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  • Beyond Mamdani’s Inauguration: What’s in store for the Democratic party in 2026

    Beyond Mamdani’s Inauguration: What’s in store for the Democratic party in 2026
    2025/12/31
    Zohran Mamdani, an avowed socialist, will be sworn in as New York City’s new mayor on January 1. His rise has revived old debates about the future of the U.S. Democratic Party. For most of the last century, the Democratic Party offered a clear promise. If you worked hard, if you were new to the country, if the economy knocked you down, this was your political home. But today, that bond feels weaker. Registrations for the Democratic Party are slipping. Younger voters are drifting away. Many longtime supporters say that the party sounds less like a movement and more like a kind of a corporate meeting room, technical, a little distant. Their political rivals, the Republicans, champion smaller government and conservative values, and in recent years have been reshaped by Donald Trump’s brand MAGA politics. Into this moment came New York City’s surprise, Zohran Mamdani, promising affordability and everyday dignity to a metropolis exhausted by rent and inequality. His ascent to public office comes at a time when the Democrats are nationally seeking momentum. So what’s happening with the Democratic Party, and where is its future actually being written? Guest: Hadas Thier, a journalist, activist, and author of A People's Guide to Capitalism. Hosts: Anupama Chandrasekaran and G Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 分
  • What defined 2025 for India and the world, and what awaits us in 2026

    What defined 2025 for India and the world, and what awaits us in 2026
    2025/12/30
    2025 tested India and the world on multiple fronts. Politics dominated the discourse, global trade shocks rattled economies, climate stress pushed cities to the brink, and public health and trust came under strain. From BJP’s continued dominance and a faltering Opposition, to Trump-era tariff pressures, the war in Gaza that claimed many lives, and sport offering brief relief, the year unfolded in stark fragments.In this In Focus year-ender, host Anupama Chandrasekaran brings together The Hindu’s journalists to reflect on the defining moments of 2025 and look ahead to the key questions of 2026 across politics, geopolitics, business, environment, health and sport. Guests:Nistula Hebbar, Political Editor; Suhasini Haider, Diplomatic Affairs Editor; TCA Sharad Raghavan, Business and Economics Editor; Jacob Koshy, Science Editor; Ramya Kannan, Health Editor; N Sudarshan, Sports Journalist, The Hindu Host:Anupama Chandrasekaran Edited and produced by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 分
  • India’s SHANTI Bill: Does it pass the smell test on nuclear safety?

    India’s SHANTI Bill: Does it pass the smell test on nuclear safety?
    2025/12/29
    The essence of nuclear governance is safety. That’s not only because any accident can destroy thousands of lives – it’s also because the harm unfolds over time, affecting generations. It can destroy entire regions, as nuclear radiation can make them uninhabitable for a long time. It is thus a matter of common sense that safety has to be a higher priority than any other consideration -- including energy security. Now, the Parliament passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill. It was passed with minimal debate. This Bill repeals previous legislation that governed civil nuclear activity: the Atomic Energy Act 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010. The new Bill, for the first time in India, throws open nuclear power generation to private players. It also exempts nuclear suppliers from any liability. Taken together, what do the provisions of the SHANTI Bill mean for the safety of Indian citizens? What happens in case of a radiation leak? And does India really need nuclear power at a time when other renewables are getting cheaper? Guest: Suvrat Raju, a physicist associated with the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, who has written on nuclear issues for many years. Host: G. Sampath Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 分
  • Ten years on, has the Paris Climate Accord delivered?

    Ten years on, has the Paris Climate Accord delivered?
    2025/12/28
    This year marks ten years since the Paris Agreement, the climate pact that redefined global climate action. In 2015, nearly 200 countries signed on to a framework based on nationally determined commitments, balancing ambition with political and economic realities.The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It has two big goals - one - to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and -two - pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”A decade later, the track record is mixed. While emissions are rising globally, attention there is a marked push to accelerate clean energy adoption, and increase climate finance. There is growing debate over whether developed countries are doing their fair share, even as developing and least developed nations are the most exposed to climate impacts they did little to cause.As global geopolitics and economic pressures intensify, has the accord delivered on its promises? Guest: Dr. Monika Gupta, Associate Professor, SP Jain Institute of Management & Research Host: Nivedita V Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 分
  • From firefighting to managed decline: why the RBI let the rupee breach 90

    From firefighting to managed decline: why the RBI let the rupee breach 90
    2025/12/27
    In early December 2025, the Rupee slipped past the ₹90 per dollar mark. While this drop is labelled as 'psychologically significant,' the underlying economic factors hasn't changed much. Yet a specific set of recent events has added fresh momentum, decisively tipping the scales against the currency. The Rupee’s rise or fall depends on two main factors: what’s happening in the market, and how the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) responds. Guest: economist Zico Dasgupta Host: Nitika Francis Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    15 分
  • Why do reports of attacks on Christians spike around Christmas in India?

    Why do reports of attacks on Christians spike around Christmas in India?
    2025/12/26
    Every year around Christmas, reports of attacks on Christian worshippers surface from different parts of India. This year, there were numerous reports of various groups disrupting celebrations across several States, including Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and even Kerala. Several church bodies have written to the Central government, warning of the “alarming rise” in such incidents during the Christmas season.In this episode, we examine why religious festivals often become a flashpoint for tension. Is it the heightened visibility of celebrations, long-standing misconceptions around conversion, or the role of social media in amplifying fear and hostility? Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Guest: Professor Apoorvanand, Delhi University Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 分
  • Can propaganda be great art?

    Can propaganda be great art?
    2025/12/25
    The age-old question of whether works created with explicit ideological intent can achieve artistic greatness has long divided critics, artists, and audiences. From Leni Riefenstahl’s films glorifying Nazism to the bold, constructivist posters of the Soviet era, history offers uncomfortable affirmations of propaganda transcending its purpose to become enduring art. Recently, this debate has been reignited by Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, a sprawling spy thriller. While critics have lambasted it for selectively blending real events with fiction to push ultra-nationalist narratives, defenders of the film have argued that its technical finesse, immersive storytelling, and raw intensity elevate it beyond mere messaging, much as in historical precedents, where aesthetic power outlives ideological baggage. Can propaganda be great art? Guests: Prof Asim Siddiqui teaches English Literature at Aligarh Muslim University, writes opinion pieces on Hindi cinema, and is the author of Muslim Identity in Hindi Cinema: Poetics and Politics of Genre and Representation. Sudhanva Deshpande is an eminent theatre personality, author, and film actor. Host: Anuj Kumar Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    48 分
  • VB-GRAMG Bill: Will it destroy the world’s most successful workfare program?

    VB-GRAMG Bill: Will it destroy the world’s most successful workfare program?
    2025/12/24
    The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAMG) Bill, 2025 has received the President’s assent. This Bill replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which stands repealed. The move has sparked an outcry, from the Opposition and civil society. Critics say this new law will destroy the very substance of the erstwhile MGNREGA – which is to provide work on demand. That is how MGNREGA had served as a lifeline for India’s poor and marginalised people. But that is going to change. So, what are the ways in which the G-RAM-G Bill is different from MGNREGA? How will it impact the beneficiaries of MGNREGA? How does it impact federalism? Guest: Rajendran Narayanan, Associate Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 分