We The People

The brutal rape and murder of an 8-year-old in Kathua, an alleged rape by a BJP legislator in Unnao and the brazen attempts to obstruct justice in both the cases have shaken India's conscience. With protests across the country, a condemnation from the United Nations and an open rebuke for the Prime Minister by a group of former civil servants, it would seem the society isn't ready to sit back and allow such atrocities to continue. On this episode of We The People, we ask: with the number of rapes having increased by 50 per cent since 2012, has nothing changed in India since Nirbhaya? Does India need more laws to deal with the worsening rape crisis or is better execution the solution? With about a third of the lawmakers charged criminally, does the rot go deeper than it appears?

With the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's dogged attempt to regulate news, first with an order that was revoked by PM Narendra Modi and then with one focusing on online content regulation, the issue of "fake news" has started gathering steam in India. While countries like Malaysia and Singapore frame draconian rules to regulate fake news, India struggles to find the right balance. On this episode of We The People, we ask: is fake news an inescapable by-product of the Data Age? Who decides what constitutes fake news? Is fake news journalism's new biggest challenge?

A CBSE official suspended, two school teachers and a private tutor arrested in the CBSE paper leak scandal that has left lakhs of students worried and confused. On this episode of We The People, we ask: are these stopgap measures enough to rid the system of its inefficacies or are such leaks mere symptoms of larger problems plaguing India's education system? Is India's exam-centric education system that puts such high premium on marks at the root of the problem at hand?

There is no more powerful engine for economic growth than a young, gainfully employed workforce. But on the other hand, there is no greater catalyst for civil strife than jobless young people. A decade ago, nobody contemplated this latter possibility - India's youth, in comparison with an ageing West, China and Japan- was universally regarded as one of its biggest advantages. But today, after miniscule job creation in the last few years, some tough questions are being asked.

On this episode of We The People we debate whether this is a structural problem? Is it the fault of the Modi government? Or are we simply not interpreting data correctly, and inventing a problem where none exists?

Passive euthanasia is now a legal reality in India. But this may just be the start of the road for one's 'Right to Die' as the issue continues to draw resistance from some quarters, be it religious, legal or even medical. On this episode of We The People, we ask: Who decides if a person drafting his or her 'living will' is of a 'sound mind' or not? Is the right to draft a living will a step towards death with dignity or will it unfairly end up pushing people who can't afford treatment to opt for death? Is a legal right to active euthanasia the natural next stop?

Twelve percent of India's women are single: some by choice, others by circumstance and the number is growing. On this episode of We The People, we ask: has the Indian society and family finally changed shape to accommodate 'the single woman'? Given that an increasing number of women are choosing to give birth at a later age, is the idea of a biological clock a mere myth? Do single women have it more difficult as compared to single men?

The BJP-led government which came to power on the promise of freeing the country of the corruption malaise was ironically rocked by an avalanche of scams in the past few weeks. To make matters worse, India slipped two places to 81 in the International Corruption Index taken out by Transparency International. On this episode of We The People, we ask: have the public institutions of the country failed to safeguard the people's money? Is a nexus between the corporate giants, the politicians and the banking institutions to blame? Is privatisation the solution for the deep rot that seems to pull down the Indian economic system time and again?

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement claiming military-like discipline and the ability of the group to be combat-ready quicker than the army has caused a political storm with the army being the unwilling focus yet again. While the army chief had recently exhorted all political leaders to keep the military out of politics, the request seems to have fallen on deaf ears. While many BJP leaders have come to the RSS chief's defence, the Congress party has demanded that Mr Bhagwat apologise for the comment. On this episode of We The People, we ask: has the RSS statement betrayed military aspirations of the organisation? Is the BJP's defence of the RSS questioning the army's ability yet another political manoeuvre as the country moves closer to the election year?

Communal tension is a sad fact of life in India. It is also the subject of a new book written by a parent that shares what it is like to raise a Muslim child in India today. In this episode of We The People, we debate that if the most privileged children in India, with access to world-class educational resources and with highly educated parents, are not immune to the religious divide, then don't we have a serious social problem on our hands?

A Class 9 boy found dead in a school toilet, a school principal shot dead, a Class 1 boy stabbed by a senior girl - the last few weeks have jolted the conscience of the Indian society with the sheer number of crimes that have seen minors as perpetrators. On this episode of We The People, we ask: What has brought on this sudden spurt in juvenile crimes in the country? Have schools ceased to be the safe places for children where they must fear their own peers? What drives criminality in young minds? Is an increase in juvenile crimes symbolic of a systematic failure of the country's social structure?