• In Focus by The Hindu

  • By: The Hindu
  • Podcast

In Focus by The Hindu

By: The Hindu
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  • Summary

  • A podcast from The Hindu that delves deep into current developments with subject experts, and brings in context, history, perspective and analysis.
    The Hindu
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Episodes
  • What can be done to arrest the trend of democratic decline worldwide?

    What can be done to arrest the trend of democratic decline worldwide?
    Sep 20 2024
    The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is a Stockholm-based intergovernmental organisation that advocates for democracy worldwide. It has come out with a report on the health of democracies. Titled, ‘The Global State of Democracy 2024: Strengthening the Legitimacy of Elections in a Time of Radical Uncertainty’, the report has found that while one in four countries have improved in democratic metrics, a greater proportion – four out of nine – have declined. It also says that electoral participation has declined, one in three voters live in countries where the quality of elections has declined, and in what is clearly a dangerous trend, between 2020 and 2024, in one out of five elections, the losing candidate or party rejected the electoral outcome. Interestingly, the Report also found that disputes about the credibility of elections centred mostly on voting irregularities and vote counting. Coming to country rankings, the Report finds that India has declined on all four major categories of evaluation – Representation, Rights, Rule of Law and Participation. India is ranked 71 on Representation (a year-on-year decline by 1 place), 116th on rights (slipping down by 6 places), 80th on Rule of Law (down by 4), and 104 in Participation (down by 13 places). What is behind this democratic erosion – not just in India but across the globe? Why is voter turnout falling worldwide? And what can be done to reverse these worrying trends? Guest: Leena Rikkila Tamang, Director for Asia and the Pacific at International IDEA. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.
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    36 mins
  • Can biofortified crops make India nutritionally secure?

    Can biofortified crops make India nutritionally secure?
    Sep 19 2024
    Many African and Asian countries, including India, are leaning towards biofortification of crops. It is the process by which the nutrient density of food crops is increased by various means without sacrificing characteristic that is preferred by consumers or farmers. Thus, biofortified crops are more nutrient-dense than non-biofortified varieties. Experts believe that these crops can help end 'hidden hunger' or micronutrient malnutrition. Research is underway to add iron, Vitamin A, and Zinc to humble staple foods. Iron-biofortification of beans, cowpea and pearl millet, zinc-biofortification of maize, rice, and wheat, and pro-vitamin A carotenoid-biofortification of cassava, maize, rice, and sweet potato are currently underway and at different stages of development across the world. In August, PM Narendra Modi released 109 high yielding, climate resilient and biofortified varieties of crops at India Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. So, How can India get the best use of the process? And, what are the challenges involved in it? Guest: Suneetha Kadiyala, Professor of Global Nutrition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Host: Nivedita V Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian
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    25 mins
  • J&K Assembly polls preview: Agendas, party promises, and voter expectations | In Focus podcast

    J&K Assembly polls preview: Agendas, party promises, and voter expectations | In Focus podcast
    Sep 16 2024
    Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold its first assembly elections since the abrogation of Article 370. The polls will take place in three phases, on September 18, 25th and October 1. The counting of votes will happen on October 8. Given that these are the first assembly elections in ten years, what is the mood on the ground? What are the poll promises being made by the contending parties, and how do they stack up against each other in different parts of the Union Territory? Guest: Peerzada Ashiq, The Hindu’s Srinagar correspondent. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.
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    43 mins
Politics & Government
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