Parley by The Hindu

Parallel to the escalation of the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan, misinformation and disinformation surged online, making it increasingly difficult for the public to distinguish between fact and fiction. Many media outlets published sensational stories, riddled with unverified claims, and disseminated fake pictures and videos. Jingoism often drove the public response. Is establishing the truth a problem during a conflict? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Nirupama Subramanian, independent journalist who was The Hindu’s correspondent in Pakistan from 2006 to 2010; Pratik Sinha, co-founder, AltNews, a fact-checking website Host: Mandira Moddie You can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

According to the Sample Registration System report for 2021 released by the Registrar General of India on May 7, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), which is the average number of children that a woman is expected to have in her childbearing years, in India was 2.0 in 2021, the same as in 2020. While Delhi and West Bengal reported the lowest TFR of 1.4, Bihar reported the highest at 3.0. Is Bihar’s high replacement rate a consequence of poverty? We discuss the question here. Guests: Saswata Ghosh, Prasenjit Bose Host: Shiv Sahay Singh You can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

The recent death of a young entrepreneur, who reportedly took the extreme step after she lost followers on social media, is sufficient reason for us to pause and assess the role of social media in our lives. There is no doubt that social media is here to stay and has a huge role to play in our lives. By holding up a world that seems perfect, and fickle with its devotion, social media can take a toll on mental health, particularly that of youngsters. On the other hand, the Netflix series Adolescence dragged us willy-nilly into a world of teenagers that adults thought they understood but were actually far off the mark from. Given the centrality of social media in the lives of children, how can adults navigate this terrain? Can parents keep tabs on the social media use of teens? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Meghna Singhal, clinical psychotherapist from NIMHANS and parenting coach; Sannuthi Suresh, programme co-ordinatior, healing and support services, Tulir Centre for Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse Host: Ramya Kannan Edited by Jude Francis Weston

The calculated brutality of the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir appears to have crossed a red line for India-Pakistan ties that were already at an all-time low. Following its diplomatic measures against Pakistan, what appropriate military response can India craft? Has the Pahalgam attack crossed a red line? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Sharat Sabharwal, Former High Commissioner to Pakistan and author of India’s Pakistan Conundrum: Managing a Complex Relationship; Lieutenant General (Retired) Deependra Singh Hooda, Former Commander in Chief of the Indian Army’s Northern Command and oversaw the surgical strikes across the Line of Control in 2016 Host: Suhasini Haidar

United States President Donald Trump’s ‘reciprocal tariffs’ have been compared to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of the 1930s, which many say hastened the slide into the Great Depression. The difference between the 1930s and now is that we have the World Trade Organization (WTO) to oversee and enforce global trade rules. However, some argue that over the years, the WTO has gradually lost its compass and is in need of massive reforms. Is the WTO still relevant? Here we discuss the question.Guests: Mohan Kumar, Professor of Diplomatic Practice at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University. He previously served as India’s lead negotiator at GATT and WTO; Mark Linscott, Senior Adviser with the U.S.India Strategic Partnership Forum and former assistant, United States Trade Representative for South and Central AsiaHost: Samreen WaniYou can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

Recently, while speaking at the Startup Mahakumbh in New Delhi, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that startups were not innovating enough and were limiting themselves to grocery delivery. Are Indian startups not scaling up on innovation? Here we discuss the question.Guests: Thillai Rajan, Professor and Head, Research Centre on Startups, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras; P.K. Jayadevan, author, communications professional, and former journalistHost: Ashokamithran T.Edited by Jude Weston

Last month, unaccounted cash was reportedly recovered from the official residence of former Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma. In response, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna initiated an in-house inquiry into the matter. Justice Varma has since been repatriated to his parent High Court in Allahabad and will not be assigned any judicial work until the Supreme Court-mandated inquiry is completed. Are existing mechanisms effective in combating judicial corruption? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Sanjay Hegde, senior advocate based in Delhi; Alok Prasanna Kumar, co-founder of Vidhi Centre for Legal PolicyHost: Aaratrika BhaumikEdited by Jude Francis Weston

U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to impose reciprocal tariffs on many countries, including India, has caused significant uncertainty in the global economy. Indian policymakers have tried to placate Mr. Trump by reducing tariffs on a number of U.S. goods, and they have also been in talks with U.S. trade negotiators about a possible bilateral trade agreement. Should India reduce tariffs given the U.S.’s moves? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Ajay Shah, economic columnist affiliated with the XKDR Forum; Laveesh Bhandari, president and senior fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic ProgressHost: Prashanth Perumal J.You can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

In February 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Myanmar border would be scrapped but there has neither been any notification by the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard nor any bilateral agreement with Myanmar so far. Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s insistence is said to have led to the decision following complaints that unregulated movement of people from across the border was fuelling the ethnic conflict in his State. Mizoram and Nagaland opposed this decision, which has not yet been implemented on the ground. The FMR came into existence in 1968 as people on either side of the border have familial and ethnic ties. The territorial limit of free movement then was 40 km, which was reduced to 16 km in 2004, and additional regulations were enforced in 2016. Should the FMR between India and Myanmar remain? Guests: Henry Zodinliana Pachuau and Likhase Sangtam Host: Rahul Karmakar

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian doctoral student at Columbia University, left the U.S. on March 11, 2025, following the revocation of her student visa by the U.S. State Department. Her departure followed a raid on her campus residence by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who have accused her of being a “pro-Hamas sympathiser”. Earlier, on March 8, immigration authorities arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and green card holder, for allegedly violating his terms of residency by supporting a U.S.-designated terrorist organisation. Should immigrants have the same right to protest as citizens? Here we discuss the issue. Guests: Happymon Jacob, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University and founder-director of the Council for Strategic and Defense Research; Prabhash Ranjan, professor at Jindal Global Law SchoolHost: Aaratrika BhaumikRecorded and edited by Jude Francis Weston