In Focus by The Hindu

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 with binoculars, a notebook and patience. What she saw in the forests of Gombe in East Africa altered science itself: chimpanzees who shaped tools, who mourned, who loved. She gave them names and with that simple act, insisted on their individuality. But Goodall did more than open a window into the lives of chimpanzees. She opened doors for women. In an era when female scientists were almost absent, she, alongside gorilla researcher Dian Fossey and orangutan expert Biruté Galdikas, staked a claim in a field dominated by men. Reluctant at first, passionate in time, she traded the intimacy of the forest for activism on world stages, becoming a gentle but firm voice for nature and for children who would inherit it. On Wednesday (October 1, 2025), Jane Goodall died at 91. She was still on tour, still speaking for the wild. Will we carry her hope and continue the path she opened for women in science? In this weekender episode, we talk about how Goodall’s life reshaped research, storytelling and the role of women in conservation. Guests: Catherine Crockford, primatologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, Lyon; Neha Sinha, wildlife biologist, conservationist, and author, based in Delhi Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Produced and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 formally recognise a Palestinian state. However, data show that the share of people surveyed in the UK who support this decision has decreased since the same time last year. On the other hand, according to a YouGov poll, the share of Americans backing Israelis in this conflict has reached a 25-year low. Both sets of opinions represent a shift away from their respective governments’ stances. Guest: Stanly Johny, the International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Nitika Francis Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 24, Ladakh witnessed unprecedented violence and protests which left four persons dead in police action. Two days later, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was sitting on a hunger strike with 15 others, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and taken to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan. The government accused the activist of instigating the violence, a charge denied by Wangchuk. A year after it was turned into a Union Territory in 2019, the region, with a population of around three lakh, has been protesting for constitutional safeguards, the two major demands being statehood and tribal status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The government is engaged in talks with two civil society groups, the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, representing the Leh and Kargil regions, respectively, for the past three years. The talks led to few outcomes regarding policies on reservation and domicile status, but this was not acceptable to the groups as the two core demands remained unmet. Should Ladakh get statehood? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Rangarajan R, former IAS officer and author of Courseware on Quality Simplified, and Sajjad Kargili, member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance. Host: Vijaita Singh Produced by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Asia Cup has never been straightforward. Scheduled every two years, it often slips away — undone by border tensions and government quarrels. This year, despite tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament managed to be held.The young Indian team, missing the usual veterans, went unbeaten. Pakistan made the final a nail-biting contest: a reminder of why this rivalry endures and is eagerly awaited by people of two countries that were once one.Sadly, the clashes between these famed rivals were overshadowed by fighter-plane gestures and snubbed handshakes. India lifted nothing but an imaginary trophy. They had won every match but refused the silverware from the Pakistani head of the Asian Cricket Council. Why do the shadows of politics so often creep onto a field made for sport? To make sense of this, we turn to KC Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor of The Hindu, who has spent decades tracing this much-cherished rivalry on the pitch and behind the scenes. Guest: KC Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor, The Hindu Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 goal given India is one of the largest importers of defence equipment in the world. The sector, plagued by bureaucratic delays, budgetary constraints, and corruption, was opened to the private sector. The government streamlined procedures, earmarked weapons and platforms that will be manufactured domestically and allowed more FDI in the sector. Now, domestic manufacturing is booming. Defence expenditure increased from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013–14 to ₹6.81 lakh crore in 2025–26. In 2024–25, defence production touched a record ₹1.50 lakh crore, more than triple the 2014–15 level. Defence exports grew thirty-four times over the last decade, reaching ₹23,622 crore in 2024–25.  What does this mean for our defence preparedness?  Guest: Dinakar Peri, a fellow in the Security Studies program at Carnegie India Host: Nivedita V Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 rate of C-section was 8.5%, it has risen to 21.5% as of 2021, the analysis said. International bodies such as the World Health Organization discourage high rates of C-section, as they are associated with longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs, burdening both patients’ families and the healthcare system. So what is driving the rates up in India despite the fact that C-sections, in general, cost more? Is patient preference a factor? Is this an area that could do with guidelines or regulations? Guest: Dr A. Jaishree Gajaraj, senior obstetrician and gynaecologist based in Chennai Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fringed by China and Pakistan, Ladakh is India’s high-altitude borderland. For years now, locals led peaceful protests demanding statehood and constitutional protections for land, jobs, and identity. But last week, that peace broke. Violence erupted in Leh city in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Wednesday (September 24, 2025), several protesters were killed as security forces launched a heavy crackdown. At the centre of it all is Sonam Wangchuk — an engineer, climate activist, and one of Ladakh’s most respected voices. He was arrested under the