News Broadcasting
BBC launches special series focussing on GenNext
NEW DELHI: Can school children in India and Pakistan help in the peace process between the two countries? At least, they can try, if the elders care to listen to them in a daring and highly imaginative upcoming series of programmes on BBC World, titled “Generation Next”.
Class 10 student Waleed from Crescent Modern School, Lahore says: “I feel that by talking to Indian students, on my level, I would be contributing to the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.”
His friend Sarin says: “I am interested in Indian culture and would like to know what students of my age read in India.”
The two would be taking to pupils at the Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), RK Puram, New Delhi, on the special programme called “School Day 24”, which will be telecast throughout December 6 as part of the news bulletins. “School Day 24” will be shown on 6 December.
Meenaxi, a Class 10 student at KV, would be talking to people like Sarin and Waleed, as would be students staying in London with those studying in Baghdad.
Generation Next is the BBC’s “boldest international broadcasting season yet with nine days of special programming devoted to the voices, experiences, ideas and aspirations of young people from around the globe,” says a BBC statement. BBC World will be joining BBC World Service and bbcnews.com, to bring together young people from all over the world.
Calling it “a most intriguing programme”, a spokeswoman from BBC in New Delhi told indiantelevision.com: “It is the biggest ever interactive conversation between young people across the world, which links schools in political ‘hot spots’ with schools located in areas with opposing views on the local tensions, conflicts and divides.”
However, though the School Day 24 is technically and emotionally the strongest of the programmes in the nine-day BBC under-18s series, there will be others like “My Generation Next”, presented by Anita Rani, in which young people will converse with each other using webcams, mobiles and other communication systems on issues confronting their generation.
There will also be special programmes on “World Business Report”, which will feature five young tycoons of the world, and also carry specially commissioned films, with one rare and enraged discussion on rampant use of children in advertising.
Another major draw will be the “The Street and The Ball”, which will present six projects that are part of the ‘streetfootballworld’ network – an international organisation that uses street football to improve the lives of young people living in extreme social conditions.
One series among the entire endeavour, “The Hobart Shakespeareans”, has already been telecast on December 2. It had fifth-graders at Hobart Elementary School Latino and Asian children growing up in an underprivileged area of Los Angeles. It’s a tough start, especially as English is their second language, but they are lucky enough to be taught by Rafe Esquith, whose motto in life is “be nice and work hard”. His drama lessons also produce astonishing results, a statement from BBC said.
Of these, the most endearing would obviously be the “School Day 24”. BBC says “School Day 24” will give a voice to young people allowing them to talk >across social, political and cultural divides about the issues that concern them.
There are link-ups in Albania, Bangladesh, Burma, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, the US and more.
“Interestingly, the programme will see students from Pakistan talk to those in India; those from Baghdad share concerns with those in London,” the BBC spokeswoman told indiantelevision.com here.
Using the global resources of the BBC, satellite broadcasting equipment has been installed in schools to enable teenagers to make their voices heard throughout the day both in their regions and worldwide.
Youngsters will use webcams, mobile phones and through specially commissioned films talk about what’s really on their minds in two half-hour specials in My Generation Next. Also across the week, “five exceptional teenagers will demonstrate what they are doing to make a difference in their world”, the BBC statement added.
Among the other programmes will be one titled “Nicola Benedetti – A Winning Story”, the girl who won the BBC’s prestigious Young Musician competition at the age of 16; and “Sierra Leone: The Way I See It”, with Kyle Jones, 15, a visually impaired student who lives in England and sets about to meet his pen pal in Sierra Leon to find out how disabled people are treated in this part of the world.
The season runs from Saturday 2 to Sunday 10 December 2006 across BBC World television and BBC World Service radio.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
