logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
27m 14s

Building power: India’s new parliament

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Prime Minister Narendra Modi describes India’s new parliament as a reflection of the “aspirations and dreams” of all Indians. But the huge triangular structure that sits next to its colonial-era predecessor is controversial: some opposition parties boycotted its inauguration. From Delhi, Shalu Yadav reports on a story that is about cost, architecture and urban design, but also power, democracy and India’s future.

Up next
Today
The Black Power Station: I rap what I like
On the edge of a failing South African city, a disused power station hums once again - this time with beats, voices, and possibility. Makhanda is a divided place and, for the majority, opportunities are scarce and challenges are constant: poverty is grinding, houses and roads cru ... Show More
28m 55s
May 2
Mapping Epstein's global connections
The personal correspondence, photographs and papers of the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein have been released to the public in stages, beginning in December 2025, after an almost unanimous vote in the US Senate. The released files run to three and a half ... Show More
26m 29s
Apr 25
Inside the Mugabe dynasty
Late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe died in 2019, but in the years before and since his death, his three children with his former wife, Grace, consistenly made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In April 2026 Bellarmine Mugabe pled guilty to a firearms offence in South Afri ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Inside Narendra Modi’s India
Why is Narendra Modi so popular? As India begins voting this week, FP Live host Ravi Agrawal discusses his essay “The New Idea of India” with executive editor Amelia Lester. The two take subscriber questions on how India is changing under Modi and what New Delhi’s foreign policy ... Show More
42m 43s
Dec 2023
India Is Transforming. But Into What?
<p>India is known as a country of paradoxes, and a new one has recently emerged. At the same time that the country is poised to become a major global player — with a booming economy and a population that recently surpassed China’s — its democracy is showing signs of decay.</p><p> ... Show More
1 h
Jun 2024
Why India’s Modi Underperformed
From pundits to polls, there was a wide expectation this year that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not only win a rare third consecutive term, but also secure an even bigger parliamentary majority than he had before. As results emerged on Tuesday, it was clear that Indi ... Show More
51m 38s
Mar 2022
Chandigarh: India's city of the future
After the trauma of Partition in 1947, India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru persuaded the maverick Swiss-French architect, Le Corbusier, to build a new capital city for the province of Punjab. He hoped the project would symbolise a newly-independent, forward-looking Indi ... Show More
9m 4s
May 2024
One Strongman, One Billion Voters, and the Future of India
<p>India is in the midst of a national election and its prime minister, Narendra Modi, is running to extend his 10 years in power.</p><p>Mr. Modi has become one of the most consequential leaders in India’s history, while also drawing criticism for anti-democratic practices and ch ... Show More
33m 12s
Mar 2024
How India came to embrace the politics of Hindutva
The politics of Hindu nationalism have played a central role in the dramatic rise of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the elections have neared, the Modi regime has turbocharged its Hindu-first agenda - best exemplified in the inauguration of the Ram Temple in the cit ... Show More
25m 23s
May 2024
India, Modi, and Hindu Nationalism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular man in India. On track to be elected for a third term, he has boosted the country’s global standing and propelled strong economic growth while consolidating power and galvanizing majoritarian support for his Hindu nationalist agend ... Show More
33m 44s
May 2019
Savarkar's India
Right-wing Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi has won reelection as India's Prime Minister. As the political philosophy of Hindu nationalism gains ground in India we look back at one of its architects - Vinayak Savarkar. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and u ... Show More
33m 38s