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1423 Episodes
The Big Story
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access_time10 days ago
What will be the consequence of Congress’ victory in the Karnataka elections? What are the prominent factors that lead to BJP’s setback in the south? What issues mattered to the voters?
We are joined by Fatima Khan, principal correspondent with The Quint who was on the ground in the run-up to the elections, and Aditya Menon, our political editor to discuss what actually happened that lead to this result.
In this podcast, we closely examine what issues mattered in this election, what strategies worked, and what this election means for future polls.
The Big Story
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access_time25 days ago
In this episode of The Big Story, our hosts Anjali and Prateek talk about money. Now, we don't have a lot of money, but we do have a lot of questions about money. About UPI, precisely. Are we spending more money because of UPI? How does UPI make money? And is UPI just another startup that'll eventually flop? Because it used to give us so many freebies at one point, but now there's a conversation about charging for payments.To answer these questions, we have Ateesh Tankha, founder and CEO of ALSOWISE Content Solutions, India’s first comprehensive English proficiency and communications training app. He has extensive experience in payments and banking, and was, till 2016, the Head of Citi Merchant Services, North America.
The Big Story
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access_time1 month ago
Do you sometimes look back at your schooling years and wonder if its changed at all? Do you wish you were taught differently? Have you ever considered the role a child’s environment plays in their education? And how different really are government schools from a private school? We know, education has become such a dynamic phenomenon that it’s hard to keep up sometimes, but we’ve got you!
On the Big Story, catch us while we discuss education with Neeti Bhalla Saini, a consultant with the International Baccalaureate and a principal, and Ratna Vishwanathan from Reach to Teach which is a social impact organization that works with state governments to help improve the standard of education. While our guests come from two different sectors of the education industry, it’s interesting to see how their views differ and mirror. Tune in!
The Big Story
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access_time2 months ago
On this episode of The Big Story, we attempt to uncover the truth about micro-plastics. We sit down in conversation with Shreya Sharma, a researcher pursuing her masters from Imperial College, London and Sadhika Tiwari, an ex-Quintee who is currently a freelance climate Journalist, to know whether we are taking the micro aspect a little too seriously or is this a macro problem we are not focusing on.
Did you know micro-plastics are intentionally added in our products? Or the fact that neither non- vegetarians nor vegetarians are safe from micro-plastics being found in their food? And why did we discuss Plankton from SpongeBob SquarePants? We bet you’re curious, so make sure to tune into the full episode to find out!
The Big Story
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access_time2 months ago
Should you switch from white sugar to jaggery? Is fast food actually harmful? Do diets like Keto and Paleo work? Today on The Big Story, we try to find the answers.
In this episode we discuss the changing food habits of young people in India with special guests Krish Ashok, a food influencer and author of 'Masala Lab', and Dr. Priyanka Rohatgi, chief nutritionist at Apollo Hospitals. They talk about the rise of fast food culture and their impact on eating habits, while stressing the importance of maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.
We also have Kriti Ghai, an intern at The Quint Podcasts, who reps the Gen-Z food patterns and behaviour.
They provide tips and advice on adopting a healthier lifestyle, debunk common myths about dieting, and highlight the benefits of traditional Indian food. The podcast is a must-listen to understand the changing food habits of young India. They don't tell you what to eat and what not to eat, but rather tell you how to come to this decision for yourself.
Tune in and listen till the end to find out if you should continue using your air fryer.
The Big Story
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access_time3 months ago
In the second episode of The Big Story, our hosts, Anjali and Prateek discuss media trials with Manisha Pande, the Executive Editor of Newslaundry, and Satish Maneshinde, a lawyer with more than forty years of experience.
Media trials involve using the press and television to create a public opinion about an accused individual, which may influence the outcome of their court case. In the last 3-4 years, the media has been said to run 'kangaroo courts' and hamper the due judicial process.
Satish sheds light on the effects of a media trial in the courtroom and how the famous saying, ‘judges live in an ivory tower’ is irrelevant today. He also talks about his high-profile cases involving celebrities like Aryan Khan and Rhea Chakraborty, and his game plan for handling the media hype around them.
Whereas, Manisha discusses the relationship between media and the judiciary, the two pillars of our democracy. She goes into the good, bad, and ugly aspects of media trials, and elaborates on what she feels is the intent behind malicious reporting. Tune in for an insightful chat.
The Big Story
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access_time3 months ago
If you've spoken to a friend or a colleague for over an hour in the past month, it is highly likely that the words Artificial Intelligence (AI) have come up. While we have been hearing about these technologies for a while, there are some new AI tools which have blown up in the social media world. Cases in point – Chat GPT, DALL-E, Mid Journey and more. So, we got together with Shamim Mokles, a graphic designer and YouTuber who recently did some interesting experiments with AI, and Dr. Anupam Guha, who works with AI policy and is a professor at IIT Bombay. In this podcast, we will talk all about how threatening these AI tools are for creatives, if we need an AI policy and what it should look like, and ultimately we discover some non-popular AI uses that are the real threat. And no, it is not Frankenstein or Chitti.
Tune in to the first episode of The Big Story!
The Big Story
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access_time3 months ago
The Big Story is back with a second season!
The news culture of our times is noisy, crowded, and honestly so confusing. This is why we are coming every fortnight on your podcast platforms to help you make sense of the new and now. With two new hosts, Anjali and Prateek, the second season of The Big Story will feature longer and well-rounded discussions with experts across science, culture, technology, politics, and more. Tune in on your preferred podcast platform!
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
After the marvelous Thomas cup win, India has another reason to celebrate as Telangana-born boxer Nikhat Zareen bagged the gold medal in the 52kg category at the Women's World Boxing Championship after defeating Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas in the fly-weight final in Istanbul.
With this the 25-year-old became only the fifth Indian woman to bag a gold at the World Boxing Championships after record six-time champion MC Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi, legendary boxer Vijender Singh, Women’s Hockey team captain Rani Rampal, cricketer Robin Utthapa and others congratulated her for this incredible feat, in a press conference after the win, Zareen asked “Am I trending on Twitter? It was always my dream to trend on Twitter.”
In today’s episode, we’ll trace Nikhat’s journey in the world of boxing in her own voice as she tells the story of her trials and tribulations and how she fought them back. We will also talk to Sports writer Anand Datla about what this achievement means for Nikhat and Indian boxing. Tune in!
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guest: Anand Datla, Sports Writer
Editor: Abhimanyu Sen
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
On 18 May, Hardik Patel who gained popularity during the Patidar agitation, quit the party.
Taking swipes at senior leaders, he accused the party of lacking strong leadership both at the state and central levels. He said that Congress only plays the role of a “roadblock” when it comes to serious issues — be it about Ram Mandir, abrogation of Article 370 or GST.
While it’s not yet clear where Hardik will be headed next, resignations within the Congress party have been on the rise. There have been brazen expressions of discontentment over party leadership and the party's functioning from Congress leaders themselves.
Besides Hardik, many prominent and senior leaders – some of whom had decades-long association with the Congress – quit the party and switched over to opposition parties over the last few year.
In fact, earlier in the day a former senior leader of Congress from Punjab — Sunil Jakhar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, merely days after quitting Congress.
But what doesn't make for good optics is that Hardik's resignation comes just days after the Congress wrapped up their 3-day 'Chintan Shivir' in Udaipur, where the party got together to chart out a plan for its revival. Jakhar, in fact, resigned while the Shivir was still underway.
So, we’ll look at two things in this episode: firstly, how does Hardik Patel and Sunil Jakhar’s exit stand to impact the Congress at a time when its fast losing its grip over its voters?
Secondly, what are the big takeaways from the Chintan Shivir? Is the Congress acknowledging the shortcomings that has been costing it so dearly?
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guest: Aditya Menon, Political Editor, The Quint
Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
After enforcing a ban on wheat exports, India announced some relaxations on 18 May.
The surprise decision had led to a lot of chaos as hundreds of thousands of tonnes of wheat were reportedly left stranded at Gujarat’s Kandla Port after the ban was announced.
But the new notification from the Ministry of Commerce has said, "It has been decided that wherever wheat consignments have been handed over to Customs for examination and have been registered into their systems on or prior to 13.5.2022, such consignments would be allowed to be exported."
Explaining its rationale behind prohibiting the export of wheat, the central government had said that it was committed to providing for the food security of India as well as other vulnerable countries that had been adversely affected by sudden disruptions in the global market for wheat.
But in the aftermath of the ban, as the wheat prices soared to a record high, the ban drew criticism from G7 nations, which said that such moves would "worsen the crisis" of rising commodity prices.
But even back at home the jury is divided. While some are of the opinion that such a ban can impact India’s credibility and is also harsh on farmers who could profit from the higher export prices, others say that it is needed to curb the rising prices in the country as severe heatwaves have damaged crops.
But to better understand the rationale behind the export ban and its likely implications on domestic and foreign markets, I spoke to Deepanshu Mohan, Associate Professor and Director at the Centre for New Economics Studies at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities.
Host: Sakshat Chandok
Guest: Deepanshu Mohan, Associate Professor and Director at the Centre for New Economics Studies at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities
Editor: Shelly Walia
Producer: Shorbori
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
The decades-old Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath dispute has sprung back in the news once again. While there are several chapters to this long-drawn dispute, which goes back as far as 1991, let's look at the recent developments first.
On Monday, 16 May, a Varanasi court directed for a spot within the mosque complex to be sealed after a court-appointed advocate commissioner, Ajay Kumar Mishra, made a sensational claim that a shivlinga was found in a pond during a videography survey.
This video assessment was ordered by the Varanasi civil court after a group of five women petitioners had sought a round-the-year access to pray at “a shrine behind the western wall of the mosque complex”.
But the Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia Masjid has been contending this order arguing that the court's directions are contrary to the provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991 which specifically states that except for Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the nature of all places of worship shall be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947.
As the matter came up before Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud on 17 May, the apex court order passed an interim order directing the District Magistrate to protect the area where the shivling was allegedly found but to not stop namaz.
But as the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Viswanath issue flares up once again, the crucial legal questions around this dispute now are:
Firstly, can the Varanasi court order sealing of a spot within the mosque before the video assessment report was filed?
Secondly, does such a videography survey go against the Places of Worship Act? The Quint's Legal Editor Vakasha Sachdev will be analysing these questions for us.
And in this episode we'll also look at the timeline of the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Viswanath dispute and where the matter stands so far.
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guest: Vakasha Sachdev, Legal Editor, The Quint
Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
15th May was not just any Sunday, it was a historic Sunday for Indian sports as the Indian men's Badminton team defeated 14-time winners – Indonesia, to clinch their first ever Thomas Cup title in Bangkok.
Praise is still pouring in for the players who together helped India win the prestigious tournament for the first time in its 73 year history.
Senior stalwarts Kidami Srikanth and HS Prannoy remained unbeaten in the tournament, despite playing higher ranked opponents at times.
20-year-old Lakshya Sen fought off a bout of food poisoning earlier in the week, to win the first match in Sunday’s final against 14-time winners Indonesia.
Chirag and Satwik – the magical doubles pair brought out their best at crunch situations and defeated an Indonesian team comprising only player from the world number one doubles team, and the second from the number two placed team.
From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra to top cricketers like Virat Kohli and VVS Laxman – this win drew ecstatic reactions from everybody.
But how did this team achieve this dream against several odds?
Tune in!
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guest: Abhijeet Kulkarni
Scripting: Mendra Dorjey & Shorbori Purkayastha
Editor: Mendra Dorjey
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
The RBI’s unscheduled hike in repo rates on 5 May confirmed that the central bank was behind the curve in controlling inflation and now new data released by the National Statistical Office on 12 May shows exactly how behind.
Retail inflation in India soared to its highest since May 2014 to 7.79 percent in April, almost double the RBI’s mandate of 4 percent and above the bank's estimates for the fourth straight month.
Here are a few numbers to indicate the current state of inflation: food price inflation is at a 17-month high of 8.38 percent, rural inflation is at a staggering 8-year high at 8.38 percent and urban inflation at 7.09 percent is at its highest in 18-months.
While the war in Ukraine and consequent rise in fuel prices is a significant factor in the spike, April's high inflation, according to media reports, is not one-off.
So what is driving this inflation? who will be pinched the most, and what corrective measures can the central bank implement to control inflation?
To understand this, I spoke to Pallavi Nahata, Associate Editor of Economy at BQ Prime.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
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Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
On the long-standing question of criminalising marital rape, the Delhi High Court on 11 May delivered a split verdict in a batch of petitions challenging the exception provided to marital rape in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Justice Rajiv Shakdher of the two-judge bench held that Exception 2 under Section 375, which says that any sexual acts by a husband with his wife are not rape, is unconstitutional, while Justice C Hari Shankar held that the provision is valid and that there's no ground for the court to strike the exception down.
While this section has undergone a series of amendments over the years, emphasising the importance of consent, this pre-colonial exception of marital rape continues to exist even in the 21st century.
Essentially, this exception allows marital rights to a husband who can, with legal sanction, exercise his right to consensual or non-consensual sex with his wife.
But what happens next, and what does this verdict mean for the conversation on marital rape? And where does the case go from here?
To understand the verdict and its significance, I'm joined today by The Quint's Legal Editor Vakasha Sachdev, and Radhika Roy, an advocate based in Delhi and former Associate Editor at LiveLaw.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Vakasha Sachdev
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
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Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
Are we as a society practicing inclusivity and showing sensitivity towards people with disabilities? A video from Ranchi airport that went viral on social media platforms recently is raising this question.
This said video captured an incident where a teenage boy with disability was purportedly mistreated by IndiGo airlines. This incident took place on 7 May.
In the video, several passengers in the airport are seen asking the IndiGo staff to let the boy and his family board the flight after they were denied from doing so. The ground staff allegedly said that the child was in a state of panic and would be a threat to other passengers' safety if he was allowed to board.
As the incident caused a furore with many tagging Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to take action in response to the outrage , the airlines said in a statement that "the ground staff waited for the child to calm down till the last minute, but to no avail".
Soon after, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta also released a statement expressing "sincere regrets over this unfortunate experience" and offered to purchase an electric wheelchair for the boy as a token of appreciation.
He also said that "Having reviewed all aspects of this incident, we as an organisation are of the view that we made the best possible decision under difficult circumstances."
But many felt that while this incident showed an example of the many difficulties that people with disabilities face in navigating a society that is largely driven by an ableist approach, it was also heartwarming to see how common citizens showed awareness and sensitivity in this particular incident and stood up for this teen and his family.
In this episode, you will hear from Dr Sumit Ray, a senior consultant in critical care medicine, who was waiting at the Ranchi airport when the incident took place, witnessing it first hand. He was also seen intervening with the staff on video footage. We will hear from him what exactly happened at the airport that day.
And we also spoke to Prachi Deo, founder of Nayi Disha, an organisation that provides families and primary caregivers of children affected by autism and other developmental disabilities with counselling and guidance. We talk to her about how public spaces and airport staff can be sensitised towards children and adults with disabilities.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Scripting: Shorbori Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
This time around marks a year to the deadly second wave of Covid. While officially 5.42 lakh people lost their lives to the virus in India since 2020, there have been many repercussions of the pandemic.
This episode of The Big Story is not going to be about the headline making news, it's going to be about an issue which is very close to us here at The Quint.
Two years since the onset of Covid, India's schools have almost re-opened, but millions of underprivileged students aren't going to be returning to schools anytime soon.
We at The Quint, wanted to look into this long-term impact of Covid on girls' education through our video series — Ladki Hoon Padhna Chahti Hoon – India's Girls Out of School.
If you look at the data, according to UNESCO, almost 1.8 billion students globally have been affected by school closures in the pandemic. Around 320 million of them are in India alone, and out of this at least 158 million are female students.
And it's not just this UNESCO data alone. Ever since India started relying on digital classes for school students from 2020, there have been several parallel surveys and analysis to shed light on who have been impacted the most by the school closures during Covid and how. Most of these surveys and data point to the one fact that girls especially from caste and economic minorities became the bigger casualties of the pandemic.
So we decided to go to the faces behind these numbers and meet the girls whose dreams have been shattered and who childhoods have been lost. Tune in to The Big Story!
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Editor: Shelly Walia
Interviews: Sadhika Tiwari and Mythreyee Ramesh
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
In the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his first foreign visit of the year to Europe on 5 May with visits to Germany, Denmark, and France.
PM Modi’s first port of call was Berlin, where he met the new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government has decided to make economic sacrifices by reducing its energy dependence on Russia and even changing its decades-old stance on defence spending.
PM Modi then travelled to Copenhagen, where he held the second India-Nordic summit with Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Norway to explore new areas of cooperation. This summit was special because India is the only country other than the US that the Nordic Five engages on such a level.
And on his way back to New Delhi, PM Modi made a stopover in Paris, France, where President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected just 10 days ago. India and France have been strategic partners since 1998 and the talks here focused on the importance of a "free, open and rules-based" Indo-Pacific.
A common texture across the trip was the joint statements in each country, where differences over Ukraine were apparent. In Germany, Modi’s statement said no one will be the "victorious party in this war" and the only way out was through talks.
While India has been in an uncomfortable position since the Russia-Ukraine war began and has continued to not condemn Russia for any of its actions so far, there seems to be a level of comprehension by European countries on India’s stance.
And the flurry of European leaders and delegations to India in the past few weeks, especially the visit of EU President Ursula von der Leyen suggests a changing world order.
In today’s episode, we discuss the main takeaways from PM Modi’s EU trip with our guest Manoj Joshi, a distinguished Fellow at The Observer Research Foundation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
In a surprise move on Wednesday, 4 May, the Reserve Bank of India hiked the benchmark repo rate for the first time in four years by 40 basis points to 4.4 percent. Alongside this, the central bank also raised the cash reserve ratio or CRR by 50 basis points to 4.50 percent.
Unveiling the new policy on Wednesday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the bank is aiming to keep inflation – which is already close to 7 percent – at the desired level in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and increase in food and commodity prices globally.
However, there are a few puzzling takeaways from the central bank statement. First, is the fact that the bank has retained the accommodative monetary policy, which essentially means that the bank is prepared to expend the money supply to boost economic growth. This, obviously, runs counter to the bank's latest move.
Second is the timing of it. Less than a month ago on 8 April, the bank's Monetary Policy Committee – which decides the repo rate – decided to keep the rate unchanged despite rising inflation and tightened geopolitical uncertainty. And since the same factors remain even now, why the sudden hike? What changed?
In today’s episode, we break down what prompted the RBI to hike the repo rate, the significance of the move, and how it will impact the end consumer.
In today’s episode, you will hear from Ananth Narayan, Professor of Finance at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and Quantum Advisors India's Arvind Chari. You will also hear from Prosenjit Dutta, former editor of Businessworld and Business Today.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
The wait is over! India’s biggest ever Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) kicked off for subscription for retail institutional investors today, that is on 4 May.
Since it's completely an offer for sale, all the proceedings will directly go to the government which is expecting to raise Rs 21,000 crores by selling a 3.5% stake of LIC, in a bid to replenish the public coffers that have been drained out by the pandemic.
But moving on to the pricing details, the price band for this IPO has been set at Rs 902-949 per share for sale of 22.13 crores equity shares. There is also a discount offer of Rs 60 per share for its policyholders and Rs 45 apiece for retail investors and LIC employees. The LIC IPO will close on 9 May and the company will be listed on the stock exchange on 17 May.
And the first two hours of the first day of bidding itself saw a pretty decent response with a subscription of around 28 percent by 12 noon. By the time of the recording of this podcast, it was at 58 percent.
Expectedly, in the months leading up to this massive IPO listing, there's been a lot of buzz around this listing, partly because LIC which is a state-run insurance company, has been a household name in the country for several decades given that it's the biggest and the oldest insurance company in India.
But after some newly listed stocks of companies Zomato, Nykaa and Paytm hit record lows after many weeks of record highs there's also been a big question among policyholders and investors, and it is: to invest or not to invest?
While that is a tricky question to answer, what are the pros and cons of investing? We'll take that question to our guest Prosenjit Datta, former editor of Businessworld and Business Today in the podcast today. We'll also hear from senior journalist Madhavan Narayanan on his take on why the government is going ahead with this IPO listing under volatile market conditions.
Tune in!
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl
Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C
Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ
Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng
Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
A month after taking office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's "democracy will not sustain if we can't guarantee freedom of speech and expression".
However, 8 years on, the freedom of one of the fundamental pillars of democracy – the press – has taken a nosedive. In 2015, the World Press Freedom Index, which is compiled annually by Reporters Without Borders, ranked India at 136 out of 180 countries. This number in 2021 reached the all-time low of 142.
While India has not slipped further down the index, Reporters Without Borders continues to classify India as “bad” for journalism and termed it as one of the “world’s most dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their job properly.”
A February 2022 report by the Rights and Risk Analysis group points exactly to how dangerous it is. In its India Press Freedom Report 2021, the organisation states that at least six journalists were killed and 121 journalists including 13 media houses were targeted in India just in 2021.
Time and again we hear about the state of freedom of the press in India, how journalists have been selectively targeted and attacked in India for their reportage, and in some cases also for their religious identity.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we take a look at how press freedom in India has shrunk over the years. Joining me to unpack this, for today’s episode, are senior journalist Seema Chishti, Patricia Mukhim, the editor of the Shillong Times, and Alishan Jafri, an independent journalist who covers hate crime in India.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Aditya Menon
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
The IPL 2022 saw quite a few overhauls- two new teams being added, the mega auction where teams splurged close to Rs 550 crore for 204 players to construct some new squads. We also saw iconic names going missing and some new captains being announced.
There seems to be a lot of change this season and a quick glance at the points table tells the same story.
Three of the most successful and storied teams in the history of IPL - Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders- are languishing at the bottom of the points table.
Here is a quick roundup of where these teams stand:
Mumbai — which is at the bottom of the table — has made history by losing their first eight matches. Chennai — who is one rung above Mumbai—has lost 6 of the eight matches it has played so far. And lastly, Kolkata which has also lost six of the nine matches it has played so far.
But the big question is what has happened to these three iconic teams? Is it just plain bad luck or does it go deeper?
In today’s episode, we take these questions to die-hard fans of these teams. Joining me today our my colleagues Mythreyee Iyer, Meghnad Bose, Debayan Dutta and Saptarshi Basak.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
Runway 34 is propelled by Ajay Devgn’s swag. There is no other way to put it . His slo-mo walk exudes equal doses of cockiness and confidence. Captain Vikrant Mathur has a photographic memory. He never misses a detail, can fly a plane literally with his eyes shut and simply has to press an unlit cigarette between his lips when faced with the prospect of impending death. “Na fuel hai, na visibility, na time” says a panic-stricken co-pilot. That’s essentially how tricky the landing is.
Voiceover: RJ Stutee
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access_time1 year ago
If you, like me, have caught yourself multiple times a day complaining about how this year is hotter than the last, you are not alone.
March 2022 has been India’s third warmest March since 1901 and there have been at least 26 heat waves since the start of March, which can last for anywhere between 4-10 days.
On 11 April, Delhi broke a 72-year-old record with the temperature hitting 42.6 degrees Celsius. And the absence of summer rains, which usually keeps a check on the heat, has also made the heat worse.
While climate change is one of the main reasons why it is so hot, what has made it even more frustrating is the constant power cuts which are occurring across the country. As per the power ministry's own data, 14 out of 36 states and union territories are currently facing a power shortage.
And there are multiple reasons behind this power crunch, with the most obvious one being record-high power demands in this scorching heat.
As the country witnesses a revival of the economy due to declining COVID cases, businesses have started operating at full capacity, adding to the power requirement.
But the big reason behind the power cuts is the shortage of coal in India. Barely six months ago in October 2021, we saw a similar crisis, with several states facing electricity outages due to prolonged monsoon.
But why is India witnessing a power crunch again in the summers? What is leading to this constant power outage? And what is causing this heat?
To understand this, we spoke to Sudiep Shrivastava, Chhattisgarh-based lawyer and activist; Sanjay Vashisht, Director, Climate Action Network South Asia; and Dr Narendra Taneja, a leading energy expert.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
Things seem to be going from bad to worse for Virat Kohli as his poor performance continues to haunt him in the ongoing IPL 2022 as he got out on the first ball for the second straight match and scored less than 10 runs in the match subsequent to it.
The former Indian captain, who has scored over 23,500 international runs for India, was out on the first ball against Lucknow SuperGiants and on 23 April, when he edged the outgoing delivery he faced from South Africa-fast bowler Marco Jansen at the Brabourne Stadium.
It has also now been 100 games across all formats of cricket that Virat Kohli has not scored a century.
This dry spell has also prompted pundits like former India coach Ravi Shastri and well-wishers to suggest that Kohli is "overcooked" and needs a break away from the game and the spotlight.
So in today’s episode, we analyse the possible reasons for this kind of a lean patch for Kohli and also the possible solutions for a player of his level to come back from it.
For this, we spoke to cricket commentator and analyst Chandresh Narayanan and Amrit Mathur, the former COO of the Delhi Daredevils. We also spoke to Dr Divya Jain, a sports psychologist at Fortis Hospital, Delhi.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
Only a few days ago, Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter was thought to be long shot but his offer has ben accepted by the social media platform. The billionaire will now pay a cool $44 billion to take the company private.
In his statement on Tuesday, 26 April Musk said he wants to "make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans."
The announcement also confirmed many of the details that had already been reported — or tweeted — about the transaction. However, it has also left many unanswered questions, most pertinently— how will a privately held Twitter operate? And is Elon Musk’s idea of “free speech” right for a platform like Twitter ?
Joining us today to discuss all this is Apar Gupta, the Executive Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
Assured of another five years in office, French President Emmanuel Macron made history on Monday, 25 April, by beating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
This was the second straight fight between the two politicians and Le Pen’s third shot at presidency.
But there is something deeply unsettling about these results — how close Le Pen, a long-time standard-bearer for the French far-right, got in terms of vote share with Macron.
Le Pen scored better than she ever has, winning about 41 percent of the votes. The last time she stood for elections, in 2017, she earned around 34 percent.
What is also striking about the result is the abstention rate of this elections, which at 28 percent is a slight increase from its level in 2017 but also the highest for a final round of vote since 1969.
The nature of these results raises the question: if these voting trends continue, is France walking on a dangerous path towards electing a far-right president in the next election?
To break down the election results and their significance, we speak to senior journalist and columnist Nabanita Sircar.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
In his first visit to India since being elected United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on 22 April said the relationship between the two countries is stronger than ever.
It has taken three attempts for Johnson to finally arrive in India, having cancelled his earlier trips as the chief guest of the 2021 Republic Day and then calling his trip off again four months later in April on account of the deadly COVID second wave.
However, even as her arrives in India, Johnson is being trailed by reverberations of “partygate” where the UK Parliament vote is deliberating on whether to refer him for a formal investigation into his is knowledge of parties at 10 Downing Street despite the countries strict COVID restrictions.
And his first day in India on 21 April was not a smooth landing, with an outpour of outrage online against his inauguration of a JCB factory in Gujarat, just a day after bulldozers made by the company razed alleged illegal construction in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.
But despite the stumbles made by the Johnson, his visit to India since being elected to Prime Minister is important since it signals that the two countries have to a large extent let go of their legacy colonial issues, which have plagued negotiations and ties in the past.
In today’s episode, we take a look at the India-UK relations and the main takeaways from UK PM Boris Johnson’s India visit. Joining me today is Vivek Mishra, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
Jersey marks the Hindi directorial debut of Gowtam Tinnanuri who remade his own 2019 Telugu hit by the same name. It tells the story of Arjun Talwar, a failed but talented cricketer, who wants to make a comeback to the Indian cricket team in his late 30s to fulfill his son’s wish.
It wouldn’t be incorrect to consider Jersey a sports film considering it doesn’t deviate much from the tropes one has come to associate with the genre.
Voiceover: RJ Stutee
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access_time1 year ago
Hit by communal violence just days before, Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on 20 April saw seven bulldozers roll into the neighbourhood accompanied by heavy police deployments as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation razed parts of shops, carts, tin sheds, homes, and the gate of a mosque.
The demolition, which started around 10 am, went on for over an hour till 12:15 pm despite the Supreme Court’s directions at 11 am that the status quo be maintained.
And taking notice of the disregard of its order, an apex court bench of Justices L N Rao and B R Gavai heard a clutch of petitions on 21 April, where it extended its status quo order for two more weeks and said that it would “take a serious view of all demolitions that took place after the court's decision was communicated to the mayor.”
The demolition drive has left behind a trail of despair in Jahangirpuri, due to the lack of due process followed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), with many vendors and shopkeepers asserting that they were not given any notice of the demolition drive and more so, were not even given a chance to move their carts and stalls.
In today’s episode, we take a look back at what happened in Jahangirpuri on 20 April and the impact of the demolitions through The Quint’s ground reports and also take a look at the arguments made in the supreme court with The Quint’s Legal Editor, Vakasha Sachdev.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Somya Lakhani
Interviews: Eshwar Gole and Samarth Grover
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
It’s been a busy few days at 10 Janpath with political strategist Prashant Kishor meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders, with the former reportedly looking to join the party full time.
With three high level meetings since 16 April, Kishor reportedly gave a detailed presentation on the roadmap to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to party leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, Mukul Wasnik, KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Digvijay Singh, Ambika Soni, and Kamal Nath.
And this is also not the first-time buzz of Kishor joining the Congress have surfaced since similar discussions also happened between the two entities in 2021 but the negotiations were reportedly unsuccessful due to disagreements over his role.
So, what led to the Congress finally changing its mind? What are Kishor’s plans for the Congress, and the big question remains – Will the Congress give Kishor the mandate to make the crucial election decisions?
To help us answer these questions, joining me today in Aditya Menon, The Quint’s political editor.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Aditya Menon
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
After close to a two-month decline in COVID-19 cases, as we were getting back to our pre-pandemic lives with state governments lifting restrictions, the rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital has started to sound alarm bells once again.
Since 11 April, Delhi has witnessed a whopping 265.69 percent surge in daily new cases, according to data released by the Union health government. On 11 April, daily cases were at 137 and on 18 April, this number rose to 501.
Not just Delhi but its neighbourhood state of Haryana has also reported a rise in daily active cases with the state reporting 1,200 fresh COVID cases in over 14 days between 31 March and 14 April as per an Indian Express report.
The most worrying part however is that there is also a reported rise in COVID cases among children, with some cases requiring hospitalisation as well. Multiple media reports point towards children with pre-existing health conditions complaining of cough, allergies, and viral infection.
While the surge in cases is only incremental, with total active case nationally being at 11,860, the spike in cases does put a question mark over the recent ease in restrictions like mask mandates in public areas.
To make sense of what this spike in COVID cases means, we spoke to Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and health systems expert. We also spoke to Prof Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director and Senior Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Apollo Hospitals Group and Dr Himanshu Batra, a paediatrician practising in New Delhi.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Vaishali Sood
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
On Saturday, 16 April, violence broke out in Northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri following a Shobha Yatra organised to mark Hanuman Jayanti.
The Delhi Police have so far arrested 24 people and apprehended two juveniles in connection with communal clashes that broke out in North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri after a religious Hindu procession allegedly attempted to hoist a flag on a mosque.
According to the FIR filed by the police, arguments between two groups escalated after a man named Ansar came with a few people and started an argument with those participating in the yatra. The argument escalated and stone-pelting and sloganeering started from both sides.
And as per purported videos of the yatra uploaded on social media and eyewitness accounts, several in the procession were carrying saffron flags, swords, pistols, and sticks.
The police have also recovered three firearms and five swords from the accused persons. The Quint’s reporter Fatima Khan spoke to several members of the procession and they claimed that they carried the swords for “fun”.
This incident also comes days after the violence that erupted during the Ram Navami processions in several parts of the country.
However, the twist in this incident is that there was a heavy deployment of police in the area where this scuffle took place. As per a report by The Indian Express, the Shobha Yatra also had police permission and around 50 police officials were deployed in Jahangirpuri along with PCRs, MVPs, and drones. Later, DCP Northwest Usha Rangani clarified that the procession took place without any permission.
In today’s episode, we take you through exactly what led to the violence in Jahangirpuri through eyewitness accounts and The Quint’s ground reports on the same. We also speak to Somya Lakahni, Senior Editor at The Quint to know the latest on the investigation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Somya Lakhani
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
When K.G.F Chapter 1 released, it resonated with people across the country and carved a unique image for the Kannada film industry in Indian cinema. Therefore the hype around the sequel, K.G.F: Chapter 2, was immense.
The main theme of the film is to emphasise that it doesn't matter if you live for 100 years, you cannot and should not live a life of slavery. It's in line with Dr. BR Ambedkar’s quote “Life should be great, not long”.
Voiceover: Soundarya Athimutu
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access_time1 year ago
In a big development in Karnataka politics, State Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj KS Eshwarappa announced his resignation from office on Thursday, 14 April, after allegations of corruption and his alleged role in the suicide of a contractor surfaced.
The news of Eshwarappa’s resignation is huge given that it was not expected in the days after the allegations surfaced. Eshwarappa too had been defiant on the issue and even previously stated to media that there is “no question” of him resigning as a minister.
His resignation comes on the heels of the death of Santosh Patil, a contractor involved in various government projects. Patil was found dead in a hotel in Udupi on 12 April. In the final message that he purportedly sent to his friends, he named Eshwarappa as "solely responsible" for his death.
Pertinently, Patil had also alleged that Eshwarappa harassed him for a bribe to clear the bills regarding some construction work, reportedly asking for a 40 percent bribe of the total cost of the project, which reportedly amounted to a whopping Rs 4 crore.
The Udupi police had also registered an FIR against Eshwarappa and two of his aides under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with abetment to suicide. Although the minister has denied the charges, his surprise resignation throws a new twist in the entire case, with the question being: was he pushed to resign from office?
We discuss the resignations and the case with The Quint’s South Bureau Chief Nikhila Henry and Naheed Ataulla, a senior journalist based in Bengaluru.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Nikhila Henry
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
In the backdrop of big geopolitical developments in Ukraine, the United States and India held their fourth 2+2 dialogue on 12 April in Washington DC.
These focused discussions between two countries' foreign and defence counterparts have become a regular affair since the inaugural dialogue in 2018. However, Tuesday became noteworthy since it was also preceded by a surprise Biden-Modi virtual summit, signalling that the talks were being guided from the top.
As in previous dialogues, the usual elephants were in the room: China’s growing presence in trade, India’s defence ambitions and trade, and the issue of human rights violations which the US has brought forward in almost every official diplomatic meeting. However, the new entrant – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was one of the main pivot points for the meeting.
While the US in its public statements named Russia and slammed its actions in Ukraine, India – unsurprisingly – did not. Ever since the start of the invasion, India has maintained neutrality in the crisis and has not publicly named or condemned Russia for its actions.
Though the US through its statements has indicated that it understands India’s stance on the issue, the big question is – how long will the US continue to accommodate this stance? Do these talks signal where the India-US relations are headed?
To discuss the big takeaways from the India-US 2+2, joining me today is Vivek Mishra, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
On 11 April, Shehbaz Sharif became the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan after his predecessor Imran Khan was booted off unceremoniously through a no-confidence vote.
After 3 years and 8 months in office and a lot of attempts to stay in power, Khan ultimately shared the same fate as the 21 Pakistan PMs before him, none of whom were able to complete a five-year term.
Sharif who was leading the charge against Imran Khan in Pakistan’s parliament, was elected unopposed shortly after, but as the new Prime Minister, he is going to be inheriting an economic crisis along with ruffled foreign relations with the US and a rise of militancy in the country.
But as he takes up the new mantle, what is the perception around Shehbaz Sharif as a politician and administrator? How is his approach to foreign policy expected to be different from Imran Khan’s? And, most importantly, as Pakistan goes through this political reconfiguration, the question is, what will it mean for India and the changing geopolitics?
Our guest in this episode is Dr. Sameer Patil, a Senior Fellow at ORF Mumbai.
Tune in!
Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guest: Dr. Sameer Patil, a Senior Fellow at ORF Mumbai
Editor: Shelly Walia
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
Several instances of violence, stone pelting, and arson rocked many states of India on the occasion of Ram Navami on 10 April.
Reports of unrest and violence emerged from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat West Bengal, Goa, Mumbai, and New Delhi, where students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University were allegedly attacked by students affiliated with right-wing groups. Meanwhile, the clashes that erupted in Gujarat caused the death of a person.
Several purported videos of these incidents uploaded on social media showed youth wearing saffron clothing, wielding swords, and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and anti-Muslim slogans, whizzing through the streets on their bikes.
In one instance, in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, a purported video uploaded on social media shows a group of men holding saffron flags and swords outside a mosque, with one man climbing the mosque's wall and trying to fix a saffron flag atop it.
And in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, as many as 77 people were arrested after incidents of stone pelting and arson occurred during a Ram Navami procession in the district.
This is, however, not the first time such rallies have taken place on the occasion of Ram Navami. Over the years, right-wing Hindu groups taking out processions have led to tensions in many parts of the country, according to several media reports.
In today’s episode, we take a look at the reports of violence in some of these areas and analyse how the occasion of Ram Navami has been a weapon to spread communal hatred by certain right-wing groups.
We speak to Teesta Setalvad, a journalist and civil rights activist, and Apoorvanand, a professor at Delhi University.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Somya Lakhani
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
All is not well for Imran Khan as he faces an unprecedented no-confidence motion against him in the Pakistan National Assembly on 9 April
The chess pieces were set for what seemed like a sure ouster by the country’s Opposition on 29 March, who had collected 197 votes—25 more than the required 172— for winning the vote in the 342 member house.
But Khan swiped away at the pieces with some help from Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, who dismissed the no-confidence motion, calling it “unconstitutional” and then discontinued the session. Minutes later, Khan blindsided the Opposition again, this time advising President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly.
However, fortunes turned against Khan when the Opposition took to the Pakistani Supreme Court, where a five-judge bench unanimously quashed Suri’s 3 April motion and the subsequent dissolution of the national assembly. Giving its verdict, Pakistan’s apex court termed the decision to dissolve the assembly as “illegal.”
And with the political turmoil leading up to the vote, the big question is- what’s next for Imran Khan if he gets ousted as PM? And does a united Opposition in Pakistan signal a consolidation in democracy?
To unpack this, we spoke to Sarral Sharma, a PhD Scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University specializing in India-Pakistan relations and Gul Bukhari, Pakistani journalist and rights activist.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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access_time1 year ago
A film can be anything it wants to be, but Dasvi makes the cardinal mistake of being boring! Innumerable yawn-inducing, unfunny moments together conspire to make it a tiresome watch.
It’s all very well to end with a Nelson Mandela quote about the “power of education”, but good intentions alone can’t make a great film.
Host: RJ Stutee
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access_time1 year ago
In an unprecedented move on 4 April, the Mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) proposed to shut meat shops under his jurisdiction during the Navratri festival, which will last till 11 April.
In a letter to the South Delhi commissioner, Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan – a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader – argued that “in view of the sentiments and feelings of the general public, necessary directions may be issued to the officers concerned to take necessary action for the closure of meat shops during the nine-day period”.
This sudden proposal to blanket ban meat shops led to large-scale confusion and tension across meat shops in south Delhi.
And it's important to note here that an official order to shut down any form of trade can only be passed by the commissioner, not the mayor. And no such order did materialise.
So what was the purpose of such a letter? More so, will the order of shutting down meat shops during festivals hold up in court?
In today’s episode, you will hear from some of the meat-shop owners The Quint spoke to in South Delhi’s INA market. For a legal analysis of this proposed ban, you will also hear from Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint’s Legal Editor.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Interviews: Eshwar Gole
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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News and Views
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access_time1 year ago
The UN's big report on climate change is out. It is the IPCC's (WG-III) sixth report on climate mitigation. And if you have been confused about all the jargon, and have been wondering how this report is different from the previous ones and what the big takeaways from it are, then we have the answers.
The Quint spoke to Dr Navroz K Dubash, who is a professor at the Centre for Policy Research, where he conducts research and writes on climate change, energy, air pollution, water policy, and the politics of regulation in the developing world. Dubash is also one of the co-authors of this latest report and the coordinating lead author of Chapter 13.
Host: Sadhika Tiwari
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
In a scathing speech at the United Nations on 5 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of a litany of horrors and atrocities and challenged the UN to act immediately or dissolve itself altogether.
This outrage comes in the aftermath of the alleged massacre in towns in and around Kyiv, where the bodies of 410 civilians were discovered. Russian and Ukrainian forces have been trading fire since 27 February in this region, which stopped only in early April.
The grimmest discoveries were made in the suburb of Bucha, where more than 300 bodies were found – some with their hands bound, flesh burned, and shot in the back of the head.
These indiscriminate killings and atrocities have, of course, touched the global nerve and led to US President Biden calling for a war crimes trial. It also triggered the strongest reaction yet from India, which condemned the killings and called for an independent investigation into the "deeply disturbing" matter.
The summary killings of civilians add to the growing body of evidence of numerous violations by Russian forces of the laws of war, which begs the question: what will it take to bring the Bucha victims to justice?
In today's episode, we unpack what exactly had happened in Bucha, and India's strong reaction.
We speak to Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Saptarshi Basak from The Quint's International News Desk, and Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint's Legal Editor.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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News and Views
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access_time1 year ago
(This is a review of the Hindi dubbed version of RRR)
A man after being bitten by a poisonous snake breaks a wall with his own fist! When he's on death row and in solitary confinement he does push ups! Someone else has his legs broken but takes ferocious leaps in the air to kill his target! SS Rajamouli’s 3-hour-long, hypnotic spectacle RRR is made up of many such moments that nudge us to suspend our disbelief. “Load, aim and shoot! “ - that’s what Rajamouli’s screenplay and K V Vijayendra Prasad’s story is all about unencumbered as it is by the need to be historically accurate or even logical for that matter. The only way to have fun then is to unquestioningly surrender yourself to this ambitious setup where the directors’s mastery over his craft is never in doubt.
VO: RJ Stutee
The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
In a big announcement on Monday, 4 April, the board of HDFC Limited and HDFC Bank announced the biggest merger in Indian corporate history, with a combined balance sheet of a whopping Rs 17.87 trillion.
The merger, which is expected to conclude over the next 18 months, has been speculated for more than a decade and it was a question of when and not why.
And rightly so. This is the merger of two industry behemoths: HDFC Limited – India’s largest housing finance company with assets under management worth Rs 5.26 trillion – and HDFC Bank, one of India’s largest private sector banks with a market cap Rs 8.35 trillion. This merger will make the new entity the world’s fifth most valued bank.
HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh said that the merger will not only strengthen the entity against its competitors but also make its offerings more competitive.
But the big question emerging from this announcement is its timing. Why now? What made 2022 an ideal time for this merger? And how will it impact the highly competitive financial services market?
We answer these questions in today’s episode with Ira Duggal, the Executive Editor of Bloomberg Quint.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
Less than three months after getting arrested for making Islamophobic remarks and instigating violence at the Haridwar 'Dharma Sansad' in December 2021, controversial Hindu leader Yati Narsinghanand is at it again.
On 3 April, an event called the 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' was organised at North Delhi's Burari Grounds. Here, Narsinghanand, who was released on bail on 15 February, delivered a speech to Hindus, asking them to pick up arms and claiming that the Hindu community faced a threat of conversion and violence if a "Muslim is made Prime Minister."
The organisers of the event, Preet Singh and Pinky Chaudhary, were previously arrested for giving hate speeches at a similar event at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in August 2021. They too, like Narsinghanand, are out on bail.
It is important to note that the organisers were denied permission to hold the event by the Delhi Police. Speaking to The Quint, the organisers had said, "Even if the police deny permission for the event, the event will take place."
In two separate incidents, five journalists were assaulted by right-wing mobs at the event. Meghnad Bose, The Quint's Principal Correspondent, was one of the reporters who was manhandled. We will be speaking to him in this episode.
We will also be speaking to Meer Faisal, who works at The Hindustan Gazette, and Arbab Ali, a freelance journalist. Both of them were assaulted and manhandled by the mob for their reportage.
In today's episode, we bring you the ground reality of the Hindu Mahapanchayat through the journalists who encountered it first-hand.
The Quint has out to the DCP of the Delhi police for their response to the allegations of complicity raised by the journalists who were present at the event. This story will be updated with the police’s version of the events as and when we receive a response.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
In a significant move, the Centre on 31 March reduced the footprint of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from several parts of Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur.
This decision is significant as the calls for repealing the Act have been growing louder over the past decade. The Act, which has been termed draconian and unconstitutional by many, gives sweeping powers to the armed forces beyond the authority of the police in 'disturbed areas' to maintain public order. And the northeast has been living under the shadow of this law for 60 long years.
While the move has been hailed by the CMs of the northeastern states as "historic," activists and experts still question the existence of the colonial Act and its use.
But there is another big news emerging out of the northeast – the new pact that has been signed by the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya to resolve a part of their five-decade-old boundary dispute.
The dispute has resulted in several flare-ups between the two states. However, Opposition leaders are calling this a "piecemeal resolution" and that the agreement is almost like "an imposition."
In today’s episode, we discuss both these relevant news events from the northeast.
First, we speak about the significance of the removal of the AFSPA with Manipuri activist Irom Sharmila, who had ended her 16-year fast against the AFSPA in 2016, Chitra Ahanthem, a freelance journalist based out of New Delhi, and Rajeev Bhattacharya, a senior journalist in Guwahati.
And then, to understand the political significance of the Assam-Meghalaya peace pact, we speak to Patricia Mukhim, editor of the Shillong Times.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Irom Sharmila Interview: Biswa Kalyan Purkayastha
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
It's Day 36 of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and a lot has happened in just the past week.
This includes Russia and Ukraine coming to the negotiating table in Istanbul, Russia announcing for the first time that it would reduce military presence in Kyiv and surrounding regions, and Ukraine pitching the idea of declaring itself a neutral nation to end the war.
While the peace talks have offered a glimmer of hope, there have been no breakthroughs yet. The two nations at war, however, have decided to resume peace talks on 1 April.
Over the past month, we have also seen how the severe sanctions slapped on Russia have affected not only its economy but also that of the world. The price of crude oil and natural gas has been spiking almost every day, and the impact of it is felt in India as well. In the past 10 days, the price of petrol and diesel has increased 9 times in India.
While India has supported calls for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution, it has so far abstained from every vote for draft resolutions condemning Russia. This fence-sitting has also led to a growing unease on the diplomatic front for India, with Germany, Australia, and the US critiquing India for its stance.
What may have made matters worse is Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to New Delhi on 31 March. The agenda of his 2-day visit is not public, but it does put India in a tricky situation, especially with the fellow QUAD countries.
In today’s episode, we go over the recent developments in the ongoing war and what they signify. Joining me today to unpack this is our regular guest and friend of the show Professor Harsh Pant, the Director of Strategic Studies at the Observer Research Foundation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
In 1920, when the British were still in power, they introduced a law named the “Identification of Prisoners Act.” This allowed the police to take and store footprints and fingerprints of conflicts.
Now, 102 years later, this bill has not only been revived in a new avatar but its powers and scope has been expanded to questionable extent.
On 28 March, the Centre introduced the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 which proposes to allow the police and prison authorities to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples, including retina and iris scans. But this is not only limited to convicts but also to those that police consider suspects of a crime.
More so, the law allows for the personal and biological data once collected to be stored for the extent of 75 years.
The bill met with fierce criticism from the Opposition, including Congress and TMC, calling it “draconian” and a "direct violation of the Fundamental Right of an individual".
And in the absence of a data protection framework in India, the proposed bill also raises questions on how it will impact fundamental rights like privacy and self-incrimination.
But, what does the law exactly propose? Why are members of the Opposition against it? And how will it affect the ordinary citizen?
In today’s episode, we break down this new bill with the help of Apar Gupta, the executive director at the Internet Freedom Foundation.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Vakasha Sachdev
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
Listen to The Big Story podcast on:
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The Big Story
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access_time1 year ago
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing the biggest threat to his political career – a unified Opposition coalition and a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly on 31 March.
The political temperature in the country has been on the rise since 8 March, when Opposition parties submitted the no-confidence motion against Khan, alleging that he was responsible for the country's economic crisis and spiralling inflation.
While the Opposition is confident that it can garner the support of 172 members in the House of 342 to oust Khan, the other side claims that it enjoys the required support to foil any attempts of such a vote.
And in a massive show of strength ahead of the crucial motion against his government, Khan, on 27 March, had held a mammoth rally in Islamabad, which was purportedly attended by tens of thousands of people. In a marathon speech, which lasted more than 90 minutes, he claimed that "foreign powers were involved in a conspiracy" to topple his government. He further alleged that he had a "letter" to prove the same.
But under all the claims and counterclaims lies the silence of the powerful and influential powerful Pakistan army. The military, which stood behind Khan in 2018, has so far has conveyed to him that it is "neutral" in the unfolding political slugfest, suggesting that it has withdrawn its support for Khan.
So the big question: are Imran Khan's days as PM numbered? In this episode, we break down the factors that led to the no-confidence motion, explore how it may possibly play out, and how it will impact the frozen India-Pakistan relations.
Joining me today to discuss this is Sameer Patil, Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank.
Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar
Music: Big Bang Fuzz
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