Episodes

  • This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Dainik Bhaskar’s Rajesh Sahu and independent Journalist Sneha Richhariya.


    Rajesh reported on the Jhansi hospital tragedy, in which a fire incident claimed the lives of 15 infants. He says that an overcrowded NICU, expired fire extinguishers, and negligence of the hospital administration led to the incident.


    Sneha has reported on the impact of migration in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. She shed light on how families of the migrants are impacted and the pace of migration leading to vacant villages.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:01:28 - Jhansi hospital fire

    00:20:43 - Bundelkhand migration 

    00:33:20 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Sneha


    LIES OUR MOTHERS TOLD US: The Indian Woman’s Burden


    Anurag Minus Verma Podcast


    Basant


    Ek Jindagi Kafi Nahi


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.


    Tanishka reported on the Ladki Bahin scheme, launched recently by the Maharashtra government for women in the poll-bound state. She explains whether this scheme, the Mahayuti’s biggest bet this election, holds currency for voters.  to multiple women and tries to make out that the newly minted scheme is Mahayuti’s biggest bet this election.


    Shivnarayan talks about his deep dive on Rahul Gandhi’s formula to win on YouTube and social media. He says Gandhi’s team uses strategies that are no different from those used by Narendra Modi. He also explains how Gandhi’s team is sidelining mainstream media, since they believe the media played a huge role in establishing Gandhi’s image as “Pappu”. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:00:59 - Ladki Bahin scheme

    00:11:33 - Rahul Gandhi’s YouTube channel

    00:44:01 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Tanishka


    Imbalance of power: Women at international climate negotiations


    Shivnarayan


    Who was behind the NCP split? Ajit Pawar's BIG REVEAL to Sreenivasan Jain


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry’s Anmol Pritam and Basant Kumar. 


    Anmol reported on the increasing encroachment and concretisation of the Yamuna River floodplains, which has heavily contributed to the river’s degradation. He throws light on the consequence of arbitrary construction by the Delhi Development Authority. 

    Basant’s report was on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visits, which often comprise activities focused on promoting the BJP. He delves into the details of his official visits from January to October and the lack of transparency about the PMO billing the BJP for these unofficial expenses. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction


    00:01:22 - Yamuna river pollution 


    00:08:30 - Modi’s trips


    00:45:10 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Anmol 


    Yamuna is choking in Delhi. Is floodplain encroachment to blame?


    Basant


    Sharda Sinha’s Chhath songs


    Produced and edited by Hassan Bilal, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Scroll’s Ayush Tiwari.


    Ayush has reported on the increasing rift between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP. He explains how the making of Yogi as a “tough and strong” leader has led to dissatisfaction among the cadre and created cracks within the party. He says the power has shifted from party workers and MLAs to police officials.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:02:50 - Yogi’s Police Raj

    00:17:20 - Caste dynamics in BJP

    00:43:58 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Ayush


    Cardinal Numbers


    Why the EBCs are the key to the 2024 election


    Good Morning, Vietnam


    Anmol


    Lowering the Bar The RSS legal front’s increasing hold over the judicial system


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Scroll’s Rokibuz Zaman and Newslaundry’s Drishti Choudhary.


    Rokibuz reported on the Supreme Court’s judgement upholding the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 – a provision added exclusively for Assam. He says that the judgement upholds 1971 as the year of entry, which contradicts the government’s 2014 cut-off under the CAA. 


    Drishti’s report was on the Delhi administration’s efforts and failures in tackling air pollution. She explained the measures undertaken by the Delhi government and that despite spending crores of money and sanctioning extensive resources, the situation has worsened. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:02:38 - Citizenship laws in Assam

    00:25:45 - Delhi air quality crisis

    00:33:20 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Drishti


    Hippie


    Rokibuz


    Provoked Narratives


    Pratyush


    Modi Gov’t Produces Spurious Expert Opinion To Remove Health Warning on Fortified Rice


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Prateek Goyal.


    Avdhesh reported from ground zero on the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, which resulted in the killing of a 22-year-old man and mob-led arson of several local houses. He delves into the factors that led to the communal tensions and how they escalated.  


    Prateek’s report was on the chargesheet in the Pune car crash case. He spotlights the details of the 90-page chargesheet, the sequence of events, and how power and money were used to suppress the justice system.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:02:23 - Bahraich violence

    00:24:30 - Pune Porshe case

    00:33:08 - Lawrence Bishnoi

    00:46:35 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Prateek


    Bahraich के अंदरूनी इलाकों में दंगाइयों द्वारा मचाई गई तबाही की पहली Ground Report


    Avdhesh


    Bihar में बच्चियों को मारने और बचाने की चौंकाने वाली कहानी...


    A Professor's Diary - The Untold Story Of Higher Education


    Basant


    RTI Kaise Aayee


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.


    Basant reported extensively on the Haryana polls from ground zero. He sheds light on the factors that didn’t work in favour of the Congress in Haryana. He also talks about how the exit poll predictions fell flat.


    Shivnarayan’s recent report was on the legal dispute between the Indian army and the Uttar Pradesh government over a stretch of land officially earmarked as a “notified” buffer zone for army field practice in Ayodhya. He explains what the dispute is all about and its Adani connection.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:04:10 - Haryana election result

    00:12:25 - J&K election result

    00:26:35 - Army vs UP government

    00:37:30 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Basant


    Army says its drills are ‘greatly limited’ due to ‘illegal’ encroachments in Ayodhya


    Simon & Schuster India R.A.W. Hitman


    Shivnarayan


    Lowering the Bar The RSS legal front’s increasing hold over the judicial system


    Anmol


    Meri Jaan..Swanand Kirkire, Hansika Pareek, Shrey Gupta, Bharath


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Drishti Choudhary.


    Drishti reported on the crisis facing the Delhi Commission for Women. She says that at present, the commission does not have any office bearers, its helpline numbers are defunct, and many of the staffers and NGOs have not been paid for months.


    Basant covered the Haryana elections and reported on the influence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim on the polls. He talks about the political dynamics between different parties and workers on the ground and how Ram Rahim followers vote en bloc. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:03:44 - The dark side of Haryana’s sports success

    00:09:00 - Haryana elections: ground zero

    00:14:04 - Crisis at the Delhi Commission of Women

    00:19:28 - Ram Rahim’s effect on elections

    00:33:20 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Shivnarayan


    Ram Rahim is silent ahead of Haryana polls. But his dera's message is set to ring out loud


    Drishti


    Independence


    Basant


    Ulajh


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Manisha Pande and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.


    Manisha reported on press freedom in Kashmir from ground zero. She speaks about her interviews and conversations with journalists in the valley, who described an intensifying clampdown on media, a sense of suffocation, and censorship, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370. 


    Shivnarayan reported on an Adani-operated coal mine in Chhattisgarh that received environmental clearance despite a National Green Tribunal order. He delved into how these clearances were granted and the loopholes used to violate orders passed by the NGT. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:01:26 - Media in Kashmir

    00:27:16 - Violation of NGT orders

    00:39:52 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Shivnarayan


    The Great Nicobar Betrayal


    Manisha


    The Case Against Travel


    The Rohingya Suffer Real Horrors. So Why Are Some of Their Stories Untrue?

    Loving Lies


    Tanishka


    Indian village midwives make a shocking confession - BBC World Service Documentaries


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Anmol Pritam.


    Basant and Anmol are currently on ground zero to report from poll-bound Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, respectively. 


    In Haryana, Basant has so far examined the progress of the Smart City Mission, issues of one of the most backward districts, and Olympian Vinesh Phogat’s political contest in Julana. Meanwhile, Anmol has reported on the divide over issues such as Article 370 in Jammu’s Doda. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:00:51 - Haryana election

    00:13:53 - J&K election

    00:29:52 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Anmol


    SYMPATHY -RARE BIRD 1969


    Basant


    Faridabad Smart City का सूरत-ए-हाल: करोड़ों खर्च का दावा पर जमीनी हकीकत खस्ताहाल | Ground Report


    Pratyush


    But I Am One of You: Northeast India and the Struggle to Belong


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by independent journalist Sunil Kashyap.


