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This episode of India Today Explains breaks down the anti-defection law, detailing how elected representatives can face disqualification for switching parties and how the two-thirds merger exception operates during political rebellions and other big stories of the week.
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00:07Hello and welcome. You're watching India Today Explains. I'm Akshita Nantagopal and over the
00:12next 30 minutes I'll explain and break down some of the big stories of the week. We'll focus first
00:17on the big TMCE implosion. There's been a lot of talk about the anti-defection law and whether it
00:22comes into effect in this case. So I'll break that down right on top for you. POK this week has
00:28seen
00:28a protest flare-up. So we go back in time to break down the history of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
00:33and the reason for the unrest. We also talk about the big global headline moment of Xi Jinping and
00:40Kim Jong-un's meeting. Also on the show, the FIFA World Cup has begun and we'll highlight the new
00:47stadium rules including no lasers. And finally, astronauts now will be super stylish as Prada
00:54will design their suits. So we'll get you an interesting back-in-time explainer on the
00:58evolution of space suits. So let's wind up. Let's get started.
01:06Can an MLA or MP win an election on one party's ticket and then switch sides after getting elected?
01:13That's exactly the problem that India's anti-defection law was designed to tackle.
01:19And every time there's political turmoil, there are twists and turns, rebel MLA's or a government
01:24facing a numbers crisis, this law suddenly becomes the centre of attention. So let's break it down for
01:30you. What is the anti-defection law? And when was it brought in? This law actually has its roots in
01:39one of Indian politics' most famous phrases. You may have heard it. Aya Ram Gaya Ram. What is this about?
01:46In 1967, Haryana MLA, Gaya Lal reportedly changed parties three times in a single day. As political
01:55defections became increasingly common, concerns grew that governments could be toppled through
02:01inducements, through pressure or political bargaining. And so to curb this, Parliament introduced
02:07the anti-defection law. This was in 1985 through the 10th schedule of the Constitution. The objective
02:14was simple. Stop elected representatives from switching sides after voters had already given
02:20them a mandate. The law lays down three situations where an MLA or MP can lose their seat. One, if
02:29they
02:29voluntarily give up membership of the political party. Second, if they vote against the party whip or even
02:36abstain from voting, despite directions issued by the party. Third, if they join another political
02:42party. But here's the interesting bit. And this is what's constantly used, by the way. A legislator
02:48doesn't always have to submit a formal resignation letter to be seen as having left a party. The
02:53Supreme Court has ruled that a member's conduct can be enough. Publicly backing rival parties,
03:00attending opposition rallies or repeatedly engaging in anti-party activities. All of that can be
03:05interpreted as voluntarily giving up membership. In other words, actions can sometimes matter more
03:11than paperwork. But who decides? The decision is taken by the Speaker or Chairman of the House after
03:19receiving a petition seeking disqualification. Originally, the law tried to make the presiding
03:24officer's decision final. But the Supreme Court later ruled that these decisions can be challenged and
03:29reviewed by the courts. Is there an exception? Yes. And it's one of the most debated parts of the law.
03:36A legislator will not be disqualified if the original political party merges with another
03:44political party. But there's a condition here. And note this carefully. At least two-thirds of the
03:51members of that legislative party must agree to the merger. Then it stands. That's why whenever
03:57there's a rebellion within a party, political observers obsess over one number. Have they managed to reach the
04:03two-thirds mark or not? So that they don't attract the anti-defection law? For example, in the case of
04:08TMC,
04:09since what's happening right now is making headlines, the party has 28 MPs in Parliament. And at least 19
04:16would be needed to meet the two-thirds threshold. But remember, I'm talking about a merger. Not just a
04:22rebellion, but a merger with another political party. Anything less than 19 could expose rebel lawmakers
04:27to disqualification proceedings. So they're immune here, but they haven't spoken of a merger just yet.
04:32This provision became especially prominent during the political crisis in Maharashtra in 2022.
04:38And courtesy that, a term was coined, the Maharashtra model. This was a term that emerged after the
04:45rebellion led by Eknat Shinde within the Shiv Sena. Shinde and a large group of MLAs crossed that crucial
04:51two-thirds mark, allowing them to argue that they represented the legitimate legislature party
04:57and helping them avoid disqualification under the merger provisions of the anti-defection law.
