Reporters Without Orders

This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Anmol Pritam.Anmol has been on the ground to cover the conditions in which three UPSC students died in a flooded basement library of the Rau’s IAS coaching centre in Delhi’s Karol Bagh. He gave a detailed account of how the tragedy unfolded, the subsequent blame game, and why Delhi’s coaching hub is more of a “business model than an education model”.     Avdhesh reported on the multiple incidents of violence involving kanwariyas. He delved into how the authorities purportedly turn a blind eye towards such incidents and give the religious groups a “free hand” as they resort to violence, leading to “a total collapse of law and order”.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:47 - Death of UPSC aspirants00:28:43 - Kanwariya violence00:46:06 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAnmolHar zulm tera yaad haiAvdheshMaharajaPratyushDead ‘Maoist’ talking: The aftermath of a security operation in ChhattisgarhProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by the Wire’s Sukanya Shantha.Sukanya talks about her report on India’s prisons where prisoners were allotted work on the basis of their caste. She says that the Chief Justice of India eventually expressed concerns over the “most disturbing” practice and said he would direct the government to take action. She also delved into other such colonial rules that are still in practice. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:36 - Casteism in prisons 00:35:05 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSukanyaBEYOND PRISONSSumedhaBarred: A Prisons ProjectProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Sumedha Mittal and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.Sumedha spoke about her report on how candidates from outside Gujarat picked centres in the state as part of an alleged NEET scam racket. She explained how NTA’s management failed as students from Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh travelled to Gujarat and “wrote” the exam in Gujarati.Shivnarayan reported that 14 companies that significantly bankrolled political parties in the past decade were given several government projects, some despite being banned or blacklisted earlier. He delved into how raids, extortion and murky ecosystems lead to the quid pro quo.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:05:32 - NEET paper leak00:15:50 - Electoral bonds00:37:38 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSumedhaThe caste alliances that won Uttar PradeshShivnarayan‘Gujarati answers, non-Gujarati candidates’: The NEET cheat sheet at 2 centresSeats quota, banquet halls, buses and answers: How to leak a paper in BiharBasantVarchasvaProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Naresh Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar and Avdhesh Kumar.Basant reported on the modus operandi of gangs involved in the alleged NEET paper leak. He explains how an interstate nexus of government employees, coaching institutes, and other powerful forces orchestrate paper leaks.Avdhesh spoke to the kin and survivors of the Hathras stampede that claimed at least 121 lives. He shares how they perceive self-styled godman Surajpal, alias Narayan Sakar Hari, alias Bhole Baba and why there is little accountability. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:58 - Paper leak00:21:08 - Hathras stampede00:42:46 - RecommendationsRecommendationsBasantMaharajMirzapurAvdheshRussia offers compensation and citizenship to kin of Indians killed in Ukraine war Tanishka‘Why leave the house? Sit at home and do path puja’ — misogyny rears its head after Hathras tragedyProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and the Hindu’s Ashna Butani.Tanishka talks about her deep-dive on Shubhash Chandra, Zee Media founder and former Rajya Sabha MP, and the shift in his stance on the central government. She explains why his recent remarks on the dip in India’s rank on the World Press Freedom Index and the SEBI’s investigation into his alleged financial improprieties hint at souring terms between Chandra and the Modi government.   Ashna delves into her recent report on the gender gap in owning digital devices, especially mobile phones. She says that this digital gap faced by many young women in rural India, due to conservative mindsets and stereotypes, impacts their day-to-day lives. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:57 - Subhash Chandra00:13:15 - Digital Gap00:31:50 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAshnaGod of Small ThingsTanishkaSona darlingShivnarayanSubhash Chandra’s winds of changeA phone of her own: Digital gap’s fallout on young women in rural IndiaProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by independent journalists Sunil Kashyap and Jatinder Kaur Tur. Sunil spoke about his report on the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha result and how the BJP workers’ overconfidence and ignorance led to the party’s seat loss. He said Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party’s “PDA card” – reaching out to the “pichre” or backward, Dalits, and “alpashankhak” or minorities was a hit for the INDIA bloc in UP. Jatinder threw light on the jailed leader Amirtpal Singh’s poll campaign from behind the bars and his subsequent win from Khadoor Sahib in Punjab. She gave insights on who managed the poll campaign on the ground, what was the poll plank, and how they convinced people to vote for him.    Tune in.In times of misinformation, you need news you can trust. We’ve got you covered. Subscribe to Newslaundry and power our work.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:28 - Key factor behind UP Lok Sabha result 00:32:46 - Backstory of Amritpal Singh’s election campaign 01:05:25 - Recommendation Recommendations Jatinder Kaur TurCaravan June edition How to do the work Sunil KashyapRajnigandha Sumedha Mittal Lapata Ladies Produced by Ashish Anand, edited by Umrav Singh, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and independent journalists Alishan Jafri and Nidhi Suresh.The discussion begins as Alishan talks about his report on the sense of betrayal and anger felt by NEET aspirants after 67 students scored the top rank, in a “doubtful and faulty” result. The possibility of meritorious students making it to prestigious institutes stands diminished.The conversation moves on to the horrific rape of a minor who was sexually abused for two years, first when she was just 12 years old. The child born out of the crime reunited with his mother years later, and pushed her to file an FIR, lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding such incidents. The accused were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail last month. Nidhi speaks about her experience covering the case.Avdhesh chips in, talking about his report on how the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party turned around its poll fortunes in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. It was a “PDA” formula that helped the party succeed. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:11 - NEET Issue00:19:30 - Battle for Justice00:31:02 - PDA over NDA00:46:49 - RecommendationsRecommendationsNidhiWhat binds Prajwal Revanna, Brij Bhushan Singh, Kuldeep Sengar – a system that treats women as dispensablePublic Secrets of Law: Rape Trials in IndiaAvdheshMuslims in India: भारत में मुस्लिम मां-बाप और उनके बच्चे अब कैसा महसूस कर रहे हैं (BBC Hindi)How India's elections are dividing the nation | Witness DocumentaryTanishkaExit polls, foreign investors, and stock market mayhem: What really happened?Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Shivnarayan Rajpurohit and Prateek Goyal to dissect the fallout of exit polls on the stock market.  As the Lok Sabha results starkly contrasted the exit polls – most of which were bullish on the Narendra Modi-led BJP – the stock markets hit an all-time high and then crashed, between June 1 and June 4. The panel throws light on the influence of exit polls, stock manipulation malpractices, and the media’s role as pollsters. The reporters also delve into the mandate in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, and the possible reasons that went against the BJP and the factors that worked in favour of the Congress.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:24 - Exit Polls00:13:39 - Election Results00:51:28 - RecommendationsRecommendationsShivnarayanLaapataa LadiesPrateekPanchayatBasant8 A.M. MetroProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry’s Basant Kumar, Pratyush Deep, and Sumedha Mittal to discuss the coverage of the Lok Sabha elections and provide insights into the pulse of the people. The conversation delves into the potential election outcomes across India, hot seats, political parties’ strategies, and campaign. They also discuss the grassroots mobilisation by political parties.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:12 - Haryana-Punjab elections00:13:35 - Assam-Bengal elections00:34:29 - Delhi-NCR elections00:42:38 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSumedhadeKoderRajdeep SardesaiGirish Kuber writes: Why Maharashtra worries the BJPPratyushPorsche case: No, the minor did not release a ‘rap video’. The media got it wrongProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry’s Avdhesh Kumar and Sumedha Mittal.Sumedha profiled Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of Sushma Swaraj and the BJP’s candidate from New Delhi constituency. She explains why the BJP chose not to field Meenakshi Lekhi, a two-time winner from the constituency, and how Bansuri has been trying to make herself relatable to voters despite a ‘nepotism’ narrative.Avdhesh reported on the violence during polling in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, where voters from Muslim-majority villages alleged they were beaten up by the state police. He says the voters, despite having voter IDs, say they were “deliberately” prevented from casting their votes. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:35 - Violence and elections00:11:00 - Bansuri Swaraj00:29:20 - Sambhal incident00:42:10 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSumedhaThe Election TricycleIdentity politics, polarisation, and development aspirations mark the electoral battle for Bihar’s MithilanchalAvdheshUttarakhand: Over 1,000 forest fires in 4 months, crisis looms amid poor preparednessAnmolRuled or MisruledProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.