All Indians Matter

India’s unprecedented coal shortage could slow the post-COVID economic recovery, impact already-strained household budgets and dim the lights on the festive season. How exactly did we get here and what can we expect next? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one thinks or writes about districts like Gadchiroli and Chandrapur that have large tribal populations. The tribal regions in these districts are mainly underdeveloped, lacking basic facilities like healthcare. There are other issues: lack of roads, medieval menstrual practices, forcible land acquisition, non-payment of health workers, malnutrition… So, who’s fighting for the tribals in these r...

Since it assumed power, the BJP has painted every opponent as an enemy of the nation – from Opposition leaders to minorities and even students and journalists covering crime in BJP-ruled states. Now, it’s the turn of the farmers. It’s a way of deflecting attention from the government’s many failures – rising fuel and food prices, the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, poor economic performanc...

India’s 68 lakh artisans and artists account for the country’s second largest unorganised sector. It can contribute much to the economy but it requires work on several fronts – brand creation, efficient fabrication processes and, most importantly, wider markets for stable revenues. Richa Khandelwal Bhat, founder and MD of Narayana’s ArtNirbhar Bharat Foundation, which is creating employment for th...

India has signed agreements with technology giants to crunch data on agriculture in order to modernise the very traditional industry. The agriculture ecosystem certainly needs a transformation and the use of data can be a great accelerator. However, it’s not all smooth sailing. Farmers don’t trust the government, and there are concerns over privacy and whether the programme can actually deliver. P...

The COVID-19 pandemic was most devastating for women, children and adolescents, especially in low and middle-income countries. And these experiences were similar across these regions. Poor mental health, disruptions to education, loss of income and violence were just some of the consequences. Civil society groups, under the umbrella of PMNCH, a multi-constituency partnership hosted by the World He...

There is a demand to bring petrol and diesel under the GST’s ambit. How would you benefit from that and why does the Centre need to enforce that despite the states’ opposition? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are an estimated 1.5 lakh Indians living with multiple sclerosis but the actual number is almost certainly higher. A key reason for this is lack of awareness and data about the disease. Data is important if we are to have an effective plan for it and ensure patients get the public resources they need to cope with the disease. So, what exactly is multiple sclerosis and how can the healthcare...

Urban 20- to 24-year-olds have one of the highest unemployment rates in India – 37.9%. Among them, graduates report a much higher unemployment rate of over 60%. And it’s worse when it comes to women – almost one in four urban women with bachelor’s degrees and one in five with post-graduate education are unemployed. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your...

India’s burgeoning urban population has resulted in a stark increase in the quantity of solid waste generated – 65 million tons a year – but only 75%-80% of it gets collected and only 22%-28% is treated. Sangeeta Venkatesh, an expert on solid waste management, speaks to All Indians Matter on potential solutions and the gap between programmes like Swachh Bharat and their execution. Learn more about...

Why is the government obsessed with turning monuments into theme parks? Even as protests against the Jalianwala Bagh makeover rage on, the plan to transform Sabarmati Ashram into tourist hub has run into a controversy. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The justice system exists as part of society, not outside it. So, you’re particularly vulnerable if you happen to be poor, part of a minority or a vulnerable group such as Dalits, or of the wrong gender. Can we even have a workable society without justice equality? And why should all Indians know about Article 39A of the Constitution? Dr Anup Surendranath, Assistant Professor of Law and Executive...

As the country goes through profound political and social changes, what are common Indians thinking? What do they want from the next decade and what keeps them up at night? Episode 100 of All Indians Matter is a very special conversation with people like us – senior journalist Aarefa Johari, development sector professional and education equity worker Malvika Agarwal, and financial markets veteran...

What’s on the minds of common Indians? What do they really want and what do they fear? Episode 100 of All Indians Matter is a very special conversation with people like us – senior journalist Aarefa Johari, development sector professional and education equity worker Malvika Agarwal, and financial markets veteran Himanshu Vyas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A study has found that Muslim children face systematic exclusion at the pre-primary level in Delhi’s private schools – less than 3% of those who applied to private unaided schools at the nursery level were admitted. Jannat Fatima Farooqui, co-author of the study, speaks to All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The demand for a caste census is gaining steam. This, essentially, is a count of the OBC population. India has never had such a count since Independence despite the fact that OBCs are thought to account for 52% of the population. What is a caste census and what purpose would it serve? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

While we are seeing COVID-19 vaccine shortages on the one hand, we are also seeing stubborn vaccine hesitancy on the other. Experts see it as a threat to the country’s very fragile gains against COVID-19. Dr Renu Khosla, Director of the Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence, and Kritica Mahajan, senior campaigner at Purpose, a social impact agency and campaigning organisation that is driving th...

This episode is a walk down memory lane. In 2011, I was appointed as lead trainer for first-generation journalists in Kabul. The time I spent there gave me a first-hand look at how Taliban rule had devastated the country and how its brave journalists were standing up to tremendous pressure and risk. They viewed their work as a vital building block in the rebuilding of their country and as a safegu...

The government’s plans to convert Lakshadweep into a tourism powerhouse has enraged locals and environmentalists, who point to the ecological hazards posed by the projects and the “attacks on identity, culture, religion and land”. Rohan Arthur, a marine biologist who has been working in the Indian Ocean on coral reefs, seagrass meadows and other coastal ecosystems over the past two decades, speaks...

Chief Justice NV Ramana lamented that torture in police custody continues in India. Between 2017 and 2019, according to official figures, 1,189 were tortured in police custody but this is most likely an underestimate. The Supreme Court, the most powerful legal body in the land, needs to do more than talk about it to effect real change. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Lea...

Since the resistance against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens began, women have led at least 426 protests across India. Navsharan Singh, a women’s rights and human rights scholar and activist, decodes why women are playing not just a crucial role in raising a voice about issues but increasingly taking the lead.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

The recent flooding in Maharashtra and other parts of the country was alarming. Climate change is altering the Indian monsoon system, warn studies. The monsoon is likely to get heavier and more dangerous over the long term because of global warming. This has implications on the economy and other national priorities like food security. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Lear...

Zomato’s was the first in a series of mega IPOs lined up for launch. Paytm and LIC are among the ones to watch now. The stock markets, a contrast to the real economy at the moment, have risen substantially over the past 15 months. Why is that so and why are so many listings happening now? Amit Sahita, a veteran of the equity, debt, forex and commodity markets, speaks to All Indians Matter. You can...

Believe it or not, the boundary dispute between Assam and Mizoram goes back nearly a century and a half. What is this standoff all about and which are the other inter-state boundary disputes simmering in India? Listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite heroic individual and team performances, India hasn’t performed well at the Olympics overall – winning only 28 medals before Tokyo. Our athletes haven’t had the best infrastructure or support from federations. What does it take to become an Olympian in India? And what can India do to become a truly great Olympic nation? Imtiaz Anees, the only Indian rider to complete an equestrian three-da...