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
How RBI can address rupee volatility
The Indian rupee is on a downward trend. It logged its fifth straight monthly fall in February, weighed down by foreign portfolio outflows and increased…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the measles outbreak in the U.S. and its larger implications
Earlier this week, the United States recorded its first death due to measles after over 10 years. Why is this significant? The US had declared the eradication…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How can voters in different states end up with same EPIC numbers?
The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) has released documents showing that some voters in West Bengal have the same EPIC numbers as some voters in states like…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Three years of a proxy war: Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. In the three years since, the US and Europe rallied around Ukraine, supplying it with military and financial support…
- In Focus by The Hindu
WHO exit, USAID suspension: What the United States' moves mean for global health
About one month ago, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization. This was not a completely unexpected…
- In Focus by The Hindu
The Jannik Sinner case: Is tennis’s anti-doping regime ‘broken’?
The doping controversy over world no. 1 Jannik Sinner has divided the tennis world. In March 2024, Sinner tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Does AAP’s loss in Delhi signal the end of ‘alternative politics’ in India?
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made a spectacular entry into Delhi politics in 2013. It rode the wave of an anti-corruption movement, and connected with Delhi’s…
- In Focus by The Hindu
President’s Rule in Manipur: Can it resolve the ethnic strife and restore normalcy? | In Focus podcast
Four days after N Biren Singh resigned as chief minister of Manipur, President’s rule has been imposed in the state. Singh’s resignation is seen as a belated…
- In Focus by The Hindu
The Good, Flaws and the Opportunities arising from the Budget 2025
Ahead of the Budget, there was an expectation that the government would provide some relief for the middle class, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why India needs to urgently reduce its salt intake
Two weeks ago, the World Health Organization released a set of guidelines recommending the use of the lower-sodium salt substitutes. These products reduce the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What to expect from the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam?
Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen and the chess world’s governing body FIDE were embroiled in a public spat until a few days ago. Carlsen, in…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the economics of Trump’s tariffs
US President Donald Trump has often said that ‘tariff’ is his favourite word. Within weeks of taking office, he imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What’s behind the recent eruption of large-scale violence in Colombia?
More than 100 people have been killed and over 50,000 displaced in violence that has erupted in north-east Colombia, near its border with Venezuela. The scale…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding Uttarakhand's Uniform Civil Code
Uttarakhand becomes the first Indian state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) since Independence. On January 27, 2025, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Demystifying Guillain-Barre Syndrome following the Pune outbreak
As of February 1, 140 cases and four deaths due to Guillain- Barré Syndrome have been reported in Pune, Maharashtra.The outbreak has shocked the public – most…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can Trump realistically deport millions of undocumented immigrants?
Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the administration’s crackdown on undocumented migrants has led to more than 3,500 arrests. In a related…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can SMRs power India's renewable energy transition?
The government is slowly but steadily, increasing its focus on nuclear energy. India's nuclear power operator NPCIL invited proposals from industry to set up…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How will South India's declining births affect society
It’s official now – the number of births in Kerala have hit an all-time low of about 3.9 lakh per year, a significant drop from the previous average of about…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can the AAP return to power in Delhi yet again?
Will Arvind Kejriwal return to power once again in Delhi? Or, will the BJP build on the momentum of its recent victories in Haryana and Maharashtra to dislodge…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How did workers from UP end up trapped in a cement plant in war-torn Libya?
Last month, The Hindu broke the story of 16 Indian workers trapped in ‘prison-like’ conditions at a cement factory in the Libyan city of Benghazi. Their phones…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal: How did it happen?
After more than 15 months of conflict and devastation, there is finally a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The ceasefire will come into force on January 19. The…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Agenda of Trump 2.0: What can the world expect?
On January 20th, Donald Trump will take the oath of office as the United States’ President for the second time. There is a lot of speculation, and also…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025
After a long wait of sixteen months, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on January 3, 2025, unveiled the draft rules for implementing the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Understanding HMPV: Why there is no need to panic
Just as the New Year 2025 began, there was panic once again in the media. Reports of a supposedly new respiratory virus that had caused a surge of infections…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Key episodes of 2024
In this special year-ender episode of the In Focus podcast, our hosts discuss the key episodes from this past year. From environmental issues and…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What does overusing paracetamol do to your body?
A recent study conducted in the U.K. found that paracetamol, a common, over-the-counter medication can have serious stomach, heart and kidney complications in…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why did the now-impeached President of South Korea declare martial law?
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached by the country’s National Assembly. His impeachment follows his sudden declaration of martial law on…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why are rice farmers facing profitably challenges?
The Indian government fixes a Minimum Support Price or MSP for 22 crops - paddy, wheat, several pulses, oilseeds and millets are a part of this list. The…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What is the scale of environmental risks and biodiversity losses linked to the Great Nicobar mega-project?
The Great Nicober Island is the southernmost island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to species of flora and fauna not…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What are the implications of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria?
After battling insurgency for 13 years, the Bashar al Assad regime has collapsed in Syria. Assad and his family have fled to Russia where they have been given…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Is air pollution one of the reasons behind high rates of heart disease in India?
For the past month, the news has been filled with headlines about Delhi’s toxic air. Air quality levels deteriorated so sharply that a number of emergency…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Understanding the Sambhal violence that led to five deaths
Five people were killed and many were injured in clashes that followed protests over a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why did the plastic pollution talks in South Korea fail to yield a treaty?
The fifth meeting of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) has ended without delivering a legally binding treaty to address global plastic…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the Maharashtra election controversies
Today, we are discussing an important topic concerning the elections in Maharashtra. Now after the results that were announced on the 23rd of this month, we…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the Maharashtra poll verdict: What changed between June and November 2024?
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) won 30 out of the 48 seats, while the Maha Yuti could get only 17 seats. But in the…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Does what you eat affect how your brain works?
The connection between the gut and the brain has for long been established, but recent research is increasingly finding that problems in the gut are linked to…
- In Focus by The Hindu
COP29: Why are developing countries so disappointed? | In Focus podcast
The COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan has concluded without a proper agreement on the New Quantified Collective Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. NCQG…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the extradition controversy around Sheikh Hasina
The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus has said that his country will seek the extradition of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina. The…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Can Dissanayake chart a new economic path for Sri Lanka or will he stay bound by the IMF program?
The National People’s Power (NPP), the ruling alliance led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has secured a historic mandate in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the mandate for Trump and his picks for the White House
Donald Trump is going to Make America Great Again again. He is all set to take oath in January 2025 as the 47th President of the United States. The media and…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Saudi's Neom project: What do its exploitative work conditions say about India's migrant worker scenario?
Exploitative work conditions faced by Indians in the Middle East is not new, but the recent reports emerging from Saudi Arabia’s ambitious $500 billion Neom…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why accountability is key for climate financing | In Focus podcast
Negotiators, government representatives, and activists from across the world will assemble in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 for COP29, this year's U.N…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Census and delimitation: what’s going to happen in South India
The much-delayed Census may finally be conducted next year, with the process being completed in 2026. Following the Census the Central government may go ahead…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Trump vs Harris: Who has the upper hand on eve of polling day? | In Focus podcast
Americans are all set to pick their 47th President on November 5. The campaigning has been one of the most fractious in US history, and the stakes have perhaps…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why is this year's Nobel prize for Economic Sciences so controversial?
This year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson [AJR] for their work in understanding how good…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How will the Vijay factor affect the political field in Tamil Nadu? | In Focus podcast
Eight months after he announced the launch of a new political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), actor Vijay held his first political rally on October…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the India-China border patrolling agreement
India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This is expected to lead to “disengagement” and…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What does Sinwar’s death mean for prospects of Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations?
Yayha Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and head of the group’s political bureau was killed by Israeli forces on October 16. His death sparked…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What role does microRNA play in our cells and why is this vital?
For the fifth time in its history, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been given for research into RNA. This year’s Nobel Prize winners, Victor…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Why did the Supreme Court recall its order striking down provisions of the 2016 amendments to the Benami Act, 1988? | In Focus podcast
Last week, the Supreme Court recalled its judgement of August 23, 2022, wherein it had struck down certain provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition)…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What are the problems with the bail system in India?
Last week, G.N. Saibaba, a former professor at Delhi University, died, after being released from jail in March this year after spending 10 years incarcerated…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the workers strike at Samsung India in Chennai
In this episode, we are in conversation with A. Soundararajan, the honorary president of the recently formed Samsung India Workers Union to better understand…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What are the objections to the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024?
The Union government recently introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the 1995 Waqf Act. The provisions of the 1995 law govern the administration of…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Decoding the J&K assembly elections verdict
The INDIA bloc comprising the National Conference (NC), the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist (CPM) has secured a clear majority in the Jammu…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How did the BJP pull off an unexpected victory in the Haryana assembly polls?
All the exit polls had favoured a Congress victory in the Haryana assembly elections. But defying these predictions, the BJP has secured a clear mandate…
- In Focus by The Hindu
How did Marathi become a classical language?
On October 3, we saw that the government of India announced classical language status to four languages and Marathi was one of them. We have been hearing how…
- In Focus by The Hindu
Is Delhi set to have even worse air quality this winter compared to previous years?
The Delhi winter used to be something everyone looked forward to. But over the past decade, Delhiites have come to dread the winter months due to toxic air…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What is passive euthanasia and why should we be talking about it more?
The Union Health Ministry issued a set of draft guidelines on a subject that has mostly remained somewhat taboo in India: passive euthanasia. The guidelines…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What are the implications of Hassan Nasrallah’s death for Lebanon and Gaza?
Last week Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in aerial strikes over a southern suburb of Beirut, raising fears of a sharp escalation and expansion…
- In Focus by The Hindu
What is the Body Roundness Index (BRI) and could it replace BMI?
What’s a quick measure of how healthy you are? Most people would say Body Mass Index or BMI. But increasingly, experts have come to the conclusion that BMI has…