Daily Briefing: Maternal deaths expose severe healthcare gaps in Madhya Pradesh

On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition. 👇

🚨 Big Story

Overwhelmed, understaffed, underequipped

An investigation by The Indian Express has laid bare the deadly state of maternal healthcare in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district, where childbirth itself has become a life-threatening ordeal for many women. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 53 women died before, during or after delivery, pushing the district’s maternal mortality ratio to 211 — far above the national average of 87. The probe found that repeated warnings by health officials failed to improve crumbling infrastructure and emergency care. Women reportedly died due to severe anaemia, infections, excessive bleeding and delays in treatment, with many losing their lives while being shifted between hospitals because of a lack of blood, ambulances and specialist doctors. The district hospital was found severely understaffed, while health centres lacked basic medicines, blood storage and trained staff.

Race against time and death

A haunting follow-up investigation into Madhya Pradesh’s maternal healthcare crisis captures the desperation of families who watched women die while searching for blood, ambulances and emergency care. Speaking to relatives of 20 of the 53 women who died in Sidhi district over a year, the report reveals a healthcare system stretched to collapse — where pregnant women were repeatedly shifted between overcrowded hospitals, some dying on the way to Rewa Medical College nearly 70 km away. One woman reportedly died in her husband’s arms during an ambulance transfer, while another could not survive because blood was not arranged in time. The investigation found that severe anaemia, infections, excessive bleeding and delayed treatment were among the leading causes, compounded by understaffed hospitals, equipment shortages and poor healthcare access in remote tribal areas. 

⚡ Only in Express

Political analyst Yogendra Yadav argues that the viral Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is not a mere internet joke, but a significant “moment” reflecting deep public frustration, anxiety, and alienation, particularly among India’s youth. Yadav links the CJP to historical protests like the 1970s Bihar movement and the 2012 Anna Hazare movement, which rose against dominant governments. By using memes and satire, the CJP employs “dilemma action”—a strategy that forces the government to look either weak if ignored or authoritarian if suppressed. While Yadav cautions that online virality lacks the organisational structure and leadership needed for true political power, he warns traditional opposition parties not to dismiss it. Ultimately, the CJP signals a widespread dissatisfaction with the current political establishment, highlighting a growing demand for a new form of solidarity rooted in shared vulnerability during challenging times.

📰 From the Front Page

Visa upselling: An investigation by The Indian Express and Lighthouse Reports has put VFS Global centres in Delhi and Mumbai under scrutiny over the alleged aggressive sale of “value-added services” such as premium lounges, courier delivery and SMS alerts. Based on nearly 150 inspection reports from 20 EU countries, the probe flagged concerns ranging from misleading fee practices and poor document handling to IT lapses and insecure biometric data storage. Applicants claimed staff often implied that paying extra could improve visa processing or approval chances, despite VFS maintaining that the services are optional and unrelated to decisions. Former employees also alleged sales targets tied to premium add-ons. The reports further highlighted fake appointment slots, forged employment documents and “visa shopping”. VFS denied wrongdoing, saying its services are transparent, government-approved and regularly audited.

OSM row: Amid growing criticism over Class 12 board results, CBSE’s new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system has sparked fresh concerns among students and parents over evaluation discrepancies and unexpectedly low scores. Introduced in 2026, the digital system replaced manual checking with scanned answer sheets evaluated online by teachers through a secure portal. While CBSE said the reform was aimed at improving transparency, standardisation and faster result processing, complaints emerged over blurred scans, missing pages and strict stepwise marking. The controversy intensified after the Class 12 pass percentage dropped from 88.39% in 2025 to 85.20% in 2026. CBSE, however, maintained that the system underwent extensive testing and training before rollout and was designed to make evaluation more accountable.

📌 Must Read

Siddaramaiah out, Shivakumar in: Siddaramaiah, who will turn 80 by the time Karnataka goes to Assembly polls has stepped down as Chief Minister on May 29, 2o26. Siddaramaiah’s exit was not driven by a sudden loss of authority but by a growing realisation within the Congress leadership that the transition could not be delayed indefinitely. Having steered the government through the first half of its term, Siddaramaiah had fulfilled his role. For Shivakumar, this was a moment long in the making. After accepting the deputy chief minister’s post in 2023 despite his own ambitions, he remained patient while continuing to command the party organisation in the state.

Next big reset: The BJP’s recent appointment of new state presidents may be about more than just organisational housekeeping. These changes are being read within the party as a sign of a broader reshuffle, one that may extend from the organisation to the Union Cabinet itself. With the election of a new national president, Nitin Nabin, the BJP is in the process of building a fresh organisational team. New state chiefs in key units are part of that exercise. Party insiders believe these appointments are helping clear the decks for the next round of decisions, including appointments to Rajya Sabha seats, gubernatorial positions, party posts and potentially ministerial berths.

⏳ And Finally…

MI’s reckoning on Hardik Pandya

After a disastrous season in which Mumbai Indians won only four of their 14 matches, Hardik Pandya could lose the team’s captaincy, the Indian Express has learnt. Data-backed recommendations, the management felt, were not always being followed. Following MI’s final league game, the coaching staff reportedly delivered a blunt message to senior players: be “coachable”. Hardik’s relationship with the MI terraces has always been complicated. Originally an MI find, he was released by the franchise in 2022, went to Gujarat Titans, won the IPL as captain, and returned to MI in 2024 to replace Rohit Sharma. This happened days after Rohit had led India to the 50-over World Cup final. The 2026 season may prove to be the end of a turbulent captaincy chapter for Hardik Pandya. 

🎧Lastly, don’t forget to tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss the Delhi Gymkhana Club eviction row, the worsening drinking water crisis in Riwa village near Raipur and the collapse of Byju’s, after founder Byju Raveendran was sentenced to six months in jail by a Singapore court over non-compliance with disclosure orders.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, 

Anupama and Richa