Podcasts about Lok Sabha

Indians make around 24 billion UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions a month. The combined value of these payments is nearly Rs30 trillion. UPI is at the heart of India's digital public infrastructure. The best thing about UPI payments: they are free. But now this could change. The government recently passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. This Bill, among other things, amends the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, which had ensured that no charge can be levied on UPI transactions. But now, this is no longer the case. The government has claimed that this charge, known as the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), may only be applied on transactions above a certain threshold, that too only on merchants, and not on consumers. But analysts believe the costs will be passed on to the consumers. Why is MDR needed for UPI payments? Does it have anything to do with US pressure in the context of trade deal negotiations, as alleged by Opposition leaders? Is UPI really ‘free of charge' even as it stands today? Guest: L Srikanth from Cashless Consumer, a consumer collective Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FCRA & Delimitation Bills पर पीछे हटी Modi सरकार? | Kejriwal's Nautanki | Lok Sabha Stalled

First, we speak with The Indian Express' Vikas Pathak about the new anti-cheating bill that was passed in the Lok Sabha this week. He shares the provisions of the bill, the concerns and questions that were raised by the opposition and the response given by the centre. Next, we speak with The Indian Express' Pragyanesh about the official records regarding the use of an anti-riot gun in the CJP protests. He shares what the records say, what an anti-riot gun is, how it works and the people who have been impacted by it. (8:37)Lastly, we discuss the Delhi government approving the withdrawal of the FIRs registered against the protesters but with a condition. (20:19)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced by Shashank Bhargava, Ichha Sharma, and Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Anurag Thakur ने कांग्रेस की बोलती बंद कर दी | Lok Sabha

JP Nadda Fierce Reply to Congress in LokSabha

#cuttheclutter The Anti-Paper Leak Bill was passed in Parliament amid uproar over Rahul Gandhi's comment on Amit Shah. #CutTheClutter Ep 1870 looks at the takeaways from Rahul Gandhi's speech, and how his attack was focused on Amit Shah & RSS. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also looks at how the NEET protest, and crackdown may rewire Opposition politics ahead of key Assembly Elections in UP, Punjab. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To watch Rahul Gandhi speech in Lok Sabha: https://youtu.be/3fU2Qo-Aew4 To watch Rahul Gandhi full press conference: https://youtu.be/-YLuhhMf3K0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #asusexpertbook  @ASUSIndia.official  Checkout the ASUS Expertbook series: https://www.flipkart.com/asus-expertbook-core-ultra-store

Listen to the latest SBS Hindi news from India. 29/07/2026

First, we speak to The Indian Express' Sukrita Baruah about the devastating floods in Assam that have claimed dozens of lives, displaced lakhs of people, and triggered one of the state's largest rescue operations in recent years. She explains what has made this year's floods particularly severe, the scale of the destruction, and the challenges that still lie ahead.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Mohamed Thaver about a sophisticated "boss scam" in Mumbai, where a senior company executive transferred more than Rs 10 crore after receiving WhatsApp messages that appeared to come from his employer. We discuss how the fraud unfolded, why companies remain vulnerable, and what businesses can do to prevent similar cyberattacks. (11:05)And in the end, we look at former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's first appearance in Parliament after his resignation, where he received a rousing welcome from BJP MPs even as the Opposition protested and repeatedly disrupted Lok Sabha proceedings. (23:45)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

pWotD Episode 3371: Pralhad Joshi Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 756,586 views on Saturday, 25 July 2026 our article of the day is Pralhad Joshi.Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi (born 27 November 1962) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 13th Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the 10th Minister of New and Renewable Energy since 2024. In July 2026, following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over the 2026 NEET controversy and weak management of the National Testing Agency, Joshi was assigned the additional charge of the Minister of Education while continuing to hold his existing portfolios.He was also the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Minister of Coal and the Minister of Mines from 2019 to 2024. Joshi has also been a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha since 2004, representing the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. He was also the State President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka (BJP) from 2014 to 2016. He served in the panel of chairpersons of the Lok Sabha (2014–2018).Joshi first came to public notice with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when they organised a movement to hoist the Flag of India at the Idagah Maidan Hubli, Karnataka during 1992–1994. Recently, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Karnataka High Court order restoring the ownership of the said maidan to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. He has been elected to Lok Sabha in the general elections of 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:53 UTC on Sunday, 26 July 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Pralhad Joshi on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joey.

