# We the People (Indian TV series)

We The People is a television talk show in India hosted by Sarah Jacob. The programme is broadcast every Sunday night at 8 pm on NDTV 24x7. It was originally hosted by Barkha Dutt.

## Show format

We the People is a debate show on current affairs. A six- to eight-person panel is invited for each discussion. A panel typically consists of politicians, social scientists, academicians, social workers and celebrities, depending on the topic. The live audience often poses questions directly to panelists and are occasionally asked for a snap poll to weigh in on an argument. The show encompasses a wide variety of topics and is not limited to political issues.

## Awards and accolades

We The People won the 14th Asian Television Award for Best Talk Show for the year 2008 and Best Talk Show (English) at the "NT Award 2000". Barkha was named "the most intelligent TV host" by Indian Television Awards, and also as Best Talk Show Anchor.

## List of episodes
### 2001

| Date | Title | Topic |
| 4 February | Gujarat earthquake: The aftershock |
| 21 October | The Indian Muslim voice |

### 2005

| Date | Title | Topic |
| 18 December | Sex change: Breaking free |
| 25 December | Divided by borders, united in grief |

### 2006

| Date | Title |
| 1 January | Best of 2005 |
| 8 January | Do public figures have the right to private life? |
| 15 January | Should IIMs be allowed to go global? |
| 29 January | Is Chennai India's most conservative city? |
| 5 February | Demolition: Is the capital headed for chaos? |
| 26 February | Minority report: Will a religious survey harm the Indian Army? |
| 5 March | Will quotas in private schools make education more accessible? |
| 12 March | Is Islam's moderate voice silent? |
| 19 March | Should there be regulations for sting operations? |
| 26 March | Office of profit: Is the law irrational? |
| 2 April | Should we take beauty pageants seriously? |
| 10 April | Will the OBC quota create equality? |
| 16 April | Rape cases: Should we have stricter laws? |
| 30 April | Should the quota system be scrapped? |
| 14 May | Budhia: Are we helping or hurting him? |
| 21 May | Is religion hijacking creativity? |
| 4 June | Is celebrity activism meaningful? |
| 11 June | Is society to harsh with drug users? |
| 18 June | Indo-Pak debate: A generation gap? |
| 25 June | Is India's military still biased against women? |
| 2 July | Is 90 percent not enough for college admissions anymore? |
| 9 July | Are religious traditions fair to women? |
| 14 July | Mumbai blasts: Time to get tough on terrorism |
| 30 July | Does India really honour its soldiers? |
| 6 August | Cola row: Is there too much fuss over fizz? |
| 13 August | Is India still in awe of royalty? |
| 18 August | Have the rules of marriage changed? |
| 27 August | Should Vande Mataram be mandatory? |
| 10 September | Are teachers undervalued and underpaid? |
| 25 September | Is there any point in banning smoking in films? |
| 1 October | Gandhigiri: Is it realistic? |
| 22 October | The fight for gay rights |
| 29 October | Behind the veil |
| 5 November | Do media campaigns help or hurt justice? |
| 12 November | Medical tourism: Have hospitals become hotels? |
| 19 November | Do we need stricter alcohol laws? |
| 3 December | Godmen & Politics: Unholy alliance? |
| 3 December | Do spiritual leaders encourage blind faith? |
| 10 December | Freedom vs faith: Has India forced MF Husain into exile? |
| 17 December | Has the Afzal debate been politicised? |
| 31 December | Trapped by nature: India's sex change phenomena |

