Maha Bharat

Episode 50

Where do Indians come from? – Part 2

If you haven't already heard Part 1 of this series, please listen to the previous episode first. This will all make a lot more sense then!

In the last episode we traced our ancestors from billions of years ago when the earth was formed to 50,000 years ago. We take the story forward from there through the different civilizations and invasions to finally answer the question — who our ancestors are and where we Indians come from?

Episode 49

Where do Indians come from? – Part 1

This is quite a strange question when you think about it at first, but quite interesting.

India has the second largest population in the world, and Indians are now spread all over the world. And that is not just today's situation, even thousands of years ago, a large part of the world’s population actually lived on the Indian subcontinent!

So, there is a long and complicated story behind who our ancestors are and where they come from. And to make things even more interesting, new evidence is being found that changes this answer with each new discovery.

Episode 48

Provident Fund: What is it and will you ever see your money?

Did you know that the government of India holds money that belongs to you and me? And even more interestingly, the amount of our money held by the government is almost the same as the combined market value of 6 of India's biggest banks?

On this episode, we talk about the Provident Fund. That little bit of money that is missing each month from your pay check, could be your life saver when you are done working.

Episode 47

Tiranga: Why is India’s flag the way it is?

"The Tiranga or our tri-coloured flag is among the first few things that comes to mind when you think of India. But this was not what our national flag looked like when it was originally created, and guess what, it went through many different iterations and several years to get the design right. This episode traces the history of our flag and how we got to our beloved 'Tiranga'."

Episode 46

Civilian Awards: How many are there, who decides the winners and what is the politics?

"Growing up in India, it was always a dream instilled in us to one day, be awarded the Bharat Ratna, or the Padma awards. These are the highest civilian awards in our country, and the list of awardees are some of India's best and brightest. But do you know how many awards there are? who decides the winners and what is the criteria used? This episode talks about exactly that!"

Episode 45

Does India have an official language?

"Debates over languages in India are not new, but this should not be a surprise since we’re such a diverse country with different languages. According to a recent analysis of the Census, more than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken in India as mother tongues. And in such a diverse country, it's obvious that we need a language for our government to function in, an official language. But do you know what India's official language is? and which one it is? Find out in this episode! "

Episode 44

Who are refugees and where do they come from?

"Who is an Indian? More importantly, who can be or become an Indian? This has become a very important and relevant question in recent times. The story of refugees in India is as old as India itself. Over the years, India has received lakhs and lakhs of refugees. And we have dealt with each refugee crisis differently, in its own way. But each time this issue comes up for discussion in the mainstream, there seems to be a new angle to it and the entire country goes up in arms and there are heated debates. On this episode, we try to peel back some of these layers and start with the basic question -- Who are refugees, and where do they come from? "

Episode 43

The Downfall of India’s Greatest Airline

"In the last hundred years, there has hardly been a saga as long, grand and topsy-turvy as what we’re going to talk about on today's episode. A story that started with a magnificent achievement by one of India’s most successful industrialists, and ended in thousands of crores of debt. But it hasn't ended yet! Air India, our government owned airline has gone through everything. From starting a travel revolution in a fledgling country to being on the brink of collapse for the last few years, the maharaja has seen it all. What is next for this iconic company that quite literally put India on the map? "

Episode 42

State Budgets: Why does nobody care?

The union budget was announced earlier this month and it was the topic of much discussion. But do we even remember the last time the state we lived in announced its budget? Strange isn't it? Considering the state budget affects us more directly and even more importantly, considering that the total amount spent as per the state budgets is 150% more than the union budget!

This episode tells you what state budgets are, how they affect our lives, why they’re important and lastly ... why nobody cares about them?

Episode 41

BCCI – Public or Private Enterprise?

"The Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI), has an official sounding name, it conducts all International cricket matches in India, hosts the IPL, and even selects the Indian national cricket team, but have you ever wondered, is the BCCI a government body? or a private enterprise? and how do they have the money and more importantly, the right to select the team that represents our country? On this episode, we try and understand the BCCI, how and why was it formed, what does it do, and more importantly, why is it in the middle of so much controversy?"

Episode 40

Why do Inter-State Check Posts exist?

"Imagine 2 people that have come together to get married - the wedding rituals, flowers and people congratulating the happy couple. Easy to imagine, right? but this is not happening in a religious place or a wedding hall. The bride and the groom are standing on the two sides of a line ... a state border! Exactly on the border of two states is an interstate check post, and here the happy couple gets married. The staff at the check post claps for them! Crazy, but true. Earlier this year, with the restrictions on travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. Unable to meet, many couples got married in cabins that are situated on state borders. These cabins are called Interstate check posts. But why do they exist? In this episode, we try and answer this question."

Episode 39

Why does India have a Ministry of Culture?

"What comes to your mind when you think of Indian culture? Do you think of our heritage, art, music? But any point, do you ever think of the Government and a Ministry of Culture? The interesting fact is that in our country, our government has an important role to play when it comes to our culture. If you dig a little deeper into it, you realise that even culture needs a certain amount of policy and regulation. In this episode, we’ll find out how exactly the government involves itself with the arts and culture in our country, and answer the question — Why does India have a Ministry of Culture?"

Episode 38

Who is the CBFC and why are film makers afraid of it?

"India produces the most feature films in a single year, and yet, each time the 'censor board' stalls the release of a film, it leads to major chaos all over the country. In fact, a tussle with the censor board is part of the publicity plan for some new films. After all, there is no such thing as bad publicity! But did you know that the Central Board of Film Certification or the CBFC was never meant to be a 'censor', and was created for entirely different reasons, to ensure that films did not catch fire! Learn about this century old institution that seems to often find itself in the news for the wrong reasons, and understand what its actual role is, in this episode."

Episode 37

Ford Foundation – Hero or Villain?

"This organisation funded the Green Revolution, was part of setting up IIT Bombay, IIT Ahmedabad, and the National Law Universities, donated crores of rupees to support Indian NGOs, and even given generous funding for our government schemes. At the same time, they are accused of having relations with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), having funded the sterilization program during the Emergency, have been called a threat to our internal affairs and even been put on a watchlist. The Ford Foundation is a matter of great controversy in our country. It’s one of those rare names that you associate with a good and a bad reputation! But this organisation is one of the world’s biggest, richest, most influential non-profit organisations and plays a bigger role in India than we know. The Ford Foundation story in India is a story of goodwill, war, politics and diplomacy. And the answer to a question that you must have asked at some point or the other - Why is the Ford Foundation so controversial in India? Let’s find out in today's episode."

Episode 36

State Legislative Councils: Why do some states have it and what do they do?

"Over the years, many states have established and then abolished legislative councils from their governments. Now, the Legislative Council is like a Rajya Sabha for the state, its upper chamber. It is clearly an important part of the government, so how can it just be abolished so easily? For most of us, the bigger question often is: what exactly do state legislative councils even do? We hear about the Legislative Assembly often, but not the council. So why do some states have it -- and why have some other states choosen to abolish it? We’ll find out in this episode."

Episode 35

Anglo Indians – who are they & why do they have 2 seats reserved in the Lok Sabha?

"What is common to: Ruskin Bond, Derek O’Brien, Diana Hayden and Roger Binny? Well, of course they are all famous personalities from India -- but there is another more interesting connection - they all belong to the Anglo Indian community. The story of the Anglo Indian Community is a story of: the marriage of British soldiers to Indian women, the railways and civil services, the education system in India and much more, and even more interesting is how they ended up being the only minority community with 2 nominated seats in the Lok Sabha. "

Episode 34

Joint sessions of parliament – what is the big deal?

"The Central Hall of the Indian parliament, the room where the British transferred power to India when we got our Independence in 1947, is a historic room, and the location for the joint sessions of the Indian parliament. Only 3 bills in have been passed in the history of independent India in a joint session of the 2 houses, and each of them has had a significant impact on India. This episode tells you why we have joint sessions, what happens during these sessions, and why they are a big deal."

Episode 33

Economic Advisers – Who they are and what do they do?

What is it like to be responsible for the country's future? on the face of it, Economic Advisers seem to have a simple job. But that cannot be further from the truth. What does it take to analyze all the mountains of data, and ensure that the right people in Government get the right advice, that could form the foundation of some of the biggest decisions the country makes?

Episode 32

Why does the US Dollar and the exchange rate matter so much to India?