1985: Rajiv Gandhi says 15 paise of every rupee actually reaches the poor. 2009: Rahul Gandhi puts the number at 5%. Twenty-four years apart, same party, and by their own accounting the leak had got worse. That pair of numbers is where this conversation lands in its final minutes, and Tuhin A. Sinha uses it to make a much larger argument: that the question of who is anti-youth in Indian politics has a fairly specific answer, and it isn't the one the Opposition has been giving. Roshan Cariappa sits down with Tuhin - BJP National Spokesperson and author of 14 books - days before a Monsoon Session that Tuhin calls the most consequential in a very long time. Two bills are on the table: delimitation and women's reservation. His case for why delimitation is the youth story nobody is telling: the last exercise was in 1975. India now has roughly 97 crore voters and 543 Lok Sabha seats, which means each MP represents about 17 lakh people - the highest ratio anywhere in the world. Raise the seat count by 50% and that falls to around 11 lakh. But the number Tuhin cares about is the other one: hundreds of new constituencies means hundreds of openings for people who do not come from political families. Which is precisely, he argues, why the dynastic parties are petrified of it. Roshan also asks the question currently nation wants to know - the mistrust around engineered defections, the ED and CBI asymmetry, the "washing machine" charge, whether the BJP can still call itself a party with a difference while absorbing MPs it once called corrupt, and whether all of this is legal in letter but hollow in spirit. Tuhin's answers are direct, and on the corruption question notably unsqueamish: sometimes to achieve a good objective, you take a path that isn't impeccable. Also in here: why the two bills are deliberately being moved together, how 74 women MPs could become 273 seats, why the April bill fell 54 votes short, Amit Shah's one-hour challenge across the floor of the House, the North-South penalty argument, Vajpayee's 1996 resignation speech, and what 2029 actually gets fought on. Whether you find him persuasive or want to argue with every second answer, it's a sharper 41 minutes than a TV panel gives you in a month. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS (00:00) - Reconnecting (00:35) - Why this Monsoon Session is the most consequential in years (01:08) - Delimitation explained: 1975, 97 crore voters, 17 lakh per MP (02:27) - "A once-in-a-lifetime opening for youth who aren't from political families" (03:13) - Why delimitation and women's reservation are being moved together (04:45) - Falling 54 votes short in April, and what has changed since (06:24) - Amit Shah's one-hour challenge across the floor (07:11) - Why dynastic parties fear a bigger, younger Lok Sabha (08:54) - The North-South question: are southern states being penalised? (10:33) - Women's representation: from 74 MPs to 273 seats (13:55) - Roshan steelmans the Opposition: the defections problem (17:54) - The "washing machine" charge, and Tuhin's reversal of it (18:38) - "Is the BJP still a party with a difference?" (22:44) - The anti-defection law: conscience vs. the whip (26:28) - Congress Mukt Bharat, or Opposition Mukt Bharat? (27:37) - Why the INDIA bloc's 2024 momentum evaporated (30:15) - Rahul Gandhi, Putin, Macron and the Rafale claim (35:26) - What 2029 gets fought on (39:38) - The number this episode ends on: 15% in 1985, 5% in 2009

First, we speak with The Indian Express' Alok Deshpande about an announcement made by Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP). Working party president and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule said that the party would support the Centre's proposed delimitation Bill, but with one condition, that it must provide for a 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states. Alok talks about the condition, what it means for the party and more. Next, we speak with The Indian Express' Dheeraj Mishra about India's first hydrogen train that will be inaugurated by PM Modi, today. He discusses what it means for the Indian Railways, why it is a milestone, how it is environment friendly, and how a hydrogen train works. (9:54)Lastly, we talk about mission Aagman, India's first-ever attempt to use a privately developed launch vehicle to place a payload into orbit. (20:14)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced by Ichha Sharma and Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Full Majority in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha? | Another Shaheen Bagh Going to Happen? | Anupam Mishra

BJP has created a political miracle by making India almost a one-party state despite being well short of a Lok Sabha majority. Congress is the only significant Opposition that remains intact. Thereby, Indian politics has also become a two-party contest. The Congress party's abandonment of nationalism is the most intriguing aspect of its post-2014 politics. The real Congress was never a party of bleeding heart pacifists. Watch this week's #NationalInterest with Shekhar Gupta.

