In Focus by The Hindu

A Constitution Bench judgement of the Indian Supreme Court on March 2 took the appointment of Election Commissioners out of the sole hands of the political executive and assigned it to a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha. Appointments will take place through this panel till a law is made on this subject by Parliament. The bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph said in its judgement that a person who is weak-kneed should not be appointed as an Election Commissioner. Neither should that person be in a state of obligation or feel indebted to the person who appointed him. The judgment also made a “fervent appeal” to the Union of India / Parliament to put in place a permanent secretariat for the Election Commission and charging its expenditure to the Consolidated Fund of India to make it truly independent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, California-based Silicon Valley Bank, the 16th largest bank in the United States, collapsed, sending shock waves through the start-up universe. Then two more banks – the crypto-currency focussed Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital – shut down, sparking fears of wider financial contagion, similar to how the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 triggered a global crisis. The American government and the Federal Reserve acted fast to try and avoid precisely such a scenario by announcing measures aimed at boosting confidence in the banking system. The Biden administration has announced that all the depositors’ savings in the Silicon Valley Bank will be protected, including those deposits over and above the sums that are insured. The Federal Reserve, on its part, has unveiled a new lending program called the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), which would enable banks to borrow directly from the central bank instead of having to resort to loss-making bond sales, as the Silicon Valley Bank did. So, what caused the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank? Could it have been prevented? Is this banking collapse something that can be contained, or is it a harbinger of more such failures in the pipeline? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next month, the Supreme Court of India, will listen to final hearings on the issue of legal recognition for same sex marriages in India. A number of petitions have been filed, seeking this recognition. The case follows the landmark Puttuswamy judgement of 2017, affirming the right to privacy as a fundamental right, and then the Navtej Johar judgement of 2018, which decriminalised same sex relationships. The Centre however, has opposed same sex marriages, stating that marriages in India are holy unions, this would rock societal values and also that, if there is to be a change, it should be through Parliament and not the judiciary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas. On March 4, a draft international agreement, called the UN High Seas Treaty, was finalised to govern the conduct of governments in ‘open seas’ – the major part of the world’s oceans – two-thirds of it – which lie beyond the jurisdiction of any one country. Once ratified by the signatory countries, the agreement will become legally binding. The treaty, dubbed the ‘Paris Agreement for the Oceans’, will also establish a conference of the parties (CoP) that will meet periodically so that member states can be held accountable for respecting the treaty. So, what exactly does the UN High Seas Treaty propose? How will ensure that biodiversity of the oceans is protected? And what does it say in terms of sharing of marine genetic resources – a key sticking point in the negotiations preceding the agreement? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a rare moment for Chinese diplomacy, Beijing used its good offices to broker an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia that should see the two warring West Asian nations re-establishing diplomatic relations and re-opening their embassies within two months. China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, who is a signatory to the “joint trilateral statement”, said the agreement showed that Beijing was a “reliable mediator”. The joint trilateral statement itself said the accord was the consequence of a “noble initiative” by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The announcement, which came on March 10 after four days of talks between Chinese, Iranian and Saudi Arabian officials in Beijing, coincided with a session of China’s National People’s Congress that saw Xi being elected as President for an unprecedented third term. So, what does this agreement signal for Chinese diplomacy? A new confidence? The ability to play a game long dominated by the West? A showpiece that suggests China was now willing to play broker in other parts of the world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Indian rupee has had an interesting run these past few weeks. It strengthened in response to investor inflows into the markets but started losing steam soon after the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s testimony to the U.S. Congress in which he said controlling inflation would continue to be the focus area. Does the RBI have a choice beyond keeping step with the Fed in raising interest rates further? What does it mean for our forex reserves? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Stock Exchange (NSE), one of India’s leading stock exchanges, has tweaked the constituents of its major indices such that three Adani Group companies are all set to enter key Nifty indices from March 31. The Adani stocks being included in Nifty indices include Adani Wilmar, which has been added to Nifty Next 50 and Nifty 100, Adani Total gas, which has been added to Nifty Shariah 25, and Adani Power, which has been added to ten different indices. The move has raised concerns given the continuing meltdown in Adani group stocks since January 24 when the US-based firm Hindenburg Research made several allegations about stock manipulation and fraud that the Adani group has denied. On the one hand, the exposure of actively managed mutual funds to Adani stocks is reported be less than 1%. But on the other, nearly 16% of India’s mutual fund industry’s ₹41 lakh crore is parked in index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) that mimic indices constructed by the NSE and BSE, and some of this investment will be steered to these Adani stocks from March 31. And earlier this week, the NSE also removed four Adani Group stocks from the Nifty Alpha 50 index. So, what exactly goes into the decision to include or exclude any given stock in an index? How justified is the inclusion of Adani stock in various NSE indices given the recent sharp fall in their prices? And what are the risks and options for ordinary investors? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 and the fear around it may have gone away, but over the past few weeks, India has been rocked by cases of fever and intense coughs. People across States have been falling sick, and some have even had to be hospitalised. Last week, the Indian Council of Medical Research said these cases are linked to Influenza A, the H3N2 subtype virus that causes flu. The Council said surveillance data had shown a spike in these cases in India. So what is the H3N2 virus? Who is vulnerable to it and what symptoms can it cause? Is there a vaccine that can be taken? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 is a busy year for state elections, with a total of nine state elections scheduled to take place. We are in March now, and three of those assembly polls have concluded. In all three – Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya – the incumbents have been returned to power. The BJP was voted back in Tripura, although with a reduced vote share, while in Nagaland, the alliance of the National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP are back in power. In Meghalaya, interestingly, in its election campaign, the BJP had branded the government of the Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) as the “most corrupt” state government in the country. But after the polls, it has chosen to extend support to the NPP. So what are the implications of these election results for the North-East? With barely 13 months to go for the 2024 general elections, what are the takeaways for the two main national parties – the BJP and the Congress? Were there any lessons to be drawn with regard to Opposition unity? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few days ago, the results of an interesting study were published. The study, conducted in the United Kingdom saw 61 companies and 2,900 employees take part in the reduction of the work-day week, from the standard five days, to four days. At the end of the six-month experiment, employees were less stressed, had better work-life balance and were absent on fewer days. Companies reported no impact on productivity, while revenues remained the same and in some cases, even increased. But can this system work in India, a country that has one of the highest number of working hours in the world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 24th, the Supreme refused to entertain a PIL seeking period leave for students and working women. The three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, observed that the issue had “different” dimensions and asked the petitioner to approach the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to frame a policy. The court also took note of a caveat filed by a law student, which said that compelling employers to grant menstrual pain leave could act as a “disincentive” for employers when it comes to hiring women. Is the question of period leave purely a matter of gender rights – in terms of acknowledging women’s biological difference and accommodating it through affirmative action? Or is it a bad idea because it will increase gender discrimination against women at the point of recruitment? What kind of a policy intervention, if any, would be appropriate in this context? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GDP data for India in the Oct-Dec 2022 quarter has given out mixed signals. Of concern are a contraction in manufacturing despite a let up in input costs as well as the slowing growth in the high-contact services sectors. Still, the government seems confident of 7% growth in FY23 despite a revised growth rate data put out for FY22 at 9.1%. What does the near future hold for India? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The one-year anniversary of the ongoing war in Ukraine saw a number of related developments beyond the battle zone. First came the visit of President Joe Biden to Kyiv, where he reiterated the motto of ‘As long as it takes” for American support to the Ukrainian war effort, underlining that the US is in it for the long haul. Then President Vladimir Putin, in his state of the nation speech announced that Russia was “suspending” its participation in the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), the last of the major treaties in place to curb an unfettered nuclear arms race. Next China released what has been variously described as a “peace plan” and a “position paper” on bringing an end to the Russo-Ukraine war. So what are the implications of each of these developments? Will China’s peace plan be taken seriously by the West? Will Biden’s domestic opponents allow his administration to funnel endless billions into this war? Will Russia’s ‘suspension’ of its participation in New START destabilise a fragile strategic balance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tata Group-owned Air India has placed two big orders with Europe’s Airbus consortium and Boeing for 470 planes – the largest ever single order placed by an airline in aviation history. As per the list price, the value of the order is around $70 billion. This order is evidently part of a strategy to rapidly expand the fleet and increase market share. It does raise some questions though: Does India have the aviation infrastructure to support such a vast expansion? What are the challenges for Air India in terms of manpower, such as pilots and trainers, and training infrastructure? How will it handle the competition from other airlines? What are the implications in terms of passenger safety, given that some of the planes are of a type that Air India pilots have never flown before, and pilot shortage may be an issue for years to come? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Election Commission of India recently recognised the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde as the Shiv Sena and allotted the bow and arrow symbol to it. This order is now under challenge by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Sena in the Supreme Court. Using the test of majority principle, and that a majority of party MLAs in Maharashtra had sided with Mr. Shinde, the Election Commission, in its wisdom, presented the Chief Minister with the Shiv Sena. What impact will this have on the politics of Maharashtra, a state which sends as many as 48 representatives to the Lok Sabha? Could Maharashtra play a key role in deciding the results of the 2024 general elections? Does the BJP still have use for Eknath Shinde after the goal of dethroning Uddhav Thackeray has been achieved? For the moment, all eyes are on what the Supreme Court will decide on the tussle between the Sena factions. Also, a key test for the BJP, Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray will be the upcoming elections to the Mumbai municipality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is all set to kick off from March 4. In an auction held earlier this year, five franchises – Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz, and Mumbai Indians -- were sold for a total sum of ₹4,699.99 crores. In the players’ auction that followed, India opener Smriti Mandhana went for the highest price, with the Adani-owned Gujarat Giants shelling out ₹3.40 crores for her. Viacom 18 purchased the media rights for the first years for a sum of ₹951 crores. So, is the WPL all set to change the face of Indian women’s cricket? Does India have the depth of talent to support the growth of such a league over the long term? How far does the WPL have to go before it can be compared with the world’s top T20 leagues such as the WBBL of Australia? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, Assam began a massive crackdown against child marriages in the State - so far, over 4,000 cases have been registered and over 3,000 people have been arrested. Protests have broken out in the State as young girls and children have been left with no wage earners in the family. Assam has high rates of child marriage -- while the all-India figure as per the latest National Family Health Survey was 23.3%, in Assam, the figure was 31.8 percent. The Assam Chief Minister in fact said the drive against child marriage was for public health as teenage pregnancy rates were high. Concerns around child marriage and the health of young girls are valid and should be dealt with, but does using the criminal justice system help? Why does India continue to have significant numbers of child marriages? How much is this to do with access to education? And what policies have worked in other States and other parts of the world to help bring child marriage rates down? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five states – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh – have informed the Centre that they would be reverting to the Old Pension Scheme. Some analysts even believe that one of the reasons for the Congress victory in Himachal was its campaign promise to revert to the Old Pension Scheme. At the same time, the Centre has warned that this move spells fiscal irresponsibility. Some economists have said it could even lead to a scenario of possible defaults on pension payments. But government employees in different states have staged protests demanding the Old Pension Scheme. So what exactly is the difference between the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the New Pension Scheme (NPS)? Why do employees want the OPS, while the Centre is pushing for NPS? Realistically speaking, is the OPS fiscally sustainable in the long run? Or will it bankrupt state governments? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s Union Budget announced a scheme for the protection of natural resources that are fast degrading in the country: our wetlands. Amrit Dharohar, the scheme announced by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget this year, aims to protect and work towards the optimal use of wetlands. A separate scheme to protect mangroves was also announced. To mark 75 years of Independence last year, India also added 11 sites to its existing Ramsar sites, making 75 in all. Ramsar sites are wetlands that are designated to be of international importance for biodiversity. By some estimates, India has lost nearly 30 per cent of its wetlands over the last three decades: unplanned construction and pollution being major factors in this. Their loss can have massive consequences for cities – flooding and loss of water security being some. What is the status of wetlands in India now? How well are current rules for protection being implemented? How much will the new schemes help? And how can local societies get involved in conservation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It will soon be a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, or to use Moscow’s terminology, began a “special military operation” in Ukraine. A thick fog hangs over the progress of the war – information trickling in about the war continues to be unreliable. Some larger truths, however, are obvious. There are, so far, no victors in this war that has been joined in a proxy manner by NATO and the United States on behalf of Ukraine. Both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers continue to slug it out as hi-tech weapons play a role in the war. If the European goal behind oil sanctions and price controls was to grind the Russian economy to a halt, then that hasn’t happened. China and India continue to be major consumers of Russian energy as the world awaits a resolution of the war in Ukraine. One year on, what happens to Ukraine and Russia? Can peace breakout between the two countries? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week the Reserve Bank of India raised its key repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.50%. This is the sixth rate hike since last May, for a total hike of 250 basis points in less than a year. The latest hike, while not entirely unexpected in some quarters, came as a surprise to those who were hoping for a pause in the consecutive rate hikes, especially given that inflation pressures were seen to be moderating. But the rate hike has also sparked a debate about its effect on FD rates, home loan interest rates and EMIs, and in turn, the impact on demand in the real estate market. In this episode of InFocus, we try and decode the implications of the rate hike, especially from the consumer’s point of view. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 6, an earthquake measuring a massive 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Southern Turkey and parts of Syria, followed by a second quake of the same magnitude a few hours later. The death toll from the earthquake has risen to 17,000 but there’s a fear that many more bodies are under the rubble, the death toll could rise sharply. The scale of the devastation has been immense- the worst such in the region in nearly a century. In Turkey, the cities of Antakya and Gazantiep are amongst the worst hit, and in Syria Alleppo and Idlib, and the destruction of buildings and roads have also cut off communication with many parts. A global rescue effort is underway for Quake hit Turkiye and Syria- where the deathtoll is in the thousands already- What are the factors that are making this rescue difficult? How is India helping? Will India’s assistance be a diplomatic gamechanger? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a little more than two years since Myanmar’s generals staged a coup and ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy from power. A bloody civil war is raging in the country, with independent estimates suggesting that the military junta had killed nearly 3,000 civilians and jailed another 18,000 since the 1st of February 2021. More than a third of Myanmar is not under the control of the military, a top junta functionary admitted recently. Martial law regulations have been extended to another 37 townships where military tribunals can try and sentence “offenders” on charges ranging from treason to spreading “false news”. International action against the junta has not stopped the country’s generals from launching air strikes against resistance forces. Russia, China and India continue to engage the junta, lending it a degree of respectability. ASEAN has little to show in trying to get its member state back to the democratic path. Later this year, the junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is threatening to hold elections. Will it carry any credibility? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) promises 100 days of wage-based employment every year to rural households across the country. As per independent reports, demand for work under this scheme has been increasing. But in the 2023-24 Union Budget, the government has slashed allocation for this scheme to ₹61,032.65 crore, which is 30% less than the revised estimate of ₹ 89,154.65 crore for 2022-23. This is the lowest ever allocation as a percentage of the GDP, at less than 0.2%. This is the second straight cut, as in the 2022-23 budget also the allocation was reduced by 25%. So, what are the government’s justifications for these budget cuts? How do they relate to ground realities? Is there a danger of demand suppression through insufficient budgeting, as claimed by MGNREGA advocates? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last Saturday the United States shot down what it described as a Chinese “spy balloon” off the coast of South Carolina, raising tensions between the two countries. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who was scheduled to leave for China on Sunday, postponed his visit. He described the incident as an “unacceptable” violation of America’s sovereignty and said that the balloon had “undermined” the purpose of his trip. China, on its part, insists that the balloon was just a civilian “airship” that had strayed into American air space “completely accidentally”. Although it expressed ‘regret’, it described the U.S.’s military response as an “obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.” It also warned of “necessary” responses. So, what kind of response can we expect from China? Will we see the effects of this incident once again in the South China Sea? And was it really a spy balloon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pakistan’s last military dictator, Pervez Musharraf, has died in Dubai at the age of 79. I was in Islamabad as a correspondent for The Hindu when General Musharraf took power through a bloodless coup in October 1999. He was the presiding officer for the Kargil incursion but later turned peacemaker, signing a milestone agreement with then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in January 2004. Gen. Musharraf, like the man he ousted from office, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had to eventually leave Pakistan for medical treatment in March 2016. He resigned as President in 2008 following a protracted civil society movement led by lawyers. As the Pakistani Government announced that Musharraf’s body would be flown to Islamabad from Dubai, what is the former General’s legacy? How is he perceived today in Pakistan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 is set to be a landmark year for India's population trajectory, as the country is predicted to overtake China to become the world's most populous nation. And India will remain in that position for several more years. The advantages, experts have pointed out, is the demographic dividend - we will have a massive number of young people in the working age group, and a relatively lower number of those needing care such as the elderly and young children, at least for a couple of decades. But how well is India placed to harness this young population for us to grow economically? Do we have the polices for education, skilling and health in place? And what happens when some Southern states have populations that age faster than some northern States? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hindenburg Research, an American ‘activist’ short-seller, known for going after companies that they believed are excessively overvalued, has unleashed a storm in the markets and regulatory circles with a report on the Adani Group of companies. In its report, Hindenburg has accused the Adanis of pulling off “the most egregious corporate fraud” in history. The allegations include stock manipulation and round-tripping of funds using shell companies. While the Adanis hit back with a 413-page rejoinder, the markets have so far sided with Hindenburg, as Adani stocks tumbled and more than $100 billion of market cap was wiped out. The Adanis then scraped through in their follow-on public offer (FPO) that closed on January 31. But the very next day, they withdrew the FPO, citing moral reasons. In the meantime, Credit Suisse has announced that it will no longer accept Adani bonds as collateral, while Dow Jones has dropped Adani Group companies from its Sustainability indices. So, what do the allegations mean for the lay investor? Will SEBI act? Where does this leave Indian banks who already have high exposure to Adani stock? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States, Germany and the UK have pledged to send modern main battle tanks (MBTs) to help Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia. While the US has agreed to send 31 of its M1 Abrams tank, Germany will supply 88 Leopard 2 tanks, while the UK has pledged 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks. These are far short of the number demanded by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky—but it wasn’t an easy decision to make, especially for Germany. Battle tanks are known to work best with air support, and now Zelensky has also started demanding combat aircraft, namely F-16s. When will the tanks reach Ukraine? What impact will their entry into the war zone have on Russia’s battle tactics? Can the infusion of such heavy firepower turn the war decisively in Ukraine’s favour? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we are joined by Tanvi Srivastava, short story and fiction writer, who explains the experience of translating Asha San’s diary from Hindi to English. The original book, a diary, recorded the teenager’s thoughts on the impact of World War II on ordinary people, her unbound admiration for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and her unwavering love for her motherland in the language she knew best — Japanese. The memories of Asha-san’s (as she was respectfully called in Japanese) struggles and sacrifice would have been lost in the pages of her diary if she had not herself translated it into Hindi in 1973. Half-a-century later, her grand daughter-in-law, Tanvi Srivastava, has translated the Hindi diary into English as The War Diary of Asha-san: From Tokyo to Netaji’s Indian National Army. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The banking sector in India witnessed a return to relatively good health over the past few years. With more stringent norms set by regulator RBI NPAs have declined and bank balance sheets have shed much of their baggage of bad loans. Is this trend here to stay? Also as the country emerged from the pandemic and economic growth picked up, banks also saw healthy credit growth. Deposit growth, though, has not kept pace. Are these causes for concern? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The appointment of judges to the higher judiciary continues to be mired in controversy. So much so, there have been some sharp, public comments by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on the subject. He has written to the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, suggesting that a Central government representative sit on the collegium of Supreme Court judges that makes appointments to the top court. On several occasions, the Centre has sat on appointments that, perhaps, were not to its liking, drawing the ire of the Supreme Court. Justice Chandrachud recently referred to the “basic structure” of the Constitution as the “north star”, or a guide to the judiciary. This comment followed public remarks by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar that questioned the “basic structure” judgment delivered by 13 judges of the Supreme Court 40 years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Private capital expenditure has been anaemic for a few years now, a state of affairs that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Business hates ambiguity and in the last three years, ambiguity alone has ruled our personal and professional lives. As we seek leave behind the pandemic impact and head into another Budget season, it’s time to review private sector investment levels in the country and the effect of the Production-linked Incentive scheme in bringing in investments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Election Commission, on December 28th, wrote to political parties asking them to attend a demo of a remote Electronic Voting Machine or RVM, which was held on January 16. The EC’s justification for mooting RVMs is to enable domestic migrant workers - who may be working in a state different from where they are on the voter list - to cast their ballot. It has claimed that this measure could remedy the relatively low voter turnout in recent elections. But most of the Opposition parties have expressed scepticism about this proposal, pointing out that the EC’s proposal is not backed by any research or relevant data on migrant workers and their voting behaviour. So, does India really need remote EVMs? How will they work? Is this the right step when there are still doubts being raised about the integrity of EVMs themselves? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was only in 2022, after the third wave of COVID-19, that schools in India finally reopened fully, after two plus years of pandemic-related disruptions. Educationists had flagged concerns both about students potentially dropping out and about learning losses. The Annual Status of Education Report 2022, brought out by the NGO Pratham last week, reveals that at least one of these concerns may not be a problem: overall enrolment figures for the 6 to 14 year age group, have increased and the number is now over 98% in 2022. Learning losses however, are steep: both reading and numeracy skills in children have taken a hit. The percentage of class 3 children who were able to read at the level of class 2, has dropped from the already low 27.3% in 2018 to 20.5% in 2022 -- a decline visible across most States, in both government and private schools. The number of children who can do arithmetic at grade level is more varied, but still not promising. India now has National Education Policy 2020, which stresses the importance of fundamentals in education, and a scheme, the NIPUN Bharat programme, launched in 2021, aiming at achieving foundational literacy and numeracy for grade 3 children by 2026-27. But even as roadmap is laid out for lower primary schoolchildren, data from ASER from 2012 to 2022 shows that learning trajectories in upper primary, classes 5 to 8, are relatively flat. So where is the education system stumbling? Families want their children to be educated: this is clearly evident in the rise in number of children going for private tuition classes. What can be done, post-pandemic, to help children catch up with their learning? Do we need better teacher training, bigger budgets and more resources? In our curriculum-heavy, board exam driven system, how can the country ensure no child is left behind in their school career? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we begin our countdown to Budget 2023-24, India faces a tough global environment and volatile commodity prices, the latter posing upside risks to inflation. Economists see some bright spots in the economy as also some concerning metrics, especially to do with exports and recent Core Sector or IIP figures that have given no discernible trend in recent months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On New Year's Day this year, the country was rocked by the news of a horrific accident in Delhi -- 20-year-old Anjali Singh, who was on a scooter, was hit by a car, and her body dragged for several kilometres. Soon after, news reports indicated that investigating officers may consider a lie detector test for the five main accused persons in the crime. This is not the first time a lie detector test has been brought up in the course of an investigation in a high profile case: the accused in the Shraddha Walkar case, Aaftab Poonawala underwent polygraph tests; these tests have begun on three suspects in the murder of a Tamil Nadu Minister's brother and a court has now allowed narcoanalysis and polygraph tests to be conducted on an accused person in the case of Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old murdered in Uttarakhand, as per news reports. These are just a few of the recent cases where such "scientific" tests are being used on those accused of crimes. In 2010, a Supreme Court ruling said that the use of narcoanalysis, brain mapping and polygraph tests on the accused, suspected and witnesses to a crime, without their consent, was unconstitutional and violated their right against self-incrimination. It also said that such test results could not be admitted in evidence; however any information/material subsequently discovered with the help of tests undertaken voluntarily, could be admitted. Despite the ruling however, these tests continue to be used, to date. But how scientific are they? Several countries across the world have disbarred or significantly cut down on their use - is there any evidence to suppose that they truly work? Do such invasive procedure violate the rights of those who undergo them? And have they led to any investigative breakthroughs in India? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The past few weeks have seen tremendous excitement around generative AI. Names like ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion are buzzing around, and start-ups in the Generative AI space are being flooded with multiple rounds of funding worth millions of dollars. Apparently, all you need to do is type a textual prompt, and you can have an original news article or a whole new painting ready in a matter of seconds. So, what exactly is generative AI? What makes it different from the other kinds of artificial intelligence that we are accustomed to? What are its potential applications? And what are the ethical concerns over this technology? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pakistan’s economic woes are not new. With dipping foreign exchange reserves and mounting debt, the country has a Himalayan climb ahead when it comes to getting its economy in order. Pakistan’s Prime Minister has just returned from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – two countries that have always been helpful to Islamabad in times of crisis. This time, too, they have promised to help out. So, what are the dimensions of Pakistan’s economic crisis and can the problem be fixed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has helped take over some of the mundane tasks done by humans across sectors, in recent years. It has helped enhance the value that humans bring to their jobs. But there is also fear that automation may replace humans, leaving us without options for livelihoods. Shop-floor automation in manufacturing is an example that has given rise to such anxieties. Where does AI go from here. In a conversation with The Hindu, Manish Bahl, founder, Curious Insights and former head of the cenre for the Future of Work in Cognizant says there will be job impact, as also job creation. Where he sounds a warning bell is on the education sector that is likely preparing students to fight artificial intelligence instead of equipping them to complement these technologies. Where creativity and innovation flourish, artificial intelligence can but take on a secondary role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district is sinking. More than 700 houses are known to have developed cracks and nearly 150 families have been moved to safer locations. The Uttarakhand and Central governments are scrambling to deal with a problem that is now a full-fledged crisis. Teams of scientists have been deployed to investigate reasons behind the sinking of the town. For years, friends of the Himalayas have been warning that unchecked building activity, including the construction of dams, could jeopardise the lives and livelihoods of people not just in Uttarakhand but impact those living in downstream areas. Ravi Chopra, founder director of the People’s Science Institute, is one of those who has been watching the impact of so-called development on the Himalayas for more than three decades from his perch in Dehradun. Last year, he resigned as the chair of a high-powered committee to study the impact of expanding the road network to service the many shrines in Uttarakhand. Ravi has just returned from Joshimath and he has joined us to discuss what’s happening there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first Grand Slam of 2023 will get rolling from January 16 in Melbourne, Australia. Last year, the event witnessed plenty of unseemly controversy, including a courtroom drama, over the deportation of Novak Djokovic, and it also saw Rafael Nadal pick up a historic 21st Slam title. But this year Djokovic is back, and has announced his intentions by winning the Adelaide International, a preparatory event, last week. While Nadal is the defending champion, world no 1 Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn due to a freak injury. The draw in the women’s section, as has become the norm in recent years, is wide open. Naomi Osaka will be missing, as also last year’s champion Ash Barty, who has retired from the sport, and world no 1 Iga Swiatek is under an injury cloud. The rest of the field has several contenders, from last year’s runner-up Danielle Collins, to the Czech Petra Kvitova, world No. 2 Ons Jabeur and the American Coco Gauff. So, who are the favourites, who are the dark horses, and what are the narratives that are likely to dominate this year’s Australian Open? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the surge in COVID-19 cases in China, after the easing of its stringent zero-COVID policy in December, there is apprehension that the pandemic could be entering a new, uncertain phase. Here we discuss the situation in China and the potential impact in India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was formally inaugurated as the President of Brazil, right-wing supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed and ransacked the offices of the President, the Supreme Court and the Congress in Brasilia on the 8th of January. The attackers, who don’t accept the results that brought Lula to power for the third time, appealed to the Army to take power. That, however, didn’t happen. Taking charge of the situation, President Lula ordered Army personnel into action, dispersed Bolsonaro’s supporters while arresting 1,500 of them, who are now going to stand trial. Not a single casualty was reported. In an obvious parallel to the storming of the U.S. Capitol in January two years ago, the attacks on democratic institutions led to massive protests in Brazil calling for Bolsonaro’s supporters to be punished. International condemnation of the incidents too was quick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week the government announced that it has allocated ₹19,744 crore for a National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Mission will aim to make India a ‘global hub’ for producing, using and exporting green Hydrogen. India is not alone in formulating a green hydrogen strategy, or in setting aside big money for developing the country into a global hug for green hydrogen. In the last 18 months or so, several developing countries have zeroed in on green hydrogen, which is viewed by many as a silver bullet of sorts for decarbonisation. How will the National Green Hydrogen Mission be implemented? How does green hydrogen fit in with India’s energy consumption profile? Does India have the manufacturing base to develop itself into a green hydrogen hub? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In mid-December, a government department told the Kerala High Court that Ribociclib, a drug prescribed for a type of breast cancer, did not meet the conditions necessary to issue a compulsory licence. The drug is patented and therefore cannot be made by generic manufacturers but a compulsory licence, if issued by the government would permit a drug to be manufactured and made available at an affordable price. The case involved a woman, now deceased who said that she and her husband had a joint income of ₹74,400 a month, while the drug Ribociclib cost her ₹58,140, making it unaffordable. A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research has found that breast cancer is one of the top cancers in women in India. Drug prices have evoked national interest following the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw widespread reporting of desperate patients turning to the black market for drugs and devices. In September, the Centre released the National List of Essential Medicines -- the list was released after a gap of seven years, and contains 384 drugs. Interestingly, it also has added, for the first time four drugs that are under patents. So what's in and out of the latest list? How are drug prices regulated in India, and how will the inclusion of drugs on the list help? Does India need to do more to make medicines affordable and accessible? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 18, in Montreal, Canada, 188 governments that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed on a new framework to halt species extinction and loss of bio- diversity. Known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), it sets out four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030 to ensure that 30% of land, inland water, marine and coastal ecosystems are protected. At present, only 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine ecosystems are protected. So, how realistic are these goals? How will the signatories be monitored to ensure that they are on course to meet their targets? Since conservation and restoration initiatives will not come cheap, what is the total estimated cost and how will the funds be raised, especially for developing countries? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following his victory in the November 1 elections, and after securing a vote of confidence in Parliament, Benjamin Natanyahu has become Prime Minister of Israel for a record sixth time. He now heads what has been described as the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. The coalition government includes, apart from Netanyahu’s own right-wing Likud Party, the far-right Jewish Power party and the Jewish supremacist Religious Zionist party. Political observers, and even Israel’s own Western allies, have expressed apprehensions that the inclusion in the government of what were hitherto fringe elements, could lead to escalation of tensions with Palestinians and worsening of repressive measures in the occupied territories. There are also fears that life could become more difficult for secularists and left-wing groups in Israel. How justified are these fears? What is the likely agenda of the new government? And will Israel get more aggressive about expanding settlements? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By banning women from attending universities and colleges, the Taliban have proved that their ideological motivations matter more than international opinion. In September last year, one month after taking power again, the Taliban banned girls from attending secondary schools. In November, the Taliban banned women from visiting public parks, hamams and gymnasiums. In December, the Taliban resumed the practice of public floggings and executions, putting their medieval motivations on display yet again. Many countries and the United Nations Security Council have expressed concern at the Taliban decisions banning women from public life. But what do these statements amount to? Can the UN and other influential countries influence Taliban behaviour? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the eastern front with China that has become tense after a border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on the 9th of December. India and China, listeners may recall, are still engaged in dialing down Chinese transgressions in multiple areas in eastern Ladakh through negotiations that have been slow and protracted. Four days after the incident in Tawang, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed both Houses of Parliament that Chinese troops unilaterally tried to alter the status quo in the Yangtse area, but were rebuffed by Indian soldiers. So, what does one make of the latest aggressive posture displayed by the Chinese in the eastern sector? To discuss this issue, we have Dr. Jabin T. Jacob, Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations and Governance Studies of the Shiv Nadar University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices