In Focus by The Hindu

In a major escalation in the ongoing stand-off between India and China on the border, one Commanding Officer and two jawans of the Indian Army lost their lives during a violent faceoff with Chinese troops in the Galwan area of Eastern Ladakh on Monday night. These are the first combat deaths on the disputed boundary since 1975. After 45 years of relative peace, does this new clash mark a troubling new chapter on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)? What is the status of the more than month long stand-off on the LAC? What are the prospects of a return to status quo?Host: Ananth Krishnan, China Correspondent, The HinduGuest: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’ll look at two news points related to the Indian Council of Medical Research. Last week, the ICMR released some numbers from a sero survey, or a general population test for antibodies, to look at how widespread the disease is in the country. We’ll take a look at those numbers and also go a bit beyond what was in the press conference. Another report that has been in the news recently that the ICMR is actually now trying to distance itself from is a study saying that India’s COVID-19 peak may come only in November. We’ll also get a news update on the situation in Beijing, where despite some of the world’s most stringent measures on containment, a surge of new cases is being reported. Guests: Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu; Ananth Krishnan, former Beijing Correspondent, The Hindu. Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tensions along the Line of Actual Control between India and China have been high for close to a month. Stand-off incidents and heavy deployments have been reported at multiple points along the LAC. At the Pangong Lake in Ladakh, Chinese troops are now present in what India sees as its territory.On May 6, India and China held talks at the military level to address the situation, but there is as yet no agreement on returning to the status quo. How unusual are the current tensions on the border? What are the prospects of a solution? Is there a broader Chinese game in Ladakh? How do internal political developments in Beijing impact China’s posture?Guest: Jayadeva Ranade, a former Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, and President, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the biggest ways in which COVID-19 has changed the world, has changed life as we know it, is the cancellation of virtually all big sporting events and all sporting leagues around the world. But in recent weeks, as countries around the world, including India, are emerging out of some form of lockdown, it has meant that sport has started resuming, like everything else, with a new normal. Which sports have resumed and how have the rules changed and, crucially for us here in India, what lies ahead for cricket?Guest: K.C. Vijayakumar, Sports Editor, The Hindu.Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll go back in this episode to look at the origins of the locust swarms now sweeping into India and other parts of South Asia and trace the outbreak back to 2018 in parts of Africa. We’ll also look at the science behind forecasting locust outbreaks, what are the factors that it takes into account and how that can help us come up with a strategy of preventive management.Guest: Cyril Piou, Scientist, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take a look at India’s recovery rate, which is close to crossing 50%, and analyse why that number is important and what it shows about how the disease is affecting the population even as each new day seems to bring a new 24-hour high in cases recorded. Hydroxychloroquine is also back in the news after a study, published in the reputed journal Lancet about its adverse side-effects, reportedly used data supplied by a dubious U.S.-based data analytics company called Surgisphere. We discuss the potential ramifications. Guest: 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

Breaking the silence on the continuing border stand-offs with China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 30 said that the issue would be resolved through diplomatic dialogue. The government has, however, kept mum on what exactly the issues are. What do we know about the incidents along the Line of Actual Control? Where are the current tensions? What are the prospects of disengagement?Interview by Ananth KrishnanGuest: Dinakar Peri, New Delhi–based Defence Correspondent.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While COVID-19 has disrupted much of the regular functioning of governments around the world, there are still examples of parliaments around the world finding innovative ways of working to both mount a response to the pandemic and performing a coordination and oversight role for their respective governments.Since the second Budget Session was adjourned in the middle of the outbreak in India, however, Parliament and the various standing committees have ceased to function despite some calls to convene over video conference. In this episode we’ll look at why these parliamentary standing committees are so important and why Parliament, as an institution, needs to play a larger role.Guest: Chakshu Roy, Head of Legislative and Civic Engagement, PRS Legislative Research.Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few weeks, Tamil Nadu has actually provided an interesting case study — some events that have led to a spike in cases here, a wrong turn taken there (and the Koyambedu market cluster is definitely one). But the other interesting numbers that we have here are that the State is at the moment probably conducting the most number of COVID-19 tests in the country and that’s one of the reasons why it is registering so many cases. Interestingly, a huge percentage of these cases are asymptomatic and the mortality rate continues to be very low.Guests: Ramya Kannan, TN Bureau chief, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Indian Council for Medical Research said on May 26 that no major side-effects of Hydroxychloroquine have been found in studies in India and its use should be continued in preventive treatment for COVID-19. This all comes in the backdrop of the World Health Organization (WHO) suspending the testing of the drug in COVID-19 patients temporarily in its global study following safety concerns. Why is India pushing ahead with the drug and what are the kinds of trials it is running to test its efficacy?Guests: Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu.Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices