In Focus by The Hindu

India and China have reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This is expected to lead to “disengagement” and eventually a proper resolution of the tensions that had emerged along the India-China border in 2020.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that this agreement is just the “first phase”. What exactly is covered by this patrolling pact? What are the outstanding issues that remain? And what is the significance of the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in the context of this agreement?

Guest: Jabin T Jacob, Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Shiv Nadar University.

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yayha Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and head of the group’s political bureau was killed by Israeli forces on October 16. His death sparked contrasting reactions. While the West has largely endorsed the killing of a man Israel’s considers as the ‘mastermind’ of the October 7, 2023 attack, Palestinians, Arabs, and other actors in the Middle East have hailed him as a ‘martyr’ and a ‘hero’ who will inspire Palestinians to continue their fight for self-determination and statehood.

Some commentators in the West also see in his passing an opportunity for a ceasefire, return of the Israeli hostages, and a strategic reshaping of the region in favour of Israeli and American interests.

What does Sinwar’s death mean for Hamas? Will it help or hinder the prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza? What does Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mean when he said that the war is “not over” despite the killing of top Hamas leaders such as Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and also much of Hezbollah’s senior leadership?

Guest: Dr. Andreas Krieg, Associate Professor in the School of Security, Defence Studies Department, Institute of Middle-Eastern Studies, at King’s College, London.

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the fifth time in its history, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been given for research into RNA. This year’s Nobel Prize winners, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the prize for discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. What is microRNA? Why was its discovery important? What are the implications of this for research into human health and diseases? What is the current RNA research ongoing in India? And is RNA now taking centrestage for its importance in maintaining the balance in our cells, critical to good health and life?

Guest: Reety Arora, a molecular biologist, with experience in stem cell biology, cancer research and CRISPR and currently principal scientist and head, R&D, CRISPRBITS, a company based in Bangalore.

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, the Supreme Court recalled its judgement of August 23, 2022, wherein it had struck down certain provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act of 2016. Through the 2016 Act, the government had amended the original legislation, the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988.

The 2016 law had expanded the original law from nine sections to 72 sections. In 2016, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana had declared as unconstitutional Sections 3 (2) and 5 of the 2016 Act.

Section 3(2) mandates three years of imprisonment for those who had entered into benami transactions between September 5, 1988, and October 25, 2016—that is, a person could be jailed for a benami transaction done 28 years before the Section even came into existence.

The other provision that was struck down, Section 5, states that “any property, which is subject matter of benami transaction, shall be liable to be confiscated by the Central Government.”

What was the Supreme Court’s reasoning in its 2022 judgement when it struck down these provisions? What is the rationale for the Review Bench to recall the earlier order and refer the case for fresh adjudication? What is at stake for the general public in this case?

Guest: Amit Pai, Advocate on Record at the Supreme Court of India.

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, G.N. Saibaba, a former professor at Delhi University, died, after being released from jail in March this year after spending 10 years incarcerated. He was jailed on terror charges – but was eventually found innocent by the Bombay High Court. The Court while acquitting him had criticised both the investigation and the trial court’s decision in finding him guilty. Despite being 90% disabled and on a wheelchair due to polio, Prof Saibaba, as per his own account was constantly denied access to medical care while in jail, denied medical bail during the pandemic and denied emergency bail during the death of his mother.

His case highlights once again, the problematic issue of bail in our criminal judicial system. Who has access to bail? How is bail given and can bail conditions be met by those seeking it? Does our bail system privilege the wealthy and leave out the vast majority of others? Is not being able to access or not being granted bail behind the problem of the huge number of undertrials in Indian jails and the overcrowding of the system?

