Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:57:25 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Pratyush Deep

The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang

Sumedha Mittal

Materialists

Shivnarayan Rajpurohit

The Fake Sheikh

Anmol Pritam

Uttarakhand : Hindu Rashtra की टेस्ट लैब बनती देवभूमि

A Man of Action

Basant Kumar

From Cinema to Literature: Imtiaz Ali and Manav Kaul on Good Storytelling | Jaipur Bytes Podcast

THE CASES THAT INDIA FORGOT

Avdhesh Kumar

Rashtra Nirman Mein Adivasi

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sumedha talks about her report on Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Her investigation revealed that even after this massive exercise, the ECI has conferred wrong house numbers to lakhs of voters. This, she says, creates the perfect opportunity to fill the lacunae with fake voters. After the ECI’s SIR, over 1,000 voters in Bihar were grouped under a single non-existent house. Her investigation highlights that whatever mistakes were there in the electoral roll are still on the list even after the SIR.

Pratyush’s report highlighted Assam’s 3,000-bigha land row and the controversy around it. While the story played out on social media, with claims that the land was being handed over to the Adani Group, Pratyush’s report reveals that it is, in fact, Mahabal Cement that had ownership of the land.

In another report from Assam, Pratyush follows the complainants behind recent FIRs against journalists, who ostensibly had links to the BJP or the RSS student wing ABVP.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:05:06 - Loopholes in SIR

00:23:30 - Illegal land allotment

00:33:54 - FIRs against Journalists

00:44:25 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sumedha

EP-339 | Political Pressure, TRP War, Media Credibility & Influencers vs Journalists | Kalli Purie

Pratyush

The Rebel Army Behind One of the World’s Major Rare Earth Supplies

Basant

Saare Jahan Se Accha

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Avdhesh discusses his report on a protest against the Supreme Court’s August 11 order to remove all stray dogs from the Delhi-NCR region. Disheartened dog lovers protested at Connaught Place, where protesters were confronted by the Delhi Police, who detained them. Avdesh says that this is the first time that religious slogans have been heard in such a protest.

Talking about his other report on UP police’s new model of “justice”, called Half Encounter or Operation Langda, Avdesh mentions how the police shoot suspects in one of their legs to capture them alive. Once hit, the accused collapses, and the police arrest them. He says people are framed in a false case, and the police script a fake encounter to appear real.

Ashish shares his experience reporting from ground zero in Uttarakhand’s Dharali village, which was cut off after multiple floods hit the region. There was no road and phone connectivity, the power supply was cut off, and the supply of essential goods had come to a halt. He describes the trials of the residents, whose homes were destroyed and relatives went missing.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:28 - Protest for Dogs

00:06:51 - Uttarakhand disaster

00:23:54 - Half Encounter

00:36:50 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ashish

Meiyazhagan

The Hunt for Veerappan

Pyaasa

Avdhesh

'We finally feel accepted’: Gujarat village ends Dalit haircut ban; elders back move

Anmol

A Man of Action

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Naresh Kumar.

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

Avdhesh talks about his first story in the series ‘Half Encounter’, or what the Uttar Pradesh Police call “Operation Langda”, which is a practice where police shoot suspects in the leg to capture them alive. Once hit, the accused collapses, and the police make the arrest.

“Hemant, a young DJ from Mathura, was wrongfully picked up by UP police and shot in the leg,” says Avdesh, who elaborated on the details of the fake encounter. He said 9,467 suspects were shot in the leg by UP police under the operation since 2017. 

Sumedha discusses her report, which reveals that the LG of Jammu and Kashmir spent Rs 70 crore on print ads, with Rs 12 crore worth of ads given to just five newspapers. “There is a concern over the discrimination in how ad money is distributed in Kashmir. The top three dailies that received the most ad money had overwhelmingly pro-LG Manoj Sinha and pro-Modi coverage,” she said.   

Avdesh also talks about his coverage of the recent protests by SSC students and teachers over multiple last-minute exam cancellations, the selection of a blacklisted vendor, failure to issue admit cards on time, and poor administrative coordination.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:10 - Half Encounter Story 

00:16:21 - Kashmir Newspaper Ads 

00:26:11 - SSC protests 

00:31:08 - Half Encounter

00:32:30 - Recommendations 

Avdhesh

Annihilation of Caste - Dr. BR Ambedkar

Insurance scams: मरे हुए 'ज़िंदा', ठगे गए परिवार, कहां तक फैले हैं घोटाले के तार?- ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट

Sumedha 

Saiyaara

Shivnarayan

Exclusive: India’s e-waste mirage, ‘crores in corporate fraud’ amid govt lapses, public suffering

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

Drishti reported on how elite societies in Delhi have encroached on public footpaths. During visits to several gated colonies, she found that sidewalks next to posh homes were taken over by landlords – with parked cars, potted plants, guard booths, and other structures eating into public space. In some cases, the encroachments even forced roads to become one-way. She pointed out the stark double standard: while the government is quick to demolish slums and informal settlements, it turns a blind eye to violations by the well-off.

Sumedha discussed her report on the detention of Bengali and Assamese migrant workers in Gurugram in makeshift centres. She found that Bengali-speaking Muslims, especially those living in slums across Delhi and Gurugram, have been detained on suspicion of being undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants. Families allege that police arrived at midnight, demanded identity papers, and in some cases picked up individuals despite them showing valid documents – including voter IDs, Aadhaar cards, and passports. No formal notice was given.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:38 - Elite encroachment

00:25:45 - Detained migrants

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sumedha

F1

H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars

Drishti

Superman

Pratyush

Pedestrian zones as driveways, parking lots: The elite encroachments Delhi won’t touch

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Umesh shares his experience of reporting from ground zero in Bihar, where the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is underway ahead of the assembly elections. The way this massive exercise is being carried out, he says, is burdening the state’s people who are forced to prove their citizenship, creating a panic-like situation.

Anmol talks about his report on the chaos that unfolded after a piece of onion was found in a meal served to the Kanwariyas at the Baba Balaknath Dhaba in Muzaffarnagar, which triggered ​​vandalism of the dhaba, resulting in smashed chairs, tables, fridges, fans, and glass panels by the mob. The owner claimed that the Kanwariyas not only vandalised the dhaba but also brutally attacked their staff with hockey sticks, with a 40-year-old staff member ending up with a broken leg.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:26 - SIR in Bihar

00:21:28 - Kanwariyas and Chaos

00:35:56 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Anmol Pritam

Uttarakhand : Hindu Rashtra की टेस्ट लैब बनती देवभूमि | Ground Report

Basant Kumar

The RSS Does Not Exist Mapping the hidden structure of an unaccountable organisation

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaunndry’s Prateek Goyal, and Basant Kumar.

Reporting from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, Prateek uncovers a chilling case of alleged police brutality that led to the death of Sadiq Ali Jafri. While the police claim Jafri died of natural causes, his wife and family allege he was killed in a police chokehold as part of a deliberate cover-up. They say the family was harassed in the aftermath – Sadiq’s father was jailed for over a year, one brother remains behind bars, and his wife, Saiba, is now battling a hostile system in her fight for justice.

Prateek’s investigation reveals how the police allegedly tampered with the postmortem report and fabricated witnesses to shield themselves. This harrowing story is part of Newslaundry’s NL Sena series on police impunity.

Meanwhile, Basant reports from Gujarat, uncovering how Muslims remain trapped under the Disturbed Areas Act. In Vadodara, he tells the story of Onali, a local who has spent years fighting to take possession of land he legally purchased.

Onali and his brother-in-law bought a plot in Champaner Darwaza, Fatehpura, back in 2016. But when Onali applied to the deputy collector’s office for permission to transfer the property, as required under the Disturbed Areas Act, his request was denied. He has since been caught in a relentless loop of court hearings and police visits, struggling to claim what is rightfully his.

Onali believes the opposition from local Hindu residents is the key reason behind the continued deadlock.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:29 -  How Muslims struggle to buy property in Gujarat

00:09:01 - I can’t breathe: Maharashtra man’s ‘last words in police chokehold’

00:35:04 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Prateek

The Hunt

Basant

Eleven

How Muslims struggle to buy property in Gujarat

Anmol

How Muslims struggle to buy property in Gujarat

Produced and edited by Tista Roy Chowdhury, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by The Caravan’s Sunil Kashyap, and Jatinder Kaur Tur.

Jatinder reports from Kashmir, where three bodies of locals who were in police detention surfaced in the Veshaw River. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Kashmiris felt being suspected and criminalised. Amid rampant arrests and deaths, families like that of Nazir Ahmad Magray – whose 20-year-old son was taken in a night raid by the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group – have been left shattered.

“We are talking about three brothers [and one man] who went missing and there was no believable story from the police. It is said that they drowned in Veshaw river or naala, which was completely dry and no one could have drowned there,” says Jatinder.

Meanwhile, Sunil's report uncovers an unseen, unheard truth from Bihar. At Bodh Gaya’s Mahabodhi Mahavihara – a sacred Buddhist site – Buddhist monks and Dalit-Bahujan groups are protesting the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, which mandates Hindu involvement in managing the temple. This stems from centuries of Hindu appropriation of the site, despite its centrality to Buddhism. “The Hindu Sangh sees Buddhism, not Islam, as its biggest ideological challenge,” says Sunil.  

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:02 - Kashmir police silences questions as bodies emerge from the Veshaw River

00:20:59 - The Bodh Gaya Protest

00:45: 37 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Jatinder 

How to Forgive

Sunil

In 6 months, Fadnavis seat added 29,219 voters. Poll staff claim lapses

A flurry of new voters? The curious case of Kamthi, where the Maha BJP chief won

Sumedha

A border ran through it: The life and lonely death of an 80-year-old Kashmiri man

Produced and edited by Saif Ekram and Tista Roy Chowdhury, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Prateek talks about his report on the increasing interference of Hindutva outfits in the Christian schools of Madhya Pradesh. The situation, he explains, has worsened to such an extent that it has led to FIRs against school authorities, and even raids, and vandalism in schools. Even teachers are threatened by students, Prateek adds. 

Basant reported from ground zero in Ahmedabad, where the Air India plane crashed killed more than 270 people. He shares his experience of talking to families who lost their loved ones and how difficult it was for the authorities to match DNAs of the people who got killed in the crash with their families. Another report from Ahmedabad looked at how the everyday lives of 17 people, who weren’t passengers, were also cut short in an instant in the plane crash.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:56 - Vandalism in Christian schools

00:06:15 - Ahmedabad plane crash

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Prateek

Air India crash: Casualties that weren’t passengers

Basant

In 6 months, Fadnavis seat added 29,219 voters. Poll staff claim lapses

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Shivnarayan talks about his profile of BJP president JP Nadda, diving deep into his rise from an ABVP worker to the president of the world’s largest political party. He also sheds light on the Chetna Sansthan, an NGO run by Nadda’s wife which received significant corporate and government-linked CSR funding after the BJP came to power.

Sumedha talks about her report which looks at an unusual surge in the number of voters in Devendra Fadnavis’s constituency in Nagpur South West between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra elections. A section of poll staff told her about alleged lapses in the manner these voters were added to the electoral rolls. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:36 - J P Nadda

00:21:59 - Unusual spike in the voter roll

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Shivnarayan

Sir

Sumedha

Official Secrets

Pratyush

The Bilaspur blueprint: JP Nadda’s political rise and the parallel growth of his family-run NGO

In 6 months, Fadnavis seat added 29,219 voters. Poll staff claim lapses

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Abhinav presents an in-depth report on the true death toll of the Mahakumbh Mela tragedy that happened in January. While the Uttar Pradesh government has officially acknowledged 37 deaths due to the stampede, BBC’s investigation has uncovered at least 82 fatalities so far. Despite government promises, many of the victims' families have yet to receive the promised compensation.

Akansha uncovers allegations of police impunity in Kaushambi in Uttar Pradesh. Her deep dive into police encounters in Uttar Pradesh reveal chilling accounts from families who lost loved ones in suspected extrajudicial killings.

Several families allege that police not only carried out unlawful encounters but also attempted to silence them with bribes. Many of these encounters took place in the same location: Goonghwa Ka Bagh in Kaushambi. Affected families are running from pillar to post in their fight for justice and accountability.

Meanwhile, Sumedha brings a sharply different story from Delhi. Since his appointment as Lieutenant Governor in May 2022, VK Saxena was known for publicly targeting the AAP-led government over civic issues. However, his stance appears to have softened following the BJP’s rise to power in February 2025.

Sumedha’s report explores this shift in tone – tracing how the LG's confrontational approach has evolved and what it reveals about the changing political dynamics in the capital.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:04 - Beyond 82: The Controversy Over Kumbh Stampede Casualties

00:31:20 - Encounter Raj in UP: A Deep Dive into Its Persistent Reality

00:52:24 -  Dynamics Between Delhi's LG and the Ruling Party: An observer’s view

00:59: 58 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Abhinav

The Unwomanly Face of War

The Sharp Knife of Memory

Sumedha 

Rahul Gandhi writes: Match-fixing Maharashtra

Today in Politics: Congress to make people aware of Rahul’s ‘fixing polls claims’ with processions across Maharashtra

Akansha

Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland

Avdhesh

Dr. Ambedkar: Life And Mission

Produced and edited by Hassan Bilal and Tista Roy Chowdhury, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Ayushi talks about her report on the recent controversy between content creators and the news agency ANI. She explains how India’s guidelines on fair uses are not so publicly disclosed which leads to such disputes. Some of YouTube’s policies of fair use are also undefined that is why ANI weaponises its claim on their videos, she adds.

Basant reported on the shift of Gujarat Samachar, a prominent newspaper in Gujarat, which once stood by the then CM Narendra Modi during the 2002 Godhara riots. He explains how the nature between Modi and the organisation changed over time and the situation worsened to such an extent that it led to ED and IT searches.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:04 - ANI vs content creators

00:18:15 - Gujarat Samachar

00:49:39 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ayushi

My Year of Meats

Basant

ANI Finds Business Niche In Copyright Claims Against YouTubers

पहली बार सांसद बने बृजभूषण सिंह के बेटे को मिला मंत्रियों वाला बंगला, गेट पर अभी भी पापा का नाम दर्ज

Anmol

ANI’s news business: ‘PR’ contracts with CMs, podcasts and a quest for power

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

While the rest of the country exhaled a sigh of relief at the announcement of a ceasefire in the India-Pakistan conflict, Poonch held its breath – and bled quietly.  

Nidhi and Anmol were on the ground, when the cross-border shelling began. Thirteen lives were lost. Thirteen names that won’t make it into strategic briefings or celebration speeches. Parents buried their twins, Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima – born five minutes apart, and died  five minutes apart. In another home, a wedding that was about to be planned turned into a funeral when the father of the bride-to-be never came home.

These aren’t just tragic anecdotes. This is the aftermath of a conflict that never really ends for the people living on its edge. Nidhi and Anmol’s reports on the families in both the city and the villages reveal that all of them carry the same expression – numb, disbelief, and tired of being forgotten. Their stories don’t scream, they ache. And in that ache lies a quiet question: why is Poonch always left behind?

