3 Things

First, The Indian Express' Saman Hussain talks to us about the situation in Bareilly where protests are being caused due to a row over an 'I love Muhammad' poster which are now spilling over to other states. Next, we speak to The Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha about the work and contributions of Jane Goodall, one of the world's most renowned conservationists who passed way last week at the age of 91. (14:18)And finally, we talk about unrest happening in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. (25:07)Edited and Mixed by Suresh PawarHosted by Niharika NandaWritten by Shashank BhargavaProduced by Niharika Nanda and Shashank Bhargava

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

As part of our ongoing collaboration with Central Square Foundation, we are here with the third episode of our five part series where we talk about public disclosure of school learning quality data.Usually, when parents assess schools for their children, they focus on non-academic factors like infrastructure and school facilities. But they do not have access to information regarding the most important factor that is student learning quality. The National Education Policy 2020 places a strong emphasis on public disclosure of school performance. To understand how is this reform is being implemented, we'll be joined by two guests who have been working hard towards bringing this change, Kapil Khurana, Associate Director for School Governance at CSF and A.K. Modh Patel, Additional Director, GCERT, Gujarat who is leading Gujarat's effort to disclose school learning quality data through the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF).Hosted and produced by Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh PawarLink to the first and second episode of our series with CSF:Episode 1Episode 2

First, The Indian Express' Saurabh Parashar tells us about the case of a 12-year-old Dalit boy who died by suicide last month after allegedly being beaten and humiliated for entering the house of a Rajput family in Himachal Pradesh.Next, The Indian Express' Divya A talks about why the government is, for the first time, opening up the conservation of protected monuments to private players. (9:19)And finally, we highlight the key points from the speech delivered yesterday by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on the organization's centenary. (22:17)Hosted and written by Shashank BhargavaProduced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' National Sports Editor Sandeep Dwivedi talks about how the Indian cricket team's decision to not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts has deepened the rivalry between the two sides in an unprecedented way.Next, The Indian Express' Maushree Seth discusses the partial demolition of hockey legend Mohammed Shahid's ancestral home that has sparked political reactions. (13:34)Lastly, we talk about a scaffolding collapse at a major power project site in Chennai that has left nine migrant workers dead. (20:13)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' Jay Mazoomdaar about an investigation carried out by The Indian Express on the Central Board of Film Certification. Here we discuss how the CBFC has worked over the years and what has made it a one-man show. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Anjali Marar about India signing a contract with the International Seabed Authority for the allocation of the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean for Polymetallic Sulphides exploration and the strategic significance this holds.  (16:05)Lastly, we talk about Bihar's Special Intensive Revision and the final list of electors that was put out by the Election Commission yesterday. (24:29)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, The Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary talks about Ladakh, where protests demanding statehood turned violent last week, leaving four people dead and activist Sonam Wangchuk detained.Next, The Indian Express' Aiswarya Raj discusses Uttarakhand, where a recruitment exam scandal has triggered fierce protests after allegations of paper leaks. (15:09)In the end, we also discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi writing the foreword to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's autobiography. (24:23)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' Ravi Dutta Misra talks about the new tariffs that the US administration under President Donald Trump announced last week, and what they could mean for India.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Shubham Tigga about Jharkhand, where the promise of work led 13 young men into captivity. (09:37)Lastly, we take a look at Tamil Nadu where one of the deadliest political tragedies in years claimed 39 lives. (20:47)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written 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' Damini Nath about the new feature that has been introduced by the Election Commission of India on their app and site as a way to eliminate gaps in their system, so that voters cannot be deleted off the voting lists without them getting informed. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Raakhi Jagga about the current situation in Punjab which is reeling from the aftermath of the massive floods that devastated the state last month. She talks about the rehabilitation efforts and how the state is coping. (7:21)Lastly, we talk about the protests happening in Ladakh, with people demanding statehood and protection under the sixth schedule. (16;38)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, The Indian Express Maulsree Seth talks about Uttar Pradesh, where the state government has moved to restrict the overt display of caste identification in official and public spaces.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Vidheesha Kuntamalla about India's classrooms, where students and teachers scramble to rethink what learning should look like in an AI driven world. (09:40)Lastly, we talk about multiple women students accusing the manager of an Ashram run institute of sexual harassment. (19:24)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' Sweety Kumari about the flood situation in Kolkata. She shares how heavy rains overnight brought the city to a standstill. How Durga Puja pandals got inundated, metro and transportation got suspended and the entire city got flooded. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Anonna Dutt about the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines that comes out every two years and this year had obesity, diabetes and cancer medications added to it. (9:29)Lastly, we talk about a 13-year-old boy who reached Delhi all the way from Kunduz in Afghanistan while stowed away in the landing gear of an aircraft.  (19:05)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' Siddharth Upasani breaks down the government's overhaul of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime and how the move is aimed at simplifying the tax structure and putting more money in the hands of consumers.Next, Contributing Editor for The Indian Express Neerja Chowdhury explains the political and institutional implications of the controversy surrounding the Election Commission after Rahul Gandhi alleged voter roll manipulation in Karnataka's Aland constituency. (17:11)And in the end, we look at the Supreme Court's response to a plea seeking an independent investigation into the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives. The petition, filed by an aviation safety NGO, raises concerns about the handling of the probe by India's official crash investigation agency, the AAIB. (26:28)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, we talk to The Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy about the H-1B visa and the hike in its fee. Initially it used to fall within the range of 2000-8000 US dollars but now companies will have to pay 100,000 US dollars to get this visa. Shubhajit talks about the reason behind this fee hike and the impact it will have on the India US relationship. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Mohamed Thaver about how Maharashtra may soon start criminal profiling, similar to what the FBI pioneered in the late 1970s with serial killers like Ted Bundy, as was done by FBI special agent John Douglas. (15:01)Lastly, we talk about a tigress who was responsible for increasing the population of tigers in Chhattisgarh's Achanakmar Tiger Reserve. (23:00)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

As part of our ongoing collaboration with Central Square Foundation, we are excited to bring to you the second episode of our five part series where we talk about the transformative journey of the NIPUN Bharat Mission.It has been four years since the launch of the Mission and for the first time in two decades we are seeing learning improvements among children. In this episode, we explore how the program has made significant strides in improving literacy and numeracy levels of students in Grades 1-3 across the country. And to get a deeper insight into the progress behind this Mission, we're joined by Parthajeet Das, Project Director for FLN, at CSF and Sambhrant Srivastava, Associate Director for FLN, who have been closely working with state departments of education of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Punjab and Odisha, among other states.Hosted and produced by Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh PawarLink to the first episode of our series with CSF:Episode 2

Firstly, The Indian Express' National Legal Editor Apurva Vishwanath explains the Supreme Court's decision to give Reliance Foundation's Vantara project a clean chit and how it has now dismissed all complaints, citing the SIT's report that found no legal violations and upheld the facility's welfare standards.Next,  The Indian Express' Anonna Dutt  discusses a new initiative in Delhi that's helping people navigate end-of-life care and enabling terminally ill patients to document their care preferences in advance. (10:10)And in the end, we turn to the political controversy over voter roll deletions in Karnataka's Aland constituency, where Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of enabling mass deletions of votes, pointing to suspected software misuse and voter targeting. (22:29)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' Ravi Dutta Misra about the negotiations that have started between India and the US regarding the trade deal between the two nations and the tariffs that the US has imposed on Indian exports. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Anjali Marar about the heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand that has led to massive landslides. She shares the reasons behind the unusually heavy rainfall and why the hilly regions are more prone to disasters like landslides. (7:54)Lastly, we talk about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 75th birthday and the speech that he delivered in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district. (16:45)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh PawarLink to the first episode of our series with CSF:Episode 1

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express' National Legal Editor Apurva Vishwanath talks about the Supreme Court's latest interim order on the Waqf (Amendment) Act.and where the matter stands.Next, The Indian Express' Atri Mitra talks about West Bengal, where a small panchayat in the Sundarbans is at the centre of one of the biggest passport scams in India. (13:12)And in the end, we turn to Andhra Pradesh, where a new plan to build government medical colleges under a public–private partnership model has triggered political debate. (21:38)Hosted by Ichha SharmaWritten and produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha Sharma Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

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