Will Champat Rai Survive Yogi Test? | Punjab | UP Elections | Upcoming Loksabha Dhamaka |Harsh Kumar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

pWotD Episode 3294: Suvendu Adhikari Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 250,096 views on Saturday, 9 May 2026 our article of the day is Suvendu Adhikari.Suvendu Adhikari (Śubhēndu Adhikārī, Bengali pronunciation: [ʃubʱend̪u od̪ʱikaɾi]; born 15 December 1970) is an Indian politician who is serving as the 9th Chief Minister of West Bengal since 9 May 2026. He is the 1st Chief Minister of West Bengal under Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).He also served as Leader of the Opposition from 2021 to 2026. Adhikari previously worked in the state ministry for the West Bengal government from 2016 to 2020. He was elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Nandigram in 2016, 2021 and 2026, and simultaneously from Bhabanipur in 2026. Previously he was elected from Kanthi Dakshin in 2005, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamluk in 2009, and 2014.He previously served as the Minister of Transport from 2016 to 2020, Irrigation and Water resource from 2018 to 2020 in the Government of West Bengal. He was also a member of Lok Sabha from Tamluk from 2009 to 2016 and the chairperson of Jute Corporation of India from 2020 to 2021. He was a member of the Trinamool Congress from 1998 to 2020 and Indian National Congress from 1995 to 1998. He is the son of Sisir Adhikari, Member of Parliament and former Union Minister of State for Rural Development in the Manmohan Singh government.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:58 UTC on Sunday, 10 May 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Suvendu Adhikari on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Aditi.

India hasn't updated how political power is distributed across its states in five decades—and the consequences are mounting. At the heart of delimitation lies a fundamental tension: should representation follow population, or preserve a delicate federal balance? Successive governments chose to defer the question, freezing India's electoral map even as demographic divides deepened. The Modi government's recent push to overhaul the system brought these tensions into the open but ultimately failed to resolve them. Recently, Milan sat down with Shruti Rajagopalan of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University for a wide-ranging webinar on delimitation, representation, and the reshaping of Indian democracy. The two discussed how India reached the present impasse—and what happens next. Milan and Shruti unpack the constitutional rules governing delimitation, the scale of malapportionment in the Lok Sabha, and the politics behind the Modi government's failed 2026 push to overhaul the system. Plus, they discuss scenarios for the future. On this week's show, we present the audio and video from this recent conversation as a joint collaboration between Grand Tamasha and Shruti's Ideas of India podcast. Episode notes: Shruti Rajagopalan, “India's delimitation battles are costing its poorest voters,” Times of India, April 25, 2026. Shruti Rajagopalan, “Delimitation: At heart of row, value of a vote, fiscal imbalance,” Indian Express, April 23, 2026. M.R. Madhavan, “Implications of increasing the size of the Lok Sabha,” Hindu, April 16, 2024. Shruti Rajagopalan, “Demography, Delimitation, and Democracy,” Get Down and Shruti (Substack), July 3, 2023. Pranay Kotasthane, “India Policy Watch: Delimitation as an Opportunity for a Grand Bargain,” Anticipating the Unintended (Substack), June 18, 2023. Milan Vaishnav and Jamie Hintson, “India's Emerging Crisis of Representation,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, March 14, 2019.

Today we are releasing a webinar recording from April 24th where Milan Vaishnav and I had a conversation on delimitation in India. Milan is a senior fellow and the director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is also the host of the excellent Grand Tamasha podcast where this recording will be simultaneously released.  We talked about the failure to pass the 131st constitutional amendment bill in Parliament, the government's intention to reapportion and increase the size of the Lok Sabha, the delimitation freeze pegged to the 1971 census that has survived five decades, why the fiscal bargain between states matters as much as the political bargain, and much more. Recorded April 24th, 2026. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links. Connect with Ideas of India Follow us on X Follow Shruti on X Follow Milan on X Click here for the latest Ideas of India episodes sent straight to your inbox. Timestamps (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:24) - What is Delimitation? (00:35:03) - The Politics Behind the Constitutional Amendment (00:47:38) - The Political Arithmetic (00:51:53) - The Financial Bargain (01:30:21) - Outro  

Amit Shah Plans to Break TMC? | Move Towards Lok Sabha Majority | Numbers Explained | Sanjay Dixit

pWotD Episode 3289: 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 1,152,883 views on Monday, 4 May 2026 our article of the day is 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election.Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections were held on 23 April 2026 to elect all 234 members of the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The votes were counted and the results were declared on 4 May 2026 by the Election Commission of India. This election recorded a voter turnout of 85.1 percent—the highest ever in the history of the state's assembly elections.The election resulted in a hung assembly, with the newcomer Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerging as the single largest party. It won 108 seats, defeating both the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The DMK's Secular Progressive Alliance was reduced to 73 seats, 59 of which were of the DMK, becoming the new opposition of the house. Its ally, the Lok Sabha opposition Indian National Congress, won 5 seats. The AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance with the ruling party of the union government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won 53 seats. The AIADMK secured 45 seats, while the BJP was reduced to a single seat.Outgoing chief minister, M. K. Stalin of the DMK, lost the election from the Kolathur constituency, becoming the first incumbent CM since the AIADMK's J. Jayalalithaa in 1996 to lose an election. This election also marked the first time a non-Dravidian party emerged as the single largest party in the state since 1967, when self-described Dravidian parties began dominating the state's politics.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:28 UTC on Tuesday, 5 May 2026.For the full current version of the article, see 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Aria.

Amit Shah Stationed in Bengal to Ensure 2/3rd Majority for BJP in Lok Sabha? | Sanjay Dixit

Bhau Torsekar Predicts Bengal, Tamil Nadu | BJP Full Majority  in Lok Sabha Soon? |  Punjab का  खेल

With Opposition blocking the Modi Govt's move to speedily implement women's reservation in Lok Sabha, Raj Chengappa takes a look at how to break the impasse.  Tune in! Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound mixed by Aman Pal

Why did the Narendra Modi-led BJP government bring the Women's Reservation Bill even though it had already been passed with the Opposition's help in 2023? The reason is that it was only a trick to carry out delimitation ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. So far, delimitation has taken place in Assan and Jammu and Kashmir. In both these places, the exercise has led to gerrymandering, or manipulation to benefit the BJP. How was this done? Will this happen nationally? Watch this video to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary about the special session of the parliament that was held to debate and pass the 131st Constitution Amendament Bill which aimed to implement 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, and facilitate delimitation. The bill failed to receive the required majority and Deeptiman shares why it happened and how things will proceed. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Sweety Kumari about the 27 lakh people in West Bengal who still don't know if they will be able to vote in the Assembly polls that are to be held in the state soon. Sweety talks about the plight of these people, the processes in place and what lies ahead for them. (16:32)Lastly, we talk about Iran changing its mind about opening up the Strait of Hormuz and two Indian flagged carriers being attacked by the Iranian navy. (29:54)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced by Shashank Bhargava, Ichha Sharma, and Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Nikhila Henry about the upcoming Kerala elections and the current situation in the state. She elaborates on the campaigns being conducted by the parties, the predictions for the elections, what makes this one different and more. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Jayprakash S. Naidu about the situation in Chhattisgarh's remote areas that have experienced Maoist dominance over the years. He shares how the Defence Ministry's BRO has been building roads and bridges to connect these remote areas to the more prominent regions of the state. (14:18)Lastly, we talk about the Lok Sabha passing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which will change the capital of the state. (22:47)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda, and Ichha Sharma Edited and mixed by Suresh PawarLinks to our episodes that cover the upcoming elections:Assam: https://indianexpress.com/audio/3-things/assam-bjp-red-faced-odisha-farm-unrest-and-iaf-to-get-114-rafael-jets/10529424/West Bengal: https://indianexpress.com/audio/3-things/a-minority-front-in-bengal-farmers-on-strike-and-raga-slams-india-us-deal/10527502/Tamil Nadu:https://indianexpress.com/audio/3-things/vijays-political-entry-khameneis-death-and-welfare-scheme-lapses/10563878/ https://indianexpress.com/audio/3-things/tamil-nadus-poll-mandate-pakistan-as-peacemaker-and-a-rare-birth/10608553/

The Left Front has been in power in Kerala since 2016. It is looking for a historic third consecutive term in power. But can it overcome the anti-incumbency that has built up over these ten years? The poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and in the recent  local body elections might indicate that the LDF (Left Democratic Front) faces an uphill task. Does this mean that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is the frontrunner? Many, however, would argue that the BJP is also a key player. Does that mean the electoral field in Kerala is now tripolar? What conclusions can we draw from the patterns of ticket distribution by the three major parties? Will the BJP's Christian outreach work? What would it mean nationally if the Left were to lose in the only state where it's in power? We speak with Dr J Prabhash, former professor of Political Science and former Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Kerala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, we speak to The Indian Express' Shubhajit Roy about the escalating conflict involving United States, Iran, and Israel, and why it is now being seen as a widening regional war. Next, we turn to the growing debate over India's GDP numbers after a new data series released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation raised fresh concerns about how economic growth is being measured. The Indian Express' Udit Misra explains why discrepancies persist and what this means for policymaking and credibility. (15:25)And in the end, we look at the government's latest effort to operationalise the Women's Reservation Act, including a proposal to expand the Lok Sabha to 816 seats to enable one-third reservation for women. (26:30)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In December 2023, 100 Opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha in a single week — the largest mass suspension in the history of India's Parliament. But how unusual is this? As Birla faces a rate no-trust vote in the Parliament, our analysis of Lok Sabha records since 2004 shows that 112 MPs were suspended during Om Birla's first term as Speaker, accounting for nearly half of all suspensions in the past two decades. The Quint continues to track how India's democratic institutions — from Parliament to courts and investigative agencies — function and are held accountable. Watch the full investigation. Read the story here:https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/om-birla-no-confidence-motion-data-investigation-mp-suspensions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lok Sabha में कल क्या होने वाला है? | Rahul Gandhi हुई जम कर धुलाई | Harsh Kumar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

https://theprint.in/politics/in-a-first-since-1987-oppn-seeks-to-remove-speaker-accuses-om-birla-of-being-blatantly-partisan/2851018/

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

PM Modi didn't find it safe to come to the Lok Sabha, based on Speaker Om Birla's ‘credible information'. The Speaker must order a high-level inquiry as it concerns the PM's security, ThePrint Political Editor DK Singh weighs in on this issue in this episode of PoliticallyCorrect----more----Read this week's Politically Correct here: https://theprint.in/opinion/politically-correct/narendra-modi-rahul-gandhi-national-security/2849708/

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express.

https://theprint.in/politics/rahul-quoted-from-ex-army-chief-naravanes-unpublished-memoir-in-ls-why-it-sparked-showdown-with-govt/2843754/

First, The Indian Express' Vineet Bhalla talks about a landmark Supreme Court judgment that declares access to menstrual hygiene a fundamental right, grounded in dignity, education, and constitutional equality. Next, we turn to TISS Mumbai, where student elections are back after a year, but under a new framework. The Indian Express' Pallavi Smart explains the shift, why it has triggered pushback, and what it means for student representation going forward. (13:30)And in the end, we look at the uproar in Lok Sabha after Rahul Gandhi cited an unpublished memoir by General M.M. Naravane, sparking debate over what MPs are allowed to quote from on the floor of the House. (20:55)Hosted by Ichha SharmaWritten and Produced by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

Yesterday in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget, covering the period from April 2026 to March 2027. This budget comes at a time when questions are being raised about India's actual economic growth, concerns over US tariffs are looming large, and the government continues to shoulder the responsibility of stimulating the economy.To understand how the budget addresses these challenges and what it reveals about the government's broader plans, we speak to The Indian Express' Udit Misra in this episode.Hosted and produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

A version of this essay was published by news18.com at https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-what-the-bjp-win-in-thiruvananthapuram-may-mean-or-may-not-9774658.htmlAs a native son, I believe the BJP's 50/101 seats in the Trivandrum Corporation in the recently concluded local body elections is an interesting outcome. But it must not be taken in isolation, and one must accept that this is neither a breakthrough for the BJP in the deep south, nor a mere footnote in the CPI(M)-Congress duopoly that has been the hallmark of Kerala politics. There are a lot of local factors, but yes, perhaps there is an underlying, nascent realignment.There is anti-incumbency: there used to be, like clockwork, one term for the UDF, one term for the LDF. But now, the CPI-M has been ruling for ten years in a row, and the voters may be fed up with them. In Trivandrum, for instance, the outgoing mayor, Arya Rajendran, who is in her 20s, has a well-deserved reputation for arrogance. Tellingly, she did not campaign in 2025.But there is more.There are at least four extraordinary factors at play here: One is the vanity that Kerala politics is somehow superior to politics elsewhere in (southern) India, because, you know, it is the 100% literate state. This is far from the truth. Mere literacy, that is, knowing the syntax of written language, does not guarantee you understand the semantics, that is, the ability to think critically rather than be gaslighted. The average Kerala voter is as easily manipulated as any other.Second, regional tensions. Kerala consists of three distinct regions: northern Malabar, which was under British rule, which meant it was plundered and underdeveloped. It also is Muslim-dominated. Central Kochi, which was a moderately dynamic dynasty, and is Christian-dominated. Southern Travancore, which was under a strong dynasty (but came under the sway of the British), and is Hindu majority.Third, the erstwhile consensus around ‘secularism' is fraying: it is now increasingly seen as merely a shibboleth meant to hypnotize the Hindu community into caste-based internecine conflict and keep it a permanent underclass, with fewer rights than those of other religions. Hindus are still fighting 19th century battles in the 21st century. The shocking neglect, occasional desecration of, and outright large-scale theft from, major temples such as Sabarimala may now be turning into a bit of an issue for the lay Hindu.Fourth, after half a century of left-wing politics, it is becoming increasingly clear to the average Keralite that it is being left behind in development and prosperity. At independence, Travancore in particular was far ahead of the rest of India in key metrics like infant mortality, female literacy, and infrastructure. But anti-business socialism has led to de-industrialization, forced migration of Keralites in search of jobs, and high inflation, while other states are passing Kerala by.On top of all this, there is the rampant politicization of everything (for example, government jobs do not go to those who have high ranks in the State Public Service Commission selection exams, but to party cadres). There is a truly bizarre situation where two parties, both in the INDI Alliance all over the country (CPI-M and Congress), pretend to be rivals in Kerala, and do charades and shadow-boxing, although they do tactical voting to prevent the BJP from winning.It startles me to hear that there is a Left (CPI-M) and a Right (Congress) in Kerala, according to pundits. In reality, they are an Extreme-Left party and a Far-Left party, respectively. Indeed, even the BJP, which is spoken of as Far-Right is a Center-Left party, so severely distorted is the discourse – the median is Far-Left.To an impartial observer, the only way the Congress in Kerala can be termed a Right-wing party is that it appeases its vote-bank, the Christians, although the FC Nairs also traditionally vote for them. The Communists, whose rank and file are mostly made up of the OBC Ezhavas, increasingly are dominated by the needs of their Malabar Muslim vote-bank. So in a twisted sort of way, both these Left parties pander to the Conservative sentiments of these religious groups.This has real-life consequences, which Travancore voters are seeing increasingly clearly. The last major investment in Trivandrum was the ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, which was required to be on the magnetic equator. After that, the National Institute of Technology went to Kozhikode (in Malabar). The Indian Institute of Management went to Kozhikode (in Malabar). The Indian Institute of Technology went to Palakkad (in Malabar). The AIIMS is also likely to go to Malabar or Kochi.A metro system was given to Kochi, even though Trivandrum has an equal or better claim in terms of population size and other metrics. Successive UDF and LDF governments have sat on the proposal for Trivandrum's metro (incidentally Kozhikode is also in the same boat). Trivandrum airport saw zero development for 40 years from 1960.Staggeringly, the Trivandrum port (Vizhinjam) was also delayed for 40 years, even though the deepwater container transhipment port there is now on track to handle a lot of India's container cargo, which now goes to Colombo. Instead, 4400 crores were spent on a container port at Kochi, which has only 8 meters draft and cannot compete with Colombo.Trivandrum/Vizhinjam has 24 meters in depth, which means literally the largest container ship in the world, MSC Irina, with 24,000 containers on board, can and in fact has called at this port.The LDF government twisted Adani Ports' arm and moved their logistics park for Vizhinjam, which Adani runs on contract, 200 km away to Kochi! In addition, the road and rail approaches to the port, which are necessary for ‘gateway' or upcountry containers from/to say Bangalore or Hyderabad, have been delayed for a long time over trivial land acquisition issues.These lapses are glaring, and add up to step-motherly treatment for Trivandrum. There must be a lot of resentment among the voters here about this, because their real estate values would go up quite a lot if Vizhinjam's business improves, and there will be jobs related to logistics, bunkering, cruise lines, and so on. Under the Sagarmala initiative, this is something that Trivandrum voters hope the Union Government will push forward, along with a proposed Tri-Services Maritime Command: thus both military and civil infrastructure may bring benefits.Finally, the excesses against Hindu temples, which are ruled by the Devaswom Board, packed with party cadres who may well be hostile atheists, are getting exposed broadly. There is a tradition prohibiting the entry of women between 10 and 60 years of age (ie. of childbearing age) into the shrine, which the women devotees in Kerala are broadly okay with, and don't feel particularly discriminated against. The Kerala government made a huge fuss over it, and attempted to smuggle in both non-believing women and non-Hindu women into the temple.This has troubled some of the CPI-M's traditional voters, for example the hitherto blase Ezhavas. As the attacks on Hindus continue, there is a bit of a counter-consolidation as well.There is no end: there is the huge current scandal of the theft of gold from the temple doors and dwarapalaka statues in Sabarimala (along with similar desecration in Guruvayur). There is an ongoing investigation, which ought to, if pursued properly, implicate highly connected political players. But recently, there have been instances of prosecutorial misconduct that mean likely criminals get away with, er, murder.Sowmya's alleged murderer Charlie Thomas aka Govindachamy was let off death row, because the prosecutor did not make a good enough case. An actor, Dileep, who allegedly took out a contract for a thug to rape an actress in a moving car, was let off. You guessed it, the prosecution did not make a good enough case.Incidentally, Christian churches with vast landholdings (a good bit of which was 99-year leases given during British days which has now, magically, turned into freehold), or Muslim mosques and other Waqf claimants rarely face the wrath of the State. Yes, there is a case wending its way through the courts about the peninsula of Munambam which is home to 600 families, mostly Christian fisherman, but is claimed in its entirety as a Waqf property.A net reflection of all this is that urban Hindus have begun to rethink their political views. There is a strong urban-rural divide as seen in the just-conducted local body polls. The urban, so to speak, constituencies have seen the vice-like grip of the LDF diminish a bit, but they remain strong in the rural areas. This is borne out by conversations with the rural poor, who talk about kshema pensions, NREGA, and so on as benefits they get from the State government.What this suggests is that anti-incumbency is playing its part; but the likely outcome is a return to the Tweedledum-Tweedledee “throw the rascals out every five years” syndrome of years past. The BJP is unlikely to make any quick inroads into this; they may not get many Assembly seats in 2026, and they are unlikely to get more than a couple of Lok Sabha seats in 2029.Yet, as for obvious reasons there is a Right-ward lurch in Europe, with the rise of AfD in Germany, Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France, and Nigel Farrage's Reform UK, and these parties are no longer easily put behind a cordon sanitaire, the BJP in Kerala is not any longer completely unelectable. The voters are beginning to see that it is not completely er… untouchable.It will be a long, painful journey, but maybe in a decade or two, the BJP can become a realistic opposition party in Kerala. To do this in the extreme South, in the very bastion of the Communists, as well as in a State with very large non-Hindu populations, would be quite an achievement for them. We shall have to wait and see if they have the stamina and the staying power for this grueling odyssey.Malayalam podcast of this essay by notebookLM: 1650 words, 15 Dec 2025 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

