In Focus by The Hindu

With Ajit Agarkar departing his role as the chief selector of the Indian men's cricket team, Pragyan Ojha now leads a reconstituted five-member selection committee. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, how much power do Indian cricket selectors really have? In this episode of In Focus, we discuss about Agarkar’s legacy, what to expect from Ojha at the helm, and how selectors build and blood a squad. We also discuss how much say the captain and the coach have, how the scouting network covers India’s enormous domestic talent pool, and whether selectors should explain their decisions in public. Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Guest: Amol Karhadkar, Deputy Editor, Sports Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(This episode was aired on October 5.) From November 9, 2026, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is implementing a 30% cap on trade margins for 137 anti-cancer drugs. We go back to the episode that spoke of the soaring cancer drug prices and how can a pooled procurement and value based pricing improve affordability of cancer care in India. Every year, we record 15.6 lakh new cancer cases, and 9 lakh deaths due to cancer. More than 90% of India’s working population doesn’t have a stable or formal employment. A majority of them are not adequately covered by health insurance. Taken together, this means high out of pocket expenditure for treatment, which imposes a huge economic burden on the patient’s family. A recent survey showed that the overall prevalence of Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) was 80.4% due to outpatient treatment. Clearly, the stratospheric costs of medicines, diagnostics and consultation fees are unsustainable for most Indians. Doesn’t the government have a responsibility here? Why can’t off-patent drugs be made cheaper? Can centralised, pooled procurement, and value-based pricing improve affordability of cancer care in India? Guest: Dr. Indranil, Professor at the School of Government and Public Policy, OP Jindal Global University. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most Indians, the bulk of their medical expenses come out of pocket. In such a scenario, rapidly rising healthcare costs are no less dangerous than any deadly disease. One major reason for cost escalation is the entry of private equity into India’s healthcare sector. A new book, titled ‘The Silent Syndicate: How Big Finance is Destroying India’s Healthcare’ documents how global financial capital is gobbling up Indian hospitals, pharma companies, insurance players, and diagnostic labs. And all of this is happening in a regulatory void, with the state seemingly abandoning its responsibility toward the well-being of its own citizens. How did we let this happen? What is the remedy? Is there a way to keep privatised healthcare both affordable and accountable to patients? We speak with public policy expert and the book’s author, Ameer Shahul. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court asked the Central government to issue a clear public protocol to curb malpractice in stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorder. This follows a judgement given in January this year following a petition that raised concerns about the commercial promotion and administration of stem cell “therapy” for autism. The court examined the scientific and regulatory position and held that, given the evidence available at present, stem cell therapy for ASD could not be offered by medical practitioners as a clinical service outside an approved and monitored clinical trial or research setting. The Health Ministry’s current approved list covers 18 adult and 14 paediatric indications. Autism is not on this list. What are the implications of the Supreme Court order, and why was it necessary? Is stem cell therapy something that is being researched for autism abroad and in India and should this continue? Why is the prevalence of autism believed to be increasing and what should we know about it? Guest: Dr. Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy, neuropsychiatrist and founder, Buddhi Clinic, Chennai Host: Zubeda Hamid Producer: Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Europe is seeing a wave of protests against economic inequalities and poor living standards. The immediate causes vary across countries, from the housing crisis in Spain and issues with the education system in France to public anger over perceived corruption in Serbia and Albania. But one thing is common: youth at the vanguard. Europe always had space for democratic dissent and has seen major protests to influence state systems and public policy. But with more and more youth taking the streets across the continent and beyond, are these protests merely reactionary, or is there a generational, existential anxiety at play? Are youth worried they will be worse off than their parents? Here, we discuss. Guests: Gilles Verniers and Rohit Azad Host: Vighnesh P. Venkitesh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May, Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), on safeguarding human dignity in the age of AI. He later shared on social media that he believes human-created art cannot be replaced by machine-generated art. Earlier, AI firm Anthropic, per a New York Times report published in September, had invited religious thinkers, priests, monks, rabbis, and scholars from across the world, trying to sway their views on Claude, the company’s AI chatbot. As religious leaders clarify the role of technology to their laity, tech billionaires are reaching out to religious experts to try to better understand morality, ethical decision-making, and philosophy. At the heart of this debate is the question of whether AI chatbots are conscious or not, even as Claude-maker Anthropic plays a key role in lobbying spiritual leaders. Should we treat these conversations as a performance for customers? Are tech leaders perhaps building up hype before key IPOs? Or, to put it bluntly: are tech leaders using religion to distract users from more pressing regulatory worries? Host: Sahana Venugopal Guest: John Xavier Camera: Shivaraj Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court, in a judgement on October 15th, declared that a Hindu who converts to a “non-Hindu” social order cannot claim the benefits of reservation. It reasoned that backwardness can’t be transferred automatically from the Hindu social order to a non-Hindu one after conversion. The judgement came in a case where a Hindu OBC man who had converted to Islam wanted to avail reservation benefits as a Muslim OBC. Following the judgement, DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged the Tamil Nadu government to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court to protect the reservation rights of members of Backward Classes (BC) who had converted to Islam. “Social backwardness does not arise in a day or a generation. It is the result of a social system built over thousands of years. Conversion to another religion does not erase it,” he said in a statement. So, how sociologically grounded is this judgement? What about the impact of a lifetime of ‘backwardness’-related disadvantages that shape a Hindu OBC’s life until the point of conversion? Can that be disregarded? Critically, religion was never a criterion in determining OBC status – so, can reservation benefit be denied due to a change in the person’s religion? Guest: Abhinay Lakshman from The Hindu’s Delhi Bureau Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer & Editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The death by suicide of Sahil Wakode, a second year B.Tech student at IIT, Bombay, has sparked protests, allegations of caste discrimination, and demands for institutional reforms. Between the years 2020-21 and 2024-25, IITs reported 45 student suicides, of which 28, or 62%, were from SC/ST or OBC communities. There is a tendency to assume that India’s premier educational institutions such as the IITs are islands of ‘merit’, where everyone is treated solely on the basis of their capabilities. Why then, do we keep getting reports of SC/ST students dying by suicide in some of India’s most prestigious institutions? Who should be held accountable for caste discrimination in a campus setting? What’s the remedy? Guest: Professor N Sukumar, Department of Political Science at Delhi University Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer & editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As José Mourinho's Real Madrid returns to the Camp Nou to face Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, we look at the history, identity and drama behind the Clásico Real Madrid and Barcelona share one of football’s fiercest rivalries, shaped by history, politics, regional identity and contrasting ideas of how the game should be played. From the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the present-day battle between Hansi Flick and José Mourinho, El Clásico has continued to capture the imagination of fans around the world. On this episode of In Focus, we examine what makes this fixture a global phenomenon, how Barcelona’s Cruyff-inspired philosophy has evolved under Flick, and whether Mourinho can find a way to counter Barcelona’s attacking game. Beyond the result, what does El Clásico tell us about the identities and ambitions of these two footballing giants? Guest: Srinivasan Ramani, The Hindu’s Deputy National Editor Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamil Nadu recently went through a game-changing election that threw up a surprise. The TVK won largely on the strength of its appeal among young people; the younger the people were greater was their enthusiasm for the TVK and Vijay, the current chief minister. Many older voters were telling journalists that their sons, daughters and grandchildren were telling them to vote for Vijay.  Recently, a DMK candidate who lost in Salem North went to court, arguing that Vijay had appealed to children to persuade their parents to vote for the TVK, and that this was wrong. The High Court dismissed the petition but made some very caustic, very critical remarks about the trend. Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy said that the entire act of involving tender children in elections “is in bad taste, and the tasks they are made to perform at home for making YouTube reels reflect poor parenting besides being a cheap and politically motivated act.” He said that it was for Parliament to consider whether such acts should be made a ground for setting aside the election of candidates. Should children be involved in political campaigning? Here, we discuss. Guests: Andrew Sesuraj M., child rights activist, Chennai; Dr. Anil Pillai, behavioural scientist Host: M. Kalyanaraman (host) Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to an American duo – Prof Robert Hall of Stanford University and Prof Michael Woodford of Columbia University – "for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation”. Both Prof Hall and Prof Woodford were part of a new crop of economists who studied the economy not as a monolith, but also as a collection of many of microeconomic decisions. Simply put, their work helped change how economists understand the economy: not just through a broad set of indicators such as inflation, output and consumption, but by examining how businesses and consumers make decisions, and how these decisions affect the economy as a whole. Their studies look at how the future plays a part in today’s economy. To help us understand what they studied and how it can be applied today, I have with me Dr. Partha Chatterjee, Dean of Academics & Professor of Economics, Shiv Nadar University Host: Nivedita Varadarajan Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Indian cities have undergone rapid urbanisation over the past few decades. Yet, accessibility continues to evade the design and planning priorities. Despite the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, mandating accessibility in public buildings across the country, Indian cities need to go a long way when it comes to inclusive public spaces, transport and other infrastructure. Several pertinent questions remain – how many barriers must a person with physical or intellectual disability navigate to get from point A to point B? Have the efforts towards inclusivity been centred around a narrow understanding of disability? How do we make cities in India answerable for accessibility? Guests: Nivedita Krishna, founder of Pacta, a law firm and think tank focusing exclusively on the legal needs of social sector, and Bhumika Modh, who heads the Yes to Access initiative of the Association of People with disability, share their insights. Host: Elizabeth Shilpa Abraham Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Ravichandran N Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, a word that has not been in the news for decades perhaps, suddenly erupted: the death of a lab worker in Siberia, sparked concerns, rumours online and theories as to what really happened, given that official information coming out was limited. The worker, Darya Shiplova, who worked at a plague research institute in Siberia, is believed to have died of pneumonic plague. Russia subsequently quarantined dozens of people but said there was no risk of an epidemic, while a WHO official, meanwhile, called for the country to provide more information. But what is plague and why is it that is has been more or less forgotten? What was India’s tryst with plague in the 1890s and then again in Surat in 1994? How infectious is it and how is it treated? Is there really a risk of a plague breakout? Guest: Rajib Dasgupta: Head, Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University Host: Zubeda Hamid Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How should India balance wildlife conservation with development, local livelihoods and the need for scientific research? In this discussion, Prof Qamar Qureshi, formerly of the Wildlife Institute of India, and Prof Uma Ramakrishnan of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, examine the changing approaches to conservation, the challenges of protecting threatened species and the need to make conservation science more inclusive and responsive to the realities on the ground. Host: Jacob Koshy Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 10th witnessed a massive display of state repression in the national capital. Brutal violence was unleashed against journalists, students, activists and citizens who wanted to protest at Jantar Mantar, seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. India’s Opposition parties have united over the demand that Gyanesh Kumar must go and the SIR must be annulled. Even as the government responded by denotifying Jantar Mantar as a protest site, the Congress has vowed to ‘reclaim’ Jantar Mantar. The Opposition’s overarching political plank, as of today, is to ‘save Indian democracy’, and ‘save the Constitution’, by fighting to protect the ordinary Indian’s right to vote. It has announced plans to continue this protest campaign until the demands are met. This raises some key questions: does the SIR issue resonate with the masses? Can we really be sure that today’s protesters, despite all their grievances, will not go back and vote for the BJP come election time? Can we read bigger and bigger protests as a setback for the Hindutva project? Or, is the BJP-RSS juggernaut resilient enough to survive expressions of large-scale dissent? Joining us today is Ajay Gudavarthy, Associate Professor in Political Science at the Centre for Political Studies, JNU. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over a year after Jio Platforms and SpaceX announced a deal to bring Starlink satellite internet to India, multi-billionaire Elon Musk has taken a public swipe at the Ambani family and the Indian government. In a sarcastic post on X, the billionaire described Mukesh Ambani as India’s prime minister and the country’s “real boss,” reigniting debate over Starlink’s delayed entry into one of the world’s biggest internet markets. But beyond the social media sparring lies a bigger battle over competition, market power and regulation. Why is Starlink’s India launch taking so long? Is the government’s cautious approach to satellite internet protecting national interests, or limiting competition? And what could the tussle mean for Jio Platforms as it prepares for an IPO? In this episode of The Hindu’s In Focus, Technology Editor John Xavier unpacks the political and business stakes behind the Musk–Ambani feud, examining India’s approach to satellite internet, the regulation of monopolies, and the competing interests shaping the country’s digital future. Host: Sahana Venugopal Camera: Thamodaran Producer & editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said there are “no parallel protests”, there is only one protest – demanding the rollback of SIR, and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Leaders from almost every INDIA bloc party joined the Congress-led march to the Supreme Court on Monday, drawing massive crowds from all over the country. Has the alleged ‘vote chori’ issue finally managed to unite the entire Opposition? What’s really at stake on the question of whether Gyanesh Kumar stays or resigns? And how do these protests compare with the one in July, that sought the resignation of the then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan? To unpack the political ramifications of the ongoing protests, we are joined today by Anand Mishra, Political Editor with Frontline magazine. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re used to thinking of cancer as something for which there is no known cause and we know that risk factors include using tobacco and excessive alcohol as well as obesity. And while of these factors are true, what we may not have realised is that infections could also, in some cases, lead to cancers. A new study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer or IARC, has now found that infections were responsible for 2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024, or 12% of the total cases globally that year. What infections? A bacterium and several viruses were linked cancer cases, and what is significant is that a large proportion of these cases were found in low- and middle-income countries. What are the cancers caused by infectious agents, and how common are they? Could vaccines eliminate these sorts of cancers? Are there vaccines available for all the viruses and bacteria that cause cancers? What kind of screening programmes and preventive measures should we take? Guest: Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Convener Research Cell Kerala State IMA Physician and gastroenterologist Host: Zubeda Hamid Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All roads, it seems, lead to the good old Jantar Mantar. Or do they, considering many of them are closed these days. Built in 1724, Jantar Mantar was not always the preferred site for anyone with a prayer, petition or protest on mind. The protest sites at various times in the past were at Boat Club where one remembers anti cow slaughter protests some 50 years ago followed by those during the Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi stir. Then the Ramlila grounds became the place where thousands would gather to vent their anger against the government. It was here that the India Against Corruption protest caught the common man's imagination. As for Jantar Mantar, for ages it was an observatory where schools brought the youngsters to imbibe scientific spirit. Today it throbs with the soul of democracy, from the Cockroach Janata Party to the Congress to the entire INDIA Bloc, Jantar Mantar is the place to be as the Opposition seeks the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. So what is it about Jai Singh's 18th Century creation that draws everyone to it? Telling us this and more is noted historian Ruchika Sharma who runs a hugely popular YouTube show and is renowned as one of the more frank and fearless voices on matters of history. Host: Ziya Us Salam Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big Election Commission of India (ECI) story that made headlines this week is the Form 6 controversy. Who authorised the modifications to Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters? The Election Commission has been claiming all along that the changes had the Supreme court’s approval. But on October 5th, the Supreme Court clarified that it had not approved any Form 6 modifications. Does this mean the Election Commission had mislead the nation, as is being claimed by the Opposition parties? Also, two out of the three election commissioners had objected to these changes, with one of them calling it “unauthorised and illegal”. Does the CEC have the power to override their objections? So, who authorised the Form 6 modifications? What happened to the written objections of the other two Election Commissioners? Given that a great many eligible voters were affected by these changes, should the entire SIR be annulled? Guest: Vipul Mudgal, a Trustee of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Director of Common Cause, non-profits working for electoral reform Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August this year, the performance of a "purification" ritual by certain Hindu groups in Uttarakhand, at the location where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who belongs to a Dalit community, addressed a public rally, led to a national conversation on the practice of untouchability. This discourse was shaped as Opposition Congress leaders accused the ruling BJP dispensation of practicing caste discrimination and the Uttarakhand BJP chief defended the ritual saying it was meant to "cleanse" the area of the ideas that Mr. Kharge was espousing at the rally. After a sustained campaign from opposition leaders and civil society actors, an FIR was registered in the matter as well. Are legal guarantees insufficient in abolishing untouchability? Noted scholar and political theorist Valerian Rodrigues and Supreme Court Advocate Disha Wadekar join us in this episode to discuss the question. Host: Abhinay Lakshman Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 29, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the country's top technology business leaders as he embarked on a project to rename artificial intelligence (AI) as "Super Intelligence" and "SI”. There, he announced the White House Accord on Super Intelligence, which was signed by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, XAI CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman. The AI Accord that they signed is “morally binding”, per Mr. Trump. The Big Tech leaders, known for their liberal, centrist, or even neutral political stances, stood smiling, flanking the President, sharing press-ready messages about balancing AI risks and regulations. But the newly formed Super Intelligence Force (SIF) task force indicates that the federal government is not planning to remain a mere bystander as AI giants try to police themselves. What does the AI-to-SI change mean for the U.S. and the world? What are the dynamics at play amongst the companies that signed the AI Accord? And what is Trump's strategy for keeping America ahead of the world in AI? Host: Sahana Venugopal, The Hindu's Technology Desk Guest: John Xavier, Technology Editor at The Hindu Camera: Shivaraj Producer and Editor: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week the NCERT revised its book on medieval history for Class 9 students. The book, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, presents a long span of 700 years from 1000 AD to 1700 as one of resistance and resilience, a period when the Rajputs, the Jats, the Sikhs and the Ahoms resisted foreign invasions. The period is presented as the one in which the "Indian society not only defended itself from external threats but also preserved its traditions”. In many ways this book is a continuation of the process of presenting history through a new prism, a process which began in 2023 and has seen each succeeding edition reduce the space given to the contribution of the Mughals in particular, and, as many historians point out, it "virtually reduces mediaeval Indian history to battles, blood and gore". Tune in to know the facts of history and what's right or wrong with the new social science book Guest: Prof. Farhat Hasan, noted historian on pre-modern South Asian history Host: Ziya Us Salam. Associate Editor, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court has called out the rampant profiteering in the healthcare sector, including cancer medication. Terming the overpricing of essential cancer medicines as “broad, daylight dacoity”, the court said, “This is carnage. Plain and simple. The cancer drug is priced at an MRP of Rs 27,000 despite being supplied to retailers for Rs 2,700.” Ten times higher markup! It also suggested capping the profit margin for all medicines at 16%. India’s cancer burden is growing at an alarming rate. Every year, we record 15.6 lakh new cancer cases, and 9 lakh deaths due to cancer. More than 90% of India’s working population doesn’t have a stable or formal employment. A majority of them are not adequately covered by health insurance. Taken together, this means high out of pocket expenditure for treatment, which imposes a huge economic burden on the patient’s family. A recent survey showed that the overall prevalence of Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) was 80.4% due to outpatient treatment. Clearly, the stratospheric costs of medicines, diagnostics and consultation fees are unsustainable for most Indians. Doesn’t the government have a responsibility here? Why can’t off-patent drugs be made cheaper? Can centralised, pooled procurement, and value-based pricing improve affordability of cancer care in India? Guest: Dr. Indranil Mukhopadhyay, Professor at the School of Government and Public Policy, OP Jindal Global University. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is at the centre of a debate over how much protection should extend beyond its boundaries. The Assam government has proposed a site-specific Eco-Sensitive Zone of around 1-3 km in different stretches, replacing the 10-km buffer currently applicable to Kaziranga. In this episode, we unpack what an Eco-Sensitive Zone actually does, why these zones are created around protected areas, and what the Supreme Court has said about their minimum extent and site-specific nature. The conversation looks at the legal process for changing Kaziranga’s ESZ, the concerns of communities living around the park, and the importance of areas outside the national park that are used by wildlife. We also examine what a narrower ESZ could mean for development and tourism around Kaziranga, as well as concerns over mining and quarrying in the wider Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape. Guest: Ritwick Dutta, Environmental lawyer and Managing Trustee, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment Host: Devyanshi Bihani Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met last week for a summit aimed at easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies. The meeting produced agreements on trade and rare earths, along with unusually warm public messaging from both sides. But major differences over Taiwan, technology and the broader strategic rivalry remain. The summit comes at a time when Mr. Trump’s approach to China appears increasingly transactional, even as Washington continues to compete with Beijing for influence across the Indo-Pacific. It also comes at a significant moment for India, with the U.S. President stepping up engagement with both China and Pakistan. So, what did Trump and Xi actually achieve at the summit? How should we read the U.S. approach to Taiwan? And What does the growing engagement between Washington and Beijing mean for India? Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Camera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls Phase 3 unfolds, a surge in Form 7 applications, the mechanism for seeking deletion of names, in Karnataka has raised an alarm. More than 4,000 such forms were filed in the state, with 1,363 in one place coming from just ten electors, many reportedly targeting Muslim names. Uttarakhand has seen objections filed in an ERO’s name without his knowledge, while in earlier phase 2 in West Bengal, data shows nearly 90% of Form 7 applications were accepted. Similar cases have been reported by The Hindu from Rajasthan and Gujarat earlier. What does the law require of the Electoral Registration Officer, and why is it Section 31 of RPA Act rarely invoked? Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa and Prasenjit Bose, Congress leader and petitioner in West Bengal SIR case in Supreme Court, discuss misuse, deterrence and the need for reform in the system in this conversation. Host: Sreeparna Chakrabarty Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India is entering a demographic window of opportunity. For the next 15 years or so, our ratio of our working age population to the dependent population will be the highest. This is a historic opportunity to convert this demographic dividend into economic dividend.Now, cities are the engines of economic growth. To make our demographic dividend count, we need to create urban dividend. This basically means that our cities should be able to offer millions of jobs, host thousands of firms, and provide the urban services needed to sustain a large working population.Is India ready for this challenge?A new article titled, ‘Unlocking India’s Urban Dividend’, points out that India is not even accurately mapping its urban spread, and argues that unless we empower our cities, India will fail to encash its urban dividend. We are joined today by the author of this essay, demographic expert Apoorva Jadhav, who is a Non-resident Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Senior Fellow at the Population Reference Bureau, Washington, DC. Guest: Apoorva Jadhav, Demographic export Host: G. Sampath Edited and published by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joy Bhattacharjya discusses the scale and cost of organising the fixture, India’s decision to prioritise Brazil over the ASEAN Cup and the wider debate over the AIFF’s priorities Brazil are coming to India for a high-profile friendly in Kolkata, but what does the game really mean for Indian football? The high costs involved and India's decision to pull out of the inaugural ASEAN Cup to accommodate this fixture have sparked a debate on the merits of hosting star teams while India’s domestic football structure continues to face challenges. Does a marquee game against Brazil justify the investment, and should Indian football be focusing more on high-profile friendlies or strengthening its domestic leagues and grassroots structure? Guest: Joy Bhattacharjya, sports administrator, author and analyst Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology, and especially AI, are no longer just a tool for humans. Today they control our choices, shape our daily routines, and determine how we invest our energies. This is true at the level of the individual, and also at the level of the nation-state. While at the individual level, the key question concerns freedom, for the nation-state, it’s more about sovereignty – does India get to independently decide its own policies, or are they pre-decided for it by other geopolitical actors? A good example is how our banks do KYC. Thanks to a poorly designed framework, it has served as a blunt tool for mindless harassment and has failed to curb violations of sovereignty via money-laundering. If we can’t get a simple KYC right, how well is India placed to navigate the complex landscape of fast-evolving LLMs and AI models, which pose major challenges to freedom and sovereignty? A new book, titled ‘Power of Uncertainty: The Battle for Privacy, Identity and Sovereignty’ tries to answer these very questions. We speak to its authors, V. Anand, a cybersecurity expert, and Srinath Sridharan, corporate advisor and author. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Camera: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special weekend bonus episode, we have a crossover with the Hindu's Rearview podcast. Common birds are no longer common. Rural landscapes now host fewer Black Drongos and Indian Rollers; Nightjars call less frequently from the edges of forests; Black-shouldered Kites perch less often on telegraph wires; Eagles are scarcer in the skies; and Harriers patrol protected grasslands in dwindling numbers as they search for insects. What is causing this disappearance? Renowned ornithologist and former Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) director Dr Asad Rahmani’s latest book, ‘Where Are the Birds Gone?’, investigates the alarming long-term decline of bird populations across the Indian subcontinent and the reasons behind it. Hosts: Sobhana K Nair & Jacob Koshy Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the beginning, civil society and section of political parties have questioned an exercise of such enormous scale, one that was presented as an effort to clean up the electoral rolls and identify suspected foreign nationals, but has already led to more than 13 crore names being deleted at the draft stage.Those concerns have now moved beyond the SIR, into the functioning of the Election Commission. A recent investigation report found that two of the three Election Commissioners raised formal objections 14 times in 10 months over decisions relating to electoral rolls and SIR, including the centralisation of the voter database.What do these objections reveal about the way SIR is being conducted, and about the institution overseeing it? Guest: Parakala Prabhakar, Economist and Author Host: Rishita Khanna Edited and published by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly, France has made a proposal to enhance the functioning of the UN, especially in dealing with the requirement for collective security and the use of veto. France has been advocating that the use of veto in the UN Security Council should be “regulated” when it comes to dealing with humanitarian criss, like in Sudan or in Lebanon or genocide. France believes that the use of veto is not a matter of “privilege” and that it is a matter of “responsibility”. Guests: Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Dean of School of International Studies, JNU and Prof. Swaran Singh, former professor of the School of International Studies Host: Kallol Bhattacherjee moderated a conversation between Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tata Group is facing its most consequential governance crisis in decades. N. Chandrasekaran, who had announced his departure, has now been reappointed by the Tata Sons board, even as the Tata Trusts, which control 66% of the holding company, challenge that decision. At stake is more than a chairman or a listing: it is a contest over who controls India’s largest business house, how its governance model should work, and what happens to the values and public purpose that have defined the Tata name for generations. So, how does this end — and what has Tata meant to India? Guest: Lalatendu Mishra, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu Host: Kunal Shankar Edited by Sharmada venkatausbramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is India continuing to buy Russian crude despite growing pressure from the United States? And what happens if Washington imposes steep tariffs on Indian exports over those purchases? In this episode of The Hindu’s InFocus, we spoke to Professor Anuradha Chenoy, Adjunct Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs and former Dean and Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of International Studies. We discussed India’s strategic autonomy and its dependence on Russian oil, the potential impact of secondary tariffs on Indian exports, and the unusual reversal in the oil trade after Ukrainian drone strikes disrupted Russian refining capacity. Host: Nitika Francis Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special bonus episode at In Focus we have a special crossover episode featuring the Hindu's Global Faultlines podcast with Sharmada Venkatasubramanian and Stanly Johny. The UAE has emerged as one of the most influential powers in West Asia, using diplomacy, trade, investment and strategic partnerships to extend its influence far beyond the Gulf. But its relationships with Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel have grown increasingly complex, while the Iran war has tested its carefully calibrated regional strategy. At the same time, Abu Dhabi is deepening its strategic partnership with India. In this episode, we examine the UAE’s rise, its regional ambitions and the changing alliances shaping its foreign policy. Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of In Focus Weekend Podcast, we speak to Chandan Gowda, a noted sociologist. He is currently the Dean of School of Liberal Arts, Vidyashilp University, Bengaluru. He has formerly worked with National Law School of India University Bengaluru, Azim Premji University and Institute of Social and Economic Change. His recent book "Longing for an Elsewhere: Mysore and the making of India's Developmental State", traces the trajectory of the model of development free india adopted to one of its origins in the Mysore state during colonial times. It argues development is not just an economic argument, but deeply cultural. The book is also interesting in how it traces the rise of technocrats and experts in the administration and records contemporary dissent. The book while dealing with history surprisingly speaks to contemporary concerns. Host: Aditya Bharadwaj Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Ravichandran N Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou saw India’s best ever performance – we came back with 107 medals, including 28 gold medals, and we finished fourth on the medals table, behind only China, Japan and South Korea. The 2026 Asian Games will officially kick off in from September 19, and the big question is: can improve on its performance? In this episode, we preview ’s prospects, and joining us is Uthra Ganesan from The Hindu’s Sports Bureau. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer: Jude Weston Editor: Jude Weston and Shiksha Jural Video: Tayyab Hussain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a strong pushback against unilateral western sanctions; criticism of Israel over the killing of civilians, the attacks on Lebanon, and the forced occupation of Palestinian territory; and support for United Nations reform as well as a BRICS payment mechanism, the New Delhi Declaration of 2026 has been likened to India’s foreign policy from its non-aligned past. But was it a compromise by New Delhi in order to build a consensus, or will the statement, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close engagement with the leaders of Iran, Russia, and China, have a bearing on India’s future foreign policy? Guests: Ajay Bisaria and Happymon Jacob Host: Suhasini Haidar Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Western Ghats in India is a mountain range that is considered next only to the Himalayas in terms of being a biological treasure trove with a high degree of endemism and scenic beauty. It has also been declared as one of the world’s hotspots of biodiversity. However, in recent times, it has been in the news for threats to its unique ecosystem, especially with every episode of an ecological disaster. Yet, every attempt that has proposed to address these problems - be it the Gadgil committee report or the Kasturirangan report - has met with opposition. The latest in this list is the draft notification issued by the Centre proposing the Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) that would cover a 20,668 square kilometre area spread across 1,449 villages in Karnataka, which has been vehemently opposed by the Karnataka government. In the first of this two-part podcast, AS Ponnanna, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Karnataka and MLA from Virajpet in Kodagu, nestled in the Western Ghats, talks about the concerns the Karnataka government has with the Kasturirangan report and the Centre’s latest draft notification. In Part 2, we will have TV Ramachandra from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, who was also the local expert who gave his inputs to the Kasturirangan committee. Host: K C Deepika. The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Video: Ravichandran N Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent BRICS summit in New Delhi, held under India’s presidency, brought together an expanded grouping at a time of major geopolitical and economic shifts. The summit sought to deepen cooperation among its members while navigating their often divergent strategic interests. West Asia, in particular, posed a significant diplomatic challenge. The New Delhi Declaration addressed the situation in Gaza, the Iran conflict and the wider instability in the region, while India also sought to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the UAE. So, what were the key takeaways of the Delhi summit? How did BRICS handle the conflicts in West Asia? And why was the grouping able to find greater consensus on Palestine than on the Iran conflict?  Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Edited and published by Sharmada Venkatausbramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Security Council is paralysed, and Superpowers haven’t recognized there are limits to their power says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in his most scathing comments about the culture of “impunity” and divisiveness that besets global leadership. This episode, we have an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, the UNSG, who demits office at the end of the year weighed in on a number of issues, including UN reform, the election for his successor, the latest developments in the West Asia war, Israel’s war in Gaza, India’s efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war, and the latest controversy of a new UN resolution on the world map. Guest: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres Host: Suhasini Haider Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doomsday scenarios of an ‘AI takeover’ have been part of popular lore for a long time. Skynet, Terminator, and Agent Smith are fictional icons of this narrative. What may seem a paranoid fantasy appears to have unfolded in real life, with the recent hacking incident involving AI infrastructure platform, Hugging Face. OpenAI was conducting a cyber-evaluation of some of its AI models, and according to a report put out by MERT and Redwood Research, AI safety experts, about 1,200 AI agents, who were supposed to be isolated from one another, colluded and collaborated through an unsanctioned message board. They cheated on their task, and covered their tracks by falsifying their logs. It was as a part of this ‘rogue’ action that 700 of them attacked Hugging Face. The report says that more than a thousand agents carried out a massive, unsanctioned, collaborative project over months, before being discovered and shut down. OpenAI’s own report revealed that after the Hugging Face attack, the ‘rogue’ agents even took over a cluster of OpenAI’s own computers. What does this entire incident mean for AI safety? Are fears of an AI takeover justified? How to ensure that frontier AI research is properly regulated and doesn’t endanger humanity itself? Joining us today is Sayash Kapoor, incoming professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information and co-author of the book, ‘AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence can do, what it can’t, and how to tell the difference’. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Iran war has entered another dangerous phase, with the confrontation between Tehran and Washington increasingly spilling into the Persian Gulf. Iran has stepped up attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. has intensified efforts to restrict Iranian oil exports. At the same time, questions over Iran’s nuclear programme remain unresolved, and tensions are rising across Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. So, what is Iran trying to achieve with this escalation? What remains of Iran’s nuclear programme? Is the conflict turning into a wider regional war, and is Lebanon becoming its next major front? Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year moratorium on generative AI tools for public school students through Class 8 for the 2026-27 academic year. Officials argued that young children require human connection and independent problem-solving skills instead of relying on algorithms. Should the use of Gen AI be banned among younger students?   Guests: Lavina Jaswani and Deepa Jacob Host: Priscilla Jebaraj Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Western Ghats in India is a mountain range that is considered next only to the Himalayas in terms of being a biological treasure trove with a high degree of endemism and scenic beauty. It has also been declared as one of the world’s hotspots of biodiversity. However, in recent times, it has been in the news for threats to its unique ecosystem, especially with every episode of an ecological disaster. Yet, every attempt that has proposed to address these problems - be it the Gadgil committee report or the Kasturirangan report - has met with opposition. The latest in this list is the draft notification issued by the Centre proposing the Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) that would cover a 20,668 square kilometre area spread across 1,449 villages in Karnataka, which has been vehemently opposed by the Karnataka government. AS Ponnanna, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister of Karnataka and MLA from Virajpet in Kodagu, nestled in the Western Ghats, talks about the concerns the Karnataka government has with the Kasturirangan report and the Centre’s latest draft notification. Host: K. C. Deepika, City Editor, The Hindu, Bengaluru Producer: Shiksha Jural Video: Ravichandran N Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The implementation of the creamy layer doctrine for OBC reservations has been beset with complications. A Supreme Court judgement on March 11 essentially held that Union government has been doing it all wrong all these years, and that their income/wealth test was subjecting a section of OBC applicants to “hostile discrimination”. The Supreme court gave the government six months to implement its order with regard to the litigants. But the government has told the court that it will be too complicated to implement its order retrospectively. For instance, one immediate concern: what happens with the results of the 2025 civil services exams that were declared on March 6? With the court set to hear the matter again on September 17, we unpack the complex history of creamy layer implementation. How effective has it been -- in remedying the hogging of OBC reservations by a few select groups? Isn’t sub-categorisation a better approach compared to the creamy layer doctrine – when it comes to ensuring opportunities for under-represented communities within OBCs? Guest: Abhinay Lakshman from The Hindu’s bureau Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special bonus episode featuring the Hindu's Global Faultlines podcast where Sharmada venkatausbramanian is in conversation with Stanly Johny. Israel has fought multiple wars and military campaigns since October 7, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, while expanding its military and intelligence operations across the region. But military reach does not necessarily translate into strategic victory. What has Israel actually achieved, and at what cost? Has it strengthened its security and position in West Asia, or created new vulnerabilities and deeper isolation? How have these wars changed Israel’s relationship with the United States, the Gulf and India, and what do they mean for the future of the Palestinian question?  In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine Israel’s wars, its security establishment, its evolving regional strategy and the larger question: Is Israel winning? Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Camera: Johan Sathyadas J Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been a lot of excitement in the cancer research field recently. Preliminary results from a trial with patients who had melanoma or skin cancer, showed that a ‘cancer vaccine’ had been successful in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumours. This vaccine, called instamaren autogene, is based on mRNA technology – the same tech that was used to manufacture Covid vaccines during the pandemic. A number of other trials across the world are also looking into how mRNA vaccines can help prevent the recurrence of certain hard-to-treat cancers. So what are these new therapies and what cancer do they treat? Why are they called vaccines when they don’t actually prevent cancer? How does mRNA tech work and how is AI helpful in this? Will these personalised treatments be available in India any time soon and how expensive will they be? Guest: Dr. Narayana Subramaniam, Lead Consultant, Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Aster Hospitals, and Adjunct Faculty at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much was expected from the Indian men’s hockey team after back to back bronze medals at the highest level of the sport – the Olympic Games. The core of the team that took part in the recently concluded World Cup was the same as the one that medalled at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Yet we struggled against the top teams at the recently concluded World Cup. Despite having a coach in Craig Fulton who is known for a defense-first approach, the single most disappointing aspect of the team’s performance was in defence, as it conceded 19 goals in just six games. What is the team missing, and what does this performance bode for the upcoming Asian Games where are the defending champions? We speak with Uthra Ganesan from The Hindu’s Sports Bureau. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, jewellery brand Giva withdrew an advertisement it made for Raksha Bandhan after netizens criticised actress Kriti Sanon’s outfit as too revealing for a traditional festival. The incident is the latest in a series of brands backtracking on their advertisements following backlash that is often religiously or communally charged. Given India’s current socio-political climate, are brands overreacting to manufactured outrage? Here, we discuss the question. Guest: Mitushi Sharma and Santosh Desai Host: Sonikka Loganathan Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The resilience of a nation’s economy is determined by the quality of its human capital. Other things being equal, a country with a healthy and educated population will grow much faster than one with a semi-literate and undernourished one. And yet, has historically, and consistently, under-invested in health and education – neglecting them even in years of high economic growth. There is a strong tendency to dismiss state expenditure on people’s well being a as ‘freebies’ or ‘revdi’. But are they freebies or are they basic rights that people can demand from the state? Guest: Reetika Khera, professor of economics at IIT, explores this question in her book, ‘Freebies or Rights: Understanding Social Policy in ’, which maps ’s welfare architecture and its effectiveness. Host: G Sampath Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year, the conflict shows little sign of ending. Russia and Ukraine continue to intensify drone and missile attacks, while efforts for a possible diplomatic breakthrough remain uncertain. Is Vladimir Putin under growing pressure? How has the nature of the war changed, what is driving the escalation? Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Smriti Sudesh Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Do you not want people to be healthy?” That was the question the Supreme Court put to the FSSAI earlier this month, while hearing a case over warning labels on the front of packaged food, for foods high in sugar, salt, and fat. The Court questioned why the regulator had delayed implementing stronger warnings, particularly when the issue directly concerns public health and children.The question becomes even more significant now, after a media investigation found that some of the world’s biggest food and beverage brands use substantially different formulations for their products in India and abroad, with Indian products containing higher levels of sugar, salt or fat, along with less prominent health warnings.So, what determines what consumers get on their shelves and how much protection do our food-safety rules really provide? To understand this, today, on In Focus, we’re joined by Hyderabad-based paediatrician Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, whose eight-year fight over the misleading use of “ORS” label on high-sugar electrolyte drinks eventually led to FSSAI banning the use of the term by products that do not follow the prescribed formulation. Guest: Dr. Sivaranjani Santosh, Paediatrician Host: Rishita Khanna Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special weekend crossover episode featuring the Hindu's Rearview podcast. Did Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi solve the Riemann Hypothesis - one of mathematics's greatest puzzles? Was Kosambi, who wrote one of the most influential books on studying Indian history, ignored by both mathematicians and historians? Is he India's Alan Turing? This week we interview Prof Ram Ramaswamy, whose biography of the remarkably eclectic DD Kosambi: DD Kosambi, One Life, Many Worlds, gives a dispassionate, scholarly and insightful look into this mathematician and historian who was also a Sanskrit scholar and avowed Marxist. Ramaswamy, who's taught at JNU, IIT Delhi and is a former Vice Chancellor at University of Hyderabad, has unearthed rich archival material to investigate the motivations, frustrations and sources of inspiration that shaped one of India's greatest polymaths. Host: Jacob Koshy Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India has a waste management problem. Though we reportedly collect 90% of our municipal solid waste, nearly 40% does not enter formal processing. Due to this large share that is out of the formal processing system, most Indian cities have garbage mountains – open dump sites and landfills. These dump sites have been linked to groundwater contamination and other public health risks. Critically, they are massive sources of non-CO2 greenhouse gases such as Methane.How to eliminate or shrink these dump sites? How to ensure that waste segregation is followed all the way from the collection point till the end of the fresh-waste disposal chain? What are the chances India can reduce landfill methane emissions to zero?A new report, titled ‘Municipal Solid Waste Management in : Policy and Technology Pathways for Climate Action’, says that with the right reforms, can reduce waste sector methane emissions by 99% within 10–15 years. Guests: Zerin Osho, Director of the Indian Program at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (IGSD), and Akshat Patni, Senior Adviser with IGSD. Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian and Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court has been discussing linguistics this month, while hearing challenges to the CBSE’s three-language formula, which mandates that two of the three must be native Indian languages, a category that does not include English. The Bench has been debating whether English should be considered a foreign language in India, given its long history in the country, and its role as a link language in governance and in higher education. We discuss the same question in this week’s Parley, with Apoorvanand, a professor in the Hindi department of the University of Delhi, and Ganesh Devy, a former professor of English and the man behind the People’s Linguistic Survey of India project. Host: Priscilla Jebaraj Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) for women have become extremely popular. So far, more than 14 states have done it, benefiting 120 million women. The monthly payouts range from Rs833 to Rs2,500. State governments spend more than Rs2 lakh crore annually on such schemes. But at the same time, at least six such states projected a revenue deficit for 2025-26, pointing to the growing fiscal pressure due to the rapid expansion of women-centric cash transfers. There is a raging debate on whether unconditional cash transfers are crowding out state expenditure on social infrastructure such as public health and education. A new book by Prabha Kotiswaran, titled ‘Wages for Housework: ’s experiment with Unconditional cash transfers for women’ defends such payouts from a feminist perspective, and argues that they are a form of economic, social and political recognition of women’s unpaid domestic and care work. Prabha Kotiswaran is Professor of Law and Social Justice at King’s College, and she joins us today for a discussion on women-centric UCTs. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Road traffic noise is a major environmental pollutant. Indian cities are cacophonous. They are not designed to insulate residents from sustained exposure to traffic noise. A new research paper has found a worrying link between traffic noise exposure and dementia, and also cognitive impairment. The paper, titled ‘Association of road traffic noise exposure with dementia or cognitive impairment – A systematic review of longitudinal cohort studies’, has been co-authored by Emil Basil Scaria and Nisha Dhanda, and was published on PLOS Global Public Health earlier this year.  We speak with the lead author of the study. Guest: Emil Basil Scaria, a public health researcher and physician based in Dubai Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year, residents in several Indian cities -from Mumbai to Bengaluru - have experienced a shortage in water supply. India's big cities are expanding in terms of size and population. This has also meant a strain on existing resources such as land and water. We have already seen cities such as Bengaluru attempting to implement restrictions on use of potable water for non-potable purposes. But do our cities need more than that to ensure water security for the future? How water stressed are Indian cities? Guest: Priyanka Jamwal, Programme Leader and Senior Fellow, Water and Society Programme, ATREE Raj Bhagat, Senior Program Manager, Geo Analytics for Sustainable Cities & Transport program, WRI India Host: K. C. Deepika, City Editor, The Hindu, Bengaluru Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s one of those conditions that has no symptoms during its early stages, meaning that by the time it is diagnosed, it could be very late: chronic kidney diseases, or CKD, has been in the news recently after a Parliamentary Standing Committee tabled a report on this condition in the Rajya Sabha earlier this month, and made a series of 66 recommendations. Significantly, the committee recommended diagnosis methodologies, called for a national CKD screening protocol and a registry, highlighted CKD of unknown etiology in certain States especially among agricultural workers and recommended greater use of peritoneal dialysis. So what is chronic kidney disease, why and how does it take place, what does it to the body, and who needs to be tested and when? Guest: Dr Rajan Ravichandran, Director, Nephrology, MIOT Hospital, Chennai and Chairman, Sapiens Health Foundation Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The biggest hurdle to police reforms comes from the bureaucracy itself – IAS officers who hold key positions at the Centre and in all departments of the governments and local bodies in the states,” writes Yashovardhan Azad in his new book, ‘Policing the Republic: An Inside View of How India Fights Corruption and Crime, and Protects Rights.’ Mr Azad, a former IPS officer who has served as special director at the Intelligence bureau and Central Information Commissioner, argues in his book that corruption and the breakdown of institutional credibility are two major challenges hobbling the India story. In this episode, we discuss, among other things, police reforms, the politics of corruption, and how tough life can be for a upright civil servant. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his 2026 Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government will roll out free online coaching for competitive exams using India’s digital public infrastructure. The announcement was made in a bid to reach out to the Gen-Z youth, especially following the widespread student protests against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak. The objective of the PM’s announcement was to save poor and middle-class families thousands of crores while also helping students prepare without leaving their homes. However, can govt. coaching classes break the private coaching industry? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Buddha Chandrasekhar, Chief Coordinating Officer of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and CEO, Anuvadini AI run under the Ministry of Education; Anubhav Shrivastava, Co-founder of Theory of Physics Host: Maitri Porecha Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of the In Focus podcast we have an excerpt from Global Faultlines, the Hindu's international affairs podcast. Yemen is no longer just the site of a devastating civil war. The Houthis have emerged as a powerful regional actor, capable of threatening Saudi Arabia, Israel and one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. In this episode, we examine how the Houthis transformed from a domestic insurgency into a regional military force, how the Gaza war expanded their role, and why Yemen has now become a new front in the Iran war. We look at the Houthis’ relationship with Iran, the strategic importance of the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, the renewed confrontation with Saudi Arabia, and what the escalation means for Yemen’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Can Yemen still find a political settlement, or has the rise of the Houthis permanently changed the balance of power in West Asia? Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Camera: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it say about our cities when the Supreme Court has to remind governments that people have a fundamental right to walk? The Court’s recent judgment on footpaths has put a very basic question back on the table - who does the city actually make space for, the pedestrian or the vehicle? In cities like Bengaluru, the answer is visible on the street. Footpaths are taken over by parking, vendors, utility infrastructure and construction, while in several places there is barely a footpath to begin with. But is “encroachment” really the problem, or have we never planned our streets around pedestrians in the first place? So, what does the Supreme Court’s decision mean for metropolitan cities, and what would it take for Bengaluru and other metro cities to become a city where walking is treated as a right rather than an afterthought? Guest: Pawan M, Executive Director at the World Resources Institute, who has been advocating for safer, more accessible and people-centric street Hots: Rishita Khanna Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Camera: Ravichandran N Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kerala is known for its high literacy rate and strong public education system. Yet, several tribal communities in the State continue to face barriers in accessing and completing education. According to the 2011 Census, the Cholanaickan community in Kerala had a literacy rate of just 15.3%, pointing to the wide gaps that persist within the State.In this episode, we look at which tribal communities are most affected by school dropouts, the reasons behind children leaving school, and the stages at which they are most vulnerable. The conversation also examines whether existing government schemes have made a difference and where gaps remain.We also discuss the example of Serve India Adivasi LP School in Thariode, Wayanad, which has worked to prevent dropouts by adapting teaching methods without changing the syllabus, and whether such approaches can be replicated elsewhere in Kerala. Guest: Pradeep Kumar, anthropologist and researcher in tribal studies and development Host: Priya Baburaj Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, startling headlines hit the news. Three commonly prescribed medicines, hydrochlorothiazide, used to treat high blood pressure, voriconazole, an antifungal medicine and tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant were classified as carcinogenic, or cancer causing, to humans. The classification was made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer or IARC, which is the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency.According to the IARC, there is sufficient evidence that hydrochlorothiazide causes squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and cancer of the lip, as the drug makes the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. Voriconazole, also has been linked to the same cancers. In the case of Tacrolimus since it suppresses the immune system to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, the reduced immune surveillance may allow abnormal cells to proliferate and it is linked with non-Hodgkin lymphoma with limited evidence for other cancers as well.These drugs are prescribed to millions of people worldwide. So what happens now? Guest: Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan convener, research cell, Kerala State IMA and honorary senior consultant gastroenterologist, Sunrise Hospital, Kochi. Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Karnataka Government has been championing a project to build a nearly 10,000 acre Live-Work-Play greenfield city on its outskirts in Bidadi, which has become a political flashpoint as farmers oppose land acquisition. All our mega cities seem to be saturated, overpopulated and congested. As a country we seem to be looking at ways of decongesting them. As Bengaluru seeks to embark on a similar trajectory as other mega cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad which have experimented building satellite towns, we ask whether building such greenfield towns on the peripheries of these cities, really the way ahead. To discuss this, urban planning, policy and governance expert Champaka Rajgopal, Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi, joins us on the In Focus podcast. She brings over 25 years of experience of having worked with national, state and local governments in India and abroad on urban policy, planning and governance. She has worked on a Master Plan for Bengaluru, Structural Plan for Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, Perspective Plan for Bengaluru - Mumbai Economic Corridor and the Earlier Draft Development Plan for Greater Mumbai - 2034. Host: Aditya Bharadwaj Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days after India’s youth-led protests forced the resignation of India’s Union Minister of Education, Members of Parliament found themselves speaking in the language of the protestors. For instance, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde accused the opposition of being “MIA” - missing in action - and feeling the “FOMO”, or the fear of missing out, before eventually becoming “delulu”. However, the Gen Z were in the limelight far before the protests caught steam. Tamil Nadu’s freshly elected Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay of the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), owes his victory, in part, to the Gen Z voters of the State. The debutante party involved its young following in electoral politics, one viral Instagram reel at a time. In response to this, the then-incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a decades-old party with deep footing in the State, posted reels and co-opted Gen Z slang as well, to no avail. Are traditional parties unable to understand the grammar of Gen Z politics? Here we discuss the question. Guests: N Sai Balaji, the political activist associated with CPI(ML) and the All India Students’ Association and Kunal Purohit, journalist and author of H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Popstars Host: Nitika Francis. Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mecca Defence Pact between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan marks a significant shift in West Asia’s security landscape. What does the agreement mean for India, and could it reshape the regional balance of power? In this episode of In Focus, we look at how India views the Mecca Pact, its implications for India-Pakistan tensions, Türkiye’s role, Saudi Arabia’s strategic calculations, and the possibility of a new security architecture in West Asia. Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor at The Hindu Host: Smriti Sudesh Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Indians make around 24 billion UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions a month. The combined value of these payments is nearly Rs30 trillion. UPI is at the heart of India’s digital public infrastructure. The best thing about UPI payments: they are free. But now this could change. The government recently passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. This Bill, among other things, amends the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, which had ensured that no charge can be levied on UPI transactions. But now, this is no longer the case. The government has claimed that this charge, known as the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), may only be applied on transactions above a certain threshold, that too only on merchants, and not on consumers. But analysts believe the costs will be passed on to the consumers. Why is MDR needed for UPI payments? Does it have anything to do with US pressure in the context of trade deal negotiations, as alleged by Opposition leaders? Is UPI really ‘free of charge’ even as it stands today? Guest: L Srikanth from Cashless Consumer, a consumer collective Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The scientific world was rocked last month, when the case of a six-year-old girl who died in China, surfaced. The child was believed to have Snijders Blok-Campeau syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a mutation in the CHD3 gene. The condition affects intellectual development, but its severity varies widely. The girl’s parents sought an experimental treatment led by neuroscientist Zilong Qiu at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. What happened then was the child underwent base editing therapy, a specialised form of gene editing therapy. The therapy was directed at her brain to correct a genetic mutation in her brain cells. The parents are believed to have financed much of the therapy’s development. Within days of the therapy, the child developed a fever and kidney damage, and died a week later. The case has thrown up a number of issues: why was an experimental treatment such as this allowed to go forward even after animal testing had reportedly found dangerous side effects? How much treatment of this sort should be allowed when its effects are still not fully understood? Are there gaps in scientific regulatory mechanisms that need to be fixed? Should families of patients be financially supporting such treatments? And finally, what does this say about our treatment of persons with disabilities? Guest: Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborty, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi Host: Zubeda Hamid Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ken-Betwa Link Project, India's first river-linking project, has once again come under the spotlight amid protests by villagers, many from tribal communities, who fear displacement and question the rehabilitation process. But beyond the immediate protests lies a larger debate over the science, hydrology and long-term viability of the project. In this episode, we unpack how the project is designed to work, what it means for the Ken and Betwa river basins, and whether the idea of a “surplus” river is scientifically sound. The conversation also explores the communities that stand to be affected, the links between environmental impacts and rehabilitation, the role of forests and river ecosystems in maintaining water security, and whether alternatives such as watershed development, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge could offer more sustainable solutions for Bundelkhand. Finally, we examine what the Ken-Betwa project could mean for the future of India's wider river-linking programme, with 30 such projects proposed under the National Perspective Plan. Guest: Himanshu Thakkar (Coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People)Host: Devyanshi Bihani Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recently concluded Commonwealth Games were unlike the usual multidisciplinary sporting extravaganzas that we are used to seeing. A late replacement to Victoria as host, the Glasgow Games were more akin to an abridged version with fewer events and fewer participants. India finished fourth on the medal table, a commendable performance given that most of the sports that over the years have formed the bulk of our medal haul had been removed. But questions of uncertainty have been whirling around the Games for a long time and the Glasgow edition has again reignited the same. Are the Commonwealth Games dying? We discuss. Tune in! Guests: Anju Bobby George and Dr. Heena Sidhu Host: Uthra Ganesan Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, blue has been synonymous with Indian sport. So why has Hockey India decided to replace it with saffron as the primary colour of the men's national team's jersey ahead of the FIH Hockey World Cup? The move has sparked criticism from former players, administrators, fans and politicians, raising questions that go far beyond the design of a kit. In this episode of In Focus, we look at how the decision was made, whether the federation followed due process, if players and support staff were genuinely consulted, and whether Hockey India's technical explanation for the change stands up to scrutiny. Guest: Uthra Ganesan, The Hindu's hockey correspondent Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neha Bora has emerged as a charismatic student leader and one of the key faces of the Jantar Mantar protests. She is the national president of AISA, the All India Students Association, which is affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. We speak with her about the impact of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 on India’s higher education system, what it means to be a leftwing student leader in India, and the challenges in mobilising students and working class youth for social justice in a scenario of shrinking spaces for dissent and civil liberties. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exactly seven years ago on August 5th, 2019, the Union government abrogated Article 370, and subsequently, Jammu & Kashmir became a Union Territory, ruled directly from New Delhi. Legislative assembly elections were held in September 2024 but the newly elected government did not have meaningful legislative or administrative powers. When it revoked Article 370, the government made two promises: one, that the move will usher in ‘normalcy’ to the Kashmir Valley, and two, that it would restore statehood soon. Today, Jammu and Kashmir is still awaiting statehood. And questions remain: Has normalcy returned? Has insurgency been stamped out? What’s the mood on the ground, and among the Kashmiri political classes? We speak with Praveen Donthi, Senior Analyst with the International Crisis Group, a non-profit that works on conflict-prevention and resolution. Produced, edited and shot by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the driving force of any economy? It is you and me! It’s the money we work so hard to earn and have fun spending. In fact, private consumption accounts for nearly 61.5% of India's GDP. Last year alone, consumer spending grew by 7.7%.  This makes households one of the biggest contributors to India’s growth story.  Meanwhile, household debt has climbed to 45.5% of GDP, with unsecured loans rising compared to home loans.  Indians are moving away from bank deposits and entering stock markets, either through mutual funds or in equities, like never before. With 93% of the growth in India's urban consumer class is expected from non-metros by 2040, how are Indians changing the way they save, borrow and spend?  Are these signs that India is becoming a mature consumption-driven economy, or a warning sign for policymakers?  (The views expressed are strictly personal) Guest: Prof. Smita Roy Trivedi, National Institute of Bank Management Host: Nivedita V Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through three harsh summer months this year, about 40 households across Delhi maintained a 'Garmi Khata' — a handwritten weekly log of what extreme heat did to their health, income and daily routines. That citizen documentation drive has now culminated in a formal submission to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in July.The submission asks the NHRC to admit the registries as evidence, formally recognise heat as a human rights concern, and fund dedicated Heat Action Plans, including national disaster status for heatwaves. This episode traces how the pilot project turned residents from subjects of a heat survey into authors of their own record, allowing them to build a case for their rights. Guests: Avinash Chanchal, Deputy Program Director (Campaigns), Greenpeace South Asia; Deepali Tonka, social work student and a person who maintained her own 'Garmi Khata'. Host: Vibha B. Madhava Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to set up fast-track courts to hear paper leak cases has once again brought these specialised courts into focus and revived the debate over whether they are the silver bullet to India's chronic judicial delays. Both the government and the judiciary have, over the years, relied on fast-track courts to expedite the trial of specific categories of high-priority cases. Following the announcement, the Delhi High Court has constituted a fast-track court at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex to exclusively hear cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. However, stakeholders have cautioned that fast-track courts are struggling with mounting pendency and resource constraints, raising doubts about whether they can truly deliver speedy justice. Have fast-track courts delivered on the promise of speedy justice?  Guest: Bharat Chugh and Shruthi Naik Host: Aaratrika Bhaumik Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maharashtra has become the first state in India to bring about a legislation for the empowerment of women farmers. The Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, has been passed by both the Houses. It gives a broader definition of women farmers and de-links agricultural identity from land ownership. But while the Bill claims to address decades of systemic economic exclusion of women, it leaves questions about why women's inclusion in land records was not incentivised through the legislation. Chennai-based MS Swaminathan Research Foundation played a pivotal role in shaping and advocating for this legislation. In this episode, we discuss what the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, means for women farmers, the changes it introduces, and the challenges that still remain. Guest: Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) Host: Vinaya Deshpande, Maharashtra Chief of Bureau, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 1, when the Union Budget 2022 was unveiled, there was much hope and expectation for the health sector. 2022 continues to be a pandemic year, with the third wave of COVID-19 hitting the country, and the government has made a commitment to increasing the allocation for health to 2.5% of the GDP by 2025.  However, the Budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not give the sector much cause for cheer. Though the overall allocation for health went up by about 16%, from Rs. 73,931 crore last year to Rs. 86,200 crore this year, the Centre actually ended up spending Rs. 82,920 crore last year, making the actual allocation for this year only about 0.2 % higher.  The Finance Minister did announce two big schemes -- an open platform for a national digital health eco-system with a registry of all health providers and a unique health identity for all, as well as a National Tele-Mental Health Programme. Digital health has gained ground in the country, especially during the last two years when most parts of the country were under various lockdowns. The push to boost mental health, which has for too long not received the attention it needs in the country, has been welcomed. But what happens to primary health care in urban and rural areas, the need for which was badly felt during the devastating second wave of the pandemic last year? And how many can still afford quality healthcare in the country -- how has the national health insurance scheme worked, and what is its budgetary allocation? And has enough money been allocated to sanitation and hygiene, pollution mitigation and nutrition -- all of which are crucial to improving health indicators? Guest: Avani Kapur, Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research and Lead Accountability Initiative Host: Zubeda Hamid  Edited by Reenu Cyriac Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The right to assemble peacefully is a fundamental right guaranteed to every citizen under the Constitution of India. But more often that not, this right has diminished into something that can only be exercised with permission from the police or the government The state can, and does, deny permission arbitrarily, and if the citizens go ahead anyway, it ends up giving a legal justification for repressive measures by the state. How did a fundamental right become conditional on permission from the state? What is the true legal and moral status of the right to peaceful dissent, and does it find reflection in the experience of Indians who wish to express their dissent? Guest: Pratik Patnaik, Delhi-based lawyer and policy commentator Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Camera: Shiksha Jural and Saif Ali Ekram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did the Houthis enter the conflict now? This video explains the group's motivations, its ties with Iran, why it resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, and how the escalation could reshape the Yemen war and regional security. We also examine the impact on global trade, oil markets, and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Smriti Sudesh edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (or VB-G RAM G) has replaced the 21-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (or MGNREGA). The VB-G RAM G Act provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work (up from 100 days under MGNREGA). However, under the new system, the States’ contributions to the scheme will increase by 300%. In this episode we discuss how this change reflects on Indian welfare policy, and more. Guest: Rajendran Narayanan, Associate Professor at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru Host: Nitika Francis Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What if all the cockroaches come together?” That was the one-line tweet, put out by Boston-returned Abhijeet Dipke, on May 16, 2026. In less than two months, we are witness to the ‘cockroaches’ – India’s youth -- coming together to protest at Jantar Mantar, and in different parts of the country.  But this student protest against endemic exam paper leaks is not the first show of mass dissent against the Narendra Modi government. Before this, there has been a farmers’ movement, the anti-CAA protests, and several other protest mobilisations by workers, Dalits, and adivasi communities.  The government has weathered all of these protests comfortably. But the big question: is the students’ movement different? Is it a political challenge unlike any that the Modi government has faced during its 12 years in power?  Guest: Saroj Giri, Associate Professor of Political Science at Delhi University Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Camera: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India has finally approved a vaccine for dengue. This is significant because India, in the last five years alone, has recorded over 1 million cases and at least 1,500 deaths due to dengue. Dengue is hyperendemic in India, which makes it a huge public health challenge. A vaccine, in this context, could make a big difference. Named QDENGA, the new vaccine has been developed by Takeda Biopharmaceuticals, a Japanese pharma company. It is expected to be sold in India in the first half of 2027. How was this vaccine developed, how safe is it, how effective will it be in India, and can it prevent the frequent outbreaks of dengue that we’ve seen in recent years? Guest: Dr Gagandeep Kang, Director-Enterics, Diagnostics, Genomics and Epidemiology, Global Health at the Gates Foundation, Seattle Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer and editor: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corruption has shaped elections, toppled governments and sparked some of the biggest public protests in independent India.  Digitalisation has transformed the way citizens interact with the government. The Right to Information Act promised greater transparency. But has corruption reduced? Or has it evolved into a different leviathan, one that is far more difficult to detect? This question is asked even as thousands of students are protesting the NEET paper leak in Delhi and around the country. Their campaign has revived memories of the India Against Corruption movement that galvanised the country more than a decade ago. Guests: Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner; Anjali Bhardwaj, a transparency activist associated with Satark Nagrik Sangathan Host: Nivedita V Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spain are world champions once again after a dominant FIFA World Cup campaign, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final. But beyond the result, the tournament has sparked fierce debate over contrasting footballing philosophies, refereeing decisions and the narratives that shaped the competition.In this episode of In Focus, we unpack Spain's rise under Luis de la Fuente, how their possession-based game has evolved since 2010, and why they emerged as the tournament's standout team. We also examine Argentina's gritty run to the final, the criticism of its physical approach, and whether allegations of favourable refereeing and FIFA bias stand up to scrutiny. Guest: Sandeep Menon, journalist and author Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The nationwide rollout of E20 petrol has become a political issue. As people complain of engine damage and lower mileage, the Opposition has accused the government of forcing E20 petrol on people. Citizens and consumers generally have two demands: one, do not force E20 on everyone but give people the option to buy pure petrol; and two, reduce the price of E20 petrol to reflect its lower calorific value and lower mileage. Are these fair demands? How have other countries managed the rollout of ethanol-blended petrol? How can India make this transition better? We speak with Vinay Piparsania, an engineer from IIT, Delhi and an independent automotive consultant who was with Ford Motor Company for over 20 years. Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The war on Iran may be over, but its consequences are only beginning to reshape the Persian Gulf. For decades, Gulf monarchies have balanced security partnerships with the United States, pragmatic engagement with Iran, and ambitious plans to transform themselves into global economic hubs. The conflict has put that strategy to its biggest test yet. In this episode of Global Faultlines, we examine how the war has changed the Gulf security order. From the GCC’s historical ties with Iran and the impact of the conflict on Gulf states to the future of the U.S. security architecture and the region’s evolving strategic partnerships, we explore what comes next for one of the world’s most consequential geopolitical theatres. Has the war fundamentally altered the Gulf’s approach to Iran? Is the U.S.-led security architecture entering a new phase? And what does the post-war security order in the Persian Gulf look like? Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Recorded by: Shivaraj S Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new book by Neeraj Kaushal, Professor of Social Policy at Columbia University, titled When Africa Comes to America: How the Next Wave of Immigrants Will Transform the United States’, argues that “the future of the United States is in Black Africa”. One revealing datapoint from the book: four times more Black African immigrants arrived in the US between 1990 and 2020 than were brought as slaves during the entire 190-year history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. So, how will the increasing influx of black Africans into the US play out in the Trumpian era of xenophobic white nationalism? Neeraj also argues that Black Africans will soon displace Asians as the new ‘model minority’ in the US. How would that alter the hierarchy of colour there? And what about India – our demographic dividend will soon be over. Should India also prepare for it by encouraging immigrants from Africa? Host: G. Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2016, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which oversees the laws of the game, approved trials for video referees. This edition marks the third time that VAR has been used in World Cups starting with the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This World Cup has also seen numerous instances where lovers of the game have been up in arms regarding the interventions of VAR. Nevertheless, the Round of 16 match between Portugal and Croatia may be one of the best advocates for the usage of VAR in football. The decision to disallow Gvardiol's equaliser would have been impossible with the naked eye. In this episode of In Focus, we take a look at how the usage of VAR has impacted football and the reasons why everyone on and off the pitch have divided opinions regarding its use. The conversation also explores the various technologies that have been implemented in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup and as well as the controversies surrounding the same. Guest: Anirudh Velamuri, Principal Correspondent, The Hindu Host: Rohan Pillay A. Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are South Indians overlooked for the Padma Awards and national awards. The issue regained prominence following the death of legendary playback singer S. Janaki, who had declined the Padma Bhushan, arguing that the honour had come far too late in her career. She maintained that artists should be recognised when they are at the height of their creative powers rather than in old age or after their death. In explaining her decision, she also referred to the posthumous Padma award conferred on the celebrated singer P. Leela. A similar debate has long surrounded the Jnanpith Award, with critics arguing that several outstanding writers from South India have been overlooked despite their enduring contributions to Indian literature. Are these concerns justified? Is there a systemic imbalance in the way India's highest civilian and literary honours are conferred, or do the awards reflect the complexities of evaluating excellence across languages, regions and artistic traditions? Guest: Historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy, Sahitya Akademi Award-winning scholar, and T.M. Krishna, acclaimed Carnatic vocalist, public intellectual and Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient Host: B. Kolappan Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The El Nino phenomenon is back this year, which means, a deficient monsoon in India. This, in turn, means a challenging time for Indian farmers. Less rainfall is bad news for India on multiple fronts -- it dampens agricultural output, dents rural demand, worsens heat stress, and affects hydropower generation, among other things, all of which together could have cascading effects on the economy. But which crops, and which regions in India, will be affected the most? More broadly, how is climate change affecting agriculture, and what can India do to manage the risks better? Guest: Professor Pramod Kumar Aggarwal from The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Host: G Sampath Producer: Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since October 7, West Asia has witnessed a cascade of crises, from the war in Gaza, attacks on Red Sea shipping, to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and direct military confrontation between Israel and Iran. Together, these events have reshaped the region’s geopolitical landscape. For India, the stakes are particularly high. New Delhi has spent years cultivating close ties with Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf states while pursuing a policy of strategic autonomy and multi-alignment. But as rivalries sharpen and instability becomes more persistent, can India continue to balance relationships with competing powers? Or does this new regional reality demand a rethink of its long-term strategy? Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu  Host: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Allegations of abuse and mistreatment of children at a daycare facility run on the campus of a tech company in Bangalore have sent shockwaves across the country. Videos of children allegedly being forced into washing machines and locked in bathrooms have emerged sparking widespread outrage and concerns. The larger question here, is how safe are the hundreds of creches and daycare facilities being run by private operators across the country? What laws, regulations and standards are followed here? Why is India’s investment into early childhood care so abysmal? And importantly, why is childcare still seen as a family issue rather than a public concern? Guest: Chirashree Ghosh, Executive Director, Policy and Partnership, Mobile Creches, an organisation working in the field of early childhood development. Host: Zubeda Hamid Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, democracy research institutes have been categorising India as a ‘partly free’ democracy, with the V-Dem Institute of the University of Gothenburg classifying India as an “electoral autocracy” from as far back as 2019. For India’s Opposition parties, will the business-as-usual electoral politics suffice in an ‘electoral autocracy’, especially when they can go longer count on a level playing field? Political scientist, psephologist, activist, politician and columnist Yogendra Yadav has been arguing that the transition of Indian democracy from “competitive authoritarianism” to “electoral autocracy” requires the Opposition to reimagine politics, and to switch from a politics of electoral contestation to a “politics of resistance”. But what does this mean in practical terms, and are India’s Opposition parties ready for it? Host: G Sampath Producer and editor: Jude Weston Recorded by : Jude Weston and Saif Ali Ekram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India and Pakistan have not been in a dialogue since 2016 when talks broke after the terror attacks at Pathankot and subsequently at Uri. The previous twelve years have witnessed major attacks at Pahalgam (2025) and Pulwama (2019) and that apart there were several smaller terror attacks. Earlier this month, a group of eminent citizens led by Gandhian O.P. Shah drafted a joint appeal to the leaders of India and Pakistan urging them to restart dialogue. This has restarted a public debate on whether it is the right time for both India and Pakistan to sit down for talks. Guest: Former MP Mani Shankar Aiyar, who is a signatory to the letter and Tara Kartha, former Director at the National Security Council Secretariat. Excerpts from the conversation. Host: Kallol Bhattacherjee Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices