Shows / In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus by The Hindu
A podcast from The Hindu that delves deep into current developments with subject experts, and brings in context, history, perspective and analysis.
Episodes
- In Focus by The Hindu
Presidential reference: Is the Supreme Court’s opinion a blow against federalism?
A 5-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has given its opinion on the 16th Presidential Reference. This Reference pertained to the discretionary powers of the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What does Kerala’s Zero Extreme Poverty announcement really mean
Kerala has declared that it has “eradicated extreme poverty,” identifying over one lakh people as the final few remaining in this category in the State. But…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Ryan Williams case: Can foreign-born players solve Indian football’s woes?
Australian-born footballer Ryan Williams has given up his Australian passport to take Indian citizenship and join the national team. His move has reopened a…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Weekend | What Happened to Daniel Naroditsky in the Online Chess Era?
When the world shut down during the pandemic, chess migrated to screens and found a new pulse. The game sped up, audiences multiplied and Grandmaster Daniel…
- In Focus by The Hindu
IPL trades: On retentions, team strategies and auction war rooms for IPL 2026
As IPL teams submitted their final retention lists ahead of the December mini-auction, the league witnessed one of its most dramatic reshuffles in years —…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Death sentence for Hasina: What does it mean for Bangladesh politics?
The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh has handed a death sentence to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The tribunal found her guilty of crimes…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Is federalism in retreat under single-party hegemony?
The recent rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax brought cheer to consumers, but triggered another row between the Centre and some States, which fear a…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Bihar verdict: Anomaly, or end of the road for the Opposition?
Another assembly election is done and dusted. And the Opposition has lost yet again – this time it was decimated. The NDA won 202 out of the 243 seats in…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What does the latest petition before the Supreme Court mean for surrogacy in India?
Surrogacy, is back in the news. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court agreed to look into the Surrogacy Act, following a petition from a couple facing…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Young love vs POCSO Act: The hidden realities behind the low conviction rates
This episode of InFocus unpacks the complexities behind low conviction rates in POCSO cases, revealing why these numbers don’t always tell the full story…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How U.S. oil sanctions are testing India-Russia ties
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. and its allies have rolled out sweeping sanctions — freezing Moscow’s central-bank…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Blood safety in India: What are the issues and how can they be resolved?
Last month, a tragic incident took place in Jharkhand. Five children with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder contracted HIV, following a blood…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Sudan’s RSF massacres: What’s behind the unending war?
The civil war in Sudan has taken more than 150,000 lives. It has displaced at least 13 million people. The UN has confirmed famine in parts of the country…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Should public celebrations or expression of devotion be avoided?
Earlier this week, a video purportedly showing a group of people offering namaz at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru ignited a political…
- In Focus by The Hindu
When she is Right: Is a female conservative PM good news for women?
There was a time when women like Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand and Angela Merkel in Germany seemed to rewrite the rules of leadership. They led with calm…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Bihar SIR: What the Supreme Court’s intervention has achieved and what lies ahead
The Election Commission of India has announced the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States, including…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Is G-2 real or mere rhetoric: Decoding the US-China ‘truce’ reached in Busan
In today’s world, relations between the United States and China is perhaps the most consequential of all bilateral ties. They are both economic superpowers…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Weekend | Something Strange on the Chessboard? Call the Chess Detective.
In India’s coastal state of Goa, the world’s best chess players are chasing titles at the FIDE World Cup, a biennial tournament run by FIDE, the International…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What is ORS and why did Dr. Sivaranjani take the label to court?
Ask for ORS at your local pharmacy and odds are you will be handed a tetrapack of ORSL or some other liquids that may have the letters ORS on their packaging…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding New York's Mamdani moment
New York City has just chosen a socialist as its leader. At 34, Zohran Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim to hold the office. The son of filmmaker Mira Nair…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Is using AI-based tools for mental health useful or harmful?
Last week, Open AI reported that over a million people discuss suicide or self harm tendencies with ChatGPT every week. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How are the guardrails of India’s microfinance sector helping it back to health?
India’s economy has been humming. Easing of income tax rules, followed by GST rate cuts for daily-use items have helped the it along. One important indicator…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Have Political Parties Decoded Disparate Bihar Ahead of the State Elections?
Bihar is one state made up of many distinct worlds. In Seemanchal, floods and identity anxieties take over everyday life. In Magadh, jobs and economic justice…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can India’s win redefine power and possibility in women’s cricket?
A month ago India’s women’s team looked uncertain. There were early wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan but then came bruising losses to England, Australia and…
In Focus by The HinduIn Focus-Weekend | Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl: Do her lyrics still resonate with fans?
Despite her widespread appeal, Taylor Swift still draws some polarising opinions, especially since the release of her brand new album on October 3rd, The Life…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Is close contact with pigeons bad for your health?
Anyone who lives in a city in India knows there are pigeons everywhere – on the balconies of buildings, roosting on rooftops, nesting in air-conditioners, and…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Supreme Court quashes ‘mass conversion’ FIRs: What it means for anti-conversion laws in India
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court of India quashed multiple FIRs filed under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law on October 17, 2025. The court found…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Should AI be introduced as part of school curricula?
Recently, the Ministry of Education announced that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum would be introduced from Class 3 onwards for the next academic…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why are ‘Extinct in the Wild’ species becoming a conservation priority in India
Earlier this month, the vast forest-grassland mosaic of the Western Ghats, Assam’s Manas National Park, and West Bengal’s Sundarbans, a mangrove where tigers…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Crimes against women during conflict in Manipur: What the numbers don't say
In today’s episode we turn our attention to Manipur; a state in India’s Northeast that has been experiencing conflict on ethnic lines. In 2023, the violence…
- In Focus by The Hindu
‘Evidence-based’ approach and RCTs: Can they distort policy-making?
Evidence-based policy. Randomised Control Trials or RCTs. These are buzzwords in developmental policy these days. They have become almost synonymous with each…
- In Focus by The Hindu
China drops ‘developing country’ tag at WTO: What it means for India
In a major shift in policy, China has announced that it will no longer seek the special treatment reserved for developing countries under World Trade…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why does rabies still kill so many in India?
Over the past few months, the stray dog crisis has rocked the country. The numbers are staggering and how to deal with them has elicited multiple, heated…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Pan-India SIR: Given the Bihar experience, what can we expect?
The Election Commission is all set for a country-wide roll out of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The first phase of the process would…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Should India take global leadership on climate change?
Ahead of Conference of the Parties 30 (COP30) in November in Belém, Brazil, global headwinds have left many developed countries in the West increasingly…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can the stolen Crown Jewels from the Louvre ever be recovered?
A serene Sunday morning at the Louvre turned chaotic in just seven minutes. Four thieves, using construction vests and a mechanized lift, cut through…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Bihar elections: What are the key factors that will decide the outcome?
Bihar will go to the polls in November. There are 243 seats, and three major players. The NDA Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing 20 years of incumbency…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the 2025 Nobel in Economics: How new ideas crush the old and fuel growth
In a paper in 1992, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt explained how economic growth is propelled by a cycle of innovation, in which outdated technologies and…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Weekend | So you think your kid can be a chess champ?
They travel with boards in their backpacks and cameras in their faces. Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Vaishali, Divya now play before millions online. For parents…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can Indian women turn talent into wins at the Cricket World Cup?
India’s World Cup has been a mix. Some matches went well. Others, not so much. The regular batters haven’t quite clicked. The bowling still lacks variety. Five…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Should India host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics?
India has big plans — and even bigger dreams — to host the 2036 Olympics. But before that, the country will look to prove its ability to do so, by hosting the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Is landlockedness the reason for Bihar’s underdevelopment?
It is election season in Bihar. While the Opposition often speaks about the lack of development and industrialisation in the State, in its campaigns, the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the paracetamol-autism controversy
A few weeks ago, U.S. president Donald Trump made a startling announcement: he said using the common painkiller paracetamol, or acetaminophen, known as Tylenol…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What's driving India's renewed engagement with the Afghan Taliban regime?
In a significant diplomatic development, a Taliban delegation led by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister recently visited New Delhi for official talks, the first…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why the challenge against Securities Transactions Tax in the Supreme Court?
The Supreme Court is set to take up a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Securities Transaction Tax (STT). This is a direct tax levied on all…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Is GPT-5 a revolution or hype?
Another upgrade, another round of applause. OpenAI’s GPT-5 has arrived—sleeker, quicker and kind of the talk of the town. But peel back the glitz and questions…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can Venezuela’s Nobel Peace Laureate Maria Corina Machado Inspire Change?
She has been tear-gassed, threatened, and banned from office — yet María Corina Machado never stopped speaking for a silenced nation. Now, at 58, Venezuela’s…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Trump’s Gaza peace plan: Can it deliver a lasting ceasefire?
President Donald Trump's new 20-point peace plan promises to end hostilities, free hostages, and rebuild Gaza under a new framework of international oversight…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Are women deciding Assembly elections?
In the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, political parties are rolling out several welfare measures for women. On October 3, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why Indians are shifting from fixed deposits to SIPs
For decades, Indian households relied on fixed deposits, insurance, and gold to grow their savings. A large faction still continues to do that. But in the last…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Cough syrup deaths: Where is India going wrong with its medicines
Nearly 40 years ago, 14 patients died at Mumbai’s J.J. hospital, as the medication they took was contaminated with diethylene glycol, an industrial solvent…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why is DNA evidence in India often not reliable?
Recently, the Supreme Court of India issued guidelines with regard to DNA samples in criminal cases. These guidelines, issued to preserve the integrity of such…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Weekend | Naming chimps, making room: Jane Goodall’s wild legacy for women in science
On a July morning in 1960, Jane Goodall stepped off a boat onto the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. She was 26, untrained by universities, armed only…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Understanding the impact of public opinion on the Israel-Hamas war
Adding a page to the history of the Israel-Palestine question, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia now…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Parley | Should Ladakh get statehood?
On September 24, Ladakh witnessed unprecedented violence and protests which left four persons dead in police action. Two days later, climate activist Sonam…
- In Focus by The Hindu
The Asia Non Cup: No Handshakes, No Trophy?
The Asia Cup has never been straightforward. Scheduled every two years, it often slips away — undone by border tensions and government quarrels. This year…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why ‘Design in India’ must be the next step in defence manufacturing
Over the last decade, "Make in India" has been at the heart of the Centre's economic policy and increasing defence manufacturing is a important part of that…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why are C-section rates rising in India?
A recent analysis in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, found that one in five deliveries in India are now by Caesarean section. From 2005, when the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How Ladakh’s peaceful protests turned violent and led to Sonam Wangchuk’s arrest
Fringed by China and Pakistan, Ladakh is India’s high-altitude borderland. For years now, locals led peaceful protests demanding statehood and constitutional…
- In Focus by The Hindu
In Focus-Weekend | Anxieties of the IB school parent: How to tell if it’s the right fit for your child?
In recent times, India has seen a sharp spike in the popularity of IB schools. In fact, having your kid in an IB school has become something of a status…