3 Things

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Ravi Dutta Mishra about India and US finally cracking a trade deal. After months of negotiations, meetings and phone calls, Indian and US have formulated a trade deal. Ravi shares all the considerations, the discussions and what all was included in the deal.  Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Dheeraj Mishra about an AI enabled project that is helping save t...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

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,...

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 unders...

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

First, we discuss the new set of UGC anti-discrimination rules for Indian universities now paused by the Supreme Court. We speak to The Indian Express’ Vidheesha Kuntamalla about what these rules aimed to change, why they’ve sparked backlash, and what happens next. Next, we discuss a less-talked-about economic risk, public health. The Indian Express' Udit Misra tells us why economists are warning...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, The Indian Express’ Ravi Dutta Misra explains the significance of the free trade agreement between India and the EU, and what India will need to do to actually benefit from it. Next, The Indian Express’ Nikhila Henry reports on the spate of stray dog killings in Telangana and what her ground reporting reveals about one such mass killing in the village of Yacharam (16:20). And finally, The I...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express’ National Chief of the Bureau Ritika Chopra about a high-level government meeting that discussed introducing official protocols for India’s national song, Vande Mataram and how this may shape its legal and political standing ahead of the 150th anniversary. Next, we speak to The Indian Express’ Brendan Dabhi about a new state-funded BSL-4 lab in Gujarat, only th...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Mihir Vasavda about how a growing number of athletes and coaches are saying that training outdoors in India is becoming less about performance and more about basic survival in the toxic winter air and extreme summer heat. And what this means when India has put in its bid for Olympics 2036. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Himanshu Harsh about the Bihar pol...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

On the occasion of Republic Day, we revisit three key debates—on secularism, reservations, and the cow—that were passionately argued by our founding fathers during the drafting of the Constitution. (This episode was originally released on 25th January 2025). Hosted and produced by Shashank Bhargava Additional help from Ichha Sharma Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express’ Sohini Ghosh about a recent Delhi High Court ruling that cleared the way for a cheaper version of Nivolumab, a patented cancer drug, raising questions about the balance between public health and patent rights in India. Next, we speak to The Indian Express’ Kanchan Vasdev about why Punjab farmers want the security fence near the Pakistan border moved and what t...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Nikhila Henry about a case against a sitting Catholic bishop. In 2018, Bishop Franco Mulakka faced sexual assault allegations, and eight years after the allegations, the nun who made these allegations has decided to step out of anonymity and is now speaking publicly as Sister Ranit M J. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Vikas Pathak about Nitin Nabin, the y...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express’ Anil Sasi about how the US’s dramatic military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is less about narco-trafficking and more about oil and why even oil giants are hesitant. Next, we speak to The Indian Express’ Jayprakash Naidu about the ongoing protest by thousands of midday meal cooks in Chhattisgarh, who are demanding a living wage and basic digni...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Parul Kulshrestha about a video that went viral and led to a major political controversy in Rajasthan. The video featured a Booth Level Officer claiming that he was being pressured to delete hundreds of voters from voter rolls that are being created afresh under the SIR.  Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Saman Husain about the increase in the number of wom...

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Girish Kuber about the BJP-Shiv Sena’s sweeping municipal poll win in Maharashtra and what it reveals about the shifting contours of urban politics in the state. Next, we speak to The Indian Express’ Vineet Bhalla about a split Supreme Court verdict on Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and how it reopens the long-standing debate between shielding...