Podcasts about sunetra choudhury

Sunil Kumar Gupta served as a jailer at Tihar Jail, one of India's most notorious prisons, from 1981 until his retirement in 2016. Born into a modest background, Gupta left a stable job at the Indian Railways to pursue his dream of becoming a prison officer, joining Tihar Jail as an assistant superintendent. During his tenure, Gupta was involved in numerous high-profile cases, witnessing the execution of several inmates including the notorious Ranga and Billa, and Afzal Guru, involved in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. His experiences and observations led him to significant contributions in prison reform; he played a key role in drafting the Delhi Prison Act and Manual in 1988, established Tihar's first legal aid cell, and initiated special court sessions within the prison to expedite minor cases. Post-retirement, Gupta transitioned into law, practicing at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. His memoir, "Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer," co-authored with journalist Sunetra Choudhury, became the basis for a Netflix series, shedding light on the inner workings of India's prison system. Gupta's career not only highlighted the systemic issues within Indian prisons but also his commitment to reform and humane treatment of inmates.

Sunil Gupta is a former jailer at Tihar Jail in Delhi for over three decades. His time at Tihar gave him firsthand experience with the challenges of prison life, including managing high-profile inmates, and dealing with issues like caste, corruption, violence, and capital punishment. He is also the author of the book "Black Warrant," co-written with Sunetra Choudhury. Now, Netflix has made a series based on his time in Tihar Jail, featuring stories from his book about crime, justice, and the prisons in India. In this episode Vinamre and Sunil talk about: -How caste plays a role in Tihar Jail,How does the smuggling of drugs happen in jails -How prisoners help the jail authorities to run the jail, The procedure for hanging a prisoner -The difference between jails in India vs foreign jails -Skill enhancement and entertainment for the prisoners -The escapes that happened in Tihar and the time Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal were in Tihar. Watch this episode to know more about the workings of Tihar Jail and the great escapes that have happened there. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introdcurion 1:00 - Caste Prevalence in Tihar Jail 8:10 - What's Special About a Job in Tihar in Those Times 10:54 - Not Getting Diverted to Corruption 14:15 - Caste Dynamics in Tihar Jail 16:04 - Changes in Ordinary Life as a Jailer 22:15 - Training of a Jailer 25:22 - Role of Prisoners in Running the Jail 30:00 - What is a Number Daar in Jail? 35:12 - Violence on a Regular Basis in Jail 44:00 - The Hierarchy of Prisoners in Jail 54:59 - Campus Placement in Tihar Jail 57:23 - Jails in India vs Foreign Jails 59:02 - The Breakdown of the Justice System in India 1:07:16 - Security Categorization in Tihar Jail 1:12:32 - Smuggling of Drugs in Tihar Jail 1:25:45 - Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare in Tihar Jail 1:34:14 - What is a Black Warrant? 1:37:45 - Witnessing the Hanging of Prisoners 1:41:20 - The Process of Hanging Prisoners 1:50:08 - Jailbreak Attempts in Tihar 1:54:30 - The Escape of Charles Sobhraj 1:57:00 - Barbers in Jail 2:04:19 - Entertainment and Meditation for Prisoners 2:16:48 - Conclusion ==================================================================== This is the official channel for Dostcast, a podcast by Vinamre Kasanaa. Connect with me LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinamre-kasanaa-b8524496/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinamrekasanaa/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/VinamreKasanaa Dostcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dostcast/ Dostcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dostcast Dostcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557567524054 ==================================================================== Contact Us For business inquiries: dostcast@egiplay.com

The discourse in India today on the issue of the Muslim community seems to swing between two contrary positions.According to the Hindu nationalist narrative, Muslims are a monolithic religious category whose presence justifies the need for greater Hindu solidarity. On the other hand, there is the narrative offered by liberals, who claim to protect Muslims as a religious minority to defend Indian democracy.A new book by the scholar Hilal Ahmed, A Brief History of the Present: Muslims in New India, departs from these unidimensional notions of Muslim identity. It applies concepts from political science, history, and political theory to provide a much more nuanced view of India's Muslim community.Ahmed is an associate professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), where he is also associated with the Lokniti Programme for Comparative Democracy. He is an authority on political Islam, electoral behavior, and Indian democracy.Ahmed joins Milan on the show this week to talk about “substantive Muslimness,” the meaning of Hindutva, and what exactly is new if the “new India.” Plus, the two discuss the state of the political opposition and the BJP's vulnerabilities.Episode notes:             1. “Identifying the New India (with Rahul Bhatia),” Grand Tamasha, September 25, 2024.2. “What Really Happened in India's 2024 General Election? (with Sanjay Kumar),” Grand Tamasha, September 18, 2024.3. Hilal Ahmed, “CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: The three main takeaways,” Hindu, June 7, 2024.4. “Decoding the 2024 Indian General Elections (with Sunetra Choudhury and Rahul Verma),” Grand Tamasha, June 6, 2024.5. “Neha Sahgal on Religion and Identity in Contemporary India,” Grand Tamasha, June 30, 2021.

It has been more than three months since the conclusion of India's massive 2024 general elections. And it is no exaggeration to say that the results of the election caught many, if not most, election observers by surprise.To many, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared invincible in national elections especially given the widespread popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And yet, the party suffered a significant setback, emerging as the single largest party but well short of a parliamentary majority.So, what actually happened in these elections? How can we understand the BJP's surprising showing? Has the Modi magic dissipated? And is Rahul Gandhi the new standard bearer of change?To discuss these and many other questions, Milan is joined on the show this week by Sanjay Kumar. Sanjay is Professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi and co-director of Lokniti, India's premier public opinion research organization. Since 1996, Lokniti has carried out a National Election Study after every general election, creating a unique repository of knowledge on the political and social attitudes of the Indian citizen.On the show, Milan and Sanjay discuss the key findings from this year's National Election Study. They talk about the resonance of the INDIA alliance's campaign, divergent outcomes in the Hindi belt, Modi's declining popularity, and the emerging realignment in southern politics. Plus, the two discuss the reasons for India's exit poll debacle.Episode notes:1. Suhas Palshikar, Sandeep Shastri, and Sanjay Kumar, “CSDS-Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey: There is no clear and close challenger to the BJP this time. ‘Ifs and buts' apply,” Hindu, April 13, 2024.2. Sandeep Shastri, Sanjay Kumar, and Suhas Palshikar, “CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: A return to an era of genuine coalitions,” Hindu, June 6, 2024.3. Lokniti Team, “Post-poll survey: Methodology,” Hindu, June 6, 2024.4. Sandeep Shastri, “CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: Modi factor seems to have stagnated over a decade,” Hindu, June 6, 2024.5. Sanjay Kumar and Fuhaar Bandhu, “CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: BJP maintains advantage among young voters,” June 7, 2024.6. Lokniti Team, “CSDS-Lokniti post-poll survey: Clearing misconceptions about the post-poll survey,” Hindu, June 9, 2024.7. “Decoding the 2024 Indian General Elections (with Sunetra Choudhury and Rahul Verma),” Grand Tamasha, June 6, 2024.8. “Why India's Modi Underperformed (with Ravi Agrawal, Yamini Aiyar, and Milan Vaishnav),” FP Live, June 7, 2024.9. “India's 2024 Election—and its Aftermath (with Sadanand Dhume and Tanvi Madan),” Grand Tamasha, June 19, 2024.

Gurcharan Das is one of India's best-known authors and thinkers. He had a celebrated career in business, most notably as the CEO of Procter and Gamble in India, before devoting his full attention to writing. He is the author of numerous best-selling books, including India Unbound, The Difficulty of Being Good, and India Grows at Night.Most recently, Das has written a new book called The Dilemma of the Indian Liberal, in which he recounts his own professional and intellectual journey and traces how and why he became a liberal. In telling his own story, he also narrates the story of an India that continues to struggle in its own quest to become a successful liberal democracy.To close out the eleventh season of Grand Tamasha, Milan welcomes Gurcharan Das to the show for the very first time. They discuss Das' reactions to the 2024 Indian general election, the Indian variant of liberalism, and Das' journey with liberalism. Plus, the two discuss Das' ill-fated foray into politics and why community is so important to preserving liberal values.With this episode, Grand Tamasha officially begins its summer vacation. Stay tuned for more information on Season 12 of the show, which will get kick off in September. Happy summer!Episode notes:1. “Gurcharan Das on why it's lonely being an Indian liberal,” The Economist, March 19, 2024.2. Suresh Seshadri, “Review of The Dilemma of an Indian Liberal by Gurcharan Das: Keeping the faith,” Hindu, May 3, 2024.3. Gurcharan Das, “There's good & bad nationalism. One cherishes power, the other the nation,” ThePrint, April 8, 2024.4. “India's 2024 Election—and its Aftermath (with Sadanand Dhume and Tanvi Madan,” Grand Tamasha, June 19, 2024.5. “Decoding the 2024 Indian General Elections (with Sunetra Choudhury and Rahul Verma),” Grand Tamasha, June 6, 2024.

