We The People

Could your social media accounts in the future be linked to your Aadhaar? Based on a PIL filed in the Madras High court, the Tamil Nadu government is seeking just that - one's Aadhaar be linked to one's social media profiles due to the rise of hate content, fake news and cyber-bullying. Advocates for this say it will also check the spread of pornographic and anti-national content online. We are asking tonight: "Will it actually curb fake news or will it only kill privacy and be used to censor dissent under the garb of national security? Also, what is the correct balance between the right to online privacy and the right of the state to trace the origins of hateful messages and fake news? How does one balance security needs with civil liberties? And can you make people secure by making them more vulnerable?"

In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his government's ambition to make India a 5 trillion dollars economy in the next five years. However, the reality is that most of the sectors are suffering from dwindling growth figures. The Auto sector is facing its worst crisis in decades. In the real estate sector, the number of unsold homes have increased. The tax collection has grown by just 1.4 per cent. The big question is: Is PM Modi's goal achievable?

India, has become the first country to make Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending mandatory through a law. New amendments to the Companies Act have been approved by parliament to make make it impossible for companies to escape CSR. The government also plans to include a specific penal provision in the Companies Act in case of non-compliance with CSR which could include a three-year jail term for officials in companies that fail to spend funds in any given year. Will this make corporate India wake up to its wider social responsibility towards narrowing down widening inequality or is the CSR law another utopian ideal being hijacked by political interference?

Is the move to ban commercial surrogacy in India a necessary step to prevent poor women from being exploited by those seeking to rent their wombs? Or is it a move that will dash the hopes of millions of couples, as well as unmarried singles, LGBT persons, divorcees and others and in the process, leave a lot of women from underprivileged backgrounds who lend their wombs worse off?

Instagram, a social media website recently declared one of the most dangerous apps for mental health of youngsters, has announced that it is testing a new feature to hide 'likes' on its platform in some countries. On We The People, we debate, if the move will improve users' mental health.

According to the latest United Nations data, India with 1.3 billion people is the second most populated country in the world. In another eight years, it may surpass China and become the world's most populated country. Are urgent and aggressive steps to control population required in India? Do we need to punish those with more children or do we need better awareness of and access to contraception?

Earlier this week, India's city of dreams Mumbai was left paralysed due to record rainfall. Rampant encroachment and blatant violations of construction norms have been blamed for the deaths of at least 34 people. But such civic problems are not unique to Mumbai. In Chennai, a critical shortage of water has tormented its people. Delhi is the most polluted city in the world. In Bangalore and Gurgaon, traffic crawls. We are asking tonight: How can we be a 5 trillion dollar economy if this is the state of civic infrastructure in cities which are supposed to be drivers of growth?

Today on We The People we talk about an an issue that concerns everyone - India's impending water emergency. The crisis is all around us. Chennai is facing the worst water crisis it has ever seen. With lakhs of people depending on private water tankers as taps go dry, establishments have had to be shut down, children are skipping school and lining up for water. And while Chennai is the largest city facing a water crisis right now, there's a drought like situation in almost half the country. Parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh too are reeling under the crisis. On tonight's show, we talk about steps we can take to prevent an impending water emergency.

Earlier this week there were media reports that 56 female housekeeping staff of an Institute of Fashion Technology in Hyderabad were sacked allegedly after they complained of sexual harassment by a male employee. The man continues to work in the institute while 56 women housekeeping staff were sacked. After protests and media scrutiny, the 56 women were reinstated in their jobs and an Internal complaints committee is looking into the matter. The same week also saw a record number of women enter India's parliament. The 17th Lok Sabha has the highest number of women MPs elected in the 2019 polls. There are a record 78 women MPs in the new Lok Sabha - but even that is a trifling 14 per cent only . We are asking what does this mean on the ground for Indian women? Will gender issues start getting some of the prominence it deserves? Does having more women in positions of leadership change anything on the ground? What does this mean for equal representation that goes beyond tokenism?

In the light of the nationwide doctors' strike which began after a colleague at a government hospital in Kolkata was assaulted by the family of a patient who died in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed for talks. After a reconciliatory Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she accepts all valid demands of the protesting doctors and requested them to return to work, the junior doctors have accepted her outreach and have agreed for talks - with conditions. They say In order to maintain transparency, the meeting should not be behind closed doors but open to the media. Health services were paralysed at hospitals in many states as doctors stood in solidarity with their counterparts in Bengal. The IMA is to hold a 24-hour nationwide protest on Monday and all non-essential services including OPDs will be closed starting from 6 am. On this episode of We The People, we ask, is there a trust deficit between patients and doctors? Should doctors, especially government doctors be allowed to strike? Is the doctor's strike being politicised?