In Focus by The Hindu

July 1 this year marked the 6th year since the Goods and Services Tax was implemented. The average monthly collection in the first year was sub-₹1 lakh crore. Now, the government expects ₹1.5 lakh crore to be the norm, with its eye ₹2 lakh crore for the near future. At the start, there were several changes that naysayers felt made compliance difficult. Others said these were necessary prerequisites for a smooth run later. Pratik Jain, Partner and National Leader for Indirect Tax in PwC India joins us today to share his perspectives on how the 6-year run has been and what the road ahead looks like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent bus accident on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway that left 25 people dead after the bus hit an iron pole and caught fire, has once again thrown the spotlight on road accidents in India. Our country has one of the highest numbers of road crash deaths and injuries in the world. In 2021, India saw over 4 lakh road accidents that killed over 1.5 lakh people. What is tragic, is that the majority of these deaths and injuries occur in young persons, generally those in the 18 to 45 age group.Highways of course do not account for all road accidents, but they do account for a major proportion of deaths. One media report states on the Samruddhi Expressway alone, 616 accidents have occurred since it was opened just six-odd months ago, killing 88 people and leaving over 600 injured.Why are our highways so unsafe? Is 'highway hypnosis' a phenomenon that affects drivers a cause for concern on Indian roads? How do road design and engineering, the speeds at which vehicles are driven and driver education play into safety on our roads? With even more highways and expressways being built, how can the country improve its road safety track record? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Novak Djokovic win a record 24th Grand Slam title? This question is one of the central themes of the 2023 Wimbledon championship. If the Serb manages to do it, not only will be equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slams – the highest across both genders – he will also equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight Wimbledon titles. And with Nadal out of the picture for the rest of the year, he will be on track for a calendar Grand Slam and perhaps put to rest the GOAT debate once and for all.But how much of a favourite is Djokovic this year? What are the chances of the new world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz? And who are the favourites in the women’s draw? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast, we look at the state of play three years after India put in place sweeping curbs on inflows of Chinese investments into India. Official data shows investments from China are slowly returning through new avenues and ventures, with New Delhi welcoming investments in some sectors such as manufacturing but remaining wary about others where data and security concerns are involved.How are Chinese companies working around the curbs on investment? Have the curbs on Chinese investment ended up making investments more opaque with a rise in investments through third countries? What are the implications for regulation and security? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The intellectual class of West Bengal, euphemistically termed the Bhadralok, has long held a pivotal role in shaping culture, politics and policy in the State. From producing timeless cinema to dominating political power to setting policies on welfare, reforms and state interventions, this segment of Bengali society performed an outsized role. But all indications are that its influence is fading quickly in the State and beyond. Surajit Chandra Mukhopadhyay and Sandip Roy ponder the relevance of the Bhadralok in a discussion moderated by Shiv Sahay Singh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India has faced record-breaking temperatures this summer. The punishing heatwave across large parts of our country has killed dozens of people already, and while exact numbers remain controversial, the fact remains that heatwaves are becoming far more frequent, lasting for longer, and, as a consequence affecting more people. A large section of our population works out of doors for most of the year, and is exposed to high temperatures; this is combined with the fact that many people in our country cannot afford cooling mechanisms such as fans and air-conditioners, leaving them vulnerable to the searing heat. While we know that climate change is responsible for the increasing number of heatwaves, and the increased number of hot days per year what exactly does extreme heat do to our body? What are the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke? What can individuals do to protect themselves? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 24, the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war took a surprising turn as Russia’s Wagner Private Military Company, a paramilitary organisation, rebelled against the Russian establishment led by Vladimir Putin. The rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, claimed control over Russia’s Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city near the Ukrainian border and then began a march towards Moscow. Mr. Prigozhin claimed it was a march for justice, alleging mistreatment by Russia's military establishment. The Wagner Group is a mercenary organisation that was involved in Russia’s annexation of Crimea and has operations in Africa and West Asia. The attempted coup, however, melted away after negotiations that involved Belarus.In this episode we try to understand the import of these events, what it means to the Russia-Ukraine war and to Putin himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An India-wide study on the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes, results of which were released recently, threw up some startling results: 10.13 crore people in our country of 140 crore could be diabetic, and another 13.6 crore are estimated to be at the pre-diabetic stage. The study was conducted by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Union Health Ministry.Apart from diabetes, the study also revealed that 35.5% of Indians suffer from hypertension, while nearly 40% of the population has abdominal obesity. Uttar Pradesh had the lowest prevalence of diabetes at 4% while Goa had the highest at 26.4%, closely followed by Puducherry and Kerala.What does the rural-urban divide in the diabetes numbers tell us? How can these high numbers in diabetes be tackled by States? How much of a role does our diet play and what can individuals do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 31st, the Union Health Ministry issued a notification making it mandatory for over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms to display anti-tobacco warnings as seen in movies screened in theatres and on TV. The notification amended the rules under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2004.The OTT industry is quite upset with this move for various reasons, not the least of them being that it was not consulted. Critics have said that this move could disrupt the audience’s viewing experience, throttle creativity, and is an act of overkill that infringes on the right to freedom of expression.So, what prompted this move? Does the inclusion of anti-tobacco messages in the middle of OTT content really make a difference? Is it practically feasible for OTT platforms and producers to incorporate anti-tobacco messages before a movie, in the middle of one, and every time a shot of tobacco consumption comes up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few weeks, there have been news headlines about Ariha Shah, a child of Indian parents, who was taken away by child care authorities in Germany after she had been hospitalised for an accidental injury. Despite no charges being filed against the parents, the baby was not returned to them. A diplomatic spat has now broken out between New Delhi and Berlin, and 59 Parliamentarians from 19 political parties have now written to the German Ambassador in India, asking for the child to be brought back to India. The case has echoes of the 2011 Sagarika Chakraborty case in Norway, recently made into the Rani Mukherjee-starring movie, Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. It also throws up questions about whether child protection services in Europe differ from those in India in their mechanisms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices