What's new today

The big continent of Africa has begun to crack. No, we are not making this up like it is a plot of a sci-fi movie, this is a story for real. In this podcast episode with a middle schooler (Ethan from S.M.Shetty International School, Mumbai), we discuss answers to

a) What is causing this?

b) When will this happen and will the people and animals in Africa be okay?

For more

1. Read our ⁠⁠newsletter on current affairs (for kids aged 14+) on Substack⁠⁠

2. ⁠⁠Subscribe to our children's magazine⁠⁠ (7-17 yrs old) available in print and digital.

An island tucked deep in the middle of the Indian Ocean, with about a thousand indigenous folks, has gained attention in recent years. India has announced the Great Nicobar Project as a strategic counter to China's String of Pearls strategy. India wants to develop an island, from where it can mount a naval defense. To discuss whether this island should indeed be the right place to build India's military base, we have two teenagers - Aadish from Hyderabad and Riaan from Mumbai.

For more

1. Read our ⁠⁠newsletter on current affairs (for kids aged 14+) on Substack⁠⁠

2. ⁠⁠Subscribe to our children's magazine⁠⁠ (7-17 yrs old) available in print and digital.

3. Great Nicobar Project - more on it

They are small and furry. They are saving hundreds of lives one sniff at a time. In Cambodia, a squad of African giant pouched rats detect buried landmines with extraordinary precision. These heroes have cleared thousands of explosives, giving villages back their land. 8-year old Dhruv from Bengaluru and 11-yr old Advik from Chennai share the wonders of wildlife creatures in this episode.

For more

1. Read our ⁠newsletter on current affairs (for kids aged 14+) on Substack⁠

2. ⁠Subscribe to our children's magazine⁠ (7-17 yrs old) available in print and digital.

Many of us have discovered a fascination for creatures like sealions or frogs, all thanks to a mild hypnotic voice narrating their life stories. For some of us, this voice belonged to the science teacher we wished we had had in school. Sir David Attenborough turned 100 recently. This episode is a conversation with three children: Ava (8 yrs), Anindya (11 yrs) and Darsh (12 yrs) sharing stories of Sir David Attenborough.

For more

1. Read stories from his life on the children's magazine 'Lighter Side'

2. Read our newsletter on current affairs (for kids aged 14+) on Substack

3. Subscribe to our children's magazine (7-17 yrs old) available in print and digital

A few days ago, under the bright skies of Paris, four men sauntered into the Louvre museum after climbing onto its balcony, picked up a few glittering jewels that belonged to French royalty, hopped onto a scooter and drove away. This episode was recorded on the 2nd of Nov, 2025. Four young kids from India joined me to discuss

- what they found most fascinating about this robbery

- what they link of European museums hoarding artifacts taken away from their former colonies

Guests: 11-yr old Dhruv from Kolkata, 13-yr old Aditya from Mumbai, 11-yr old Devansh from Kolkata and 12-yr old Shaarav from Mumbai.

Other stuff you'd like to check out

1. Read ⁠my newsletter 'Lighter Side'⁠

2. Subscribe to our childen's magazine in print and digital ⁠- 'Lighter Side'⁠

3. We run Writing Courses for kids that help them become published authors. ⁠Find out more on the writing courses.

The Secret Garden is a story that combines elements of adventure like an Enyd Blyton's Famous Five story, pieces of climate fiction like an episode of 'Planet Earth' and some elements of magic like a Harry Potter story. The story revolves around a household with children living in a manor on the moors. Amongst the many secrets that the manor holds is a secret and locked garden. Through working in the garden, healthy friendships form and lives are redeemed.

Young reader who joins in reviewing this book: Prakriti (11 yr old, Mumbai)

Related links

1. The Book 'Secret Garden' available on Amazon

2. Read my newsletter 'Lighter Side'

3. Subscribe to the hard copy of the children's magazine 'Lighter Side'

4. We also run Writing Courses for kids that help them become published authors. Find out more on the writing courses.

How did the global war on terror reshape the Kashmir conflict? This podcast episode explores the dramatic shifts that transformed the players and stakes in the Kashmir dispute over the past decade and a half.

• Post-9/11 Relations: How Pakistan went from key US ally to regional pariah

• Aid Cuts: American military aid and weapon sales to Pakistan come to an abrupt halt

• Pakistan's New Patron: How China stepped in to fill the void left by American withdrawal

• Leadership Change: Narendra Modi's election and his hardline Kashmir promises

During the Cold War, the US sought allies to support it during the war against the Soviets. Pakistan was one of those allies. In exchange, Pakistan received financial aid and military support from the US. How did the state of Jammu and Kashmir become an unintended recipient of trouble during this cold war?

Source material for my research

1. 'India after Gandhi' by Ramachandra Guha

2. Sarah Paine's lectures on the ⁠'War for India⁠'

3. How to constrain the Pakistani Jihadi Complex - research piece by Pranay Kothasthane from Takshashila Institution

4. Tarekh Fatah's '⁠The Bloody Partition seen through a Pakistani's eyes'⁠

Read other pieces by ⁠Sangeetha on the 'Lighter Side'⁠ on Substack.

Drop your questions or comments via email to [email protected]

When the British left India in 1947, they decided to leave one lasting impression - divide the lands between two factions that had different views of the world. The partition of India and Pakistan had a large impact on the hills and valleys of Jammu and Kashmir. The most recent massacre in Pahalgam in Apr 2025 has left many of us wondering - why a conflict that began in 1947 still remains unresolved? I went back to the pages of Ramachandra Guha's 'India after Gandhi' to find answers to some of my questions. This episode is part 1 of 3, where I narrate the story of how this conflict began in 1947.

Source material for my research

1. 'India after Gandhi' by Ramachandra Guha

2. Sarah Paine's lectures on the 'War for India'

3. William Dalrymple's piece 'The Great Divide'

4. Article in Awaz the Voice by Saquib Salim 'When brothers were pitted against each other'

5. Tarekh Fatah's 'The Bloody Partition seen through a Pakistani's eyes'

Read other pieces by Sangeetha on the 'Lighter Side' on Substack.

Drop your questions or comments via email to [email protected]

Pope Francis, a man who embraced the need for environmental protection, a man who sought to undo some of the past damages done to indigenous tribes across the world, a man who tried hard to help immigrant refugees, recently passed away.

The 1.4 billion Roman Catholics across the world now need a new leader. How will they elect their next leader? 11-yr old Dheer from Surat, India tries to find out more about this.

Explore more

1. Listen to the episode recommended by Dheer - about refugee Olympics

2. We have a newsletter for kids and families about current affairs. You can read recent posts here for free.

3. If you are 8-14 years old and would like to join this podcast, (just like Dheer did), write to us via email at [email protected].

4. We have a printed magazine for kids about news stories, written through comic strips. To ⁠⁠⁠⁠buy our most recent edition for INR 399/-, please click here⁠⁠⁠

For any comments or questions, please write to Sangeetha at [email protected]