"In India, there is one currency that is the centre of all conversation, that we talk about with great excitement -- and in fact, it even affects our day-to-day life. But strangely, this is not our rupee. It’s the U.S. Dollar. The U.S. Dollar has great power. Whenever the value of the rupee falls against or when compared to the dollar, it always makes headlines. There is a lot of panic. We all know this happens. But why, exactly? What is it about the US Dollar and the exchange rate that causes ripples in our country and its economy?"

Episode 31

Why do petrol prices change almost every day?

"In India, we're just used to fluctuations in our petrol prices and just when you thought prices couldn't go any higher, they do. It is true that we pay among the highest prices for petrol in the world, but have you ever stopped to wonder why that is? This episode takes you through the complicated set of factors that decides the rise and occasional fall in petrol prices in India."

Episode 30

Why does India have Central, State and Concurrent Lists?

"You know how some things are under the state government's control, some other things are under the central government's control and then there are other things that both control in part? well, that is defined in the central, state and concurrent list of our constitution. And this has a very big impact on your daily life in many ways. This episode tells you what these lists are and how they work, and most importantly, why you should care about them."

Episode 29

The most important judgement in India?

"In 1973, Kesavananda Bharti, the head monk of the Edneer Mutt in Kerala unknowningly and unwillingly made history when he decided to go ahead and file a petition in the supreme court against the Government of Kerala in a land dispute case. This kicked off a chain of incredible events that ended up strengthening our democracy! Today's episode takes you down that rabbit hole and unravels some of this mystery for you!"

Episode 28

Who will watch the watchmen? A guide to the CAG

"We've elected our leaders, given them power, but now, who watches over them? How do we know that the people in power are doing the right thing? I'm sure we've thought about this at some point. And so did our leaders when they formed our country. The CAG is an independent official, who is possibly the most important government official in India. And today, we try and figure out what the CAG does."

Episode 27

I’ve paid GST, now what happens to that money?

It's been over 3 years since GST was implemented and while it simplified a lot of things in India, many things became complicated. In this episode, we simplify the tax that meant to simpilfy all taxes. Has the "One Nation, One Tax" model worked? and most importantly, what happens to all the money collected by the government?

Episode 26

What is the green revolution?

"A brand new India came into existence in 1947, and with it came the mighty task of figuring out how everything in India should work. One of our biggest problems? How do we feed everyone in the country? Over a decade in the 1960s, led by MS Swaminathan, India went from being an importer of food grains to one of the biggest producers and exporters of grains, and this changed the face of India, its people and our land. Learn about this incredible turnaround that is often called ""The Green Revolution""."

Episode 25

How did we eradicate Polio?

Restaurants, malls and movie theatres are closed. People are advised not to gather in groups and stay at home. Everyday, the newspaper publishes the number of people infected. Their houses are identified and marked. The families are put in quarantine. A virus is on the loose -- and everyone is waiting for a vaccine.

Sounds familiar?

This is not the Corona Virus we're talking about, but more than 70 years ago, India went through a similar fight and eventually won! This is the story of how we eradicated polio in India.

Episode 24

What is the significance of the Preamble to our Constitution?

"84 words, carefully considered and debated and deliberately added the way they are, in a sense form the very definition of India. The Preamble to our Constitution was a whole 2 months before the constitution itself and forms the basis for how India governs itself. But it came with its own share of controversies and that is what we will examine in this episode."

Episode 23

How did liberalisation in the 90s change India?

"""Puri duniya ko awaaz hai. Hindustan ab jaag chuka hai. Hum aage badhenge. Hum Kaamiyab honge"". With these words, Dr. Manmohan Singh, our then finance minister signalled the start of a brand new phase of India's economy - liberalisation. But, much like the story of Indian independence, that of Indian liberalisation isn’t so simple. In this story, there is an economic crisis, two attempts to change the value of the rupee, the fall of the public sector -- and even a truck full of gold involved!"

Episode 22

What does the Delimitation Commission of India do?

"Did you know that the boundaries of our electoral consituencies are often redrawn and that is actually a very important part of a representative democracy like India? But why is this done? What is Delimitation? and how does the delimitation commission carry out this task, and what does it mean for the states and union territories of India? Find out in this week's episode of Maha Bharat"

Episode 21

What is the Anti-Defection law and why does it exist?

It's hard picking your elected representative, someone whose record and ideology you like and buy into. But how would you feel if once you've chosen them, cast your vote, and elected them to power, they just simply join a completely different party? This used to happen quite a lot in Indian politics. So much, that it required us to put in place an "anti-defection law". But what is it actually? and what does trading horses have to do with politics?

Episode 20

Why are PSUs so bad?

Should the government be in the business of doing business? or should they leave that to profit minded individuals and companies that might be better at it? What happens when the government tries to run a company and why does it so often go so horribly wrong? This episode takes you back to the history of Public Sector Undertakings or PSUs in the country and why they fail so often. Is there another way?

Episode 19

Who makes the Indian Rupee and how?

First stop: The RBI. Then, the Government of India, from there, a design mill, a printing press, a bank, an ATM and finally, your wallet! We trace the interesting history of the rupee and the journey it makes before it reaches you and runs your life!

Episode 18

Who is a Citizen?

India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters"" -- we have all at some point heard or even recited this pledge as Indians. But what we are trying to ask in this episode is, ""Who is an Indian Citizen?"". How does one become a citizen and what does being a citizen of India mean? The answers to these questions might not be as simple as you imagine!

Episode 17

What are Government Freebies?

What is common to -- A steel thali, a gift hamper, four kgs of rice, a mixer, a mobile phone, laptops, a sewing machine, a cow, a TV, electricity, water, a 2-BHK flat? No, this is not a pandemic survival kit. These are actual freebies given by the government and political parties at different times. But why are these given away free? how does this work? That's what we talk about in this episode.

Episode 16

What is the Point of the Rajya Sabha?

The Rajya Sabha. The upper house of the parliament, something most of us know little about. But as you will learn in this episode, is very important to how our democracy functions. You've often heard that the Rajya Sabha “clogs progress” or that it creates a hurdle for Lok Sabha, and therefore the country. But there is only one way to find out if that's true -- We start by answering a simple question - ""What’s the point of the Rajya Sabha?""

Episode 15

First Past the Post

India, the world's largest democracy, chooses its leaders and representatives using the 'First Past the Post' system of elections. This system has meant that, for the last 70 years, since India was formed, no party has ever won a simple majority of the total votes cast. But what is the system? Are there others? Why did India choose this for itself? Do the leaders we elect accurately represent the vast and varied country we are? We explore all this and more in this episode of Maha Bharat.

Episode 14

What are Union Territories?

India has 28 official states and 8 Union Territories with the recent conversion of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh into Union Territories. This was the first time a state in India was converted to a Union Territory. But what does that actually mean? what changes in these places and what are Union Territories and why do they exist?

Episode 13

How does a bill become an Act?

"Governing a country means creating and implementing a lot of laws for citizens to follow. But how does this process start? Who makes these laws and how does it happen? All laws or legislation in our country start as simple proposals called bills when become acts after they are approved by the parliament and the president. And it is quite an interesting process, which we decode in today's episode."

Episode 12

RBI: What does it do and why should you care?

We have all heard of the Reserve Bank of India or the RBI and even seen the RBI governor's signature on all our currency, but do we know what it actually does? Often when we hear of the RBI in the news, there are references to terms like repo rate, reverse repo rate, foreign exchange reserves and so on, and the fact that the RBI controls the health of India's economy and it's cashflow. This episode simplifies and demystifies one of the most important Indian institutions -- The RBI.

Episode 11

What is Section 144?

"What is common to -- an extreme heat wave in Bihar, a cold wave in Muzaffarpur, Internet shutdown in Kashmir, the anti-CAA protests in Delhi, Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s sentencing in Panchkula and COVID-19 prevention in Kangra? The answer might surprise you a little. All these events had one common legal provision used: Section 144. The law against unlawful assembly or Section 144 is something that many of us have experienced first hand. But what exactly is it and how does it work? This episode breaks it down for you.

Episode 10

What is the Disaster Management Act?

2020 has been a year that has seen India deal with multiple disasters. First, the Coronavirus reached India. Then came Cyclone Amphan, followed by Cyclone Nisarga. While 2020 has been a tough year so far, this is not the first time that Indians are dealing with disasters -- be it man-made or natural. The question is what tool does India have to deal with disasters of any kind? Since 2005, we've been using the Disaster Management Act to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. We tell you how the Act works and why we need it.

Episode 9

What is the Right to Information and Why does it matter?

We have all at some point in time, over a cup of tea, cribbed about corruption in our governments. We've talked about big houses owned by corrupt politicians, money exchanged under the table, crores and crores worth of scams etc. But in the end, we've concluded that this is how it is likely to be and after all, what can we do about it? But if you think about it, there is something you can do. As citizens of a democracy, we actually have the power to hold our government accountable. This episode talks about a significant law that gives you, the common man, the power to ask questions to your elected representative and hold him or her accountable.

Episode 8

What does a President Do?

India's President is considered our first citizen and is the people's representative, and is critical to the functioning of our vibrant democracy. But often, the President is considered a puppet or a rubber stamp and the perception is that the president's role is somehow just ceremonial and not as important compared to other key roles in the government. But that is far from the truth, and in this episode, we show you exactly what role the president plays in our democracy and some interesting facts you might not have heard before.

Episode 7

What does an IAS Officer actually do?

The bureaucracy in India has been described as the steel frame of the nation. In this episode, we're going to be talking about a key part of this steel frame: IAS officers.  Even today, in order to become an IAS officer in India, one has to clear one of the toughest examinations in the country. But the challenge doesn't stop there. Sandwiched between the politicians and the people, an IAS officer's job involves a tightrope balance and a really wide range of responsibilities. We tell you a little about what an IAS officer actually does.

Episode 6

What happens to your taxes?

Who likes paying taxes? For centuries, citizens, under different political systems, have been grudgingly paying taxes either to kings or to governments. But ever wondered why we pay a tax?And more importantly, where that money actually goes? This episode answers these questions.

Episode 5

What is a PIL

If it is a court case that is making news, it is most likely related to a PIL. Take any of the big court cases that you may have heard of recently: Triple Talaq? Right to Privacy? Sabarimala? Section 377? All of these cases began because a Public Interest Litigation or a Janhit Yaachika was filed in the court at some point. But, what is a PIL? We telll you the story of something that accidentally changed the course of history in India.

Episode 4

Why is the Union Budget Important?

Every February, there comes a time when a single event captures the imagination of crores of Indians. No, we’re not talking about a cricket match but the annual budget speech of the Union Government. The nation sits down together to discuss the schemes and tax breaks that are on offer. News channels have gathered the experts and the stock market of course delivers its reaction. The union budget is akin to a grand festival in India. But if you are among those who have no idea what’s going on, you’re not alone. How many of us actually know how the budget is put together and passed? Did you know that the finance ministry participates in a halwa ceremony? Is the budget speech all there is to the process of financial planning in India? How many of us actually understand the budget speech? And what happens after the budget speech ends? Too many questions about India’s budgeting process? This episode breaks it all down for you.

Episode 3

What is GDP?

Say you wanted to understand the state of the Indian economy, where would you begin? First, you’ll have to get a sense of how big it is. Then you’ll also have to find a way to figure out if it is in a good condition or not. This is where a measure like the Gross Domestic Product or the GDP comes in handy. Looking at the GDP growth rate of a country can give you an indication of whether the economy is healthy or if it is ailing. This is why most news anchors are obsessed with the GDP growth rate every financial quarter. This episode explains the fundamentals of GDP and also gives you an insight into India’s growth story in the last decade.

Episode 2

What is the Sensex?

Up and down and then up again -- following the Sensex's cyclical climb and fall can be confusing. But there is a reason why so many Indians break their heads over the BSE's stock market index. Apart from giving you an indication of which way the Bombay Stock Exchange is headed, Sensex also gives you an insight into how the top companies in the highest echelons of corporate India are performing. In the short run, the Sensex's movement surely makes for good prime time television drama but in the long run, it can be a leading indicator of the economy. This episode breaks it all down for you.

Episode 1

Why is India a Republic?

On January 26, 1950, India declared to the world that it is a sovereign, democratic republic. What did that mean though? Did we have any other choice? and how was this choice made? Through this episode, learn how a single decision taken by the leaders of our freedom struggle, cascaded into a series of incredible events that shaped the future of India.