TMS Ep515: One election, Hindi box office, Vodafone Idea, revised NCF

General elections are drawing close. And so are assembly elections in five states. What if they are held together? The government has formed a panel to study the feasibility of simultaneous elections or “one nation one election”. It has been there in BJP’s 2014 and 2019 manifestos. But not all are in its favour. Congress has claimed the move will “sabotage democracy and the Constitution”. Find out why consensus is key for the one-nation one-election plan to become a reality.  

And it is not just the seasoned netas. Bollywood flicks too have been big crowd pullers. But somewhere around the pandemic, it lost its magic. People started shunning theatres, and instead turned to OTT platforms. But the Hindi cinema’s bad spell was broken by Shah Rukh Khan. Pathan brought people back to theaters, and they stuck around. A series of mega-budget hits followed in the next three months. With SRK set to return to the big screens with Jawan -- his second release this year --advanced bookings are already nearing record highs. So, is the Hindi Box office on a sustained recovery path? And how has SRK revived the Hindi films box office? 

Movie Magic has also cast a spell on some Dalal Street stocks, it seems. Shares of PVR Inox have surged over 25% in the last three months. And for Vodafone Idea too, it has mostly been a one-way street at the bourses in the last six months. Its stocks have zoomed around 46% as compared to a near 9% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex during this period. But, what's powering the rise in this counter, according to analysts, and is the up move here to stay? 

Moving on, late in August this year, the government came out with revised National Curriculum Framework. It makes the study of Indian languages an integral part of school education. And it also allows students to choose from a range of subjects across streams. What else has changed? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.