After Congress leader Praveen Chakravarthy’s tweet, one economic comparison has gone viral: that Tamil Nadu’s total debt is now higher than Uttar Pradesh’s.

The claim is being used to suggest a simple story: fiscal failure in one state, discipline in the other.

But is that really how numbers are read?

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna puts the debt figures in context. Because debt, by itself, tells us very little. What matters is how large an economy is, how fast it is growing, how much revenue it raises, and what that borrowing is used for.

Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Ajay R, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET, Graphics by Dharini Prabharan

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2024–25, the BJP received over ₹6,000 crore in political donations - that’s about 85% of all donations.

Much of this money came from large corporate donors, many operating in sectors heavily dependent on government contracts, approvals, subsidies, or regulation. This includes major business groups such as L&T, Tata Group, Megha Engineering (MEIL), and Mahindra Group.

Many donors were also the companies under regulatory scrutiny, or recipients of major government contracts.

What does it say about quid pro quo? What does this level of financial dominance mean for electoral competition and democratic accountability? Pooja Prasanna explains in this week’s Let Me Explain.

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription

TNM-NL holiday offer: https://pages.razorpay.com/pl_RvQ2dc74qlv1se/view

Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Ajay R, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET, Graphics by Jaseem Ali

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MGNREGA allowed rural workers to ask the government for work and be paid if work was not provided. That basic promise shaped how the programme worked on the ground. Now, the Union government plans to replace MGNREGA with a new law called VB G RAM G, 2025. The new framework changes how jobs are approved, funded, and delivered. In this special episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna walks through what is changing and what it could mean for workers and states.

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription

To support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund

Produced by Bhuvan Malik, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Edited by Dharini Prabaharan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2017 actor assault verdict has split Kerala. While six men were convicted for abducting and sexually assaulting an actor, Dileep, the alleged mastermind was acquitted of conspiracy charges.

Protests followed, and the survivor issued a public statement saying justice felt incomplete. In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down what the court accepted, what it rejected, and why proving criminal conspiracy is so difficult under Indian law.

➡️ Read our coverage of the case here: https://www.thenewsminute.com/topic/tnm-special-stories-kerala-actor-assault-case

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription

To support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund

Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Lakshmi Priya, Edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, Camera by Ajay R

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The unrest in Thiruparankundram during this year’s Karthigai Deepam festival did not emerge overnight. What unfolded on December 3 and 4 was the result of coordinated mobilisation, a controversial court order, and the reopening of a long-sensitive dispute on a shared sacred hill.

TNM’s reporter was on the ground documenting how activists from BJP, RSS, Hindu Munnani and other right-wing groups mobilised from across Tamil Nadu. How did this mobilisation happen? What is the controversial court order? Pooja Prasanna explains in this week’s Let Me Explain.

Read our ground reports here:

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/ground-report-the-organised-sangh-mobilisation-behind-the-thirupurakundram-unrest

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/ayodhya-of-the-south-a-timeline-of-time-immemorial

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/ayodhya-of-the-south-the-sanghs-southern-rehearsal

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription

Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Research by Azeefa Fathima, Reporting by Abhishek Vijayan, Camera by Ajay R, Satish, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET, Dharini Prabharan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why has the BJP struggled to translate its long presence in Kerala into political power? In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna looks at the Sangh Parivar’s decades-long organisational work in the state, the slow rise in BJP’s vote share, and why electoral success has remained limited. From Kerala’s lived secularism and dense social geography to literacy, political culture, and strong rival fronts, we break down what makes Kerala different and why the BJP’s familiar playbook has not worked here.

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Contribute to our reporting fund on shady business of stolen footage: https://pages.razorpay.com/hidden

Producer: Megha Mukundan

Script: Lakshmi Priya

Research inputs: Pooja Prasanna

Camera: Ajay R

Editor: Nikhil Sekhar ET

GFX: Dharini Prabharan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly half of India’s women factory workers are employed in one state: Tamil Nadu. In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna travels to factory floors in the state to understand how women came to power Tamil Nadu’s industrial economy. From electronics and garments to auto components, women form the backbone of manufacturing. This success is shaped by decades of industrial policy, welfare schemes, and investments in education.

This episode looks closely at both sides of the story: the opportunities that factory work has created for women, and the deep inequalities that continue to structure their labour. Through ground reports and conversations with workers, union organisers, and economists, we unpack what Tamil Nadu’s model has achieved and what still remains unresolved.

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe to The News Minute today.

Avail our 26% discount offer: https://pages.razorpay.com/GcaZzOyR26

Support our series on shady business of stolen footage: https://pages.razorpay.com/hidden

Like LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Producer: Megha Mukundan

Script: Lakshmi Priya

Camera: Ajay R, Nithesh Kumar M

Editor: Nikhil Sekhar

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did the RSS hire US lobbyists? Official disclosures in the US list the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a client of one of America’s biggest lobbying firms. But the RSS denies any involvement. In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down the filings, the controversy, the firms involved, and what this means for India’s democracy and for India–US relations.

For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com

Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe to The News Minute today.

Avail our 26% discount offer: https://pages.razorpay.com/GcaZzOyR26

Support our series on shady business of stolen footage: https://pages.razorpay.com/hidden

Like LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme

If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR

Producer: Megha Mukundan

Script: Lakshmi Priya

Research: Lakshmi Priya, Maria Teresa Raju

Camera: Ajay R

Editor: Nikhil Sekhar ET

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.