The Big Story

To boost or not to boost?

The debate on COVID-19 booster shots has existed ever since inoculations have begun, with the scientific community racing to figure out how long the protection will last.

However, the debate was supercharged recently with the emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant, which according to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is causing a tidal wave of infections across the British isle.

The concerns regarding the new variant were muted initially with early reports indicating that it causes only mild symptoms. However, with the report of the first death due to Omicron in the UK and its rapid spread across the country, representing over 44 percent of total cases in London, the need of booster doses has become increasing clear.

Omicron has announced its presence in India as well, with the national tally climbing to 49 on 14 December. However, India is yet to take a decision on booster doses. But there are very critical questions on booster doses which are not yet answered:

How effective are the current available vaccines towards Omicron? What are the reservations regarding booster doses? And if India does authorise booster doses, which vaccine is our best bet?

Dr Rakesh Mishra, former director of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Dr Shahid Jameel, one of India's top virologist.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Vaishali Sood

Everything you need to know on Omicron and COVID vaccines here and here.

Amid a Shortage, Where Do Indian Experts Stand on Mixing Vaccines

Will Zydus Cadila’s COVID Jab for Kids Pave the Way for Reopening Schools?

Omicron | Is it More Transmissible? Do We Need Boosters? Dr Shahid Jameel Decodes

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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A billion dreams came true as Chandigarh-born Harnaaz Sandhu was announced as the winner of the 70th edition of the coveted Miss Universe pageant early on Monday, 13 December.

The 21-year-old diva edged 80 other women from around the world and brought the crown home, 21 years after Lara Dutta won the title in 2000.

Sandhu is not new to pageantry, she was previously crowned Miss Diva 2021, Femina Miss India Punjab 2019, and was even placed in the Top 12 of the Femina Miss India in 2019.

In today’s episode of The Big Story, we look at her journey with the help of Bharat Gupta, her fashion director for Miss Universe, Abhishek Sharma, one of her stylist. You will also hear from Harnaaz’s elder brother Harnoor on her historic win.

Harnoor Sandhu, Harnaaz Sandhu's elder brother

Bharat Gupta, Fashion Director for Harnaaz Sandhu

Abhishek Sharma, Fashion Stylist 

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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A billion dreams came true as Chandigarh-born Harnaaz Sandhu was announced as the winner of the 70th edition of the coveted Miss Universe pageant early on Monday, 13 December.

The 21-year-old diva edged 80 other women from around the world and brought the crown home, 21 years after Lara Dutta won the title in 2000.

Sandhu is not new to pageantry, she was previously crowned Miss Diva 2021, Femina Miss India Punjab 2019, and was even placed in the Top 12 of the Femina Miss India in 2019.

In today’s episode of The Big Story, we look at her journey with the help of Bharat Gupta, her fashion director for Miss Universe, Abhishek Sharma, one of her stylist. You will also hear from Harnaaz’s elder brother Harnoor on her historic win.

Harnoor Sandhu, Harnaaz Sandhu's elder brother

Bharat Gupta, Fashion Director for Harnaaz Sandhu

Abhishek Sharma, Fashion Stylist 

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ

Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng

Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

Class 12 students of St Joseph School in Ganj Basoda in Vidhisha district of Madhya Pradesh were writing their Maths paper on 6 December. But little did they expect to find their school under attack in the middle of their exam.

Based on an allegation about eight students being converted into Christianity in a conversion drive, members of Hindutva groups including the VHP gheraoed the school around noon that day.

Video footage from the school show a mob of around 300-500 people chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and ‘Missionaries Murdabad’, outside the school gate. Some miscreants who managed to get inside the school were seen to be pelting stones at the building and vandalising school property.

Although it's been a week since the actual incident happen, why we are talking about it now is because unfortunately this kind of an attack against the Christian minority is not a one-off event.

It is becoming a grotesque pattern with churches being frequently ransacked across the country and prayer meetings being disrupted by Hindutva mobs on mere suspicions of "forced religious conversions".

The dangerous rhetoric around conversions is sometimes also getting abetted by elected governments in states like BJP-ruled Karnataka who are giving credence to such sentiments with anti-conversion law proposals. 

But are anti-conversion laws constitutional? Are religious conversions all illegal? Is the freedom to practice one's faith fast diminishing in India? 

In this episode, you will hear voices from ground zero – of teachers, parents, VHP leaders – to piece together what really happened at St Joseph's, where these suspicions of forced conversions are stemming from and how are people responding to the allegations. We'll also be joined by our legal editor Vakasha Sachdev.

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

MP School Vandalised: Priest Calls Conversion 'Fake News', Staff Recalls Horror

Despite Anti-Christian Hysteria, Not All Religious Conversions Are Illegal

How UP’s "Love Jihad" Ordinance is Detached from Facts

Another Dubious Church 'Survey': Karnataka BJP Govt Tracing 'Christian Converts'

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Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

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Class 12 students of St Joseph School in Ganj Basoda in Vidhisha district of Madhya Pradesh were writing their Maths paper on 6 December. But little did they expect to find their school under attack in the middle of their exam.

Based on an allegation about eight students being converted into Christianity in a conversion drive, members of Hindutva groups including the VHP gheraoed the school around noon that day.

Video footage from the school show a mob of around 300-500 people chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and ‘Missionaries Murdabad’, outside the school gate. Some miscreants who managed to get inside the school were seen to be pelting stones at the building and vandalising school property.

Although it's been a week since the actual incident happen, why we are talking about it now is because unfortunately this kind of an attack against the Christian minority is not a one-off event.

It is becoming a grotesque pattern with churches being frequently ransacked across the country and prayer meetings being disrupted by Hindutva mobs on mere suspicions of "forced religious conversions".

The dangerous rhetoric around conversions is sometimes also getting abetted by elected governments in states like BJP-ruled Karnataka who are giving credence to such sentiments with anti-conversion law proposals. 

But are anti-conversion laws constitutional? Are religious conversions all illegal? Is the freedom to practice one's faith fast diminishing in India? 

In this episode, you will hear voices from ground zero – of teachers, parents, VHP leaders – to piece together what really happened at St Joseph's, where these suspicions of forced conversions are stemming from and how are people responding to the allegations. We'll also be joined by our legal editor Vakasha Sachdev.

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

MP School Vandalised: Priest Calls Conversion 'Fake News', Staff Recalls Horror

Despite Anti-Christian Hysteria, Not All Religious Conversions Are Illegal

How UP’s "Love Jihad" Ordinance is Detached from Facts

Another Dubious Church 'Survey': Karnataka BJP Govt Tracing 'Christian Converts'

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ

Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng

Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

Steadfast, a non-nonsense person and extremely diligent person, thats how Gen Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff was described by those who knew him.

In an extremely tragic and unexpected accident, India on 8 December mourned the loss of its highest ranking military official, his wife Mrs Madhulika Rawat, and 11 others who were killed in a helicopter crash in Tami Nadu’s Coonoor.

Along with Gen Rawat and his wife, Brigadier LS Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Das, JWO Pradeep A, Havildar Satpal, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender, Lance Naik Vivek and Lance Naik S Teja were the other defence personnel killed in the crash.

The lone survivor of the crash was Group Captain Varun Singh, who was moved to the Command Hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment today on 9 December.

In today’s special episode, we remember the lives of the fallen with:

Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, who served with Gen Bipin Rawat in Jammu and Kashmir

Lt Gen (retd) Madhuri Kanitkar, who was part of Gen Rawat’s staff and a close friend of Mrs Madhulika Rawat

Col (retd) Sandeep Shaligram, who served in the Indian army for 25 years and served alongside Brigadier LS Lidder at several occasions.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

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Steadfast, a non-nonsense person and extremely diligent person, thats how Gen Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff was described by those who knew him.

