What can an ‘autistic’ Barbie represent when neurodivergence has no single look?

There's a new Barbie in town. She avoids direct eye contact, makes repetitive physical movements in social settings, and her pretty purple dress is comfortable and free from irritating seams. Her pink headphones -- they're more than just a fashion statement. Mattel, the multinational toy company, has launched an ‘autistic’ Barbie as part of its range of “inclusive” dolls. It has partnered with the U.S.-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) to create an intentional set of features that aim to reflect experiences typically invisible in mainstream toy aisles. In today's episode, we go beyond the marketing dimension to discuss what an autistic Barbie could mean for autism awareness, inclusion, and long-term care initiatives in India. Guest: Dr. Nidhi Singhal, Director of Research and Training at Action for Autism (National Centre for Autism) Host: Vibha B Madhava Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 3rd, The United States of America launched Operation Absolute Resolve bombing the city of Caracas in Venezuela and capturing the sitting president Nicolas Maduro. He has been accused of Narco terrorism. He is now jailed in New York. Meanwhile, Trump has stated that he would be effectively running the country for the benefit of both U.S. and Venezuela. He also said that he would open the country for American Oil companies. The recent developments in Venezuela is said to have huge political ramifications not only for Latin America but across the world. Tune in! Guest: Tariq Ali, political activist, filmmaker, and writer Host: Bhagavathi Sampath Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The release of Jana Nayagan, the high-budget farewell film of actor-politician Vijay, has reached a legal and bureaucratic impasse that threatens a ₹500 crore investment. The film was diverted to a Revising Committee just days before its planned January 2026 debut. This last-minute intervention fuelled allegations of a "political conspiracy" intended to stifle Vijay’s entry into politics. This was not an isolated event but part of a massive trend in Indian cinema. Data show that between 2017 and 2025, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has altered more than 720 hours of film content. Data shows that 76% of these modifications were outright deletions, totaling nearly 550 hours of footage removed from public view. Tune in to know the mechanics behind these "silent scissors" in this episode of In Focus. Guest: Aroon Deep, a journalist and tech correspondent at The Hindu Host: Nitika Francis Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acid attack survivors are recognised as persons with a specified disability under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act (RPwD), 2016. This acknowledges external disfigurement, but overlooks cases of forcible ingestion of acid wherein injuries are internal and often invisible. Recently, the Supreme Court heard a plea by an acid attack survivor, Shaheen Malik, to formally recognise such acid attack survivors under the protective umbrella of the RPwD Act. The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the Centre to consider a comprehensive policy framework.  In this episode, we explore the inclusion of acid attack survivors and the intersection of their rights, both as "victims" fighting for justice under criminal law, and persons with disabilities navigating the system to access compensation, healthcare, and employment benefits.  Host: Vibha B Madhava Guest: Madiah Shahjar, Programme and Legal Associate at Brave Souls Foundation, and the advocate who represented Shaheen Malik in the SC plea hearings. Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China is building the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. This river flows into Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, and it is one of the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra in Assam. Further down, it becomes the Jamuna river in Bangladesh. This dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo is a trans-boundary project that would have an impact on downstream countries. China, however, has claimed that the dam’s unique design will ensure that there is no adverse impact on lower riparian countries. How valid are China’s claims? Will the waters be diverted? Will it cause flooding in India? How will this project affect the Brahmaputra, one of the last, great free-flowing rivers in the world? And more broadly, what could be the impact on India’s North East? Guest: Samrat Choudhury, Journalist and Author Host: G Sampath Shot, produced, and edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran is once again witnessing protests on its streets, triggered by a severe economic squeeze as inflation surges and the rial continues to lose value. What began as protests over livelihoods—most visibly among merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar—has begun to intersect with deeper questions about governance, legitimacy, and the state’s ability to manage crises. This unrest is unfolding amid renewed U.S. sanctions, growing regional isolation, the continued dominance of the Revolutionary Guard, and the uncertainty of an impending leadership transition—factors that together place unusual strain on the Iranian system. How deep is Iran’s economic crisis, and what makes this moment different from earlier protest cycles? How is the state balancing conciliatory signals with violent crackdowns? And what do these protests tell us about Iran’s political stability and the paths that lie ahead? Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu Host: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, India has struggled to improve its record on deceased organ donation, even as thousands of patients wait for transplants. This is despite data showing strong willingness among people to donate their organs after death.In this episode, we examine two paradoxes in India’s organ donation system. Why do cadaver organ donations remain low despite high posthumous willingness? And why do women make up a larger share of donors, while men dominate among organ recipients? We also explore where the system breaks down — from hospital protocols and transplant coordination to family consent at the time of death. We also look at the sharp gender imbalances in donation and receipt. Guest: Dr. Amalorpavanathan, retired vascular surgeon who played a pioneering role in building Tamil Nadu’s cadaver organ donation programme Host: Devyanshi Bihani Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court on January 5, 2025, declined to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, notwithstanding their incarceration for nearly six years without the commencement of trial. The court held that the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty is not “absolute”, and remains subject to the stringent bail regime prescribed under special statutes such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, however, granted conditional bail to five other co-accused, observing that the allegations against them indicated conduct of a subsidiary or facilitative nature, thereby warranting differential treatment. What are the implications of the ruling? Does the ruling depart from settled bail jurisprudence? Does treating allegations of road blockades as “terrorist acts” risk emboldening governments to weaponise the law to criminalise dissent? Guest: Vrinda Grover, Supreme Court advocate Host: Aaratrika Bhaumik Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 3rd, 2026, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela and arrested President Nicolás Maduro. Relations between the U.S. and Venezuela strained since the Cold War era, and worsened after Hugo Chávez came to power in 1999, and deteriorated further with U.S. sanctions imposed from 2006 onward. The arrest of Maduro marks a dramatic escalation of ties. Maduro has long been in Washington’s crosshairs. In 2020, the U.S. indicted him on multiple charges during Donald Trump’s first term. Now, Maduro has been charged with this wife, son and three others. So why did Washington act now? Tune in! Guest: Srinivasan Ramani, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu. Host: Nivedita V Recorded by Shivaraj S Produced and edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At least eight people have died, hundreds were hospitalised and thousands more were affected after consuming contaminated water in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in a tragedy that has rocked the nation and also severely dented the image of Indore as a clean city. The case has now gone to court, and while the government claims the situation is under control, local residents allege that the death toll is much higher, and the water is still not safe. Tragically, the residents say they had been raising the issue of the unsafe water much before the deaths occurred, but no action was taken. At present, the cause is believed to be contamination through sewage leaking into the water pipeline supplying a residential area. But why does the issue of contaminated water arise again and again in India? What is wrong with our water supply and delivery systems? And why is it that we are still unable to provide clean drinking water to millions of Indians? Guest: Pradip KalbarAssociate Professor Environmental Science and Engineering Department (ESED), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices