In Focus by The Hindu

This weekly update on COVID-19 in India features news on domestic travel opening up, flights bringing back Indians from abroad and the Health Ministry briefings which continue to focus on mathematical modelling to establish the effects of the lockdown and also discussing India’s recovery rates.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the catastrophic human toll of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was the first wave to strike the world this year, its severe economic consequences – including loss of livelihoods of the poor across countries, leading to massive internal displacement and starvation in many cases – have been the second wave.It is in this context that the seminal work of Professor Thomas Piketty on the phenomenon of economic inequality gains additional significance today.Here he shares his perspective on this subject, including on its relevance to India.Guest: Professor Thomas Piketty is Professor of Economics at Paris-based School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences and at the Paris School of Economics and Co-Director at the World Inequality Lab and World Inequality Database.Host: Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India’s increased capability to patrol up to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) coupled with an increasingly assertive Chinese posture is fuelling new tensions along the border, according to former senior Indian officials.Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in as many as four incidents along the LAC in recent weeks. On Monday, Chinese state media said the People’s Liberation Army was “tightening control” in one of the flashpoint areas in the western sector Galwan Valley, after it accused India of “unilaterally” changing the status quo with “illegal construction”. A build-up has also been reported in Demchok in Ladakh.In this podcast we discuss these developments and the underlying tensions.Also read: News analysis | Behind new incidents, a changed dynamic along India-China borderInterview by Ananth KrishnanGuest: Zorawar Daulet Singh is a historian and strategic affairs scholar based in New Delhi. He is an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies and a co-founder of The Northcap University. Books include India China Relations: The Border Issue and Beyond, and Power and Diplomacy: India’s Foreign Policies during the Cold War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We last recorded a data podcast on May 7 when India had crossed 50,000 cases and now, some 11 days later, it has crossed the 1-lakh mark. Accordingly, we review the lockdown as a policy decision and compare numbers with countries around the world. Is stringency of lockdown the only determining factor in halting the spread of the infection? And how are various States within the country doing now in terms of doubling rates and testing?Guest: Srinivasan Ramani, Deputy National Editor, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine and a Professor at the Departments of Paediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Host: Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The HinduBody text: As the world continues to grapple with the debilitating human toll and economic consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, experts such as Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine and a Professor at the Departments of Paediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston , have been at the forefront of both research and treatment of the infection. Dr. Hotez’s perspective is also valuable for his multi-decade involvement in treating neglected tropical diseases, including in India, where he has worked extensively on better understanding the spread of and treatment options for elephantiasis, hookworm, leishmaniasis, and dengue. Dr. Hotez is well-positioned to give us a deep insight into the current state of play with the battle against the coronavirus and what hope there is for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are over a 100 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 currently under development and the urgency of the pandemic has meant that many of them have accelerated the process of going in for human trials. In some cases, vaccine manufacturers have already announced tie-ups with some labs for mass production before final approvals have arrived. This unprecedented race to find a vaccine has brought to light the various technologies and methods that go into developing a vaccine, some of them so new that the contender in question has never produced a licensed vaccine before. In this episode we break down the methods of vaccine development currently being tested — differentiating between the “traditional” and “new age”. We also address the question of which immunisation strategy India should employ if and when a vaccine becomes freely available.Guest: E. Sreekumar, senior scientist, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a second press conference to detail more aspects of the ₹20-lakh-crore economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today’s announcements focussed on measures to help migrants and farmers. Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 numbers are closing in on China’s officially reported tally.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave out the first details of the ₹20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12. Major incentives were announced on Wednesday for micro, small and medium industries. We also have details on the second batch of flights bringing back Indians stranded abroad and interesting details on Indian being caught in the middle of a high-level spat between China and the United States over Taiwan’s status at the World Health Organisation.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kerala’s success in tackling COVID-19 stands out among Indian States and has been hailed globally as an example of how sustained planning and investment in a robust healthcare system, and a decentralised model of operation, can allow a State of its size to bring a pandemic under control without breaking the bank. How has investment in healthcare in the State been sustained across various administrations, what lessons can other States learn, and to what extent does Kerala still need to be on guard? Guest: Vinod Thomas, Visiting Professor, National University of Singapore and formerly a Senior Vice President at the World Bank Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fifth video call with Chief Ministers to discuss life after the lockdown and possible extensions was still ongoing while we were recording this episode, but we are able to bring you the major highlights and themes. We also give you an update on the huge spike in coronavirus numbers over the last 24 hours and developments on antibody tests, strategy for community surveillance and vaccine development by the ICMR.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices