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The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

In 2022, the Uttarakhand tourism board invited bids to promote adventure tourism on a 142 acre estate near Mussoorie, with huts, a café, museums, and even a helipad. The winning company, Rajas Aerosports, got the project for an annual fee of just Rs 1 crore. But an Indian Express investigation found that all three firms that bid had the same shareholder — Acharya Balkrishna, co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and close aide of Baba Ramdev. Today on the show, we speak to The Indian Express' Aiswarya Raj and Dheeraj Mishra, who undertook this investigation to find out how the bidding played out, and what it reveals about the project.Hosted and produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh PawarYou can read the investigation here.

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah explains Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit in Manipur since ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023.Next, The Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy talks about India–US ties and how after months of strained trade talks and rising tariff concerns, both countries are now signalling a reset. (15:21)And in the end, we look at the UK, which witnessed one of its largest far-right rallies in years. Organised by activist Tommy Robinson, the protest turned violent near Westminster, injuring over two dozen police personnel and leading to multiple arrests. (24:38)Hosted by Ichha SharmaWritten and produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Vineet Bhalla about an exemption in the Right To Education Act. The Supreme Court is rethinking an exemption that was made for minority institutions in the RTE Act and it might be reconsidered by a larger Supreme Court bench.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary about fugitive diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the Punjab National Bank loan fraud, who is currently arrested in Belgium. He shares the charges that Choksi faces and the process of his extradition that India is going through. (9:22)Lastly, we talk about the Special Intensive Revision that happened in Bihar and the plans that the Election Commission has regarding implementing it across the country. (20:25)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy who shares details about the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement which the two sides are currently working on. He talks about the 10 meetings that have been finalised and the first one that will be held in Delhi this week. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Jayprakash Naidu who explains the situation of teachers in the Maoist-affected districts of Chhattisgarh. He shares how teachers are facing suspicion from both the police and the maoists in the region and are facing the brunt of it. (8:28)Lastly, we talk about the online scams that are duping devotees in the name of The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams or TTD, which manages the famous Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. (14:53)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda, Ichha Sharma, and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Yubaraj Ghimire talks about Nepal, where a sweeping social media ban has triggered the country's most violent protests in years. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has since resigned.Next, The Indian Express' Arun Sharma explains the detention of Mehraj Malik, the Aam Aadmi Party's lone MLA in Jammu and Kashmir under the Public Safety Act that has raised concerns. (10:20)And in the end, we look at India's auto sector, where the recent GST 2.0 reforms were expected to lower car prices but have instead left dealers facing mounting losses. (17:28)Hosted by Ichha SharmaWritten and produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' National Legal Editor Apurva Vishwanath explains the Delhi High Court's recent decision to deny bail to Umar Khalid and nine others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. More than five years after their arrest, the trial is yet to begin.Next, we turn to Rajasthan, where  The Indian Express' Hamza Khan discusses a new law that seeks to regulate one of India's largest coaching industries. (15:19)Lastly, we look at Nepal, where protests over the government's sudden social media ban have led to the country's most intense unrest in years. (28:18)Hosted by Ichha SharmaWritten and produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely visit to Manipur, over two years after the state faced ethnic conflict. He shares the significance of this visit, the current situation in the state and two key announcements that have been made in the run up to the visit. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Divya Goyal about the flood situation in Punjab and how human action has compounded the impact of the floods. She shares how this has been a pattern in the state over the years and how floods are not just the result of heavy rain. (18:33)Lastly, we talk about a tragic case where two infants allegedly died due to a rat bite while they were admitted in the NICU of the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital in Indore. (30:26)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda, Ichha Sharma, and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of this week by The Indian Express

In the 5th anniversary year of the National Education Policy 2020, the NIPUN Bharat Mission, which was launched a year later- with its emphasis on foundational learning for all children in Grades 1-3 was adopted by many states in the form of their own programmes. Uttar Pradesh was one of the early adopters of an FLN programme across more than 1.1 lakh FLN-grade schools. UP is currently achieving 68% proficiency in Language and 64% proficiency in Math as part of its FLN programme.Starting with today's episode, on the occasion of Teachers' Day, The Indian Express in association with Central Square Foundation brings to you a five part series, where we will discuss the importance of Foundational Literacy with experts of the field.And to learn how UP reached where it is today, we are joined by Vinod Karate, Sr. Project Director, FLN Reforms, CSF and Vaibhav Limaye, who has been embedded with the Samagra Shiksha department in Lucknow, to understand how the change is taking shape.Hosted and produced by Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Udit Misra about the potential increase in trade between India and China and what challenges it might cause for India, especially at the face of the 50% tariff on Indian imports imposed by the US.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Anonna Dutt about the trends that have been found in the emergence of cancer cases in India. A group of national investigators analysed hospital data from 43 cancer registries, spread across 23 states and Union Territories, to reveal the findings that we will discuss. (18:36)Lastly, we talk about newly announced and restructured GST rates. (30:28)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda, Shashank Bhargava, and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Shubhangi Khapre who talks about Maharashtra, where the government has invoked a 1918 Hyderabad-era gazette to address the long-standing Maratha reservation demand.Next, The Indian Express' Nikhila Henry explains how a family rift within the Bharat Rashtra Samithi has escalated into a full-blown political crisis as K Kavitha, daughter of party chief K Chandrashekar Rao, was suspended and later resigned, accusing her cousins of a conspiracy. (11:48)And in the end, we go to Kerala, where a 61-year-old farmer has stalled one of the state's largest mall projects by challenging the conversion of protected paddy land. (24:19)Hosted by Ichha SharmaWritten and produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to China for the SCO summit where he held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping. He shares what all was discussed in the meeting where do Indo-China ties stand currently. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Raakhi Jagga about flood situation in Punjab. She shares how over a thousand villages in the state have been flooded, how the people are coping and the rescue operations that are underway.(9:09)Lastly, we talk to The Indian Express' Brendan Dabhi about a new pilot project introduced by the Gujarat state government. (20:18)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda, Ichha Sharma, and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Akram M talks about Karnataka's temple town of Dharmasthala, where claims of secret burials have triggered a political storm and one of the state's most closely watched investigations.Next, The Indian Express' Amrita Nayak Dutta discusses India's newly announced air defence programme, Mission Sudarshan Chakra, touted as a future counterpart to Israel's Iron Dome. (11:48)And in the end, we discuss a Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment that allowed an 11-year-old boy to skip two grades and enter Class 9, despite official age restrictions. (19:44)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Icha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Epxress

Last month, the Rajya Sabha passed a bill that effectively shut down India's real-money gaming industry, once projected to reach 9 billion dollars by 2029. The law brings sweeping bans and strict penalties for both platforms and celebrities who promote such games. In this episode, The Indian Express' Soumyarendra Barik takes us through the details of the bill and what it means for the industry's future. And later in the episode, we also speak with The Indian Express' Anonna Dutt about the risks of gambling addiction, its impact on people's lives, and the resources available to seek help (25:16).Hosted, written and produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Epxress

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Arun Sharma about the flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall that have hit Jammu that have killed at least 41 people. He talks about the rescue operations, casualties, the current situation in flood hit areas and the efforts that are being made by the state government.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Ankita Deshkar who talks about a new initiative that was inaugurated in Maharashtra. The initiative is to create India's first Smart Intelligent Village in Satnavari, a district 31km from Nagpur city. (11:00)Lastly, we talk about what US President Donald Trump's top economic adviser had to say about the tariff situation between India and the US. (24:44)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda, Ichha Sharma, and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Ravi Dutta Mishra about the 50% US tariffs that came into effect yesterday.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Mohamed Thaver about how the Mumbai police is now managing to retrieve stolen phones, and how other cities can replicate that model. (08:15)In the end, we speak to The Indian Express' Sohini Ghosh to discuss why the Delhi High Court set aside an order that had directed Delhi University to disclose the details of PM Modi's educational degree. (19:42)Hosted by Shashank BhargavaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Th eheadlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor Harish Damodaran about agriculture and dairy becoming a major point of contention between India and US during the negotiations regarding the trade deal. He shares why India was not ready to import agricultural and dairy products from the US. Next, our colleague Neeta Sharma talked to The Indian Express' Harikishan Sharma about a recent development where India alerted Pakistan about the Tawi river flooding even though the Indus Waters Treaty stands suspended. (10:40) Lastly, we talk about the US formally declaring that the 50% tariffs on Indian imports announced recently, will become effective starting today. (15:07)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda, Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Udit Misra talks about US president Donald Trump and his tariff regime, which has become the most consequential economic policy of his second term.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Adrija Roychowdhury about how nearly 80 years after one of the darkest chapters in pre Partition India, a new film has reignited debate over one of its figures, Gopal Mukherjee. (14:34)In the end, we discuss the Supreme Court directing five comedians, including Samay Raina, to issue an unconditional apology over their remarks regarding people with disabilities. (27:24)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' National Legal Editor Apurva Vishwanath about a new bill that was introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha last week which seeks to remove a Central or State Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for at least 30 days.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Vineet Bhalla about the Supreme Court's new order on the issue of stray dogs in Delhi NCR. The order that was released on 11th August faced a massive backlash from animal welfare groups and general public, as a result another fresh order with new conditions was released last week.Lastly, we talk about the identification of a Pakistani woman who has been residing in India since the last seven decades. The fact came out during the Special Intensive Revision happening in Bihar. Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

[Note for our listeners: Today's show will be almost entirely in Hindi. We will resume our regular programming in English starting next week.]बिहार में निर्वाचन आयोग की स्पेशल इंटेंसिव रिवीजन (SIR) प्रक्रिया ने मतदाताओं में चिंता और उलझन बढ़ा दी है। इस प्रक्रिया के तहत चुनाव से कुछ ही महीने पहले पुरानी मतदाता सूची रद्द कर नई सूची बनाई जा रही है। नतीजा यह हुआ कि पहली ड्राफ़्ट सूची में से ही लाखों नाम काट दिए गए। लोग अपने वोट देने के अधिकार को लेकर परेशान हैं और पूरे राज्य में अफ़रा-तफ़री का माहौल है। इस एपिसोड में The Indian Express के संतोष सिंह की ज़मीनी रिपोर्टिंग के ज़रिए हम समझेंगे कि यह विवादित क़दम क्यों उठाया गया और इसका असर कितना बड़ा है।होस्ट और प्रोड्यूसर: शशांक भार्गवसाउंड एडिट और मिक्स: सुरेश पवार

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy breaks down what the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signals about evolving India–China ties, the friction and convergence in forums like BRICS and SCO.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Anonna Dutt on how the Indian Council of Medical Research is expanding wastewater surveillance to track outbreaks of diseases and how this public health tool could provide early warning signals in 50 cities across India. (16:25)And finally, we turn to rural Haryana, where The Indian Express' Sukhbir Siwach explains a rare Supreme Court-supervised recount has reversed the outcome of a 2022 sarpanch election. (26:13)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

In recent weeks, Telangana has been shaken by revelations that the phones of at least 600 people were allegedly tapped ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. Investigators say the surveillance, carried out during the BRS government's tenure, targeted opposition leaders, political workers, and journalists during the sensitive pre-election period. Today on the show, The Indian Express' Nikhila Henry joins us to look at what we know about the case so far, what investigators suggest about the scale and intent of the tapping, and the larger concerns it raises.Hosted, produced, and written by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar  

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express