5 THINGS FIRST Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram; Pak PM Imran Khan to lay foundation stone of Kartarpur corridor; Chandrababu Naidu and Rahul Gandhi's joint rally in Telangana; India v South Africa at Men's Hockey World Cupin Odisha; Afghan peace conference in Geneva

1. Voters who forced BJP, Congress to switch identity vote today The contest: Madhya Pradesh votes today to elect members for its 230-seat assembly. Results will be out on December 11. Most see it as a direct fight between the BJP (that's gunning for a fourth straight term) and the Congress (that's been out of power since 2003). While CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is leading the BJP charge, Congress has its trinity of Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia. The big issue: Agriculture employs nearly 70% of the state's workforce and that's why the campaigning has been on farmers. Madhya Pradesh has been one of India's best performers in agricultural growth that has led to a sharp increase in productivity for farmers. But that's also the biggest challenge for BJP. Bumper crops have also led to stagnating prices leaving farmers unhappy and demanding loan waivers. Death of six farmers in police firing in 2017 hasn't helped matters. The regional disparity in agriculture production (15 of 52 districts contribute over 50% of output) is another reason for farmer distress. A government scheme (Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna) that promised to make good the shortfall between price actually paid to farmers for their crops and the minimum declared by the government has been marred by a patchy implementation. No wonder Congress' big election promise is a loan waiver 'within 10 days of coming to power'. The role reversal: While Hindutva has been on BJP's agenda as much as probably any other election, the difference this time is the way Congress has embraced it to woo the Hindu voters (90% of the 5.39 crore voters) who are traditionally seen as the vote bank of the BJP. The party's manifesto promises to build a tourist circuit dedicated to Lord Ram (BJP has promised a cow ministry), open gaushalas (cowsheds), set up a department for spirituality and open new Sanskrit schools. The signs: Opinion polls haven't given a clear picture. While at least two have given Congress a majority (117 and 119 seats compared to the halfway mark of 116), some others have said BJP will come back to power (this poll gives 153 seas to BJP). Whichever way the state votes, Madhya Pradesh will have a message for 2019 polls (it has 29 Lok Sabha seats). Mizoram votes too: The three main contenders for seats in the 40-member assembly are: the ruling Congress (under CM Lal Thanhawla), the main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) and the BJP (Mizoram is the only state in north-east where BJP is not part of the government). The role reversal: In the Christian majority state, the church is not happy with Congress over its decision to lift the liquor ban and BJP is betting its chances (of playing a kingmaker) not on the majority population but on the minority (non-Mizo tribes). While in Assam, BJP was for throwing out 'outsiders', in Mizoram it's supporting the repatriation of Bru refugees, that the Mizo community consider as 'outsiders'. Check out our data hub for the two states here and here

2. GDP growth doesn't say the real story so... Economists, head of states, politicians, and even some ordinary citizens keep a close watch on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But a group of prominent economists, encouraged by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is calling for a new economic measurement that is more balanced and gives a fuller picture. Beyond GDP: In a report called "Beyond GDP: Measuring what counts for economic and social performance", a group of economists chaired by Joseph E Stiglitz (a Nobel prize winner), Jean-Paul Fitoussi and Marine Durand says GDP was never designed to be used as a proxy for economic welfare and social welfare. In other words, if you are looking for a marker for the performance of a country on economic and social welfare, GDP isn't it. Why so: GDP represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period within a country. If India produces more goods a year, its GDP increases. But more goods is not equal to better economic welfare, say the authors. Also, not all goods are good. Wrong goods: For instance, as argued by Robert Kennedy in 1968, Gross National Product (more or less the same as GDP) measures "air pollution and cigarette advertisement" — for instance, if a city produces a large number of air pollution masks, it should have a positive effect on GDP, yet it is hardly a positive step. Missed crisis & ignored mass: Another example is the Great Recession of the late aughts. Just before the economic downturn economist, based on GDP, said the economy was healthy. Also at the end of Recession, President Obama cited GDP improvement to say things were improving, although the ground reality was different. They say a 5% increase in GDP does not mean a 5% increase in economy of every household or even an average household; it is simply 5% increase in production — whether to a few people, firms or foreign entities. Short-sighted: GDP also doesn't count sustainability. Say a nation produces energy with no regard to its land, water and air or even its reserves for future, its GDP will increase. But is that "progress" sustainable? What then? A Commission headed by Stiglitz, Fitoussi and Amartya Sen had suggested to move away from GDP when measuring a country's health. The latest report says conditions such as higher economic insecurity among masses, rising inequality, global warming, sustainability, digitalisation of the economy all needs to be considered. It has some honourable mentions such as the well-being framework of Australia, living standards framework of New Zealand, happiness policy of UAE (and similar index in Bhutan) Dive deeper into the work here.