They came back with more than interviews. They came back with grief, with names, with stories that deserve to be told. Stories of loss, of resilience, of people who live through war long after the last gun falls silent.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:15 - From Tension to Tranquility: Ceasefire was announced

00:09:34 - Shelling without Warning: The Unseen Threat Lurked in Poonch

00:36:56 - Misinformation flooded in mainstream  and social media 

00:43: 58 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Nidhi

Society Girl: A Tale of Sex, Lies, and Scandal  

Anmol

Saving Private Ryan

Basant

American Man Hunt: Osama Bin Laden 

Produced and edited by Hassan Bilal, Ashish Anand and Tista Roy Chowdhury, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Prateek and Drishti have reported on the fake news being peddled on social media during the India-Pakistan conflict, following Operation Sindoor. Both of them closely tracked the misinformation campaign run on both sides of the border and analysed the deeper implications of this information warfare. 

Prateek’s report looked at how Pakistan weaponised disinformation against India by underplaying aggression, claiming victimhood, and sowing seeds of disunity and repurposing it for the age of AI. Drishti, on the other hand, spoke to digital experts to report on how “misinformation and propaganda” was passed off under the garb of information warfare in India. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:46 - Misinformation against India

00:16:20 - Misinformation against Pakistan

00:27:11 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Drishti

Guthlee Ladoo

Prateek

Spy Stories

Pratyush

Is the reign of the dollar over?

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Pratyush reported on the mining mafia that built two illegal roads through forests and farms in the Aravallis. He explains how this violated rules and regulations, and it “enables the mining mafia to exploit the location and situation”, given its geographical location. “This illegal mining is not just done by mafias but also a nexus of local politicians and some government administrations are involved,” he says. 

Ankita talks about her report on the falling standards of Delhi School of Journalism, established with the hope of being India’s Columbia School of Journalism. She says it’s plagued by poor infrastructure, ill-equipped classrooms and high fees. She also explains how over half of its governing body is populated by members linked to the BJP or RSS.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:13 - Mining mafia in the Aravallis 

00:06:42 - Delhi School of Journalism

00:33:23 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ankita

What Killed Mukesh Chandrakar

Pratyush

An elephant never forgets his phandi

Shivnarayan

2 roads expose how forests, farms and laws were flattened for Aravallis’ mining mafia

Repression, Hindutva and the fall of Delhi School of Journalism

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Legacy media, Tanzil says, only focuses on feeding their agenda rather than serving public interest, making a journalist morally corrupt. Neetu explains that mainstream media restricted her freedom to report because it lacked the guts to hold the government accountable. Some reporters, however, are just fooling people by pretending to be independent journalists, remarks Sagar. 

They talk of their challenges in opting to work in independent media after exiting mainstream media. Despite lack of resources, hurdles in reporting and problems in their establishing and running their organisations, they say their decision to quit legacy media was most satisfactory.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:02 - Reasons for exiting mainstream media

00:12:28 - Challenges for independent media

00:23:24 - Hurdles for being independent journalist

00:56:48 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Neetu

Pahalgam Attack में मारे गए Shubham Dwivedi की पत्नी Aishanya Dwivedi ने हमले के बारे में क्या बताया

Sagar 

કણબી પટેલોના નાક વાઢવાની હચમચાવી દે તેવી કહાણી| Journalist Naresh Shah | Patidar Samaj History Video

Shatranj

Tanzil

Common People

BAKKHO Documentary | A Pasmanda Muslim Story | बक्खो | पसमांदा मुस्लिम की कहानी | Bihar Caste Census

Basant

What Killed Mukesh Chandrakar - The Reporters' Collective

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

Complaining about the media is easy. Why not do something to make it better? Click here to subscribe to Newslaundry and join the tribe that pays to keep news free.

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

Anjana talks about her report on Isha home schools being run by Jaggi Vasudev, where alleged cases of molestation and sexual assault unfolded. She explains how these misconducts led to traumatic experiences for some, but there is a lack of a grievance redressing mechanism within the organisation. She finds the functional body of the school to be an absurd way of spiritual business.

Shivnarayan reported on the legal fight between electronic companies and the government in the Delhi High Court over the new e-waste policy. Some electronic companies like Havells, Voltas, Dainkin, Hitachi, Bluestar, LG, and Samsung challenged the Indian government’s 2024 amendment to e-waste management rules, where the government fixed the minimum and maximum price caps for recycling their waste to meet their recycling targets. Companies argue that the government’s decision is arbitrary. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:23 - Isha home schools

00:16:38 - E-waste case

00:30:11 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Anjana

A Tale of Two Cities

Supreme Whispers: Supreme Court Judges

Shivnarayan

‘Thought they were Army, but they opened fire’: Survivors recount Pahalgam horror

Sumedha

A storm brews at Isha Foundation: Sexual assault allegations and countercharges

Church and State

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Vishnu breaks down how political parties are gearing up for a high-voltage election in Bihar. He analyses how political players are trying to finetune their strategies to get different caste groups on their side. He also talks about former civil servants jumping into the political arena and how that can affect the fortunes of the parties in the fray.

He sheds light on how the incumbent chief minister’s age will affect his party’s prospects. “Like him or not, you can’t ignore him,” Vishnu says about CM Nitish Kumar. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:52 - Political slugfest in Bihar

00:44:37 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Vishnu 

Kitna Raj, Kitna Kaj

JP to BJP

Basant

द जननायक Karpoori Thakur: वॉयस ऑफ वॉयसलेस किताब के लेखक Santosh Singh से बातचीत

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Shivnarayan talks about his report that uncovers how an Adani subsidiary gained access to its controversial power plant site in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur through a forest department road – without obtaining the required forest clearance that would precede such arrangements. “Experts say that the project and road leading up to it will cause a lot of damage to the surrounding flora and fauna,” he says.

Saurabh and Ashfaque’s documentary follows five of the 18 anti-CAA activists accused of orchestrating violence during the 2020 Delhi riots.

“Through our documentary, we wanted to show that the Delhi police, to cover up its inefficiency in containing the violence during the 2020 Delhi unrest, booked these activists,” says Saurabh. He adds that the FIRs against the activists is not based on “concrete proof” and has “several loopholes”.

Tune in. 

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

They talk about their story on Outlook’s transformation from a news magazine that once reported hard-hitting stories and exposed some of India’s biggest scandals to a magazine that focuses more on features, poetry now. 

Priyanka says several former Outlook journalists haven’t read the magazine in ages “because they don’t think it makes any noise anymore”. 

Noting that Outlook hadn’t been doing great work after Vinod Mehta’s editorship ended in 2015, Tanishka says under its current editor, Chinki Sinha, the magazine has taken even a “more unpleasant turn”.

She also talks about her interview with comedian Daniel Fernandes in the wake of the Kunal Kamra controversy. She notes that even though the comedy landscape is booming, space for political comedy is shrinking because “people are scared”.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:24 – Outlook’s vanishing edge

00:23:15 – State of political comedy 

00:33:28 – Recommendations

Recommendations

Tanishka

Many adults take BCG vaccine in city not knowing they’re part of govt study

Scripted Videos by Content Creators Fuel Communal Discord and False Narratives

Priyanka

Uttarakhand first settlers: Full episode-1 | Series सभ्यता

Pratyush

Outlook’s vanishing edge: How a bold magazine lost its bite

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sumedha and Anand break down their investigation on Kiran Bedi’s use of public resources for surveilling her daughter. They say the decorated IPS officer not only “misused her powers in doing so”, but also covered up her alleged misdeeds by presenting herself as a “helpless, concerned mother”.

Kiran Bedi left “no room for differentiation between helping somebody and breaking the law for them,” they add.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:39 - Kiran Bedi Tapes

00:25:35 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Anand

Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World

Sumedha

After NL-TNM story, Kiran Bedi makes ‘concerned mother’ claims, silent on Swiss diplomat’s rape

Shivnarayan

The RSS: A Menace to India

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Prateek explains the Nagpur violence that resulted in the damage of several vehicles and shops, the injury of 33 police officers, and a division among the communities. He says the violence was “just a sample of radical mindsets” and that extremists fueled by “ego” mobilised the mob.

