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Last week, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of 83 Light Combat Aircraft, named Tejas. These would be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of around ₹47,000 crore, which also includes infrastructure development costs. Of the 83, 73 would be Tejas Mk1-A fighter aircraft and the remaining 10 would be Tejas MK-1 trainer aircraft.

This deal has been hailed as a landmark event – in terms of achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing, and also for addressing the longstanding problem of depleting squadron numbers. The deal also raises several questions: How indigenous really is the Tejas, given that key components are foreign-made? How soon can they realistically be inducted into the IAF? How does this acquisition fit in with the IAF’s strategic requirements? To understand these and other aspects of this deal, we speak to Sushant Singh, Senior Fellow with the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.

Hosted by G. Sampath 

Guest: Sushant Singh, Senior Fellow with the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi

This episode recorded on January 20, 2021 comes on a pivotal day for America. Later today, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, following an extraordinary few days that have marked a very turbulent end to the Donald Trump presidency, following Trump's second impeachment, as well as the unprecedented mob attack on US Capitol. In the course of this podcast we will discuss what the  Biden presidency may mean for India, US relations, the US role in the world as well as America's relations with China.

Host: Ananth Krishnan

Guest: Suhasini Haidar, National and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu

As India emerges as a major provider of vaccines in the neighbourhood, this episode examines India's vaccine diplomacy. From Nepal and Bangladesh to Sri Lanka and Myanmar, India is in talks to supply vaccines. How is Delhi balancing India's domestic needs with its commitment to help abroad? What are the considerations in India's outreach? What has been the impact of China's recent South Asia-focused multilateral COVID-19 diplomatic initiatives?

Host: Ananth Krishnan 

Guests: Suhasini Haidar, national and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Kallol Bhattacherjee, correspondent covering foreign affairs, The Hindu

Meera Srinivasan, correspondent covering Sri Lanka and the Maldives, The Hindu

In today’s episode we take a detailed look at the bird flu outbreak in India, look at how serious it is and how it can be contained.

Cases of bird avian influenza or bird flu have been reported from Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh in recent weeks. During the first week of January, reports of unusual deaths of a large number of birds, including wild ones, started coming in from many States, indicating that the virus is being actively transmitted among various bird groups.

So what causes bird flu and how does it spread? What is its impact on birds and what is the kind of threat it can pose to human beings? Crucially, how does one come up with strategies to contain it?

Guest: G. Ananthakrishnan, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu

Historian Jeffrey A. Engel, who heads the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University analyzes the attack on the U.S. Capitol, its significance and consequences. Mr. Engel goes into the historic parallels to recent events and the decisions made by U.S. President Donald Trump in their aftermath.

Host: Sriram Lakshman, U.S. Correspondent, The Hindu

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Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in.

Early data from the National Family Health Survey-5, for 22 States and Union Territories, throws up some worrying data on child nutrition in the country. Stunting, which is low height for age, was seen to increase in 13 of the 22 States and Union Territories surveyed.

The data was collected in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. Speaking to us today about the data and what it means, the impact of the economic slowdown on nutrition, the multi-pronged approach needed to deal with nutrition and what States can do, is Dr Purnima Menon, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.