In Focus by The Hindu

India clinched a historic third T20 World Cup title with a commanding win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Standout performances underlined India’s dominance, especially Sanju Samson’s remarkable run through the knockout stages.
But the final has also sparked debate. Was the batting-friendly pitch worthy of a World Cup summit clash? Should curators shape conditions to produce high-scoring spectacles, or does that undermine the balance between bat and ball? And how does Ahmedabad compare with iconic Indian venues like Wankhede or Eden Gardens when it comes to hosting cricket’s biggest matches?
In this episode of In Focus, veteran cricket journalist Pradeep Magazine talks about India’s dominant campaign, the controversy around pitch preparation and the legacy of this champion side in the evolving landscape of world cricket.

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Guest: Pradeep Magazine, veteran cricket journalist and author

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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Days after a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant threatened that “heads must roll” for the “reckless, irresponsible, motivated, contemptuous conduct and manner” in which the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, portrayed the judiciary as a venal institution in a Class 8 Social Science textbook, our guest, former Supreme Court judge, Justice Abhay S. Oka, takes a studied view of the controversy.

The podcast discusses if the government, through the NCERT, used the textbook as an anti-judiciary propaganda tool to influence young minds in their formative years. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the textbook’s contents. It imposed a “complete ban” and ordered the withdrawal of the textbook in an order on February 26. It said the textbook’s contents revealed “calculated” attempt to instill a sense of bias against the judiciary in the “impressionable minds” of young school children, and through them, to the society at large and even the future generations. The court has no intention to let go and has scheduled the suo motu case for further hearing on March 11, 2026.

The episode also debates if the ban on the book amounted to judicial censorship. Under Article 19(2) of the Constitution, free speech can be restricted only through a law. 

Finally, the discussion delves into the court’s decision to initiate contempt action and going on a limb to make school principals “personally responsible” to “seize and seal” the copies of the textbook.

Guest: Justice Abhay S. Oka, former Supreme Court judge

Host: Krishnadas Rajagopal

Producer: Jude Weston

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Nepal’s latest general election appears to mark one of the most significant political shifts in the country’s recent history. For decades, Nepal’s politics has been dominated by a handful of established parties and veteran leaders, with governments frequently changing and coalition politics shaping the country’s governance. But the results of this election suggest that many voters particularly younger voters were ready for something different. The Rastriya Swatantra Party, a relatively new political force, is heading towards a sweeping victory, signalling a potential disruption of the traditional political order.


At the centre of this political moment is Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen a rapper-turned-politician and former mayor of Kathmandu who has emerged as one of the most prominent faces of a new generation in Nepali politics. His rise reflects a broader mood of dissatisfaction with entrenched political elites and a growing demand for generational change in leadership. The strong performance of his party suggests that many voters are willing to place their trust in newer political actors who promise governance reforms and a break from the country’s long-standing cycle of unstable governments.


This election also comes in the aftermath of the youth-led protests that forced the resignation of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli last year, highlighting deep public frustration over corruption, governance failures and political stagnation. With Nepal having witnessed 14 governments in the past 18 years, the results are widely being interpreted as a moment of political reckoning for traditional parties such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).


At the same time, developments in Nepal are being closely watched in the region, particularly in India, which shares deep political, economic and cultural ties with its Himalayan neighbour. Nepal’s political trajectory has often had broader regional implications, not least because of its position between India and China, and the delicate balance it has historically maintained between the two.


In this episode, we explore what Nepal’s election results signal about the country’s evolving political landscape. Sanjeev Satgainya offers insights into the forces behind this electoral surge, the decline of traditional political parties and the challenges that Nepal’s next government will face.


Guest: Sanjeev Satgainya

Host: Shikha Kumari A

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The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical energy chokepoint. Every day, over 20 million barrels of oil which is roughly one-fifth of global supply pass through this narrow shipping corridor connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets.

Now, rising tensions after U.S.- Israel attacks on Iran have raised fears of disruptions in this vital route. Iran has warned that the strait is off limits, while the United States has indicated it may deploy naval escorts for commercial oil tankers.

Any escalation here could have serious consequences for global energy markets, oil prices, and major importers like India and China, both of which depend heavily on Gulf crude shipments passing through the strait.

