We The People

The UGC has directed all universities and colleges in the country to hold exams. But is it still important to hold exams to give students a fair playing field? Sarah Jacob discusses on We The People.

Recently, there have been announcements of many significant decisions including postponement of NEET, JEE Main and Advanced to September, reduced ICSE syllabus and declaration of board results. With educational institutions ordered shut even during the phased unlocking of the country amid the COVID-19 crisis, educational institutions, their regulators and government advisory bodies are now coming up with new schedules and new modes to continue the teaching-learning process. We look at how the pandemic could reshape education.

For the last three days, India is reporting around 10,000 new coronavirus cases every day. Keeping these figures in mind, we debate when India's schools should reopen. Parents are concerned about their children's education but they are more worried about their health. The lockdown has amplified class differences with students who don't have access to online classes being the hardest hit. So what would schools look like when they reopen? Find out on this episode of We The People.

India's skies are abuzz after a 60-day coronavirus lockdown as domestic flights resume, but the question on top of most people's minds is whether it is safe to fly? How should one asses the risks before flying? Concerned citizens and aviation experts discuss how to mitigate the risks of flying amid the pandemic.

As India fights the coronavirus pandemic, the use of plastic products has been on the rise. On this special episode of We The People, UNEP's goodwill ambassador Dia Mirza joins us along with other environmentalists to answer the million dollar question on how to address India's mammoth plastic waste problem.

As lockdown 4 was announced with significant easing in guidelines, malls and restaurants are yet to get the green signal. We look at the food and beverage industry, which has been one of the first to be affected and likely to be among the worst and longest-affected sectors. What will eating out look like in the post-COVID-19 world where social distancing is the main buzzword? What will it take for a restaurateur to succeed in a post-COVID-19 world?

On the show, teens in different cities react to the 'Bois locker room' chat group scandal. Some say the group disgusted them, some say they are not surprised at the prevalence of such activities in youngsters.

With staggered lifting of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions from morning on May 4, liquor shops will be allowed to open again for the first time in 40 days. This is supposed to help sates bring in some revenue, but in these 40 days everyone has had to stay homebound. But what about those for whom their home is not a safe place? The National Commission for Women and even the UN has flagged rising cases of domestic violence during the lockdown.

The students who are studying abroad share with NDTV how they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. With the economic fallout of the global pandemic, many of them are apprehensive about their professional careers.

In 10 years from now, we will look back at this time, and history will call it the pandemic of 2020. This is a difficult time for everyone - some are especially hard hit - like the poor, the migrants, the labourers, whose worlds have been completely disrupted. Some are not as bad off, but nobody is unaffected - whether it is a 5-year-old who can't understand why he's not having a birthday party this year, or a Class 12 student who worked hard all year to get into the college of his or her dreams but may not go to go there after all. How do we flatten the anxiety curve?

As India fights the spread of coronavirus, two suspected COVID-19 patients say there are lapses in the system at a time when we cannot afford any. Hear their story on why they fear that even those who are not positive to begin with will get infected under the current quarantining methods.

The number of coronavirus cases in India crossed 1,000-mark today at 1,024 positive cases and 27 deaths. Many people have also recovered from the highly infectious disease. What it's like to be treated for COVID-19 in an intensive care unit? A survivor tells the story. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked him to record his experience in audio and share it so that people are not scared.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today apologised to the nation for the "hard decision" of calling a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has especially affected "the poor". He, however, said the decision was the "only solution" to combat the highly contagious coronavirus. Thousands of people have gathered at bus stations and along state borders at a time when the government and experts have unanimously agreed that social distancing is crucial for checking the spread of COVID-19. Were there better ways to execute a lockdown? Does this show the government did not manage the lockdown well?

Thousands of Indians stayed off the streets after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a "Janata (public) Curfew" to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has spread to over 140 countries since it originated in China in December. The country is set to grind to a halt shortly as railway, metro and interstate bus services will be stopped to break the march of coronavirus, which infected close to 350 people and killed seven persons in India.

The virus that emerged in China's Wuhan in December last has now spread to over 130 countries and infected about 140,000 people worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The WHO has taken the rare step to call this a pandemic. The Government has decided to treat the coronavirus outbreak in India as a notified disaster for the purpose of providing assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund. The repercussions of the spread of COVID-19 are already being felt all around us with trillions of dollars wiped off from global financial markets this week.

At least 34 cases of novel coronavirus have been detected in India so far. The virus, which causes COVID-19, is not as deadly as is currently feared, but panic has set in the country. Hand sanitizer in stores are out of stock, and N-95 face masks are being sold online at inflated prices. On tonight's show, we discuss how the virus has altered life in India.

42 people have been killed in violence in Delhi. A young child is now fatherless, a young woman is now a single mother. Who should be blamed for the clashes? And how to restore harmony and trust among the people of Delhi?

In a watershed moment for the Indian Army, the Supreme Court ruled in the favour of equal rights in the armed forces. In a landmark decision the top court ruled that female officers should be granted permanent commission and command positions, on par with men. Currently, female officers can serve for only 10 to 14 years in the Indian Army. So the court's ruling does not permit women to serve in army combat units, like the infantry or artillery corps, but they are now eligible to command entire battalions or head the intelligence department. The decks have been cleared for women in higher ranks in non-combat roles. What are the implications of the Supreme Court's order granting permanent commission to women on a par with men? Is this not just a big step for gender parity in the army but for all of India? The rumblings that we are hearing is that of patriarchy crumbling?

As Arvind Kejriwal is sworn in as Delhi chief minister for the third time, AAP's juggernaut win in the Delhi elections continues to be analysed threadbare. Buoyed by its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, a senior AAP leader has said that it will fight all local bodies elections across India to expand base by focusing on 'positive nationalism' based on love and respect as opposed to the BJP's nationalism that he says is based on hatred and divisive politics. We are asking tonight - has Arvind Kejriwal's AAP punctured the BJP's political copyright on Hindu religiosity?

The high voltage Delhi Assembly election is finally over. Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set for a hat-trick in Delhi with around 56 of 70 assembly seats, predicted NDTV's poll of exit polls. The big question is: If Arvind Kejriwal wins, would it be considered the win of development agenda over divisive politics.