Dear Express Explained reader, The extraordinary, still unfolding controversy over girls wearing the Islamic headscarf or hijab to class in Karnataka involves a range of questions including the students' right to freedom of religion, the right to education, and the right to equality. The Karnataka government has invoked a state law to validate the decisions taken by the educational institutions, saying clothes that disturb public law and order should not be worn. The matter comes up before the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday; meanwhile, read Apurva Vishwanath's summing-up of the constitutional and legal issues involved in this case, and how courts have ruled on these and similar questions in the past. We wrote a number of explainers this week around news stories involving international and strategic affairs, which directly or indirectly impact India. Shubhajit Roy wrote on the crisis involving Russia and the West over Ukraine that has led to the biggest military build-up in Europe in decades, and where India stands in this face-off; the old friendship between Pakistan and China which became the subject of some needless political point-scoring in India; and on India's deep and strategic ties with Oman, whose top defence official was in New Delhi early this month. On the occasion of the completion of 30 years of India-Israel ties, Nirupama Subramanian traced the trajectory of the relationship between the two countries, which has evolved from India's carefully calibrated balancing of Israel and the Palestinians to, in recent years, a robust friendship and significant economic and military cooperation. Nirupama also wrote a fascinating piece on Masood Khan, whom Pakistan has designated as its new ambassador in Washington DC, but on whom the Biden administration does not appear too keen. This was Budget week, and even though you may have read some commentary on the Finance Minister's speech already, I would like to flag to you Udit Misra's analysis of the big questions that the Budget raised, and its vision for addressing them, and a short summary of the Economic Survey by Pranav Mukul and Sunny Verma. Stay safe and stay aware. Do subscribe to The Indian Express online for the best of our explainers. Sincerely, Monojit (monojit.majumdar@expressindia.com) If you received this newsletter as a forward, you can subscribe to it here | Do read our Explained articles here | 
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