In Focus by The Hindu

A recent study conducted in the U.K. found that paracetamol, a common, over-the-counter medication can have serious stomach, heart and kidney complications in senior citizens who take it repeatedly. Constant use of paracetamol was linked to a 24% risk of peptic ulcer bleeding, a 19% risk of chronic kidney disease and a 9% risk of heart failure. This is not the first time the overuse of paracetamol has been linked with adverse health effects but it continues to be a medication that is commonly bought and often used without strict consideration given to the dosage that is being consumed. What does paracetamol do to your body over the long term? How can you use it appropriately? Are drugs in India being used rationally or are they over prescribed and over consumed? What does over consumption do to the human body? Guest: Dr Sangeeta Sharma, professor at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences and honorary president, Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached by the country’s National Assembly. His impeachment follows his sudden declaration of martial law on December 3, a move he was forced to withdraw in a few hours after the Parliament voted it down. Mr Yoon’s Presidential powers remain suspended as the impeachment goes to the Constitutional Court for review and a final verdict. In the interim period, Prime Minister Han Duck Soo will serve as the acting President. So, what prompted Mr Yoon to suddenly declare martial law? What will be the impact of the current developments on Korean politics? And what happens next, as the Constitutional court takes up this case? Guest: Dr Jong Eun Lee, Assistant Professor of Political Science at North Greenville University in South Carolina. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Jude Francis Weston

The Indian government fixes a Minimum Support Price or MSP for 22 crops - paddy, wheat, several pulses, oilseeds and millets are a part of this list. The objective of declaring MSP is to help farmers get a good price for their produce and to procure food grains for public distribution. However, recent data shows that the cost of production is rising.   A recent report by Infomerics Ratings notes that the value of MSP for paddy has increased over time, reflecting the rising overall cost of production. However, it also notes that the input costs have also increased drastically.  It also notes that there are significant disparities between States when it comes to production and procurement. This has a big impact on farmer incomes. There is also an increasing demand for a legally binding MSP.   In fact, the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing in its report on 'Demands for Grants (2024-25)' of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the 17th December 2024, noted that the implementation of MSP is a focal point in the dialogue surrounding agricultural reform and farmers welfare in India.   It goes on to note that, "Since the Committee believe that implementing a robust and legally binding MSP in the country could play a crucial role in reducing farmer suicides in India by providing financial stability, protecting against market volatility & alleviating debt burdens, they recommended implementation of the same."  We speak to Dr. Manoranjan Sharma, Chief Economist at Infomerics Ratings, about rice production in the country, how MSP is calculated, and about the health of the rural economy.  Guest: Dr. Manoranjan Sharma, Chief Economist at Infomerics Ratings  Host: Nivedita V  Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

The Great Nicober Island is the southernmost island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to species of flora and fauna not found anywhere else on the earth. It is designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is also the habitat of indigenous communities, including the Nicobarese and the Shompen, a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group’ (PVTG). The island is located on a seismically high-volatile zone, and experiences on an average one earth quake a week, of varying magnitude. The government of India has planned a ₹72,000 crore mega-infrastructure project on this island. The project plan, piloted by the Niti Aayog, includes a ₹40,000 crore International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), a greenfield international airport, a gas-and-solar-based power plant, and a township stretching over 16,610 hectares. This proposed project will decimate 131 sq km of pristine tropical evergreen forest, destroy the primary nesting place of the giant leatherback turtle, and settle 350,000 people on an island whose current population is 8,500. Yet it has got environmental and forest clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). How serious are the risks of this project? How rigorous are the Environment Impact Assessments that were done? Do the strategic and developmental gains from this project outweigh the environmental costs and risks of this project?   Guest: Dr. Pankaj Sekhsaria, a researcher and academic writer who has written extensively on the Andaman and Nicobar islands for over three decades and has curated the anthology, ‘The Great Nicobar Betrayal’. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

After battling insurgency for 13 years, the Bashar al Assad regime has collapsed in Syria. Assad and his family have fled to Russia where they have been given asylum. An Al Qaida affiliate that today goes by the name of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has taken control of the Syrian capital Damascus. The immediate future of Syria now depends on the leader of the HTS, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, a man who was handpicked by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to establish a branch in Syria. What were factors behind the sudden overthrow of the Assad regime, which not many had foreseen? What are the implications of this for Russia and Iran, Assad’s biggest backers? What are the implications for the various minorities such as Shias, Christians and the Syrian Kurds? And what does this mean for Palestinians in Gaza and for Lebanon?   Guest: Iftikhar Gilani, a senior journalist who has reported for three decades from South Asia and the Middle East and is currently based in Ankara. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

For the past month, the news has been filled with headlines about Delhi’s toxic air. Air quality levels deteriorated so sharply that a number of emergency measures had to be put in place, from shutting down school to halting construction activity, just to bring the levels down from ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’. But apart from the many respiratory issues that residents of Delhi, NCR and other parts of India face due to breathing in polluted air, did you know that air pollution could also lead to heart disease? One study indicates that outdoor air pollution from all sources accounts for 2.18 million deaths per year in India – of which 30% are attributable to heart disease.  As pollution levels rise across the country and the burden of heart disease, especially among the young grows in India – we speak to Dr K. Srinath Reddy, cardiologist and distinguished professor of public health, Public Health Foundation of India about the links between air pollution and heart disease and how this can be tackled.  Guest: Dr. K. Srinath Reddy, cardiologist and distinguished professor of public health, Public Health Foundation of India  Host: Zubeda Hamid  Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

Five people were killed and many were injured in clashes that followed protests over a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. The police have arrested dozens of people and registered cases against 400 people. The UP government has ordered a judicial probe into the violence. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has described the survey and the violence as a “well-planned conspiracy aimed at hurting communal harmony”. There are also multiple versions of who fired at the protesters, causing their deaths. So, why did the civil court order a survey of the Jama Masjid? What was the chain of events that led to the deaths of five young men? What is the constitutional basis for raising legal questions over religious structures? Can any and every religious structure be surveyed if someone files a petition claiming it’s built on the site of another place of worship?  Guest: Ziya Us Salam, Associate Editor, The Hindu. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Jude Francis Weston (Background construction noise was unavoidable, which impacted the audio quality of this recording. We apologize for the inconvenience.)

The fifth meeting of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) has ended without delivering a legally binding treaty to address global plastic pollution. The talks, which began in March 2022, were supposed to have produced a treaty by the end of 2024 but they haven’t. The discussions saw a sharp divide between two camps – a large coalition of about 100 countries that wanted caps on plastic production, and a smaller set of oil-producing nations that wanted to focus only on plastic waste management. With the two camps unable to reach a compromise, the conference concluded on December 1 with an agreement to meet again at a later date. In the meantime, the world remains on track to keep producing 20 million metric tonnes of plastic waste every year, and triple plastic production by 2050. So, what are the chances of a plastics treaty happening any time soon? What is the link between the climate change talks, the fossil fuel industry, and the plastics crisis? And why can’t the majority of countries that are serious about combating plastic pollution just go ahead without the small minority that are resisting an effective treaty? Guest: Satyarupa Shekhar, a public policy advocate who works on urban governance, data justice, and plastics pollution. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Today, we are discussing an important topic concerning the elections in Maharashtra. Now after the results that were announced on the 23rd of this month, we have seen that there have been several doubts which have been raised with respect to the results concerning the EVMs. Even today Maharashtra Congress president Nana P submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission speaking at an in-person hearing raising several doubts. We thought let us understand what the issues are let us understand how the voting process is conducted and what these doubts are and what the election commission has to say about it. To discuss all these issues which are pertinent to the political events and happenings in Maharashtra and to the several doubts that people have with respect to impartial elections in the state, I have with me S. Chokalingam who is the chief electoral officer of Maharashtra.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) won 30 out of the 48 seats, while the Maha Yuti could get only 17 seats. But in the just concluded Assembly elections, the Maha Yuti won a landslide, with 235 out of the 288 seats. The Maha Yuti alliance’s main constituent, the BJP alone won 132 seats, with the other two, the (Ajit Pawar-led) NCP and the (Eknath Shinde-led) Shiv Sena garnering 41 and 57 seats respectively. None of the MVA parties could win enough seats to even qualify for the position of leader of the Opposition – the first time this has happened in six decades. The Shiva Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) got 20 seats, the Congress won 16, and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) won 10 seats respectively. So, what changed so dramatically in a matter of five months – from June to November 2024 -- that the Maha Yuti swept the state? How serious are the MVA’s complaints that question a post-5pm voter surge and the data mismatches between votes polled and counted? Guest: Vinaya Deshpande, The Hindu’s Maharashtra Chief of Bureau. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Jude Francis Weston

The connection between the gut and the brain has for long been established, but recent research is increasingly finding that problems in the gut are linked to problems in the brain. A paper published by researchers from Harvard Medical School along with others, for instance, has found that the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease was 76 percent higher among those with damage to the lining of their upper gastrointestinal tract than among those without such damage. In fact, the researchers found that symptoms in the gut could begin years or even decades before symptoms of Parkinson’s set in. Research has also indicated links between gut health and other neurological conditions and even, between the gut and mental health. So how does the gut-brain connection work? What does a healthy gut microbiome look like, and how is this linked with the overall health of the body? What is the role your diet plays in this, and how important is it? Are you, essentially, what you eat? Guest: Dr Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy, neuropsychiatrist and founder of Buddhi Clinic, Chennai Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Jude Francis Weston

The COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan has concluded without a proper agreement on the New Quantified Collective Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. NCQG refers to the money that would be given by the developed countries to developing countries to meet their climate mitigation and adaptation transition goals. Instead of an NCQG deal, the rich nations have agreed to pledge $300 billion annually as a base figure to lead efforts – including by developing countries -- to raise $1.3 trillion annually from 2035. But developing countries have called this deal an “insult” as it seems to shift the onus of climate finance on to developing countries. Apart from this, there was also an agreement reached on global standards for carbon markets and trading. Further, the COP29 Presidency launched the Reducing Methane from Organic Waste Declaration, which saw over 30 countries declaring their commitment to set sectoral targets for reducing methane from organic waste. How do we assess COP 29 in terms of progress on climate finance? And how do we understand the outcomes with regard to carbon markets, the drawdown on fossil fuel consumption, and loss and damage funds? Guest: Nagraj Adve, a founder member of Teachers Against the Climate Crisis (TACC). Host: G. Sampath, Social Affaies Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus has said that his country will seek the extradition of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina. The former Bangladesh prime minister fled to India on August 5th, and has been living Delhi in a safe house ever since. But now Yunus has said in an interview with The Hindu, that she has been continuing her political activities from India, which is a “problem”. A special tribunal set up in Bangladesh for ‘crimes against humanity’ has also asked Interpol to issue a red notice for the arrest of Hasina. But Bangladesh is yet to directly initiate the process with India for Hasina’s extraction. What does the extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh say? Why hasn’t Bangladesh initiated extradition proceedings yet, but has already approached Interpol? Will India accede to the extradition request or will it invoke the exemption clauses for political offences? Guest: Kallol Bhattacharjee from The Hindu’s New Delhi Bureau. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Jude Francis Weston

The National People’s Power (NPP), the ruling alliance led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has secured a historic mandate in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections. By winning 159 seats in the 225-member Parliament, it has secured two-thirds majority, a feat never achieved before in Sri Lanka’s proportionate representation system. This victory, coming two months after his election as President, leaves Dissanayake supremely well-placed to fulfil the expectations of a people exhausted by economic travails. But then, he will also be under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stick with the program of permanent austerity. Can he navigate these contradictory pulls on his government? If so, how? And will he use his two-thirds majority to establish a new political culture, say, by abolishing the executive presidency? Guest: Dr Ahilan Kadirgamar from the University of Jaffna. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada venkatasubramanian.

Donald Trump is going to Make America Great Again again. He is all set to take oath in January 2025 as the 47th President of the United States. The media and opinion polls had predicted an exceptionally close presidential race. But Trump won by some distance, winning 301 electoral votes to Kamala Harris’s 226. The Republicans now control the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House. Trump has achieved this on the back of the most divisive, abusive, racist, and gynist campaign in American history, replete with profanities. What does this electoral outcome mean for America? Where did the Democrats go wrong? And what do Trump’s staff picks reveal about the kind of administration and foreign policy he is going to offer? Guest: Sriram Lakshman, The Hindu’s foreign correspondent. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