Drishti talks about the phenomenon of AI anchors in Indian newsrooms, and why this model “is not working”. She also explains how these anchors are ‘stereotyped’. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:38 - Nagpur violence

00:11:52 - AI anchors in the newsroom

00:22:44 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Drishti

The Palace of Illusions: A Novel

Prateek

Chhava

Sumedha

The costs of Reliance’s wildlife ambitions

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Prateek talks about two big stories he reported on last week. The first is allegations of rape against prominent industrialist Shyam Sunder Bhartia. He explains why there was a delay in the police registering an FIR, and how a court had to get involved. The second, part of the Hindu Rashtra Project, details how Hindutva groups in Madhya Pradesh target interfaith couples – even if they’re protected by the court. 

Avdhesh talks about his follow-up story from Sambhal, where communal violence broke out last year. While the police have made several arrests, he says this doesn’t quite add up. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:28 - Rape case against Shyam Sunder Bhartia

00:12:09 - Police ‘action’ in Sambhal

00:26:04 - ‘Love jihad’ in Madhya Pradesh

00:33:26 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Prateek

Master Saab

Avdhesh

Walk The Talk with Mayawati (Aired: May 2005)

Aap Ki Adalat | Mayawati In Aap Ki Adalat | Golden Moments Of Aap Ki Adalat | Rajat Sharma

Basant

In Madhya Pradesh, ‘love jihad’ crusaders overrule high court orders to target interfaith couples

Crime Beat

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Avdhesh’s ground report from Sambhal raised questions about the veracity of claims made by two prominent newspapers about locals “fleeing” the violence-tensed region. Citing officials, the outlets reported that several locals “fled” over fear of arrest or police crackdown. However, on visiting Sambhal Avdhesh found this narrative to be misleading. Residents of houses mentioned as “locked” by the newspapers had a different tale to tell.

Shivnarayan reported on Railway authorities’ unusual move of distributing cash to the victims of the tragic stampede at the New Delhi railway station. He explains how the move was not only insensitive but violated Railways’ guidelines on distribution of solatium amounts.

He also discusses his report about the Central Pollution Control Board findings on the water quality of Ganga and Yamua during Mahakumbh. Not only the water in several ghats of Prayagraj was found to be unfit for bathing, the levels of faecal bacteria in some locations was over 13 times the permissible limit.

He had previously also reported on how almost all of the air monitoring stations in Delhi violated CPCB norms. Out of the 25 stations he visited, at least 22 were either surrounded by dense vegetation or had obstacles blocking airflow in clear violation of the regulatory body’s guidelines.

Tune in.

<<<YOUTUBE EMBED>>>

Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:02:25 – Reality of locals ‘fleeing’ Sambhal

00:12:50 – Stampede at New Delhi railway station

00:26:00 – CPCB report on Mahakumbh’s waters

00:41:03 – Delhi AQI monitors flouting norms

00:47:08 – Recommendations

Recommendations

Avdhesh

Chamcha Yug

Gulamgiri

Shivnarayan

Dubliners

Anmol

The Post

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

Small teams can do great things. All it takes is a subscription. Subscribe now and power Newslaundry’s work.

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Avdhesh reported on how voters in Delhi’s 12 reserved seats voted in the recent polls. He explains that despite the AAP’s massive defeat, a large section of Dalit voters continued to vote for the party.

Basant was on the ground in Prayagraj reporting on the stampede at the Mahakumbh. He says the Uttar Pradesh government wasn’t being transparent about the actual death toll, and that it failed to manage the crowds that day. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:17 - Delhi’s reserved seats

00:16:06 - Death toll in Kumbh

00:38:57 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Avdhesh

Delhi के जेबकतरे कैमरे पर क्या बोले? सुनिए नशे और चोरी की कहानी, कैसे करते हैं पुलिस से डील?

Basant

Sanam Teri Kasam

Pratyush

Scam Inc from The Economist

Jailed for ‘kidnapping’ her own child, a homeless woman’s long road to justice

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Based on the learnings from his reportage on BJP’s strategy to make a comeback in Delhi, Kashyap underlines how in its campaign and outreach efforts, the saffron party foregrounded regional and caste identities in Delhi this time. The party pulled no stops to win over different communities and groups with targeted promises and tailored measures. On the other hand, he says the AAP seems to be losing shine among its own workers.

Tune in.

Timecode

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:35:12- BJP’s strategy for Delhi

00:55:04:14 - Recommendation

Recommendations

Sunil

Mein Azaad Hun

Sumedha

Can BJP pull the Valmikis away from AAP?

Capital Gains: BJP’s strategy to unseat the AAP in Delhi

Produced and edited by Hassan Bilal, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Pratyush profiled Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, digging into the curious growth of his small firm. Within six years, its revenue rose from Rs 45 lakh to over Rs 323 crore. He also sheds light on his journey from an engineer to a minister.

Basant discusses his experiences reporting on the Delhi assembly polls. He explains what factors are working in favour of political parties and how leaders have changed the very functioning of elections over the past years. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:06:38 - Ashwini Vaishnaw

00:15:37 - Delhi polls

00:34:52 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Basant

Paatal Lok

Delhi की रिजर्व सीटों पर विकास का हाल, दलित वोटरों का किस तरफ झुकाव | Ground Report | Delhi Election

Pratyush

George Soros vs. the Bank of England

Anmol

Black Warrant

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Anand talks about his IndiaSpend report for which he trekked for several hours in remote areas of Jharkhand to understand how it is like for vulnerable sections to access healthcare. Across India, people have to cover an average distance of 13.55 km to reach a community health centre, and the problem is not limited to Jharkhand.

Drishti, meanwhile, spoke about her reportage on the Delhi elections, including her video report on what voters feel in Asia’s largest unauthorised colony of Sangam Vihar.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:30:00 - Jharkhand’s Healthcare Access Report

00:23:31:09 - Delhi Elections Reports

00:32:44:18 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Drishti

The Midas touch of Ashwini Vaishnaw

Basant

What a four-hour trek reveals about Jharkhand’s healthcare access

Anand

Davanal: Maovad Se Jung by Nandini Sundar

Produced by Hassan Bilal, edited by Samarendra Kumar, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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NL Team

This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Sumedha Mittal.

Sumedha’s series for Newslaundry, Broken Ballots, tracked curious deletions and additions of voters to the electoral rolls. Based on data and fieldwork, she found an odd pattern, which she says places a question mark on the Election Commission. She also cautions that this could be “used as exploitation”, regardless of whoever is in power. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:18 - The Broken Ballots series

00:50:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sumedha

A day with AAP volunteers who reflect the party’s convoluted social-justice politics

Shivnarayan

Vajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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All these reports cited the same source – an investigative piece in The New York Times by journalist Maria Abi-Habib. Currently based in Mexico, Maria spent five years, between 2019 and 2024, to report on the story. She found the plant, operated by a subsidiary of the Jindal Group, pumps “as much as 10 times the legal amount of dioxins” into Delhi’s skies, and that its workers say it was “never regulated”. 

In this special episode of Reporters Without Orders, Newslaundry’s Pratyush Deep talks to Maria about how she stumbled upon this story. Her husband had been working on a series on air pollution in India – what Maria describes as “the biggest topic of concern, or should be, for most families and the government”. During the course of it, he met residents of Sukhdev Vihar, where the plant is located.

“They said they have been living there for a while and once the plant started, that is when their health problems started,” Maria says. “So, we decided to take a look and what we found was pretty incredible and also a little bit horrifying.”

