All Indians Matter

All Indians Matter speaks to Sadaf Jafar, who was among the Muslim women targeted through the Bulli Bai app - she and several others were 'listed' for auction. The posts were clearly meant to harass and terrorise Indian Muslim women and, in fact, Indian Muslims in general. This is in line with a broader trend targeting Muslim women on digital platforms, and is part of the widening harassment of mi...

This year’s Budget comes in the wake of soaring COVID-19 cases, suppressed private consumption and investment, as well as rural distress and unemployment. But, with major state elections coming up, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be under pressure to focus on them. Will she deliver a Budget that has us all in mind? Or is she in election mode? Please listen to the latest episode of All Ind...

Air pollution in India is so bad that it could be reducing life expectancy of millions by up to nine years. One of the solutions could be carbon capture, utilisation and storage technology as a means to reduce emissions. What is carbon capture? Young entrepreneur Ronak Mistry, founder of Greenovate Solutions, which focuses on pollution prevention technology, details it for All Indians Matter. Lear...

126 tigers died in India in 2021, the most since data began being compiled a decade ago. The previous highest number of deaths was in 2016 when 121 died. The maximum number of deaths took place in Madhya Pradesh which recorded 44, followed by 26 in Maharashtra and 14 in Karnataka. Blame it on diverse threats, ranging from poaching to habitat loss and overhunting of the tiger’s prey species. And, y...

Increasing demand and rapid urbanisation has resulted in an exponential rise in wastewater generation. Metros generate a staggering 220 litres per capita per day of it, and, 70% of urban wastewater flows untreated into rivers and seas. Pravinjith KP – who has more 29 years’ experience working on more than 350 projects across infrastructure, energy and the environment –is an expert on wastewater. H...

Banking the unbanked is critical to India meeting its financial inclusion targets. However, the unspoken cost of opening a bank account is a deterrent for the poor. Did you know it can cost them as much as a day’s earnings? There are other pressures, such as long commutes to a bank branch and dealing with complex documentation. Financial inclusion isn’t just about the economy; it has social ramifi...

Education, especially higher education, fosters an egalitarian society. However, a large number of students from marginalised communities continue to be excluded from higher education, thus cutting them off from key economic, social, political and cultural opportunities. Prashant Chavan, Co-founder of Eklavya, a grassroots organisation that provides mentorship to first-generation learners from und...

The recent Global Nutrition Report and the National Family Health Survey show India is performing abysmally on anaemia, especially among women, and childhood wasting. There’s more – India is not on course to meet seven of the 13 global nutrition targets, the report warned. These are serious issues that have human, economic and social repercussions. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indian...

There were at least 305 attacks targeting Christians in the first nine months of 2021. Community leaders say such violence is on the rise, especially in BJP-ruled states. Where is the government? Where are our courts? And what lies ahead? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As India’s mega businesses push to exploit our forest wealth, Adivasi communities pay the price. They have lost their lands, their homes and their way of life. From the fire of this saga has emerged a rich cache of resistance literature and poetry. Jacinta Kerketta, a young Adivasi poet and independent journalist from the Oraon Adivasi community in West Singbhum district in Jharkhand speaks to All...

The killing of innocent Naga villagers in a botched special forces operation is only the latest bloody incident in a conflict that has been raging for over six decades. What sparked the troubles in Nagaland, why is it so tough to resolve and what lies ahead? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lockdown imposed in 2020 forced many families into debt and poverty. Unable to care for their children, many considered the weddings of their underage girls as necessary for survival. According to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, from the last week of March up until June 2020 alone, authorities received 5,584 phone calls to prevent underage marriages across India. Child right...

Mortality due to air pollution is a bigger pandemic than COVID, say experts. The Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and Purpose India have conducted a study on the impact of air pollution on Delhi’s women construction workers. The study came up with important actionable insights on how to protect this most vulnerable group. Siraz Hirani, of the trust, and Polash Mukerjee, an expert on air quality and clima...

Our farmers have shown how Gandhian satyagraha and social justice movements can protect our democracy and enable it to flourish. Faced with the determination of the farmers and possible setbacks in a series of crucial upcoming Assembly elections, the government withdrew the agriculture laws the farmers were agitating against. What comes next?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

Social platforms offer citizens a direct dialogue with government agencies, which deploy their handles for a variety of functions, from awareness building and information dissemination to troubleshooting and crisis communication. Sunchika Pandey, whose agency runs the fun and popular social media account of the Mumbai police, speaks to All Indians Matter about why governments must adapt to how a r...

India’s wholesale price index is at a 5-month high and retail prices are rising too on the back of supply shortages, high energy costs and a cut in fuel levies that’s come in too late. Prices of food and non-food items are rising, and it seems they will rise further. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pegasus case, in which several public personalities were tracked through Israeli spyware on their phones, raises worrying questions about privacy, freedom and data security – even for the common man. Sapni GK, a lawyer researching the intersection of technology, society and law, speaks to All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government kept changing the justification for demonetisation, but it failed no matter what the objective was. It harmed farmers, labourers, daily-wage workers and women disproportionately and did nothing to curb cash in circulation. Half a decade later, it continues to haunt the country. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

The politics of hate can be traced back to Partition and even before that but only now has it become so rabid and a matter of pride. Sachin Garg, bestselling author, media columnist and TEDx speaker, has written a book on the post-Partition social and political landscape and points out many similarities between then and now in this conversation with All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad cho...

COP26 should have made a greater commitment to climate change mitigation and arrived at a roadmap to a sustainable future but, other than vague statements, not much was achieved. This is unfortunate because there was a lot at stake for India. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quality education in early childhood lays the developmental foundation for a lifetime and positively impacts society and the economy. But there is great dichotomy in education delivery in India – it ranges from sub-par in government schools to world-class in private ones. Renowned educationist Dr Swati Popat Vats and her co-author Nasrin Modak-Siddiqi – they’ve just released a book of the father o...

In the latest episode of All Indians Matter, we put under the microscope the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, or the NDPS Act, the law under which Aryan – Shah Rukh Khan’s son – was charged. Did you know that some provisions of it are thought to be more draconian than even the dreaded UAPA? What is the NDPS Act all about and why does it desperately need a relook? Learn more about yo...

In the current political climate, Urdu is made out to be the language of Muslims only rather than one that cuts across religious and social groups. It is being used as yet another tool to polarise society and its once-eminent position is being eroded. Can Urdu survive? Fabeha Syed, journalist and host of the award-winning podcast Urdunama, speaks to All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad cho...

Rising terror attacks in Kashmir, especially targeted killings of civilians, lay bare the Central Government’s security failures. So far this year, 28 civilians have been killed. The government has had no answer other than knee-jerk reactions that are bound to raise tensions in the Valley. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about reducing the “dil ki doori” in Kashmir, he needs a different...

Diagnostics comprise less than 5% of hospital costs but their findings influence 60%-70% of healthcare decision-making. India has among the lowest spends on diagnostics in the world due to lack of affordability, accessibility and awareness. How can innovations in diagnostics transform healthcare? Gautam Wankhede, Director of Medical Affairs at leading biotech firm Mylab, speaks to All Indians Matt...