3. Crude oil crashed 30%, your petrol bill just 10% because... What: Crude oil prices have fallen 32% from the peak of $86.70 a barrel on October 3 to below $60 now. However, domestic diesel and petrol prices have fallen only 7-11% in this period. How: Oil companies determine the so-called gate prices — at which a refiner sells to fuel retailers — by factoring in international rates of fuels for the trailing fortnight, the prevailing exchange rate plus freight, insurance and some other charges. To this are added central and state taxes, as well as dealers' commission, to make the final retail price, which is published daily. Why: A partial explanation for the slower decline in domestic prices is that Indian companies take the trailing 15-day average of international rates to determine their prices, and so the sharp decline of recent days in the international market will fully reflect only after a few days. However, the difference in prices is also because of oil companies increasing their share of profits than earlier. Between October 8 and November 19, gate prices declined by 10% but the benchmark price based on international fuel and exchange rates went down 22%. Similarly, price to dealers is down just 4.5% for diesel while the benchmark rate has fallen by 11.5%. This means oil companies' gross marketing margin may have expanded by Rs 4.98 per litre for petrol and Rs 3.03 per litre for diesel. But then: Last month, the government had forced oil PSUs to absorb costs of Rs 1 per litre when the prices were rising, so this is the time to recover some of the money given away. Plus, in the last four years of free pricing, there have been many instances of companies not following the international price trend and moderating prices, especially during elections and if prices sharply rise or fall in the international market. Full story here Meanwhile, a wave of shutdowns will hit Indian state-owned refineries next year as the country prepares for cleaner, Euro VI-compliant fuels from April 2020, company officials said, in moves that could temporarily push up imports of refined fuels.

4. Why BJP wanted Sajjad Lone as J&K CM BJP's CM: J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik has said he was forced to dissolve the state assembly last week as the Centre wanted him to invite People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone (who was backed by BJP), and the other parties were supporting PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. "If I looked at Delhi, I would have had to make Sajjad Lone the CM. I would have gone down in history as a corrupt man. I ended the whole issue," he said. Lone warrior: People's Conference, Lone's party, has just two MLAs but BJP, with its 25 seats, was willing to prop him up as CM. One reason is that all of BJP's 25 MLAs come from the Jammu region and the party needs support from the Valley. Having a chief minister from the Valley would also have made it easier for the rebels from PDP to join his party or the front led by him. By propping up Lone and projecting him as a fresh face from the Valley, BJP was also seeking to counter the old guard: NC's Abdullah family and PDP's Sayeeds. Sajjad Gani Lone, son of former separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, who was assassinated in 2002, has also gone from advocating separatist politics to talking about 'achievable nationhood' for Kashmir, which works for the BJP. Slow & steady: The development was not as sudden as it seems though. Lone had started developing strong ties with the BJP even in 2014 when his party became a part of the BJP-PDP alliance. According to a report, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had tried to sideline Lone but BJP put its foot down and gave a ministerial berth to Lone from its own quota. Luckiest CM? A two-MLA party heading a government may seem surprising but there have been instances when lone independents have gone on to become chief ministers. Madhu Koda became Jharkhand CM in 2006 like Bishwanath Das of Orissa in 1971 and Dr F A Khonglam of Meghalaya followed in 2002.

NEWS IN CLUES 5. Which organisation represents 23% of the world's population? Clue 1: States with observer status include Australia, China, the EU, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea and the US. Clue 2: The eight-member body was formed on Dec. 8, 1985. Clue 3: Its current secretary-general is Pakistan's Amjad Hussain B. Sial. Scroll below for answer

6. Can a leftist and a rightist be good neighbours? Who: Worry not, this is not about you and your neighbour, rather Donald Trump and the incoming Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (or as Twitterati calls him AMLO). Obrador won the Mexican election on July 1 and will take office on December 1, that is this Saturday — the country has a transition period. Opposites: AMLO is a left-wing populist and Trump is... you know. AMLO has called for compassion towards migrants — provide them job opportunities, he says. Trump has sent the military to guard the US border with Mexico and has constantly tried to undermine the asylum process. Yet, they share a trait: Both are political outsiders who have stormed to power. Baptism of fire: Mexico's 'AMLO' Obrador will not get to enjoy a honeymoon period — soon as he takes office, Trump is likely to pressure him on the migrant caravan that has been traversing from Central American countries such as Honduras through Mexico towards the US. Trump has promised not to let what he calls "dangerous people" into America — they are largely families fleeing violence. They got guests: But Obrador's softer stance towards migrants and Trump's rhetoric against it are not complementary. Obrador cannot, realistically, say he will accept all the migrants and keep them in Mexico — the migrants have so far refused to seek asylum in Mexico and are hoping to be accepted in the US. Using force to keep them within Mexico will go against his politics, and could also break some international norms. But letting them carry on will attract the wrath of Trump. They share history: There is also the weight of history. For long, Mexico complained of poor treatment of Mexican migrants in the US. So how Mexico treats other migrants will be watched. To make matters worse, US border guards on Sunday fired tear gas at some migrants who attempted to cross into the US. Pictures of children scampering amidst tear gas have touched a chord with many" — Trump, without proof, claimed many women "grab” children to get favoured status.

7. After religious bodies, movies now offend corporate India Scientific 'temper': There's a scarcely a religious group — majority or minority — which Indian movies haven't offended, not to mention offending sensibilities of women, sexual minorities, et al. This, however, is a completely new script — Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar's multilingual starrer 2.0 has earned the ire of India's telecom companies, whose representative, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has filed a complaint against the flick with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for being unscientific (yup, you read that right, and no, the COAI wasn't high). Raw nerve: According to COAI, the movie promotes "obscurantist and anti-scientific attitudes against mobile phones, towers and mobile services", is against public interest, defames telecom companies and violates the telecom sector's constitutional rights by depicting "mobile phones and mobile towers as harmful to living creatures and the environment including birds and human beings on account of electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions from them." Ultimatum issued: The cellular operators union, which has Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Idea and Reliance Jio as it members, representing 90% of the country's telecom business, has asked for a revocation of the CBFC certificate granted to the Rs 500 crore movie. Opinion on whether cellphones and cellphone towers cause cancer is divided — while the WHO says cellphone usage increases the risk of cancer, which is supported by a study conducted by IIT Mumbai, according to the American Cancer Society, current studies to prove the link between cancers and cellphone usage are inconclusive. Read more here

8. 14 must-knows about the 14th Hockey World Cup 1: The number of times India have won the Hockey World Cup. It's been 43 years since India defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the final of the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 1: This is the first time that crossover matches will be played in a World Cup. The first-placed team in each of the four pools advances to the quarter-finals, while the bottom team is eliminated. Four crossover matches between the second and third-placed teams will be played to determine the remaining four quarterfinalists. 3: The number of times India have hosted the Hockey World Cup. While the first match of the 2018 edition kicks off in Bhubaneswar today, Mumbai and New Delhi have been hosts in 1982 and 2010, respectively. 3: It is the third World Cup appearance for goalkeeper PR Sreejesh — the eldest member of the Indian squad, aged 30. 4: The 2018 edition will be the First World Cup with the four quarters rule — each quarter is 15 minutes long. There will also be 40-second time-outs when a penalty corner is awarded and after a goal is scored. 4: Pakistan are the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won four World Cups — in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994. 4: Only four teams have featured in all 13 previous editions of the hockey World Cup — India, Germany, The Netherlands and Spain. 5: With a world ranking of 5, India is the second-highest placed team in Pool C, which also comprises Belgium (3), Canada (11) and South Africa (15). 9: India's position in the previous World Cup. The 2014 edition held in The Hague, Netherlands, was contested by 12 teams. 16: Among the 16 nations (the second time in a World Cup after 2002) in the four pools, Australia is the top-ranked team in the world while France is the lowest-ranked (20). 17: China, ranked 17th in the world, will be making their World Cup debut this year. 19: The age of India's youngest team member: Dilpreet Singh, striker. 22: The approximate age of the Indian squad, which boasts seven members from the 2016 Junior World Cup-winning side. 36: The number of matches at this year's World Cup, spread over 19 days. Check the tournament page here.

YOU SHARE YOUR B'DAY WITH... Source: Various

9. Little's not-so-little crimes Making a killing: 78-year old Samuel Little could be entitled the most prolific serial killer in US history if investigators are able to corroborate his claims of having killed 90 people, in a 'career' spanning four decades — so far, he has been linked to 30 murders dating back to 1970 based on leads given by him. Eluding justice: In what can be described as a mockery of justice, Little was arrested twice in the 1980s, only to be let off each time as the jury then had little sympathy for his victims, who happened to be prostitutes and drug addicts whom Little sexually assaulted before killing by strangulation. Also, it wasn't that Little had little criminal history — he was arrested 30 times for minor offences such as shoplifting, petty theft and battery. He was finally arrested on charges of murder in 2012 and sentenced in 2014 to life in prison. Grim record: If all of Little's claims are found to be true, his 90 murders would place him on top of the list of America's most notorious serial killers, yet he 'falls short' by a fair margin for the title of the most prolific serial killer in the world, which is Harold Shipman's, the English doctor who killed 250 — Shipman was convicted in 2000 for the murder of 15 people. Full story here

10. Why InSight's unlike other Mars missions The first image taken by NASA's InSight lander on the surface of Mars. After a 205-day journey through space, NASA's InSight lander touched down safely on Mars at 2:52 p.m. ET on Monday (1:30 am IST, Tuesday). That makes it the ninth among the currently active Mars missions: Mars Odyssey (arrived 2001) Mars Express (2003) Opportunity (2004) Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006) Curiosity (2012) ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission, Maven (2014) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (2016) While most other missions to the Red Planet have focussed on its rift valleys, volcanoes, or signs of ancient running water on the surface, NASA's latest mission will look to figure out how seismically active Mars is. InSight aims to measure the size of the planet's core and other interior layers, via 'marsquakes' — or tremors that are often produced by the same tectonic activity that crafts mountains and valleys. Over the next couple of months, it will deploy its instruments (including an exquisitely sensitive seismometer) that should detect a variety of marsquakes — how many, the frequency of occurrence, where do they occur, how big they are — produced by both the planet's own spasms as well as those resulting from meteor impacts. Then, with enough data, scientists should be able to construct Mars' alien heart. A second instrument will be deployed to take the planet's temperature, drilling deep into the surface to find out how much heat is still escaping from its core. All this will help scientists figure out how planets are put together and how they evolve. That would help us better understand our own solar system and also decipher clues about more distant planets circling other stars.

KEEPING TRACK Rafale hug: Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, in Pakistan for the ground breaking ceremony by the Pakistan PM Imran Khan of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, came under fire from the BJP for saying that his hug with Pakistan Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa, earlier this year, wasn’t a Rafale deal — terming the embrace as a cultural practice of Punjabis. Blowback: Activist Rehana Fathima, who attempted to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala after Supreme Court lifted the age-restriction on women, was arrested on Tuesday by the Kerala police. She was also suspended from her job by her employer, BSNL.

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Answer To NEWS IN CLUES South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). On Tuesday, the Pakistan foreign ministry said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be invited to Islamabad for the 19th SAARC summit. Originally planned to be held in November 2016, in Islamabad, the meet was cancelled after India backed out following the terrorist attack on an Army camp in Uri where 19 soldiers died. The announcement follows the launch of the Kartarpur Corridor, which will facilitate the visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.