Podcasts · From India
In Focus by The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu’s podcast on current developments, with subject experts.
Audio and descriptions © The Hindu, played from their official feed “In Focus by The Hindu”. Feed checked 29 Oct 2026, 4:10 AM IST.
28 Oct 2026 · 56 min
When a Hindu BC converts to Islam: Why SC said no automatic quota benefits
The Supreme Court, in a judgement on October 15th, declared that a Hindu who converts to a “non-Hindu” social order cannot claim the benefits of reservation. It reasoned that backwardness can’t be transferred automatically from the Hindu social order to a non-Hindu one after conversion. The judgement came in a case where a Hindu OBC man who had converted to Islam wanted to avail reservation benefi
27 Oct 2026 · 47 min
Sahil Wakode’s death: How rife is caste discrimination in IITs?
The death by suicide of Sahil Wakode, a second year B.Tech student at IIT, Bombay, has sparked protests, allegations of caste discrimination, and demands for institutional reforms. Between the years 2020-21 and 2024-25, IITs reported 45 student suicides, of which 28, or 62%, were from SC/ST or OBC communities. There is a tendency to assume that India’s premier educational institutions such as the
24 Oct 2026 · 37 min
What makes Real Madrid vs Barcelona football's greatest rivalry?
As José Mourinho's Real Madrid returns to the Camp Nou to face Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, we look at the history, identity and drama behind the Clásico Real Madrid and Barcelona share one of football’s fiercest rivalries, shaped by history, politics, regional identity and contrasting ideas of how the game should be played. From the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the present-day battle
22 Oct 2026 · 35 min
In Focus-Parley | Should children be involved in political campaigning?
Tamil Nadu recently went through a game-changing election that threw up a surprise. The TVK won largely on the strength of its appeal among young people; the younger the people were greater was their enthusiasm for the TVK and Vijay, the current chief minister. Many older voters were telling journalists that their sons, daughters and grandchildren were telling them to vote for Vijay. Recently, a D
21 Oct 2026 · 49 min
Nobel Economics Prize 2026: How can Hall and Woodford’s ideas help tackle today’s economic challenges?
This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to an American duo – Prof Robert Hall of Stanford University and Prof Michael Woodford of Columbia University – "for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation”. Both Prof Hall and Prof Woodford were part of a new crop of economists who studied the economy not as a monolith, but also as a collection of many of microeconomic decisions.
20 Oct 2026 · 50 min
Why are Indian cities still inaccessible to people with disabilities?
Indian cities have undergone rapid urbanisation over the past few decades. Yet, accessibility continues to evade the design and planning priorities. Despite the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, mandating accessibility in public buildings across the country, Indian cities need to go a long way when it comes to inclusive public spaces, transport and other infrastructure. Several pertin
16 Oct 2026 · 30 min
Plague case in Siberia: what we know and what we should know
This month, a word that has not been in the news for decades perhaps, suddenly erupted: the death of a lab worker in Siberia, sparked concerns, rumours online and theories as to what really happened, given that official information coming out was limited. The worker, Darya Shiplova, who worked at a plague research institute in Siberia, is believed to have died of pneumonic plague. Russia subsequen
15 Oct 2026 · 56 min
In Focus-Parley | Can wildlife thrive in India without active human intervention?
How should India balance wildlife conservation with development, local livelihoods and the need for scientific research? In this discussion, Prof Qamar Qureshi, formerly of the Wildlife Institute of India, and Prof Uma Ramakrishnan of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, examine the changing approaches to conservation, the challenges of protecting threatened species and the need
15 Oct 2026 · 64 min
SIR row: Are ‘vote chori’ protests a setback to the Hindutva project?
October 10th witnessed a massive display of state repression in the national capital. Brutal violence was unleashed against journalists, students, activists and citizens who wanted to protest at Jantar Mantar, seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. India’s Opposition parties have united over the demand that Gyanesh Kumar must go and the SIR must be annulled. Even as the g
14 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Starlink, Jio and the battle for India’s satellite internet
Over a year after Jio Platforms and SpaceX announced a deal to bring Starlink satellite internet to India, multi-billionaire Elon Musk has taken a public swipe at the Ambani family and the Indian government. In a sarcastic post on X, the billionaire described Mukesh Ambani as India’s prime minister and the country’s “real boss,” reigniting debate over Starlink’s delayed entry into one of the world
13 Oct 2026 · 34 min
Anti-SIR protests: Springboard for an Opposition comeback?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said there are “no parallel protests”, there is only one protest – demanding the rollback of SIR, and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Leaders from almost every INDIA bloc party joined the Congress-led march to the Supreme Court on Monday, drawing massive crowds from all over the country. Has the alleged ‘vote chori’ issue finally manag
12 Oct 2026 · 31 min
New research has linked 12% of cancer cases to infections: what does this mean?
We’re used to thinking of cancer as something for which there is no known cause and we know that risk factors include using tobacco and excessive alcohol as well as obesity. And while of these factors are true, what we may not have realised is that infections could also, in some cases, lead to cancers. A new study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer or IARC, has now found
10 Oct 2026 · 26 min
Central Delhi lockdown: How did Jantar Mantar turn a protest site?
All roads, it seems, lead to the good old Jantar Mantar. Or do they, considering many of them are closed these days. Built in 1724, Jantar Mantar was not always the preferred site for anyone with a prayer, petition or protest on mind. The protest sites at various times in the past were at Boat Club where one remembers anti cow slaughter protests some 50 years ago followed by those during the Babri
9 Oct 2026 · 36 min
Election Commission Controversy: Who authorised the modified Form 6?
The big Election Commission of India (ECI) story that made headlines this week is the Form 6 controversy. Who authorised the modifications to Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters? The Election Commission has been claiming all along that the changes had the Supreme court’s approval. But on October 5th, the Supreme Court clarified that it had not approved any Form 6 modifications. Does thi
8 Oct 2026 · 45 min
In Focus-Parley | Are legal guarantees insufficient in abolishing untouchability?
In August this year, the performance of a "purification" ritual by certain Hindu groups in Uttarakhand, at the location where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who belongs to a Dalit community, addressed a public rally, led to a national conversation on the practice of untouchability. This discourse was shaped as Opposition Congress leaders accused the ruling BJP dispensation of practicing ca
7 Oct 2026 · 40 min
From AI to Super Intelligence: Trump's new American AI Agenda
On September 29, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the country's top technology business leaders as he embarked on a project to rename artificial intelligence (AI) as "Super Intelligence" and "SI”. There, he announced the White House Accord on Super Intelligence, which was signed by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, XAI CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jense
6 Oct 2026 · 29 min
Is NCERT Rewriting Medieval Indian History for Class 9?
Last week the NCERT revised its book on medieval history for Class 9 students. The book, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, presents a long span of 700 years from 1000 AD to 1700 as one of resistance and resilience, a period when the Rajputs, the Jats, the Sikhs and the Ahoms resisted foreign invasions. The period is presented as the one in which the "Indian society not only defended itself
5 Oct 2026 · 62 min
Can India make cancer care more affordable?
The Supreme Court has called out the rampant profiteering in the healthcare sector, including cancer medication. Terming the overpricing of essential cancer medicines as “broad, daylight dacoity”, the court said, “This is carnage. Plain and simple. The cancer drug is priced at an MRP of Rs 27,000 despite being supplied to retailers for Rs 2,700.” Ten times higher markup! It also suggested capping
3 Oct 2026 · 29 min
Kaziranga’s Eco-sensitive Zone: What could a smaller buffer mean for wildlife and development?
Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is at the centre of a debate over how much protection should extend beyond its boundaries. The Assam government has proposed a site-specific Eco-Sensitive Zone of around 1-3 km in different stretches, replacing the 10-km buffer currently applicable to Kaziranga. In this episode, we unpack what an Eco-Sensitive Zone actually does, why these zon
2 Oct 2026 · 28 min
U.S.-China : A new superpower détente?
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met last week for a summit aimed at easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies. The meeting produced agreements on trade and rare earths, along with unusually warm public messaging from both sides. But major differences over Taiwan, technology and the broader strategic rivalry remain. The summit comes at a time when Mr. Tr