Sudhanshu Trivedi को सुनें और जाने कांग्रेस की गंदी करतूतें | Sudhanshu Trivedi Lok Sabha Speech

In today's episode on 12th December, we talk about the recent Right to Disconnect bill that was proposed in the Lok Sabha and its importance in India's work landscape.Book a FREE call with Ditto

Bihar has voted and elections result will be out tomorrow. Before the verdict, ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta revisits the 2014 #WritingsOnTheWall which predicted downturn in Nitish Kumar's electoral fortunes in Lok Sabha elections & how the fight was for or against Modi. He had also described how Biharis got a new sense of pride, and the growth story of rural Bihar. Stirrings in a Hopeless Land 26 February 2005 https://theprint.in/opinion/writings-on-the-wall/stirrings-in-a-hopeless-land/472370/ Glimmer in heart of darkness 19 November, 2005 https://theprint.in/sg-writings-on-the-wall/glimmer-in-heart-of-darkness-2/544364/ A mandate for Nitish Hope Kumar 22 November, 2010 https://theprint.in/sg-writings-on-the-wall/a-mandate-for-nitish-hope-kumar/544132/ When lonely Lalu misses gentleman Sonia,and a Muslim calls Nitish 'sher ka bachcha' 23 November, 2010 https://theprint.in/sg-writings-on-the-wall/when-lonely-lalu-misses-gentleman-sonia-and-a-muslim-calls-nitish-sher-ka-bachcha/544130/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bihar isn't ‘ruined' by agri reform. This ‘branded underwear theory' from 2010 shows why November 2010 https://theprint.in/sg-writings-on-the-wall/bihar-isnt-ruined-by-agri-reform-this-branded-underwear-theory-from-2010-shows-why/564396/ Huggies diapers in Vaishali, Muslim-Dalit IIT-Jee coalition 7 May 2014 https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/writings-on-the-wall-huggies-diapers-in-vaishali-muslim-dalit-iit-jee-coalition/ Gen Gana Mana of Youth 7 November 2015 https://theprint.in/sg-writings-on-the-wall/gen-gana-mana-of-youth/544361/ https://theprint.in/sg-writings-on-the-wall/writings-on-the-wall-huggies-diapers-in-vaishali-muslim-dalit-iit-jee-coalition/543990/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: https://theprint.in/subscribe/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with ThePrint » Subscribe to ThePrint: https://theprint.in/subscribe/ » Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3nCMpht » Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theprintindia » Tweet us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theprintindia » Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprintindia » Find us on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/theprint » Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: https://t.me/ThePrintIndia » Find us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2NMVlnB » Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pEOta8

“The author of this book is making efforts to present India's culture, India's ideas, and India's language to the world with proper reasoning, and also to correctly represent the diversity of India's culture, traditions, and language on the global stage - I thank Shri. Rajiv Malhotra Ji." — Shri Om Birla, Hon'ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, at the recent launch of the Sanskrit translation of 'The Battle for Sanskrit.'“इस किताब के लेखक भारत की संस्कृति, भारत के विचार, भारत की भाषा को दुनिया के अंदर सही तर्क से, और जो भारत की संस्कृति, संस्कार, भाषा की विविधता है, उसको दुनिया में सही तरीके से रखने के लिए जो प्रयास कर रहे हैं - श्री राजीव मल्होत्रा जी, मैं उनको धन्यवाद देता हूँ|"— श्री ओम बिरला जी, लोकसभा के माननीय अध्यक्ष, ‘द बैटल फ़ॉर संस्कृत' के संस्कृत अनुवाद के अभी हाल ही में संपन्न विमोचन पर| Who Is Raising Your Children? - https://whoisraisingyourchildren.com/Battle For Consciousness Theory - http://battleforconsciousnesstheory.comSnakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.comVarna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.comThe Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.comPower of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.comTo support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do:इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/

#cuttheclutter The Supreme Court today put on hold three provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act 2025, but refused to stay the provision that abolishes the concept of 'waqf-by-user'. This episode of #CutTheClutter with Shekhar Gupta looks at the concept of Waqf, legislation governing waqf properties, the amendments brought in by the NDA govt in April 2025 & the arguments made in favour or and against the latest amendments. It also explains the amendments made to the law in 2013. First published on 4 April, 2025. ========================================================================== Link to the video by Waqf Foundation, UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni5vCMuTH0U Watch Amit Shah's speech in Lok Sabha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cdW3oLbdFA Watch Kiren Rijiju's speech in Lok Sabha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFENVkEr-jQ Watch Owaisi's speech in Lok Sabha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91mX1NQm6iI Watch Manoj Jha's speech in Rajya Sabha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lZ7gFpHn7I Watch Kapil Sibal's speech in Rajya Sabha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDNUjZJS-1U

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

Rahul Gandhi & Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led Opposition's charge during Op Sindoor debate in Lok Sabha while PM Modi and Amit Shah fronted govt defence. From Pahalgam attack to China-Pakistan ‘fusion', Operation Mahadev to Trump's role & US President's lunch with Munir— what are the big takeaways from the Op Sindoor debate in Lok Sabha? ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta explains: Ep xxxx of #CutTheClutter

Firstly, The Indian Express' national Legal Editor Apurva Vishwanathwe discusses the Bombay High Court's acquittal of all 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case.  Next, The Indian Express' Nikhil Ghanekar explains a major policy rollback by the Environment Ministry that has exempted most coal-based thermal power plants from installing sulphur dioxide emission controls. (19:35)Lastly, we discuss the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, where the Lok Sabha functioned for just 18 minutes amid protests over the Special Intensive Revision of Bihar's electoral rolls. (29:44)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry's Shivnarayan Rajpurohit and Sumedha Mittal.Shivnarayan talks about his profile of BJP president JP Nadda, diving deep into his rise from an ABVP worker to the president of the world's largest political party. He also sheds light on the Chetna Sansthan, an NGO run by Nadda's wife which received significant corporate and government-linked CSR funding after the BJP came to power.Sumedha talks about her report which looks at an unusual surge in the number of voters in Devendra Fadnavis's constituency in Nagpur South West between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra elections. A section of poll staff told her about alleged lapses in the manner these voters were added to the electoral rolls. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:36 - J P Nadda00:21:59 - Unusual spike in the voter roll00:33:20 - RecommendationsRecommendationsShivnarayanSirSumedhaOfficial SecretsPratyushThe Bilaspur blueprint: JP Nadda's political rise and the parallel growth of his family-run NGOIn 6 months, Fadnavis seat added 29,219 voters. Poll staff claim lapsesProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.