The fatal Delhi gang rape in 2012, also known as the Nirbhaya case, is seen as a watershed moment in India’s efforts to tackle sexual violence against women. The case had sparked massive protests and led to tougher anti-rape laws.

Conversations around rape, often regarded as taboo or a matter of shame, also became more open in the Indian society. But 10 years since, signs of sexual crimes abating in India are not very encouraging. Recent government data points to a steady increase in the last few years. And justice still remains out of reach for many.

So have reforms really worked? Are societal attitudes changing to counter the deep-rooted cult of masculinity that the Indian patriarchal society harbours? And is there consensus on the severity of punishment for the culprits?

Joining the discussion are Neha Singh, campaigner, founder of Why Loiter Initiative; Manjula Pradeep, director of campaigns at Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network; Anita Abraham, criminal and civil lawyer

Presenter: Divya Arya

India is a cricket-loving nation, with the sport played all over the country - from grassroots gully (street) cricket to domestic, national and international leagues. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the world’s richest cricket governing body, with a net worth of around $2 billion. But women's cricket in the country has struggled to enjoy the same level of recognition and funding as men's cricket.

The recent announcement by the BCCI to pay equal match fees to both men and women players has been widely welcomed. But will it change the patriarchal mindset that women players face right from the start of their cricket journey? Will it help attract more brands and sponsors to women’s cricket? And how about the annual retainership fee that still has a huge gap between men and women cricketers?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss whether gender pay parity will change the way the sport is played in India. Presenter: Divya Arya

Contributors: Khyati Gulani, former cricketer, coach at Delhi & District Cricket Association; Ramakrishnan R, co-founder and director, Baseline Ventures; Ridhima Pathak, sports anchor

As mass layoffs at Meta and Twitter hit the global tech industry, many more companies have either already downsized or are expected to come out with similar announcements soon. Employees who’ve got the pink slip have all the more reason to worry as questions about an impending recession gain ground.

So what should be the immediate steps to safeguard one’s financial future? Do companies provide enough resources to plan the next career move? Are they even mindful of employees who have been laid off?

Losing a job can be devastating, and layoffs are always a gruelling ordeal. How does one endure the trauma and mental stress that layoffs often bring?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the best strategies and resources available to deal with layoffs. Presenter: Divya Arya

Contributors: John Victor, clinical psychologist, founder of Reevin Mental Health; Prashant Pandey, business leader at Manpower Group; Deba Prasad Dhar, media professional, experienced layoff

In 2018, India’s Supreme Court decriminalised gay sex in a landmark ruling which was seen as a big victory for the country's LGBTQ+ community. But activists say attitudes on the ground have been slow to change. Members of the community still face discrimination and harassment in daily life.

While activists have called for specific laws to help fight these prejudices, several LGBTQ+ couples have also filed petitions seeking to legalise same-sex marriages. But will the struggle for the right to marry divert attention from the fight for equal rights and acceptance? And will the country evolve with changing times?

Presenter: Divya Arya Contributors: Saurabh Kirpal, senior advocate, identifies as gay; Debolina Dey, assistant professor, identifies as lesbian and queer; Sharif D Ranganekar, author, workplace culture consultant, identifies as gay

India’s festive season has prompted a surge in hiring of women for temporary jobs. But women still represent a small proportion of India’s workforce. Experts say corporate India is paying more attention to diversity in the workplace, opening many opportunities for women employees, but numbers still remain worryingly low.

India's overall joblessness is worrying: the country's unemployment rate has exceeded that of most emerging economies in recent years. Women also face enormous discrimination in the job market, and earn less than men even when they have the same qualifications and experience.

