The Mahatma beyond India's borders
Great-grandson of MK Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi talks to TOI's Alka Dhupkar about the influence of the Mahatma beyond India's borders and his enduring appeal.
Jun 03, 2024•16 min
The Times Of India Podcast
The Times of India podcast expands storytelling and reportage from India’s largest newsroom. We put the spotlight on ideas, people and stories that matter from Monday to Friday. To read views and analysis, please subscribe to TOI+ at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-plus
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Episodes
Ask Devdutt Pattanaik: Why does the idea of 'non-biologically born' matter across mythologies?
Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik talks about the idea of a non-biological birth across faiths, why the idea exists and how it has been used to shape history.
May 31, 2024•24 min
Juveniles in justice system
Two cases - one in Pune and the other in Uttarakhand - bring to the spotlight juveniles and the criminal justice system again. Sidharth Pillai, co-founder of the Rati Foundation, talks to TOI's Ambika Pandit about the challenges of tackling online sexual abuse that involves teenagers. Then Monica Kumar from the Manas Foundation talks about why the reformation of underage accused shouldn't be ignored. And finally, Gitanjali Prasad from the Azim Premji Foundation talks about what the Pune case rev...
May 29, 2024•31 min
The decline of the courtesans
At a time the serial Heeramandi is making waves, Manish Gaekwad - who wrote the 'The Last Courtesan' - talks about chronicling his mother's life, the death of kothas in Mumbai and how his mother adapted to life after leaving the kotha.
May 27, 2024•28 min
What we continue to get wrong about the Muslim voter
Political scientist and author Hilal Ahmed from CSDS explains what we get wrong about the Muslim voter and what's wrong with the many preconceived notions that are there about Muslims and politics.
May 24, 2024•38 min
Dravid's out, but who's in next?
The Indian cricket board is seeking a new coach for the men's cricket team as Rahul Dravid's tenure winds down. Columnist and author Anand Vasu talks about Dravid's tenure, explains who are the frontrunners to replace him, what sort of candidate the board is seeking and the benefits (and pitfalls) of being Team India's coach.
May 22, 2024•22 min
What explains the 'high' voter turnout in Kashmir?
Shakir Mir, who writes for TOI Plus on Kashmir, explains the high turnout in the first phase of polling in Kashmir reveals about politics in the region.
May 15, 2024•17 min
Lessons from a career of handling crises
Former RBI governor and IAS officer Duvvuri Subbarao talks his new book, what the civil services need, centre-state clashes over finances and what worries him about India's economy
May 13, 2024•26 min
'I don't know why you make such a big thing of it'
Former diplomat and minister Mani Shankar Aiyar spoke with Harinder Baweja about why he has always favoured people-to-people ties with Pakistan. He also talks about controversies sparked by statements made by him, and Rajiv Gandhi, and why he thinks they're overblown.
May 10, 2024•41 min
Postponed for decades, how India can redraw its electoral map
It's been half a century since delimitation or the reorganisation of Parliamentary constituencies took place in India. Former IAS officer and founder of the Lok Satta movement, JP Narayan, spoke with TOI's Alka Dhupkar about the need to reorganise India's electoral map and what needs to be done to ensure no region feels shortchanged.
May 08, 2024•24 min
'In another time you would've had President's rule in Manipur'
Editor of The Shillong Times Patricia Mukhim explains why it will be an uphill task to achieve peace in Manipur, a year after clashes broke out in the state.
May 06, 2024•19 min
Fire in the hills
The Times of India's Shivani Azad explains the worrying spread of forest fires in Uttarakhand this year and what experts say are the bigger lessons to be learned from such calamities.
May 03, 2024•12 min
The 'stars' who make Hindutva pop
Journalist and author of 'H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars' Kunal Purohit explained the emergence and rise of a popular subculture, and its political implications.
May 01, 2024•26 min
Decoding the implications of a low-energy election
Neelanjan Sircar, senior fellow at Centre for Policy Research, explains why turnouts may be low this election and why the political parties' campaigns feel more low-energy. He also explains the implications of this for the results of this election.
