South Central

In this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first dives into the repeated targeting of YouTuber Raavan, who has been arrested five times over speeches critical of the Andhra Pradesh government, including one containing a controversial remark about Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The hosts are joined by senior journalist C Vanaja and Prof Murali Karnam of NALSAR Univ...

In this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss senior journalist R Rajagopal’s letter regarding the removal of his name from the electoral rolls, denying him renewal of his passport. They are joined by R Rajagopal himself and Shivasundar, a senior activist and researcher who has been studying the election process. In the second part of the episode, the hosts...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna are joined by The Wire's Editor Seema Chishti and TNM's Karnataka Bureau Chief Anisha Sheth. They first discuss the controversy surrounding the Ayodhya Ram Temple, questioning the formation of the SIT and why agencies such as the CBI or the CAG have not stepped in. In the second half of the episode, the panel discusses MPs...

In this week's South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Anisha Sheth first discuss the RSS's longstanding reluctance to register itself as an organisation. They are joined by Shardool K of Newslaundry, who was part of the RSS for several years, and senior journalist Nikita Saxena. The panel unpacks how remaining unregistered has historically afforded the organisation plausible deniability, shield...

In this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss politics, gender, and self-expression with Aleena, a prominent writer and poet. She is a Dalit feminist thinker from Kerala who won the Sahithya Academy Kanakashree Award for her poetry collection titled Silk Route.  In the second part of the episode, the hosts discuss illegal mining and quarrying, which per...

In this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the recent political developments in Tamil Nadu and the resignation of the BJP’s former state head, Annamalai. They are joined by senior journalist RK Radhakrishnan. In the second part of the episode, hosts discuss the Kerala government’s proposal to allow three days of period leave every month for school girls....

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the cabinet change in Karnataka and what Siddaramaiah’s resignation will mean for the state’s politics. They are joined by professor and commentator Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi. In the second half of the episode, the hosts discuss the Cockroach Janta Party and what this new political movement could mean. The...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Pooja Prasanna and Anisha Sheth first discuss the unprecedented use of social media in Tamil Nadu by Vijay’s TVK and whether it has reshaped politics in the state. They are joined by journalist and translator Kavitha Muralidharan and TNM’s Associate Editor Nandini Chandrasekhar. In the second part of the episode, the hosts discuss the SIR process in Karnatak...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the NEET exam paper leak and the subsequent developments.  They are joined by educationist and the founder of Career 360, Maheshwer Peri and TNM Associate Editor Nandini Chandrashekar. In the second part of the discussions, the hosts discuss the austerity measures announced by PM Modi, including a ban on...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna discuss the political developments in Tamil Nadu and the national implications of the fallout between DMK and Congress. They are joined by TNM’s Tamil Nadu bureau chief, Shabbir Ahmed, journalist and political analyst Rasheed Kidwai, and K Venkataramanan, a senior journalist who was previously with The Hindu. Support South...

In the first part of this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna discuss the Kerala and Tamil Nadu exit polls and the recent political developments in both states. They are joined by TNM’s Tamil Nadu bureau chief Shabbir Ahmed, Kerala bureau chief Haritha John, and senior reporter Azeefa Fathima. In the second part of the episode, the hosts discuss the World Press Freedom...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss delimitation and what states should now be discussing with the Union government. They are joined by former IAS officer Rangarajan Ramakrishnan. In the second part of the episode, the hosts discuss the Telangana government’s Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey 2024, its...

In this episode of South Central, Pooja Prasanna and Azeefa Fathima discuss the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, focusing on the delimitation row, alliances, welfare politics, and what may ultimately decide the vote. They are joined by Frontline’s Senior Associate Editor R K Radhakrishnan, The Hindu’s Chief of Bureau Ramya Kannan, and academic and activist Dr C Lakshmanan. The panel examine...

In this episode on South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. They are joined by The Deccan Herald’s Assistant Editor Sivapriyan and journalist and translator Kavitha Muralidharan. In the second segment of the episode, the hosts discuss the verdict in the Sathankulam police station case in which Bennix and Jayaraj were torture...

In this week’s South Central, Dhanya Rajendran, Anisha Sheth, and cartoonist Rachita Taneja discuss the Union government’s proposed amendments to the IT law and what they mean for online speech. Why is the government bringing in these changes, and how will they impact people sharing news and opinions online? In the second part, guests from Kerala discuss the upcoming Assembly elections. Environmen...

This week South Central looks at Kerala’s elections and the transgender amendment law. Hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna are joined by MG Radhakrishnan, Sreejan Balakrishnan, and TNM’s Haritha John to unpack why the UDF may have a slight edge but no clear wave against Pinarayi Vijayan. In the second segment, Azeefa Fatima and Lakshmi Priya discuss the trans bill’s fallout, with reports of...

In this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026, which has triggered protests across the country. They are joined by advocate Arvind Narrain of the Alternative Law Forum, who was part of the panel of lawyers who fought for IPC 377 to be struck down. Joining in is also Rumi Harish, a musician and a queer, trans, mascu...

In the first segment of this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna discuss the LPG crisis and what that could mean for India going forward. They are joined by energy journalist and policy expert Shreya Jai, and climate journalist and researcher Aruna Chandrasekhar. In the second segment, the hosts discuss the recent no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla...

In the first segment of this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna speak to senior gynaecologist Dr Thankam Subramonian, who recently approached the Karnataka HC to altruistically donate a kidney after being denied permission by a medical committee. In the second segment, the hosts delve into the ongoing military conflict between Iran, Israel and the USA. They are joined...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the Karnataka government’s plan to ban teenagers from using mobile phones. They are joined by policy researcher Tara Krishnaswamy, child psychologist Sama Adil, and Adhira S Magesh, a teenager who is a Karate black belt holder and enthusiastic baker. In the second part of the discussion, the hosts delve into...

The News Minute turns 12 on February 21, and to commemorate, in this week’s South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna bring together the old and new team of TNM. The group goes over how TNM started– a one-room venture with an intern and one reporter, and traces how it grew into a steadfast newsroom with several journalists, focusing on caste, gender, power, and culture. Once a month...

This week, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna discuss the controversy over former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, and the political storm it has stirred in the Parliament. They are joined by senior journalist and founding editor of The Wire, MK Venu, and Caravan magazine’s Consulting Editor, Sushant Singh, who wrote about the book. Once a month, w...

In the first session, hosts Pooja Prasanna and Anisha Sheth discuss the India-US trade deal and the recently announced reduction in tariffs. They are joined by senior journalists Smita Sharma and TK Arun. In the second part of the discussion, the hosts delve into the ban on student elections in Karnataka and the Congress government’s proposal to bring it back. They are joined by Professor Muralidh...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna first discuss the new UGC equity regulations and the protests around them. They are joined by TNM’s Executive Editor Sudipto Mondal and rights lawyer Mridula Vanangamudi. Then they look at the fast-paced political negotiations and developments in Kerala, headed for Assembly polls soon. The hosts are joined by Damodar Prasa...

In this episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna discuss the organised hate campaigns against film reviewers in the country. The discussion spans themes including the communal profiling of actors and reviewers and delves into whether fan culture catalyses the polarisation of films based on nationalism, religion, and gender politics. Joining the hosts are acclaimed film critics Anna MM Ve...