In this episode of Reporters Without Orders, host Snigdha Sharma gets into a candid conversation with Newslaundry Hindi correspondent Basant Kumar, Newslaundry reporter Gaurav Sarkar and policy-expert, Meghnad S.

They begin the podcast with some of the most bizarre news they heard during the week. Basant begins his ‘khatarnaak’ news story of a man seeking a divorce from his wife because she wasn’t shy enough on their nuptial night. Even more bizarre is when Gaurav talks about Bihar’s Deputy CM, Sushil Kumar Modi attributing the slump in India’s GDP to the months of savan-bhadon.

The discussion on GDP continues and takes a hilarious turn when Meghnad attempts t explains GDP using ‘baingan ka bharta’ as an example. They talk about the merging of Public Sector Banks, its effect on the economy, employment, and even GDP. The panel also talks about the story on Mirzapur’s mid-day meal, the journalist receiving flak for reporting it and the gradual shift of attention from the mid-day meal crisis to the journalist himself.

The conversation then shifts to Chidambaram’s arrest and the complexity surrounding his trial. Gaurav explains the nuances of police and judicial custody in this case and shares his experiences as a courtroom reporter while he driving the panel through the details of Chidambaram’s trial. He also speaks about the lack of coverage received by Vivek Doval’s defamation case against The Caravan.

The podcast ends with the panel’s recommendations. Scroll down to find the links:

Recommendations:

Gaurav:

Mortal Kombat 11

Meghnad:

The Myth of Free Speech Crisis

Basant:

Thaharti Sanson Ke Sirhane Se: Jab Zindagi Mauj Le Rahi Thi

Snigdha:

The Legends of Khasak