05:02Since then, whenever speculation emerges about a possible split within a political party,
05:08commentators often ask whether rebels can replicate the Maharashtra model. In other words,
05:14whether they can gather enough legislators to reach that two-thirds threshold.
05:17The key point is that a small rebellion may trigger disqualification proceedings. A large enough
05:23rebellion can potentially claim protection under the law's merger exception.
05:29So why does the law often make headlines? Because while it explains who can be disqualified,
05:35it doesn't clearly say how quickly a decision must be taken. This will fix deadlines for the speaker
05:40to decide defection cases. Critics argue that this creates a major loophole. In several instances,
05:46legislators accused of switching sides have continued as MLAs or MPs for months,
05:52while disqualification petitions remained pending. Courts have repeatedly expressed concern over such delays,
05:59with some constitutional experts calling for a time-bound decision-making process.
06:04This law has triggered a huge debate. You've got supporters arguing that the law prevents horse trading,
06:09discourages opportunistic defections, and helps keep elected governments stable.
06:15Critics of the law say that it has an unintended consequence, that instead of encouraging independent lawmakers,
06:22it often compels legislators to vote exactly as the party leadership directs, that if a whip is issued,
06:29you follow it. As a result, MPs and MLAs may have less freedom to vote according to their own judgment,
06:35or even the wishes of their own constituents. Several experts have suggested that the anti-defection law
06:40should apply only to crucial votes that determine whether a government survives, such as confident motions,
06:45budget votes. The anti-defection law was created to stop the politics of, like I said,
06:51Aya Ram Gaya Ram, and bring stability to India's democracy. Four decades on, the debate continues.
06:58Whether it's a rebellion in a state assembly, or speculation about a split in parliament,
07:02the same question keeps coming back. Can rebels reach the two-third mark? Because under India's
07:07anti-defection law, that number can make that difference between disqualification and survival.
07:32P.O.K. is on the edge again. Security forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir killed at least 27 people,
07:39even as they did everything possible to foil a protest.
07:44Rawalcoat, Muzaffarabad, Merpur. These towns in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been rocked by unrest,
07:51by detentions and killings that have challenged Islamabad's authority in the region.
07:56The tensions over governance, inflation, political representation and allegations of state repression.
08:06Tensions between India and Pakistan are rising after the Pahalgaam terror attack.
08:11The P.O.K., Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, is in the limelight once again,
08:15as demands are on the rise to reclaim P.O.K. by India.
08:19So, P.O.K. is a part of UT, Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in India,
08:25illegally occupied by Pakistan.
08:27Let's run you through the history of this region.
08:30Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is comprised of Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Mirpur and Girgit-Baltistan.
08:37Let's begin from the very beginning, the independence of India in 1947,
08:41when Jammu and Kashmir was actually the largest among the 562 princely states,
08:46spanning an area of 218,779 square kilometers.
08:53Now, as per the Indian Independence Act of 1947,
08:56the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, was given the option,
08:59either to join Pakistan or to join India during the partition.
09:03But the Maharaja agreed to have a standstill agreement with both India and Pakistan
09:08to postpone making a decision.
09:10However, only the state signed this agreement with Pakistan.
09:14The Indian government refused to sign any standstill agreement.
09:18Maharaja Hari Singh was facing regular intervention in Pooch district
09:22and lost control in several western districts
09:24because you had these provinces being attacked by Pakistan's tribal militia groups.
09:30This happened on October 22, 1947 and that's when it started.
09:34Thousands of Pashtun tribesmen, also called Kabali tribes,
09:37backed by the Pakistani army, invaded Jammu and Kashmir,
09:42capturing key towns and inflicting brutalities on common civilians,
09:46burning down villages completely.
09:48The local tribal groups and Pakistani forces tried to capture the capital city of Srinagar as well,
09:54but was stalled after reaching Baramullah.
09:56So the Maharaja panicked, made a plea to Indian government for help.
10:00And India was very clear, we sent a clear message,
10:03if you want our soldiers, you have to be a part of our country.
10:05And so offered assistance subject to signing the instrument of accession to India.
10:11This essentially led to the first Indo-Pak war.
10:14The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir joined the Indian Union on 26th October, 1947.
10:21Now following the war between India and Pakistan,
10:23the United Nations intervened, establishing the UNCIP,
10:28which is United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan.
10:31The idea of setting up this commission was to investigate and mediate, as they put it.
10:36The UN Security Council also passed a resolution, Resolution 47,
10:40which called for the withdrawal of Pakistani forces from Kashmir.
10:44Pakistan never actually lived up to that,
10:47despite claiming to agree to some of provisions of that resolution.
10:51Later, the Karachi Agreement of 1949, mediated by the UN,
10:56established the ceasefire line, which is now known as the Line of Control, the LOC,
11:00effectively dividing Kashmir, occupied by Pakistan, from India.
11:05And that area is called Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
11:09It has a Muslim-majority population right now.
11:12So other than Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,
11:15let's just break down the division for you of Jawan Kashmir.
11:18In 1963, you had the Shaksgam Valley region located in POK being captured by China
11:24under a boundary agreement with Pakistan, known as the Sino Park Agreement.
11:29The Aksaichin area is also among other areas part of Ladakh, stands occupied by China.
11:35The Shaksgam Valley region and Aksaichin are together also known as
11:39China-occupied Kashmir or COK, besides POK.
11:43India, of course, still has most of Jammu and Kashmir.
11:47An area of 1,06,566 square kilometers is part of Indian soil.
11:53POK is much smaller at 72,935 square kilometers land that's illegally occupied by Pakistan.
12:00Shaksgam area covers about 5,180 square kilometers.
12:05Then you have Aksaichin at about 37,555 square kilometers,
12:09those two under Chinese control.
12:11And that's why India's vowed to get back POK,
12:14to free the people of POK from the shackles of Pakistan.
12:26Protests also have raged on for decades against the Pakistan army in Girgit, Pakistan and other parts of POK.
12:32Residents, locals have repeatedly voiced the opposition to the illegal occupation of their land.
12:50After a gap of seven years, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Pyongyang for a high-profile summit
12:55with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
12:58On the surface, it looked like a celebration of traditional friendship.
13:01But beneath the red carpets, the military parades and the symbolic gestures lies a much bigger geopolitical story involving China,
13:10North Korea, Russia, the United States, Taiwan and the future balance of power in East Asia.
13:17Xi's trip was his first visit to North Korea since 2019 and the first China-North Korea summit in Pyongyang
13:24in seven years.
13:25The visit came as both countries marked the 65th anniversary of the Friendship Treaty.
13:30And during the summit, the two leaders pledged to deepen cooperation in trade, agriculture, technology, culture and security affairs
13:38while promising closer strategic communication.
13:41The elaborate welcome, military honours and public displays of friendship were meant to send a message.
13:47That despite global tensions and shifting alliances, Beijing and Pyongyang remain close partners.
13:54The biggest reason behind Xi's visit is China's concern that North Korea has been moving increasingly closer to Russia.
14:02Over the past few years, Kim Jong-un has built a strong relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
14:08Military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has expanded significantly, especially since the Ukraine conflict.
14:14Beijing fears that if North Korea becomes too dependent on Russia, China could lose influence over one of its most
14:21important strategic neighbours.
14:23By personally visiting Pyongyang, Xi is reminding Kim that China remains North Korea's most important economic partner and diplomatic shield.
14:33For Beijing, North Korea is more than just a neighbour.
14:36It acts as a buffer state between China and US-allied countries such as North Korea and Japan.
14:42A friendly regime in Pyongyang helps keep American military influence away from China's borders.
14:49If North Korea were to collapse or become closely aligned with Washington, China would see it as a major security
14:56setback.
14:56And this explains why China continues backing, supporting North Korea despite international criticism of its missile and nuclear programmes.
15:05One of the most striking aspects of the summit was what was not discussed publicly.
15:11Neither side emphasised North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
15:15And previous diplomatic engagements often focused on denuclearisation.
15:19This time that changed.
15:20Official statements focused and concentrated on friendship, on economic cooperation, on regional stability.
15:26And so this is being seen as evidence that China may be prioritising strategic stability over pushing Pyongyang toward nuclear
15:34concessions.
15:36What about America?
15:37What does this mean?
15:38Not just for America, but for Japan and South Korea as well.
15:42This omission is significant because North Korea continues to expand its nuclear capabilities.
15:47Another key outcome was North Korea's support for China's one-China position regarding Taiwan.
15:53And tensions are rising across the Taiwan Strait.
15:56In such a time, Beijing is seeking diplomatic backing from friendly nations.
16:01Kim Jong-un's endorsement strengthens China's narrative that Taiwan is an internal Chinese matter.
16:08In return, Beijing is expected to continue offering political and economic support to Pyongyang.
16:14This shows how the summit was not only about Korea, but has huge, broad regional power politics at play.
16:21Washington has been strengthening security cooperation with South Korea and Japan in response to China's rise and North Korea's missile
16:28programme.
16:29The Xi-Kim summit can be seen as a counter-message to this growing US-led alignment.
16:34By publicly demonstrating unity and friendship, Beijing and Pyongyang are signalling that they too are coordinating more closely amid increasing
16:43geopolitical competition.
16:45And this could further deepen the emerging division between the two camps in East Asia.
16:56The Xi-Kim summit was not merely a ceremonial meeting between two socialist neighbours.
17:02It was a strategic move by China to reassert influence over North Korea, counter Russia's growing role, strengthen its regional
17:09position against the United States and secure support on issues like Taiwan.
17:13For North Korea, it gains economic assistance, diplomatic backing, greater leverage in dealing with the outside world.
17:20And so the biggest takeaway that this relationship is entering a new face and its impact will be felt far
17:26beyond the Korean peninsula.
17:36A laser pointer, a device small enough to fit in your pocket.
17:40But according to FIFA, it can influence a football match, endanger safety and even become a criminal offence.
17:46That's why laser pointers are among the items banned from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
17:52And the reason goes back to one of the most controversial moments in recent football history.
18:00Take this back to March 2022.
18:02Egypt versus Senegal.
18:04A place at the FIFA World Cup was on the line.
18:06As Egyptian star Mohamed Salah stepped up to take a crucial penalty in the shootout, green laser beams from the
18:14crowd were directed at his face.
18:16And so Salah missed, Egypt lost.
18:18Those images went viral around the world.
18:21Egypt later complained to FIFA, arguing that players had been subjected to intimidation throughout the match.
18:27Whether the lasers changed the outcome or not remains a matter of debate.
18:30But the incident became one of football's most famous examples of fan interference.
18:38For FIFA, therefore, the issue is simple.
18:41Football matches should be decided by skill, tactics, performance, not by distractions from the stands.
18:47A laser pointed at a player taking a penalty, a free kick or even a goal kick can affect concentration
18:54at a crucial moment.
18:55And that's why laser pointers and laser emitting devices have been placed on FIFA's prohibited items list for the 2026
19:03World Cup.
19:06But this concern goes beyond the pitch.
19:09Ahead of the tournament, FBI Director Kash Patel also issued a warning about laser strikes.
19:15According to the FBI, more than 11,000 complaints involving laser strikes were recorded in 2025.
19:21And the agency has said that these laser strikes are especially dangerous.
19:25They're aimed at aircraft, helicopters because they can temporarily impair a pilot's vision.
19:31The FBI has investigated multiple cases involving lasers being pointed at law enforcement and government aircraft.
19:38Message is clear.
19:39Laser strikes are a federal crime and can result in prison time and hefty fines.
19:47And lasers aren't the only items being banned.
19:50FIFA has also prohibited boobuzelas, air horns, whistles and other devices that can create excessive noise or disrupt matches.
19:58And so fans carrying prohibited items can be denied entry to stadiums.
20:02They can even be removed from the venues.
20:04The objective is to ensure safety, maintain a controlled environment during the tournament.
20:11The 2026 edition is the largest World Cup in history.
20:15For the first time, 48 teams are competing across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
20:20And millions are attending these matches.
20:23So organizers are preparing for unprecedented crowds and stricter security measures.
20:31So a laser pointer may look harmless, but after controversies like the Egypt-Senegal playoff and thousands of laser-related
20:38complaints reported by U.S. authorities,
20:40FIFA isn't taking any chances.
20:43Very clearly FIFA saying, leave the laser at home.
20:46We want matches to be decided by what happens on the pitch.
20:54Your office today is 400 kilometers above Earth and your dress code needs to survive a vacuum, radiation, temperatures that
21:02can kill you in seconds.
21:04That's a job description of a spacesuit.
21:06Let's take a liftoff journey from rubber suits all the way to a Prada leap.
21:12We go back to the 1930s with a tire company.
21:15A half-blind, one-eyed Texas aviator named Wiley Post was obsessed with flying higher than any human ever had.
21:23He succeeded in making the world's first pressure suit.
21:26Wiley Post wore it to reach the stratosphere in his Lockheed Vega, Winnie Mae.
21:32The aircraft didn't have a pressurized cabin, so he wore a pressure suit instead and a helmet designed for him
21:37by the B.F. Goodrich Company.
21:39The same company used to make rubber tires for cars.
21:42But the struggle was that when inflated, you couldn't bend your elbows or flex your knees.
21:49So essentially, you're just standing straight.
21:51His ground crew had to physically pick him up, lower him into a cockpit like a piece of furniture for
21:56every single flight.
21:58Even that barely functional rubber balloon was a monumental leap forward.
22:02It was the first leap in human technology that proved the idea that we could actually wrap humans for a
22:08space journey.
22:09And from there, humans never looked back. Fast forward 30 years, everything's changed.
22:14Since rocket ships were invented, suits have come impossibly far from that rubber balloon.
22:20In 1965, astronaut Ed White stepped outside his spacecraft and became the first American to walk in space.
22:27His suit held together as he floated above the Earth at 28,000 kilometers per hour.
22:32And it remained one of the most breathtaking moments in human history.
22:36But truth be told, you could survive, yes, in those space suits, which is the most important thing.
22:42But they're not comfortable. They weren't functional either.
22:46One year after Ed White's triumph, astronaut Gene Cernan went on a spacewalk and it became a secret disaster.
22:53His wife's have fogged up. It made him completely blind.
22:56He was trying to work outside the spacecraft, yet he couldn't see his own hands.
23:00Due to anxiety, his heartbeat rose, which led him to sweat and feel dizzy.
23:06And so you get the sense of how important the space suit is.
23:10NASA clarified most of the mission data.
23:13The public didn't hear the full story for decades.
23:15And this was the moment the space program realized something fundamental about building a suit that keeps you alive in
23:21space.
23:22And so that brings us to arguably the greatest moment in the history of clothing.
23:27In 1969, NASA needed a suit for the moon.
23:30And on the wish list, it needed a liquid-cooled undergarment that pumped cold water around the astronaut's entire body.
23:37And it needed to let astronauts actually bend down, pick up rocks off the ground.
23:42After the whole fiasco, the winner was a small company in Delaware called ILC Dober,
23:48whose parent company was best known for making Playtex bras and girdles.
23:52So typically, the space suits were made by seamstresses.
23:56Every Apollo suit was built by hand, one by one.
24:00These women, most of whose names do not appear in a single history book,
24:04built the most technically demanding garment in human history.
24:07And here's the path that should make your jaw drop.
24:10NASA had actually rejected ILC Dober's first application, turn them away.
24:14So ILC Dober built a competing suit with its own money, showed up uninvited to a NASA technical demonstration.
24:21And then the third great age, the Space Shuttle era, which brought a new kind of suit.
24:26Arms, torso, legs in standard sizes clicking together.
24:30But the moment that defines this era isn't technical, it's a photograph.
24:34Astronaut Bruce McAndles floated out of the Space Shuttle with a small jetpack strapped to his back.
24:40Nothing connected him to the spacecraft, just him, the void between him and the rest of humanity.
24:47Earth hung below him like a painting and McAndles described it as peaceful.
24:53But then came lunar dust, where we explained previously how liquid nitrogen was used on a Barbie doll to get
24:58rid of lunar dust.
25:00Right now, on the International Space Station, two suits are in regular use.
25:04First, the American EMU suit takes up to 45 minutes to put on.
25:08You need a trained helper, multiple fittings.
25:10A full pre-breathing protocol is required to flush nitrogen from your blood before you step outside.
25:17Second, the Russian Orland suit opens at the back like a clamshell, ready in five minutes.
25:23But the real leap forward is NASA's newer prototype.
25:27Astronauts wearing it can kneel, bend properly at their hip, even rotate their torso.
25:31For 60 years, astronauts have been doing the most physically demanding work imaginable inside a garment that fought every movement
25:38they made.
25:40And now at the present, it's extraordinary.
25:42NASA's Artemis third mission is going back to the moon for the first time since 1972.
25:48And this time it carries history with it.
25:50Italian luxury fashion house Prada sat down with aerospace engineers.
25:54It brought something the space industry had never quite had access to before.
25:58The next time humans walk on the moon, they will carry nearly a century of innovation stitched into every layer
26:05of their suit.
26:06That's how far we've come.
26:08That's all we have time for in this edition of India Today Explains.
26:11Thanks very much for tuning in.
26:12I'll see you same time next week.
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