In Focus by The Hindu

A recent analysis in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, found that one in five deliveries in India are now by Caesarean section. From 2005, when the rate of C-section was 8.5%, it has risen to 21.5% as of 2021, the analysis said. International bodies such as the World Health Organization discourage high rates of C-section, as they are associated with longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs, burdening both patients’ families and the healthcare system.

So what is driving the rates up in India despite the fact that C-sections, in general, cost more? Is patient preference a factor? Is this an area that could do with guidelines or regulations?

Guest: Dr A. Jaishree Gajaraj, senior obstetrician and gynaecologist based in Chennai

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

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Fringed by China and Pakistan, Ladakh is India’s high-altitude borderland.

For years now, locals led peaceful protests demanding statehood and constitutional protections for land, jobs, and identity. But last week, that peace broke. Violence erupted in Leh city in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Wednesday (September 24, 2025), several protesters were killed as security forces launched a heavy crackdown.

At the centre of it all is Sonam Wangchuk — an engineer, climate activist, and one of Ladakh’s most respected voices. He was arrested under the National Security Act, a law that allows detention without trial for up to 12 months.

What triggered this escalation? Why did peaceful protests turn deadly? And what does Wangchuk’s detention mean for the future of Ladakh’s struggle?

Guest: Peerzada Ashiq, Kashmir-based journalist with The Hindu

Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran

Produced and edited by Jude Francis Weston

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In recent times, India has seen a sharp spike in the popularity of IB schools. In fact, having your kid in an IB school has become something of a status symbol, although that may or may not be the primary motive for most parents. But many parents, regardless of their reasons for choosing an IB school, face a number of confusing questions and dilemmas.

For instance, how does the pace of learning for an IB student compare with that of a child in a CBSE school? Will an IB curriculum help a child who wants to sit for IIT or Medical entrance exams in India? If the idea is to prep the child for higher education abroad – when do you decide, how do you figure which stream, which country, and which university?

Guests: Nayantara Handa, who leads the careers and university guidance team at The British School, New Delhi, and Sobhana K Nair from The Hindu’s Delhi Bureau.

Host: G. Sampath

Edited and Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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At the World Wrestling Championships in Croatia, India’s Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat was shockingly disqualified ahead of his opening bout on September 14. At the official weigh-in before his match, Aman was found to be 1.7kg over the 57kg limit. The Wrestling Federation of India on September 22 served a show-cause notice to Aman, asking his staff to explain his disqualification.

This is the third time in just over a year that an Indian wrestler has failed to make weight, beginning with Vinesh Phogat’s infamous miss at the Paris Olympics. Neha Sangwan, who is just 18, was the other wrestler to not make weight at the U20 world championships. She was suspended for two years.

Why does this keep happening despite the money and resources poured into Indian wrestling? What does it say about the system, and how will this episode affect a young star like Aman Sehrawat?

Guest: Y.B. Sarangi from The Hindu sports bureau

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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On September 19, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, raising the H-1B visa fee to $1,00,000. Many fear that this will disproportionately impact Indian workers, especially those with lower median salaries. Although the White House has clarified that the fee applies only to new applicants and not those up for renewal or already in the country, there are concerns, especially against the backdrop of immigration control and protectionism.

Is the American Dream dead for Indians? Here, we discuss the question.

Guest: Arjun Appadurai and Ajay Srivastava

Host: Saptaparno Ghosh

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

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Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a new defence deal. It’s called the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA). Under this deal, “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”. There are also vague indications that Saudi Arabia will get the benefit of Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities but in what is not clear.

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90% of the world’s natural diamonds are cut and polished by about 5000, largely family run businesses out of Surat in Gujarat, but the recent 50% US tariffs on India has led to deep anxieties about the very survival of this sector, which is part of the country’s sprawling gem and jewellery industry. Kunal Shankar, The Hindu’s Deputy Business Editor discusses the repercussions of the steep tariffs on the sector with Lalatendu Mishra who covers markets, finance and all things business for The Hindu, based out of Mumbai. 

Guest: Lalatendu Mishra, Senior Deputy Editor, The Hindu 

Host: Kunal Shankar 

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

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Through a new executive order, President Donald Trump has added 100,000 US dollars to the annual fee for H1B visa applicants. H1B is a visa programme for skilled foreign workers. So far, the biggest beneficiaries of this visa have been Indian-origin IT workers, employed by American and Indian companies in the US.

Host: G Sampath

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When the Goods and Services Tax — or GST — was rolled out in 2017, it was billed as one of India’s biggest tax reforms. It replaced a maze of indirect taxes like excise duty, VAT, and service tax, with the promise of creating a single, unified market. It was meant to create a simpler, fairer, and more transparent system. 
GST is what’s known as a destination-based tax, levied on every stage of value addition — a system designed to be simpler, fairer, and more transparent.Nearly eight years later, the system has seen major reforms. In its 56th meeting, the GST Council revamp the tax structure into a primarily two-rate system of 5% and 18%, and a 40% “special rate” on sin goods such as tobacco and luxury items such as large cars, yachts, and helicopters.

The government is stated that this rationalise will help both businesses and also put more money in the hands of the public. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the changes will put nearly ₹2 lakh crore back into the hands of people. The government hopes that this extra money will boost domestic consumption. What this means for businesses, consumers, and the economy at large?

Guest: Dr Sacchidananda Mukherjee, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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The Sample Registration Survey’s Statistical Report, released last week had some significant numbers. One, India’s total fertility rate has dipped – it has gone down from 2.0 and now stands at 1.9, as of 2023. The second significant number was that for the first time, the total fertility rate in rural India has reached replacement levels. Replacement level is the average number of children each woman needs to give birth to for one generation to replace the other. There are, of course, wide regional disparities – some States in the country have fertility rates much below replacement levels of 2.1, while others continue to have higher numbers. India’s crude birth rate is declining, while at the same time, the report found an increase in the number of people aged over 60. How is the dipping fertility rate going to impact India’s population going forward? Will some States continue to grow population wise, while others see a steep fall? What does this mean for population stabilization and decline in the future? And how fast is our country ageing?

Guest: Sonalde Desai, Professor at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), and Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, U.S.

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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