Let Me Explain

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Welcome to Let Me Explain, a show from The News Minute that aims to break down complex topics in simple words. Hosted by our Reporting Head Pooja Prasanna, the show cuts through the noise of today’s fast-paced news cycle, to bring you in-depth insights and clarity. Whether it is politics, policies, infrastructure, or public health, she brings her extensive on-the-ground experience and thorough research to explain the facts that truly matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Coldrif tragedy: Inside India’s recurring cough syrup poisonings | LME 95 | Pooja Prasanna

    6D AGO

    Coldrif tragedy: Inside India’s recurring cough syrup poisonings | LME 95 | Pooja Prasanna

    At least 23 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have died after consuming cough syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial chemical used in brake fluid.  In Madhya Pradesh, doctors raised warnings weeks before tests confirmed contamination in the drug ‘Coldrif’, but state and central regulators cleared the drug as safe. Tamil Nadu’s lab later found nearly 50% DEG.  This isn’t India’s first such tragedy — similar cough syrup deaths have occurred since 1972. In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna explains how repeated negligence, weak regulation, and political influence continue to let poisonous medicines reach patients.  For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR Produced by Megha Mukundan, research by Maria Teresa Raju, script by Lakshmi Priya, Edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, graphics by Vignesh Manickam, camera by Ajay R Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  2. One more stampede: Why India keeps failing its people | LME 94 | Pooja Prasanna

    OCT 1

    One more stampede: Why India keeps failing its people | LME 94 | Pooja Prasanna

    What was supposed to be a show of strength at Vijay’s TVK rally in Karur turned into chaos, panic, and death. Fans waited for hours, permissions were ignored, and a preventable tragedy unfolded. But Karur is not an isolated accident. From RCB’s victory parade in Bengaluru to Pushpa 2 promotions in Hyderabad, to temple festivals to the Mahakumbh Mela—India’s obsession with massive crowds keeps ending in stampedes. Why do organisers and leaders chase head-counts while neglecting safety? Why are guidelines ignored despite decades of repeated disasters? And why does accountability vanish the moment lives are lost? In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down the anatomy of a stampede: What went wrong at Vijay’s rally, how India repeatedly fails at crowd safety, and what it will take to prevent the next disaster. For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com Reporting fund: The shady business of stolen footage: https://pages.razorpay.com/hidden Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
  3. How India misread Trump: From heavy tariffs to H1B visas | LME 93 | Pooja Prasanna

    SEP 27

    How India misread Trump: From heavy tariffs to H1B visas | LME 93 | Pooja Prasanna

    2019’s “Howdy, Modi” promised a new chapter in India-U.S. friendship. But in 2025, the bond looks shaky. Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods and a $100,000 H-1B visa fee are biting hard. In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna dives into why India’s over-reliance on Trump’s personal rapport backfired, how high tariffs are affecting Indian exports, and why Indian IT companies and workers face a double whammy with new outsourcing taxes on the horizon. This is not just about diplomacy, it’s about jobs, livelihoods, and the global future of India’s workforce. For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com Contribute to our reporting fund on India’s hidden digital exploitation: https://pages.razorpay.com/hidden Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  4. Why Tamil Nadu is a tough playbook for BJP | LME 92 | Pooja Prasanna

    SEP 20

    Why Tamil Nadu is a tough playbook for BJP | LME 92 | Pooja Prasanna

    Why has the BJP failed to make real inroads in Tamil Nadu, even as it dominates much of India? From Dravidian politics and Tamil identity to Murugan yatras and cultural strategies, Pooja Prasanna unpacks why the state resists BJP’s playbook in this episode of Let Me Explain; the history, the ideological clash, and BJP’s current game plan as Tamil Nadu heads to the polls. For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com Contribute to our reporting fund on India’s hidden digital exploitation: https://pages.razorpay.com/hidden Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR Producer: Megha Mukundan Script: Lakshmi Priya, Pooja Prasanna Camera: Ajay R Editor: Nikhil Sekhar ET, Dharini Prabharan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
  5. Banu Mushtaq at Mysuru Dasara: Tradition, identity, politics| LME 91 | Pooja Prasanna

