We The People

What happens if parents prevent girls from going to school unless they are in hijab, and the school prevents the students from attending class if they are in hijab? Who stands to lose? Can a student be denied an education because of a headscarf? On February 8, the matter will be heard by the Karnataka High Court.

This week more than 1,600 parents in the NCR signed an online petition requesting government authorities and other key stakeholders to reopen schools for in-person classes on priority. However, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority's decided it was not yet the time; but it was decided that restaurants, bars, cinema halls can be reopened with 50% capacity. On We The People we talk to several parents, teachers, students and authoritative figures on what this means for the children and whether schools should be opened on a priority basis.

The Delhi High Court is hearing a challenge to the constitutional validity of the 'marital rape immunity' provided for in the Indian Penal Code. The case has put the spotlight on the crucial issue of consent, the extent of state control on female sexual autonomy, and correcting historical prejudices in law. On We The People, we speak to several lawyers and activists on the debate surrounding this law and ask whether there is 'inherent consent' if someone is married. We also look at the trending social media move called #MarriageStrike and what it means for the youth of the country.

India, only recently in 2018, revoked the draconian law that made homosexuality illegal but the Constitution does not allow homosexual couples to marry. It is three years since homosexuality was decriminalised in India, but public morality around same-sex relationships continues to be a thorny issue. On We The People this week, we speak to two couples who are fighting the system for love and are joined by a panel to discuss the issue in India, at large.

Amid Omicron concerns, India has been celebrating Christmas and breaching COVID-19 protocols in the process. Streets are buzzing with hundreds of revelers, hawkers, and children on Christmas - with little or no adherence to Covid protocols. Tonight, on We The People we discuss whether it is time for alarm bells? Should politicians consider conducting virtual rallies?

As the Centre proposed to raise the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21, we speak to prominent women who express their views about the government's move on this episode of 'We The People'.

Various school bodies and parents of students have continued to push for the reopening of educational institutions after they were shut again following the Supreme Court's reprimand of the Delhi government over its pollution control measures. In this episode of 'We The People', we discuss, as governments shut schools - are children paying the price? We discuss the toll this is taking on students and also parents.

Keeping the Omicron Covid variant in view, the Airports Authority of India has shared a detailed set of state-wise guidelines for quarantine norms and regulations to be undertaken by flyers. Is that enough to keep us safe and contain the spread of the new variant of the Coronavirus? Or is this a situation where policies are many but its implementation is lacking? Are airports now Covid hotspots? On this episode of We The People, we look at the various issues travellers are facing to return to India, with the fresh travel restrictions in place.

As the Registrar General of India data suggests, the 'vegetarian and non-vegetarian divide' in India is more of a fallacy. 52.9% of Uttar Pradesh is non-vegetarian, 59.8% of Maharashtra is non-vegetarian, and 98.55% of Bengal is non-vegetarian. India is diverse, there is no homogeneity in food choices or flavours. Besides, what one eats is a personal matter and part of the Right to Privacy guaranteed by the Constitution. But what is the fallout when something as essential and enjoyable as food becomes the subject of politics?

In a surprising development this week the Bombay HC said that there was no evidence of conspiracy in the Aryan Khan's drugs-on-cruise case. Was this a one-off case or is the agency being used to serve vested interests? Is the mission for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) a war on drugs or serving the master in power for the day?