We The People

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference has kicked off in Glasgow, Scotland. From October 31 till November 12, leaders from almost 200 countries will gather at this summit, aiming to strengthen the climate targets set in the Paris Agreement at COP21 in 2015. Watch this episode of 'We The People' for all this and more.

Petrol is above Rs 100-a-litre mark in all major cities, and diesel has crossed that level in more than a dozen states. While the government is reportedly in talks with oil exporting countries to keep the prices under check, the surging petrol and diesel prices are now becoming a major concern for the common man. The cascading effect of rising fuel prices can be seen in the prices of vegetables. Vegetable prices are at an all-time high in wholesale and retail markets due to crop damage because of heavy rainfall and high fuel rates. So, will the government ease the burden on the Aam Aadmi? Watch as panelists share their perspectives.

The arrest of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has once again thrown the spotlight on the drug menace in India. High-profile drug busts make for great headlines, but are we missing the forest for the trees? Drug use, especially among the youth, is a pervasive phenomenon. Does India's youth have a drug problem? Do we need to nip it at the source instead of focusing on the consumer?

Electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by electricity, not fossil fuel. EVs have little or zero tailpipe emissions and are also more stable in case of collisions. However, there are few choices. The initial investment in EVs is steep and some governments do not provide subsidies. EVs are also not suitable for cities facing shortage of power. On the other hand, the service costs of fossil fuel vehicles increase significantly over the years while the fuel efficiency tends to decrease. Recently, a Bengaluru EV owner hauled his e-scooter to the 5th floor kitchen for charging. Efforts though, are being made to make up for lack of charging points. The world's highest EV charging station was installed in Himachal Pradesh's Kaza this month. Green mobility firms have also been demanding that GST on input components be reduced. The future is electric, we ask industry experts and EV users about the challenges ahead and what India needs to do.

The clamour against NEET refuses to die down. The only single-window exam for any medical college is mainly based on CBSE curriculum. However, there is large scale variation in syllabus of CBSE and state boards. Most coaching centres are in cities, rural and socially weaker sections are unable to afford coaching classes. Many minority institutions are unable to fill their seats due to centralised counselling. There have also been instances of question paper leaks. This month, Tamil Nadu registered three NEET-related suicides in a week. A high-level committee led by former High Court judge found that NEET skewed results in favour of English-medium students and that there has been a dip in proportion of rural students post-NEET. We ask aspirants, medical students and doctors about all the issues surrounding NEET and the way ahead.

In a watershed moment for the Indian Army, in a landmark decision this week, the Supreme Court has allowed women to sit for the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance exam. What are the implications of the Supreme Court's order? Is this a big push for gender equity? Will it attract more women to the armed forces? Will women now be able to look forward to a long and ambitious career in the armed forces?

The renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week -- the project was carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India and NBCC. However, historians say the new memorial is a distortion of history of the site where British troops killed hundreds of Indians on April 13, 1919. On NDTV, we discuss whether the Jallianwala Bagh makeover is a distortion of history or a renovation.

With the devastating second wave of Covid-19 now receding, schools have already reopened in several states, at least for senior classes. Schools in most other states are scheduled to open from September 1. In this episode, we have Dr Naresh Trehan from Medanta-The Medicity and Dr Naveet Wig, chairman of the AIIMS COVID-19 task force, joining us with a panel of students and parents to discuss whether going back to school is rushed or long-overdue.

Amid a decline in fresh COVID-19 cases across India, several states have started the process of unlocking and relaxing the restrictions imposed. Is it high time we send India's children back to school too? Is it time to prioritise opening up our schools in a planned and safe manner? If we can design protocols to open malls, pools and bars without risking lives, why not schools? On the show tonight, along with students, we discuss whether it is time to learn to reopen schools with precautions in place.

As the Taliban make rapid gains in Afghanistan, women in the country are concerned about their future. As Afghan women on Twitter plead for help, on the show tonight we ask, will the Taliban roll back freedom won by women? And are Afghan women's rights on the verge of a roll back? The Taliban previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and imposed strict rules on women during that period. Along with voices from Afghanistan on the show, we are joined by Mariam Wardak from HER Afghanistan, Heather Barr from Human Rights Watch, Nishtha Satyam representing UN Women India, Lisa Curtis from the Centre for a New American Security and Aishe Ghosh from JNU's Students' Union.

For the second straight Games, women athletes continue winning medals for India as witnessed at the Tokyo Olympics. While India celebrates, it is important to put our women athletes' victories in context - in a world of sport that is largely dominated by men in India. In this episode, we celebrate our athletes who have won despite an uneven playing field. We are honored to have Bhavani Devi, the first Indian Olympic Fencer, Nisha Millet who is the first Indian swimmer to qualify for swimming in the Olympics, Nikhat Zareen, a Junior World Boxing Champion, Jyoti Ann Burrett a former Indian footballer and currently Delhi state captain along with John Gloster, Ex-Indian Cricket Team physiotherapist as well as the head physio for Rajasthan Royals, Shagun Chowdhary, the first woman to represent at the Olympics in Shotgun and Sumitra Nayak, Captain of the U-18 Women's Rugby Team on the show.

CBSE Class 12 results were declared this week and recorded a 99.37 per cent pass percentage - a huge leap from last year's 88.78 per cent. In the absence of written exams due to the ongoing pandemic, CBSE formulated a 40% + 30% + 30% formula to evaluate marks. The formula rewarded consistency, students who performed well in classes 10 and 11 stood to benefit, with over 1,50,000 students scoring above 90 per cent. This year the cut off marks for undergraduate courses are also likely to go higher, with many students scoring over 95 per cent marks in CBSE Class 12 results. On this edition of We The People, we speak to the class of 2021.

As covid cases recede, we are not asking should schools reopen? Are schools safe for children? The question needs to be - when are schools opening and how can we make our schools safe for children? With 15 months lost, how do we get India's children safely back in school and learning again?

In India, large gatherings leading to an increase in Covid cases have taken place several times. A deadly and virulent second wave tore through the country in April-May bringing the health infrastructure to its knees with massive shortages of key medicines, hospital beds and oxygen supplies. Now, after months of anxiety and being cooped up at home as Covid raged outside, Indians are wasting no time in heading outdoors. Everyone wants fresh air to recharge one's batteries. It's only human but are we throwing caution to the winds, and inviting a third wave to hit India hard? Experts warn that this violation of Covid rules can lead to grave results.

Pregnant women in India can now get vaccinated against coronavirus. Accepting the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to allow pregnant women to make an 'informed choice' on taking the vaccine, the government said that pregnant women can now register on the CoWin platform or visit any vaccination centre for their shots. But how do you make an informed decision about the risks of Covid infection during pregnancy? In this edition of We The People, we bring to you an expert panel of doctors to answer all your questions and concerns.

The coronavirus pandemic has shut schools around the world, affecting millions of students. Countries around the world have now opened schools safely, ensuring minimal risk to children. But in India, most schools continue to remain shut. For 15 months students have been out of classrooms, the longest interaction that they have had is with their computer screens and that too if they were privileged enough to have one. Now as offices, malls, bars and gyms are reopening, the focus needs to shift to re-opening classrooms. On We The People we ask students and experts the one pertinent question on all our minds: "How do we prepare to reopen schools safely?"

From June 21, India will shift to a centralised procurement and supply of Covid vaccines, which means all the three available vaccines will be free for everyone above the age of 18 years. In the last one month, many states have struggled to procure vaccines despite many of them floating global tenders. Now, the Centre will buy and give the jabs to the states free of cost. After a few months of a slowdown in its vaccination drive, India is now rebooting.

As India crosses another milestone of administering more than 25 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses, government data shows that more men are receiving the shots as compared to women in the country. A look at the gender gap in vaccination, its implications and whether policy makers are aware of this.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is going to be felt for years but the immediate impact of the second wave in India is glaring when it comes to unemployment. Just as the economy was showing signs of recovering from the pandemic's first wave, a ferocious second wave has led to India's job market plunging. A study done by the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE) says over 2 crore jobs were lost in April and May due to the second wave, and India's unemployment figures hit double digits for the month of May 2021. On We The People, we look at these numbers, as we try to understand what they mean for the common people.

Covid-linked deaths have devastated families. Apart from the physical and emotional trauma, the financial stress of large hospital bills that are not being settled by the insurance companies is difficult to deal with. There has been a sharp increase in Covid-specific insurance claims over the past year. Why are bulk of such requests declined by insurance companies?

The government on Sunday held a high-level meeting to take the final decision regarding CBSE Class 12 exams. State governments have been asked to send in their suggestions by May 25 to the Education Minister for consideration before a final decision is taken by the first of June. What are these suggestions? Can they be executed? How feasible are they?

After several bodies were found floating in the Ganga, the National Human Rights Commission issued an advisory to the centre and states, asking them to protect the dignity of the dead. The centre has now directed states to prevent the dumping of bodies into the Ganga. Where does the buck stop?

When the pandemic began last year, children were relatively less affected by the coronavirus than adults; the bigger worry used to be that they might be asymptomatic carriers who could infect older family members like grandparents, while remaining fine themselves. But now virologists have sounded the alarm over the impact of a possible third wave on children in India. What are they basing this on? Does the Covid third wave pose a bigger threat to children since they are not vaccinated? What do we need to do to prepare for this?

India's coronavirus cases and deaths hit a new record with 3.49 lakh fresh infections and 2,767 deaths in the last 24 hours. With the country's healthcare system buckling under the weight of frightening surge, doctors and frontline workers are overburdened as they try to save lives. Doctors who are used to performing under intense pressure but as the rate of coronavirus infections outstrips the capacity of the health system, they are confronting situations for which nothing in their training prepared them - the breaking point being their hospitals are running out of oxygen. On this episode of 'We The People', we want to stand with the thousands of frontline medical practitioners and health workers who face the deluge of death this pandemic and do not have the luxury of staying safe at home.

India logged a record 2,17,353 daily coronavirus cases as many states grappled with shortages of hospital beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccine doses. The past week has been a nightmare for Indians. Everyone seems to know somebody or the other who has contracted the coronavirus. Everyone has a harrowing story about trying to get treatment for themselves or a loved one. A whole year has gone by and we have not built up our health infrastructure and today the tax-paying citizen is scrambling for survival on their own. On this episode of We The People, we have no panellists, we hear from you, the people of India.

As 1.37 crore young voters in the age group of 18-29 in Tamil Nadu head to vote in the upcoming Assembly polls and nearly 3 lakh in Kerala, we ask the youth what issues they are concerned about, what are their priorities and what they want from their political leaders on this special edition of "We The People". Watch this show for all this and more.

In September 2015, then seven-month-old Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi had floated the idea of reducing the legal drinking age in the national capital. This policy has now become a reality as the Delhi government looks to increase its revenue. However, this is not just a problem for the national capital to tackle. Around 60% of India's 28 states and 8 Union Territories allow alcohol consumption from the age of 23 and below. Only five - Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli - bar all alcohol consumption until the age of 25. On this episode, we find out whether lowering the drinking age for alcohol consumption is a wise call? Watch this episode of We The People for more.

Nearly 1 billion people across the world live without clean drinking water. The water crisis affects everything - education, health, poverty, and especially women and children. India is currently facing the biggest crisis in its history. In fact, it is considered the centre of the global water and sanitation crisis. The problem is so big that our lives, livelihoods and futures hang in the balance.

After Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, now other states are also thinking of introducing quotas for locals in the private sector jobs. On We The People, we debate whether such a move would actually lead to more jobs. Will this decision adversely impact industrial growth and economic development?

This week, on a very special show, NDTV brings you stories of senior citizens from around the country who have taken the vaccine against COVID-19. We show how easy it is to get the vaccine through first-hand accounts from India's elders and pays tribute to the heroism and commitment of medical workers.

Opposing multiple pleas in various Indian courts seeking to legalise same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, the center told the Delhi High Court that a marriage in India is dependent on "age-old customs, culture and societal values". Do customs and values not change with time?

On this episode of We The People: Landmark judgement in MJ Akbar vs Priya Ramani case. But what are the implications of the verdict for reporting and prosecuting sexual harassment in the workplace in India? Does it have ramifications beyond an individual case?

Schools are beginning to reopen across India following a long gap due to the pandemic. The authorities are saying it is being done with a strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. So, is it safe to send your child to school or not? Experts help you make an informed decision.

Women, from a teenager to UK MP Claudia Webbe, to author Meena Harris, have tweeted on the level of hate and misogynistic remarks they have been getting from the Indian subcontinent after they tweeted in support of the farmers' protest. A deeper look into the issue reveals shocking trends and statistics, where women, from journalists to political leaders, are subjected to daily abuse and threats. What gives these trolls the impunity and what can be done about it? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

On this episode of We The People, a look at the mental health crisis which has become worse due the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. We discuss whether this an opportunity to transform India's mental health situation.

Does the web series Tandav becoming the first show streaming on a major over-the-top (OTT) platform to edit its content mark the government's entry into the OTT space? And what does this mean for viewers? The makers of 'Tandav' apologised and said they will edit the content after a police case was filed over hurting religious sentiments.

Kamal Hassan's party Makkal Needhi Maiam's pledge to pay housewives a monthly wage for their hard work if elected to power in Tamil Nadu has a sparked debate on the issue, with people sparring over how much the time spent doing unpaid household labour is worth and who should pay for this unpaid work. In this episode of We The People, we debate whether the time has come to recognise and pay women for their work as housewives or will this further the patriarchal notion that housework is a woman's job.

WhatsApp's latest privacy policy update has got everyone talking about the safety of their data. But WhatsApp is not alone. Is data privacy simply a myth? Is there no way we can truly protect our information? We find out on this latest episode of We The People.

Leaked documents on Twitter claim that COVID-19 vaccines are being sold at different rates in different countries. Why do some countries get better rates than the others? Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor discusses on We The People.

As 2020 draws to a close, we look at the various fallouts of the coronavirus pandemic. In the last eight months, the labour force for women has shrunk 13 percent against 2 percent for men. Why does such disparity exist? What policy decisions are required to reverse this trend? We discuss.

After months of investigation, the CBI has filed a chargesheet in the horrific case in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, where a 19-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four men. On We the People, we ask did politics deny truth in Hathras?

As the crackdown begins just a few days after Uttar Pradesh passed an ordinance making interfaith marriages difficult, on this episode of We The People, we speak to interfaith couples about their opinion on the new "hate laws" in the country that make interfaith love illegal.

After farmers, now doctors have given a nationwide call for a strike on December 11, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. They are opposing the government's move to allow future ayurvedic postgraduate students to carry out 58 surgeries independently. The Indian Medical Association has said this will legitimise "mixopathy" of medical education and practice. Will this move ensure wider healthcare access to people in a country where doctor to patient ratio is way below what the World Health Organisation recommends, or will this move cause India's fall from grace as a global leader in the medical field?

Father Stan Swamy, the 83-year-old tribal rights activist who suffers from Parkinson's disease and was arrested last month over his alleged involvement in the Bhima-Koregaon case, couldn't get a straw and sipper for around four weeks because the National Investigation Agency (NIA) didn't have them, the agency has said. Isn't this cruelty in the name of justice? We discuss.

At least five BJP-led states have talked about bringing in laws aimed at curbing the alleged trend of 'love jihad'. It is a term cited by BJP leaders, alleging conversion of Hindu women to Islam under the garb of love and marriage. However, it founds no mention in the current Indian laws. In this episode of We The People, interfaith couples take on the atmosphere of hate and speak about their experiences.

In this episode, NDTV speaks with students who are struggling to continue their education due to the impact of COVID-19. Is the digital divide in education deepening in India and what is being done about it?

On this episode, we speak with experts on how to tackle pollution. People have shared their stories of dealing with pollution that has engulfed north India yet again. The situation is worse this time because scientists have linked pollution with the possible rise of COVID-19 cases. How will India deal with this twin challenge? We discuss.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the whole country to a standstill and overwhelmed the healthcare system in the country. October is the breast cancer awareness month and we find out from doctors, patients and survivors how they dealt with breast cancer amid the pandemic.

After popular jewellery brand Tanishq had to withdraw an advertisement featuring an interfaith couple due to backlash on social media, many interfaith couples shared their stories of a happily ever after. We speak to such people, who married outside their religion, on the reality of interfaith marriages in India and how love and respect for each other's religion wins.

The fallouts of the coronavirus pandemic are being felt globally, but are some more vulnerable than others? On We The People, we look at the gendered impact of the pandemic as thousands of women drop out of the workforce. In India, the situation is precarious with the country's devastating gender gap when it comes to women in the workforce and the disparity between men and women's salary.

As cases of crime against women come into the spotlight again after the horror that took place in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras last week, we say enough is enough. In another shocking incident, a Madhya Pradesh police officer was caught beating his wife and he later justified his actions. Government's latest data says crime against women has risen over 7 per cent in 2019. We debate what will it take for India to become safe for women?