Guest: Medha Deo, Programme Director, Fair Trial Programme of Project 39A from National Law University, Delhi

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we are in conversation with A. Soundararajan, the honorary president of the recently formed Samsung India Workers Union to better understand the reasons for the labour unrest at one of the South Korean manufacturing giant’s flagship facilities near Chennai. The 38-day-long workers strike at Samsung India’s factory, which produces a range of products from LED TVs to 5G technology components for the domestic and global market, is the second-longest labour protest in the past 15 years at the Sriperumbudur and Oragadam manufacturing hub in Chennai’s outskirts. The only strike that lasted longer was at the iconic motorbike maker Royal Enfield, also located in the same region. That strike lasted 50 days in 2018. The issues have been similar—better working conditions, honouring overtime pay, and crucially—the recognition of the worker’s union. Samsung is South Korea’s largest family-run business. Its consolidated revenue in FY2023 was approximately $198 billion—more than a tenth of South Korea’s 1.71 trillion dollar GDP for FY 2023. Located on a 22-acre campus the Sriperumbudur facility is one of two factories operated in India. The other is in Noida. Operating since 2007, the Chennai factory now employs about 1800 workers. They recently formed the Samsung India Workers Union, or SIWU – that represents more than two-thirds of the workers, and SIWU has petitioned the Madras High Court seeking registration of the union. Talking to The Hindu, SIWU’s honorary President, A. Soudarajan, who also heads the Tamil Nadu unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Union - says workers discontentment has been brewing at Samsung almost right from the facility was established in 2007, and that the month-long strike was its manifestation. He gave me an overview of the issues and explained why the workers sought CITU’s intervention. Mr. Soundararajan spoke to us en route to SIWU’s general body meeting in Kancheepuram, where the strike was eventually called off by a unanimous show of hands. 

Guest: A. Soundararajan, Samsung India Workers Union’s honorary President 

Host: Kunal Shankar 

Edited by Sharmada venkatasubramanian. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Union government recently introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the 1995 Waqf Act. The provisions of the 1995 law govern the administration of waqfs—properties endowed for charitable or religious purpose under Islamic law. But opposition parties have accused the government of trying to undermine the religious rights of Muslims through this amendment, which is titled, ‘Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 2024.

The government, on its part, has claimed that this legislation is aimed at enhancing “the efficiency of the administration and management of the waqf properties.”

But following a public outcry, the draft Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for closer scrutiny. When the JPC sought written suggestions from the public, it received a staggering 1.2 crore suggestions. Earlier this week, when the JPC gathered for a meeting, the Opposition members of the Committee walked out, alleging that the panel was not functioning as per the rules and regulations.

What exactly does the proposed Bill seek to do? What are the objections to it? Did the government involve Muslim stakeholders before or while coming up with the draft Bill? And what’s the way forward?

Guest: Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, advocate-on-record with the Supreme Court of India.

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The INDIA bloc comprising the National Conference (NC), the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist (CPM) has secured a clear majority in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. While the NC prevailed in 42 seats and the Congress won six, the BJP dominated the Jammu region, winning 29 seats in the 90-member assembly. 

So, what do these results mean for Jammu and Kashmir going forward? How did the delimitation affect the results? Where does the result leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose seat share has seen a major drop?  

Guest: Peerzada Ashiq, The Hindu’s Srinagar correspondent

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the exit polls had favoured a Congress victory in the Haryana assembly elections. But defying these predictions, the BJP has secured a clear mandate, winning 48 seats in the 90-member assembly.  

How did the BJP manage to beat a strong anti-incumbency factor, not to mention issued such as the farmers’ protests, and the Brij Bhushan sexual harassment issue? What went wrong for the Congress? And what was the nature of the social coalition that carried the day?  

Guest: Rahul Verma, political analyst and fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi. 

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Listen to more In Focus podcasts:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On October 3, we saw that the government of India announced classical language status to four languages and Marathi was one of them. We have been hearing how there have been joyous and applauding reactions coming in from Maharashtra but there have been certain debates as well on whether Marathi should be given classical language status or not. How was the journey, and how did this whole process begin? What were the various landmark steps that were taken?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices