We The People

Supertech's illegal twin towers in Uttar Pradesh's Noida were demolished successfully. Over 3,700 kg of explosives were used to raze the towers. Nine years after residents first went to court, it took just 9 seconds to bring down the towers. Will it send out a tough message to builders and authorities?

It's the summer of discontent for those who want to travel abroad - they may have to wait six months to a year just to get a visa appointment. But especially hard hit by the great visa slowdown are Indian students, who are finding that their dreams of studying abroad are quickly turning into a nightmare - with no student visa in sight. Students are having to defer admissions, and in worst cases, cancelling their admission altogether to look for alternative options last-minute. On We The People, we speak to some of those students.

Amid the 'Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', on We The People, we ask, what does Azaadi mean to us today? Has chest thumping nationalism drowned the true meaning of patriotism?

In the last fortnight, Tamil Nadu lost five students to suicide - all aged 17. While each case is being examined separately, the incidents have raised a singular, disturbing question - is there a lack of mental health infrastructure for students in India? On We The People, we ask why this is not being recognised as a grave crisis, and what we as a society need to do to tackle this.

 

August is just around the corner and many students are gearing up to go to foreign universities. While this isn't a new trend, of late there has been a post-pandemic uptick in students wishing to go overseas to pursue higher education. Many of these students come from Tier 1 or 2 cities, but recently, even students from rural areas, markedly Punjab and Haryana, are desperate to head abroad. On We The People, we ask what is driving this move? And can the so-called brain drain be reversed?

India's population is expected to surpass China's by next year, according to a UN report, sparking a debate on a potential population control law - and whether such a law would be legal as per the constitution. Also, raising questions on its implementation and effect on citizens. On We The People tonight, we discuss whether India needs to act legally to control population, especially against the backdrop of a declining fertility rate, and how much of this debate has been politicised.

People around the world are anxious to step out and travel again as pandemic restrictions are lifted - but is news of flight safety concerns, cancelled flights, skyrocketing airfare and long queues at airports a dealbreaker for some? The aviation industry seems to be hit with chaos amid news of frequent bird hits, smoke in cabins, shortage of airport staff and delayed luggage showing up in headlines every day. Tonight on We The People we ask - is it a bumpy ride ahead for flyers?

This week saw a number of incidents that brought into question the idea of free speech in India, as well as its limitations. From India's leading fact-checker Mohammed Zubair being arrested for a 4-year-old tweet, to the Supreme court judges who criticised the BJP's Nupur Sharma facing social media attacks themselves for their comments, all happening in a week where the PM joined the G7 in a pledge to 'protect free speech'. In the light of these developments, We The People asks - how free is speech in India, really?

 

With the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, the focus is back on resort politics. A predictable charade of political parties moving their MLAs to resorts and hotels has begun. A dissident group of Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde is in five-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahti - an all-expense paid stay. This even as common people in the flood-affected parts of the state can't access clean drinking water. Over 125 people have died in the Assam so far. People can't cremate or bury the dead in Silchar as all crematoriums are flooded.

The past week has been marked by protests over the Agnipath scheme across eight states in India - some of which turned violent. While there are political and social ramifications of this scheme, there are also several unanswered questions about whether it was poorly thought and rolled out. On tonight's episode of We The People, we address what this scheme means for aspirants who have dreamt about serving in the Armed Forces.