Exploitative work conditions faced by Indians in the Middle East is not new, but the recent reports emerging from Saudi Arabia’s ambitious $500 billion Neom project are shocking: a recent documentary alleges that 21,000 foreign workers have died and 1,00,000 have gone missing since 2017, while working on projects that are part of the country’s Vision 2030 initiative. Earlier this week Nadhmi al-Nasr, the long-time chief executive of the Neom project departed, and while there was no reason stated, reports indicate Mr. al-Nasr had earned a chilling reputation managing workers of the project. But despite sometimes horrific work conditions, multiple deaths and the continuing use of the kafala system, around nine million Indians continue to compete for jobs in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. India has one of the highest remittances from its citizens working abroad, in the world, with the figure estimated at $111 billion as of 2022. And yet, policies and laws to protect migrant workers are scarce. Why do young Indians continue to go abroad for semi-skilled or unskilled work – are these last-resort options or are they still seen as lucrative employment offers? Why do there continue to remain minimal protections for those who go to these countries? Has the pattern of migration from India changed? And Does the Indian Emigration Act need an overhaul? Guest: Saurabh Bhattacharjee – associate professor, National Law School, Bengaluru and co-director, Centre for Labour Studies Host: Zubeda Hamid

Negotiators, government representatives, and activists from across the world will assemble in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 for COP29, this year's U.N. climate summit.   This COP or Conference of Parties is dubbed the "climate finance COP" as it has a big goal - setting a new climate financing target. Negotiators will discuss ways to set up a fund to help developing countries fight against climate change.  But, the issues of climate financing are not just about setting a target; it is about incentivising the private sector to invest in greener technologies, forming regulations to aid the process and finding ways to fund transition from fossil fuels.   Guest: Dr. Monika Gupta, Assistant Professor, Finance and Economics, SPJIMR  Host: V Nivedita  Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

The much-delayed Census may finally be conducted next year, with the process being completed in 2026. Following the Census the Central government may go ahead with a delimitation exercise – re-drafting constituencies, based on updated population numbers. This seems to have sparked concern amongst some south Indian States, who believe that the number of seats they represent in Parliament could decrease, as their populations are lower than those of certain States in the north, as they have achieved population control milestones. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently expressed concerns about his State’s ageing population and called on residents to have more children. Two days later, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while attending a mass wedding event, referred to a blessing about acquiring 16 different kinds of wealth, said in jest that with delimitation coming up, perhaps residents should rethink having small families. So what’s going to happen with the delimitation exercise? Will southern States lose out on a large number of seats while those in the north get more? Will these place a wedge between two halves of the country, driving ‘north-south’ politics? Is there are a fairer system to ensure adequate representation without penalising States that have performed better? Guest: Sonalde Desai: Professor at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), and Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, U.S. Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Americans are all set to pick their 47th President on November 5. The campaigning has been one of the most fractious in US history, and the stakes have perhaps never been higher. With the Trump campaign focussed on immigration and Harris on women’s rights, whose narrative has won? With just a couple of days of campaigning left, where do the candidates stand with regard to key constituencies such as Latinos, Blacks, especially Black men, Arab/Muslim communities, and women? And who is ahead in the battleground states? Guest: Sanjay Ruparelia, Associate Professor, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair, in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

This year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson [AJR] for their work in understanding how good institutions play are essential role for a country’s prosperity. They explain how 'inclusive institutions' can help countries grow and create long-term benefits for everyone. They also explain how 'extractive institutions' provide short-term gains for the people in power.   In a press release announcing the winners of this year's Nobel Prize for Economic Science, the The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted that societies changed when Europeans colonised large parts of the globe. "This was sometimes dramatic, but did not occur in the same way everywhere. In some places, the aim was to exploit the indigenous population and extract resources for the colonisers’ benefit. In others, the colonisers formed inclusive political and economic systems for the long-term benefit of European migrants," the press release says.  AJR's hypothesis explains the role of institutions in wealth creation why some former colonies are poor. However, their work has come under sharp criticism from several quarters for ignoring the effects colonisation had on the colonised countries and how many of these countries still reel under the effects of colonisation. Guest: Dr. Surbhi Kesar, a senior lecturer at the Department of Economics at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Host: Nivedita. V Edited by Jude Weston