In Focus by The Hindu

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 sa...

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...

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...

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

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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 ch...

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 mu...

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 r...

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...

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...

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 Sa...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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

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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 Ho...

“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 al...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ar...

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...

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...

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...

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?<...

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 ba...

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...

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 ele...

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. <...

President Donald Trump has declared the Iran ceasefire 'over', casting new doubt on the future of the June 17 agreement. With nuclear negotiations stalled, tensions rising across West Asia, and questions over sanctions, NATO divisions and the risk of renewed military action, what comes next? We examine the future of U.S.-Iran relations, Tehran's strategy, the prospects for diplomacy, and whether the region is heading toward another major conflict.

Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Host: Smriti Sudesh

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

...

The Indian state has been digitalising land records across the country for many years now, and more aggressively since 2016 as part of the Digital India Initiative. There is growing evidence, however, that rather than empowering vulnerable communities, digital governance has often had the effect of dispossessing them of their rights – seen most clearly in  the context of Aadhaar and KYC-related withholding of welfare benefits and MGNREGA wages - and it seems to be happening again with land records digitalisation. Ground reports from Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand by Sushmita, an independent journalist, indicate that digitalisation of land records has aided the d...

A recent case of assisted reproduction hit the headlines a couple of weeks ago, after a couple from Gurugram alleged publicly that their twin babies, born through IVF, were not genetically theirs. The case has created shockwaves, and subsequently, a Delhi court to file a case and probe the allegation. The case has once again put the spotlight on the assisted reproduction sector in India, a sector that has grown dramatically over the past couple of decades. After several years of no regulations, the Central government, in 2021, passed two legislations, the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, and the Surrogacy...

NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is a high stakes, high pressure exam that can make or mar the careers and fortunes of entire families. At least 14-NEET-linked suicides were reported this year, and the Tamil Nadu government’s official position is that NEET should be scrapped. In Part 1 of this series, we looked at whether NEET as a system is aligned with India’s social goals. In the second episode, we unpacked NEET’s real relationship with merit. And in Part 3, we drill down to the examination itself, and the paper leak that sparked a retest. Guest: Professor Rajeev...

The United States and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to halt fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease the naval blockade, and reduce tensions in the Gulf. But within weeks, the agreement is facing conflicting interpretations, new security incidents, and growing uncertainty. Guest: Raja Karthikeya, Head of West Asia studies, Takshashila Institution Host: Smriti Sudesh Producer: Shiksha Jural

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NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is a high stakes, high pressure exam that can make or mar the careers and fortunes of entire families. At least 14-NEET-linked suicides were reported this year, and the Tamil Nadu government’s official position is that NEET should be scrapped. Is a highly centralised MCQ-format exam the best way to assess the merit of a medical education aspirant? In Part 1 of this series, we looked at whether NEET as a system is aligned with India’s social goals. In the second episode, we unpack NEET’s relationship with merit. Joining us today is Pro...

In January 2017, when FIFA expanded the World Cup to 48 teams, starting with the 2026 edition, there were mixed feelings. Many welcomed the move, arguing that the flagship event of the planet’s most popular sport should have more than just 32 outfits. But there was criticism too, for many felt that the increase would dilute the quality of football.

What does evidence from the ongoing World Cup in North America say? Here we discuss the question.

Guests: Pradhyum Reddy and Lallianzuala Chhangte

Host: N. Sudarshan

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NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is a high stakes, high pressure exam that can make or mar the careers and fortunes of entire families. At least 14-NEET-linked suicides were reported this year, and the Tamil Nadu government’s official position is that NEET should be scrapped. Much of the recent commentary on NEET has focussed on the paper leak. But larger questions remain: Is NEET, and India’s medical education system, aligned with the nation’s social and public health goals? In a country with one of the world’s lowest doctor-patient ratios, shouldn’t medical education be more acces...