National Security Act, a law that allows detention without trial for up to 12 months. What triggered this escalation? Why did peaceful protests turn deadly? And what does Wangchuk’s detention mean for the future of Ladakh’s struggle? Guest: Peerzada Ashiq, Kashmir-based journalist with The Hindu Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Produced and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 symbol, although that may or may not be the primary motive for most parents. But many parents, regardless of their reasons for choosing an IB school, face a number of confusing questions and dilemmas. For instance, how does the pace of learning for an IB student compare with that of a child in a CBSE school? Will an IB curriculum help a child who wants to sit for IIT or Medical entrance exams in India? If the idea is to prep the child for higher education abroad – when do you decide, how do you figure which stream, which country, and which university? Guests: Nayantara Handa, who leads the careers and university guidance team at The British School, New Delhi, and Sobhana K Nair from The Hindu’s Delhi Bureau. Host: G. Sampath Edited and Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the World Wrestling Championships in Croatia, India’s Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat was shockingly disqualified ahead of his opening bout on September 14. At the official weigh-in before his match, Aman was found to be 1.7kg over the 57kg limit. The Wrestling Federation of India on September 22 served a show-cause notice to Aman, asking his staff to explain his disqualification. This is the third time in just over a year that an Indian wrestler has failed to make weight, beginning with Vinesh Phogat’s infamous miss at the Paris Olympics. Neha Sangwan, who is just 18, was the other wrestler to not make weight at the U20 world championships. She was suspended for two years. Why does this keep happening despite the money and resources poured into Indian wrestling? What does it say about the system, and how will this episode affect a young star like Aman Sehrawat? Guest: Y.B. Sarangi from The Hindu sports bureau Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 19, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, raising the H-1B visa fee to $1,00,000. Many fear that this will disproportionately impact Indian workers, especially those with lower median salaries. Although the White House has clarified that the fee applies only to new applicants and not those up for renewal or already in the country, there are concerns, especially against the backdrop of immigration control and protectionism. Is the American Dream dead for Indians? Here, we discuss the question. Guest: Arjun Appadurai and Ajay Srivastava Host: Saptaparno Ghosh Edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a new defence deal. It’s called the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA). Under this deal, “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”. There are also vague indications that Saudi Arabia will get the benefit of Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities but in what is not clear. What triggered this deal? What’s in it for Saudi Arabia, which is already under the US security blanket? What does this deal mean for India, especially in the context of ongoing tensions with Pakistan? And what does it mean for our relations with Saudi Arabia? Guest: Bashir Ali Abbas, Senior Research Associate at the Council for Strategic and Defence Research, New Delhi. Host: G Sampath Shot, produced and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

90% of the world’s natural diamonds are cut and polished by about 5000, largely family run businesses out of Surat in Gujarat, but the recent 50% US tariffs on India has led to deep anxieties about the very survival of this sector, which is part of the country’s sprawling gem and jewellery industry. Kunal Shankar, The Hindu’s Deputy Business Editor discusses the repercussions of the steep tariffs on the sector with Lalatendu Mishra who covers markets, finance and all things business for The Hindu, based out of Mumbai.  Guest: Lalatendu Mishra, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu  Host: Kunal Shankar  Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through a new executive order, President Donald Trump has added 100,000 US dollars to the annual fee for H1B visa applicants. H1B is a visa programme for skilled foreign workers. So far, the biggest beneficiaries of this visa have been Indian-origin IT workers, employed by American and Indian companies in the US. President Trump has justified this move by citing abuse of the H1B visa programme to the detriment of American workers. He has also said that through this humongous fee, he wants to raise the cost of hiring foreign workers for jobs that could be filled by local workers. Is there any merit to Trump’s claims regarding the abuse of H1B program? Has it really led to higher unemployment among American IT graduates, as Trump claims?? And how will this impact Indians currently in the US on an H1B visa? Guest: Tanul Thakur, an independent journalist and author of Wild Wild East: Exiled Americans, Enslaved Indians, and the Systemic Abuse of the H1-B Programme, due for publication later this year. Host: G Sampath Recorded, produced, and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Goods and Services Tax — or GST — was rolled out in 2017, it was billed as one of India’s biggest tax reforms. It replaced a maze of indirect taxes like excise duty, VAT, and service tax, with the promise of creating a single, unified market. It was meant to create a simpler, fairer, and more transparent system. GST is what’s known as a destination-based tax, levied on every stage of value addition — a system designed to be simpler, fairer, and more transparent.Nearly eight years later, the system has seen major reforms. In its 56th meeting, the GST Council revamp the tax structure into a primarily two-rate system of 5% and 18%, and a 40% “special rate” on sin goods such as tobacco and luxury items such as large cars, yachts, and helicopters. The government is stated that this rationalise will help both businesses and also put more money in the hands of the public. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the changes will put nearly ₹2 lakh crore back into the hands of people. The government hopes that this extra money will boost domestic consumption. What this means for businesses, consumers, and the economy at large? Guest: Dr Sacchidananda Mukherjee, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Host: Nivedita V Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sample Registration Survey’s Statistical Report, released last week had some significant numbers. One, India’s total fertility rate has dipped – it has gone down from 2.0 and now stands at 1.9, as of 2023. The second significant number was that for the first time, the total fertility rate in rural India has reached replacement levels. Replacement level is the average number of children each woman needs to give birth to for one generation to replace the other. There are, of course, wide regional disparities – some States in the country have fertility rates much below replacement levels of 2.1, while others continue to have higher numbers. India’s crude birth rate is declining, while at the same time, the report found an increase in the number of people aged over 60. How is the dipping fertility rate going to impact India’s population going forward? Will some States continue to grow population wise, while others see a steep fall? What does this mean for population stabilization and decline in the future? And how fast is our country ageing? Guest: Sonalde Desai, Professor at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), and Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, U.S. Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of India stayed certain provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Among the provisions stayed are the one requiring a person intending to create a Waqf, to prove that he had been practising Islam for five years. It also paused the provision granting District Collectors the power to determine the status of a disputed waqf property, and capped the non-Muslim representation in Waqf boards. At the same time, it has upheld the deletion of waqf-by-users, another contentious issue flagged by the petitioners. But this is only an interim order, and the case will be heard on merits sometime in the future. But for now, the government is free to implement the new law except for the stayed provisions. So what are the implications of this interim order, and how will it change things on the ground? Guest: Tasneem Ahmadi, eminent advocate Host: G Sampath Recorded. produced, and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his much-anticipated visit to China. Mr. Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. The two leaders decided to restart bilateral trade and air connectivity, and underlined the importance of peace and tranquility along the border. These decisions were significant as they were made five years after the deadly border clashes between the two neighbours in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh; and months after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan (at the time, China supported the Pakistani military forces). Both leaders reaffirmed that the two countries were “development partners and not rivals, and their differences should not turn to disputes,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement after the meeting. Should India overlook boundary issues while normalising ties with China? Here we discuss the question. Tune in! Guest: Vivek Katju, former Indian diplomat and Antara Ghosal Singh, fellow at the Observer Research Foundation Host: Kallol Bhattacherjee Produced by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington’s latest tariff hike isn’t just a line in a policy paper. In India, it shows up in half-finished orders, idle machines, and nervous exporters. The U.S. says the penalties are for Russian oil, for blocking American goods, for standing firm with BRICS. While medicines and electronics may be spared, engineering firms — makers of auto parts, steel castings, heavy machinery — are already feeling the strain. In this episode, we discuss what the tariff war means for factories and the people who run them. Guest: Pankaj Chadha, Chairman of the Engineering Exports Promotion Council of India (EEPC) Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago, containers of frozen shrimp left Indian ports bound for the United States. By the time they were halfway across the ocean, U.S. tariffs had spiked, prompting buyers to cancel orders. The result: millions of rupees worth of seafood stranded at sea. The impact goes far beyond trade figures. Fishermen in Andhra Pradesh must decide whether it’s worth taking their boats out, while women in Mumbai’s Sassoon Dock who peel prawns by hand worry if there will be work tomorrow. In this episode, K.N. Raghavan walks us through how a decision in Washington is reshaping Indian fishing villages, markets, and homes—and what it means for the future of India’s seafood exports. This episode is part of Tariff Watch, a special series from In Focus examining how U.S. trade policy is affecting Indian industries and the people who depend on them. Guest: K.N. Raghavan, Seafood Exporters Association of India Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Forest Rights Act (FRA) came into being in 2006. As we touch 20 years of its existence as a tool for tribal empowerment, the United Nations Development Programme, or the UNDP, has come out with a comprehensive new report, titled ‘Securing rights, Enabling Futures: Policy Lessons from Forest Rights Act and Future Pathways’. We know that the Forest Rights Act seeks to remedy a historical injustice against forest-dwelling communities, who have paid the heaviest price for ‘development’ through displacement and dispossession. This law restores the rights of these communities to live on forest land, and to use forest resources. While this sounds great in principle, it has run into many challenges in practice – including resistance from the forest bureaucracy itself. Recently, in a shocking development, thousands of forest rights titles disappeared from the records of the Chhattisgarh government. And in a stance that, on the face of it, would alarm forest-dwelling communities, the UNDP report suggests building a consensus for a ‘sunset clause’ that provides an ‘end date’ for the recognition and vesting of rights under the FRA – what does it mean? Why do we need a sunset clause for forest rights? Also, how can thousands of forest rights titles disappear all of a sudden? More broadly, how effective has been the implementation of the FRA so far, and what is required to make it more effective? Guests: Kanchi Kohli, well-known expert in environment and forest policy who has co-authored the UNDP report, and Abhinay Lakshman, who covers the FRA for The Hindu. Host: G Sampath Edited and produced by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices