The Big Story

Heatwaves, flash floods, incessant rains, deadly forest fires. Extreme climate change events seem to be grabbing headlines daily across the world and a new UN report has made it clear that some of these climate changes are irreversible. Referred to as 'code red for humanity', the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a landmark report on 9 August which draws on more than 14,000 scientific studies. The report also comes just three months before the important climate summit in Glasgow known as COP26. The report has scientifically projected how the climate will be impacted if carbon and greenhouse emissions are not reduced but underlining it all is a message for the biggest polluters that they need to reassess their climate policy. And one polluter, India, cannot afford to ignore the findings of the IPCC report. The report has predicted an increase in the likelihood of disasters like the Chamoli glacial break in Uttarakhand or Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal. More incessant rains, dry spells, and heatwaves are also frequent tags in the reports when the subcontinent is discussed. What future does the IPCC report predict for the world and what does it mean for India? What action do we need to take? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Anjal Prakash, Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at Bharti Institute of Public Policy and the Indian School of Business. 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

Right after the javelin left his hand in his second attempt, Neeraj Chopra knew he had thrown a big one, as he raised his arms in triumph while the spear was still in the air. After 121 years, independent India has finally secured an Olympic gold medal in track and field. Chopra, 23, is the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal after Abhinav Bindra won it at the 2008 Beijing Games. Chopra was regarded as one of India’s best medal prospects at the Olympics and his very first throw indicated exactly that. Chopra was in the lead at 87.03 meters, which confidently placed him on top of the leaderboard from Round 1. No other athlete in the event came even close to his mark. His gold winning throw of 87.58 meters was nearly a meter ahead of the runner up. This was Chopra’s first appearance at the Olympics but his preparation for it began in 2016, when he broke the U-20 world junior record for javelin. However, the preparation has not been easy since it was marred by a few injuries and also the COVID pandemic. In today’s episode, we celebrate the man of the hour Neeraj Chopra’s historic Olympic win, his career trajectory and its significance. Tune in! Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guests: Neeraj Chopra, Olympic gold medalist, Satish Chopra, Neeraj's father, and Adille Sumariwalla, President of the Athletics Federation of India. 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

In a big move to end "tax terror", Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha to scrap the draconian retrospective tax amendment of 2012 that had made indirect transfer of Indian assets prior to 2012 taxable. The government said, "The Bill proposes to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961, to provide that no tax demand shall be raised in future on the basis of the said retrospective amendment." The Bill further proposes to refund the principal amount paid in these cases, without any interest, provided that the companies withdraw pending litigations against the government and drop their claims. Nine years ago, the UPA regime had implemented this policy, allowing hefty capital gains to be slapped in cases where a change in ownership occurred overseas while business assets were in India. Since the policy was implemented in the UPA regime nine years ago, the government demanded thousands of crores in retrospective tax on prior transactions in 17 cases, among them telecom company Vodafone and gas company Cairn Energy. Some of the tax demands have also run into long-drawn legal battles, which miffed foreign investors. While this move is being touted to be an effort to rectify older mistakes, and may even provide some respite to Vodafone, which is on its last legs, there's also the question of why this reversal came so late from the government. Despite former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley staunchly criticizing what he called the UPA government's "tax terrorism", what has induced the Modi government to reverse it seven years after coming to power? And, why was the retrospective tax law introduced by the UPA? Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Raghav Bahl, The Quint's Editor in Chief Dinesh Kanabar, Entrepreneur and International Tax Expert 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A minor Dalit girl was allegedly raped and murdered in the national capital on 1 August. The four suspects identified as Radhe Shyam, a priest, Laxmi Narayan and Kuldeep Kumar who worked with him, and Mohd Salim, a local resident had allegedly also forcefully cremated the 9-year-old girl, without her family's consent. Neighbours say that even before her parents could have understood what had happened, the child's body was already 'half-cremated.' By the time the cremation fire was doused, only parts of her legs and some scalp could be retrieved, which has made it difficult to conduct a post-mortem examination. While the police have arrested the four accused, they are yet to establish the cause of her death. But the case has already triggered furious protests near the Delhi Cantonment area where the family lives. Hundreds of citizens have been gathering for four consecutive days next to a makeshift stage, among them activists and Nirbhaya's mother as well, with protesters chanting "We want justice," and "Hang the rapists". There's also a writhing anger against the police, who the parents alleged of intimidating them into dropping the rape charges initially before the protests broke out. But let's look at how the incident took place, where does the investigation stand right now, and what the allegations are. In this podcast you'll hear the voices of Gudiya's parents. We'll also bring you voices of protesters from the ground. Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Reporting: Mythreyee Ramesh 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid fears of an impending third wave of coronavirus, a steady rise in R-values in some of the states is indicating that the second wave may not have ebbed all the way yet. The R value indicates the speed at which the COVID-19 infection is spreading amongst the population and, according to the Centre, certain states and Union Territories – like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Mizoram and Karnataka – have all reported an R-value of more than 1. This means that one COVID-positive person is infecting more than one person. The situation is especially worrying in Kerala, which tops the chart in R-value at 1.22, and has been reporting a huge spike in cases as well. Almost 49.85 percent of the total cases in India in the past week were, in fact, reported from this state. A few other states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are also seeing a significant weekly rise in coronavirus infections. The concern over an uptick in R-value was flagged by the Centre's COVID Task Force which said that this shows the pandemic is not even close to being over. Dr VK Paul, who leads the COVID task force, also cautioned that R-value should be 0.6 or below. If it has gone over 1, it shows it is a significant problem and the virus wants to spread. So, how concerned should we be? What does the rising R-value mean for India's fight against COVID-19? Does it signal the beginning of a third wave? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, and one of country’s most prominent virologists 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to COVID-19 in India, for the past week all eyes have been on Kerala, which has added more than 10,000 cases every day since 20 July. The positivity rate is more than six times that of the national average. While the rest of the country is experiencing a sharp decline in cases after reaching a peak in April and May, Kerala since 15 June has been reporting a steady climb of 10,000 cases a day on average. Now, the recent spike in cases are making headlines. Between 27 July and 1 August, the state reported more than 20,000 daily COVID cases, bringing the total cases in the state to 1.65 lakh. Meanwhile, researchers at IIT Hyderabad and Kanpur say that India may witness a third wave in August, which will then peak in October. So, how has a state, which was hailed for beating the medical oxygen crisis incurred by other states in April-May and for its management of the pandemic, still reporting so many cases? What went wrong? Are these the first signs of the beginning of the third wave in India? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Dr Sulphi Noohu, Secretary of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and senior Kerala-based journalist KP Sethunath. 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

Women athletes from the Indian contingent have not only been making the country proud with their incredible performances at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 — but also rewriting history as they go. Mirabai Chanu didn't let her setback in Rio deter her and went on to bagging the silver medal in weightlifting. PV Sindhu became the only Indian athlete to win two Olympic medals as she beat China's He Bing Jiao to win the bronze medal in women's singles. Lovlina Borghain has assured herself of a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after winning the welter-weight quarter-finals. And, the Indian women's hockey team beat Australia to enter the Olympic semi-finals for the very first time, where they will be facing Argentina on 4 August. But it's not just about winning medals. The Tokyo Olympics are also about how in the face of adversities and the lack of encouragement for women to join sports in the country, this year saw many more women athletes make it to the Olympics and inspire people. WhileBhavani Devi, for instance became the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, Aditi Ashok became the first female Indian to represent India there. Some other athletes like Kamalpreet Kaur who although fell short of a medal in women's discus finals, is inspiring Indians by smashing the existing gender stereotypes in Indian society and coming into sports. It's been thrilling to see Indian women athletes shine at the Olympics. With these incredible wins, are times finally changing for how India looks at women athletes? Tune in! Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Anju Bobby George, India's first and only World Champion in the IAAF World Athletics Final 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

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to the Capital has been making headlines for the past week. Her meetings with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition parties have stoked speculations that Didi may finally be shedding the regional flag and stepping into the national political arena. The overarching message in her visit to New Delhi was that a united Opposition front is required to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 general elections. On 28 July, she launched a series of attacks at the BJP-led Centre. She said, “We have seen a lot of achhe din and now we want to see sachche din.” Banerjee also met PM Narendra Modi. At this "courtesy meeting", she said that she discussed the Pegasus snooping controversy. Though general elections are three years away, Banerjee has already moved the first piece on the chessboard and has given clear indications that she wants to play a role in national politics. Her visit to New Delhi raises the following questions: Is a united Opposition front possible to defeat the BJP in 2024? Is Mamata Banerjee a possible PM candidate to lead such a coalition? If not her, who is most likely to be a face for this coalition? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Senior journalist and author Payal Singh Mohanka and Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor . 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

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his maiden visit to India from 27-28 July. This is the second visit of a high-ranking US official to India since the Biden administration took over in January this year. On the agenda of this diplomatic visit were ongoing tensions in Afghanistan, India’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and the COVID pandemic. However, his visit began not with his Indian counterparts but with representatives from various faiths in India, a constitutional lawyer, where India’s contention issues ranging from religious freedom laws, farmers protests, press freedom, minority rights, and the recent Pegasus snoop were discussed. This is not the first time that the US has raised the issue of democracy with India, the last being in the form of a public letter written by the Chairman of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez on the eve of US secretary of defence Lloyd J Austin's visit to India in March. At a joint presser on 28 July, Blinken stressed the importance of the relation between the two countries stating “there are few relationships in the world that are more vital than the one between the US and India”. In this episode, we will discuss the main takeaways from the visit and where the US-India relation is headed. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Manoj Joshi, a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. 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

A border dispute between Assam and Mizoram resulted in the deaths of five Assam Police personnel and a civilian on 26 July. Even though both the states are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its NDA ally, the Mizo National Front, the dispute seems to have blown up with chief ministers of both states engaging in a Twitter spat exchanging allegations, and even seeking Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention into the matter. But the border dispute has a much longer history beyond the recent incident. Border clashes between the two states have occurred before – in the years 1968, 1979, 1985, and most recently in 2018 as well, where nearly 50 persons were injured in actions taken by Assam Police. But what exactly is the dispute about? What events led to the clashes on 26 July and why are BJP allies in the region disputing so publicly? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Karma Paljor, Editor, EastMojo and senior journalist Rajeev Bhattacharyya. 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

Flash floods, two fierce cyclones, heat waves, torrential rains, monsoon floods, landslides – why is India witnessing a series of climate-related calamities this year? Currently, as the west coast of India is still reeling from the fury of the deadly monsoons, over 150 people have already lost their lives in Maharashtra from landslides and floods triggered by the overwhelming rains. Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, heavy rain caused a series of landlines in the state. In one such incident that was captured on video, huge rocks and boulders cascaded down a hill towards a bridge that resulted in the death of nine tourists who were travelling by a minibus. But as some parts of India are dealing with extreme rainfall, others have been facing heatwaves that has become a regular phenomenon in the country with temperatures soaring to new highs year after year. While a severe heatwave gripped Delhi and the rest of northern India in the beginning of July, even cooler areas, like Ladakh in the Himalayan region, recorded high temperatures and heatwaves. Earlier in February, a flash flood in the Rishiganga river wiped out a hydel power plant in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. That event, leading to the loss of more than 200 lives. While experts believe that the floods were caused by a glacial burst, they also blame ecologically damaging development activities for this disaster. And it's not just India that is dealing with extreme climate events. From Germany to China to Canada to US – countries across the world are seeing unprecedented rainfall, record-breaking scorching temperatures and raging wildfires that were already forewarned by climate experts. What does that say about the future? Can action still be taken to address global warming? Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Anjal Prakash, Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at Bharti Institute of Public Policy and the Indian School of Business, ;ead author in the chapter on cities, settlements and key infrastructure in the IPCC's 6th Assessment Report Navroz K Dubash, professor at Centre for Policy Research and Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC's six assessment report 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ending the month-long speculation of a change of guard in Karnataka, after a two-year stint as chief minister, BS Yediyurappa resigned from his post on 26 July. In an event organised to celebrate the two years of his governance, Yediyurappa delivered an emotional speech and said that every moment in his political career has been an "agnipariksha." This will be the fourth time that he has held office without being able to finish a term as CM. He was the CM for eight days in 2007, for three-and-a-half years from 2008-2011, and just three days in 2018. Since his term began in 2019, the state has witnessed the disastrous floods which hit the Belagavi district, and the COVID pandemic, but there have also been complaints from BJP party leaders about his governance style. Signs of his possible exit from office first appeared when he took a chartered flight to New Delhi on 16 July to meet PM Narendra Modi and other top party leadership where he reportedly offered to resign from his post citing health reasons. But upon his return to Bengaluru, on 18 July, he refused to confirm any claims and stated that he will wait for a decision from the party high command. But even as news of his resignation comes, there are several questions which remain unanswered. What exactly triggered his exit from office? Who are the CM prospects, and what does Yediyurappa’s exit signify for the BJP’s political prospects in it’s only foothold in South India? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Sugata Srinivasaraju, senior Bengaluru based journalist and Nikhila Henry, South Bureau Chief for The Quint. Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s taken a year longer to arrive but the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are finally here, in July of 2021. Admittedly, with the COVID pandemic still around, the Olympics this time will be challenging, to say the least. Moreover, just a day before the Opening Ceremony, host city faced the biggest surge in COVID-19 cases in six months. Adding to their woes, at least 91 people connected to the Olympics have also tested positive for the virus. Which is why, this time around, the Olympics will not have the usual throng of exhilarated spectators. In fact, a state of emergency in Tokyo has been declared throughout the Games. Organizers have reportedly allowed a limit of 50 percent capacity – up to 10,000 spectators – for each Olympics venue, be it indoors or outdoors. From India, a total of 127 sportspersons have qualified for the Games, including 56 women – the highest representation of female athletes ever by the country. And as we get ready for several early morning alarms to catch all the action, let's look at some of the country's greatest and brightest medal prospects over the coming weeks. Tune in! Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha Scripting: Mendra Dorjey Sahni 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