How can Indian women get better, more equitable opportunities? And is it possible to have a more diverse employee pool in both formal and informal sectors? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how can India add more women to its workforce. Presenter: Divya Arya Contributors: Amitabh Behar, CEO, Oxfam India; Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and executive director, TeamLease Services; Sabina Dewan, president and executive director, JustJobs Network

In a recent ruling, India’s Supreme Court made significant additions to abortion rights, saying every woman – married or unmarried – should be able to make reproductive choices without interference from the State. The verdict has made headlines in a country known for its patriarchal society, where women have little sexual autonomy. Pre-marital sex is taboo, while marital rape is not recognised as a crime. Moreover, an alarmingly large number of women in India go through unsafe abortions. Does a landmark ruling translate into effective implementation on the ground? Will this help change the mindset towards women’s reproductive rights? Can abortions be made acceptable across the country’s largely rural landscape?

Presenter: Divya Arya Contributors: Sakshi Bhatt, media professional; Dr Jahnvi Andharia, director and research fellow, Institute of Social Studies Trust; Dr Anjali Kumar, senior consultant gynaecologist and founder of Maitri Woman's Health

Antibiotics are the mainstay of modern medicine and play a critical role in treating bacterial infections, and saving lives. But what happens when you take them in excess? According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics has become one of the biggest global public health threats. As many as 10 million people could die each year as a result of antimicrobial resistance by 2050, experts say. And for India, this is an urgent problem.

The country is among the world’s largest antibiotic consumers in absolute volume, but doesn’t have a comprehensive surveillance system to monitor use. And resistance to drugs has become so widespread that sometimes even some of the common infections are difficult to treat. Is this happening due to self-medication, as drugs are easily accessible over-the-counter? Or is it because of over-prescription by doctors? Do patients have enough awareness about antibiotics?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how to tackle India’s antibiotics overuse.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Dinesh Madan, Chairman of retail distribution chemist alliance; Dr Rachna Kucheria, founder of DocGenie Telemedicine and family physician; Dr Suneela Garg, professor of excellence for community medicine, chair of programme advisory committee at National Institute of Health and Family Welfare

Millions of Indian households rely on microfinance – small loans available to the poor as an alternative to traditional banking credit. For many, it is a lifeline, and often the only way to begin a business.

But despite the industry recording a 10% growth in its loan book this year, there is also a huge increase in borrowers defaulting on payments. After the pandemic, the cash crunch is even bigger, experts say. What is at the root of the crisis? Is it the exorbitant rates of interest charged by microfinance companies, or the easy availability of multiple loans to borrowers? What can be done to tackle the endless cycle of debt that micro loans create?

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Amit Arora, senior sector specialist, Rural and Development Finance; Devesh Sachdev, founder and CEO, Fusion Microfinance; Swati Sinha, CEO, Microfinance.ai

Do you feel motivated at work, or does going to the office make you feel stressed?

The idea of slowly withdrawing yourself from overwork has recently gained intense media attention. It is about “quiet quitting” - that is, clocking in and out of work, doing the bare minimum, and disengaging from all other aspects of the workplace. But is this a new trend?

Experts say the concept has been around for decades, but in the wake of the pandemic, employees feel particularly undervalued - and overworked. But is this also about broader cultural attitudes and toxicity at work that is seeping into our productivity and our careers in the longer term? How can discontentment be turned into ownership? Or is this trend here to stay, with the younger generation of employees preferring a better work-life balance? Can companies do something to avoid workers quietly quitting?

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Suhel Goel, executive vice president, SandMartin Consultants; Astha Chandra, leadership coach and trainer; Shikha Verma, HR consultant, learning & development expert

India’s roads are regarded as being among the most dangerous in the world. In 2021, road accidents claimed more than 150,000 lives - an average of 18 per hour, according to government data.

There is rarely any conversation around road safety in the country - but the recent death of Indian billionaire Cyrus Mistry in a car crash has changed that. Many are now calling for a mindset shift among Indians, who are used to traveling in overcrowded vehicles without proper safety measures, so that more people can travel at the same time.

Traffic rules don’t count for much here, but many also say that faulty road engineering plays a key role in many road accidents. What can be done to improve the design of Indian roads? How can vehicles introduce better safety measures and how can road users be made to follow traffic rules? Should the government bring in stricter enforcement of law?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how to make India’s roads safer.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Piyush Tewari, founder and CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation; Prof Sewa Ram, head of transport planning, School of Planning & Architecture; Anand Sharma, co-founder and director, Studio34

One in every four Indians to die by suicide in 2021 was a daily wage earner. In 2020, daily wage earners accounted for more than 35,000 of the nearly 150,000 recorded suicides in the country.

More than 90% of India’s workforce is engaged in the informal sector. That’s a huge number in a country with 1.4 billion people. A large number of them survive on whatever they are paid after a hard day’s work, and they lead very difficult lives. Finding work is a daily struggle. Then there is social discrimination and exploitation. Many get sucked into the debt trap.

Are welfare schemes run by the government not adequate? What can be done to make their lives easier? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss what’s causing the increase in suicides among India’s daily wagers.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Nikhil Dey, founder, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan; Nida Ansari, labour rights activist, co-founder of Mazdoor Kitchen; Palle Ajay Swaero, IT consultant at LibTech India, son of daily wage worker

India’s startup ecosystem is among the largest in the world, and it has grown exponentially in the last six years. Government data puts the number of recognised startups in the country at more than 70,000 this year – from less than 500 in 2016.

But now funding is drying up, and investors are becoming increasingly picky when parting with their money. Experts say there are several reasons why the startup ecosystem is running into headwinds. A lot of startups are on a high cash burn model, and layoffs have been huge this year. Most startups are also unprofitable.

So is this a temporary pause to conserve cash and focus on building a strong foundation, or have global macroeconomic factors such as rising inflation and supply chain disruptions derailed growth? What can be done to sail through the downturns?

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Nikunj Parashar, founder and CEO, Sagar Defence Engineering; Sanchita Mukherji, senior finance professional, managing partner, TalkTheWalk LLP; Divanshu Kumar, co-founder and CEO, Solinas Integrity

Political parties in India, the largest democracy in the world, often try to win over voters by offering them free gifts such as television sets, mixers and grinders, electricity, and food rations. The list is long, and the trend not new, but a fierce debate over freebies is now raging in the country, especially after the issue reached the Supreme Court.

It’s a complex debate in a country where hundreds of millions of people still live below the poverty line. Can India really draw the line between welfare schemes, subsidies and freebies? Many experts point out that irrational freebies are doled out from public funds and put state finances under tremendous financial stress. Others say many of these schemes are life-changing interventions for the poor.

What is the way forward, and what can be done to ensure political parties are more mindful when making these promises? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss whether India can afford a freebie culture.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Yamini Aiyar, president and chief executive, Centre for Policy Research; NR Bhanumurthy, vice chancellor, Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics University; Mitali Nikore, development economist, founder, Nikore Associates

The cheetah, declared extinct in India in 1952, is set to make a comeback in the country this year. The world’s fastest land animal is being translocated from South Africa and Namibia, home to the world’s largest populations of the wild cat.

This is the first time a large carnivore is being moved across continents, but can the ambitious project succeed? Many Indian conservationists are sceptical of the idea, and call it a cosmetic project. Some also question the priority being given to the cheetah, which isn’t a part of the national wildlife action plan.

Will the African cheetahs really roam free in India’s forest reserves soon? Will their numbers grow? And will they readily adapt to the different ecosystem that the country offers?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in bringing the cheetah back to India.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Vivek Menon, founder and executive director, Wildlife Trust of India; Professor Adrian Tordiffe, vet wildlife specialist, University of Pretoria; Dr Ravi Chellam, CEO, Metastring Foundation and coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative

In August 1947, India won its independence from British rule and split into two new states – India and Pakistan. The turmoil and trauma that followed marred the birth of the two newly independent nations.

Hundreds of thousands were killed, and an estimated 15 million were displaced, as Muslims migrated to Pakistan and Hindus crossed the border into India. It’s often cited as one of the biggest movements of people in history.

The issue continues to be debated with a sharp clash of narratives, but it is the individuals and families on both sides of the border who still carry painful memories of the displacement.

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we revisit and relive some of those memories of pain, nostalgia, anguish and hope, and talk to those who are helping to preserve these stories for future generations.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Lady Kishwar Desai, author, chairperson, Partition Museum; Aanchal Malhotra, writer, oral historian; Saadia Gardezi, co-founder and Pakistan lead, Project Dastaan

Last year, nearly 160,000 Indians gave up their citizenship. In 2020, India was ranked highest by the United Nations among countries with the largest diaspora populations, with over 18 million Indians living outside the country.

What’s shaping these trends in India? According to experts, it is mostly the prospect of better education or employment. But many say that in recent years, growing concern over pollution and corruption have emerged as the strongest factors to move out. Some even point to the changing social environment of increased polarisation within the country.

So is this trend here to stay? What about the smaller but definitive group of Indians returning to the homeland? What’s their story of reverse migration?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss why are so many Indians moving abroad.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Akshay Saxena, co-founder, Avanti Fellows; Ajay Sharma, founder and president, Abhinav Immigration Services; Maninder Singh, founder and coach, N-Kor Tennis Academy; Gaurav Kyal, country manager, UK-based tech firm

Traditionally, the luxury industry in India has used exclusivity as a way to maintain its mystique and desirability. But younger generations of luxury consumers are bringing in new trends. Attitudes are changing about what quality really means. Is it sustainable? Does it belong to an ethical brand? Is it a wholesome experience rather than just an expensive label to adorn?

In a market that is projected to cross $200 billion by 2030, what is the new meaning of luxury? Is it more inclusive of the rural artisans that form one end of the supply chain? And is it expanding to newer luxury shoppers through affordable retail options available through online stores?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how luxury fashion is changing in India.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Anita Dongre, founder, House of Anita Dongre; Ritu Beri, founder, Ritu Beri Designs and The Luxury League; Rahul Mishra, fashion designer

Egg freezing is a relatively new concept in India. Despite a lot of social stigma associated with it, the procedure is gaining attention and emerging as a growing trend in urban areas. A lot of women are now opting to freeze their eggs for social reasons, such as pursuing their dream careers, or waiting to marry at a later age.

But does egg freezing guarantee motherhood when you are finally ready for it, and how costly does it get? What are the wins and the pitfalls associated with the procedure, both mental and physical?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the growing trend of egg freezing in India. Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Diana Hayden, actress, former Miss World; Dr Hrishikesh Pai, IVF specialist, founder, Bloom IVF; Gitanjali Banerjee, founder, Fertility Dost

The practice of tipping is widespread across the world. But when to tip, how much and to whom are questions that often stump people. For example, in the US, it is customary to tip a restaurant server anywhere between 15-25%. In Japan, however, tipping is considered rude.

But should restaurants be collecting a mandatory service charge, irrespective of whether you are happy with the service you have received? This has become the core of an unsavoury debate in India, after a government order banned restaurants from levying a default service charge on food bills. The restaurant association is challenging this ban, saying it isn’t illegal and that the amount is important for staff welfare. Many also argue that Indians are not always “generous tippers”.

So, should diners have the discretion to accept or reject charges beyond their food bill? And will removing a service charge hurt an industry already suffering from the ill-effects of the pandemic?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss whether a service charge should be mandatory when eating out.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Pradeep Shetty, joint honorary secretary, FHRAI; Nikita Varma, food influencer; Rekha Agarwal, lawyer, consumer rights activist

Do you want to find out how much your colleagues earn? Pay is a major factor in deciding whether one takes up a job, or even applies for it in the first place, yet the moment one is on a company’s payroll, all talk about remuneration is shrouded in secrecy. But that is now changing in many organisations around the world.

Pay transparency has its advantages, but does it also lead to jealousy among co-workers, sapping them of motivation? Would everyone be receptive to this level of openness at the workplace? And what impact does it have on gender pay gaps within organisations?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss whether companies should follow an open salary policy.

Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Rajneesh Singh, founder, SimplyHR; Sunder Malyandi, co-founder, Sahaj Software; Prerna Seth, senior researcher at women’s work project, CPR