All Indians Matter

 If the Iran-Israel conflagration expands into a regional conflict, it would affect India on multiple levels – from energy security to input costs of various industries, inflation and stock prices, not to mention strategic interests. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent report warns that India is on its way to becoming the “cancer capital of the world”. While tobacco and alcohol abuse remain among the major drivers, artificial preservatives, junk food, cellphone towers, food adulteration and exposure to pollutants are leading causes too. The solution spans not just more screening facilities but also greater awareness and the use of data for evidence-base...

Signed in 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty gives India control over the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers, while Pakistan manages the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Now, as populations burgeon and climate control wreaks havoc on water resources, India says the treaty must be renegotiated. The Indus Basin aquifer is the second-most stressed in the world but on it rely millions of Indians and Pakistanis. It’s th...

The rise of right-wing nationalism and intense polarisation is defining political debates and electoral outcomes across the world. So, many believe that the outcome of the US and Indian elections will be make or break for global democracy. What does the hard swing towards the right mean for all of us? Rohit Tripathi, a policy advocate on a wide range of public issues spanning the halls of the US C...

Unsafe, contaminated water is killing millions of Indians and dragging down the economy. There is a desperate need to clean and conserve our water sources, and for policies that ensure sustainable use of the world’s most precious resource. India has 16% of the world’s population crammed into a landmass that’s one-third the size of the US. What’s worse, it has only 4% of the world’s fresh water. Sa...

India has more land under cultivation than any other country and is among the leaders in the production of rice, spices, milk, eggs and wheat. Yet, our food system is under immense pressure. It faces many challenges, ranging from depleting natural resources to climate change, fragmented land holdings and increasing urbanisation. Meanwhile, populations are expanding and diets are changing, which me...

Professor GN Saibaba is finally free. But not before his severe disability was tested by horrifying conditions and treatment in jail. His acquittal is a significant blow for human rights and freedom but there are way too many political prisoners still in jail for anyone to celebrate. And they are in jail because the state fears the truth coming out. It fears the truth being recognised as the truth...

Stress levels in the workplace are through the roof, with a high proportion of the workforce reporting mental health issues. This often results in ailments such as depression, heart attacks and strokes. The megood news is that businesses are acting to mitigate what many believe is a crisis. Abha Dandekar, founder of Elephant in the Room, set up to address mental well-being in the workplace, speaks...

India’s relationship with the Maldives has had several twists and turns. The latest diplomatic impasse, in the backdrop of China’s rising influence in the archipelago, could have a significant impact on India’s trade and maritime security. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As our dependence on digital technology for virtually every aspect of life – from work to financial transactions – rises, so does our vulnerability to cyber fraud. Over the past few years, there has been a quantum leap in such crimes. Are you doing enough to protect yourself? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India’s Constitution and Constitutional values are under attack and our institutions are being captured to further an ideology antithetical to the idea of India. How did such a situation come to pass and what lies ahead? All Indians Matter speaks to Pushparaj Deshpande, managing trustee and director of Samruddha Bharat, who has co-edited ‘The Great Indian Manthan’, a collection of essays on the st...

India, along with the rest of the world, is witnessing a wave of layoffs. Over the past two years, an estimated 100,000 people have been laid off by tech firms alone in India and other sectors have not been immune to the contagion either. Blame it on choppy revenue figures, falling valuation, supply chain disruptions and other factors. The job losses come at a time when unemployment is high and pr...

Farmers in India have been on the march demanding greater procurement prices and financial support from the government, among other things. Meanwhile, farmers across Europe are up in arms because of falling prices for their harvest, access to credit, pesticide regulations and food import policies. Globally, agriculture is in turmoil and this doesn’t bode well for food security and farm incomes. Pl...

Trust in the Supreme Court and the wider judiciary is eroding fast. This comes on the back of disappointing rulings over the past few years, inaction in some cases and what seem to be contradictory utterances. In a constitutional democracy, courts play an important counter-majoritarian function and are a check on the executive. Many think the Supreme Court is failing in these functions. If the jud...

Last week’s episode was on Indian syncretism through the lens of Muslim poets writing in Urdu on Hindu epics. This week, I’ve attempted a broader perspective. The dictionary definition of syncretism is: “The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.” This may as well be the definition of India itself. What do you think? Please listen to the lat...

You may not know it but Muslim poets writing in Urdu about Hindu epics have had a great impact on popular culture. There exists a vast body of shayari on Lord Ram, the Mahabarata was brought alive on the screen through the writing of Dr Rahi Masoom Raza, there are Ram Leelas performed in Urdu and even qawwali often refers to Hindu deities and epics. This is just one embodiment of India’s syncretic...

Hate has found a new vehicle to ride on – music and poetry. These forms of popular culture are being used to create social fissures and strengthen Hindutva’s roots, which has been detailed in a great new book, ‘H-Pop - The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars’, by Kunal Purohit. The book dives deep into the lives of musicians and poets whose artistic expression is used to popularise and intensify...

30% of the soil in India is degraded. This means that the quality of food grown on it is nutrient-deficient. Also, for a country that must feed the world’s largest population, sustainably, this is a serious issue but it’s attracting very little attention. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From predictive analytics to crop monitoring equipment, soil analysis sensors and financial platforms, technology could be the great enabler for Indian farmers. However, agritech needs sound regulation and concerns over security and privacy need to be addressed. If this happens, agritech could raise farm incomes by 35% and add $95 billion to India’s economy. Please listen to the latest episode of...

A decade after India’s anti-sexual-harassment law came into effect, there are serious concerns about its implementation. What does the law mandate and how can we overcome the challenges it faces? Priyanka Chaturvedi Agrawal, diversity-inclusion-belonging expert, speaks to All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past decade, Governors have often acted as ideological foot soldiers of the Central Government, sullying the office, threatening the country’s federal structure and sparking off a debate on whether they are required at all. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yemen’s Houthi rebels say they won’t stop disrupting shipping the Red Sea through drone and missile attacks so long as the Israeli genocide in Gaza continues. Who are the Houthis and how do their attacks on commercial ships pose a threat to the global economy? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philanthropists want to not just give but to make sure their money and effort are making a real difference. To that end, they are getting more engaged in such work. This is, therefore, a time of ‘engaged philanthropy’, which focuses on the long term and collaboration to maximise impact. Govind Iyer, Founding Board Member and All India Chairperson of Social Venture Partners in India, speaks to All...

Around the time ‘Dunki’ released, an Airbus A340 carrying 276 passengers, mostly Indians, was detained for four days in France over suspicions of illegal immigration. Reports say there are approximately 725,000 illegal Indian immigrants in the US — the third largest population of unauthorised immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador. US Customs and Border Protection data shows there’s an unpreceden...

The recent suspension of nearly 150 Opposition MPs is only the latest assault on Indian democracy. Since 2014, we’ve had draconian laws being used against peaceful activists, a crackdown on NGOs and the media, and the suppression of data harmful to the government’s image. Where and when does this backslide end? Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.   Learn more about your ad c...