The Times Of India Podcast

As a state doubles down on its decision to teach school children parts of the Gita, author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik talks about why the holy text may not be for children. He talks about its complexities and also why he believes it shouldn't be viewed outside the context of the Mahabharata.

After Pakistan's national elections throw up a result that defies all pre-poll predictions, academic and author Ayesha Siddiqa explains what this means for Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, the Pakistan Army and ties with India.

Mihira Sood, Executive Director of the Centre for Child Rights & Juvenile Justice at the National Law University in Delhi, first decodes how much Uttarakhand's uniform civil code changes things. She also explains why the state's proposal on handling live-in relationships is very problematic. (15:50)

TOI+ columnist and journalist Radhika Ramaseshan talks about Bharat Ratna awardee LK Advani's contribution to the Ram temple cause and his own political fall. Then she decodes the BJP's campaign strategy ahead of the 2024 polls.

TOI Plus's Lata Mishra speaks with doctors and patients about hypersensitivity pneumonitis, why a bird's being blamed for its rise and how to prevent it.

Sanjay Kumar, co-director of Lokniti, talks to Alka Dhupkar about why he wrote off the 2024 national election after Nitish Kumar's departure, what explains the Bihar chief minister's political survival and what the INDIA alliance needs to do quickly.

Sociologist Dr Suryakant Waghmore talks to TOI Plus's Bhavika Jain about how the Maratha demand for a quota changed over decades, what it means for politics in the state and what its latest success means for the community.

A recent report said AI-driven misinformation is the second biggest risk to the world in 2024 and India is at the highest risk. Karen Rebelo, deputy editor at fact-checking organisation Boom Live, decodes how misinformation has evolved over the years in India and why artificial intelligence tools will make it so much harder to detect misinformation.

Former police officer Julio Ribeiro, former editor Rahul Singh and prominent gynaecologist Dr Rustom Soonawala reflect on India's successes over seven decades and where it could have done better.

As the origin story of the dish is contested, food historian and columnist Anoothi Vishal decodes how butter chicken became so popular (not just because of the taste) and the dishes it eclipsed on the way to becoming a global superstar.

Retired ambassador and West Asia geopolitics expert, Talmiz Ahmad talks to Jairaj Singh about the Iran-Pakistan missile strikes, what could spread the conflict in West Asia and what tensions in the region mean for India.

Former Maharashtra CM and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan talks to TOI Plus's Alka Dhupkar about Milind Deora's departure and firming alliances. Then, CPR's Neelanjan Sircar explains what impact Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra can have, and what it means for the INDIA alliance.

Sunil Baghel and Bhavika Jain from TOI+ speak with constitutional experts - PDT Achary and former Maharashtra Advocate General Sreehari Aney - to decode what the Maharashtra speaker's verdict in the Shiv Sena split says about India's anti-defection law.

Political scientist and co-director of Lokniti, Suhas Palshikar examines the 'one nation, one election' plan and breaks down why it raises more concerns than solving problems.

One of India's longest-standing insurgent groups ULFA recently signed a memorandum of settlement with the Indian government. Journalist and author of 'ULFA: The Mirage of Dawn', Rajeev Bhattacharyya talks to TOI's Jayanta Kalita about what the latest peace agreement means, and how ULFA rose and then lost influence in Assam

Former central information commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi talks about what the transfer of an official for revealing information about government selfie points says about the health of the Right to Information Act and why it's a law that must be preserved in the interest of transparency.

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explains why our religions talk about how to handle money and wealth even though gods are above money. He also explains why different religions have different ideas about what to do with wealth

Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman of the Institute of Chest Surgery at Medanta Hospital, explains why he's been talking about the blackening of lungs due to air pollution and why he believes more people need to know what air pollution is doing to them.

The Bangladesh elections are to be held on January 7 but the outcome seems set. Author and journalist Deep Halder talks to Prabhash K Dutta about what to expect as Sheikh Hasina's likely to enjoy a fourth term as the country's prime minister.

Zeba Sikora from Project 39A at the National Law University in Delhi explains the concerns with the three new criminal law bills passed by Parliament and how much they really reform the criminal justice system.

Author of 'H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars' and journalist Kunal Purohit talks about the emergence of a popular subculture, what explains its rise and the dangers it comes with.

Aditya Bahadur, Chair of the Research and Strategy Team at the International Institute for Environment and Development, explains what was achieved, and what wasn't, at the COP28 summit in Dubai and why the world seems to be working so slowly on tackling climate change

Author and personal finance advisor M Pattabiraman explains why tax-saving investments aren't always the best option, how to invest and what most investors get wrong.

Journalist Shakir Mir, who writes on Kashmir for TOI+, talks about the reaction to the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 in the region and how the union territory has fared since 2019.

After the flooding in Chennai, we're bringing back this episode in which we spoke with Jagdish Krishnaswamy, an ecohydrologist at IIHS, who explained what India's cities need to do to prevent flooding.