Dear Express Explained reader, India has acknowledged that a "technical malfunction" had resulted in an "accidental firing" of a missile this week that landed deep inside Pakistan. The missile was unarmed, and caused no damage; still it is extraordinary that an event such as this should occur at all. What is the protocol that is followed when India and Pakistan carry out missile tests? What happened here, and what questions does a misfiring missile raise? Krishn Kaushik spoke to experts and put together an explainer addressing some of these issues. Today is the 18th day of Russia's war in Ukraine, and soldiers are fighting street battles in the suburbs of Kyiv. Russian missiles and artillery are bombarding Ukrainian cities and towns, and it is now increasingly clear that President Vladimir Putin intends to inflict a brutal punishment that would utterly destroy the country and make its recovery long, painful, and very costly, irrespective of the ultimate outcome of the war and his own future. Nirupama Subramanian has been writing a daily update that sums up the military, diplomatic, and humanitarian situation in the war. Do check that out. Nirupama also wrote a very important piece on the historical and strategic relationship that Turkey has with both Russia and Ukraine, an important geopolitical reality that adds to the many aspects of this crisis with ramifications far beyond the immediate theatre of the war. All the Indian students who were stuck in the war zone are now thankfully back in the country, the government having carried out an elaborate airlifting operation to rescue them. What was it about Ukraine that so many young Indians (as well as students of other nationalities) picked the country to study? With that country now closed for the foreseeable future, what is it that Indians seeking a degree in medicine have lost? Do read Sourav Roy Barman's very informative piece. At home, the government has announced an unexpected effective reduction of cost for medical education for a large number of students - about three quarters of the 85,000-odd MBBS seats every year will now be offered at a lower, state-determined fee structure. Anonna Dutt wrote on the government's decision, whom it will benefit, and what issues it may throw up for private medical colleges. A study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has suggested that the density of tigers in the Sunderbans may have reached the carrying capacity of the mangrove forests, leading to frequent dispersals and a surge in human-wildlife conflict. Jay Mazoomdaar explained how this happened, and when it is that a tiger habitat reaches that point when it starts to look like it has more big cats than it can sustain. Stay safe and stay aware. Keep reading The Indian Express Explained. Some of our content is now behind a paywall, so if you haven't subscribed to The Indian Express yet, this may be the perfect time to do so. Click here to subscribe. 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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