ISL 2025-26 season: A rescue mission or a reckoning for Indian football?

Last weekend, the Indian Super League (ISL), the highest league in Indian football, kicked off after months of uncertainty. The disruption, which compelled some clubs to halt their operations and consigned the players and coaches to a state of desperation, emanated from the absence of a commercial partner for the league once the Master Rights Agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) expired in December. The Indian football team, which is 141st in the FIFA rankings, failed to even qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup after a loss to Singapore last October. The contrast with cricket in India could not be starker. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the richest and most powerful cricket board in the world right now, and India’s cricketers enjoy demigod status across the length and breadth of the country. Does football suffer because of cricket? Guests: Abhik Chatterjee, CEO of ISL club Kerala Blasters; Yannick Colaco co-founder of FanCode (the media rights partner of the ISL) Host: Vivek Krishnan Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japan’s strategic posture is undergoing one of its most consequential transformations since the end of the Second World War. Long defined by its pacifist Constitution and its reliance on the United States for security guarantees, Japan built its global identity as an economic power that exercised influence largely through trade, technology and diplomacy. Over the past decade, however, shifting regional dynamics, particularly China’s rise and growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, have prompted a reassessment in Tokyo about the country’s defence capabilities, alliance structures and strategic autonomy. This reassessment has accelerated under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, whose leadership marks both a symbolic and political milestone as Japan’s first woman prime minister. Often associated with the conservative legacy of Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has signalled continuity in strengthening Japan’s security architecture while also projecting a more assertive political style. Her tenure raises important questions about how far Japan is willing to reinterpret constitutional constraints, expand defence spending and recalibrate its role within the U.S.–Japan alliance. At the same time, Japan finds itself navigating an increasingly complex external environment. Strategic competition between the United States and China, evolving regional security partnerships and debates over economic security and supply chain resilience have all influenced Tokyo’s policy choices. For countries such as India, which views Japan as a central pillar of its Indo-Pacific strategy, these shifts carry significant diplomatic and economic implications. In this episode, we explore what Japan’s changing strategic identity means in practical terms: whether Takaichi represents continuity or disruption in Japan’s post-war trajectory, how Tokyo is balancing alliance commitments with a desire for greater autonomy, and what these developments signal for the broader Indo-Pacific order. Guest: Sanjaya Baru, Policy Analyst, economist, and writer. Host: Shikha Kumari Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed two American citizens in Minnesota in January 2026. At least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025. The Trump administration has deported more than 500,000 people since January 2025. The budget for ICE is more than twice that of the FBI – making it the largest funded federal policing machine in the US. As the Trump administration continues its hiring spree for ICE – with more than $100 billion set aside for immigration enforcement activities – ICE agents are acquiring a reputation for brutality and gratuitous violence. Already, cities across the US have seen protests and neighbourhood squads organising against ICE patrols. With questions being raised about violations of American constitutional rights, many fear that ICE’s violent tactics could lead to broader civil strife. Is that a real danger? What are the social and economic implications of this crackdown? And how much political support do these operations targeting undocumented immigrants really enjoy? Guest: Joyojeet Pal, Professor in the School of Information at University of Michigan Host: G Sampath Producer: Shiksha Jural Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The expiration of the New START treaty, the last active nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, marks a significant shift in the global security landscape. For more than a decade, the treaty placed verifiable limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and maintained inspection and data‑exchange mechanisms between the two countries. With these provisions no longer in force, longstanding channels of transparency and communication have effectively paused, raising practical questions about how both nations will approach strategic stability going forward.  The end of New START comes at a time when U.S.–Russia relations have been strained by broader geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and the suspension of inspections since 2023. At the same time, evolving technologies such as hypersonic weapons, missile defence systems, and cyber capabilities are reshaping the strategic environment. These developments, combined with shifting political dynamics, have influenced both the relevance and limitations of traditional bilateral arms control frameworks.  In this episode, we examine what the absence of New START means in practical terms: how the two major nuclear powers might adapt their policies, how emerging powers like China factor into future discussions, and what this moment indicates about the broader state of global arms control. Ambassador Rakesh Sood provides context on the treaty’s history, the factors leading to its expiration, and the considerations that may shape future approaches to managing nuclear risks in an increasingly multipolar environment. Guest: Rakesh Sood, Former Ambassador Host: Shikha Kumari A  Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 99% of humanity lives in nation states. But nations are less than 200 years old, and today many countries are sliding into xenophobia, debt and a cost of living crisis. With the liberal ideas that underpinned the nation-state system -- human rights, dignity, security for all – in retreat, millions are feeling abandoned by the nation-state, and turning to cross-border migration in desperation. At the same time, nation states are proving ill-equipped to handle urgent planetary threats such as climate change and ecological collapse. Is the nation-state system in decline? Will it be, or can they be, replaced by a new system? Novelist and essayist Rana Dasgupta explores these themes in ‘After Nations: The Making and Unmaking of a World Order’, a fascinating historical and political analysis of the nation state. He spoke to The Mag about his new book, and what a ‘post-nation’ future might look like. Host: G Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Producers: Shiksha Jural and Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of administrative paralysis, the Indian Super League 2025-26 season finally kicks off in February 2026, but this is no ordinary season.With the collapse of the AIFF's commercial partnership, slashed budgets, mass pay cuts and a condensed four-month format, Indian football finds itself at a crossroads.What does this truncated version of the tournament mean for players and clubs? Are fewer foreigners this season good or bad for the league? And how deep has the crisis cut into the Indian football pyramid?Football veteran Pradhyum Reddy previews the season ahead and also unpacks the sorry state of affairs of Indian football’s top-flight league and how the crisis has impacted the football ecosystem. Guest: Pradhyum Reddy, coach and commentator Host: Reuben Joe Joseph Edted by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kerala and Tamil Nadu, scheduled to have Assembly elections soon, and stressed the need for a double-engine government. The term double-engine government refers to having the same political party (in this case, the Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies in the National Democratic Alliance) in power at both the Centre and in a State. Critics of this model include Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who has asked how Opposition-ruled States are doing well without a double-engine government. Does a double-engine government ensure growth? Louise Tillin and Yamini Aiyar discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Sai Charan. Edited excerpts:Does the discourse around a double-engine government imply an inherent bias against non-BJP/non-NDA governments in the States? Guests: Louise Tillin is Professor of Politics at King’s India Institute, LondonYamini Aiyar is former President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research and senior visiting fellow at Brown University Host: Sai Charan Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court’s landmark judgement recognising the right to menstrual health and hygiene as a fundamental right grabbed headlines all of last week. Why was this recognition needed? Because thousands of girls continue to drop out of school every year in our country due to a lack of clean, safe toilets with access to running water. And because periods continue to be shrouded in stigma and silence despite nearly half the population of the country experiencing them.What exactly does the judgement state? How important is it to sensitise boys and start conversations in schools? And how does period poverty impact women across the board in India?  Guest: Poonam Muttreja, executive director, Population Foundation of India Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bangladesh will have its general elections on February 12. Nearly 2,000 candidates will contest on 300 seats of the Jatiya Sangsad. Alongside the parliamentary vote, electors will also vote in a referendum – on whether or not to adopt the July National Charter.  Bangladesh has two major legacy parties -- the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the Awami League. With the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League banned from contesting, the two main players are the BNP, which is contesting from 288 seats, and the Jamaat-e-Islami, which is seeking 224 seats. There is also the student-led National Citizens Party (NCP), which will contest in 32 seats, as part of an alliance with the BNP. What are the main issues in this election? What’s at stake for the minorities in Bangladesh? What are the prospects for the non-legacy parties? Guest: Kallol Bhattacharjee from The Hindu’s Delhi bureau, who joins us from Dhaka. Host: G Sampath Producer: Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late January and early February this year, coordinated attacks across multiple districts in Pakistan’s Balochistan province marked one of the most intense phases of violence in decades. The Balochistan Liberation Army described the offensive as Operation Herof Phase II—a “Black Storm”—involving simultaneous strikes on security installations, transport routes, and administrative targets. For Pakistan’s security establishment, the attacks raise urgent questions about control, intelligence, and the protection of strategic assets. For the region more broadly, they have revived long-standing debates about political marginalization, economic exclusion, and the unresolved history of Balochistan’s integration into the Pakistani state. So what exactly is unfolding in Balochistan? Is this a turning point in a decades-old insurgency, or a sharper expression of a conflict that was never truly resolved? And what does the latest escalation mean for regional stability, foreign investment, and the prospects, if any, of a political solution? 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