Maria also explains the challenges she faced in reporting the story, and why she thinks Delhi’s air pollution crisis persists. 

“It is up to the government to take a look at the story and say why this plant is continuing to get the permission to expand its operations, why this Jindal family subsidiary continues to get more plants,” she says, adding that the group has “seven across the nation”. “If they can’t responsibly manage this plant, then why should they be given others?”

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. 

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Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Sagar talks about his report on Network18 shifting from public interest journalism to what he describes as appeasing the government. He explains how Network18 changed after Ambani took over and how journalists were asked to defend the prime minister. This led to the resignation, even firing, of several journalists, he explained. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:38 - Network18 and Ambani

00:49:18 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sagar

The In-depth History of Reservation System| Creamy Layer| Subcategorization Ft. Sagar

Sumedha

Unreliable News How Reliance hollowed out Asia’s largest media conglomerate

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Akanksha reported on the alleged fake encounter of one Bhalchandra Yadav by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. She delves into the workings of the UP STF, the state of law and order in UP, and a purportedly normalised trend of police encounters in the state.

Amrita’s report was a deep dive on Nita Ambani, wife of billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani, her life, and her quest for the public eye. She talks about Nita’s involvement in Reliance-Jio World’s major operations and her PR team’s efforts in her positive branding.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:07:37 - ‘Fake encounter’ by UP STF

00:29:06 - Nita Ambani

00:55:17 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Amrita

Joyland

Akanksha

Sehar

Tanishka

‘Trying a different route’: The new path and ‘positivity’ of Shehla Rashid

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Avdhesh reported on the nexus of middlemen and Delhi police officials allegedly facilitating the plying of illegal vehicles in the capital. He explains the workings of the network and the organised crime happening in broad daylight. 

He also reported on how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped from going to Sambhal, where clashes over a mosque’s survey killed five locals. He gave a blow-by-blow account of the aftermath of the Sambhal violence.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:38 - Rahul Gandhi detained on the way to Sambhal

00:02:38 - Aftermath of Sambhal violence

00:25:45 - Delhi police and the middlemen

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Avdhesh

Rajat Sharma & Sudhir Chaudhry Talk Sense on Sambhal! Is TV News Changing? TV Newsance 276

Anmol

Sambhal हिंसा का पूरा सच: परत दर परत | Ground Report

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Avdhesh reported on the violence that erupted amid protests against the archaeological survey of Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. He delved into how the clashes between police personnel and locals led to the death of six civilians.

Sumedha’s report was on the odd dip in voter turnout in the recently concluded by-polls in UP’s Kundarki assembly seat. She found out that of the 435 booths in the constituency, 154 saw a dip in voter turnout amid allegations of voter suppression, especially in the Muslim-dominated areas.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:20 - Sambhal violence

00:06:22 - Odd dip in voter turnout

00:25:43 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Avdhesh

Maqbool

Jaun Elia

Sumedha

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

Pratyush

Blinded by the Stars: A Gov't Rating Scheme is Helping Coal Miners Pat Their Own Back

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Rajesh reported on the Jhansi hospital tragedy, in which a fire incident claimed the lives of 15 infants. He says that an overcrowded NICU, expired fire extinguishers, and negligence of the hospital administration led to the incident.

Sneha has reported on the impact of migration in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. She shed light on how families of the migrants are impacted and the pace of migration leading to vacant villages.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:28 - Jhansi hospital fire

00:20:43 - Bundelkhand migration 

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sneha

LIES OUR MOTHERS TOLD US: The Indian Woman’s Burden

Anurag Minus Verma Podcast

Basant

Ek Jindagi Kafi Nahi

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Tanishka reported on the Ladki Bahin scheme, launched recently by the Maharashtra government for women in the poll-bound state. She explains whether this scheme, the Mahayuti’s biggest bet this election, holds currency for voters.  to multiple women and tries to make out that the newly minted scheme is Mahayuti’s biggest bet this election.

Shivnarayan talks about his deep dive on Rahul Gandhi’s formula to win on YouTube and social media. He says Gandhi’s team uses strategies that are no different from those used by Narendra Modi. He also explains how Gandhi’s team is sidelining mainstream media, since they believe the media played a huge role in establishing Gandhi’s image as “Pappu”. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:59 - Ladki Bahin scheme

00:11:33 - Rahul Gandhi’s YouTube channel

00:44:01 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Tanishka

Imbalance of power: Women at international climate negotiations

Shivnarayan

Who was behind the NCP split? Ajit Pawar's BIG REVEAL to Sreenivasan Jain

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Anmol reported on the increasing encroachment and concretisation of the Yamuna River floodplains, which has heavily contributed to the river’s degradation. He throws light on the consequence of arbitrary construction by the Delhi Development Authority. 

Basant’s report was on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visits, which often comprise activities focused on promoting the BJP. He delves into the details of his official visits from January to October and the lack of transparency about the PMO billing the BJP for these unofficial expenses. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:22 - Yamuna river pollution 

00:08:30 - Modi’s trips

00:45:10 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Anmol 

Yamuna is choking in Delhi. Is floodplain encroachment to blame?

Basant

Sharda Sinha’s Chhath songs

Produced and edited by Hassan Bilal, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Ayush has reported on the increasing rift between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP. He explains how the making of Yogi as a “tough and strong” leader has led to dissatisfaction among the cadre and created cracks within the party. He says the power has shifted from party workers and MLAs to police officials.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:50 - Yogi’s Police Raj

00:17:20 - Caste dynamics in BJP

00:43:58 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ayush

Cardinal Numbers

Why the EBCs are the key to the 2024 election

Good Morning, Vietnam

Anmol

Lowering the Bar The RSS legal front’s increasing hold over the judicial system

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Rokibuz reported on the Supreme Court’s judgement upholding the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 – a provision added exclusively for Assam. He says that the judgement upholds 1971 as the year of entry, which contradicts the government’s 2014 cut-off under the CAA. 

Drishti’s report was on the Delhi administration’s efforts and failures in tackling air pollution. She explained the measures undertaken by the Delhi government and that despite spending crores of money and sanctioning extensive resources, the situation has worsened. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:38 - Citizenship laws in Assam

00:25:45 - Delhi air quality crisis

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Drishti

Hippie

Rokibuz

Provoked Narratives

Pratyush

Modi Gov’t Produces Spurious Expert Opinion To Remove Health Warning on Fortified Rice

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Avdhesh reported from ground zero on the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, which resulted in the killing of a 22-year-old man and mob-led arson of several local houses. He delves into the factors that led to the communal tensions and how they escalated.  

Prateek’s report was on the chargesheet in the Pune car crash case. He spotlights the details of the 90-page chargesheet, the sequence of events, and how power and money were used to suppress the justice system.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:23 - Bahraich violence

00:24:30 - Pune Porshe case

00:33:08 - Lawrence Bishnoi

00:46:35 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Prateek

Bahraich के अंदरूनी इलाकों में दंगाइयों द्वारा मचाई गई तबाही की पहली Ground Report

Avdhesh

Bihar में बच्चियों को मारने और बचाने की चौंकाने वाली कहानी...

A Professor's Diary - The Untold Story Of Higher Education

Basant

RTI Kaise Aayee

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Basant reported extensively on the Haryana polls from ground zero. He sheds light on the factors that didn’t work in favour of the Congress in Haryana. He also talks about how the exit poll predictions fell flat.

Shivnarayan’s recent report was on the legal dispute between the Indian army and the Uttar Pradesh government over a stretch of land officially earmarked as a “notified” buffer zone for army field practice in Ayodhya. He explains what the dispute is all about and its Adani connection.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:10 - Haryana election result

00:12:25 - J&K election result

00:26:35 - Army vs UP government

00:37:30 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Basant

Army says its drills are ‘greatly limited’ due to ‘illegal’ encroachments in Ayodhya

Simon & Schuster India R.A.W. Hitman

Shivnarayan

Lowering the Bar The RSS legal front’s increasing hold over the judicial system

Anmol

Meri Jaan..Swanand Kirkire, Hansika Pareek, Shrey Gupta, Bharath

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Drishti reported on the crisis facing the Delhi Commission for Women. She says that at present, the commission does not have any office bearers, its helpline numbers are defunct, and many of the staffers and NGOs have not been paid for months.

Basant covered the Haryana elections and reported on the influence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim on the polls. He talks about the political dynamics between different parties and workers on the ground and how Ram Rahim followers vote en bloc. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:44 - The dark side of Haryana’s sports success

00:09:00 - Haryana elections: ground zero

00:14:04 - Crisis at the Delhi Commission of Women

00:19:28 - Ram Rahim’s effect on elections

00:33:20 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Shivnarayan

Ram Rahim is silent ahead of Haryana polls. But his dera's message is set to ring out loud

Drishti

Independence

Basant

Ulajh

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Manisha reported on press freedom in Kashmir from ground zero. She speaks about her interviews and conversations with journalists in the valley, who described an intensifying clampdown on media, a sense of suffocation, and censorship, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370. 

Shivnarayan reported on an Adani-operated coal mine in Chhattisgarh that received environmental clearance despite a National Green Tribunal order. He delved into how these clearances were granted and the loopholes used to violate orders passed by the NGT. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:26 - Media in Kashmir

00:27:16 - Violation of NGT orders

00:39:52 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Shivnarayan

The Great Nicobar Betrayal

Manisha

The Case Against Travel

The Rohingya Suffer Real Horrors. So Why Are Some of Their Stories Untrue?

Loving Lies

Tanishka

Indian village midwives make a shocking confession - BBC World Service Documentaries

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Basant and Anmol are currently on ground zero to report from poll-bound Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, respectively. 

In Haryana, Basant has so far examined the progress of the Smart City Mission, issues of one of the most backward districts, and Olympian Vinesh Phogat’s political contest in Julana. Meanwhile, Anmol has reported on the divide over issues such as Article 370 in Jammu’s Doda. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:51 - Haryana election

00:13:53 - J&K election

00:29:52 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Anmol

SYMPATHY -RARE BIRD 1969

Basant

Faridabad Smart City का सूरत-ए-हाल: करोड़ों खर्च का दावा पर जमीनी हकीकत खस्ताहाल | Ground Report

Pratyush

But I Am One of You: Northeast India and the Struggle to Belong

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sunil reported on the purported rift between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP workers. He delves into the changes in party dynamics after its lukewarm performance in the state in the Lok Sabha polls. He adds that despite the turmoil within the BJP and the tussle between Adityanath and the party’s top leadership, there is no anti-incumbency in the state. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:19 - Yogi vs BJP

00:45:45 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sunil

Chitralekha

Sumedha

Clerical Error Adityanath’s loosening grip on Uttar Pradesh

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Ayush reported on the controversies surrounding SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch. He delves into the allegations against Buch in the Hindenburg report and why the undisclosed information about her association with her former firms is a “conflict of interest”.

Anand talks about his report on the ongoing political tussle in Jharkhand, focusing on why former chief minister Champai Soren departed the JMM for the BJP.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:00 - SEBI chief and Hindenburg

00:18:46 - Champai Soren and Jharkhand politics

00:42:33 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ayush

Watch MADOFF: The Monster of Wall Street

Husband of a Fanatic

Anand

Laal Lakeer

Walking with the Comrades

Basant

Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Nidhi and Sukanya reported on Kerala’s #MeToo storm and the exploitation of female actors in the Kerala film industry. They also reported on the recently published Hema Committee report, which revealed that the industry’s top male actors, directors, and producers were involved or complacent in the matter. They discuss the report’s findings and fallout.

Sumedha reported on the death of a 23-year-old Faizan after alleged police brutality during Delhi riots in February 2020. A viral video of him lying semi-conscious on the road, battered, taunted, and forced to sing the national anthem by cops was widely circulated then. She found out that despite clear duty charts, no police official was held responsible for what the high court termed a hate crime. The probe was eventually transferred to the CBI after the court issued a stinging indictment of the “tardy” police investigation.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:42 - AMMA and the Malayalam industry

00:08:37 - Hema Committee Report

00:46:15 - Faizan and Delhi cops

00:01:04:45 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sukanya

Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback

Nidhi

Public Secrets of Law: Rape Trials in India

Sumedha

She Said

Shivnarayan

‘Take Hema Committee report seriously’: Parvathy to Kerala govt | Dhanya Rajendran | Interview

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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Pranab talks about his report on the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the events that unfolded following the incident. He discusses how it is a culmination of mismanagement and malpractice while shedding light on the “lobby system” in hospital administration.

Aliza reported on a different aspect of the Kolkata case – about searches for the victim’s “video” trending on Google and porn sites. She says that the data shows a phenomenal surge in searches for such videos.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:13 - Kolkata horror

00:20:32 - Victim’s video search

00:38:04 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Aliza

Bhima Koregaon: Challenging Caste

Angry Young Men

Tanishka

Let Me Explain: What is Hema Committee report on Malayalam cinema all about?

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Basant reported on a “herbal firm” which allegedly frauds youngsters in lure of a “luxurious life”. He talks about his investigation into the company’s modus operandi of network marketing and pressuring its staff for adding new members in the chain, failing which they were physically assaulted and abused.

Ishita talks about her report on the Indian media’s coverage of the Bangladesh crisis and attacks on Bangladeshi Hindu minority. She delves into the situation in the country at present and how some media outlets emphasised on the communal angle and ignored the administrative failure.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:37 - Doctor’s ‘rape’

00:14:32 - Fraud firm

00:28:51 - Bangladesh violence

00:44:47 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ishita

Why Loiter?

Kavita Krishnan,Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)

Basant

No Nation for Women

Hindenburg जिन्न की चपेट में SEBI प्रमुख माधवी बुच और Vinesh Phogat को सलामी | NL Tippani 200

Anmol

Activist whose RTI flagged ‘Smriti Irani-linked Goa cafe’ alleges home ministry ‘witch-hunt’

New complaint alleges Taloja prison underbelly: ‘Mutton meals for Rs 8,000 per kg, 40% cuts, zero record’

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Nidhi reported on the kidnapping and sexual assault of a Malayalam film actor by six men, allegedly orchestrated by another actor. The panel discussed how these events unfolded and their impact on both the regional film industry and society. They also delved into how women actors confronted misogyny and patriarchy within Malayalam cinema.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:29 - Unmasked Malayalam cinema

00:51:19 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Lakshmi

It's Vinesh Phogat's world. We are lucky to be part of it

How Vinesh Phogat won the Olympic medal: Fought with heart, thought with head

Nidhi

An Unbelievable story of Rape

Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence

Vinesh Phogat breaks silence: Everyone outside is treating me like I am a dead thing… One medal (lost) and everything is finished

Dhanya

The Many Lives of Syeda X : The Story of an Unknown Indian

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Anmol has been on the ground to cover the conditions in which three UPSC students died in a flooded basement library of the Rau’s IAS coaching centre in Delhi’s Karol Bagh. He gave a detailed account of how the tragedy unfolded, the subsequent blame game, and why Delhi’s coaching hub is more of a “business model than an education model”.     

Avdhesh reported on the multiple incidents of violence involving kanwariyas. He delved into how the authorities purportedly turn a blind eye towards such incidents and give the religious groups a “free hand” as they resort to violence, leading to “a total collapse of law and order”.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:47 - Death of UPSC aspirants

00:28:43 - Kanwariya violence

00:46:06 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Anmol

Har zulm tera yaad hai

Avdhesh

Maharaja

Pratyush

Dead ‘Maoist’ talking: The aftermath of a security operation in Chhattisgarh

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sukanya talks about her report on India’s prisons where prisoners were allotted work on the basis of their caste. She says that the Chief Justice of India eventually expressed concerns over the “most disturbing” practice and said he would direct the government to take action. She also delved into other such colonial rules that are still in practice. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:36 - Casteism in prisons 

00:35:05 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sukanya

BEYOND PRISONS

Sumedha

Barred: A Prisons Project

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sumedha spoke about her report on how candidates from outside Gujarat picked centres in the state as part of an alleged NEET scam racket. She explained how NTA’s management failed as students from Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh travelled to Gujarat and “wrote” the exam in Gujarati.

Shivnarayan reported that 14 companies that significantly bankrolled political parties in the past decade were given several government projects, some despite being banned or blacklisted earlier. He delved into how raids, extortion and murky ecosystems lead to the quid pro quo.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:05:32 - NEET paper leak

00:15:50 - Electoral bonds

00:37:38 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sumedha

The caste alliances that won Uttar Pradesh

Shivnarayan

‘Gujarati answers, non-Gujarati candidates’: The NEET cheat sheet at 2 centres

Seats quota, banquet halls, buses and answers: How to leak a paper in Bihar

Basant

Varchasva

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Naresh Kumar.

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

Basant reported on the modus operandi of gangs involved in the alleged NEET paper leak. He explains how an interstate nexus of government employees, coaching institutes, and other powerful forces orchestrate paper leaks.

Avdhesh spoke to the kin and survivors of the Hathras stampede that claimed at least 121 lives. He shares how they perceive self-styled godman Surajpal, alias Narayan Sakar Hari, alias Bhole Baba and why there is little accountability. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:58 - Paper leak

00:21:08 - Hathras stampede

00:42:46 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Basant

Maharaj

Mirzapur

Avdhesh

Russia offers compensation and citizenship to kin of Indians killed in Ukraine war 

Tanishka

‘Why leave the house? Sit at home and do path puja’ — misogyny rears its head after Hathras tragedy

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Tanishka talks about her deep-dive on Shubhash Chandra, Zee Media founder and former Rajya Sabha MP, and the shift in his stance on the central government. She explains why his recent remarks on the dip in India’s rank on the World Press Freedom Index and the SEBI’s investigation into his alleged financial improprieties hint at souring terms between Chandra and the Modi government.   

Ashna delves into her recent report on the gender gap in owning digital devices, especially mobile phones. She says that this digital gap faced by many young women in rural India, due to conservative mindsets and stereotypes, impacts their day-to-day lives. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:57 - Subhash Chandra

00:13:15 - Digital Gap

00:31:50 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Ashna

God of Small Things

Tanishka

Sona darling

Shivnarayan

Subhash Chandra’s winds of change

A phone of her own: Digital gap’s fallout on young women in rural India

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sunil spoke about his report on the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha result and how the BJP workers’ overconfidence and ignorance led to the party’s seat loss. He said Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party’s “PDA card” – reaching out to the “pichre” or backward, Dalits, and “alpashankhak” or minorities was a hit for the INDIA bloc in UP. 

Jatinder threw light on the jailed leader Amirtpal Singh’s poll campaign from behind the bars and his subsequent win from Khadoor Sahib in Punjab. She gave insights on who managed the poll campaign on the ground, what was the poll plank, and how they convinced people to vote for him.    

Tune in.

In times of misinformation, you need news you can trust. We’ve got you covered. Subscribe to Newslaundry and power our work.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction 

00:02:28 - Key factor behind UP Lok Sabha result 

00:32:46 - Backstory of Amritpal Singh’s election campaign 

01:05:25 - Recommendation 

Recommendations 

Jatinder Kaur Tur

Caravan June edition 

How to do the work 

Sunil Kashyap

Rajnigandha 

Sumedha Mittal 

Lapata Ladies 

Produced by Ashish Anand, edited by Umrav Singh, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

The discussion begins as Alishan talks about his report on the sense of betrayal and anger felt by NEET aspirants after 67 students scored the top rank, in a “doubtful and faulty” result. The possibility of meritorious students making it to prestigious institutes stands diminished.

The conversation moves on to the horrific rape of a minor who was sexually abused for two years, first when she was just 12 years old. The child born out of the crime reunited with his mother years later, and pushed her to file an FIR, lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding such incidents. The accused were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail last month. Nidhi speaks about her experience covering the case.

Avdhesh chips in, talking about his report on how the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party turned around its poll fortunes in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. It was a “PDA” formula that helped the party succeed. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:11 - NEET Issue

00:19:30 - Battle for Justice

00:31:02 - PDA over NDA

00:46:49 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Nidhi

What binds Prajwal Revanna, Brij Bhushan Singh, Kuldeep Sengar – a system that treats women as dispensable

Public Secrets of Law: Rape Trials in India

Avdhesh

Muslims in India: भारत में मुस्लिम मां-बाप और उनके बच्चे अब कैसा महसूस कर रहे हैं (BBC Hindi)

How India's elections are dividing the nation | Witness Documentary

Tanishka

Exit polls, foreign investors, and stock market mayhem: What really happened?

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar

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

As the Lok Sabha results starkly contrasted the exit polls – most of which were bullish on the Narendra Modi-led BJP – the stock markets hit an all-time high and then crashed, between June 1 and June 4. The panel throws light on the influence of exit polls, stock manipulation malpractices, and the media’s role as pollsters. 

The reporters also delve into the mandate in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, and the possible reasons that went against the BJP and the factors that worked in favour of the Congress.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:24 - Exit Polls

00:13:39 - Election Results

00:51:28 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Shivnarayan

Laapataa Ladies

Prateek

Panchayat

Basant

8 A.M. Metro

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

The conversation delves into the potential election outcomes across India, hot seats, political parties’ strategies, and campaign. They also discuss the grassroots mobilisation by political parties.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:12 - Haryana-Punjab elections

00:13:35 - Assam-Bengal elections

00:34:29 - Delhi-NCR elections

00:42:38 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sumedha

deKoder

Rajdeep Sardesai

Girish Kuber writes: Why Maharashtra worries the BJP

Pratyush

Porsche case: No, the minor did not release a ‘rap video’. The media got it wrong

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Sumedha profiled Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of Sushma Swaraj and the BJP’s candidate from New Delhi constituency. She explains why the BJP chose not to field Meenakshi Lekhi, a two-time winner from the constituency, and how Bansuri has been trying to make herself relatable to voters despite a ‘nepotism’ narrative.

Avdhesh reported on the violence during polling in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, where voters from Muslim-majority villages alleged they were beaten up by the state police. He says the voters, despite having voter IDs, say they were “deliberately” prevented from casting their votes. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:00:35 - Violence and elections

00:11:00 - Bansuri Swaraj

00:29:20 - Sambhal incident

00:42:10 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Sumedha

The Election Tricycle

Identity politics, polarisation, and development aspirations mark the electoral battle for Bihar’s Mithilanchal

Avdhesh

Uttarakhand: Over 1,000 forest fires in 4 months, crisis looms amid poor preparedness

Anmol

Ruled or Misruled

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Anmol talks about his experience of reporting from Bihar on the tussle between the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA alliance and the “Nitish Kumar factor”, which seems to be dying down. He also shed light on the state of affairs in the hinterlands and the shifting political dynamics in the backward state.  

Tanishka reported on the Baramati constituency in Maharashtra, where the two factions of the NCP battled for the Pawar legacy. She says the rift in the Pawar family is leading the voters into confusion, while NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule told her it’s “not a family issue”.     

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:20:38 - Bihar politics

00:20:43 - Pawar vs Pawar

00:39:26 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Tanishka

Bigotry 101 | BJP’s Crazy Experience at a Samdish Rally in Delhi

Anmol

Laapataa Ladies

Basant

Laapataa Ladies

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Formerly with Vice News, Angad was “blacklisted” by the Indian government over a documentary called India Burning, which he worked on as a production assistant. He talks about dealing with court cases after being accused by the central government of portraying India in a “negative” light. He says his OCI card was taken anyway and talks about the sorrow of not being able to return to India anymore.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:01 - Angad’s story

00:30:29 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Angad

Captivating the Simple-Hearted: A Struggle for Human Dignity in the Indian Subcontinent

Sumedha

Time Is Running Out for Rahul Gandhi’s Vision for India

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Arun reported on the rise and fall of the Bahujan Samaj Party. He delves into the ups and downs of Mayawati’s political career and explains how the BSP became sidelined. He also talks about the new leadership with Mayawati's nephew Akash Anand and what changes are expected from him to revive the party.

Astha reported on how most Sainik schools across India are run by people with direct or indirect connections to the BJP or RSS. She explains how the central government essentially handed over 62 percent of new military schools to the Sangh Parivar, BJP politicians, and allies, bypassing eligibility criteria in the process.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:28 - BSP’s rise and fall

00:10:41 - Sainik schools

00:38:08 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Arun

Amar Singh Chamkila

Astha

Centre hands over 62% of new Sainik Schools to Sangh Parivar, BJP politicians and allies.

Shivnarayan

How BJP ‘won’ in Surat: Unravelling 24 hours of peculiarities

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Rahul talks about his report on the shortcomings of the public distribution system in Jharkhand. He says despite the online mechanism, food security is poor in rural areas, and instead of helping, the system “is emerging as a hurdle” for the Adivasis.

Basant reported on people falsely named as beneficiaries of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in a report by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which also claimed their farm incomes doubled in 2022. He shares how he found out the factual errors in the government body’s book.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:14 - Lok Sabha Election

00:07:57 - Issues in getting Ration in Jharkhand

00:25:21 - Farmers’ income

00:36:45 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Rahul

Jawan

Basant

Scoop

Media Ka Loktantra

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Shivnarayan talks about his profile of ANI and how it became the Modi government’s favourite media outlet. But the story isn’t that simple, he explains, because beyond ANI’s dismal coverage of the opposition are a number of contracts that the agency has signed with state governments. 

Himanshi reported on a Gujarat Dalit family that was “cheated” into giving a whopping Rs 11 crore in electoral bonds, of which Rs 10 crore was encashed by the BJP. She explains how the alleged scam took place and just how a company linked to the Adani group was involved. 

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:05 - ANI’s journalism

00:25:25 - Gujarat family’s electoral bonds 

00:49:07 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Himanshi

Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India

2024 Pro-Hindutva Films Were Funded By BJP-Linked People, Promoted by BJP Netas

Shivnarayan

Aamis

Tanishka

How National Creators Award Winners Amplified BJP’s Message

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Jahnavi talks about her report on businessman P Sarath Chandra Reddy, accused-turned-approver in the Delhi liquor policy case. She says his firms bought electoral bonds worth Rs 55 crore, later encashed by the BJP, and also explains the ‘South Group’ connection to the case.

Anmol was on the ground during the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He talks about the mood among the people, based on his interviews with locals, whether the Delhi police is being ‘biased’, and how the AAP believes their right to protest is being suppressed.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:31 - Kejriwal’s arrest

00:20:39 - P Sarath Chandra Reddy

00:29:06 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Jahnavi

Anatomy of a Fall

Anmol

Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda

Sumedha

Aamis

The arrest of Mr Kejriwal: A PMLA case

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

While Ayush Tiwari and Basant Kumar won in the environment, science and technology category for the plunder of the Aravalli series, Hridayesh Joshi’s video report on arsenic in water triggering diseases in several villages, supported by the Thakur Foundation, was honoured in the Hindi broadcast category.

The News Minute also won two awards. While Azeefa Fathima, Balakrishnan Ganesan, and Prajwal Bhat won in the civic journalism category for their five-part series on exposing manual scavenging, Prajwal’s reports on the 2022 hijab protests in Karnataka were awarded in the political reporting category.

They look back at their work to discuss its importance and impact on society.

Tune in.

Recommendations

Ayush

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

Basant

21वीं सदी : पहला दशक

Hridayesh

बड़े शहरों में जंगल? बिल्कुल, खुद देखिए [Forest restoration in Delhi and NCR]

The Cooking of Books : A Literary Memoir

Azeefa

ACCESS DENIED

These Precious Days

Balakrishna

3 Body Problem

Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

Pooja

Love Jihad and Other Fictions: Simple Facts to Counter Viral Falsehoods

The Gentlemen

The costs of Reliance’s wildlife ambitions

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram; recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Both Prateek and Basant share their experience of investigating the patterns in political funding in India, and decoding the State Bank of India’s data dump on electoral bonds. 

They discuss how they found out about “a very strange pattern” of donation to political parties, with some companies donating or lapping up their donations after raids by central agencies. In some cases, the companies’ donations even surpassed their profit growth and revenue.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:21 - Donations to parties

00:05:18 - Electoral bonds

00:25:22 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Basant

Project Electoral Bond (Report)

Prateek

Maamla Legal Hai

Tanishka

Plunder of the Aravallis

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Pratyush reported on the Assam police increasing security and barricading in anticipation of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which the government this week said it would soon implement. He says there’s a huge difference in intensity of protests between 2019 and 2024. But Basant points out the government laid the groundwork to make sure no protest could take place.

Basant talks about his report on Uttar Pradesh appointing a chief information commissioner and 10 information commissioners last week. At least four have links to the BJP or are favourable to Chief Minister Adityanath, he says. He also explains his interview with Indrajeet Ghorpade, a 32-year-old techie and activist from Pune who has filed over 50 complaints against hate speech on news channels. 

Watch. 

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:05:53 - Cops try to quell Assam’s CAA disquiet 

00:24:10 - Appointments of information commissioners in UP 

00:33:42 - Interview with Indrajeet Ghorpade 

00:34:48 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Pratyush

In 15 more donors of BJP, 4 shell firms, 11 companies that faced central action by Prateek Goyal

Basant

Poacher on Amazon Prime

Produced by Prashant Kumar, edited by Parikshit Sanyal, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Pratyush reported on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s media conglomerate, Pride East Entertainment, which is also the Northeast’s biggest media network. He delves into the hold of Sarma’s family on the media outlet and how its political leanings change as Sarma switches sides.  

Nidharshana talks about her report on the killing of a 22-year-old Dalit man by his caste Hindu brother-in-law in broad daylight in Chennai. She says the city has been witnessing crime against Dalits, but had not witnessed such a caste killing in recent years.

Tune in.

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:12 - Himanta’s media empire

00:11:25 - Caste killing in Chennai

00:36:26 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Pratyush

ULFA: The Mirage of Dawn 

Nidharshana

Karuvadu: the wet world of dry fish

Tanishka

India’s iPhone factory is keeping women workers isolated

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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

Prateek and Korah were part of Newslaundry and The News Minute’s joint investigation on political funding. They found that in a five-year period, donations of nearly Rs 335 crore were made to the BJP by at least 30 companies that faced action by central agencies during that time period. They explain this unique pattern – and what happens when the companies skip donating to the BJP for a couple of years.

Tune in!

Timecodes

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:02:00 - Political funding

00:10:10 - Companies and BJP

00:25:34 - Recommendations

Recommendations

Korah

The Caravan February 2024 - The Military Under Modi

Prateek

Poacher

Sumedha

Why Hindutva groups want to reshape Birsa Munda’s legend

Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar.

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