The Times Of India Podcast

The Times of India's Shivani Azad explains the worrying spread of forest fires in Uttarakhand this year and what experts say are the bigger lessons to be learned from such calamities.

Journalist and author of 'H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars' Kunal Purohit explained the emergence and rise of a popular subculture, and its political implications. 

Neelanjan Sircar, senior fellow at Centre for Policy Research, explains why turnouts may be low this election and why the political parties' campaigns feel more low-energy. He also explains the implications of this for the results of this election.

Two actors have already filed cases over fake videos of them endorsing a party during the ongoing elections. Karen Rebelo, deputy editor at fact-checking organisation Boom Live, had decoded how misinformation has evolved over the years in India and why artificial intelligence tools will make it so much harder to detect misinformation.

It turns out packaged baby food and 'health' drinks may have the same problem. Dr Arun Gupta from Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest explains how we can regulate our packaged food better so that we're not just eating sugar  

Retired diplomat and expert on the Middle East, Talmiz Ahmad decodes the attacks by Iran and Israel and how to read into the pause of hostilities that the two countries seem to have settled for.     

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explains why the attempts to make faith and rituals scientific are unnecessary and why being scientific shouldn't mean a discarding of faith.   

Vikram Doctor, one of India's best chroniclers of the food industry, explains why we may pay more for chocolate-based treats this year and whether we are going to face a chocolate apocalypse.

Zeba Sikora from Project 39A at the National Law University in Delhi explains the concerns with the three new criminal law bills that are expected to be implemented later this year and how much they really reform the criminal justice system

Dr Jayesh Lele, honorary secretary general of the Indian Medical Association, talks about why a petition was filed against Ramdev and Patanjali and what action the case should have prompted.  

The screening of 'Kerala Story' has prompted a political furore ahead of elections. Kabir Taneja, who's an author and Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, had explained why Islamic State failed to gain ground in India

Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said India will target its enemies on foreign soil if needed.

Professor Rory Cormac from the University of Nottingham, who specialises in the study of covert action, and Ajai Sahni, who is Executive Director of the Institute of Conflict Management, explain the fallout of operations that take place outside India.

Policy analyst and commentator N Sathiya Moorthy explains why the agreement on Katchatheevu island was arrived at between India and Sri Lanka and why the campaign over the island isn't a great political or diplomatic strategy. 

Author and journalist Sudheendra Kulkarni, who worked closely with LK Advani, talks about the lessons the former deputy prime minister's career offers for Indian democracy today. 

Advocate Ramprasad Gupta, whose 18-year-long legal battle over his brother's killing resulted in the conviction of Mumbai 'encounter specialist' Pradeep Sharma, talks to TOI's Sunil Baghel about the challenges he faced.

Trade unionist and human rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, who was arrested in the Elgar Parishad case in Maharashtra, talks to TOI Plus's Alka Dhupkar about her new book (that just won an award), life in jail and why she's still an optimist.

Eminent political scientist Suhas Palshikar explains what worries him about Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, what the opposition hasn't done right and what it could mean beyond the national elections.

Dr Zahid Badroodien who works in the city administration of Cape Town talks about how they dealt with the worry of 'Day Zero' and dry taps, and the lessons other water-stressed cities like Bengaluru can take from them.  

The Godfather released on March 24, 1972, inspiring films everywhere since. Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane and critic Jai Arjun Singh talk about why a film about an Italian mafia family remains relevant over 50 years later and why it remains an inspiration to filmmakers

Rama Bijapurkar, one of India's most respected voices on consumer behaviour, talks about what firms continue to get wrong about the Indian consumer and her worries about the Indian economy

Maj Gen (retd) Anil Verma from Association for Democratic Reforms, which petitioned the Supreme Court against electoral bonds, explains what the data released about electoral bonds has revealed so far.

Supriya Sule, who has represented the NCP for three terms in Parliament, talks to TOI's Alka Dhupkar about her upcoming Lok Sabha campaign and how she will run it, even if her opponent is Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra. 

Dr Guha Pradeepa from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation explains the worrying trends for India in a recent Lancet report on obesity and malnutrition.   

AS Dulat was R&AW chief and a former advisor to the Prime Minister's office on Kashmir. He talks about his good friend Ajit Doval and what can be done to earn Kashmir's trust after abrogating Article 370.

Could the Mahabharata have taken place at a time before horses were used in India? Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik talks about the unusual problems that arise when you start to link myths with historical dates.

Sadia Hasan's son died when he was eight. She talks to TOI's Ambika Pandit about living with loss, and a chance meeting that resulted in her producing the film 'Yes Papa' which targets child sexual abuse.

Accused of murdering her daughter and out on bail, Indrani Mukerjea is presently the subject of a docu-series. In this interview, she spoke about not seeking to change people's opinions of her and why the high-life wasn't all fun and games.

In light of Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath's public statement on suffering a stroke, Mumbai-based neurologists - Dr Shirish Hastak and Dr Pawan Ojha - talk about causes, first aid tips and why public figures talking about the condition is a good thing.

Recently, a two-year-old was killed in Delhi by a pack of stray dogs, raising questions about how cities should deal with the issue. Dr Gowri Yale, a veterinarian who works on the issue, spoke with TOI's Alka Dhupkar about how we can deal with stray dogs without resorting to extreme measures.

TOI's Rudroneel Ghosh speaks with Lithuania's foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and Dr. Rajorshi Roy at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses to decode where the Russia-Ukraine war is headed and its continuing impacts.

Sreehari Aney, former advocate general of Maharashtra, talks to TOI's Bhavika Jain about the legal challenges the bill to grant a 10% quota for Marathas seems set to face.

India's announcement to fence the border with Myanmar hasn't been met with support from three states. Journalist and author Rajeev Bhattacharya - who has travelled into Myanmar through the open border - explains the situation on the ground and why there's limited support for the decision

Political scientist and author Suhas Palshikar explains the importance of ideology for political parties and why parties ignoring it isn't a good sign for Indian politics.

Sexologist and author Dr Rajan Bhonsle talks about the dangers of 'supplements' that promise to solve sexual problems and the dangers of self-medicating to solve problems.

As a state doubles down on its decision to teach school children parts of the Gita, author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik talks about why the holy text may not be for children. He talks about its complexities and also why he believes it shouldn't be viewed outside the context of the Mahabharata.

After Pakistan's national elections throw up a result that defies all pre-poll predictions, academic and author Ayesha Siddiqa explains what this means for Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, the Pakistan Army and ties with India.

Mihira Sood, Executive Director of the Centre for Child Rights & Juvenile Justice at the National Law University in Delhi, first decodes how much Uttarakhand's uniform civil code changes things. She also explains why the state's proposal on handling live-in relationships is very problematic. (15:50)

TOI+ columnist and journalist Radhika Ramaseshan talks about Bharat Ratna awardee LK Advani's contribution to the Ram temple cause and his own political fall. Then she decodes the BJP's campaign strategy ahead of the 2024 polls.

TOI Plus's Lata Mishra speaks with doctors and patients about hypersensitivity pneumonitis, why a bird's being blamed for its rise and how to prevent it.

Sanjay Kumar, co-director of Lokniti, talks to Alka Dhupkar about why he wrote off the 2024 national election after Nitish Kumar's departure, what explains the Bihar chief minister's political survival and what the INDIA alliance needs to do quickly.

Sociologist Dr Suryakant Waghmore talks to TOI Plus's Bhavika Jain about how the Maratha demand for a quota changed over decades, what it means for politics in the state and what its latest success means for the community.

A recent report said AI-driven misinformation is the second biggest risk to the world in 2024 and India is at the highest risk. Karen Rebelo, deputy editor at fact-checking organisation Boom Live, decodes how misinformation has evolved over the years in India and why artificial intelligence tools will make it so much harder to detect misinformation.

Former police officer Julio Ribeiro, former editor Rahul Singh and prominent gynaecologist Dr Rustom Soonawala reflect on India's successes over seven decades and where it could have done better.

As the origin story of the dish is contested, food historian and columnist Anoothi Vishal decodes how butter chicken became so popular (not just because of the taste) and the dishes it eclipsed on the way to becoming a global superstar.

Retired ambassador and West Asia geopolitics expert, Talmiz Ahmad talks to Jairaj Singh about the Iran-Pakistan missile strikes, what could spread the conflict in West Asia and what tensions in the region mean for India.

Former Maharashtra CM and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan talks to TOI Plus's Alka Dhupkar about Milind Deora's departure and firming alliances. Then, CPR's Neelanjan Sircar explains what impact Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra can have, and what it means for the INDIA alliance.

Sunil Baghel and Bhavika Jain from TOI+ speak with constitutional experts - PDT Achary and former Maharashtra Advocate General Sreehari Aney - to decode what the Maharashtra speaker's verdict in the Shiv Sena split says about India's anti-defection law.

Political scientist and co-director of Lokniti, Suhas Palshikar examines the 'one nation, one election' plan and breaks down why it raises more concerns than solving problems.

One of India's longest-standing insurgent groups ULFA recently signed a memorandum of settlement with the Indian government. Journalist and author of 'ULFA: The Mirage of Dawn', Rajeev Bhattacharyya talks to TOI's Jayanta Kalita about what the latest peace agreement means, and how ULFA rose and then lost influence in Assam

Former central information commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi talks about what the transfer of an official for revealing information about government selfie points says about the health of the Right to Information Act and why it's a law that must be preserved in the interest of transparency.

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explains why our religions talk about how to handle money and wealth even though gods are above money. He also explains why different religions have different ideas about what to do with wealth

Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman of the Institute of Chest Surgery at Medanta Hospital, explains why he's been talking about the blackening of lungs due to air pollution and why he believes more people need to know what air pollution is doing to them.

The Bangladesh elections are to be held on January 7 but the outcome seems set. Author and journalist Deep Halder talks to Prabhash K Dutta about what to expect as Sheikh Hasina's likely to enjoy a fourth term as the country's prime minister.

Zeba Sikora from Project 39A at the National Law University in Delhi explains the concerns with the three new criminal law bills passed by Parliament and how much they really reform the criminal justice system.

Author of 'H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars' and journalist Kunal Purohit talks about the emergence of a popular subculture, what explains its rise and the dangers it comes with.

Aditya Bahadur, Chair of the Research and Strategy Team at the International Institute for Environment and Development, explains what was achieved, and what wasn't, at the COP28 summit in Dubai and why the world seems to be working so slowly on tackling climate change

Author and personal finance advisor M Pattabiraman explains why tax-saving investments aren't always the best option, how to invest and what most investors get wrong.

Journalist Shakir Mir, who writes on Kashmir for TOI+, talks about the reaction to the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 in the region and how the union territory has fared since 2019.

After the flooding in Chennai, we're bringing back this episode in which we spoke with Jagdish Krishnaswamy, an ecohydrologist at IIHS, who explained what India's cities need to do to prevent flooding.

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explains why there are some myths and faiths in which gods make mistakes and in some faiths gods never make any errors.

Co-director of Lokniti and chief editor of Studies in Indian Politics, Dr Suhas Palshikar explains how to view the upcoming 2024 elections in light of the three state election victories for the BJP.

Political columnists Radhika Ramaseshan and Sugata Srinivasaraju decode the election results in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and what it means for the BJP and Congress months ahead of a national election.

Shivam Bharadwaj, who runs the social media handle 'The Guy In A Skirt', and founder of Pink List India, Anish Gawande, talk about the kind of abuse queer people and influencers face online in light of a teenager's death. Also, what does such constant abuse online mean for the queer community that has viewed the online world as a safe space?

A former student of a coaching class in Kota looks back at his time there, and with the benefit of hindsight evaluates the impact it had on him.

After the allegations of murder from Canada, a report says the US has warned India of its possible role in a murder plot on US soil. Meanwhile, multiple terror accused have died in mysterious circumstances in Pakistan.

Professor Rory Cormac from the University of Nottingham, who specialises in the study of covert action, and Ajai Sahni, who is Executive Director of the Institute of Conflict Management, explain the possible fallouts of these allegations Links to the previous episode with Ajai Sahni titled 'Is a Khalistani threat looming upon us?' on TOI website, Spotify and Apple podcasts

TOI's Shivani Azad, activist Renu Paul and former director of the People’s Science Institute in Dehradun, Ravi Chopra, discuss the impact of big infrastructure projects in the state of Uttarakhand.

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik talks about religious food rules like halal and kosher and why communities adhere to them. He also explains better alternatives than bans on such practices.

Pulmonologist Dr Jeenam Shah talks to TOI's Lata Mishra about the health impacts of poor air quality and how he's seeing air pollution affect people.

Professor Yatindra Singh Sisodia, who is director of the Madhya Pradesh Institute of Social Science Research, explains why the contest between the Congress and BJP for 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh is too close to call this year.

Badminton legend and chief coach of the India national badminton team, Pullela Gopichand talks about what it takes to create winners and how he overcame his own challenges as a player and coach.

Sidhartha Mallya talks about depression, OCD, his complicated relationship with his father and life in a gilded cage.

Journalist and author Jafar Haand, who has been tracking Afghanistan cricket since the nation got a team, talks to Pinaki Chakraborty about a remarkable run in the World Cup

Despite leading the party's campaign, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh are not assured of getting the chief minister's seat even if the BJP wins in their states. TOI+ political columnist and journalist Radhika Ramaseshan explains why they no longer call the shots.

Aalap Deboor, co-founder of YouTube channel Much Much Media, talks about finding out he was autistic in his 30s, how it changed his life and what he's learned from documenting the lives of other neurodivergent people.

Maj Gen (retd) Anil Verma from Association for Democratic Reforms explains why they've appealed to the Supreme Court to end the electoral bond scheme and the many issues with its implementation.

Major General (retired) Satbir Singh - who is Chairman of Indian Ex-servicemen Movement - talks to Harinder Baweja about the case of the eight former Navy personnel who have been sentenced to death in Qatar and India's handling of the case.

National film award-winning director Onir talks to Alka Dhupkar about how he views the Supreme Court verdict on same-sex marriages, the challenge of telling same-sex stories and the way forward for the LGBTQ+ community.

At a time when medical science is promising longer and healthier lives, author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik dwells on how myths across the world view immortality

Former diplomat and minister Mani Shankar Aiyar - who recently released his memoirs - talks to Harinder Baweja about why he has always favoured people-to-people ties with Pakistan. He also talks about controversies sparked by statements made by him, and Rajiv Gandhi, and why he thinks they're overblown.

To better understand a recent case where the Supreme Court first granted, then withdrew permission for a woman to undergo an abortion, we spoke with Mihira Sood from the National Law University in Delhi and Dr Subha Sri Balakrishnan from NGO CommonHealth.
They decode issues with how the country's apex court handled the case, how India could handle abortions much better and why courts, and medical practitioners, need to keep their morality in check.

Dr Cyriac Abby Phillips, who's better known as The Liver Doc on social media, explains his stand against ayurveda and wellness medication, the myth of detoxification and how to take a stand against misinformation

Trade unionist and human rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, who was arrested in the Elgar Parishad case in Maharashtra, talks to TOI Plus's Alka Dhupkar about her new book, life in jail and why she's still an optimist.

Author and award-winning journalist Gideon Levy and Palestine analyst Tahani Mustafa at the International Crisis Group weigh in on the war and explain how things could play out in the coming days for Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas and the region at large.

After multiple controversies over enforcing vegetarianism, sociologist at IIT Bombay Dr Suryakant Waghmore talks about why having separate spaces for vegetarians shouldn't reinforce caste practices and how it reflects the anxiety of vegetarians.

One of the world’s most respected CEOs talks about how women can be heard better, her wish to create high quality child care, her love for cricket and what retirement is like.

Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explains how Indian myths are different from other mythologies in the depiction of women and feminist themes in Indian myths

One of India's finest food writers, Vikram Doctor talks about how ajinomoto has always had a bad reputation that it didn't deserve and why we can't get enough of it in our food.

The passage of the Women's Reservation Bill raised questions about delimitation which could re-organise the electoral map of India after half a century.
Former IAS officer and founder of the Lok Satta movement, JP Narayan, talks to TOI's Alka Dhupkar about the need to reorganise India's electoral map and what needs to be done to ensure no region feels shortchanged. 

The monsoon this year has been below normal with some regions hit worse than others. Times of India's senior editor Vishwa Mohan and CareEdge's chief economist Rajani Sinha explain how a below normal monsoon could affect food prices and economic growth in the coming months.

TOI journalist and author of the book 'When Ardh Satya Met Himmatwala', Avijit Ghosh talks about why he takes a kinder view of 1980s Hindi films and why it was a decade marked by many big changes.

Dr  K. Srinath Reddy, who is honorary distinguished professor at the Public Health Foundation of India, decodes a WHO report on hypertension, or high blood pressure, which says Indians are largely undiagnosed and untreated for the condition.

Former MP and vice president of the RLD, Shahid Siddiqui, talks with Harinder Baweja about BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's abuse-filled speech in Parliament and why he feels the action taken is inadequate. He also reveals why he remains hopeful about the future of the Muslim community in India.

Former Indian ambassador Anil Trigunayat and Jeff Nankivell, President and CEO of Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, explain what to expect in India-Canada ties after they hit a new low. 

Tushar Chakrabarty, Senior Analyst at PRS Legislative Research, talks about the history of the women's reservation bill. Then, political columnist Radhika Ramaseshan explains why previous attempts at passing the bill failed, the political gains from this move and whether it could change politics.

The last of a generation of double decker buses has driven into the Mumbai sunset. Gopal MS, who chronicles the city on the social media handle Mumbai Paused, talks about the magic of the double decker. Then Vidyadhar Date, author and head of a BEST commuter group, talks about the larger problems the city's bus system is facing.

A representative of the fireworks industry, an expert on air pollution and two senior TOI journalists weigh in on states banning fireworks during Diwali and the fallout.

Professor Suhas Palshikar examines the 'one nation, one election' plan and breaks down the issues at stake.

A new campaign seeks to get people to visit the homes of people from other religions or castes. Shabnam Hashmi, who is heading the campaign, talks to Alka Dhupkar about the aim of the initiative and people participating in the campaign talk about their experiences.

Author of 'The Last Courtesan', Manish Gaekwad talks about chronicling his mother's life, the death of kothas in Mumbai and how his mother adapted to life after leaving the kotha.