    Sunil reported on the purported rift between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP workers. He delves into the changes in party dynamics after its lukewarm performance in the state in the Lok Sabha polls. He adds that despite the turmoil within the BJP and the tussle between Adityanath and the party’s top leadership, there is no anti-incumbency in the state. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:01:19 - Yogi vs BJP

    00:45:45 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Sunil


    Chitralekha


    Sumedha


    Clerical Error Adityanath’s loosening grip on Uttar Pradesh


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Scroll’s Ayush Tiwari and independent journalist Anand Dutta.


    Ayush reported on the controversies surrounding SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch. He delves into the allegations against Buch in the Hindenburg report and why the undisclosed information about her association with her former firms is a “conflict of interest”.


    Anand talks about his report on the ongoing political tussle in Jharkhand, focusing on why former chief minister Champai Soren departed the JMM for the BJP.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:03:00 - SEBI chief and Hindenburg

    00:18:46 - Champai Soren and Jharkhand politics

    00:42:33 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Ayush


    Watch MADOFF: The Monster of Wall Street


    Husband of a Fanatic


    Anand


    Laal Lakeer


    Walking with the Comrades


    Basant


    Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry’s Sumedha Mittal, The News Minute’s Sukanya Shaji, and independent journalist Nidhi Suresh.


    Nidhi and Sukanya reported on Kerala’s #MeToo storm and the exploitation of female actors in the Kerala film industry. They also reported on the recently published Hema Committee report, which revealed that the industry’s top male actors, directors, and producers were involved or complacent in the matter. They discuss the report’s findings and fallout.


    Sumedha reported on the death of a 23-year-old Faizan after alleged police brutality during Delhi riots in February 2020. A viral video of him lying semi-conscious on the road, battered, taunted, and forced to sing the national anthem by cops was widely circulated then. She found out that despite clear duty charts, no police official was held responsible for what the high court termed a hate crime. The probe was eventually transferred to the CBI after the court issued a stinging indictment of the “tardy” police investigation.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:02:42 - AMMA and the Malayalam industry

    00:08:37 - Hema Committee Report

    00:46:15 - Faizan and Delhi cops

    00:01:04:45 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Sukanya


    Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback


    Nidhi


    Public Secrets of Law: Rape Trials in India


    Sumedha


    She Said


    Shivnarayan


    ‘Take Hema Committee report seriously’: Parvathy to Kerala govt | Dhanya Rajendran | Interview


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by independent journalist Pranab Mondal and the Quint’s Aliza Noor.


    Pranab talks about his report on the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the events that unfolded following the incident. He discusses how it is a culmination of mismanagement and malpractice while shedding light on the “lobby system” in hospital administration.


    Aliza reported on a different aspect of the Kolkata case – about searches for the victim’s “video” trending on Google and porn sites. She says that the data shows a phenomenal surge in searches for such videos.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:03:13 - Kolkata horror

    00:20:32 - Victim’s video search

    00:38:04 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Aliza


    Bhima Koregaon: Challenging Caste


    Angry Young Men


    Tanishka


    Let Me Explain: What is Hema Committee report on Malayalam cinema all about?


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Ishita Pradeep.


    Basant reported on a “herbal firm” which allegedly frauds youngsters in lure of a “luxurious life”. He talks about his investigation into the company’s modus operandi of network marketing and pressuring its staff for adding new members in the chain, failing which they were physically assaulted and abused.


    Ishita talks about her report on the Indian media’s coverage of the Bangladesh crisis and attacks on Bangladeshi Hindu minority. She delves into the situation in the country at present and how some media outlets emphasised on the communal angle and ignored the administrative failure.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:03:37 - Doctor’s ‘rape’

    00:14:32 - Fraud firm

    00:28:51 - Bangladesh violence

    00:44:47 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Ishita


    Why Loiter?


    Kavita Krishnan,Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)


    Basant


    No Nation for Women


    Hindenburg जिन्न की चपेट में SEBI प्रमुख माधवी बुच और Vinesh Phogat को सलामी | NL Tippani 200


    Anmol


    Activist whose RTI flagged ‘Smriti Irani-linked Goa cafe’ alleges home ministry ‘witch-hunt’


    New complaint alleges Taloja prison underbelly: ‘Mutton meals for Rs 8,000 per kg, 40% cuts, zero record’


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Dhanya Rajendran is joined by independent journalist Nidhi Suresh and The News Minute’s senior sub-editor Lakshmi Priya.


    Nidhi reported on the kidnapping and sexual assault of a Malayalam film actor by six men, allegedly orchestrated by another actor. The panel discussed how these events unfolded and their impact on both the regional film industry and society. They also delved into how women actors confronted misogyny and patriarchy within Malayalam cinema.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:02:29 - Unmasked Malayalam cinema

    00:51:19 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Lakshmi


    It's Vinesh Phogat's world. We are lucky to be part of it


    How Vinesh Phogat won the Olympic medal: Fought with heart, thought with head


    Nidhi


    An Unbelievable story of Rape


    Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence


    Vinesh Phogat breaks silence: Everyone outside is treating me like I am a dead thing… One medal (lost) and everything is finished


    Dhanya


    The Many Lives of Syeda X : The Story of an Unknown Indian


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Anmol Pritam.


    Anmol has been on the ground to cover the conditions in which three UPSC students died in a flooded basement library of the Rau’s IAS coaching centre in Delhi’s Karol Bagh. He gave a detailed account of how the tragedy unfolded, the subsequent blame game, and why Delhi’s coaching hub is more of a “business model than an education model”.     


    Avdhesh reported on the multiple incidents of violence involving kanwariyas. He delved into how the authorities purportedly turn a blind eye towards such incidents and give the religious groups a “free hand” as they resort to violence, leading to “a total collapse of law and order”.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:01:47 - Death of UPSC aspirants

    00:28:43 - Kanwariya violence

    00:46:06 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Anmol


    Har zulm tera yaad hai


    Avdhesh


    Maharaja


    Pratyush


    Dead ‘Maoist’ talking: The aftermath of a security operation in Chhattisgarh


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by the Wire’s Sukanya Shantha.


    Sukanya talks about her report on India’s prisons where prisoners were allotted work on the basis of their caste. She says that the Chief Justice of India eventually expressed concerns over the “most disturbing” practice and said he would direct the government to take action. She also delved into other such colonial rules that are still in practice. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:01:36 - Casteism in prisons 

    00:35:05 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Sukanya


    BEYOND PRISONS


    Sumedha


    Barred: A Prisons Project


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Sumedha Mittal and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.


    Sumedha spoke about her report on how candidates from outside Gujarat picked centres in the state as part of an alleged NEET scam racket. She explained how NTA’s management failed as students from Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh travelled to Gujarat and “wrote” the exam in Gujarati.


    Shivnarayan reported that 14 companies that significantly bankrolled political parties in the past decade were given several government projects, some despite being banned or blacklisted earlier. He delved into how raids, extortion and murky ecosystems lead to the quid pro quo.


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:05:32 - NEET paper leak

    00:15:50 - Electoral bonds

    00:37:38 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Sumedha


    The caste alliances that won Uttar Pradesh


    Shivnarayan


    ‘Gujarati answers, non-Gujarati candidates’: The NEET cheat sheet at 2 centres


    Seats quota, banquet halls, buses and answers: How to leak a paper in Bihar


    Basant


    Varchasva


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Naresh Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Avdhesh Kumar.


    Basant reported on the modus operandi of gangs involved in the alleged NEET paper leak. He explains how an interstate nexus of government employees, coaching institutes, and other powerful forces orchestrate paper leaks.


    Avdhesh spoke to the kin and survivors of the Hathras stampede that claimed at least 121 lives. He shares how they perceive self-styled godman Surajpal, alias Narayan Sakar Hari, alias Bhole Baba and why there is little accountability. 


    Tune in.


    Timecodes


    00:00:00 - Introduction

    00:01:58 - Paper leak

    00:21:08 - Hathras stampede

    00:42:46 - Recommendations


    Recommendations


    Basant


    Maharaj


    Mirzapur


    Avdhesh


    Russia offers compensation and citizenship to kin of Indians killed in Ukraine war 


    Tanishka


    ‘Why leave the house? Sit at home and do path puja’ — misogyny rears its head after Hathras tragedy


    Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.