    SEP 13

    Banu Mushtaq at Mysuru Dasara: Tradition, identity, politics| LME 91 | Pooja Prasanna

    The Karnataka government’s choice of inviting Kannada writer and Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara celebrations this year has stirred a controversy. It has ignited a public debate on whether the festival should reflect Karnataka’s inclusive cultural identity or remain a strictly religious event. Critics argue that her identity and past remarks make her unfit for the role, while supporters see it as a step toward inclusivity. But at its core, this controversy raises deep questions about religion, culture, and identity in Karnataka.  From historical clashes to modern political posturing, Pooja Prasanna unpacks the complexities surrounding Mysuru’s most iconic event, in this week’s Let Me Explain. For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR Produced by Megha Mukundan, script by Lakshmi Priya and Pooja Prasanna, camera by Ajay R, edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, graphics by Dharini Prabharan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
  6. Unchecked Hate Speech: From Kerala's RW X Spaces to YouTube’s Hindutva Pop | Let Me Explain

    SEP 6

    Unchecked Hate Speech: From Kerala's RW X Spaces to YouTube’s Hindutva Pop | Let Me Explain

    Hate speech has found a new home. From X Spaces where Malayali right-wing voices urge Hindus to “arm themselves,” to YouTube’s Hindutva Pop songs with lyrics that glorify violence and rack up millions of monetised views, hate is being amplified, monetised, and often slipping past platform checks. Unchecked sexist tirades, conspiracy theories, and calls for violence spill out from these spaces into the real world, amplified by media outlets, legitimised by repetition, and turned into political currency. This week on Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna unpacks how hate spreads from chatrooms to streets, the role of platforms in fuelling and profiting from it, and what the law and the Supreme Court have said about the threat it poses to India’s secular fabric. Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR To support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund Produced by Bhuvan Malik, script by Lakshmi Priya, camera by Ajay R, edited by Dharini Prabhaharan ET, graphics by Vignesh Manickam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  7. Coconut, curd and jasmine: What Bollywood thinks of the south | LME 89

    AUG 30

    Coconut, curd and jasmine: What Bollywood thinks of the south | LME 89

    Bollywood’s record on portraying south Indians has been one of stereotypes, missteps, and mockery.  From Padosan (1968) to Shah Rukh Khan’s “curd noodles” in Ra.One, and now Janhvi Kapoor’s “Thekkapetta Sundari” which literally means “dumped beauty” in Param Sundari, the tropes remain the same.  Loud voices, broken Hindi, exaggerated accents, and token visuals of jasmine and coconuts are passed off as representation. This week on Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna unpacks Bollywood’s long history of stereotyping, the cultural hierarchy it reflects, and the few times Hindi cinema got it right — when characters were written and performed with context and care. Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR To support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund Produced by Megha Mukundan, script by Lakshmi Priya, camera by Ajay R, edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, graphics by Vignesh Manickam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  8. Bengaluru’s traffic crisis: Is tunnel road the right solution? | LME 88

    AUG 23

    Bengaluru’s traffic crisis: Is tunnel road the right solution? | LME 88

    Bengaluru is infamous for traffic. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has pitched a 190-km tunnel road as the solution and recently invited global tenders for its construction.   But can underground car-only corridors really solve congestion? Critics warn it could drain ₹85,000 crore, worsen the city’s ecology, and undermine public transport investments. From flooding risks to environmental concerns, and from hefty tolls to Metro ridership losses, the plan has drawn sharp opposition.  In this episode of Let Me Explain, @poojaprasanna68 examines the red flags, the alternatives, and why Bengaluru’s real fix may lie in buses, Metro, and suburban rail—not tunnels. For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.com Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lme Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription If you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR To support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 min
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About

Welcome to Let Me Explain, a show from The News Minute that aims to break down complex topics in simple words. Hosted by our Reporting Head Pooja Prasanna, the show cuts through the noise of today’s fast-paced news cycle, to bring you in-depth insights and clarity. Whether it is politics, policies, infrastructure, or public health, she brings her extensive on-the-ground experience and thorough research to explain the facts that truly matter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Newslaundry .com
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Newslaundry .com
  • Show Website
    Let Me Explain

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