Host: Devyanshi Bihani

Data Support: Nitika Francis and Sambavi Parthasarathy

Producer and editor: Jude Weston

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Last month, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a petition seeking criminal prosecution of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over divisive and communal speeches, as well as a now-deleted social media post that depicted him firing a gun towards an animated image of two Muslim men. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant remarked that whenever elections approach, the court tends to become a political battleground, and consequently directed the petitioners to approach the Guwahati High Court instead.

Earlier in January, another Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath indicated that hate speech matters long pending before the court since 2021 would be closed. These were cases in which the court had earlier directed police authorities to register suo motu FIRs in instances of hate speech. The bench, however, clarified that the parties remained free to pursue other legal remedies, including approaching the High Courts or seeking appropriate police action.

We discuss whether there has been a discernible shift in the Supreme Court’s approach towards curbing instances of hate speech, and whether legislative reforms may be required to deal with such communal rhetoric more effectively.

Guests: Shahrukh Alam, advocate practicing before the Supreme Court, and Haris Beeran, advocate and Rajya Sabha MP. I welcome you both to the episode.

Host: Aaratrika Bhaumik

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

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We all know by now that ultraprocessed food is bad for our health. Consumption of a lot of it, has been linked to a number of health issues including hypertension, diabetes and obesity. But did you know that researchers are now finding links between ultraprocessed food and mental health? This is especially concerning considering the huge burden of mental health issues among young people in India and the gaps in access to care. The government is beginning to take note: the Supreme Court has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, or FSSAI to consider warning labels on the front of packaged foods and the Economic Survey this year called for high GSTs on processed foods.

So what is the connection between UPFs and mental health? And why, despite all of the evidence, has India still not managed to put in place stringent warning labels for consumers?

Guest: Dr. Arun Gupta, paediatrician, public health expert, and convenor of the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest. He is also a former member of the PM’s Council on India’s Nutritional Challenges

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Producer: Jude Weston

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed last week in an attack by the US and Israel. Iran has declared 40 days of mourning. Muslims around the world have come out in large numbers to protest his killing and express their grief.

In India, thousands of Muslims took to the streets in Kashmir, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Bhopal, among other places, to protest the killing.

But beyond the Islamic or religious world, there is only a limited understanding of the man who became Iran’s second Supreme Leader, after Ayatollah Khomeini, the cleric who led the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Khameini led Iran for 36 years, both during the Iran-Iraq war and in the period after, when Iran had to deal with crippling western sanctions.

Besides being a revered religious leader, he is also considered an anti-imperialist statesman who exerted immense religious and political influence in West Asia. What was his legacy, and what are the political, religious and geopolitical implications of his killing – for Iran, for the ongoing war in West Asia, and beyond?

Guest: Ziya Us Salam from The Hindu’s Delhi bureau

Host: G Sampath

Producer and editor: Jude Weston

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The conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran has entered its third day, marked by intense aerial exchanges and escalating regional involvement.

With Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's death, Iran has launched widespread retaliatory missile barrages targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the Gulf. The situation remainshighly vol atile, with potential for further spread amid calls for restraint from global powers.

Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Host: Smriti S

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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In this episode, we take a closer look at the issues shaping the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, which are expected to be announced soon by the Election Commission of India. Even before the formal declaration, the political temperature has begun to rise, with sharp exchanges between the Trinamul Congress, which is seeking a fourth consecutive term in office, and its principal opponent, the BJP.

But beyond the SIR controversy and the familiar flashpoints that have defined recent campaigns, what does the broader political landscape in West Bengal look like? What is the real state of play on the ground as parties gear up for a high-stakes contest? And as the Trinamul Congress attempts to extend its decade-long hold on power, could this turn out to be its toughest electoral battle yet?

Guest: Sankhadip Das, the proprietor, editor of the Bangla language portal, the Wall.in, a very popular portal in Kolkata

Host: Nistula Hebbar

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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Artificial intelligence has moved from experimentation to enterprise adoption in under two years, with industry estimates projecting AI services revenues of $10–12 billion in FY26 and rapid growth thereafter. Yet, this moment of expansion coincides with layoffs, automation, and the vulnerability of entry-level roles in India’s IT and BPO sectors. It also coincides with India’s top tech firms contracting AI products into their workflows.

Is this transformation or disruption? Are we witnessing productivity gains, structural shifts, and early signs of displacement, all at the same time? And what does this mean for India’s services-led growth model?

Guests: Kishan Sundar and Alaganambi Welkin

Host: Kunal Shankar

Producer: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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