We The People

IndiGo airlines was recently sent a show cause notice by the aviation watchdog DGCA over its inappropriate handling of a special needs child. The airline had refused to allow the child and his family to board a flight, claiming he was in a 'state of panic' and posed a threat to other passengers. Was this incident unusual - perhaps leading us to see more inclusivity, or was this indicative of a more systemic problem? Are laws enough to safeguard the rights of the specially-abled?

It's an image and an admission that has gone viral around the world. Kim Kardashian attended the Met Gala in New York in Marilyn Monroe's dress and happily recounted losing 16 pounds in three weeks by barely eating to get into her dress. Have we gone too far? Where do we draw the line when it comes to unrealistic beauty standards?  

Across India, people are marking the death anniversaries of their loved ones who succumbed to the deadly Covid second wave that hit India in April last year. On tonight's episode of We The People, we revisit the people who went to Covid hell and back during that bleak period when oxygen became a precious commodity, when ICU beds seemed unattainable, when crematoriums couldn't keep up with the deaths around the nation. Were lessons learnt from the second wave, and can we as a society recover from such terrible loss?

[Sponsored] 43% of Indian STEM graduates are women, but only 14% women make up the Indian STEM workforce. Why? Research shows no innate cognitive or biological differences between boys and girls when it comes to studying math and science - yet, young girls are presented with kitchen sets or dolls on their birthdays while boys receive toy robots and construction sets. Are our unconscious gender biases holding us back?

The CUET, or the Central Universities Entrance Test, serves to become a 'corrective' entrance exam for 45 central universities in order to do away with skyrocketing cut-offs based on disproportionately difficult state boards. On this episode of We The People, we explore whether the CUET will be all it claims to be - a way of reducing pressure on beleaguered board students across India - or simply another exam that they will have to study for.

There will be no fines for not wearing masks in about 5 states in India. With the COVID-19 positivity rate coming down substantially and a majority of the population vaccinated, the Delhi government joined the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana and Haryana and announced that they no longer impose a penalty on people for not wearing a mask in public. So, should you stop wearing your mask? Is it safe to unmask now?

This week, as property developer Supertech was declared insolvent for not paying their dues to the Union Bank of India, people who bought homes from them are crossing their fingers that this will lead to some accountability for the developers who have left a myriad of projects unfinished. What lies in store for a home owner who has invested in a project where the builder has become insolvent or unable to complete the construction to handover possession of the flat purchased? Watch this episode of We The People for more.

As Goa goes to polls, NDTV speaks to writers, journalists, property dealers and people who recently shifted to Goa from big cities on what key issues they face in their daily lives. From skyrocketing property prices to a local versus outsider bias, this is what the people of Goa have to say on election eve.

What happens if parents prevent girls from going to school unless they are in hijab, and the school prevents the students from attending class if they are in hijab? Who stands to lose? Can a student be denied an education because of a headscarf? On February 8, the matter will be heard by the Karnataka High Court.

This week more than 1,600 parents in the NCR signed an online petition requesting government authorities and other key stakeholders to reopen schools for in-person classes on priority. However, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority's decided it was not yet the time; but it was decided that restaurants, bars, cinema halls can be reopened with 50% capacity. On We The People we talk to several parents, teachers, students and authoritative figures on what this means for the children and whether schools should be opened on a priority basis.

The Delhi High Court is hearing a challenge to the constitutional validity of the 'marital rape immunity' provided for in the Indian Penal Code. The case has put the spotlight on the crucial issue of consent, the extent of state control on female sexual autonomy, and correcting historical prejudices in law. On We The People, we speak to several lawyers and activists on the debate surrounding this law and ask whether there is 'inherent consent' if someone is married. We also look at the trending social media move called #MarriageStrike and what it means for the youth of the country.

India, only recently in 2018, revoked the draconian law that made homosexuality illegal but the Constitution does not allow homosexual couples to marry. It is three years since homosexuality was decriminalised in India, but public morality around same-sex relationships continues to be a thorny issue. On We The People this week, we speak to two couples who are fighting the system for love and are joined by a panel to discuss the issue in India, at large.

Amid Omicron concerns, India has been celebrating Christmas and breaching COVID-19 protocols in the process. Streets are buzzing with hundreds of revelers, hawkers, and children on Christmas - with little or no adherence to Covid protocols. Tonight, on We The People we discuss whether it is time for alarm bells? Should politicians consider conducting virtual rallies?

As the Centre proposed to raise the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21, we speak to prominent women who express their views about the government's move on this episode of 'We The People'.

Various school bodies and parents of students have continued to push for the reopening of educational institutions after they were shut again following the Supreme Court's reprimand of the Delhi government over its pollution control measures. In this episode of 'We The People', we discuss, as governments shut schools - are children paying the price? We discuss the toll this is taking on students and also parents.

Keeping the Omicron Covid variant in view, the Airports Authority of India has shared a detailed set of state-wise guidelines for quarantine norms and regulations to be undertaken by flyers. Is that enough to keep us safe and contain the spread of the new variant of the Coronavirus? Or is this a situation where policies are many but its implementation is lacking? Are airports now Covid hotspots? On this episode of We The People, we look at the various issues travellers are facing to return to India, with the fresh travel restrictions in place.

As the Registrar General of India data suggests, the 'vegetarian and non-vegetarian divide' in India is more of a fallacy. 52.9% of Uttar Pradesh is non-vegetarian, 59.8% of Maharashtra is non-vegetarian, and 98.55% of Bengal is non-vegetarian. India is diverse, there is no homogeneity in food choices or flavours. Besides, what one eats is a personal matter and part of the Right to Privacy guaranteed by the Constitution. But what is the fallout when something as essential and enjoyable as food becomes the subject of politics?

In a surprising development this week the Bombay HC said that there was no evidence of conspiracy in the Aryan Khan's drugs-on-cruise case. Was this a one-off case or is the agency being used to serve vested interests? Is the mission for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) a war on drugs or serving the master in power for the day?

While teenagers and children have largely been spared the ravages of COVID-19, they haven't been unaffected. The pandemic has exposed many teens and children to trauma far ahead of their time. For some, their sense of safety has been threatened. Others lost their momentum and motivation to do well in school or engage in their lives. Still, others are recovering from grief associated with the death of a parent, friend, or loved one due to COVID-19. On Children's Day, we are putting the focus on children and their mental health in this edition of 'We The People'.

The Right to Healthy Environment enjoys a constitutional status in over 100 nations. India needs to improve emissions monitoring, provide regulators with real-time data and provide the public with information about polluters. As citizens are suffering due to toxic air, we ask experts about tackling the bad air crisis.