Apr 29, 2024•31 min
Why it's so hard to tackle online disinformation in India
Two actors have already filed cases over fake videos of them endorsing a party during the ongoing elections. Karen Rebelo, deputy editor at fact-checking organisation Boom Live, had decoded how misinformation has evolved over the years in India and why artificial intelligence tools will make it so much harder to detect misinformation.
Apr 26, 2024•23 min
Too sweet for your health
It turns out packaged baby food and 'health' drinks may have the same problem. Dr Arun Gupta from Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest explains how we can regulate our packaged food better so that we're not just eating sugar
Apr 24, 2024•22 min
After tit for tat attacks, will Iran-Israel peace last?
Retired diplomat and expert on the Middle East, Talmiz Ahmad decodes the attacks by Iran and Israel and how to read into the pause of hostilities that the two countries seem to have settled for.
Apr 22, 2024•23 min
Ask Devdutt Pattanaik: Are faiths and rituals based in science?
Author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik explains why the attempts to make faith and rituals scientific are unnecessary and why being scientific shouldn't mean a discarding of faith.
Apr 19, 2024•20 min
Are we headed towards a chocolate apocalypse?
Vikram Doctor, one of India's best chroniclers of the food industry, explains why we may pay more for chocolate-based treats this year and whether we are going to face a chocolate apocalypse.
Apr 17, 2024•23 min
How much do India's new criminal laws really reform?
Zeba Sikora from Project 39A at the National Law University in Delhi explains the concerns with the three new criminal law bills that are expected to be implemented later this year and how much they really reform the criminal justice system
Apr 15, 2024•32 min
The case that forced Ramdev to apologise
Dr Jayesh Lele, honorary secretary general of the Indian Medical Association, talks about why a petition was filed against Ramdev and Patanjali and what action the case should have prompted.
Apr 12, 2024•20 min
What 'Kerala Story' gets wrong about Islamic State and India
The screening of 'Kerala Story' has prompted a political furore ahead of elections. Kabir Taneja, who's an author and Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, had explained why Islamic State failed to gain ground in India
Apr 10, 2024•31 min
What happens when India starts targeting enemies abroad
Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said India will target its enemies on foreign soil if needed. Professor Rory Cormac from the University of Nottingham, who specialises in the study of covert action, and Ajai Sahni, who is Executive Director of the Institute of Conflict Management, explain the fallout of operations that take place outside India.
Apr 08, 2024•22 min
An island abandoned?
Policy analyst and commentator N Sathiya Moorthy explains why the agreement on Katchatheevu island was arrived at between India and Sri Lanka and why the campaign over the island isn't a great political or diplomatic strategy.
Apr 05, 2024•21 min
Lessons on democracy from a Bharat Ratna
Author and journalist Sudheendra Kulkarni, who worked closely with LK Advani, talks about the lessons the former deputy prime minister's career offers for Indian democracy today.
Apr 03, 2024•30 min
Bringing an encounter specialist to justice
Advocate Ramprasad Gupta, whose 18-year-long legal battle over his brother's killing resulted in the conviction of Mumbai 'encounter specialist' Pradeep Sharma, talks to TOI's Sunil Baghel about the challenges he faced.
Apr 02, 2024•27 min
The world behind bars
Trade unionist and human rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, who was arrested in the Elgar Parishad case in Maharashtra, talks to TOI Plus's Alka Dhupkar about her new book (that just won an award), life in jail and why she's still an optimist.
Mar 29, 2024•28 min
The worrying aspects of Arvind Kejriwal's arrest
Eminent political scientist Suhas Palshikar explains what worries him about Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, what the opposition hasn't done right and what it could mean beyond the national elections.
Mar 27, 2024•37 min
Cape Town's lessons for Bengaluru
Dr Zahid Badroodien who works in the city administration of Cape Town talks about how they dealt with the worry of 'Day Zero' and dry taps, and the lessons other water-stressed cities like Bengaluru can take from them.
Mar 25, 2024•29 min
Why The Godfather still rules
The Godfather released on March 24, 1972, inspiring films everywhere since. Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane and critic Jai Arjun Singh talk about why a film about an Italian mafia family remains relevant over 50 years later and why it remains an inspiration to filmmakers
Mar 22, 2024•37 min
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