In Focus by The Hindu

Last month, during the joint session of the Karnataka legislature, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot walked out of the House after reading only a few lines of his customary address prepared by the State Cabinet. The Chief Minister accused the Governor of violating his constitutional obligation and indicated that the government was considering approaching the courts. The incident followed similar developments in two other Opposition-ruled States. In DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu, Governor R. N. Ravi walked out of the Assembly without delivering his inaugural address. In LDF-ruled Kerala, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar omitted portions of the speech cleared by the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet. Should the practice of Governors addressing the State legislatures be scrapped? Guests: P.D.T. Achary and Alok Prasanna Kumar  Host: Aaratrika Bhaumik Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced on social media that India and the US have agreed on a historic trade deal, or at least the broad framework for one. Under the agreement, the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. India will reduce tariffs on all American goods to zero, and eliminate all non-tariff barriers. Trump also announced that India has agreed to import American goods worth $500 billion. To put this figure in perspective, American imports to India are currently at $50 billion. Also, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has claimed that, under this deal, India will import huge volumes of American farm products, “pumping cash into rural America”, and reducing America’s agricultural trade deficit with India, which stnds at $1.3 billion. One year ago, US tariffs on Indian imports averaged 2-3%, while Indian tariffs on American imports ranged from 5% to 30%. India’s duties on US agri-imports averaged 39%. So, does an agreement where India’s tariffs come down to zero while American tariffs on Indian goods go up (from 2-3% in Jan 2025 to 18% in Jan 2026) constitute a ‘good deal’ for India? Will this deal fix India’s foreign capital outflows problem and restore investor sentiment? What does it mean from the vantage point of India’s key economic priority – generating employment? Guest: Prof. Arun Kumar, Economist and Former Professor, CESP, JNU Host: G Sampath Edited by Shiksha Jural Recorded and produced by Jude Weston and Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 13, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified new regulations to promote equity and protect from discrimination students from SC/ST/OBC communities and other marginalised categories. These are the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. These regulations are an updated version of the UGC’s campus equity rules passed in 2012. This revision was the outcome of a Supreme Court order. But the new rules sparked a wave of protests from the upper castes, and the Supreme was quick to pass a stay order. Why were these new regulations passed? What explains the protests against them? What exactly is ‘reverse discrimination’ – a fear expressed by the protesters? Guest: Professor Sukhadeo Thorat, former chairman of the University Grants Commission Host: G Sampath Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week proved to be a whirlwind for Americans and Europeans and for those observing events around the world. The week began with Trump’s tariff threat against eight European countries that opposed his claims of U.S. control over Greenland. It then escalated with the EU mulling over a trade bazooka and Trump doubling down on claims over Greenland. He even shared a post on Truthsocial showing Greenland as a part of the U.S. And then at Davos, Trump emphasised the importance of Greenland again to the U.S. But the week ended with Trump discarding his tariff threats, though Greenland is still in the cards. Guest: Mr. D Raghunandan, who is with the Delhi Science Forum and the All India People's Science Network. Host: Nitika Francis Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just 10 days after the New Year, news hit the headlines of a software engineer found dead in her home in Bengaluru. The police initially suspected her death was due to a fire that broke out in her apartment, but later arrested an 18-year-old man. Police said that the man, who was the victim’s neighbour, assaulted her and then set fire to house. The reason? The woman rejected his sexual advances. This is not a unique case: hundreds of assaults, murders and acid attacks are routinely reported across the country all because women have said no to men.What drives men in India to injure or kill when they are rejected? What role does our society upbringing play in this? Do movies that glorify stalking contribute to the problem Host: Zubeda Hamid Guest: Prasanna Gettu, co-founder of the Chennai-based International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tabled the Economic Survey 2025–26, offering the first official snapshot of where India’s economy stands—and where it’s headed next. The Survey pegs India’s potential growth at around 7%, flags a slight moderation in GDP growth next year, and lays out the government’s thinking on everything from inflation and exports to jobs, infrastructure, manufacturing, and welfare.But beyond the headline numbers, what really matters is how to read this document. Is India’s growth story holding up in a slowing global economy? What reforms are need to to make the government's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision a reality? Guest: Trishna Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Dr BR Ambedkar College, University of Delhi Host: Nivedita V Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With less than 48 hours to go before India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tables the Union Budget in Parliament for the 2026–27 fiscal. Kunal Shankar, The Hindu’s Deputy Business Editor, speaks to colleagues Soundariya Preetha, who has tracked India’s MSMEs for over two decades — based out of Coimbatore,  and Lalatendu Mishra, who has followed the markets and the Reserve Bank of India for just as long, and is based out of Mumbai. They discuss how the customary Economic Survey, settled by Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran, has been received by India's small businesses and the markets. They also talk about what these sectors are looking for in the Union Budget amid tariff headwinds visibly straining India's largest export sector - the MSMEs; and the volatility wrecked onto the markets as foreign investors exit Indian markets in droves and a precipitous depreciation of the rupee against the U.S. dollar. Host: Kunal Shankar Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India's Ministry of Finance is set to scrap curbs on Chinese firms bidding for government contracts, which were introduced in 2020, following a deadly clash between the country's troops in the Galwan Valley. Now that India is showing a change of heart, the Ministry's actions beg the question: Will removing curbs on Chinese FDA help India? Here, we discuss. Tune in! Guests: Mr. Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary to the Government of India and currently President of the India International Centre, and Mr. Santosh Pai, partner at Dentons Link Legal and an honorary fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies Host: Nitika Francis Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bangladesh is out of the ICC T20 World Cup starting next month. It will be replaced by Scotland. Cricketing observers have slammed the sport’s governing establishment for mismanaging the issue. It all began when Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman on BCCI orders. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not take kindly to this. It banned the telecast of IPL 2026 in Bangladesh. And subsequently, it asked for all its league matches in India to be shifted to Sri Lanka, which is the co-host. The ICC refused the request. Bangladesh refused to participate unless its demand was met. The ICC brought in Scotland in its place. The entire sequence of events has raised many questions: Is the ICC guilty of ‘double standards’? Could Bangladesh’s request have been accommodated? Is cricket’s role in the sub-continent changing? Guest: Amol Karhadkar from The Hindu’s Sports Bureau Host: G Sampath Edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are plenty of questions swirling around US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. Trump has extended invitations to dozens of countries to join this outfit, including India. But many, including his European allies, are yet to confirm their participation. Interestingly, Norway, Denmark and Sweden have refused, while Pakistan and the UAE have already said ‘yes’.  Is this Board of Peace only about Gaza reconstruction? Or is this about setting up a parallel body to settle global conflict on American terms? Is Trump trying to create a new UN, as Brazilian President Lula has alleged? Most importantly, should India join this Board, or stay away? Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent Supreme Court ruling has put the process of how India taxes foreign investors in focus. The top court ruled in favour of the Income Tax Department by setting aside the Delhi High Court’s judgment quashing the tax demand of Tiger Global.  Tiger Global ⁠and Indian tax authorities have been locked in a legal tussle over its 2018 stake sale in Flipkart to Walmart worth ₹14,440 crore $1.6 billion. The deal was part of the ‌U.S. retail company’s $16 billion acquisition of Flipkart that year. Indian tax authorities ‍argued Tiger Global wrongly used the India-Mauritius tax avoidance treaty to not pay any tax on its profits, the investment firm argued it can do so as the treaty exempted such a transaction. The tax authorities say the Tiger Global Mauritius units served merely as a conduit for Tiger Global U.S., a description the investment ⁠firm says is incorrect. The Supreme Court has been hearing the case since January 2025 and the ruling has raised wider questions about tax treaties, anti-avoidance rules, and how India balances tax fairness with investor confidence. Guest: Vinod Joseph, Partner, Investment Funds practice at Economic Laws Practice  Host: Nivedita V Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today is a legend in the world of entrepreneurship. He began his adult life as an immigrant student in the US, way back in the 1960s. He started his own company in the US tech space at a time when Indian-Americans were not particularly known for entrepreneurship.  In 1987, he became the first Indian-American founder to take a venture-backed company public on the Nasdaq. He was also the first Indian-American to serve as a top executive in a multi-billion-dollar Silicon Valley giant, blazing a trail that would be followed by the likes of Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella. Subsequently, he set up The IndUS Enterpreneurs (TiE) a non-profit to mentor entrepreneurs in the US and India. He has been a hugely successful venture capitalist and angel investor. And now, at the sprightly young age of 80, he is out with a memoir  that talks about his entrepreneurial journey: ‘The Ground Breaker: Risks, Rewards, and Lessons from a legendary Entrepreneur’. Guest: Kanwal Rekhi, Indo-American businessman and venture capitalist Host: G Sampath Edited by Shiksha Jural Produced by Shiksha Jural and Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People of the Global South have long argued that the so-called rules-based international order is a fiction. That it was only ever applied selectively, with the big powers doing the selection. But now, for the first time, there is official acknowledgement of this fiction from a prominent Western leader. In an extraordinary speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly stated that even the ‘pretence’ of a rules-based order is over, and that this is not a moment of transition but ‘rupture’.  Taking potshots at President Donald Trump’s weaponisation of tariffs, he said that the new definition of a country’s sovereignty is its ability to withstand pressure from the big powers.  His speech has resonated with many across the world, and has become a talking point in strategic circles. But are his remarks just great content, or will they prove consequential? Should India be taking a leaf out of Carney’s book, especially when dealing with the big powers?  