### 2007

| Date | Title |
| 7 January | Are Noida killings India's shame? |
| 14 January | Policing the internet: Possible or desirable? |
| 28 January | Have Indians lost faith in the judicial process? |
| 4 February | Death debate: Should euthanasia be legalised? |
| 12 February | Who should decide what we watch? |
| 25 February | Will Samjhauta blasts be a turning point in Indo-Pak relations? |
| 11 March | Do Indian women still need feminism? |
| 18 March | Is there a conflict between farms and WB factories? |
| 26 March | Will you go under the knife to look better? |
| 1 April | Is Team India being unfairly targeted? |
| 8 April | Muslims: Pushed into a stereotype? |
| 15 April | Flag & Anthem: Are Indians over-sensitive? |
| 22 April | Has tabloid journalism become a norm? |
| 30 April | Has judicial activism crossed the line? |
| 6 May | Does popular opinion sanction encounter killings? |
| 13 May | Has art been hijacked by moral police? |
| 19 May | Do temples have a right to restrict entry? |
| 20 May | Are extremists defining Sikh identity again? |
| 17 June | Is politics a man's world? |
| 24 June | Drugs: Why can't India say no? |
| 9 July | Are Indians obsessed with weight? |
| 22 July | Should it be legal to select the sex of your child? |
| 5 August | Is sympathy for Sanjay justified? |
| 12 August | Single Men = Good fathers? |
| 26 August | Is anti-Americanism outdated? |
| 2 September | Should the sex trade be legalised? |
| 16 September | Should faith influence government policy? |
| 23 September | Are sting operations unethical? |
| 29 September | Do people have the right to die with dignity? |
| 30 September | Indian Military Academy: Soldiering on |
| 7 October | Why is modern India intolerant? |
| 15 October | Can single men make good fathers? |
| 28 October | N-deal rollback: UPA's image hurt? |
| 11 November | Is the ban on child labour unrealistic? |
| 19 November | Nandigram: Can the CPM recover? |
| 25 November | Can creative freedom be absolute? |
| 9 December | Has Gujarat progressed under Modi? |

### 2008

| Date | Title |
| 13 January | Should blogs be regulated? |
| 20 January | Should politicians be considered for Bharat Ratna? |
| 27 January | Does India take its national symbols too seriously? |
| 3 February | Does India overplay the race card? |
| 10 February | Is 18 old enough for marriage? |
| 17 February | Pakistan: Democracy or dictatorship? |
| 2 March | Should history be determined by popular sentiment? |
| 9 March | Is India a fair field for men and women? |
| 16 March | Scarlett Keeling case: Goa's dark side? |
| 23 March | Would you go under the knife to look better? |
| 30 March | Will higher salaries for bureaucrats improve performance? |
| 6 April | Can politics and sports be kept separate? |
| 13 April | Will quotas create equity or end excellence? |
| 20 April | Can non-violence still be effective? |
| 27 April | Does materialism define the New India? |
| 4 May | Should smoking and drinking be banned on-screen? |
| 11 May | Do women need political reservation? |
| 18 May | Has India become indifferent to terror attacks? |
| 1 June | 'Police'ing the media? |
| 15 June | Are India and America finally equal partners? |
| 22 June | Amitav Ghosh's sentiments behind Sea of Poppies |
| 3 August | Should the sex trade be legalised? |
| 10 August | Jammu & Kashmir: The siege within |
| 24 August | How should India deal with 'azaadi' demands? |
| 31 August | Mamata, a roadblock for Nano dream? |
| 7 September | Made-to-order babies? |
| 14 September | Not just skin-deep prejudice |
| 14 September | Is India losing the war against terror? |
| 21 September | Can SIMI and Bajrang Dal be equated? |
| 28 September | Why are Indians obsessed with fairness? |
| 5 October | Is it time to decriminalise homosexuality? |
| 12 October | Have the attacks on Christians destroyed India's image? |
| 19 October | Will the financial crisis change India's attitude to money? |
| 26 October | Is India's city of dreams getting destroyed by regionalism? |
| 2 November | Obama or McCain: Who is better for India? |
| 9 November | Can India's political establishment create an Obama like inspiration? |
| 16 November | 'Hindu' terror: Myth or fact? |
| 23 November | Is the Indian dream in danger after the global financial crisis? |
| 30 November | Enough is enough: India's 9/11 |
| 7 December | Anger into action: What can India do next? |
| 14 December | Anatomy of anger |
| 21 December | Has the Minority Affairs Minister embarrassed India's Muslims? |
| 28 December | J&K verdict: End of separatism? |

### 2009

| Date | Title |
| 11 January | No war, no peace: India's Pakistan problem? |
| 18 January | Should Satyam be saved? |
| 25 January | The Slumdog phenomenon |
| 2 February | Is peace possible between India and Pakistan? |
| 8 February | The Advertising debate |
| 15 February | The culture wars |
| 1 March | Jai Ho: From Dharavi to LA and back |
| 8 March | Should IPL and elections be held together? |
| 15 March | Regional parties: The Kings makers? |
| 22 March | Death, love, life on TV |
| 29 March | New middle-class political activism |
| 6 April | Politics in the age of TV |
| 12 April | Small parties: big ambitions |
| 19 April | Should godmen stay out of politics? |
| 26 April | How safe are our schools and colleges? |
| 3 May | Who's afraid of Mayawati? |
| 10 May | Who is India's Obama? |
| 24 May | Will Indian polity get a younger soul? |
| 31 May | Ragging: From tradition to abuse |
| 7 June | Racism: Indians as targets |
| 14 June | Women and Affirmative Action |
| 21 June | Royalty in the age of democracy |
| 28 June | One nation, one Board: Is India ready? |
| 5 July | The right to be gay |
| 12 July | Royalty and Indian politics |
| 2 August | Right to motherhood |
| 16 August | Has India over-reacted to the swine-flu? |
| 23 August | Political parties scared of history? |
| 30 August | Religious symbols in a secular society |
| 6 September | Is politics killing history and literature? |
| 13 September | Austerity, Congress style? |
| 20 September | Should everyone in India know Hindi? |
| 27 September | Women in Army: Time for a greater role? |
| 4 October | Gandhi's legacy: Are we too politically correct? |
| 11 October | Is Mumbai no longer cosmopolitan? |
| 25 October | The Maoist Muddle |
| 25 October | Is a peace initiative with the Maoists possible |
| 1 November | The Indira Gandhi legacy |
| 8 November | Vande Mataram and Fatwa politics |
| 15 November | National language: What's that? |
| 22 November | 26/11: Lessons learnt? |
| 6 December | India's skin deep prejudice |
| 13 December | Nation vs regionalism |
| 20 December | Private lives, public gaze |
| 27 December | Ruchika's case: Mockery of justice? |

### 2010

| Date | Title | Topic |
| 3 January | Best of We The People 2009 |
| 10 January | Is India soft on sexual misconduct? | Rape in India |
| 17 January | Get a picture or save a life? |
| 24 January | Is TV exploiting young children? |
| 31 January | Mukesh Ambani, Montek at LSE debate |
| 7 February | Mumbai and the idea of India |
| 28 February | MF Husain: Let down by India? |
| 7 March | Being Muslim in today's India? |
| 14 March | Re-branding Modi? |
| 28 March | "Salaam Namaste" to pre-marital sex? |
| 4 April | Right to education: Quantity over quality? |
| 11 April | Maoists vs the state |
| 18 April | IPL: Indian Political League |
| 16 May | Is globalisation a bad word? |
| 23 May | Young politicians, old ideas? |
| 30 May | India's maoist challenge |
| 6 June | The death penalty debate |
| 20 June | Is Twitter here to stay? |
| 27 June | Office relationships: Harassment or consensual? |
| 4 July | Government vs Army on the Armed Forces Act? |
| 11 July | India's population: Boon or bane? |
| 18 July | The language wars |
| 25 July | Surrogacy: Exploiting the poor? |
| 1 August | Commonwealth games: National shame? |
| 8 August | India: The Twitter republic |
| 15 August | Superbug: Bias against India? | New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 |
| 22 August | Is the 'real India' forgotten? |
| 12 September | Pension for ex-Army men: A question of equality? |
| 19 September | Ayodhya verdict: Time for closure? |
| 26 September | Ayodhya: Is 'reconciliation' realistic? |
| 24 October | India: Game for corruption? |
| 31 October | Alimony and the modern woman |
| 14 November | Is corruption in our roots? |
| 21 November | Government show who is "The Big Boss"? |
| 28 November | The new-age neta |
| 5 December | The art of giving |
| 19 December | Will WikiLeaks change diplomacy world over? |
| 26 December | Binayak Sen: Targeted by the state? |

### 2011

| Date | Title | Topic |
| 2 January | Best of We The People 2010 |
| 16 January | Does India care for its soldiers? |
| 23 January | Will books survive the digital age? | Jaipur Literature Festival |
| 26 January | Army: Overused, under-appreciated? |
| 30 January | Endgame in sight for 'Afghan-Pak' crisis? |
| 20 February | Is the India story endangered by scams? |
| 27 February | Is capital punishment deterrent for rapists? |
| 13 March | The euthanasia debate |
| 27 March | Ticket to India-Pakistan thaw? |
| 10 April | The Tamil Nadu poll blockbuster |
| 17 April | Being gay: The parents' story |
| 24 April | The anatomy of a bribe |
| 1 May | Maharaja in royal mess |
| 15 May | Land wars: Farmers' rights vs industrialisation |
| 22 May | Homecoming possible for pandits in J&K? |
| 29 May | Women and power: Bucking the trend? |
| 12 June | Army an option for Indian youth? |
| 26 June | Viewer's choice: We the People on Gujarat quake |
| 3 July | Neeraj Grover's parents on their son's murder |
| 10 July | Does India need a separate prevention of communal violence bill? |
| 17 July | Has Mumbai been numbed by terror? |
| 24 July | Has spirituality turned into a profit industry? |
| 31 July | Corruption kills the growth story? |
| 11 August | Indian cinema: Hijacked by politics? |
| 15 August | Fasting for change- Satyagraha or theatre? |
| 21 August | Anna and the great Indian middle class |
| 28 August | Anna's movement: The challenges & lessons |
| 4 September | Copycat politics over mercy pleas? |
| 11 September | Has India been numbed by terror? |
| 25 September | Can you live on just ₹ 32 a day? |
| 2 October | Gandhigiri in the age of violence |
| 9 October | Telangan: An idea whose time has come? |
| 16 October | Mayawati's Park: Extravaganza or empowerment? |
| 23 October | Will right to recall make politicians accountable? |
| 30 October | Does the army still need special powers in J&K? |
| 6 November | Is social media changing human equations? |
| 13 November | Love, sex and cinema |
| 20 November | Terror errors: Weakening India's fight? |
| 27 November | From argumentative India to intolerant India? |
| 4 December | Has Parliament become a house of Adjournments? |
| 11 December | The return of Anna Hazare |
| 18 December | From Uphaar AMRI, is it a license to kill? |

### 2012

| Date | Title | Topic |
| 1 January | Democracy's midnight mayhem |
| 15 January | Why does India still not have a national military memorial? | Indian Armed Forces |
| 12 February | Age row: Ceasefire or lost battle? |
| 18 February | Minority welfare or maximum politics? |
| 26 February | The state in your bedroom? | Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code |
| 8 March | Women's day: Substance or symbolism? | International Women's Day |
| 18 March | India: No country for working women? | Women in India |
| 25 March | Pornography or erotica: Who decides? |
| 1 April | After the ceasefire: Lessons learnt? |
| 15 April | Should the state negotiate with hostage takers? |
| 22 April | Surrogacy: Outsourcing childbirth? | Commercial surrogacy in India |
| 29 April | Rajya Sabha: House of Elders now House of Glamour? | Rajya Sabha members |
| 6 May | Siachen: Time for a thaw? | Siachen conflict |
| 7 May | Hillary Clinton on FDI, Mamata, Hafiz Saeed and outsourcing (special episode) |
| 13 May | Are single sex institutions outdated? |
| 3 June | The subsidies debate: Pro aam-aadmi or anti-growth? | Subsidies in India |
| 10 June | 'Bond'-ing doctors into duty? |
| 17 June | The politics of minority quotas | Reservation in India |
| 24 June | India: The big bazaar of organ trade? | Organ trade in India |
| 1 July | President's pardon: The clemency debate | Pratibha Patil communes death sentences |
| 8 July | Hitting cancer for a six | Interview with Yuvraj Singh |
| 29 July | Mayhem at Manesar | Manesar violence July 2012 |
| 5 August | Sedition laws: Essential or archaic? | Sedition laws in India |
| 12 August | India's steel frame: Still standing strong? |
| 19 August | We the Olympians: A distant dream or within reach now? | India at the 2012 Summer Olympics |
| 26 August | Is the government caught in a censorship web? |
| 2 September | Riots and the rule of law |
| 9 September | India-Pakistan: Prisoners of hostility? |
| 16 September | Cellphone towers: India's safety check |
| 23 September | Clinical trials: The India report |
| 7 October | Euthanasia: Mercy killing or murder? | Euthanasia in India |
| 11 November | Are religious traditions tilted against women? | Role of women in religion |
| 18 November | Should the state fund political parties? |
| 25 November | Internet freedom: In danger of being stifled? |
| 2 December | Politics and the 'Great' Indian middle class |
| 9 December | Time to re-think capital punishment? | Capital punishment in India |
| 16 December | Moditva: Lessons for India? |
| 23 December | Will capital punishment be a deterrent to rapists? | 2012 Delhi gang rape case |

### 2013

| Date | Title | Topic |
| 1 January | Best of We The People 2012 |
| 6 January | Every woman's battle: The enemy within | Rape in India |
| 13 January | Cinema: A cult or misogyny | Objectification of women in Indian cinema |
| 20 January | Judiciary: symbol of hope and change for women? | Low conviction rate in rape cases in India |

### 2020

| Date | Title | Topic | Note |
| 15 March | India Fights Coronavirus | COVID-19 pandemic in India | First edition without an audience due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. |
| 22 March | How India Fought Back Against Coronavirus | The Janata Curfew | |
| 29 March | Let Down by Lockdown? | COVID-19 lockdown in India | |