G. Sampath

New Delhi

Social Affairs Editor at The Hindu

Social Affairs Editor @the_Hindu. Author of Autoplay, How to Make Enemies and Offend People. Staunch believer in 1-handed backhand. Opinions here are personal.

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Articles

Is a candidate winning an election ‘unopposed’ unconstitutional? | In Focus podcast

1 week ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

Is a candidate winning an election ‘unopposed’ unconstitutional? According to Section 53 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, if there is only candidate contesting an election, then she can be declared elected unopposed. Now a legal think tank, the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of this provision.
Aamir Aziz-Anita Dube controversy: What does the copyright law say? | In Focus podcast

2 weeks ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

In a controversy that seems to have divided the art world in India, Mumbai-based poet-activist Aamir Aziz has accused well known artist Anita Dube of using his poem without his consent, and profiting from it without giving him credit or compensation. The poem in question is ‘Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega’, which became an anthem of the anti-CAA protests and later a global phenomenon after English rock musician Roger Waters read it out at an event in London.
Satire | Why pickleball is the future: it is ChatGPT’s perfect sports creation

3 weeks ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

Recently a friend who has never played a sport in his life posted a picture of himself in some sort of a playing arena, wielding a weirdly shaped frying pan, with the caption, “Finally got my first bat.” Common sense told me it wasn’t a bat. An image search revealed it wasn’t a frying pan either but a paddle, used to play something called ‘pickleball’.
What can we expect from the US-Iran nuclear talks? | In Focus podcast

3 weeks ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

For the first time since 2018, the United States and Iran are holding high level negotiations. What Iran wants is clear: an end to US sanctions, and resumption of economic engagement. But the US has been speaking in different voices, ranging from a maximalist position of complete dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program, to a more moderate goal of capping the weaponistion of it. President Donald Trump has also given a two-month deadline to Iran to make a deal.
What are the concerns with the Income Tax Bill, 2025? | In Focus podcast

3 weeks ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

What are the concerns with the Income Tax Bill, 2025? | In Focus podcast The Income Tax Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha recently. It seeks to modernise and simplify the Income Tax Act, 1961.
How the nature of Trinamool’s leadership changed over time

4 weeks ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

Mahmood, Zaad., and Bhattacharya, Soham (2025), ‘The Roots of a Populist Regime: Examining the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal’, Studies in Indian Politics, 1- 18, Lokniti, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. The 2011 Assembly Election was a watershed moment in West Bengal politics. It saw the end of the Left front era and the rise of the Trinamool Congress, which has since emerged as the dominant party in the State, with victories in the 2016 and 2021 polls.
Why is torture prevalent in Indian policing even though it is illegal? | In Focus podcast

1 month ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

A new report by the NGO Common Cause and Lokniti- Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) has surveyed the attitudes towards torture by policemen across India. ‘The Status of Policing in India Report 2025: Police Torture and (Un) Accountability’ has, for the first time, produced empirical data on the justifications for torture that permeates the Indian police.
Trump’s reciprocal tariffs: Explainers, analysis, videos and views

1 month ago | thehindu.com | Suhasini Haidar |G. Sampath |K. Bharat Kumar |Jagriti Chandra

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2, 2025, unveiled reciprocal tariffs in a meeting held at the White House, which are to work as a punishment to countries around the world, including some of America’s closest trading partners. The day of announcing the reciprocal tariff was claimed by Mr. Trump as the “Liberation Day” for America.
Peter Navarro | Trump’s tariff czar

1 month ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

The mayhem unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy caused many to wonder: does he have a qualified economist to advise him? Turns out he does. His name is Peter Navarro and he holds a PhD in economics from Harvard. Mr. Navarro, senior counsel for trade and manufacturing to the U.S. President, is widely acknowledged as the brain behind the administration’s weaponisation of tariffs. His White House colleague Elon Musk, however, might dispute the ‘brain’ part.
What does Generative AI mean for the working classes? | In Focus podcast

1 month ago | thehindu.com | G. Sampath

The internet has been flooded with with AI-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli, the animation studio founded by the famous Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. What made Studio Ghibli’s work so special was not only its distinctive style but also the fact that the images were all hand-drawn. The contrast between the high skill and hard labour of the original Studio Ghibli images and the Ghibli-style pictures churned out by ChatGPT-4o couldn’t be starker.