Raj Kundra, a businessman who is married to Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, made headlines recently after he was arrested for allegedly being a 'key conspirator' in a case pertaining to pornographic films. He has been accused of distributing adult films that were being shot in the country through an app called 'HotShots' but with his arrest, the case has also opened the Pandora's box of the porn industry itself. The porn industry, which is a billion-dollar industry worldwide, has always existed in the Indian society. However, even though watching porn in private spaces isn’t deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, there have been attempts by the government to ban porn websites occasionally. While the illegality of making and distributing pornography in India has not affected its viewership, which in fact has only shot up since the onset of the pandemic, on the downside, there are also allegations of porn rackets and adult film actors being exploited in this industry which functions in secrecy. And the arrest of Raj Kundra has resurfaced the long-drawn debate on the legality of porn in India. In today’s podcast, we will discuss Kundra’s arrest as well as the legal provision pertaining to the production and consumption of porn in India. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Gehna Vasisth, Indian actor, Karan Tripathi, Legal Consultant, The Quint, and Harish Iyer, equal rights activist and columnist at The Quint. Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With barely eight months ahead of Punjab assembly elections, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has been elevated as the Punjab Pradesh Congress President. The infighting in the Punjab unit of the Congress party has been making headlines for the past few weeks and the intense political drama reached a flashpoint on 17 July when Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote a letter to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, voicing his concerns against Sidhu’s appointment as the party’s state unit Chief. However, it looks like the Congress top brass has not paid heed to Amarinder Singh’s concerns and instead went head and appointed four new working presidents, without the consultation of the CM. But will Sidhu's new appointment be the solution to end the growing factionalism and infighting in the state cadre? and pertinently, what does his appointment signal for the party’s leadership? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Aditya Menon, Political Editor, The Quint Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The infamous Israeli spyware Pegasus has kicked up a storm once again. Over 300 Indians may have been spied on using this dangerous software that can allow a hacker to gain access to pretty much everything in a person's phone including encrypted messages. This egregious breach of privacy was reported by The Wire in a collaborative investigation conducted along with several other international media houses like The Guardian and The Washington Post that found a leaked database with 50,000 phone numbers from across the world, believed to be linked to persons of interest listed by the clients of the NSO — the Israeli firm that sells the Pegasus Spyware. From the first tranche of reports that came on 18 July, we know that 40 of the 300 verified numbers from India belong to journalists from some of India's top media houses like the Hindustan Times, India Today, Network18, The Hindu, The Indian Express and The Wire. The spyware is also believed to have been used on numbers belonging to at least nine rights activists, lawyers and academics who have been arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case. The second tranche of reports, that came on 19 July, state that PM Modi's political adversary Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and political strategist Prashant Kishor's numbers were also added to the list. Ironically, even the recently sworn in IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw who is defending the Centre from allegations of spying is on the target list along with MoS Prahlad Patel. Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa and India's leading virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang have featured on the list of potential targets as well. While the NSO claims that it only sells the spyware to "vetted governments", the Indian government has dismissed the reports saying that they are not only 'bereft of facts but also founded in pre-conceived conclusions'. But at a time when our smartphones have become a primary device that stores a lot of our personal data, what does the use of the Pegasus spyware on Indian journalists, opposition leader and other citizens say about the state of surveillance? Who is answerable for this grave assault on privacy? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Shashi Tharoor, Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP, Mishi Chaudhury, Lawyer and the Legal Director and founder of the Software Freedom Law Center, Apar Gupta, Executive Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation. Editor: Shelly Walia Interviews: Anthony Rozario, Mehab Qureshi 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Is sedition law still needed after 75 years of Independence?" CJI NV Ramana's question to the Centre has once again revived the debate on whether it's time to review this law that comes from India's colonial era. This observation came up in a hearing on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of Section 124A of the IPC. Just like UAPA cases, even sedition cases have risen in the past few years, despite the conviction rate till being a meagre 3.3% till 2019 as per the NCRB data. While the Centre has been constantly accused of slapping such charges against citizens to quell dissent, many lawyers, activists, and other members of the civil society have been saying that the sedition law need to be struck down. So, what are the arguments against the sedition law? Is it being misused by the state and is it time for it to be scrapped? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Naveed Mehmood Ahmad, Research Fellow at Vidhi Center for Legal Policy Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Also listen to: What is Responsible for Father Stan Swamy's Death? Ill Health or State Apathy? References: Our New Database Reveals Rise In Sedition Cases In The Modi Era 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zomato on 14 July made a special delivery of its first initial public offering or IPO and attracted 1.05 times the issue size on the very first day. You heard that right, a company that began as a restaurant discovery platform before turning into a full-scale food delivery company with presence in over 500 cities, made history by becoming the first Indian 'unicorn' to launch a domestic IPO. When the issue opened on 14 July morning, retail investors jumped at the 10 percent quota reserved for them and were hungry for more given that there were 2.7 times as many bids as shares available. However, keeping the celebration of the IPO aside, brokerages and analysts have cautioned that given the companies sky-high valuation—which is reported to be 25 times the enterprise value—and the fact that the company has been reporting losses for the past three years, the path to profitability for Zomato is not clear. Given the risks attached, should you dig into your wallet and invest right now when it is low or hold on to see if this is only a listing boom? What do investors have to say? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Hemang Jani, Head of Equity Research at Motilal Oswal Financial Services. 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

Nearly 20 years after invading the country, the United States has decided to call a time out on the 'forever war' in Afghanistan and decided to pull out its troops. Although the move is not sudden, it may have left the country at the hands of the Taliban who are gaining control of new areas for the past two months. In fact, the troop withdrawal announcement, made by President Joe Biden in April, has led to a drastic uptick of Taliban violence leading to many countries evacuating their diplomats from Afghanistan. India too, on 11 July, evacuated 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar as the Taliban continues to expand its footprint in the country. The withdrawal of troops stems from the ceasefire agreement signed with the Taliban under former President Donald Trump in 2020, where the Taliban assured that it will not attack US forces in the region if the US withdraws its troops completely. A day after Biden’s announcement, NATO also issued a statement announcing that it will also pull out its troops from Afghanistan, effectively leaving the country's security at the hands of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. The situation being as grim as it sounds and with peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban being frozen in place since 2020, where is Afghanistan headed? Is there any scope for peace in the country, and what is the way forward for India in terms of its engaging with the region? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Vivek Katju, former Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs and ambassador to Afghanistan 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

Less than a year before India's most populous state – Uttar Pradesh – is headed off to the state Assembly elections, the Yogi Adityanath government seems to be trying to focus on population control measures. On 9 July, the state government released a draft of the proposed Population (control, sterilisation & welfare) Bill 2021 for public comments and suggestions till 19 July. Essentially what the draft proposal aims to do is make a two-child policy mandatory for those who wish to avail government benefits. The draft policy includes both incentives and disincentives to that purpose. Government employees who have two or less children or those who go for voluntary sterilisation, will get benefits like government subsidies on electricity and water, two extra increments in the course of service, and maternity/paternity leave for 12 months with full salary and allowances. But violators will be barred from contesting in local body polls, or from government jobs and promotions among other things. Given India's soaring population, discussions on population control are anything but uncommon, however the UP government's move is drawing a lot of flak on two fronts. While a lot of experts maintain that coercive measures do more harm than good and can lead to a distorted demography, the Opposition believe that the UP government's move is politically motivated given the impending state elections. So, how should we look at UP's population draft bill? Can it achieve the goals that it intends to? And, where are the suspicions of this being a politically inspired move coming from? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Shailaja Chandra,Former Secretary in the Ministry of Health, First Executive Director of Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh Pavan K Varma, former IFS officer, Former Rajya Sabha MP, Former served adviser to the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the second wave of COVID-19 seems to be ebbing across India, a new variant sparked fears again on 9 July when the Uttar Pradesh government reported two cases of the Kappa variant of the virus in the state. While we know about the Delta variant of the virus, which was believed to be responsible for the deadly second wave, the Kappa variant has not received as much public attention. But while Kappa has been the talk in health circles for a while, a new variant named Lambda by the World Health Organization (WHO), first detected in Peru, is drawing attention from across the world. While no cases of this variant have been reported in India, the limited knowledge and studies done on this variant and with its capabilities unknown, it has kept health authorities across the world on their toes. In today’s episode, we will discuss how concerning are these two variants of COVID, how effective are vaccines against them and what strategies can India adopt to prevent the next surge. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, epidemiologist and a public systems expert. 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

The Indian armed forces may get the biggest re-organisation since independence if the proposition of creating theatre commands is finalised. Essentially, theatre command is a unified command under which resources of all three armed forces – army, air force, and navy – are integrated depending upon the threat or location. It has been the top agenda of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat since his appointment in January 2020. However, the road has been bumpy since the announcement was made because not all services seem to be on board, especially the Indian Air Force, which has reportedly stated in the past that the implementation will be operationally unwise, given the limited air assets of the force. Adding to the IAF’s hesitation for the formation of theatre commands was General Rawat’s recent comment on the Indian Air Force “being a supporting arm to the armed forces just like the artillery and engineers in the Army.” Aside from the hesitations expressed by the IAF, there are several institutional questions about theatre commands that need further clarity. For instance, what would the structure of the commands be like, who will report to whom, and of course there is a fundamental debate on whether India requires this move. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Lt Gen Kamal Davar, former Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff and the first Chief of India's Defence Intelligence Agency Editor: Shelly Walia References: The Creation of Indian Integrated Commands: Organisational Learning and the Andaman and Nicobar Command 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 To look at these questions, we spoke to former Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff and the first Chief of India's Defence Intelligence Agency Lt Gen Kamal Davar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With two-and-a-half-years remaining in PM Modi's second term, the Union Cabinet got a major reshuffle on Wednesday, 7 July. While 12 heavyweights including Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, and I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar were left out of the new Cabinet, 43 new ministers were sworn-in. But not all of them are fresh faces. Seven junior ministers including Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya got promoted in this rejig. In fact, the crucial Health Ministry went to Mandaviya, amid a severe criticism of the government's mishandling of the second wave of COVID and vaccination shortages in the country, while the Law Ministry went to Rijiju. Home Minister Amit Shah has taken over additional charge of the new Ministry of Co-operation, while PM Modi will himself be monitoring the Ministry of Science & Technology. Looking at the new appointments, the Union Cabinet now has 27 ministers who belong to the OBC category, 12 ministers belonging to the Scheduled Castes, eight from the Scheduled Tribes, 11 women ministers, and the highest representation of the northeastern states under the Modi regime. While the Opposition says that the reshuffle is an admission of the Modi government's failure, what is the Modi government really aiming at with this move? Is it to be viewed as corrective measures, or is it focused on elections? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Senior Journalist Editor: Aditya Menon References: Cabinet Expansion Comes Down to 4 Points & 1 Question – Will Anything Change? Modi's New Cabinet: Historic Reshuffle or Mere Damage Control? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The monumental actor, the King of Indian cinema, Dilip Kumar passed away on the morning of 7th July at the age of 98. Born as Yusuf Sarwar Khan on 11th December 1922, Dilip Saab was known to have shaped Hindi cinema, which is the biggest cinema in the world. He belonged to the triumvirate along with Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand, who taught the leading men how to lead. In this special episode of The Big Story podcast, where we pay homage to a legend whose passing away truly marks an end of an era for India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leaving behind an unfinished legal battle against the NIA, the dreadful UAPA laws, and a system that has been trying to crush dissent mercilessly, Father Stan Swamy passed away at Mumbai's Holy Family Hospital awaiting his bail. This 84-year-old Jesuit priest who had been working for tribal rights in Jharkhand was one of those who were arrested on terror charges in the Bhima Koregaon case. Given his old age and comorbidities that included a heart condition, Parkinson's disease, hearing loss in both ears and physical injuries from falls that he had taken during his imprisonment, Swamy had applied for bail. Even though the NIA didn't seek his custody for interrogation, they kept him lodged in a jail for close to nine months and opposed his bail twice. In fact, last year, when Swamy had applied for bail on humanitarian grounds citing his susceptibility to coronavirus, the NIA had gone on to say that Swamy was taking “undue benefit” of the pandemic to seek bail. In May this year when the Bombay High Court directed for him to be shifted to a private hospital in Mumbai from Taloja prison, according to reports he had pleaded for interim bail so he could be “with his own” at Ranchi. As he died of a cardiac arrest as a pretrial prisoner on 5 July right before the Bombay High Court was set to hear his bail application, the criticism around the draconian UAPA laws is back once again. The questions to ask is who is responsible for Stan Swamy's death? Is it his medical conditions or is it the apathy of the judiciary and the criminal justice system that instead of coming through for his fundamental rights only viewed him a UAPA accused until his last breath? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: John Dayal, Human rights activists Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court Vrinda Grover, Lawyer, Researcher and Human Rights activist Interviews: Asmita Nandy, Mekhala Saran, Karan Tripathi Editor: Shelly Walia References: To The Jailed Priest Who Loves People: Friends Remember Stan Swamy Bhima Koregaon Case: For Stan Swamy, UAPA Became His 'Death Warrant' Father Stan Swamy: Degenerated By Jail & UAPA, But Ignored By Courts 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uttarakhand received its third Chief Minister this year with Tirath Singh Rawat, who assumed office just four months ago in March, submitting his resignation citing 'constitutional crisis' as the reason. Tirath Singh Rawat’s short tenure in office has been shrouded in one controversy after another. From passing sexist comments stating that women in ripped jeans set a 'bad example' to going ahead with allowing the Kumbh Mela festival to take place amid the spiralling second wave. Things became worse when it was reported recently that over 1 lakh COVID test reports from the festival were fake. In short, his 116 days in office were nothing short of bumpy. Replacing him is Pushkar Singh Dhami, a 45-year-old MLA from Khatima. His age, and his being from the Kumaon region, has been considered as contributing factors for his new appointment as the state’s highest-ranking politician. However, several media reports have reported that his appointment has also caused resentment in the BJP faction in the state as Dhami does not have any ministerial experience and was chose over many senior BJP leaders. With the state heading to assembly polls in less than a year, the new CM is facing an uphill task to not only spur the party cadre in the state, but also to convince New Delhi that he is up to the task. In today’s episode, we will discuss the factors which led to Tirath Singh Rawat’s resignation, the appointment of the new CM and what does the constant change of guard mean for BJP’s political success in the state. To discuss this, we spoke with Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor. 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

China’s ruling Communist Party turned 100 on 1 July and its leader Xi Jinping made it clear in a defiant speech that the country will not be lectured by others. Speaking from the balcony of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, his speech was laden with symbols that catalysed the ruling parties march toward 'socialist modernisation' and 'nationalist rejuvenation'. The Communist Party of China or the CPC, was founded in 1912 and has been in power since 1949, and enjoys authority over all aspects of life and freedom in the country. In a nutshell, the political party and the government are synonymous. It commands vast economic resources, influence over small debt-ridden countries, and a rapidly modernising military that has challenged not only India but also the West. China's economic and foreign relations policies have left it with few friends on the global map, and its future depends on the country's continued economic success. However, its failure in doing so may have wide-ranging economic and security concerns for the entire world. In today’s episode, we will go through how the CPC continues to dominate China for the past 100 years and what does the future of the country look like under the leadership of Xi Jinping. For this, we spoke to Manoj Joshi, a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, and Sudheendra Kulkarni, who served as an aide to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is the founder of the 'Forum for a New South Asia' which is powered by India-Pakistan-China Cooperation. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Manoj Joshi, a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation and Sudheendra Kulkarni, aide to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and founder of the 'Forum for a New South Asia' which is powered by India-Pakistan-China Cooperation. 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

The Supreme Court in its ruling on Wednesday, 30 June, made it abundantly clear that as far as COVID is concerned, it is a ‘disaster' under the Disaster Management Act (DMA) of 2005. It further pulled up the National Disaster Management Authority on doing the needful, by providing ex-gratia compensation to families of COVID victims. The top court's response comes after a batch of petitions sought directions to the state and central governments to provide an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh, sighting Section 12 of the DMA. However, the Centre has been reluctant to commit to any compensation for COVID deaths, given the magnitude of the death toll, which is nearly 4 lakh according to official figures. The Supreme Court in its ruling stated that the language used in Section 12 of the law is is very plain and unambiguous. So, is the Centre legally obligated to pay compensation for COVID deaths? What arguments has the Centre made against it, and is it financially feasible? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Subhash Chandra Garg, former Economic Affairs Secretary and Finance Secretary of India and Karan Tripathi, The Quint's Legal Consultant. 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

The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021 is stirring up the film fraternity in India. Among other things, it seeks to empower the government to sidestep the Central Board of Film Certification and become a "super censor" that can re-examine film certifications if there are any complaints against them, even after they have already been passed by the CBFC. The government released the draft Bill on 18 June into the public domain with this new contentious provision, and a few other proposals on age reclassification for viewers and film piracy. The general public has been given two weeks' time till Friday, 2 July, to submit their comments. A group of people have already shot off a letter to the government saying that “the amendments giving powers to the central government to revoke a film certificate must be dropped". Celebrities like Kamal Hassan and Vishal Bhardwaj have also vocally criticised the move on social media platforms and urged people to raise their voices against it. But why does the government want to be the super censor? What is the intention behind this move? And what do people from the film industry have to say about it?Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Sanjay Gupta, Filmmaker, Producer and Screenwriter Mayank Tewari, Screenwriter Karan Tripathi, Legal Consultant, The Quint Editor: Shelly Walia References: More movies undergo CBFC cuts now than five years ago 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, 28 June, announced new relief measures for the pandemic-hit economy as states across India eased lockdown restrictions amid a decline in COVID-19 cases. The relief measures include expansion of the emergency credit line guarantee scheme or ECLGS, from Rs 3 lakh crore to 4.5 lakh crore and a new loan guarantee scheme for the healthcare industry, amounting to Rs 50,000 crore. Apart from this, measures to boost the tourism sector with loan guarantees to stakeholders and free visas to the first 5 lakh tourists till 31 March 2022, were also announced While the finance minister pegged the financial impact of these measures at nearly Rs 6.29 lakh crore, 'direct stimulus' to the economy was only a small fraction of this number. The estimated additional spend is reportedly just 0.3 percent of the GDP since most of the relief measures are only in the form of guarantee loans and not all schemes are related to the current financial year but are spread out over several years. This prompts the question: how impactful are these relief measures in the short term and why India, unlike advanced economies, continues to pump more funds into the supply side of the economy and not offer huge stimulus packages to households recovering from the trail of devastation left by the second wave? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Aditi Nayar, ICRA Chief Economist and Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist at CARE Ratings. 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

For the first time ever, it seems that a drone armed with explosives was used to attack an Indian Air Force base. As we know, in the early hours of 27 June, two low-intensity explosions were reported in the technical area of the Air Force base in Jammu Airport. IAF’s Media Coordination Centre confirmed the attack on Twitter and said, “One caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area. There was no damage to any equipment. An investigation is in progress with civil agencies." There have also been reports, suggesting that two Air Force personnel suffered minor injuries. However, we don't have any official confirmation on that yet. But no matter how minor the damage was, this attack is signalling a new kind of challenge and a rather serious one at that for India's security establishment. Is this what the future of terror attacks are going to look like? And if so, what kind of counter-measures are required and how prepared is India on that front?Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guest: Capt KP Sanjeev Kumar, former navy test pilot. He has flown over 24 types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and holds a dual ATP rating on the Bell 412 and AW139 helicopters. Editor: Shelly Walia References: Jammu Drone Attack: Taking Asymmetric Warfare To Next Level Major Threat Averted, 2 More Drones Spotted in Jammu: Army 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kerala may pride itself for being the state with the highest sex ratio, but a series of back-to-back dowry-related deaths being reported from various parts of the state goes to show that India has a long long way to go to be able to make the country safe for women, both inside and outside their homes. On 21 June, Vismaya, a 24-year-old woman from Kerala was found dead at her husband’s residence in Kottayam district. Just two days before she was found hanging in the bathroom, she had messaged her cousin saying that her husband had brutally beaten her up. And in the span of 24 hours there were two more similar reports. On 22 June, 24-year-old Archana was found dead with burn injuries at Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram, in the rented apartment that she lived in with her husband. They reportedly had a love marriage but just a few months into their marriage, her husband’s father had asked for Rs 3 lakh as dowry. More than outrage, these successive reports of dowry-related deaths raise a serious concern, that despite laws being put in place, as a society where are we lacking in protecting women? Are we being able to provide the kind of space that is needed for women to escape abuse in their marriages? Do our efforts in empowering women lack the systemic overhaul of the societal perception that women occupy a submissive position in a marriage? Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Sunita Menon, Director, Content & Strategic Partnership in Breakthrough Neha Singhal, Senior Resident Fellow, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy Editor: Shelly Walia References: The Institution of Dowry in India: Why It Continues to Prevail Institutionalisation and Expansion of Dowry System in Colonial North India 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra starting to show signs of cracks? Political events that have transpired over the past few days in the state is creating the buzz that perhaps all is not well in the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. Indeed, there have some intriguing cues to pick up on such as the Congress deciding to contest solo in the next assembly elections that is due in 2024. Or, the fact that Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Congress unit chief Nana Patole exchanged jibes over political ambitions for their parties for the next term. On 9 June, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also had a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Although Thackeray said it was nothing unusual of course the meeting raised a few eyebrows. What also created a stir, was a letter that got out in the media. The letter was penned by Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik advising CM Thackeray to go back to the BJP to avoid constant harassment from central agencies like the CBI or ED. Like a few other leaders, Sarnaik himself is currently entangled in a money laundering case that is being probed by the ED. While senior Shiv Sena leader and spokesperson Sanjay Raut has said that attempts to create rift in the MVA won't work, how do we look at these events? Is there trouble in paradise or are there attempts to destabilise? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guest: Prakash Bal, Senior Political Journalist Editor: Shelly Walia Also read: Maharashtra: What Does the Rift Between Sena And Congress Signify? 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Several states have eased lockdown restrictions and have started opening up as the second wave of COVID-19 seems to ebbing across the country, with less than 50,000 cases being registered on 22 June. However, the near re-opening of the economy also led to COVID norms like social distancing, wearing masks being blatantly defied by the public, especially in the national capital. Photos of crowded markets and malls have been doing the rounds on social media. In Uttar Pradesh, thousands of devotees reported even gathered to take dip in Ganga, flouting all norms. Meanwhile, a new mutation of the deadly Delta variant has also emerged, called the “Delta Plus”. The health ministry on 22 June tagged it as a “variant of concern.” as 40 cases have been country with this mutant variant. Given that the second wave was born out of a lackadaisical attitude from the government and citizens and the fact that majority of Indians are still not vaccinated, are we unlocking too much too soon? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and the Director of Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, and Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, a public system expert. 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

The crisis in the ruling Congress’ Punjab unit is refusing to settle as fresh dissension against Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has deepened the factionalism in the party. There's been a lot of clamour in the past couple of days, against Captain Amarinder Singh's controversial decision to give police jobs to sons of two sitting MLAs on "compassionate grounds". While the Chief Minister's supporters are backing the decision saying it was the right thing to do and is “in line with appointments given to similarly situated persons in the past", another faction is fast building up against him. Five Cabinet ministers, Congress MLA Kuljit Nagra, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar as well as Punjab Youth Congress President Brinder Dhillon have all asked the government to roll back the “ill-advised move” in “greater public interest”. But this fresh infighting in Punjab Congress also comes at an inopportune moment for CM Amarinder Singh when he is already engaged in a bitter tussle with dissenting Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. Mincing no words, Sidhu has called the Chief Minister a liar in interviews, and even suggested that he is hand in glove with the Akalis. With some Congress MLAs and ministers also siding with the Sidhu camp against Amarinder Singh, the Congress high command has been forced to step in to end the feud. Ahead of the 2022 state assembly elections in Punjab, does the factionalism and dissent within the party effectively put Capt Amarinder and the Congress party in a vulnerable position? What is leading to this growing dissatisfaction against the Chief Minister from within the party and what is Sidhu's role in it? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guest: Aditya Menon, Political Editor, The Quint Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid a deep trust deficit in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a surprise move, seems to have extended the olive branch with an invite to major political leaders for a meeting on 24 June. The meeting, which will consist of fourteen political leaders also has former chief ministers on the invitee list like National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad. This would be the first such exercise to be held between the Centre and Kashmir’s mainstream political leaders since J&K was stripped of its statehood. What is curious though is that despite the meeting being called, the agenda behind the meeting still remains to be a mystery, and that has left many mainstream parties, leaders and experts with a lot of guesswork on what PM Modi has on his mind. The dialogue between the Valley’s senior leaders and New Delhi has remained frozen in the wake of unceremonious arrests and prolonged detention of many political leaders, including those on the invitee list. Furthermore, comments from the saffron party's top brass against Kashmiri political leaders, calling them anti-national or dubbing the PAGD alliance as the “Gupkar Gang” by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has of course, soured the relations further. Which begs the question— why the sudden move to call for a democratic sit down? Is it just an optics play for the West, who has been criticising the Centre’s handling of Kashmir? or could restoration of statehood for the erstwhile state be on the table? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: David Devadas, senior journalist and author of the book ‘The Story of Kashmir’ and 'The Generation of Rage in Kashmir', Jehangir Ali, Srinagar based freelance journalist, MY Tarigami, CPIM Leader and official spokesperson of Peoples Democratic Party, and Adnan Ashraf, official Spokesperson of People’s Conference Party. 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

CBSE finally revealed its evaluation method that will replace exams for Class-12 students who had been caught between the pandemic and the Board exam results that will determine the future of their higher education. The cancellation of Class-12 Board exams was announced earlier on 1 June, with PM Narendra Modi asserting that the safety of students was of utmost importance. But what had been unclear was how the CBSE was going to declare the board results with a “well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner". Two weeks after the Supreme Court tasked the CBSE to come up with an evaluation plan, the Board proposed that Class-12 students will be marked on a 40:30:30 formula on the basis of Class-11 and Class-10 performance along with one or more unit test, mid-term or pre-board examinations in Class 12. Attorney General KK Venugopal also said that the CBSE Class-12 results will be declared by 31 July 2021. While that is the plan for CBSE students, for ISC students it's largely similar. Instead of evaluating students' performances over three years, the board will be taking into account the performance in the last six years. These proposals were accepted by the Supreme Court on 17 June, which only had one more requirement from the boards. It told the board that the assessment scheme must include a provision for dispute resolution in case students want to correct their final results. But what do schools and students have to say about this? Tune in! Also Read: CBSE Marking Formula: How Will Class 12 Results Be Calculated? Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Mehak Jain, Class XII Student from Tagore International School, Delhi Sameed Anwar, Class XII Student from Tagore International School, Delhi Shreyas Pandey, Class XII Student from Gyan Bharti School, Delhi Aarav Sane, Class XII Student from Orchid School, Pune Lakshmi Kumar, Founder Director of Orchid School, Pune and Nikhita Lamba, Political Science teacher in Modern Public School, Delhi 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 June 2020 will go down in history as the day WHEN 20 Indian troops, including their commanding officer died in clashes with PLA soldiers at Galwan Valley. Although both countries have had several standoffs over the years, these were the first casualties at the LAC since 1975. One year since the fatal cases, there have been economic sanctions on Chinese companies in India and FDI from China, bans have been imposed on 59 Chinese made apps in India, some of them being really popular apps like Tik Tok and PUBG. There have also been 11 rounds of talks between the two sides which have been unsuccessful to bring about complete disengagement. There have been some among of disengagement at the Galwan sit and some in Pangong Tso area, but one thing became clear: the old neighbours consider the boundary question in fundamentally different ways. Even external affairs minister S Jaishankar stated earlier this month that “relations with China is at a crossroads.” Where does the India-China relationship stand a year after the Galwan valley clashes? Is it time for India to go back to the drawing board to rethink its policy on China. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Vishnu Prakash, former High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador to South Korea and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Manoj Joshi, a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and Namrata Kumari, the wife of martyr Kundan Ojha. 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

Fuel prices are climbing at a record high when the economy is at a record low. Cost of fuel has increased 23 times since 4 May, in what seems like almost every other day. While petrol rates have surged past Rs 100 in several states, diesel prices have also surpassed Rs 100 for the first time, with Sri Ganganagar a small city in Rajasthan being the first city in the country where both petrol and diesel prices crossed the century mark. To put it into perspective, if on 3rd May petrol in Delhi was selling at Rs 90.55 a litre while diesel was selling at Rs 80.91, as of 14 June, petrol costs Rs 95.56 per litre in the capital and diesel Rs 86.47 a litre. In Mumbai, a litre of petrol now costs Rs 101.76 and diesel Rs 93.85 per litre. While Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan did agree the price hikes are a problem, he also said that a lot of money has been spent on Covid vaccines, Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana and PM Kisan justifying that, "...In such dire times, we're saving money to spend on welfare schemes." He also pointed fingers at opposition ruled states and suggested that states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan could reduce the sales tax levied on fuel to cut down the price. It's a well-known fact that India's high taxes on petrol and diesel push the cost of fuels but why isn't the government doing anything to curb it? Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Amitabh Tiwari, Political Commentator 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In some big news on 15 June, the Delhi High Court granted bail to three UAPA accused-Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha in the Delhi riots case. The Bench led by Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, while granting the bail, noted that the State failed to produce evidence to show that the three accused committed a terror offense, adding that “in its anxiety to suppress dissent, in the mind of the State, the line between constitutionally guaranteed right to protest and terrorist activity seems to be getting somewhat blurred.” However, what makes this judgment significant is the impact of the observations made by the high court. The bench highlighted the differences between “protests” and “acts of terror” in its order and that the definition of “terrorist act” in UAPA is “wide and somewhat vague.” For today’s episode, we will go through the charges made against the three accused, how the UAPA law has been used in the past to clamp down free speech and dissent, and the significance of the Delhi high court judgment. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Aishwarya Iyer, The Quint’s Principal Correspondent, Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint’s Legal Editor, and Kalpana Kalita, mother of Devanga Kalita. 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

After a nail-biting win of just 60 to 59 votes, Naftali Bennett was sworn in as Israel's new prime minister on Sunday, 13 June, ending former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year grip on power. Bennett – a former tech entrepreneur who made millions before switching to right-wing politics in 2013 – will be leading an ideologically divided eight-party coalition. For the first time in the country’s political history, a small Arab party will also join to serve in the government. Some experts have labelled Bennett an ‘ultra-nationalist’. In his speech on Sunday, Bennett said that he “will work for the sake of all people", adding that the priorities would be reforms in education, health, and cutting red tape. Bennett’s government is Israel's broadest ever – but that also makes it unstable. The glue that was holding the coalition together was the agenda of dethroning Netanyahu, which has now been achieved. The coalition will now be challenged to find common ground on key national issues such as the policy towards Palestinians and social issues like the advancement of gay rights. In today’s episode, we dive into Israel's new leadership, an ideologically divided coalition, and what Bennett's appointment means for India-Israel relations. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, former Indian ambassador and former Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in India’s embassy in Israel from 1995-1999. 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 served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in India’s embassy in Israel from 1995-1999. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The emergence of new and more infectious variants of the coronavirus has raised a troubling question: Will the current crop of vaccines protect us from severe disease? But why are we talking about vaccine effectiveness? Well, it's because of the new villain, which has entered the variant space – the Delta variant, which was first found in India and has been blamed for the devastating second wave. The Delta variant is now quickly spreading across the United Kingdom, which, despite its success in vaccinating the majority of its population, has 60 percent of its cases infected by this variant. A recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet has raised concerns, because it states that the Pfizer vaccine, known to have an efficacy of 94 percent, produced five times lower antibodies against the Delta variant compared to the original variant. Many countries apart from India and the UK are also reporting Delta variant COVID cases. The US has 6 percent (and growing) of its cases infected with the Delta variant, Germany 2 percent, and Italy and Spain about 3-5 percent. Knowing the devastation that the Delta variant caused in India and how quickly it is spreading across the world, how effective are the vaccines available to us against this variant and how protected are you after even both the doses? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and a public health expert. Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Check out our other coverage on the Covid-19 second wave in India: Gender, Rural-Urban & Digital Divides in India’s COVID Vaccination Why Did Govt Start Vaccinating 18-44 Group Without Adequate Doses? What Is the True Scale of COVID-19 Pandemic in India? Explained: How Has the 2nd COVID Wave Impacted the Indian Economy? 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

India’s COVID vaccination drive is marred with all kinds of divides and inequalities. Other than the general shortage in vaccine supply, there’s a gender divide, a rural-urban divide and also a digital divide that’s holding back the country from effective vaccination. In the past four months since the launch of the Covid vaccination program, 1.2 crore more men got vaccinated than women in India as evident from the Co-Win portal. A report on The Hindu also pointed out that an estimation of only 12-15 percent of India's rural population have received at least one shot of vaccination, in a big contrast to approximately 30 percent of people receiving shots in urban areas. And since the launch of Phase 3 vaccination, the CoWin portal has also come under criticism for excluding the castes and classes which fall on the lesser privileged side of the digital divide. This problem has been raised by the Supreme Court as well which asked the government to “wake up and smell the coffee”. While these divides may look like three individual problems, in some ways these divides are also interconnected. India aims to vaccinate the entire population by the end of 2021, but has the country's vaccination program overlooked these problems? How can these inequalities be addressed for a more successful vaccination strategy? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Anushree Jairath, Program Coordinator, Gender Justice, ‎Oxfam India Prasanth Sugathan, Legal Director, SFLC Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz References: More Men Than Women in India Are Getting COVID Vaccine, But Why? Vaccination in rural India trails urban areas even as cases surge 9 pvt hospitals corner 50% doses, raise questions of vaccine equity and access 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a series of twists and turns, India’s recent goose chase to extradite fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi ended in the gutter as the CBI and MEA team failed to return home with the scamster. To bring you up to speed, Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are the key accused in the Rs 13,400 crore Punjab National Bank scam of 2017. Both fled India in January 2018 before the CBI could file a case against them and have been absconding since. While Choksi was wanted by Indian authorities and even had Interpol warrants against him, he was staying in the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda, of which he gained citizenship in November 2017. But the recent action began on 23 May, when it was reported that Choksi was detained by the police in the island country of Dominica, on charges of entering the country illegally on a boat. A multi-agency Indian team also travelled to Dominica on 28 May, after hearing the news of his arrest there. They went there to provide documentation regarding his criminal history and warrants. However, the twist in the story comes on the reasons given by Choksi’s lawyers and his wife for his presence in Dominica. Both have alleged that a woman named Barbara had invited Choksi to her house in Antigua, where he was ambushed by a team of abductors, who then forced him into a boat and carried him to Dominica. Choksi’s lawyers have also filed a habeas corpus petition in the Dominican high court. A bail hearing for the same has been adjourned to 9 June. So, did the India team jump the gun in flying to Dominica? How will these allegations of abductions and escape play up in the case against Choksi? What is India’s case for bringing him back and what are the legal hurdles for extraditing him? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Rupin Sharma, a 1992 batch IPS officer and author of the book Extradition. 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

Uttar Pradesh will be holding state elections in less than a year from now, and ahead of it, speculations are thickening on a political discord between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP's central leadership. While in the recent days, some BJP leaders like have refuted reports that have hinted at the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle in UP, every detail big or small is drawing a lot of scrutiny — such as the series of meetings held in the state and even the fact that going against the usual convention, PM Modi didn't wish Adityanath on Twitter on his birthday. Now, whether or not such speculations are merely "figment of imagination", as some BJP leaders have put it, is likely to clear up as we step closer to the election, but what is it that is triggering this buzz in the first place? In an interview to Times of India, Yogi Adityanath has said that it's the media that's sensationalising and exaggerating everything, but where are reports of discontentment against Yogi's leadership in UP stemming from? Tune in! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Aditya Menon, Political Editor, The Quint Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz References: Speculation over change in UP government a media creation: CM Yogi Adityanath ‘No Cabinet reshuffle for now, no rift between Modi and Adityanath’ Why BJP & RSS Decided to Persist With Yogi Adityanath for UP Polls 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 Update Description Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID-19 is here to stay for longer than we could have imagined, while vaccine stocks in the world are nowhere near enough to keep populations across the globe safe from future surges. Keeping in mind the shortage of vaccine supply, countries have started to consider mixing and matching of different COVID vaccines and the data so far seems promising, according to experts. A recent study led by researchers at Oxford University found that mixing the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines is safe, although it could cause more severe, albeit temporary, side effects. Similar studies were conducted in Spain, which also showed encouraging results. Countries like Canada, the UK, Bahrain and the UAE have also started allowing the mixing and matching of vaccines to address the shortage of supply. However, researchers and experts in India are still on the fence about the issue, citing a lack of clinical data for the vaccines approved in India – which are Oxford Astrazeneca also known as Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V. In today’s episode, we will take a closer look at what Indian experts have to say on mixing and matching of COVID vaccines, whether it is safe, and whether given the severe shortage of vaccines that India is facing, should we consider it? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Professor Gagandeep Kang, a renowned virologist with CMC Vellore, and Dr Rakesh Mishra, the former Director of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and an Advisor to CEBM. 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

As expected, Indian economy has fallen to a record low in the pandemic. On 31 May, the Centre announced that the GDP for the full financial year 2020-21 contracted by 7.3% as compared to the 4% growth that we had recorded in fiscal year 2019-20. Remember that since the onset of the pandemic, India has shown an economic contraction for the perhaps first time in at least four decades and this is the very worst dip that we're seeing since independence. But then again, since the country exited the "technical recession" that it had slipped into for the first two quarters of 2020-21, the numbers released by the National Statistical Office also show a revival ahead of the second wave of Covid. While the economy grew by 0.4 percent in the October-December period of 2020, the expansion continued till Q4 where the GDP grew by 1.6 percent. This is the January-March period when most of the economy had opened up to near normalcy before shops and businesses were forced to shut down again due to state-imposed lockdowns in the second surge. Although it's a sign of revival, it's meagre growth. But as we battle a second wave, which may just derail this minor growth, while also expecting a third wave, what do these numbers tell us about future of the Indian economy? what are the main takeaways from this? And will the delay in vaccination impact the overall health of the economy? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Aditi Nayar, ICRA's Chief Economist and Pallavi Nahata, Associate Editor for Economy at Bloomberg Quint Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Centre's policy on different vaccine prices for different phases, and different age categories is “prima facie detrimental to the right to health of the country.” That's what the Supreme Court said about the current COVID vaccine policy in India. The court also observed that while the Centre is arranging free vaccines for COVID warriors and the 45+ age group, asking the 18-44 age group to pay for it was “prima facie arbitrary and irrational.” In a series of hard hitting questions on vaccine dual pricing, registration and distribution, the apex court took Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to task, whose responses of “addressing it in the next affidavit” did not convince the court. Just a month earlier, on 3 May, SC had asked the same questions and also called out the discriminatory nature of the vaccine policy on three fronts – differential vaccine pricing, vaccine procurement of different age groups and the digital divide caused due to vaccine registration process via the CoWIN app. But despite the harsh commentary from the apex bench, no serious action has been taken against the central government and the court has, instead, given Centre a couple of more weeks to file yet another affidavit. In the episode, we will go through the observations made by the Supreme Court COVID-19 Bench on Centre’s vaccine policy, the Centre’s responses to the same and how the vaccine policy is prima facie unconstitutional, according to the apex court. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Karan Tripathi, Legal Consultant, The Quint. Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Listen to The Big Story podcast on: Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over 14 lakh CBSE students breathed a sigh of relief on 1 June, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Class 12 Board exams have been canceled in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. While on one hand, the announcement has been received well by parents and schools, given the safety concerns around the pandemic, a few fears have also set in. First, regarding how students will be graded and second, how colleges will process admissions. Which prompts the question: Does this announcement help them or are they still feeling uncertain about their future? In today’s episode, we speak to students to know what they think about the decision to scrap the Board exams. Apart from students, you will also hear from parents and several school principals on the issue, the marking scheme, and the way forward for college admissions. Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Rituparna Shekhar and Aarya Ghintala, class 12 students of Heritage Girls School Udaipur, Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal of Springdales School Delhi, Alka Kapur, Principal of Modern Public School Delhi, and Naina Nagpal, class 12 student parent. 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

Barely a month after the announcement of the West Bengal Assembly election results, where Trinamool Congress won with a landslide victory, political theatrics between the Bhartiya Janta Party-led Centre and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is still finding their way in the administration of the state. This time, the drama surrounds the now-former state chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. In a dramatic escalation of events, just four days after the Centre extended his term as Chief Secretary at the request of Mamata Banerjee, the Centre recalled him back to the North Block. This was just a few hours after both Mamata Banerjee and Bandyopadhyay skipped a review meeting held by the PM on Cyclone Yaas at Kalikunde Airport on 28 May. According to Banerjee, they submitted two reports of the damage by the cyclone and funds required for relief and reconstruction. Mamata Banerjee, in a letter to the Centre, made it clear that she will not allow Bandyopadhyay’s transfer to Delhi as he was handling the state's COVID crisis and accused the PM of treating bureaucrats like "bonded laborers". AND Bandyopadhyay, instead of reported to the Centre, announced that he is retiring. But in an interesting twist, soon after his announcement, he was appointed in a special position as the Chief Advisor to Mamata Banerjee. But his new appointment may not protect him from the Centre’s displeasure which on 31 May issued a show-cause notice to Bandyopadhyay for his absence from the review meeting and asked him to submit a response within 3 days. But how did the BJP-TMC feud begin and how has it taken shape over the past month since the West Bengal elections and what political message is the Centre sending in this tug of war over a veteran civil servant? Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Senior journalist Payal Singh Mohanka and Aditya Menon, The Quint’s Political Editor. 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