Sravasti Dasgupta 
From West Bengal’s Kolkata, to Maharashtra’s Badlapur to Bihar’s Muzaffarpur-across the country, women, doctors and civil society members have taken to the streets to protest against crimes against women. Amid pressure from opposition and allies, the centre has withdrawn an ad for 45 lateral entry hires for central government posts and said that in the interest of social justice, such hires must be aligned with provisions of reservations. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine. The visit was being watched closely as India attempts to strike a fine diplomatic balance, following his visit to Moscow in July when he faced criticism for hugging Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The Wire’s Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by independent journalist Smita Sharma and senior journalist Sanjay K. Jha.