This week on Grand Tamasha, Milan is joined by Grand Tamasha's India news roundup regulars: Sadanand Dhume of the Wall Street Journal and the American Enterprise Institute and Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution.On the show this week, the trio discusses the 2024 Indian general election and its aftermath. They debate the politics, as well as the economic and foreign policy implications of the result. Did Rahul Gandhi rehabilitate himself? Will coalition politics derail economic reforms? How are foreign capitals reacting to the surprise result? Milan, Tanvi, and Sadanand discuss these questions and much more.Episode notes:Sadanand Dhume, “India's Election Humbles Narendra Modi,” Wall Street Journal, June 5, 2024.Sadanand Dhume, “India Could Become Venezuela on the Ganges,” Wall Street Journal, May 22.“India's Modi Looks to Retain Power (with Tanvi Madan),” Bloomberg Daybreak Asia (podcast), June 5, 2024.“Two years into the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy: A conversation with Assistant Secretary Daniel Kritenbrink,” Brookings Institution, May 14, 2024.“Decoding the 2024 Indian General Elections (with Sunetra Choudhury and Rahul Verma),” Grand Tamasha, June 6, 2024.

We've finally come to the end of the 46-day Indian general election. And we have a surprising result which many experts did not see coming. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to secure a single-party majority in the Lok Sabha in what is being interpreted as a major setback.The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) did, however, win a majority and is set to form a new government on June 8th under Modi's leadership. The opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) grouping, in turn, performed much better than expected, winning 233 seats—a massive increase from 2019.On today's podcast, we bring you a conversation that Milan recorded with two of India's leading political experts: Sunetra Choudhury, national political editor of the Hindustan Times, and Rahul Verma, Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi.The trio spend an hour digging into the nitty gritty of these election results. They discuss the BJP's stumbles, the INDIA alliance's keys to success, and what the election tells us about national issues like the economy and Hindu nationalism. Plus, the three discuss what the we can expect from the new NDA government.If you're interested in the video of the conversation, you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/JfhZEAclHv4Episode notes:1. Milan Vaishnav, “Looking back before looking ahead in 2024,” Hindustan Times, June 5, 2024.2. Sunetra Choudhury, “As Cong nears 100 seats, Kharge makes overtures to NDA parties, works the phone,” Hindustan Times, June 4, 2024.3. Rahul Verma, “Elections that reminded netas, people are the boss,” Times of India, June 5, 2024.4. “India Elects 2024,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

On December 3, votes were finally tallied in four Indian states which went for elections this past month—the last test parties and candidates will face before the general elections in April-May of next year. After much anticipation, Counting Day left very little to the imagination. In a big setback for the Congress Party and the opposition alliance more broadly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won decisive elections in three big Hindi belt states—Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The lone Congress Party victory came in the southern state of Telangana, where it displaced the once-dominant regional party—the Bharat Rashriya Samithi (BRS). To discuss the results—and what they tell us about the race for 2024—Milan is joined this week by two veteran political journalists: Sunetra Choudhury, the political editor of the Hindustan Times, and Dipankar Ghose serves, the paper's deputy national editor. The trio discuss the impressive performance of the BJP, the Congress Party's lingering weaknesses, and how these results will shape the 2024 campaign. Plus, Milan, Sunetra, and Dipankar talk about the next steps for the opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance and whether Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra had any long-term impact. Episode notes:Prashant Jha, “What BJP wins in 3 states mean for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Hindustan Times, December 4, 2023.Vaibhav Tiwari, “‘Conceit': Congress slammed by INDIA bloc allies after 3-1 election drubbing,” Hindustan Times, December 4, 2023.Ritesh Mishra and Dipankar Ghose, “Misfired OBC gambit, infighting: How to lose a mandate in 5 years,” Hindustan Times, December 4, 2023.Sunetra Choudhury, “HT Interview: Unsavoury words were used against me…Madhya Pradesh election results have silenced them: Scindia,” Hindustan Times, December 4, 2023.

In this episode of 'On The Record', Hindustan Time's Sunetra Choudhury speaks to VN Rai, IPS officer and former head of the Indian Police Academy, about this week's most debatable issue in the parliament, the new Criminal Procedure Identification amendment. During this interview, he discusses and understands what's wrong with the new amendment, whether the new criminal identity law is really draconian?

Last week, the results of five assembly elections were announced and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed impressive victories in four out of five contests—notching wins in Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. In the state of Punjab, the upstart Aam Aadmi Party won a stunning victory that saw the demise of a whole slew of politicians with household names. The Congress Party, for its part, saw its fortunes diminish to an all-time low.To discuss the drivers of these results—and the impact they have on politics and policy, this week Milan is joined by Sunetra Choudhury, national political editor of the Hindustan Times and a veteran political analyst. Milan and Sunetra discuss the fate of Mandal politics, the future of the Congress, and the position of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Plus, the two discuss the political and policy impacts of these elections as India turns its attention to the 2024 general election. Mirza Asmer Beg, Shashikant Pandey, and Shreyas Sardesai, “The BJP's rock solid social coalition,” Hindu, March 12, 2022.Rahul Verma, “Grand Old Party and Its Grand Illusions,” Times of India, March 13, 2022.

As the Karnataka high court hears petitions against the hijab ban, Farrah Ahmed, a professor at Melbourne Law School who specialises in Constitutional law and religious freedom, spoke to HT's Sunetra Choudhury about the right to practice faith, privacy, and education.

The Bhartiya Janata Party expelled a sitting minister from its government in Uttarakhand amid reports that he was unhappy and negotiating with Congress. Harak Singh Rawat may be joining the opposition party soon, but he told Sunetra Choudhury that the BJP forced his hand, and his unhappiness was after years of being ignored, and not being allowed to deliver crucial promises to voters in the state.

In an interview with HT's Sunetra Choudhury, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader OP Rajbhar said BJP was an enemy of OBCs and more party leaders are expected to quit ahead of the elections.

In this episode, Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury speaks to Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist, IMF about being the first woman to lead the IMF and what she make of all the headlines that are doing the rounds. She also spoke about the state of the world now and the state of women in it.

In the latest episode of On the Record, Top defence lawyer Rebecca John speaks to Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury on the Aryan Khan drugs case. John explains why Shah Rukh Khan's son is still in jail without possession of drugs. Aryan was arrested by NCB earlier this month for his alleged connection to a drugs case. A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday refused to grant bail to Aryan & two others. Listen to the full episode for more.

The situation prevails to tense in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri where the violent clashes claimed eight lives on Sunday. Section 144 has been imposed on several political party workers, even on the big names. In this episode, Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury speaks to a Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as she shares what all she has faced in the last 2 days as she tried to visit the Lakhimpur Kheri district. Tune in to know more.

On September 12, 2021, it will be 25 years since the first time the Women's Reservation Bill was introduced in Parliament. Years have passed, however, the Bill continues to languish and is yet to become a reality. In the recent edition of On The Record, CPIM leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat speaks to Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury and talks about the 25 years of the Women's Reservation Bill. Why is it still pending? Why is it not on top of the agenda of every political party? Listen to the full episode for more.

In the latest episode of On the Record, former ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha speaks to Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury and talks about the recent developments in the war-torn country. The former Afghan envoy explains what the Taliban takeover of the neighboring nation means for India. Watch the full interview for more.

In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury speaks to CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Pegasus issue. John Brittas have approached Supreme Court in this regard and opposes the idea of being under constant watch even after living in a democratic country.

In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury speaks to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Dhami on why he stopped the religious gathering of Kanwars. The Uttarakhand Government on Tuesday decided to cancel the annual Kanwar Yatra, in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic situation.

In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury speaks with Professor Chinmay Tumbe on the number of Covid-19 deaths in India. Tumbe, the author of a highly regarded book called 'The Age of Pandemics', has also studied the death toll of the present Covid pandemic. He throws light on the number of excess deaths in some of the large states of the country.

With Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching quickly, the Indian National Congress party suffered a serious blow on June 9. Jitin Prasada, considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, quit the grand old party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Tune in as Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury speaks to Jitin Parsada about what led him to shift to BJP and much more.

Kerala has just announced its new team of ministers. It has a brand new team and new faces but what many are keen on knowing is why was the health minister KK Shailaja dropped? For this and much more, the new speaker MB Rajesh speaks to Sunetra Choudhury

In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times’ National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury speaks with Dr. Tom Frieden President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives about the current situation of Covid-19 and vaccination in India. Dr. Frieden said 'Providing clinical care and strategic vaccination can help stop the spread of the virus.' Tune in for more!

Our co-host Priya Kapoor gets on a call with Sunetra Choudhury to chat over writing about prisons and prisoners, doing news in print and television media, what it means to be a working mother in today's India and a whole lot more. Sunetra is the author of bestselling books Behind Bars and Black Warrant that take a hard look at the sorry state of affairs inside India's prisons. An award-winning journalist, she is currently national political editor at Hindustan Times. Hosts and Executive Producers: Priya Kapoor and Chirag Thakkar. Show Producer: Aria Nanji. Produced by Roli Pulse, a digital initiative by Roli Books. Follow Roli Books @rolibooks on twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can follow Sunetra on twitter @sunetrac here. Find Sunetra's books here and here. Use code BTL20 at checkout on cmykbookstore.com to get a 20 percent discount on these and other books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times' Sunetra Choudhury speaks with Nobel Prize-winning economist and author Amartya Sen about the ongoing West Bengal elections. Polling for the first four phases has been concluded while the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth phases will take place on April 17, 22, 26, and 29 respectively. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.Listen to the full podcast for more details.

In the latest Podcast of 'On The Record' , Sunetra Choudhury and Janata Dal (United) president and Rajya Sabha member Ram Chandra Prasad (RCP) Singh spoke on the ongoing farmer’s agitation against the Centre’s three new farm laws. "Everyone agrees that farmers need to do well, their incomes need to increase. A farmers' organisation is different from a political party. So if you bring in a political agenda, then that has a different platform," he said. Singh also talked about the violence on Republic Day in Delhi, SC judgement on farm laws and why the Americans are wrong on the same.

In this interview with host Sunetra Choudhury, Kailash Vijayvargiya spells out BJP’s strategy ahead of Bengal Polls. Vijayvargiya says TMC leaders are unhappy with CM’s support of her nephew and his style of working which is why they are joining them. 

One of the biggest failures in Bihar election 2020 was of the Congress party. While Congress says they were given tough seats, CWC member Tariq Anwar has admitted that the problem was entirely their own. He speaks to Hindustan Times' political editor Sunetra Choudhury about where the problem lies for the party.

Sunetra Choudhury talks to Former Attorney Mukul Rohatgi & Mr. Kapil Sibal about the Rajasthan High court battle between Sachin Pilot & the Congress Party & Ashok Gehlot ( CM of Rajasthan).

Congress party’s internal struggles have really come to the forefront as Sachin Pilot claimed his right to become Chief Minister of Rajasthan. His removal afterwards shocked all his colleagues. Sunetra Choudhury speaks to one of them, Dinesh Gundu Rao who also headed a state wing and is also a ‘dynast’ like Pilot. Here’s what he said about what went wrong.

On this episode of On the Record, Adar Poonawalla of the Vaccine Manufacturers Association of India speaks to Hindustan Times’ National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury. Poonawalla informs them that they will begin the production of Oxford vaccine next month and it will take 1.5 years to make enough vaccine for all in India. Listen to the full interview for more details.

In this conversation with Hindustan Times' national political editor, Sunetra Choudhury, Professor Gupta explains why she considers lockdowns 'drastic' and not a long term solution. She also explains why comparisons about COVID spread shouldn't be done on a nation-wide basis.

On this episode of On the Record, Lt Gen (Retd) HS Panag speaks to Hindustan Times’ National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury. In the wake of 20 Indian soldiers' killing in LAC stand-off with China, Gen Panag talks on what India could have done differently.

A major face-off is brewing in the national capital amid the Covid-19 pandemic. An FIR has been filed against a private hospital in Delhi, Sir Ganga Ram hospital, for allegedly not updating COVID test information on a dedicated app. Dr Ambarish Satwik, a surgeon at the hospital, discusses the implications of the criminal investigation, and the government's refusal to allow the hospital to conduct COVID tests, with Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury.

In the latest episode of On The Record, Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury talks to Justice Abhay Thipsay (retd.). The BJP has called the involvement of Justice Abhay Thipsay (retd.), an INC member, in the Nirav Modi extradition case, an example of the grand old party trying to shield the fugitive. Amid the war of words, Justice Thipsay presents his side of the story. 

What is it like to witness a hanging? Was Ram Singh, one of the accused in the Nirbhaya case, murdered in prison?  What were Afzal Guru's last moments like? Sunil Gupta, who worked at Tihar for 35 years, and journalist Sunetra Choudhury, who helped him put down his story, talk about their sensational book, Black Warrant.

Continuing their conversation from the previous part, our guests talk about what is it like to witness a hanging? Was Ram Singh, one of the accused in the Nirbhaya case, murdered in prison? What were Afzal Guru's last moments like? Sunil Gupta, who worked at Tihar for 35 years, and journalist Sunetra Choudhury, who helped him put down his story, talk about their sensational book, Black Warrant.

With count of Covid-19 cases rising across the country, all eyes have turned to Rajasthan's Bhilwara where the administration was able to control the spread of the Sars-Cov-2 virus with some quick, effective steps. With the 'Bhilwara model' being the talk of the town, Hindustan Times' National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury, spoke to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Tina Dabi to understand what the administration did right.

In today's Shorty, Sneha talks about Black Warrant : Confessions of a Tihar Jailer, and her fascination with Prisons, True Crime and Death Penalty. You can follow the Authors on Twitter at : Sunil Gupta - @thesunilgupta and Sunetra Choudhury - @sunetrac. Follow us on twitter @khoonipodcast and instagram @khoonithepodcast Sources : Books : 1. Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer, by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/8194206855?ie=UTF8&tag=khoonithepodc-21&camp=3638&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=8194206855 Others : 2. https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/as-coronavirus-cases-rise-indian-jails-begin-releasing-prisoners-on-bail-11585569499656.html 3. https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/india-packed-prisons-raise-coronavirus-alarm-1661136-2020-03-30 4. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-20/coronavirus-covid-19-iran-releases-85,000-prisoners/12073630

West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankar speaks to Sunetra Choudhury about his comments on nuclear power existing during the Mahabharat. He says that despite what his critics and scientists may think, he and many others believe that everything in the Ramayana and Mahabharat is true, and not mythological. The texts are based not facts and so everything in it including the 'udan khatolas' actually existed.

Sunetra has been a journalist for many years and is currently the Political Editor for the Hindustan Times and the “confessions” that she writes about are Sunil Gupta’s own from his time in Tihar, where he was a jailer for 35 years. In this podcast Gupta recalls the first day of his job when he bumped into none other than one of India’s most feared serial killer Charles Sobraj. During his time in Tihar, Gupta also witnessed eight executions including those of terror convicts Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon and rapists Billa and Ranga. Much has been reported on these criminals and their cases and a lot is still being reported. For instance, recently, J&K DSP Davinder Singh who Afzal Guru had accused of torturing him in police custody was arrested in the company of militants. Does Sharma think executions are necessary or should India do away with it? Tune in to this podcast, for the full interview with Sunetra Choudhury and Sunil Sharma who share anecdotes about prison superstitions, fetishes and the anatomy of an execution! Producer and Host: Shorbori Purkayastha Guests: Sunil Sharma and Sunetra Choudhury, co-authors of “Black Warrants: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer” Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Welcome to Paperback by The Open Library Project- Ep. 54 We have as our guest today, Dishant Huria. Dishant is the author of When Karma Goes Upside Down and The Escape Route, which we discuss in the first half of the episode. In the second half we discuss Many Lives Many Masters by Brian Weiss and Behind Bars : Prison Tales of India' Most Famous by Sunetra Choudhury. To know more about the books we discussed, listen in to the podcast. You can find more details about The Open Library Project on www.openlibrary.in You can follow Dishant Huria on his instagram handle: @dishanthuria You can place the order for Dishant's book The Escape Route here: https://www.amazon.in/Escape-Route-Dishant-Huria/dp/9352011678 You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

On this edition of On The Record, Union Minister and president of the Republican Party of India spoke to Hindustan Times about the ongoing negotiations for government formation in Maharashtra. Speaking to HT's national political editor Sunetra Choudhury, Athawale said that he had met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday and asked for the Sena and BJP to hammer out an agreement. While the Sena should agree to the Deputy Chief Minister's post instead of demanding the CM's post on a rotational basis, Athawale said that the BJP should accomodate by giving the Sena more seats in the cabinet instead of the single portfolio that they currently hold.

First, the new national political editor of the Hindustan Times Sunetra Choudhury joins Milan to round up this week’s news. Sunetra reflects on some of her key takeaways from the 2019 campaign and how, if at all, this year’s election broke new ground. The two also discuss the recent electoral turmoil in West Bengal and the regional opposition’s backroom discussions over a post-election “Federal Front.” Then, Milan sits down with Gilles Verniers, assistant professor of political science and Ashoka University and co-director of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data. If you’ve encountered insightful, data-driven election analyses this cycle, chances are Gilles or his colleagues had something to do with it. Milan and Gilles discuss how 2019 has stacked up in terms of women candidates and the nomination of incumbents. The two end their conversation by reviewing Gilles’ list of “states to watch” on May 23 as the results come in.

In this week’s podcast, Abhinandan Sekhri is joined by Raman Kirpal, Anand Vardhan and Manisha Pande. Joining them over the phone is The News Minute's deputy news editor, Ragamalika Karthikeyan, to talk about the Pollachi case.The podcast begins with Ragamalika detailing the Pollachi sexual abuse and extortion case. The four men accused “seem to be doing it as a racket”, she says. She also mentions the controversy with the AIADMK since an FIR is registered against AIADMK functionary A Nagaraj over the assault of a victim’s brother. Manisha says she agrees with the Madras High Court's observations on Delhi media's lack of priority in covering the case, but Abhinandan says he's conflicted. He says: “This is a problem not just related to Chennai or Kerala … It is more true of the Northeast … If judges start commenting on everything then it just dilutes the impact when they something that is truly about justice rather than a social observation.” Ragamalika indicates the importance of giving incidents national coverage in order to formulate appropriate and more nuanced laws on sexual violence.Abhinandan talks about how newspapers in Assam went on a three-day boycott of all state government news, ads and photographs in protest against its alleged apathy. Anand mentions how India still imports newsprint which makes it quite expensive. Though local papers buy cheaper versions, it's not a sustainable model. “State governments control a lot of things through government ads,” he says.The discussion moves on to journalist Sunetra Choudhury’s exclusive on the UK’s efforts to extradite Nirav Modi and India’s absence of a response. While Anand examines the validity of Sunetra’s report, Abhinandan emphasises the need for extensive reports on Nirav Modi across media as it affects informed citizenry.The panel discusses the Meghalaya High Court’s sentence—which was stayed by the Supreme Court today—to Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim and publisher Shoba Chaudhuri. Manisha says, “We still have the thing called scandalising the court which exists in India, which you can be hauled up for just shocking the court.”Abhinandan goes on to discuss Chandrashekhar Azad who has announced he will contest against PM Modi from Varanasi. Anand says that there are no foregrounds to assume either’s victory. On the Election Commission’s announcement to monitor political content across social media, the panel jokes about the primitive understanding of technology by most EC officials.This and a whole lot more, so listen up! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the sidelines of The Media Rumble, Manisha Pande speaks to journalists on issues that concern women in the media. How does one deal with sexism? How do women demand equal pay for equal work? Shubhra Gupta, film critic for The Indian Express, Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, Neha Dixit, freelance journalist and Sunetra Choudhury, political editor with NDTV 24x7, have a freewheeling conversation and share their experiences and expectations. Listen up. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At the second edition Tanveer Ahmed Mir, Umar Khalid, Dr Kafeel Ahmed Khan and Bina Ramani, in a session moderated by Sunetra Choudhury, discuss whether it is journalistic to come to conclusions during investigations. They further discuss how journalism of a certain type can devastate lives. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NL Hafta has gone behind the paywall, but we love our listeners. So, here's a little sneak peek into the complete episode where Abhinandan is joined by Manisha, Madhu and NDTV's Sunetra Choudhury. The panel discusses Kashmir unrest, Bhima Koregaon arrests, Shimla water crisis, Cobrapost and Al Jazeera stings and so much more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Hafta, the big question that the panel discusses is whether sting journalism is real journalism. BJP by poll losses and the violence that erupted in Shillong is also discussed. Al Jazeera's sting operation on match-fixing in cricket is another issue that engages the panel in a heated debate. The panel also discusses arrests made in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence and the water crisis in Shimla.The panel consists of Abhinandan Sekhri, Madhu Trehan, Manisha Pande, Anand Vardhan and our guest, NDTV's Sunetra Choudhury.BJP’s evident loss in the by poll is critically considered by the panel, when Abhinandan asks, “Is it something that needs the kind of coverage that it did? Is it any indication of who the people will vote for?” Madhu feels the 2019 elections are going to be the “dirtiest elections”. She suggests not to make much of these by polls and adds, “In politics, things can change on a dime." Sunetra Choudhury talks about the excitement built around the by poll results. She says, “We are looking at each and every by poll with bated breaths saying, ‘okay whats going to happen here’…interesting to see how people are getting involved’." Manisha agrees with Madhu and adds, “I wouldn’t read too much into by polls."Abhinandan moves onto the sting operation carried out by Al Jazeera to expose match-fixing in cricket. He says, “I lost interest in it." He wonders, “What was so great about this sting operation?” Anand, despite being a cricket fanatic agrees that the sting was “low on substance” and says it didn’t come up with a conclusive outcome. He, however, also feels that the sting had “good production values”. Madhu talks a little about the Cobrapost and Al Jazeera sting in relativity. She feels that the Cobrapost sting is “not journalistically correct”. Sunetra talks about the two Bengali newspapers that refused to engage with Acharya Atal (Cobrapost's undercover reporter) and how those organisations are a “benchmark” for journalism.The panel shifts their attention to the communal clashes between the Khasi tribe and the Punjabi settlers in Shillong. Known to many as the ‘musical town’, Sunetra shared her anecdotes from Shillong and tension that has spurred over the years. She adds, “I spent every summer there, for 21 years of my life, …curfews were very very common because of this kind of tension between various communities.” Manisha informs the panel of Shillong's long-standing history of tension. She says, “The first major riot was in 1979 by Khasi mobs directed at minorities." Abhinandan feels, “Northeast is a little more complicated because in any case they feel let down by the rest of India." Anand restrains his views and says, “Any tribe (from Shillong) can...say you don’t know much about our tribe.”The Ugly Indian Tourist, an article published by Open magazine is next on the panel's agenda. The article is discussed because Abhinandan feels it has created a lot of flutter. "I think it is an interesting article because I see both sides." The controversy is about the article having racist content.Moving on, the panel discussed the unrest in Kashmir. Manisha said that many [news organisation] have used the headline “mows down”, which she felt was problematic. She thought that in this case, the CRPF personnel in the vehicle had to just “negotiate its way through this violent". She says, "And you must also remember...some men were saying they were upset they could not pull him [the driver] out of the jeep," adding, "you must remember it was exactly a year ago that a policemen Ayub Pandith was lynched to death in the same area and his eyes were gouged out. It was a brutal gruesome lynching. I mean it is this kind of pressure that officers are operating under. Mob fury is very scary even if you have a gun. You have like 50 people approaching…I think it is really this situation where the driver was trying to negotiate through.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NDTV anchor Sunetra Choudhury speaks to Abhinandan Sekhri about her book Behind Bars: Prison Tales of India's Most Famous. Featuring the stories of Peter Mukerjea, Amar Singh, Pappu Yadav, A Raja and many others. Choudhury discusses the emotional cost of being a journalist, how to remain hopeful and the difference in life behind bars between the wealthy and poor. All this and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.