In an extremely tragic and unexpected accident, India on 8 December mourned the loss of its highest ranking military official, his wife Mrs Madhulika Rawat, and 11 others who were killed in a helicopter crash in Tami Nadu’s Coonoor.

Along with Gen Rawat and his wife, Brigadier LS Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, Junior Warrant Officer Das, JWO Pradeep A, Havildar Satpal, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender, Lance Naik Vivek and Lance Naik S Teja were the other defence personnel killed in the crash.

The lone survivor of the crash was Group Captain Varun Singh, who was moved to the Command Hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment today on 9 December.

In today’s special episode, we remember the lives of the fallen with:

Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, who served with Gen Bipin Rawat in Jammu and Kashmir

Lt Gen (retd) Madhuri Kanitkar, who was part of Gen Rawat’s staff and a close friend of Mrs Madhulika Rawat

Col (retd) Sandeep Shaligram, who served in the Indian army for 25 years and served alongside Brigadier LS Lidder at several occasions.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ

Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng

Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

In an extremely tragic incident, India lost its first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.

An IAF Mi-17V5 chopper, with General Rawat on-board and 13 others – five crew and nine passengers – including his staff and his wife Madhulika Rawat, crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor district at around 12 noon on 8 December with one lone survivor.

A tweet posted by the IAF's twitter handle at 6:03 pm on 8 December, confirmed the fatalities.

"With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident. Gp Capt Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC with injuries is currently under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington," the IAF tweet read.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an urgent meeting and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to make an official statement in the parliament on 9 December.

The IAF has ordered an inquiry to ascertain what caused such an unfortunate incident, but until then we'll tell you what we know so far from this terrible incident. Tune in to The Big Story!

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ

Deezer: http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng

Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

In an extremely tragic incident, India lost its first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.

An IAF Mi-17V5 chopper, with General Rawat on-board and 13 others – five crew and nine passengers – including his staff and his wife Madhulika Rawat, crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor district at around 12 noon on 8 December with one lone survivor.

A tweet posted by the IAF's twitter handle at 6:03 pm on 8 December, confirmed the fatalities.

"With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident. Gp Capt Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC with injuries is currently under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington," the IAF tweet read.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an urgent meeting and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to make an official statement in the parliament on 9 December.

The IAF has ordered an inquiry to ascertain what caused such an unfortunate incident, but until then we'll tell you what we know so far from this terrible incident. Tune in to The Big Story!

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ

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Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur

New Delhi rolled out the red carpet on 6 December for Russian President Vladimir Putin and if you are asking why we are talking about a visit that lasted just a few hours, it's because of the symbolism attached to it.

The first is that the Russian president has been very cautious about going abroad during the pandemic and this is only the second time he has ventured out, the only other time was for a meeting with US President Biden.

Preceding the Modi-Putin meet were also high-level dialogues between the two countries defence and external affairs ministry. According to statements by the govt, 28 agreements were signed which include a 10-year cooperation defence agreement, a new consular office in the city of Vladivostok and the final go-ahead of the much-awaited S-400 missile system.

But there is a larger picture behind these meetings and that's the growing influence of China. Over the past year, we have seen several 2+2 dialogues with the US, Japan and Australia, all of which are QUAD members.

However, a dialogue with Russia, a long time friend and economic partner of China, may cast a worrying shadow over the ties the countries have.

In today’s episode, we will discuss the relationship between the long time allies India and Russia and what came out of the recent meeting.

Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at Observer Research Foundation

Dr Tara Kartha, a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

 Aditi Bhaduri, a columnist specialising in Eurasian geopolitics

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

Apple: https://apple.co/2AYdLIl

Saavn: http://bit.ly/2oix78C

Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/2ntMV7S

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IyLAUQ

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Castbox: http://bit.ly/2VqZ9ur