The Big Story

West Bengal’s Birbhum district has been simmering with tensions since the beginning of this week. The murder of Bhadu Sheikh, a local TMC panchayat leader in Bogtui village, sparked violence from the night of 21 March, with several houses being set ablaze. At least eight lives were lost in the arson incident, while three people including a minor have been hospitalised. On 22 March, 11 people have been arrested as charred bodies were recovered from two houses. Fearing repercussions of this violence, many people from this village are now starting to pack up and leave. While some reports have alleged that this incident of violence is an intra-TMC feud, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that there is a larger conspiracy to defame the state. But this incident is fast turning into a BJP vs TMC issue, with not just leaders like Suvendu Adhikari or Dilip Ghosh criticising the law and order of the state, but Prime Minister Narendra himself also acknowledging this incident. Addressing a virtual event at Kolkata's Victoria Memorial, PM Modi urged the people of Bengal to never forgive perpetrators of Birbhum violence. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah has also sought a report from the West Bengal government in 72 hours. But which events led to this spell of violence? What is the current situation on ground? In this episode, we’ll hear from family members of the victims. We also have with us freelance journalist Ajoy Mukhopadhyay giving us updates from ground zero and Monideepa Banerjie, a senior independent journalist who talks about what impact can this incident have on the TMC-led government and the state's politics. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s not class XII board exam results but a new Common University Entrance Exam or the CUET that will drive college admissions now. The University Grants Commission (UGC) said this test that is likely to be held in the first week of July, will be compulsory for anybody seeking admissions to undergraduate courses in all the 45 central universities from the academic year of 2022-23. This is going to be a computer-based multiple-choice test that will be held in two shifts and can be taken in 13 languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, Assamese, Bengali, Punjabi, Odia, and English. But who all are eligible to take the test and what will the CUET test students on? We’ll try to answer all the FAQs around this upcoming test. However, there are also some larger questions that arise with this decision. For instance, will this be beneficial for students’ education? Or will the CUET end up diluting the importance of school education and school exams? Is it important that school marks still carry some weightage? Does it level out the opportunities for student as intended? In this episode we ask teachers and educators to tell us what they have to say on this new method of admission and whether or not the CUET will reduce the burden on students. Our guests are Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director of Education, Innovations and Training- DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship Programmes; Abha Dev Habib, Professor of Physics at DU's Miranda House and a Member of Executive Council of Delhi University; and Neeti Bhalla, Executive Principal, GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram. Tune in! Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Editor: Shelly Walia Guests: Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Chairperson & Executive Director of Education, Innovations and Training- DLF Foundation Schools and Scholarship Programmes; Abha Dev Habib, Professor of Physics at DU's Miranda House and a Member of Executive Council of Delhi University; Neeti Bhalla, Executive Principal, GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram. Music: Big Bang Fuzz Also Read: Common Entrance Test Compulsory for UG Admissions: How Should One Prepare? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vivek Agnihotri’s new film - The Kashmir Files that focuses on the events surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits between the late 80’s and early the 90’s, has been triggering a lot of responses from day one. It’s also perhaps one of the few Bollywood films releases of the Covid-era that continues to be at the box office for 10 days now with steady earnings. For comparison, Gangubai Kathiawadi starring Alia Bhatt that was released in February 25 earned Rs 117 crores domestically in three weeks. But recently, after raking up its highest one-day collection yet on 20 March Sunday, The Kashmir Files’ total earnings now stand at Rs 167 crores roughly. This is just in 10 days! But at the same, Vivek Agnihotri’s film has sparked a political storm with debates around what the film depicts and how polarized its reception has been on the ground. While some feel that it’s about time that the painful story of Kashmiri pandits be shared with the country unabashedly, others point out that in the process of dramatization, the movie stray from facts and ends up vilifying and generalizing Kashmiri Muslims. But amid this cacophony of arguments and counter-arguments, a big question is, who is the film for? Does it serve the purpose of representing the plight of Kashmiri pandits, or does it get politically co-opted? In this episode of The Big Story, I’ll be joined by Aditya Raj Kaul, the Executive Editor of TV9 Network and Dr Suneem Khan, a Medical Doctor with CRPF at Srinagar who describes himself as a cinephile. We’ll hear from them their views of what the film does and doesn’t. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Post the 2022 Assembly election results, two things became abundantly clear from the final scoreboard: first, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) proved that it remains a formidable force and second, the Congress party seems to be in a free fall. To rectify this crisis, on Wednesday, 16 March, a group of 18 Congress leaders – a mix of G-23 dissidents and others – met at the senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s house. Here they decided that the grand old party needs a “collective, inclusive leadership.” They also demanded that the Congress needs to be proactive to create a platform with other “like-minded parties to take on the BJP in 2024.” Before this, the Congress Working Committee, the party's top decision-making body, also held a meeting on 13 March. The five-hour-long meeting, however, reached the déjà vu conclusion of the party leadership consisting of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offering to step down from their respective roles and then the CWC unanimously refusing to accept their resignations and passing a resolution to let them continue. The question of a Congress without a Gandhi at the helm has been compounding over the years, especially after the G-23 leaders stood up in 2020, demanding sweeping organisational change. But the question after every meeting has remained unanswered. And the resounding rejection of the party in the recently concluded elections poses the next big question: where does the Congress go from here? Is a change in leadership the only answer to move ahead? Joining me today to discuss this are political analysts and senior journalists Arati Jerath and Javed Ansari. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Karnataka High Court on 15 March effectively upheld the government imposed ban on hijab in educational institutions in the state and further stated that the right to wear a hijab is not constitutionally protected. Referring to constitutional guarantees, Hazra Shifa, one of the students who filed the petition in the court, said, “We were expecting so much from our constitution and country. If today Dr BR Ambedkar were alive, he would have literally cried." As examinations are expected to begin in April and the students said they would seek further legal course and will approach the Supreme Court to intervene and stay the order. But the ongoing chaos over this issue for the past few months, especially after the verdict, has brought forward the question of how it is impacting the education of Muslim women. In our last episode, we broke down the high court verdict and why it may be problematic. In today’s episode, The Quint spoke to Aliya Assadi, one of the students who filed the petition on the effect it will have on her education. You will also hear from Mihira Sood, Executive Director of Centre for Child Rights & Juvenile Justice and a professor at the National Law University. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of political upheaval and 11 days of hearing, a three-judge bench in the Karnataka High Court upheld the restrictions on Muslim women wearing a hijab in educational institutions. The bench held that the right to wear a hijab is not constitutionally protected. In its verdict, the bench comprising of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi stated: “We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith... The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction that is constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to." The court also held that the Karnataka governments 5 February order, which essentially banned the wearing of hijab in educational institutions, is sound and that there was no case made out for its invalidation. Commenting on the high court order, Karnataka Chief Minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai asked everyone to maintain "peace and order" and allow the students to attend classes, adding that education was more important than anything else. ⁦ In today’s episode, we breakdown the reasoning behind the Karnataka high courts judgment and why it is problematic. Guest: Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint's Legal Editor 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an extremely rare incident, India on 9 March "accidentally" fired a missile into Pakistan airspace, raising questions immediately about the safety mechanisms of such armament. India, in its statement on 11 March, expressed “deep regret” over the incident and said that a “technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile”. This statement, however, came 2 days after the incident and a day after a statement from Pakistan’s Major General Babar Iftikhar. The Pakistani statement read that such “irresponsible incidents” reflected India’s “disregard for air safety and callousness towards regional peace and stability”. Neither country has so far spelt out what kind of missile was used. The missile in question travelled a total of 200 kms, with 124 kms of that in Pakistani airspace at an altitude of 40,000 feet and at a speed of 2.5 to 3 times the speed of sound. Based on this information, experts speculate that the missile is probably BrahMos, one of India’s top cruise missiles. Fortunately, the missile was not armed and did not cause any casualties. But a lot of us must be thinking the same question – how can an accident like this happen? What is the protocol when incidents like this take place? To help answer these questions, we spoke to Kartik Bommakanti, a fellow at Observer Research Foundation specialising in space military issues. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bharatiya Janata Party scoreboard for the latest round of assembly election shows that the saffron remains a formidable force in Indian politics. Barring Punjab, where AAP decimated the ruling Congress, the BJP regained a second term in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. Especially in Uttar Pradesh, the incumbent CM Yogi Adityanath made history as the first chief minister in decades to return to power in the state after a five year term and for the BJP, it is the first time a party has come back to power in Uttar Pradesh since the mind-80’s. In our last episode, we unpacked what led to AAP’s stunning victory in Punjab. In today’s episode, we will take a close look at the BJP’s success in this election and the main takeaways from each of the victories. Joining me for this is Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor and Himanshi Dahiya, The Quint’s correspondent who has been covering Goa, Punjab and UP. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Aam Aadmi Party is headed for a massive win in Punjab, with trends showing the party leading in at least 92 seats in the 117-member Assembly at the time of recording this podcast. It has been decades since any party in the state has secured such a vast majority with the last instance being way back in 1962, when the Congress had won 90 seats and then a close recreation was in 2017, when they won 77 seats. Bhagwant Mann, the AAP’s CM face in Punjab, who won from the Dhuri assembly constituency with a margin of over 58,000 votes and said that he will put Punjab back on the development track. And away from AAP’s spotlight are the opposition heavyweights which include Congress’s Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu, former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, SAD's Parkash Singh Badal, all of whom have lost from their respective constituencies. For today’s episode, we will breakdown the key takeaways from the Punjab election. Joining me today is Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February, countries around the world have condemned it for its aggression through sanctions and statements. However, India, one of the key players in international relations and geopolitics, has held its nose and has been mum on the issue. As of 8 March, it has abstained five times on any vote of condemnation and has avoided criticising Russia. While none of these abstentions have affected the outcome of the vote, India’s silence on the entire conflict through its vote has raised questions on how long it can walk on this tightrope. Its abstentions are not of surprise since India-Russia relations have endured everything since the Cold War and has remained a close strategic ally of Russia. Pertinently, India imports the majority of its arms and ammunition from Russia, with some estimates going as high as 70 percent. But India’s balancing act is now proving increasingly difficult as the situation worsens in Ukraine, which even prevented Indian students stranded in Eastern Ukraine from evacuating. More so, the diplomatic pressure on India is also increasing, with the US indicating multiple times the “importance of a strong collective response to Russian aggression” and even the Ukrainian Ambassador to India stating that his country is “deeply dissatisfied” with India’s position on the issue. So the big question here is, for how long can India look back on old friendships to make foreign policy decisions in the present and future? Is it in India’s best interest to remain neutral in this crisis? Joining me today to discuss the same is Nandan Unnikrishnan, a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to Russia’s growing incursion and attacks, Ukraine has now taken the legal route and brought the issue front and center of the United Nations highest court—the International Court of Justice— on 7 March, urging the judges to issue an injunction demanding Putin to end the invasion. At the ICJ, the Ukrainian delegation accused Moscow of putting “millions in dangers” and for defiling the Genocide Convention by falsely claiming that Ukraine was committing genocide against Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine as one of the pretexts for its invasion. However, not surprisingly, Russia did not show up for the hearing on Monday, effectively boycotting the hearing. Apart from this, thirty-nine countries have also referred the ongoing crisis in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court, a separate entity that has the power to investigate genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. This court has now opened an investigation. However, it is important to note that both Ukraine and Russia are not signatories of the ICC thus putting a question on how effective an ICC investigation will be. Further, Russia’s absence at the ICJ also casts doubt over the extent to which international legal mechanisms can be effective. But the biggest question here is- how likely is President Vladimir Putin or anyone else involved in the invasion of Ukraine to stand trial? To understand exactly how the ICJ and ICC work and the legal remedies that Ukraine possibly has, joining me today is Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint’s Legal Editor. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The exit poll results are in! What are the big predictions - will it be Yogi or Akhilesh in UP? Can Congress retain Punjab, or will AAP come to power for the first time there? And which way do the voters of Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur seem to be leaning? Which states are too close to call? And how accurate have exit polls been in these states in the past? Tune in to a live conversation with The Quint's Political Editor Aditya Menon as he unpacks the various exit poll results and what they signal for 10 March. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Virat Kohli took to the field against Sri Lanka on Friday, 4 March, he became only the 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches. Announcing his arrival by leading India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2008, Kohli quickly climbed the ropes and soon paved a path to international test cricket in 2011. And since then, is known as one of the greatest players in the world cricket across all formats. After nearly 11 years at the biggest stages of international cricket, more than 8,000 runs, and a jaw-dropping average of 50.39, we take a look at Kohli's test cricket legacy and his impact both on and off the field in this special episode of The Big Story podcast, Joining me today is our regular guest and friend of the show, cricket commentator and analyst Chandresh Narayanan. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The impact of climate change will be more severe and less avoidable in the years to come, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which was released on 28 February. Issuing its "bleakest warning yet," the new report concludes that global warming is outpacing our ability to cope and that governments around the world are not doing enough to protect us from the hazards that climate change has already unleashed, let alone from future disasters. For India, the report says that the country could be one of those where heat and humidity levels would pass the limit of human survivability and climate change could mean about 40 percent of people in India living with water scarcity compared to 33 percent now. The contents of this report are grim and upsetting. But like the physical science report that the panel published last year, none of this is new knowledge and scientists have been warning about this for years. This report pertinently provides the most detailed look yet at the threats posed by global warming. It draws a direct link between climate change and serious consequences like humanitarian crises, food insecurity, water scarcity, migration, and even premature deaths. And to combat this, nations across the world have vowed to limit total global warming to no more than 1.5 degree Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels. But what this report makes very clear is that exceeding this threshold will result in permanent lasting damage and that even humanity’s best effort to adapt could falter. Joining me to discuss the main takeaways from the report is Professor Anjal Prakash, the Research Director of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at Indian School of Business and also one of the authors of the latest report. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Vaishali Sood 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The death of an Indian student – Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar – in Kharkiv on 1 March has brought home the escalating crisis unfolding in Ukraine. Naveen, a fourth-year student of forensic science at Kharkiv National Medical University, had stepped out of a bunker to buy groceries and was in the queue at the local supermarket when Russian shelling began, reportedly targeting the governor’s house in Kharkiv. More than 5,000 people, including military personnel and civilians, have lost their lives as the Russian invasion entered its sixth day on Wednesday, 2 February. Other than the geopolitical crisis created out of Russia’s aggression, the invasion has also resulted into a major humanitarian crisis with more than 800,000 people already having fled Ukraine. And for India, the war has unfolded into a crisis in the form of thousands of stranded citizens, mainly students, who are stuck in cities across Ukraine. For the past week, uncertainty on leaving Ukraine has been a constant for any person trying to flee the country, with visuals on social media showing long lines of vehicles stuck in traffic on their way to nearest western border and some even braving the cold to make the journey on foot along with their belongings. At present, there are nearly 20,000 Indians living in Ukraine and as tensions escalate in Kharkiv and Kyiv, among other cities, the Indian government accelerated evacuations under Operation Ganga. The Indian Air Force has also been tapped in to help with the evacuations. But there are still thousands of students stranded across the country as Russia forces advance. In today’s episode, we bring voices of some of those caught in the war. You will also hear from Nitesh Singh, a founding member of Team SOS India, an organisation helping Indians in Ukraine. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past week, all eyes have been on Ukraine as Russian forces continue to rain down on the country. However, the war took a turn for the worse on 27 February, when Putin leaned towards the nuclear option. In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Putin ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces to be put in a “special regime of combat duty”. He justified this move as a response to the “illegal sanctions” and “aggressive statements” from NATO countries. And these searing sanctions are already showing their impact, with the Russian central bank more than doubling its interest rate and the Russian ruble crashing to its lowest trade to the dollar at 119. Five days into the invasion, it is apparent that things are not going Russia’s way, with the countries ministry of defence own report admitting no major victories. The main reason for this has been the resistance of the Ukrainian army, which has been further bolstered by civilians volunteers. Visuals from the ground show defiant Ukrainian’s taking arms to Russia troops in cities like Kharkiv and even ordinary citizens standing on the street to block the advance of Russian tanks. Ukrainian authorities indicate that even though they are outgunned, the pace of the enemy attacks seems to have reduced. However, the threat of a nuclear war is what hovers across the entire world. Many analysts have interpreted it as a bluff but it is terrifying nonetheless. In this episode, we will try answering the big question- how serious is Putin’s threat of a nuclear war? Joining me today to discuss this is Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Russian troops circling Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, the worsening Ukraine-Russia crisis has sent the global economy in a frenzy with oil prices soaring past the $100 mark for the first time in seven years and stock markets crashing around the world. Crude oil prices led the way in most impact, with Brent touching $105, European gas prices surging more than 30 percent and the Russian rouble plummeting to a record low against the dollar on 24 February. The Dow Jones fell 1.38 percent and Nasdaq lost 2.6 percent. The crypto market also took a hit, with Bitcoin falling below $35,000. This crisis comes just as countries had started recovering from the impact of COVID-19 on their economies. And the spike in oil prices is especially worrying for India, which imports more than 80 percent of its oil. These high crude oil prices could result in higher fuel prices for the Indian consumer. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia also pushed the Indian stock benchmarks to log one of their worst days in nearly two years, with Sensex and Nifty tumbling 2.5 percent each in opening trade on 24 February. So how exactly is the Indian economy going to be impacted by this geopolitical crisis? How well placed are we? And if you are a young investor listening in, what should you do with your investment in light of this geopolitical flux? To understand the impact on the economy, you will be hearing from JP Morgan’s James Sullivan and Indranil Sengupta from CLSA India, a global investment group. And for the young investors listening in, we have Vaibhav Sanghavi from Avendus Capital. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha Interview Source: Bloomberg Quint 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any remaining hope for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis went down the drain on 24 February as the country woke up to an invasion by Russia from both land and sea. Addressing his nation in a televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that this is a “special military operation” to demilitarise Ukraine but not occupy it, but the situation on the ground speaks differently with explosions occurring across a wide swathe of the country. The explosions, according to the several foreign media reports, could be heard in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the country’s north-east, and as far as Vinnytsia in the west. Ukrainian officials have stated that explosions were also heard at the country’s largest airport, in Kyiv. At the time of recording this episode, at least 40 Ukrainian soldiers and 10 civilians were killed by Russian shelling, as per an AFP report. The report adds that Russian forces have also captured two towns in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region, which Putin recognised as independent just two days ago. Visuals from the ground in Kyiv capture air raid sirens blasting across the city as citizens try to leave the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared martial law for the next 30 days. In a late-night statement on 23 February, Zelenskyy said that if Russia invades, Ukraine will defend itself, adding "as you attack, it will be our faces you see, not our backs.” This is an unprecedented move by Russia, with the story still developing as we record this episode. Today, I will unpack what we know so far and where this crisis may be headed. Joining me today to discuss the crisis is Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Saundarya Talwar VO: Saptarshi Basak 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The murder of a 26-year-old Bajrang Dal activist in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district brought the city to a boil with large scale protests erupting on 22 February, followed by demonstrations across the state. The deceased man, known as Harsha Hindu, was reportedly stabbed by a group of five assailants on 21 February in Shivamogga, which is about 250 kms away from Bengaluru. This incident comes at an especially charged up moment in the state with several districts witnessing hijab vs saffron shawl protests. In this little town too,58 students were suspended from the local college just recently for demanding to be allowed to attend classes. Expectedly, the incident soon turned into a political slugfest, with BJP leaders Kapil Mishra calling this a new form of jihad and Goa CM Pramod Sawant blaming “anti-Hindu fundamentalists”. Karnataka Rural Development Minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa went onto openly accusing “Muslim goons” for this act while BJP National Secretary CT Ravi called the murder a "conspiracy". Though Harsha had been a part of the protest demanding a ban on hijabs held on 7 February outside a college in Shivamogga, the reason behind the killing has not yet been ascertained. Despite the prompt action by the police—which made its first arrest in the case just hours after the incident— ,thousands of Bajrang Dal activists took to the streets the very next day to take out a funeral procession. This too soon turned violent, with reports of vandalism, including several vehicles being reportedly torched by the activists resulting in police lathicharge and tear gas shells being fired. A curfew has also been placed in the city till 25 February. But how did this incident become so communally charged in a small town in Karnataka? Where does the investigation stand now? Guest: Nikhila Henry, The Quint’s South Bureau Chief. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a dramatic escalation in the ongoing Ukraine crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin on 21 February recognised the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered Russian forces in those territories for “peacekeeping” purposes. In a televised address, Putin recognised the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic – which are globally considered as part of Ukraine’s sovereign territory – and added that “Ukraine has never had its own authentic statehood.” Putin’s address also carried a warning for Ukraine, threatening a war if the country's forces did not stand down. He said “all the responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be completely and entirely on the conscience of the regime ruling Ukraine’s territory.” For weeks, Putin has kept the world on its toes with some 150,000 Russian troops amassed at Ukraine’s border but has denied any plans to move into Ukraine. However, the formal recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk has triggered fears in the West of an imminent Russian invasion. The formal recognition also prompted a chorus of condemnation from the West, with the United States (US) announcing sanctions on those regions, Germany halting the approval process of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemning Russia’s move, calling it a “violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine” and “inconsistent with the principles of the UN Charter.” Criticism of Russia also came from India, which at the UNSC meeting said that tensions along the border between Ukraine and Russia was a “matter of deep concern,” and that it had the potential to undermine peace and security in the region. However, India stopped short of condemning Putin’s statement or its actions without naming Russia at all. In today’s episode, we will dive deep into the relevance of Donetsk and Luhansk and why Russia’s deems them independent. To understand this, I spoke to former Indian ambassador to Russia, DB Venkatesh Varma, who recently returned from Russia. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For about two months now, more than 100,000 Russian soldiers have been present at the border the country shares with Ukraine in preparations on what the US says will be an invasion any day now. And the recent developments at the border are not reassuring with reports of shellfire ringing out in the rebel held territories in eastern Ukraine. Both Russia and Belarus have also extended their military drills that were due to end on 20 February, signaling intensifying pressure on the West. Diplomatic talks between the US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun in earnest but no concrete headway has been made with the latter refusing to de-escalate on his demands. However, there are talks now of a possible summit between Biden and Putin sometime in the coming days. In our past episodes, we dove into why Russia is fielding soldiers at the Ukraine border and the actions taken by the US so far. In today’s episode, we will try answering the big question: what steps can be taken to deter a potential Russia attack, will economic sanctions really work? What steps can be taken to prevent the worst? To discuss this, I have two great guests-Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank and PS Raghavan, former Indian Ambassador to Russia. Guests: Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). PS Raghavan, former Indian Ambassador to Russia. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Punjab is set to see its most crucial Assembly election in decades on 20 February and for the first time, the state is witnessing as many as five parties or coalitions for 117 seats. In the run-up to the election, the Punjab just in the past year has gone through many major developments, starting from the year-long farmers' agitation, which also led to the exit of the Shiromani Akali Dal from the Narendra Modi government as well as National Democratic Alliance. The ruling Congress party in the state has gone through an internal crisis, leading to the ouster of former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the induction of the state’s first Dalit CM Charanjit Singh Channi. Months after the historic farmers' agitation ended and the contentious farms laws were repealed, the farmer unions have also joined the political fray, contesting as individual candidates and further changing the political equations. The old parties are also being challenged by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which entered the state’s political arena in 2017 and had to content itself with only 20 seats. But this time around, there seems to be a wave of AAP support across the state, with some voters willing to give the 'Delhi model' of governance a chance. With a crowded contest up ahead, what are the big trends in the Punjab? Will the Congress’ game plan of fielding CM Channi to rake in the crucial Dalit vote bank work or will the anti-incumbency wave lead to AAP taking away the baton? And how heavy will the farmers' agitation weigh against the BJP? To help us navigate through the ins and outs of this election, joining me today is Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon Also check out: In Punjab's War Against Drugs, Women Battle Addiction, Assault, and Stigma Beyond Farmers' Protest, the Reality of 'Kisan-Mazdoor Ekta' in Punjab Which is the Real Home? UP Migrants in Punjab Speak on Being From Two States Punjab Elections: No Matter Who Wins, BJP Has Already Succeeded in Its Mission 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gilded with sparkling disco beats, the song 'I 'am a Disco Dancer...' is not the only track that made us, Indians, the real 'Disco Deewane'. Bappi Lahiri who ruled the music industry in the 70s and 80s passed away on Tuesday, 15 February, in CritiCare Hospital in Mumbai, aged 69, but he remains an icon in India's music industry. And if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have got our 'Disco King'. Bappi Da, as he was also popularly known, didn't just give Bollywood some of its best disco beats but also sang some hugely popular chartbusters in his unique voice. This podcast is a tribute to the legend - Bappi da. For this podcast, we reached out to the veteran filmaker B Subhash - his movies and Bappi's music took over the Hindi film industry with disco beats that changed the way we liked our music. Tune in as we pay tribute to India's 'Disco King'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LIC is now a step closer to becoming one of the largest companies in India, with the government selling a five percent stake in the insurance giant for the first time in an upcoming IPO. The household insurer name on 13 February filed its draft red herring prospectus or DRHP with markets regulator SEBI, which states that it will be offering 31.62 crore in equity or 5 percent of the company to the Indian market in its upcoming IPO. This move is in line with the Centre’s disinvestment plan to fill its coffers drained by the pandemic. It was also mentioned in the recent budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Now, LIC is India’s biggest life insurer. Here are a few numbers to support that statement—286 million policies, 115,000 employees, 1.34 million individual agents and more than 2000 branches. It is one of the top 5 global insurers and controls 64.1% market share in India. Its IPO is set to be the biggest in Indian stock market history, dwarfing the record of $2.4 billion set by Paytm last year. Though the valuation has not been inked yet, analysts have pegged it anywhere between Rs 5.4-8 lakh crore. But as the company prepares to go public, it leaves a few questions unanswered for investors such as—how is this going to affect policy holders? What is the insurer's profitability plan? And is it worth investing? To discuss this, we spoke to Madhavan Narayanan, a senior journalist and Prosenjit Datta, former editor of Businessworld and Business Today. Tune in! Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha and 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was raining money in the jam-packed two-day IPL Mega Auction, with the 10 franchises splurging close to Rs 550 crore on 204 players to assemble their respective squads. Ishan Kishan emerged as the most expensive player of the auction, bought by Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 15.25 crore. New team Lucknow Super Giants made Avesh Khan the most expensive uncapped player of IPL history by buying him for Rs 10 crore. But the highlight of the second day of the auction was England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who triggered an intense bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings. He was finally bought by the team with the biggest auction purse, Punjab Kings, for Rs 11.5 crore. This auction also had many firsts – two new teams, 11 players being sold for Rs 10 crore or more (the most ever), and the end of an era for a few star players like Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Steve Smith, Eoin Morgan, who had no takers. To discuss the hits and misses of this auction, joining me today is Chandresh Narayanan, a sports analyst and commentator. Tune in! Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past few weeks, the controversy over the wearing of hijab by Muslim students has rippled across coastal Karnataka with multiple incidents now taking place, the issue reaching the high court, and even drawing global attention. The hijab row has been gaining strength ever since six Muslim girls were denied entry into their classrooms at a Government Pre-University College in Karnataka’s Udupi in January this year for wearing the hijab. But this quickly turned communal after a group of boys, sporting saffron shawls, went to protest against wearing of hijab in the classes. In another viral video, females students wearing saffron shawls could be heard chanting “jai shri ram” in an act of protest against wearing the hijab. However, the actions taken by the BJP government in the state and the Karnataka High Court have drawn the biggest criticism. Guest: Nikhila Henry, The Quint's South Bureau Chief Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint's Legal Editor 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifty-eight constituencies, 11 districts, 143 seats, and the fate of nine sitting ministers are to be decided, as the polling was held on Thursday, 10 February, in western Uttar Pradesh. West UP, often referred to as Jatland in the media, for being the Jat-dominated sugarcane belt of the state, witnessed a high-voltage electoral contest in the run-up to voting day, with the ruling BJP and the Opposition alliance SP-RLD trying to woo the community over the past few months. And since 2014, the BJP has flipped the game in west UP, sweeping the entire region in two successive Parliament polls and even the last Assembly polls. But this time, the saffron party may be nervous about its chances since the equations have changed primarily due to the anger among the Jat community over the now withdrawn farm laws. The pending dues of sugarcane farmers is another big issue in this region. In today’s episode, we will break down these main issues, the core points of the BJP and SP-RLD campaign, and what the trends in this region point towards. I’m joined by Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor and Himanshi Dahiya and Fatima Khan, The Quint’s correspondents who traveled across west Uttar Pradesh to bring you stories from the ground. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

590 players in the auction list, 217 spots up for grabs, 48 players at the Rs 2 crore base price and once again, a 10 team IPL, but this time for good. There’s just so much to look forward to at the 2022 IPL auction that’s taking place on 12 and 13 February in Bengaluru and our episode today gets you the complete lowdown on what to expect. How will the auction process take place? The bidding starts with which players? Which uncapped players could make it big and also, why is Jofra Archer in the auction if he’s injured? Guest: Chandresh Narayanan, sports writer and commentator Host: Mendra Dorjey Producer: Himmat Shaligram Also listen: Explaining the 'Mega' in Indian Premier League 2022 Auctions 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After much anticipation and drama in the political corridors of Punjab, incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was declared the CM face of the Congress in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Making the announcement, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that it was not he who made the choice, but the people of Punjab, who said "we want someone from a poor home as the chief minister." The question of who would become the CM candidate had been festering in the Punjab Congress for months, with constant infighting between CM Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had even gone on to resign in protest earlier last year. Now that Channi has been chosen, will the Congress' plan to consolidate the decisive Dalit votes in Punjab work? Also, what is next for Sidhu? To unpack this, in today's episode, I am joined by my colleagues Aditya Menon, The Quint's Political Editor, and Himanshi Dahiya, The Quint's correspondent, who has been travelling extensively across Punjab to cover the election. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon Also Read: Punjab Elections: AAP Rising in Majha But It's Up Against Congress & SAD Bigwigs Punjab Elections: How Batala Became Symbolic of the State's Industrial Decay Punjab Elections 2022: Charanjit Singh Channi on Captain, Kejriwal, & Congress Punjab Polls 2022: 'Channi Stands With the Poor,' Say Bhadaur Residents Background: Does the Change of Guard in Punjab Signal a Congress Party Makeover? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A voice that has lent pehchaan to female actors for at least 70 years. A voice that evokes reverence. A voice that the entire nation emotes with – for pain, hurt, longing, and joy. There is a Lata Mangeshkar song for every mood. ”Nightingale of India"- Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the age of 92 at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai after contracting pneumonia and COVID-19. Speaking to The Quint, Sharmila Tagore says that Mangeshkar gained such an iconic status because she was resonated with people across generations. She said the legendary singer sang songs for Shobhana Samartha, her daughter Tanuja, and even her daughter, Kajol. In this podcast you will also hear from lyricist, Swanand Kirkire who describes Lata ji as 'phenomenon beyond genius'. But what is it about her that makes so close to hearts of Indians around the globe? The answer is not just one, but many. This podcast is a tribute to the legend. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since its inception in 2004, Facebook's vision of growing its user base has been going steady, despite all the scandals, backlash, US Senate hearings, and regulatory pressure. But on 3 February, Meta – what the company is now known as – reported a half a million decline globally in its daily user base, a first in the social media giant's 18-year history. You may think that a half a million drop is negligible when compared to Meta's existing user base, but it nevertheless wreaked havoc in the stock market, with investors fleeing after taking a peek at Meta's quarterly earnings report. The dip in users, combined with the earnings report, plunged Meta's stock by nearly 26 percent, instantly shaving $250 billion dollars off its market value and $29 billion off Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth. And if you can't compute this fall, imagine the fall of two IBMs, two General Electrics, or McDonald's! This was the single largest one-day dollar drop for a US company in history! Meta listed out several reasons for the drop - from Apple's new privacy rules to the increase in competition from TikTok. But the fundamental questions that I will try to address in today's episode are: Is Facebook having its 'MySpace' moment? Has it reached its peak? What led to this fall? To help me unpack this, I speak to Udbhav Tiwari, a policy advisor at Mozilla. Tune in! Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha, Nitish Rampal 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An auction is what kicks off the IPL season each year, and 2022 is no different with the mega IPL auction slated to take place on 12th and 13th of February. Yes, so you may ask, if the auction happens each year, what’s so ‘mega’ about this one? Well, for starters, upto 217 players can be bought in this auction from the list of 590 that has been shortlisted by the BCCI. Each of the 10 teams need between 21 to 23 players to complete their rosters even though they have already spent a lot of their Rs 90 crore budget on retaining some old players. Rohit, Virat and Dhoni will continue to play for their old franchises but KL Rahul made it big by switching teams and is now, after Kohli, the highest-earning IPL player with his Rs 17 crore a season pay cheque from Rising Lucknow Supergiant. Does that sound mega enough? But that's not all. There’s still players like David Warner, Shreyas Iyer, R Ashwin, Pat Cummins who are set to go under the hammer from the list of 590 of which 370 are Indian and 220 are international players. Now is THAT big enough? In today's podcast, I'll try to take you through how this IPL auction will work, with 10 teams in the fray. How competitive can it get and the big question—who the most valuable players going under the hammer are this year? For this, I spoke to Amrit Mathur, a sports commentator and former COO of the Delhi Daredevils. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While experts are still weighing in on the hits and misses of Budget 2022 that was presented on 1 February, for a lot of India's millennials it's the government's plans for cryptocurrencies that they have waiting for. India's crypto market, as we know, has been swarming with a lot of young investors and the market seems to be growing. But a few months back, news of the government planning to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies in a new bill had left many worried about their investments on digital currencies for the last few months. However, with a new crypto tax regime the recent budget does offer some clarity on what government intends to do with cryptocurrencies. While taxing digital currencies doesn't necessarily mean that government has legalised crypto, what is it that the government is indicating? Does it mean that it's warming upto cryptocurrencies? Does it mean that the ban is off the table? And the biggest question of all — what do these new announcements mean for investors? Explaining the fine print of it all in this episode will be CoinCrunch CEO Naimish Sanghvi. We'll also hear snippets of lawyers Badri Narayanan and Vivek Gupta's conversation with the BloombergQuint where they talk about the gray areas of these announcements. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a four-point focus – inclusive development, productivity enhancement, energy transition, and climate action – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget on 1 February, stating that it was a blueprint for India at 75 to India at 100. What made the headlines was the hiking of the capital expenditure by 35.4 percent, which now stands at Rs 7.5 lakh crore, making up nearly 3 percent of the GDP. This budget also came with a major push for digitisation, with an announcement of a new digital currency to be issued by the RBI. This new coin will be backed by blockchain technology. However, the introduction of the new digital coin also brought in new tax rates for virtual digital assets transfers. But what does this budget mean for the common man? What are its big hits and misses? Guest: Rathin Roy, Economist Host: Nishtha Gautam Producer: Himmat Shaligram 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pegasus spyware is under the spotlight again with an investigative report by the NYT published on Friday, 28 January which claims that the Indian government purchased the controversial cyberweapon, as the NYT puts it, in 2017 as part of a larger arms deal with Israel. The NYT report states that the two countries agreed on the sale of the spyware in part of a weapons and intelligence deal worth roughly $2 billion in July 2017 when PM Modi visited Israel. It also notes that since this visit, India’s stance on some of its policies like commitment to the Palestinian cause changed, citing India’s vote in support of Israel at the UN Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organization. And this development is big because till now, neither the Indian government nor the Israeli government have openly confirmed or denied the sale of the software to India -something which the Israeli Defence Ministy would have had to give a licence for even though it was made by a private entity. The Centre has to date also refused to take a clear stand in court or the Parliament on whether it has acquired or used the spyware. The revelations in the NYT are of particular interest after the reports by a consortium of media organisations around the world in July 2021, the Pegasus Project reported its use. These reports were based on a list of potential targets of the spyware, some of which were confirmed by forensic analysis. In India, the list of potential targets included prominent politicians, an Election Commissioner, 40 Indian journalists and several private citizens. Independent forensic analysis has been able to confirm the presence of the spyware on the phones of several of these targets. The Opposition has lashed out against the Centre, with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was reportedly one of the targets of the spyware, saying that the government has committed an act of treason. So how damaging are the revelations of this report? How will it fare in court? And how will this change the probe into the use of the spyware? Guests: Vakasha Sachdev 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Russia-Ukraine crisis can be explained as a modified version of the conflict game "chicken”, where two players force each other to yield to avoid the worst possible outcome. And the reason I call this crisis a modified version of “chicken” is because one player- Russia-has suddenly planted over 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border, escalating tensions to unprecedented levels. And the other player, the US and NATO, has been presented with a list of security demands by Russia which include banning Ukraine and other former Soviet states from joining the military alliance. And the worst possible outcome in this case may be war. The US and other NATO allies have so far made no concessions to the demands, terming it as a non-starter since they go against NATO’s core principles of an open-door membership policy. US President Joe Biden has gone to the extent of warning that “Russia will pay a heavy price” if it chooses to invade Ukraine. Russia has stated that it does not want war and will not invade Ukraine but the presence of troops and tanks at the border has stoked fears in the West that the Kremlin is ready to start a new war if needed. The present crisis also puts India, a close long-term ally and trade partner of both US and Russia, in a bind if the crisis does translate into a war scenario. The big questing here being- will India remain neutral or choose a side? But the first issue to understand is why is Russian fielding soldiers at the Ukraine border? What is President Vladimir Putin’s gameplay, and what does this crisis mean for India? Guest: Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation, a global policy think tank. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1.25 crore. That’s the number of applications received for little over 35,000 vacancies in the highly competitive Railway Recruitment Board’s Non-Technical Popular Category (NTPC) recruitment exam. However, a recent notification by the RRB of conducting a second qualifying exam to confirm the selection of candidates led to thousands of aspirants taking the street across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for three consecutive days, blocking the movement of around 25 trains. The protest also turned violent on 26 January, with railways tracks set ablaze in UP’s Prayagraj and a train coach set on fire in Bihar’s Gaya. Aspirants state that this second stage for final selection amounted to “cheating” those who appeared for the first stage of the exam, results for which were released on 14 January. They say that the 2019 notification only mentioned one exam and accused the recruitment board of “playing with the future of students”. So are the claims of these students correct? What is the controversy exactly, and what action has the railway ministry taken so far? Tune in! 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we break down the sharp fall that the Indian equity benchmarks-Sensex and Nifty-saw on 24 January, logging in their worst decline in two months. Sensex crashed over 2,000 points to 56,984 while Nifty 50 plunged over 500 points to 16,998. This is the sixth continuous day of this downward spiral, wiping more than Rs 17.54 trillion of investors' wealth. And some of the biggest losers in the dip are actually the new stock listings like Paytm, Nykaa and Zomato. Zomato plunged 20 percent, while Nykaa lost 13 percent. And stocks of Paytm have already plunged more than 50 percent since its IPO. So what is causing this crash? And what should you as a retail investor do? Joining me today is Guest: Niraj Shah, Markets Editor at Bloomberg Quint. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

States and the centre are headed for a clash over the Union government's proposed amendments to the IAS cadre rules that would give them a greater control in the central deputation of IAS officers without requiring any consent from the states. The proposal to amend Rule 6 (deputation of cadre officers) of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules 1954, was sent to the states recently on 12 January, by the Department of Personnel and Training or DoPT which is the controlling authority of IAS officers. Expectedly, the new proposals have riled up the opposition ruled states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, etc who have labelled these new rules to be "draconian" and against the principle of federalism. As per reports, at least six state governments have already written to the DoPT opposing any such move, which also includes the states governed by the BJP and NDA allies. But what do these proposed alterations to Rule 6 entail exactly? What could these changes lead to? And why are the proposed amendments drawing flak? Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Arvind Mayaram, IAS officer from the 1978 batch of the Rajasthan cadre who's also been the former Finance Secretary in the Ministry of Finance of the Government of India Jawhar Sircar, Retired IAS officer and former CEO of Prasar Bharti who is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from the TMC 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Can India turn a blind eye towards marital rape?” This question is being argued in the Delhi High Court, where a two-judge bench of Justices Rajiv Shakder and C Hari Shankar are hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code that deals with rape. Now, while this section has undergone a series of amendments over the years where it emphasises on the importance of consent, this pre-colonial exception of marital rape has continued to tag along into the 21st century. Essentially, this exception allows marital right to a husband who can, with legal sanction, exercise his right to consensual or non-consensual sex with his wife. This provision has been struck down in others countries like the UK, Canada and Australia. But the big question—Why does India continue to have this exception? In today’s episode, we will discuss how this exception came about, the arguments being heard in Delhi High Court, and will striking down this exception amount to creating a new offence? Guests: Vakasha Sachdev 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been three weeks since eight Muslim students of a government pre-university college for women, in Karnataka’s Udupi district, were barred by the college authorities from attending classes in their hijab. As the prohibition continues, The Quint spoke to two of the students – AH Almas and Aliya Assadi – who describe their ordeal with the college management to be nothing short of "mental harassment." However, the college has said that wearing the hijab would violate the college dress code that has been put in place to ensure uniformity in classes. In this episode of The Big Story, we bring to you voices of these students to understand their side of the story as they ask why can't they be entitled to both their religious identity and their education? A meeting held recently on 19 December 2021, between the Udupi assistant commissioner, district officials, parents, and college authorities, also turned out to be futile, with the management refusing to budge. But is the college’s ban on hijab in classrooms, citing the institution's dress code, legal or illegal? What does the law say? Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Vakasha Sachdev, Legal Editor, The Quint Editor: Shelly Walia Interviews: Fatima Khan 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than three years after the Catholic Church was rocked by rape allegations, in a shock judgment on 14 January, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kottayam acquitted ex-Bishop Franco Mulakkal of rape charges filed against him by a nun. In a 289-page verdict, Additional Sessions Judge G Gopakumar held the victim’s statement as “inconsistent” and that the “prosecution has failed to give proper explanation for the inconsistent version.” However, the verdict saw some bizarre reasoning to arrive at this conclusion, from an inexplicable dismissal of important disclosures by the survivor to other nuns to calling the primary supporting witnesses in the case “unreliable.” In her allegations, the survivor stated that the Bishop had raped her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. However, what followed was a harrowing experience both inside and outside the court for the survivor and the nuns who came out in support of her. And the way the trial took place – with multiple witnesses brought forward by the prosecution who supported the survivor's testimony, Kerala Police's thorough investigation in the case – the final verdict outraged not only women activists but also the legal community, given the several loopholes in the judgment. In today’s episode, we are going to take a look at the judgment, the reasoning the court gives for acquitting Bishop Franco Mulakkal, and why it is problematic. Guests: Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint’s Legal Editor Sister Lucy Kalappura 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir is at stake again after the government cancelled allotment of the premises to the Kashmir Press Club, the largest membership organisation for mediapersons in the Valley, on Monday, 17 January. In a dramatic sequence of events on 15 January, a group of Kashmiri journalists, apparently disgruntled over the delay in press club elections, “took over” the club and declared themselves as the “interim body”. Armed personnel of the J&K Police were posted both inside the club premises and outside the gate during the "coup". In a statement, the faction alleged that the management committee of the club was delaying elections for "unknown reasons”, adding that the committee had placed the media fraternity in "unwanted trouble”. What caused further alarm was that soon after the Kashmir Press Club was taken over, it was locked by the group, citing the COVID-19 weekend lockdown as the reason. And then on 17 January, the J&K administration said in a series of tweets that the club, which was registered as a society in the erstwhile state, has “ceased to exist” after it “failed to reregister” under the Societies of Registration Act. The administration stated that the building out of which the club was being run was being taken away, thus erasing the press club from existence. Media organisations across the country condemned the takeover, with the Editors Guild of India calling it an armed “coup," and the Press Club of India terming it “illegal”. But why was the club taken over so dramatically? Were elections delayed for “unknown reasons” as the faction claims? And what does the sudden closure of the Kashmir Press Club mean for press freedom in the Valley? For today’s episode, we speak to Sringar-based journalist Auqib Javeed, who was also an elected member of the ousted body. You will also hear from senior Kashmiri journalists such as Shahana Butt, Fawad Shah, Riyaz Masroor and Gowhar Geelani. Guests: Auqib Javeed, Sringar-based journalist and an elected executive member of the ousted Kashmir Press Club body Shahana Butt, senior broadcast journalist based in Kashmir Fawad Shah, Editor-in-Chief of the Kashmir Wala magazine Riyaz Masroor, senior journalist Gowhar Geelani, senior journalist Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Somya Lakhani Also Read: Kashmir Press Club ‘Coup’: Another Govt Attempt to Muzzle Journalism? Interview Credit: Mehran Bhat 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his resignation note for test captain, Virat Kohli said, “I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team." With no successor deemed fit to replace him, Kohli’s sudden step down as captain leaves the men in blue in a lurch. While names like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant are in the headlines, no one seems to be the right fit. And with just over a month left for India to start the Sri Lanka series, the empty captaincy seat does put some serious questions on the BCCI’s plate. So with no clear successor in sight, was Kohli’s decision premature? Should he have waited for longer and nurtured his replacement? And the big question is, who will replace him? Will it be Rohit Sharma, who has already taken reigns of T20 and ODI formats or someone young like KL Rahul? Joining me today to discuss the same is our regular guest and friend of the show, cricket analyst and commentator, Chandresh Narayanan. Guests: Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Mendra Dorjey Sahni 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2017 assault against a popular Malayalam actor, who was allegedly abducted in a moving car in Kerala’s Kochi, continues to rock the state with new evidence surfacing, which may give it a fresh direction. The new allegations levelled by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar come at a time when the trial case, which involves top Malayalam actor Dileep as a prime accused, is nearing completion. The case also threw a shadow over the Malayalam film industry, which in the start supported the survivor but quickly moved to the Dileep camp. Even the powerful Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, which revoked Dileep’s membership initially, took him back. The case has dragged on in the Kerala HC for over two years, with several key witnesses turning hostile and resignation of two public prosecutors. These twists and turns in the case were also highlighted in the survivor's statement, who, on 10 January, revealed her identity for the first time. In a social media post, she said that “this has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor.” So what are these new startling allegations? Why are they important? And what will the police be looking for in the new probe? Tune in! Guests: Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief of The News Minute Nikhila Henry, The Quint’s South Bureau Chief 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the sharp rise in COVID cases across the country, the one question on everyone's mind is- when will this wave peak and end? Omicron has supercharged the caseload in India, from just a little under 7,000 daily cases on Christmas last year to over 2.4 lakh cases reported on 13 January, the highest rise in this wave so far. What is also concerning about this wave is the gradual rise in COVID related deaths in the country, with Delhi alone reporting 40 deaths on 12 January, pushing the national tally 177. While there are some signs that the wave may be ebbing in a few regions, with hotspots like Delhi and Mumbai reporting a decline in cases between 7-11 January, such indications may be premature since they also reported a sharp rise the following two days. Experts and modellers have pointed at timelines of a peak and end of this wave and in this episode, we will try to unpack exactly where we are in this pandemic and what the trends indicate so far. For this, I am joined by our regular guest and friend of the show Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, who is an epidemiologist and health systems expert and Dr Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan. Guests: Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, epidemiologist and health systems expert. Dr Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Vaishali Sood 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a major and unexpected jolt to the Bhartiya Janta Party, Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from his post as Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and is likely to jump ship to the BJP’s main rival in the state- the Samajwadi Party. And the party was further left stunned after three of its lawmakers— Tilhar MLA Roshan Lal Verma, Bilhaur MLA Bhagwati Prasad Sagar and Tindwari MLA Brajesh Kumar Prajapati —waved goodbye to the saffron party and followed Maurya out of the door. In his resignation letter, posted on Twitter, Maurya wrote that “despite a divergent ideology, I worked with dedication in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet”. And the reason we are talking about Maurya’s resignation in today’s episode is that while he may not be a prominent leader in the same lines as a Yogi Adityanath or Akhilesh Yadav, he is an important OBC leader. His sudden departure from the BJP does raise questions on what is going on with the ruling party and whether this will shift the dynamics in the upcoming assembly elections. Guests: Amitabh Tiwari, political analysts and commentator. Aditya Menon, Political Editor, The Quint Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Trads" - that's a word that we've been hearing quite often in connection to the Sulli Deal and the Bulli Bai investigations. And this word officially came to light when the Delhi Police arrested two accused in the bulli bai case- Aumkareshwar Thakur and Niraj Bishnoi, who claimed that they both are part of the online group ”trad”. Now, The Hindu right-wing groups in India have so far been seen as a single entity, with a common ideology of propagating larger Hindutva values. However, the recent bull bai app controversy, where photos of over 100 Muslim women activists, journalists were put on an app in a mock “auction”, has shed light over a byproduct of this radical ecosystem which are known by the terms “trad” and “raitas” In this episode, we will try to unpack what exactly are these groups? What ideology do they follow? How do you recognise one in the wild, and how do they fit into the entire propaganda ecosystem? To decode these questions, we spoke with journalist Alishan Jafri, who works with The Wire’s Hate Watch team and has been following these groups closely online. Guest: Alishan Jafri, journalist with The Wire’s Hate Watch team. 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 Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the threat of the Omicron variant and the rising COVID-19 cases in the country, the Election Commission of India released new guidelines on the conduct of the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, which primarily ban all physical political rallies and roadshows till 15 January. Along with a ban on political rallies, other aspects of the poll guidelines include full vaccination of all officials on election duty, no victory processions post-results, and that political parties and candidates are advised to conduct their campaigns through digital or virtual means only. While the EC did receive some flak for not pushing the elections altogether, given the record-breaking daily COVID cases, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra defended the decision stressing that holding timely elections is the essence of maintaining democratic governance. But the guidelines have raised eyebrows on the following two points - first, why have political rallies banned only till 15 January, and second, will this ban affect the level playing field in crucial poll-bound states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab? Guests: Dr SY Quraishi, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Editor: Aditya Menon 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another breakthrough in the Bulli Bai case investigation! This time by the Delhi police. A 21-year-old man from Assam, identified as Niraj Bishnoi, who is alleged to be the mastermind behind the Bull Bai app was arrested by the Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations Unit on 6 January. With this arrest, DCP KPS Malhotra told The Quint that "the controversial Bulli Bai app case has been solved completely." As we know, barely six months after the 'Sulli Deals' app had triggered a furore with its blatant Islamophobia and misogyny, the 'Bulli Bai' app was the second instance where publicly available photos of hundreds of Muslim women were misused and put on 'auction' – not a real auction but a despicable intention of debasing and intimidating women. While the 'Sulli Deals' investigation by the Delhi police had died down without a single arrest, anger amongst targeted women and their allies over the Delhi police's inaction seems to have nudged the probe in the Bulli Bai case to yield some solid results. With Bishnoi being apprehended now, this is the fourth arrest made in the case including the initial three arrests made by the Mumbai police. But what do we know about this alleged mastermind? What do his social media activities indicate about his views on women and religion? And how did Delhi police track down Bishnoi? We'll dig into these questions with our guests today — Somya Lakhani and Abhilash Mallick. Tune in! Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Somya Lakhani, Senior Editor, The Quint Abhilash Mallick Assistant Editor of Webqoof, The Quint Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz References: Peek Into Bulli Bai Accused Niraj Bishnoi's Views on Hindus, Tech & Sunny Leone 'He Was on His Laptop All Day': Niraj Bishnoi's Father Claims Son is 'Innocent' #BulliBai: Has Police Inaction in 'Sulli Deals' Encouraged A Repeated Offence? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices