In Focus by The Hindu

Everyone knows someone with diabetes or heart disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It’s impossible to find somebody who doesn’t have at least one victim of these diseases in their family or friends circle. That’s how widespread they’ve become. All these disorders share one thing in common – all are ‘lifestyle diseases’ linked to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. For the longes...

Data shows that India’s exports increased by over 15 percent in November year-on-year, the country’s fastest growth in three years.  India’s total exports (Merchandise and Services combined) for November 2025 is estimated at $ 73.99 billion. This is a growth of 15.52 per cent, compared November 2024.  The rise comes at a time when U.S. has imposed steep tariffs on India. U.S. President Trump intro...

The Indian Premier League 2026 mini-auction delivered record spending and a clear shift in team priorities, as franchises splurged on Indian domestic talent alongside marquee overseas names. While Cameron Green became the costliest overseas buy in IPL history, the night belonged to uncapped players, several of whom attracted multi-crore bids and reshaped auction dynamics. In this episode of In Foc...

Global spending on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to reach $375 billion this year and and $500 billion by 2026, according to the UBS. That raises a fundamental question: is AI’s value being driven by genuine technological progress, or by investor enthusiasm racing ahead of reality? Is the AI boom a bubble? Guests: Bhagwan Chowdhry and Anoop Kunchukuttan Host: Areena Arora Edited by Jude...

On the 21st of November, the government of India has brought in 4 labour codes to reform and replace the 29 existing laws in the country They are Code on Wages, Code on Industrial Relations, Code on Social Security and Code on Occupation Safety, Health and working conditions. The government is touting these labour codes as India’s biggest labour reforms—brought in nearly eight decades after Indepe...

For years, India’s political debates, parliamentary discussions, and health-policy arguments have leaned heavily on a simple figure of one doctor per 1000 people supposedly set by the World Health Organization or WHO But the WHO in a written reply to the Hindu has clarified that it has never actually recommended this ratio. This episode breaks down the history behind the 1:1000 myth, examines the...

In its recent assessment, the International Monetary Fund India’s national accounts statistics, which includes key figures such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross Value Added (GVA), a grade of ‘C’, the second-lowest grade there is. “National accounts data are available at adequate frequency and timeliness and provide broadly adequate granularity,” the IMF noted, adding, “However, some metho...

It will soon be four years since Russia invaded Ukraine. As the conflict drags on, neither side seems ready for a compromise. But President Donald Trump has been pushing for a peace deal. He recently released a 28-point peace plan. It basically asks Ukraine to cede territory it has already lost in exchange for security guarantees. But Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out...

Indigo’s mass cancellations have disrupted the lives of thousands of passengers. This company is not a newbie or a start-up. It is India’s largest airline, with 60% market share. In Financial Year 2024, it returned a profit of ₹8,000 crores. So, finances were not a concern.  Yet, it did not invest in preparing for the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms that kicked in from November 1. Fol...

Over the last few days, the rupee exchange rate has fallen below ₹90 a dollar and has largely stayed at that level. Now, with Parliament running, a lot of the discourse on this has been political. However, from a policy level, it is critical to understand the economics behind the fall. Why is the rupee falling? Is it falling worse than other currencies? Does the fall hurt or help the Indian econom...

India’s home season against South Africa has been nothing short of dramatic, from a bruising Test whitewash to a spirited comeback in the ODIs. But beneath the results lies a deeper story about where Indian cricket stands today and where it is headed. In this episode of In Focus, we break down the biggest talking points from the tour. Why is India suddenly vulnerable in Tests at home? Are the pitc...

A recent report released by the World Health Organization, stated something that experts in India have been warning about for years: antimicrobial resistance or AMR in our country the report said, “is a serious and escalating threat, with resistance rates among the highest in the world.” The government is taking this threat seriously: it has now brought out National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Re...

Every winter, India’s capital city turns into a gas chamber. There is a sharp spike in cases of people reporting respiratory complaints. Children’s schooling is disrupted. They can’t go out and play. The elderly can’t take their morning walks. And the state does very little to address what is evidently a public health emergency. Beijing had exactly the same problem – but no longer. It took measure...

From high-altitude warfare, extreme weather and the shock of Pakistan’s surprise occupation of the heights, to the evolution of artillery tactics that changed the course of the conflict, his memoir Artillery’s Thunder: The Untold Kargil Story recounts the lesser-known, ground-level realities of Operation Vijay. In this conversation, he also reflects the parallels between Kargil and modern precisio...

With the rise in telecom and internet penetration in India, technology-based crimes are on the rise. While financial fraud and digital arrests are the focus of the conversation, a less talked-about issue is that of digital gender-based violence. A new report, titled Experiencing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in India: Survivor Narratives and Legal Responses, highlights testimonies f...

Earlier this week, the Department of Telecommunications ordered smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on all new devices. It also told them to ensure that the app’s functionalities are not disabled. It said this would protect users from cyber-fraud and phone theft. But within two days, the government revoked this order. It justified the withdrawal by citing a surge in acce...

The rise of Zohran Mamdani as the Mayor of New York City in the United States has brought focus to the lack of visibility of similarly elected civic officials in Indian cities. Why do citizens in urban areas of India have no elected official to turn to in times of crisis or to help improve civic infrastructure and amenities? The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the governing civic body of...

December 3 marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, an annual observance established by the United Nations in 1992. The 2025 theme is "fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress". In this episode, we examine India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, and the principle of reasonable accommodation. Under Section 2(y), reasonable accommo...

The 2025 Formula One season has delivered one of the most thrilling championship battles in over a decade. What looked like a straight McLaren shootout between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took a dramatic turn after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where both drivers were disqualified for technical infringements. That stunning twist, combined with Max Verstappen’s late-season surge and seven consecutiv...

What is going on with health insurance claims? According to recent data from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the volume of claims filed rose 21.8% in the financial year 2025, but the total amount settled by insurers increased by only 12.88 %. This stark mismatch has spilled over social media – where stories of claims going unsettled, settled for lower amounts o...

In this weekender episode, we take you back to a time when Mumbai was living under the shadow of the underworld- when extortion calls, gang wars, and contract killings were part of daily life. We are joined by one of the key officers who led the operations that broke the backbone of Mumbai’s mafia networks. As he talks about his book The Brahmastra Unleashed, we unpack what was really happening on...

What comes to mind when someone says the word ‘mumps’? You’re vaguely remembering that it’s supposed to be a mild, childhood illness, one that you haven’t perhaps heard about in a long time. The fact is however, that there are thousands of mumps cases being reported in India every year. And this is not just limited to one or two States — cases occur across the country. A vaccine for mumps has been...

The annual UN Climate Conference, COP30, concluded in Belem, Brazil, last week. The final text of the outcome did not mention "fossil fuels" at all, and did not strengthen financial commitments. However, voluntary plans announced by the COP30 President to create roadmaps to transition away from fossil fuels and to stop deforestation show some hope. In this episode of InFocus, we speak with Zerin O...

On November 21, the Union Labour Ministry announced the implementation of the four labour codes: The Code on Wages, 2019; The Industrial Relations Code, 2020; The Code on Social Security, 2020; and The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Several trade unions have expressed concern over the notification of the four labour codes, with many of them demanding that they be re...

A 5-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has given its opinion on the 16th Presidential Reference. This Reference pertained to the discretionary powers of the Governor and the President. The Supreme Court said that no timelines can be fixed for Governors or the President to act on Bills passed by State legislatures. It also said there can be no ‘deemed assent’. But it added that in cases where the Gov...