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizations to change their status quo bringing the phenomenon of Work from Home. And eight months into the pandemic as the world copes with the new normal called Work from Home, what is the verdict? On this episode of We The People, we debate: "Has Work from Home blurred the boundaries between professional and personal space or has it given people the flexibility of time and space?

The Supreme Court and the Central government have both said that NEET and JEE exams will take place in September, despite rising Covid cases in India, and many states affected by floods. Are students being forced to brave a pandemic and floods for their future?

According to a report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, as many as 50 lakh salaried people lost their jobs in July, taking the total number of jobs lost since April to 1.89 crore. How do these staggering figures affect Indian lives on the ground? How do people pay off loans and EMIs, or educate and feed their children? Does the government have a plan to help those who have lost their jobs? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

For the past few months, there has been a public outcry over the draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2020. An EIA is intended to estimate the environmental impacts of developmental or industrial projects, and this draft has landed in controversy because many claim that it is 'anti-environment' and 'pro-industry'. Is the EIA Notification diluting India's green protection laws? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are increasingly becoming toxic spaces for women. A woman's opinion on politics, religion, or any other matter, is often targeted with misogynist and sexist abuse. Actors Sayani Gupta and Maanvi Gagroo have started a petition called #IndiaAgainstAbuse that calls for an end to this abuse. Are Indian laws and societal structures primed to prevent this kind of abuse for women? Or is societal and legal change required, so that women are able to speak their minds freely. Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

The government's new education policy states that students should from now on be taught in their mother tongue, regional language, or home language up to Class 5, but preferably up to Class 8. This move has stirred up the mother tongue vs English debate in India. Is learning English at a young age important for children in India to progress in life and achieve their ambitions? Or is it better to teach young children in their mother tongue, so that they grasp core concepts easier? Sarah Jacob discusses a hotly-debated topic on We The People.

This week, Indians have been binge-watching a show on Netflix on arranged marriages. Is the practice of arranged marriage an archaic custom that lays bare India's sexism and casteism? Or is it a new avenue of choice for millennials, which lets them pick the life partners they want? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created concerns about food safety in affected countries. It has also brought to the forefront the need for access to safe and hygienic food. As people stock up food in their homes, packaging material has been put under the spotlight. What will this shift in consumer habit mean for the packaged and processed food industry? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

The UGC has directed all universities and colleges in the country to hold exams. But is it still important to hold exams to give students a fair playing field? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

Recently, there have been announcements of many significant decisions including postponement of NEET, JEE Main and Advanced to September, reduced ICSE syllabus and declaration of board results. With educational institutions ordered shut even during the phased unlocking of the country amid the COVID-19 crisis, educational institutions, their regulators and government advisory bodies are now coming up with new schedules and new modes to continue the teaching-learning process. We look at how the pandemic could reshape education.

For the last three days, India is reporting around 10,000 new coronavirus cases every day. Keeping these figures in mind, we debate when India's schools should reopen. Parents are concerned about their children's education but they are more worried about their health. The lockdown has amplified class differences with students who don't have access to online classes being the hardest hit. So what would schools look like when they reopen? Find out on this episode of We The People.

India's skies are abuzz after a 60-day coronavirus lockdown as domestic flights resume, but the question on top of most people's minds is whether it is safe to fly? How should one asses the risks before flying? Concerned citizens and aviation experts discuss how to mitigate the risks of flying amid the pandemic.

As India fights the coronavirus pandemic, the use of plastic products has been on the rise. On this special episode of We The People, UNEP's goodwill ambassador Dia Mirza joins us along with other environmentalists to answer the million dollar question on how to address India's mammoth plastic waste problem.

As lockdown 4 was announced with significant easing in guidelines, malls and restaurants are yet to get the green signal. We look at the food and beverage industry, which has been one of the first to be affected and likely to be among the worst and longest-affected sectors. What will eating out look like in the post-COVID-19 world where social distancing is the main buzzword? What will it take for a restaurateur to succeed in a post-COVID-19 world?

On the show, teens in different cities react to the 'Bois locker room' chat group scandal. Some say the group disgusted them, some say they are not surprised at the prevalence of such activities in youngsters.

With staggered lifting of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions from morning on May 4, liquor shops will be allowed to open again for the first time in 40 days. This is supposed to help sates bring in some revenue, but in these 40 days everyone has had to stay homebound. But what about those for whom their home is not a safe place? The National Commission for Women and even the UN has flagged rising cases of domestic violence during the lockdown.

