was passed,
16:49in parliament.
16:50I rise to move,
16:51that the promotion,
16:52and regulation,
16:53of online gaming bill,
16:542025,
16:55be taken into consideration.
16:56Online money games,
16:57which,
16:58in the world,
16:59has become,
17:00a big pride.
17:01As you said,
17:02in the RMB,
17:03there are,
17:04some families,
17:05and some people,
17:06that,
17:07because of online,
17:08money games,
17:09addiction,
17:10financial losses.
17:12Manavar Adyakshi,
17:13some families,
17:14have been destroyed,
17:15extreme cases,
17:17and suicide,
17:18even though,
17:19the government,
17:20wants to promote,
17:21two segments,
17:22to promote,
17:23e-sports,
17:24and online social gaming.
17:28An estimated,
17:3245 crore people,
17:33lose around,
17:3420,000 crore rupees,
17:35every year,
17:36playing online games,
17:37including,
17:38gambling,
17:39and betting games.
17:40This online,
17:41betting racket,
17:42is reportedly,
17:43worth,
17:44a whopping,
17:458.3 lakh crore rupees.
17:46Imagine that.
17:47And reportedly,
17:48it's even growing,
17:49at 30% annually.
17:51But if there's,
17:52an existing act,
17:53why was a new bill,
17:54introduced by the government?
17:55Because of companies,
17:56constantly exploiting,
17:57a grey area.
17:59Before the,
18:00online gaming bill,
18:01of 2025,
18:02in India,
18:03games of skill,
18:04which is poker,
18:05or fantasy sports,
18:06were frequently permitted.
18:07Versus,
18:08games of chance,
18:09which is luck,
18:10roulette,
18:11slots,
18:12that's forbidden.
18:13Apps frequently claimed,
18:14that they offered,
18:15skill based games,
18:16which was dubious,
18:17and so they'd get away,
18:18with it.
18:19The other challenge,
18:20has been that,
18:21numerous betting applications,
18:22are registered in nations,
18:23where,
18:24gambling is legal.
18:25They avoid having,
18:26physical offices,
18:27in nations,
18:28where gambling is prohibited,
18:29like India,
18:30and instead,
18:31conduct business,
18:32through websites,
18:33or applications.
18:34They frequently,
18:35make use of payment gateways,
18:36that mask,
18:37the type of transaction.
18:38These issues,
18:39coupled with,
18:40weak enforcement,
18:41led to a vast number,
18:42of apps,
18:43being made available,
18:44in India.
18:45So if authorities,
18:46fail to crack down,
18:47on illegal betting apps,
18:48why are celebrities,
18:49being pulled up?
18:50Well first,
18:51because simply as I put it,
18:52online gambling,
18:53is forbidden.
18:54And these celebrities,
18:55with large fan bases,
18:56can influence youth,
18:57to actually go ahead,
18:58and download,
18:59these illegal apps.
19:00Now one celebrity,
19:01who was also questioned,
19:02by ED,
19:03was actor,
19:04Vijay Devrakonda,
19:05who argued,
19:06that he was actually,
19:07advocating for a gaming app,
19:08not a betting app.
19:09It is not a betting app,
19:11the investigation of betting,
19:12but we would have to draw,
19:14to be able to verify,
19:15the investigation of our accounts,
19:16because of that,
19:17I'm not going to get used.
19:18But,
19:19I'm an accounting company,
19:20I'm going to get a verification of the,
19:22and I'm going to give you,
19:23I'm going to give them a distinction,
19:24in my case of gaming,
19:25the endorsement.
19:26The gaming app,
19:27is not a betting app,
19:28it's not a bit on them.
19:30The gaming app,
19:31is completely legal,
19:33recognized by the government,
19:36but this is a larger investigation which is why the likes of devrakonda were also summoned
19:50the question of where the revenue for these celebrities come from is being looked into as
19:55well the ed is looking into whether these apps are paying celebs from proceeds of crime because very
20:01often these apps are also laundering fronts with the enforcement directorate cracking down on
20:07betting apps this hopefully will pave the way for a much-needed cleanup that's all we have time for
20:13in this edition of india today explains thanks very much for tuning in i'll see you same time next week
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