Guest: Suhasini Haider, The Hindu’s Diplomatic Affairs Editor. Host: G Sampath Recorded by Aniket Singh Chauhan Edited and produced by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days after the January 3rd U.S. attack on Venezuela and the capture of its sitting President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his push to seize Greenland, calling it an absolute necessity for the U.S. national security. On January 17, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on eight European countries over their support for Greenland. This ambiguity revives imperial undertones and tests NATO’s Article Five pledge. Does Trump's Greenland plan signal the end of NATO, and what does it mean for European security? Guest: C. Raja Mohan, journalist, academic, and a foreign policy analyst; T.G. Suresh, associate professor at the Centre of Political Studies, JNU Host: Smriti Sudesh Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a new Barbie in town. She avoids direct eye contact, makes repetitive physical movements in social settings, and her pretty purple dress is comfortable and free from irritating seams. Her pink headphones -- they're more than just a fashion statement. Mattel, the multinational toy company, has launched an ‘autistic’ Barbie as part of its range of “inclusive” dolls. It has partnered with the U.S.-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) to create an intentional set of features that aim to reflect experiences typically invisible in mainstream toy aisles. In today's episode, we go beyond the marketing dimension to discuss what an autistic Barbie could mean for autism awareness, inclusion, and long-term care initiatives in India. Guest: Dr. Nidhi Singhal, Director of Research and Training at Action for Autism (National Centre for Autism) Host: Vibha B Madhava Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 3rd, The United States of America launched Operation Absolute Resolve bombing the city of Caracas in Venezuela and capturing the sitting president Nicolas Maduro. He has been accused of Narco terrorism. He is now jailed in New York. Meanwhile, Trump has stated that he would be effectively running the country for the benefit of both U.S. and Venezuela. He also said that he would open the country for American Oil companies. The recent developments in Venezuela is said to have huge political ramifications not only for Latin America but across the world. Tune in! Guest: Tariq Ali, political activist, filmmaker, and writer Host: Bhagavathi Sampath Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The release of Jana Nayagan, the high-budget farewell film of actor-politician Vijay, has reached a legal and bureaucratic impasse that threatens a ₹500 crore investment. The film was diverted to a Revising Committee just days before its planned January 2026 debut. This last-minute intervention fuelled allegations of a "political conspiracy" intended to stifle Vijay’s entry into politics. This was not an isolated event but part of a massive trend in Indian cinema. Data show that between 2017 and 2025, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has altered more than 720 hours of film content. Data shows that 76% of these modifications were outright deletions, totaling nearly 550 hours of footage removed from public view. Tune in to know the mechanics behind these "silent scissors" in this episode of In Focus. Guest: Aroon Deep, a journalist and tech correspondent at The Hindu Host: Nitika Francis Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acid attack survivors are recognised as persons with a specified disability under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act (RPwD), 2016. This acknowledges external disfigurement, but overlooks cases of forcible ingestion of acid wherein injuries are internal and often invisible. Recently, the Supreme Court heard a plea by an acid attack survivor, Shaheen Malik, to formally recognise such acid attack survivors under the protective umbrella of the RPwD Act. The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the Centre to consider a comprehensive policy framework.  In this episode, we explore the inclusion of acid attack survivors and the intersection of their rights, both as "victims" fighting for justice under criminal law, and persons with disabilities navigating the system to access compensation, healthcare, and employment benefits.  Host: Vibha B Madhava Guest: Madiah Shahjar, Programme and Legal Associate at Brave Souls Foundation, and the advocate who represented Shaheen Malik in the SC plea hearings. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China is building the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. This river flows into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, and it is one of the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra in Assam. Further down, it becomes the Jamuna river in Bangladesh. This dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo is a trans-boundary project that would have an impact on downstream countries. China, however, has claimed that the dam’s unique design will ensure that there is no adverse impact on lower riparian countries. How valid are China’s claims? Will the waters be diverted? Will it cause flooding in India? How will this project affect the Brahmaputra, one of the last, great free-flowing rivers in the world? And more broadly, what could be the impact on India’s North East? Guest: Samrat Choudhury, Journalist and Author Host: G Sampath Shot, produced, and edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran is once again witnessing protests on its streets, triggered by a severe economic squeeze as inflation surges and the rial continues to lose value. What began as protests over livelihoods—most visibly among merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar—has begun to intersect with deeper questions about governance, legitimacy, and the state’s ability to manage crises. This unrest is unfolding amid renewed U.S. sanctions, growing regional isolation, the continued dominance of the Revolutionary Guard, and the uncertainty of an impending leadership transition—factors that together place unusual strain on the Iranian system. How deep is Iran’s economic crisis, and what makes this moment different from earlier protest cycles? How is the state balancing conciliatory signals with violent crackdowns? And what do these protests tell us about Iran’s political stability and the paths that lie ahead? 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