The students who are studying abroad share with NDTV how they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. With the economic fallout of the global pandemic, many of them are apprehensive about their professional careers.

In 10 years from now, we will look back at this time, and history will call it the pandemic of 2020. This is a difficult time for everyone - some are especially hard hit - like the poor, the migrants, the labourers, whose worlds have been completely disrupted. Some are not as bad off, but nobody is unaffected - whether it is a 5-year-old who can't understand why he's not having a birthday party this year, or a Class 12 student who worked hard all year to get into the college of his or her dreams but may not go to go there after all. How do we flatten the anxiety curve?

As India fights the spread of coronavirus, two suspected COVID-19 patients say there are lapses in the system at a time when we cannot afford any. Hear their story on why they fear that even those who are not positive to begin with will get infected under the current quarantining methods.

The number of coronavirus cases in India crossed 1,000-mark today at 1,024 positive cases and 27 deaths. Many people have also recovered from the highly infectious disease. What it's like to be treated for COVID-19 in an intensive care unit? A survivor tells the story. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked him to record his experience in audio and share it so that people are not scared.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today apologised to the nation for the "hard decision" of calling a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has especially affected "the poor". He, however, said the decision was the "only solution" to combat the highly contagious coronavirus. Thousands of people have gathered at bus stations and along state borders at a time when the government and experts have unanimously agreed that social distancing is crucial for checking the spread of COVID-19. Were there better ways to execute a lockdown? Does this show the government did not manage the lockdown well?

Thousands of Indians stayed off the streets after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a "Janata (public) Curfew" to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has spread to over 140 countries since it originated in China in December. The country is set to grind to a halt shortly as railway, metro and interstate bus services will be stopped to break the march of coronavirus, which infected close to 350 people and killed seven persons in India.

The virus that emerged in China's Wuhan in December last has now spread to over 130 countries and infected about 140,000 people worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The WHO has taken the rare step to call this a pandemic. The Government has decided to treat the coronavirus outbreak in India as a notified disaster for the purpose of providing assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund. The repercussions of the spread of COVID-19 are already being felt all around us with trillions of dollars wiped off from global financial markets this week.

At least 34 cases of novel coronavirus have been detected in India so far. The virus, which causes COVID-19, is not as deadly as is currently feared, but panic has set in the country. Hand sanitizer in stores are out of stock, and N-95 face masks are being sold online at inflated prices. On tonight's show, we discuss how the virus has altered life in India.

42 people have been killed in violence in Delhi. A young child is now fatherless, a young woman is now a single mother. Who should be blamed for the clashes? And how to restore harmony and trust among the people of Delhi?

In a watershed moment for the Indian Army, the Supreme Court ruled in the favour of equal rights in the armed forces. In a landmark decision the top court ruled that female officers should be granted permanent commission and command positions, on par with men. Currently, female officers can serve for only 10 to 14 years in the Indian Army. So the court's ruling does not permit women to serve in army combat units, like the infantry or artillery corps, but they are now eligible to command entire battalions or head the intelligence department. The decks have been cleared for women in higher ranks in non-combat roles. What are the implications of the Supreme Court's order granting permanent commission to women on a par with men? Is this not just a big step for gender parity in the army but for all of India? The rumblings that we are hearing is that of patriarchy crumbling?

As Arvind Kejriwal is sworn in as Delhi chief minister for the third time, AAP's juggernaut win in the Delhi elections continues to be analysed threadbare. Buoyed by its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, a senior AAP leader has said that it will fight all local bodies elections across India to expand base by focusing on 'positive nationalism' based on love and respect as opposed to the BJP's nationalism that he says is based on hatred and divisive politics. We are asking tonight - has Arvind Kejriwal's AAP punctured the BJP's political copyright on Hindu religiosity?

The high voltage Delhi Assembly election is finally over. Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set for a hat-trick in Delhi with around 56 of 70 assembly seats, predicted NDTV's poll of exit polls. The big question is: If Arvind Kejriwal wins, would it be considered the win of development agenda over divisive politics.

A book has now questioned what medication are people giving their children. Do they work? What's in them? Will it do more them harm than good? This is an issue that affects everyone - there is nobody in this country who has not at one point of time in their lives had to take or will need to take medication. The findings of a book, a New York Times bestseller, Bottle of Lies, has thrown up these questions. Was Ranbaxy a one-off, a bad apple, or is this a industry specific problem? Is the problem of a lack of quality controls more systemic, ingrained?

Earlier this week, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote to the district magistrate (DM) of south-east Delhi asking for an investigation into a complaint they received of children being "misled" at Shaheen Bagh about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by their elders and, as a result, may be suffering from 'mental trauma'. The top government child rights' body has now told the DM to send a child protection officer and a child welfare police officer to "identify these children and arrange counselling sessions for them and their parents, if deemed fit". They have 10 days to file a report. Meanwhile, three Congress-ruled states have made the Preamble to the Constitution part of school curriculum. The BJP has described the decision as a political one. They say it will backfire on Congress. We are asking tonight? Are India's children being made into pawns for politics? Should children be made aware of the politics of the day, given that they are going to inherit the world we leave them? Or should children be shielded from politics and be allowed to have a childhood?

February 1 - that's the day the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case are to be hanged to death, instead of January 22, the date first set by a trial court. The four men found guilty of the rape and brutal murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in the national capital seven years ago are to be executed by the state at 6 am on February 1 in fresh warrants that were issued hours after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected a mercy plea filed by one of them, Mukesh Singh. The new death warrants or black warrants are dated February 1 because according to the law there has to be a gap of 14 days after a mercy plea is turned down, so those on death row can exhaust all legal options before one can be executed by the State. The three other convicts have yet to file their respective petitions, which they may do at any time prior to their execution. However, remember that each time a petition is filed and rejected that 14-day period must be observed, thereby prolonging the execution. That's not all, on Monday, the Supreme court is to hear a petition by another one of the four convicts - Pawan, who claims he was a juvenile on the date of the crime and should be punished according to juvenile laws. These developments in the Nirbhaya case have now revived the debate on whether death penalty should be retained as a punishment for murder under the Indian Penal Code? And we are asking tonight on We The People whether the death penalty is a deterrent for rapists?

Today we are talking about the youth of the country, the millennials or gen Z who are often dismised by the older generation as self-involved, interested in gadgets, the good life and films, entertainment - who have actually taken the country by storm, showing us they will not be dismissed, they will voice their concerns, they will make demands and they will dissent. Over the last couple of weeks, from the end of 2019 into this year, the youth have enthralled us. They quote the Constitution, the Preamble, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar with ease. It began with campus protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the brutal police crackdown in Jamia University on December 15, which sparked anger and protests across campuses in the country. Then the January 5 attack by masked men in JNU, which again saw a strong reaction among the youth with more angry demonstrations, even in St Stephens, in IITs and even the scientists in IISC in Bengaluru were chanting azaadi slogans. Today, on the show we're discussing India's youth and dissent - we have representatives from student unions who may one day become big leaders in their own right.

The poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, especially "Hum Dekhenge", has become a chant of students who are protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. After students of IIT Kanpur chanted it during a protest on December 17, a police complaint was filed, claiming the poem was anti-Hindu. A panel was set up by IIT Kanpur to look into the protests and the complaint. This move has sparked off fierce debates on social media whether Faiz's poem was communal and anti-Hindu. The poem was written in 1979 during General Zia-ul-Haq's oppressive martial law regime in Pakistan, and it used Islamic religious imagery to attack Zia's dictatorship and push for democracy. It became a song after Iqbal Bano sang it to a packed audience in 1986 despite a ban on Faiz's poetry. And now it has sparked a controversy in India.

We look at the year that was: The people, the stories and the issues that made headlines in 2019.

It has been a dramatic week with the youth of the country rising up against the new citizenship law passed by the government and against police brutality against students in an act of solidarity that has shaken the country's politics. After a violent police crackdown on protests in and around Jamia Millia University in Delhi on December 15, college after college have taken to the streets or held demonstrations condemning the force that was used against the protesting youth. This last week we have seen young India rage and engage leading to larger protests where ordinary citizens, students, writers, activists, artists, opposition parties and film stars have showed their anger against a law that is being viewed as communal and has been challenged in the Supreme court.

This week, the government passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill which has now become a law. But it has been a move that has sparked anger, protests and despair in various parts of the country. The law now makes it easier for non-Muslims from 3 Muslim majority countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire Indian citizenship. Opposition parties and many civil rights activists had opposed the bill on the ground that it discriminates against Muslims and this is unconstitutional under Article 14 - a cornerstone of our Constitution that states Equality before law.

The despairing question: when will India's women be safe? When will there be justice for India's daughters? It's been seven years since the Nirbhaya case in Delhi that had led to an outpouring of anger and changes in the law. But the sad truth is while women have become bolder in reporting rape, the number of attacks on women are not going down. We've had the horrific Telangana rape and murder case where the four rapists were actually gunned down by the police in an alleged encounter. That has been received by a mixed response across the country. Many have welcomed it but many others have condemned and questioned it. And then the tragic case in Unnao where a woman who was fighting for justice within the system was set on fire by her rapists - one of whom who had just gotten out of jail. She finally died in a Delhi hospital after fighting for her life for 40 hours.

Why has nothing seemed to have changed since the horrific Nirbhaya gang-rape in 2012? Today, another barbaric case from Telangana has emerged. The entire case has left the country shocked and seething, but also feeling frustrated and helpless. On the day a 26-year-old veterinarian was raped and murdered, four more rape cases in different states were reported.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday deferred the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, which seeks to ban commercial surrogacy in India. The proposed legislation was moved by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the Upper House on Tuesday. It was passed in the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon session of parliament. The government says the bill is aimed at checking unethical practices, exploitation of surrogate mothers, abandonment of children born out of surrogacy and rackets around intermediaries importing human embryos. We ask tonight: Is this protecting rights or denying choice?

On Children's Day on 14 November, a day celebrated to increase awareness of the rights, care and education of children, a time has come where the young ones are having to fight for their right to clean air to breathe. On this Children's Day, the young eco warriors say enough is enough.

Delhi last month declared a health emergency on November 2 when pollution levels registered an unprecedented spike. When the media attention was focused on the national capital, the city was not even among the top 10 most polluted cities in the country. The trend of pollution now seems to be spreading down South too. We are sitting on a ticking time bomb as far as public health is concerned. Is enough being done to check pollution?

The government is working on formulating guidelines to regulate social media citing "growing threats to individual rights and nation's integrity, sovereignty, and security" . While there is recognition for the need for security considering that the technological world is expanding at an unimaginable pace, there are also growing concerns about the use of technology for surveillance of citizens, especially those critical of those in power. The latest draft on intermediary guidelines has given rise to similar concerns. Companies say that it's impossible to give up encryption due to technical reasons as well as commitment to users. But this is not a demand being made by India alone. Many Western countries are also making similar demands. On this episode of We The People, we debate, how can privacy and security be balanced and what are the concerns that authorities should keep in mind while drafting these guidelines.

On Monday, Haryana and Maharashtra are going to vote. Economy, farmer distress, unemployment, drought, poverty are the major issues that the public of these two states have been talking about but what we have heard all through election campaigning is a discourse around the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, implementation of Assam's NRC all over the country and only very recently, the promise of giving Bharat Ratna to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. On We The People, we ask just one simple question. Are local issues dead in elections? The problems may exist in real life, but do they simply not matter when voters go out and vote?

BJP MLA Nand Kishore Gujjar has written a letter to Union Minister Prakash Javadekar demanding that Season 13 of the reality show "Big Boss" be taken off air. He has alleged that the show is promoting "obscenity and vulgarity". This comes at a time when the government is considering regulation on over-the-top platforms. The big question is: who will decide what is offensive?

We take a look at the unfolding PMC Bank scam, where 70 per cent of the cooperative bank's loans were allegedly routed to HDIL- a Mumbai-based real estate developer.

On October 2, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce a ban on some single-use plastic. Is this implementable? What will it mean for businesses and consumers during an economic slowdown? Some say banning its use when an alternative is not available could be difficult. Environment activists have welcomed the move. However, questions have arisen over the lack of an effective waste disposal system.

Home Minister Amit Shah has sparked an uproar with his comment that it is necessary to have a language which could represent India in the world and it should be Hindi. We are asking tonight - Is the stage being set for a new language struggle? Is the centre planning to make teaching Hindi compulsory?

On his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a movement to make India free of single-use plastic, beginning on Gandhi Jayanti, which falls on October 2. However, plastic is everywhere and shopkeepers and customers continue to depend on single-use plastic. Is the target of a full ban on single-use plastic too high, or it can be achieved? Across the country responsible citizens are working on their individual capacity not to use such plastic and spread awareness.