Gay couples in India hope same-sex marriage will soon be legal

India's Supreme Court overturned a longstanding British colonial law that banned gay sex several years ago. But gay marriage is not legal. Advocates hope that will change soon. On Nov. 25, the Indian Supreme Court agreed to hear a batch of petitions about whether same-sex marriage should be legalized in the country. Namrata Kolachalam reports that legalization would be a victory for millions of gay couples in a country where weddings are a rite of passage.

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Indian Supreme Court begins hearings on same-sex marriage

Today, the Supreme Court of India started hearing final arguments about whether to legalize same-sex marriage. India’s ruling party, the BJP, opposes the move, saying it goes against India’s culture and values. But proponents say there's a basis in Indian law and history to grant LGBTQ these rights. Namrata Kolachalam reports from Mumbai.

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Waste pickers do the heavy lifting of recycling: The example of India

While waste picking is a low-paid and often a dangerous job, these workers are doing much of the world's recycling. In Mumbai, a city of 20 million people, the trash headed for recycling ends up in Dharavi, a slum where thousands of waste pickers live and work. They sort through the piles, and clean and separate the different types of materials destined for a second or third life. Without them, Namrata Kolachalam reports, much of the city's trash would end up in incinerators or dumped in the ocean.

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In Mumbai, waste pickers do the heavy lifting of recycling  

Investigation begins into India’s deadly train crash

On Sunday, rescue workers pulled the last survivor from the devastating crash in India’s eastern Odisha state, that has left at least 275 dead and more than a thousand injured. Relatives are now on the scene trying to locate loved ones and train services on the line have resumed. Namrata Kolachalam reports that investigators are trying to pinpoint what caused one of the deadliest crashes in India's history.

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Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of reporters and producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is. The World is heard on over 300 stations across North America.(Banner photo credit: Rebecca Kanthor/The World)

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Namrata Kolachalam

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