Podcasts by All Things Policy
Ever wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.
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73 Years of PLA Navy from 2022-05-02T00:35:14
Naval branch of China's People's Liberation Army completed 73 years in service. During these 73 years, PLA Navy went on to be seen as the 'Assassin's Mace' to a key force ...
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Why Curtis LeMay Matters from 2022-04-29T00:35:02
Gen. Curtis LeMay, one of the architects of allied victory in WWII, the Berlin Airlift and the post war US Strategic Air Command, is a figure larger than life. His contrib...
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Understanding India’s poverty data from 2022-04-28T00:35:08
Since 2011-12, there has not been any official estimate of poverty in India. Recently two papers (World Bank and International Monetary Fund) estimated the poverty to be a...
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Labour Law Reforms in India from 2022-04-27T00:35:13
Indian workers, establishments, and trade unions have been demanding labour law reforms for a decade or so. Now that the new labour codes have been passed, the country has...
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Social Movements and Public Policy from 2022-04-26T00:35:29
The Yellow Vest Movement in France, the Farmers’ Movement in India, the Civil Rights Movement or Marriage Equality in the United States, and the Anti-Sexual Harassment mo...
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Advanced Computing Age and India's Position from 2022-04-25T00:35:15
From advanced processing capabilities to solving very complex problems, Computing power has become a key determinant in many advanced computing mechanisms and scientific a...
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Sri Lanka’s Default and The Future of Rajapaksa Family from 2022-04-22T00:35:13
On April 12, Sri Lanka declared the default on all payments on its $51-billion external debt to save precious forex reserves to buy oil and agricultural commodities. The a...
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Water Crisis, Gender and Education from 2022-04-21T00:35:11
In this episode, Mahek Nankani and Harshit Kukreja discuss how climate change induced water crisis affect young girls and their chances of getting education.
Follow ...
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Women in Politics - Some Thoughts from 2022-04-20T00:35:02
Globally women are underrepresented in politics. It has led to a situation where women’s voices are not heard, and demands are not met. In this episode of All things Polic...
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Tech Alliances in the Indo-Pacific from 2022-04-19T00:35:09
Technology diplomacy has become a crucial strategic tool in the current Information Age. Priyal Lyncia D'almeida talks to Arjun Gargeyas on the possibility of curating tec...
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China's National Computing Network from 2022-04-18T00:35:05
The concept of computing power and the ability to handle large amounts of data in short intervals of time is of the utmost importance. Arjun Gargeyas talks to Megha Pardhi...
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China and India’s Approach to Human Trafficking from 2022-04-14T00:35:05
Human trafficking became a hot topic in China after a clip of women being mistreated went viral. This incident sparked a debate that also drew the attention of China’s Pre...
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The Arctic&India from 2022-04-13T00:35:15
India recently came out with its finalised Arctic Policy document on 17th March 2022. The document casts a wide net and explains India’s priorities, objectives and course ...
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The Political Side of Unemployment from 2022-04-12T00:35:29
They say the personal is political, we think this is true for unemployment as well. The political side of unemployment is an exigent issue that is meticulously wrapped aro...
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Simultaneous Elections: What It Means and The Implications. from 2022-04-11T00:35:19
Simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are an idea to solve a lot of ills associated with the Indian election system. Do the claims of one nation - o...
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China's Turn from One Child to Three Child Policy from 2022-04-08T00:35:10
China is incentivizing couples to have more children and has changed their one-child policy to three children. Megha Pardhi and Harshit Kukreja discuss China's approach to...
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A New Employment Data Architecture to Solve the Jobs Crisis from 2022-04-07T00:35:16
Sridhar Krishna, Senior Scholar at The Takshashila Institution speaks to Dr. Radhicka Kapoor, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Indian Council for Research on International Ec...
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TTP’s Resurgence and the Future of Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations from 2022-04-06T00:35:14
Recently, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced its spring offensive against the Pakistan Army. The TTP’s resurgence is leading to a sharp increase in terrorist a...
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What went wrong with the Sri Lankan economy? from 2022-04-05T00:35:04
Sri Lanka is facing a historic economic crisis, the biggest since the country’s independence in 1948. The economic crisis has resulted in massive inflation, power outages ...
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Implications of China's Genetic Resource Guideline from 2022-04-04T00:35:07
What does China's guideline on human genetic resources tell us about handling human genetic information? What are India's position on collecting the human genome and its u...
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Menstrual Leave Policy in India from 2022-04-01T00:35:05
Menstruation brings pain, emotional problems and discomfort and makes it difficult to work. Many advocate for a day or two leaves each month to alleviate this discomfort. ...
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Wang Yi in Nepal: The Why and What of the Visit from 2022-03-31T00:35:20
In this episode, Shrey Khann joins Aarthi Ratnam to talk about Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi’s visit to Nepal. They raise two main questions: Why did Yi visit Nepal an...
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Did Russia use a Hypersonic Missile in Ukraine? from 2022-03-30T00:35:05
The Russian Ministry of Defence recently announced that a Kinzhal missile was used during combat in Ukraine. Taken at face value the event could have been the first-ever u...
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Political Ads on Facebook in India from 2022-03-29T00:35:01
A 4-part investigative series by the Reporter's Collective, ad.watch and Al Jazeera pointed to the existence of surrogate advertisers and differential ad pricing for polit...
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A brief passage through history of Humanitarian Corridors from 2022-03-28T00:35:03
With war raging on multiple fronts in Ukraine and several cities under siege, Humanitarian corridors are allowing temporary respite to citizens. Priyal Lyncia D'Almeida an...
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No-Confidence Motion against Imran Khan’s Government from 2022-03-25T00:35:02
Recently, the opposition parties in Pakistan submitted the no-confidence motion against the government of Imran Khan. At the time of massive global instability and deterio...
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Exploring India-US Cooperation in Military AI from 2022-03-24T00:35:04
As the United States (US) and India gradually deepen cooperation in political, technological, and other areas, the cooperation in military Artificial Intelligence (AI) als...
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Oil shocks and Strategic Petroleum Reserves from 2022-03-23T00:35:11
The Russia-Ukraine war has created a supply shock of oil, which is estimated to be priced on average at $100/barrel in 2022. This can have serious consequences on the Indi...
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The Semiconductors Angle to the Ukraine War from 2022-03-22T00:35:25
The semiconductor supply chain, considering its globalised nature and multiple dependencies remain vulnerable to major global events. Aditya Pareek talks to Arjun Gargeyas...
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Gender roles in Indian society - PEW survey findings from 2022-03-21T00:35:09
Coinciding with International Women’s Day, Pew research released its latest report titled "How Indians viewed gender roles in families and society" A lot of insights, para...
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Accidental Launch of a Missile from 2022-03-17T00:35:10
A missile launch from India into Pakistan became the cause for hair-raising headlines recently. Acknowledged as an accident by the government of India, the missile is beli...
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AYUSH: Too Detached from Scientific Reason from 2022-03-16T00:35:04
The Government of India has been promoting traditional medicines like Coronil, Giloy with a lot of vigor. Mahek Nankani and Harshit Kukreja discuss what is wrong with Indi...
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Fixing The Broken Social Media Problem from 2022-03-15T00:35:04
In 2021, the 4.2 billion users of social media worldwide were projected to spend a collective 3.7 trillion hours on such services. These platforms have transformed the way...
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‘Trials’ and tribulations of Covid-19 vaccine for kids from 2022-03-14T00:35:04
With India approving a 4th Covid-19 vaccine for children, Priyal Lyncia D'Almeida and Ruturaj Gowaikar talk about the challenges involved with clinical trials in children....
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Forked Tongues: The Language of Politics from 2022-03-11T00:35:09
In this episode, Aarthi Ratnam and Ganesh Chakravarthi talk about the evolution of language and how it is used as an instrument in political discourse. They look at the use of language framing i...
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Conflict&Peace in India’s Northeast from 2022-03-10T00:35:12
Ever since independence, a series of rebellions and insurgencies have marked developments in India’s northeast. What’s been driving these movements and why has arriving at peace been so difficul...
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Youth Unemployment in India from 2022-03-09T00:35:09
A joint study by the Centre for Economic Data Analysis and the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy pointed towards a 30% decline since 2016 in the number of employed young adults. What are th...
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Tech Amidst the Russia-Ukraine Conflict from 2022-03-08T00:35:03
As tensions rise amidst the Russian aggression towards Ukraine, technology is becoming a frontier of the conflict. From State demands to voluntary steps taken by technology corporations, geopoli...
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Quantum in the Military from 2022-03-07T00:35:22
Quantum technologies have slowly been gaining military importance and assimilating itself into strategic applications. From cryptography to computing, quantum remains a lucrative area for milita...
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The Evolution of Article 21 from 2022-03-04T00:35:04
Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”. In this episode, Apurva Kumar and Sar...
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Sex Education in India from 2022-03-03T00:35:17
In today’s globalised world where we are connected through technology and where information travels very fast, addressing topics such as sex education has become increasingly crucial. Conservati...
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The War in Ukraine from 2022-03-02T00:35:15
After recognising the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics in the breakaway part of Ukraine, Russia has now launched a special military operation.
With the fog of war...
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Mapping India's Legal Landscape on Online Harms from 2022-03-01T00:35:04
As India tries to figure out how to govern Digital Communication Networks (DCNs), there are already laws applicable to harms which may occur on the internet. In this episode, Rohan Seth, Prateek...
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How rare are "Rare" Diseases? from 2022-02-28T00:35:14
Over 30 crore people in the world suffer from more than 7000 rare diseases. On Rare Diseases Day, one year after the release of the National Policy for Rare Diseases, Mahek Nankani and Harshit K...
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India and the Future of Space Stations from 2022-02-25T00:35:12
In 2031, the International Space Station is due to deorbit and crash into the Pacific Ocean. It will be replaced by the state-operated space stations of Russia and China and as well as commercia...
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Just War Theory - Can War Ever be Just? from 2022-02-24T00:35:26
All actions have consequences, especially war. But does the success of the desired outcome outweigh these consequences? In today's episode, Aarthi Ratnam and Megha Pardhi analyze the Just War Th...
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The US Strategy for the Indo-Pacific from 2022-02-23T00:35:13
The Biden Administration has come up with the US’ first Indo-Pacific Strategy document which aims to secure a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific. How does t...
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Blocking Apps and Scrutiny from 2022-02-22T00:35:11
Last week, reports suggested that the Union Government had issued orders to block an additional 54 apps from China, making it the fifth time such action was taken since June 2020. Prateek Waghre...
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Synthetic Content Generation and China’s Worries from 2022-02-21T00:35:16
What is AI-generated content and why is China worried about it? In today’s episode, Megha Pardhi, Suyash Desai, and Varad Vishwarupe discuss synthetic content generation using AI and the Chinese...
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A Tale of two Bills, ART and Surrogacy from 2022-02-18T00:35:13
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill were passed during the winter session of the Parliament. These two bills bring in new set of rules to regu...
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Reflecting on the Union Budget 2022-23 from 2022-02-17T00:35:13
Not only is the Union Budget a statement of the government’s estimated receipts and expenditure for a particular year, but it is also an account of the government’s performance in the previous y...
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Jobs and the Budget from 2022-02-16T00:35:18
India needs 20 million jobs a year but budget speeches have had very low mention of jobs. The state elections are afoot in some big states but jobs are a big focus among the voters. The fi...
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The Full Spectrum of Russian Foreign Policy from 2022-02-15T00:35:05
Tensions between Russia and the West are making headlines, with a lot of hysteria around the ongoing negotiations and developments in the European security sphere. With considerable intrigue in ...
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Policy of Death from 2022-02-14T00:35:02
Last month, The Lancet Commission on Value of Death released their report, advocating for a return to death as a socio-cultural event. Is death now "over medicalised"? What are the policy implic...
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Xi-Putin Meeting: A New World Order? from 2022-02-11T00:35:09
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week resulted in a detailed joint statement, proposing a vision for a new world order. What ar...
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Humanitarian Intervention - For Better or Worse? from 2022-02-10T00:35:22
Is there a case for humanitarian intervention? In this episode, Aarthi Ratnam and Priyal Lyncia D’Almeida discuss the criteria for intervention and the scope of responsibility. To identify what ...
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“India Out” Campaign in the Maldives from 2022-02-09T00:35:10
Breaking down the Investigation on Pegasus from 2022-02-08T00:35:01
The New York Times recently came out with a detailed investigation on Pegasus, the surveillance tool sold by Israel’s NSO Group to countries around the world. The investigation has chilling deta...
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Warfare in the Digital Era from 2022-02-07T00:35:14
How is warfare changing in the 21st century with the advent of digital technologies? Are modern wars drifting away from a traditional understanding of violence? In this episode of All Things Pol...
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Strategies for a New Space Age from 2022-02-04T00:35:08
China and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) recently came out with their latest strategic publications on space, outlining expectations and the broad policy direction in the domain. ...
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Nutrition Programmes in India - A Report Card from 2022-02-03T00:35:11
Nutrition programmes in India come in different hues and have undergone sweeping changes in the last few years. From the ICDS to the POSHAN 2.0, we have seen varying successes across the country...
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Mind the Policy Implementation Gap from 2022-02-02T00:35:12
Over the last 75 years of India’s independence, there has been no dearth of ideas and policies targeting progress. Yet policy progress is dependent on policy implementation. In this episode, Aar...
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Looking Ahead at a Quantum Future from 2022-02-01T00:35:17
The development of quantum technologies has increased exponentially in the last decade. Quantum now covers a wide area of applications from communications to computing. Arjun Gargeyas joins Sidd...
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Indian Health Services: Need of the hour? from 2022-01-31T00:35:23
For a while now, India has seen a need for Indian Health Services (IHS), akin to other all-India services like IAS, IPS, and IFS. Over the years, successive governments have looked into this iss...
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Understanding China’s Approach to Regulating Tech Algorithms from 2022-01-28T00:35:28
China is rolling out a new law to regulate algorithms used on apps to bring the country’s Big Tech sector in line with state policies. Rohan Seth talks to Manoj Kewalramani and Sapni G Krishna t...
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What is China’s two-front War Dilemma? from 2022-01-27T00:35:30
A two-front dilemma for a state usually involves external actors. However, Chinese strategists define the two-front war dilemma based on internal and external factors. In this episode, Suy...
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Philippines gets BrahMos from 2022-01-25T00:35:22
The Philippines recently announced the procurement of the BrahMos cruise missile for its Shore Based Anti Ship Missile Programme. As the first export customer of the system, the Philippines will...
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Importance of Digital Equity for True Progress from 2022-01-24T00:35:10
The internet has become more ubiquitous than ever before. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance defines digital equity as “a condition in which all individuals and communities have the informa...
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Kazakhstan Unrest and CSTO's Intervention from 2022-01-21T00:35:12
Earlier this month, Russia led Collective Security Treaty Organisation(CSTO) deployed troops to quell widespread unrest in Kazakhstan. The swift CSTO operation achieved its objective and the dep...
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Policy in Action: The Bihar Diaries from 2022-01-20T00:35:08
The mention of Bihar conjures up images of abject poverty and state apathy. The ground reality, however, has been changing in the past decade. Economist M R Sharan chronicles his time in Bihar w...
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Google v/s News Publishers from 2022-01-19T00:35:21
The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), which represents the digital arms of a number of legacy media organisations has alleged that Google's conduct has violated various provisions of t...
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A Repository of India's Land Laws from 2022-01-18T00:35:09
Land is an integral part of any economy and is central to individual and community identity. Thus, land disputes can hamper socio-economic development. Many conflicting land laws exist in India,...
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What are the Quad's plans in Biotech? from 2022-01-17T00:35:19
The Quad Summit which was held in September last year introduced multiple working groups ranging from climate change to information disorder. Shrey Khanna talks to Arjun Gargeyas on the potentia...
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Effect of the Pandemic on Pediatric Obesity from 2022-01-13T00:35:08
Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have evoked major lifestyle changes among adults and children. Closure of schools and stay-at-home orders has threatened the health and well-being of children,...
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Emerging Technologies from Chinese Point of View from 2022-01-12T00:35:12
The dual-use nature of emerging tech has blurred the line between civil and military applications of technology. How do the PLA researchers view the role of emerging tech in the military?
...
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First Step Towards a Global Pandemic Response Treaty from 2022-01-11T00:35:08
The World Health Assembly held a Special Session to kickstart a process to draft a global treaty geared towards pandemic management. Priyal Lyncia D'Almeida and Ruturaj Gowaikar discuss the need...
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In Apple CCI Antitrusts from 2022-01-10T00:35:11
In August 2021, the Together We Fight Society (TWFS) filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleging that Apple was abusing its dominant position in the app stores mark...
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Our 2021 Reading List (Part 3) from 2022-01-07T00:35:15
2021 has been a long year. One thing that remained constant was Takshashila’s love for books. Manoj Kewalramani talks to Rohan Seth to discuss their reading lists for this year.
Follow Man...
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Omicron: Milder or More Lethal for India? from 2022-01-06T00:35:17
The new COVID-19 variant, Omicron has been in the news since the first case was discovered in November. Despite the rising cases around the world, it is considered mild according to the data fro...
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Citizen's Role in Availing Welfare Services from 2022-01-05T00:35:19
How do citizens navigate through the complex state apparatus to acquire welfare services? What factors can facilitate this process? What obstacles do they face? In this episode, Apurva Kumar and...
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Interrogating Industrial Policies for Semiconductors from 2022-01-04T00:35:21
Mathieu Duchâtel and Pranay Kotasthane discuss the merits and demerits of government subsidies for building domestic semiconductor industries.
Mathieu is director of the Asia Program at I...
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Why China's Technical Standardisation Strategy Matters from 2022-01-03T00:35:08
The talks of China's '2035 Standards Project' have materialised in the form of a guideline document released by the Chinese government. Arjun Gargeyas talks to Megha Pardhi about the recently re...
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A Year - End Review of China Tech from 2021-12-29T00:35:22
2021 was an eventful year for the technology sector in China. Milestones were reached and regulations were increased. Arjun Gargeyas talks to Megha Pardhi on the progress China made in certain c...
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The Year Gone By In Tech Policy from 2021-12-28T00:35:10
2021 has been very eventful for watchers of Tech Policy developments. Rohan Seth joins Prateek Waghre and Sapni G K to discuss major events and trends in the space and their expectations for 202...
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Our 2021 Reading List (Part 2) from 2021-12-27T00:35:15
2021 has been a long year. One thing that remained constant was Takshashila’s love for books. Rohan Seth talks to Nitin Pai and Manoj Kewalramani to discuss their reading lists for this year. Listen
Will Russia invade Ukraine? from 2021-12-24T00:35:03
With the 30th anniversary of the collapse of the USSR approaching, there is a significant Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s border. After a similar crisis in April fizzled out, there are aga...
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From Romans to MDGs: The Stories of Public Health from 2021-12-23T00:35:12
Did you know it was approximately 600 years ago when quarantine was used for the first time? Indeed, the origins of public health may be traced back many centuries. In this episode, Mahek Nankan...
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The Fishermen Dispute and India - Sri Lanka Relations from 2021-12-22T00:35:14
The recent arrest of more than 50 fishermen by the Lankan Navy is bound to exert stress upon the India-Sri Lanka relations. The ongoing feud between the Tamil fishermen on the two sides of Palk ...
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Digital Communication Networks and their Benefits from 2021-12-21T00:35:08
Over the last few years, a number of harms associated with Digital Communication Networks (DCNs) have been documented and extensively reported on. At the same time, we also need to update our un...
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China's Developments in Tibet from 2021-12-20T00:35:04
China is building civilian and military infrastructure in Tibet. Based on Takshashila's recent publication, Suyash Desai and Manoj Kewalramani discuss the details of China's infrastructure build...
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Our 2021 Reading List (Part 1) from 2021-12-17T00:35:08
2021 has been a long year. One thing that remained constant at Takshashila was our love for reading. Rohan Seth and Manoj Kewalramani join Nitin Pai to talk about their reading lists and learnin...
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The Case Against Prohibition from 2021-12-16T00:35:08
Last year India voted in the UN to remove cannabis from the list of most dangerous substances. More recently, there was outrage with respect to the alcohol prohibition laws in Bihar. In this epi...
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Importance of Financial Literacy for Jobs from 2021-12-15T00:35:16
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) describes financial literacy as “a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound fi...
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Understanding the Developments on Indian Internet Shutdowns from 2021-12-14T00:35:04
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology recently presented its report on the Suspension of Telecom Services/Internet and its impact relating to the Mini...
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What Exactly Does Russia Want? from 2021-12-13T00:35:26
Russia is increasingly garnering attention with tensions in Europe over Ukraine and energy supplies. Recently, Moscow conducted joint bomber patrols and naval drills with China and a uni...
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The China Factor in the US - Australia Quantum Tech Agreement from 2021-12-10T00:35:23
The shadow of geopolitical competition with China looms large over the recent cooperation agreement on Quantum Science and Technology between Australia and the US. Megha Pardhi and Shrey Khanna ...
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Gender Inequality in the Fashion World from 2021-12-09T00:35:22
The fashion industry has a gender issue. Despite the fact that women make up the majority of consumers and makers of clothing, there is a significant prevalence of gender discrimination. In toda...
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Breathing New Life into India-Russia Relations from 2021-12-08T00:35:09
The first-ever Russia-India 2+2 summit took place on the 6th of December, 2021. With 28 agreements signed between the two strategic partners during the meeting, the outlook for the relationship ...
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Australia's "Anti-Trolling" Bill&Internet Anonymity from 2021-12-07T00:37:10
The Australian Government has published a draft Social Media (Anti-Trolling) Bill that aims to make social media platforms identify anonymous users in matters involving defamation. Prateek Waghr...
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Unpacking the National Family Health Survey (NFHS5) report from 2021-12-06T00:35:18
What does the decreased total fertility rate mean? How should we read the decreased sex ratio? How does India fare on the nutrition front? What could be a few policy implications of these? ...
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Regulating the Cyberspace and International Relations from 2021-12-03T00:35:07
Cyberspace has become an important part of the strategic picture internationally. Its impact as a facilitator for our everyday lives is undeniable. It is a disruptor in the civilian space and on...
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Omicron: The Harbinger of the third wave? from 2021-12-02T00:35:03
COVID 19's latest variant: Omicron, may become the cause of the third wave in India. This could lead to a similar or even greater loss of life than before. In this episode, Harshit Kukreja and M...
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Are Cities Still Relevant in the Metaverse Era? from 2021-12-01T00:35:18
Cities are where jobs are created and have been important to human progress. Can cities redesign themselves to remain relevant in the era of internet-based 3-D virtual environments, like metaver...
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Dissent on The Personal Data Protection Bill from 2021-11-30T00:35:07
The Data Protection Bill is supposed to be up for discussion in the winter session of Parliament. Jairam Ramesh, an MP and a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee has made public a dissent...
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What’s Climate Change Got To Do With Your Dinner? from 2021-11-29T00:36:01
Climate change is likely to result in increased frequency and intensity of extreme events and alter weather patterns in the long run. This, in turn, will impact agriculture and food security. In...
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India's COVID-19 Risk Communication Plan from 2021-11-26T00:35:07
Public health incidents around the world have demonstrated that a well-timed and well-executed risk communication plan can help manage circumstances on the ground in a much better way. However, ...
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Talks with the TTP: Peace in sight for Pakistan? from 2021-11-25T00:35:16
Recently, the government of Pakistan reached a month-long ceasefire agreement with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The deal, mediated by the Afghan Taliban, has revived the hopes of ending the...
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India’s Jobless Growth from 2021-11-24T00:35:16
India’s economy has grown at 7% on average over the last thirty years, but employment elasticity has been constantly declining from 0.4 to 0.087. This number is significantly lower than the US (...
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Mental Health and India's Police from 2021-11-23T00:35:14
Indian police personnel are overworked, under-trained, and under-equipped. Yet they are at the forefront of jobs from traffic duty to pandemic management. This has lead to mental health problems...
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Social Networks and Indian Women from 2021-11-22T00:35:26
Access to social networks could potentially benefit Indian women, but women in India tend to be isolated. In this episode, Suman Joshi, Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the barriers wome...
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Creating Safety Nets for Gig Workers from 2021-11-19T00:35:23
Gigs are not new. Hollywood made the transition to gigs from the studio system 70 years ago and the result is not all bad. While the movie industry today does not offer wage stability unlike the...
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How Piped Water Empowers Women from 2021-11-18T00:36:24
Piped water allows women, the primary caretakers of a household, more time for labour and leisure, thus improving their bargaining capacity at home and in the labour market. Apurva Kumar and Sum...
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China's Military Power from 2021-11-17T00:35:20
The US Department of Defense (DoD) released its 2021 China Military Power Report last week. Based on the report's findings, Aditya Pareek and Su...
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Getting Our Feeds In Order from 2021-11-16T00:35:17
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers in the US has introduced a bill that would require online platforms to let users opt-out of having personal data-driven algorithms select the content they s...
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China's Nuclear Expansion from 2021-11-15T00:35:11
The latest Pentagon China Military Power Report highlights the PRC's development of new nuclear warheads and delivery systems as potential areas of concern. Based on the report's findings, Adity...
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The Unique History of the Early Deccan from 2021-11-12T00:35:19
The Deccan Plateau is generally believed to have been "conquered" by the Mauryan empire of the Gangetic Plains - but the reality of its early history is far more complex and thought-provoking. A...
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How Sports Shapes Diplomacy from 2021-11-11T00:35:44
Sports have been used to bolster diplomatic relations between states as well as to make political statements on the international stage. There is also extensive evidence of sports' involvement i...
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The Geopolitics of International Technical Standards from 2021-11-10T00:35:35
With a new technological revolution underway, emerging technologies are at the heart of geopolitical competition between States. Standard-setting is one key dimension of this competition. But wh...
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How India’s Canals Shape its Cities from 2021-11-09T00:35:17
According to a recent study, towns situated close to canals in India witnessed faster urbanisation and demand for education but not industrialisation. And agriculture still remains the biggest e...
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The EU’s Arctic Strategy and India from 2021-11-08T00:35:17
Last month, the European Union (EU) came out with a publication detailing its strategy for the Arctic. The focal points of the strategy are the implications of melting permafrost on geopolitical...
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Can Fortifying Rice Tackle Malnutrition? from 2021-11-04T00:35:17
India is set to fortify rice distributed through the PDS (Public Distribution System) and mid-day meal programmes to alleviate malnutrition. Will fortification achieve its aims? What will be the...
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Digital Activism in China from 2021-11-03T00:35:30
Going Beyond Disinformation from 2021-11-02T00:35:25
Conversations about the impact of Digital Communication Networks on public discourse tend to focus heavily on misinformation and disinformation. While these two terms are used interchangeably, P...
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The Strange History of South Indian Coffee from 2021-10-29T00:35:08
How did a bean from West Asia become one of India's most popular morning drinks? It's a story of innovation, trade, capitalism, and media. Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to food blogger Sujata Shukla ...
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India’s Hunger and Nutrition challenge from 2021-10-28T00:35:16
Democratise Credit to Create Jobs from 2021-10-27T00:35:25
Now that we have JAM, people want bread. Financial inclusion has been bandied about for decades with limited success but JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) brings new hope. Sridhar Krishna and Aaru...
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Cracks in CPEC from 2021-10-26T00:35:20
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is facing trouble on more than one front. These include China’s frustration with the lack of progress on the economic projects, the emerging security ...
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AI Regulation: A Global Policy Challenge from 2021-10-25T00:35:21
The use of Artificial Intelligence technologies is on a rise across the globe. Countries are increasingly demonstrating a keen interest in regulating their use, specifically the effects of such ...
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A Practical Agenda for the Quad from 2021-10-22T00:35:13
The Quad grouping has launched several new initiatives over last few months. While this is an encouraging development, there are concerns that the grouping has way too many items on its plate. W...
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Should India Make Semiconductors? from 2021-10-21T00:35:27
While semiconductor design has always been a strong suit for India, the extremely complicated manufacturing process of semiconductor chips has never taken off in the country. Should India stick ...
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Can 'Gastrodiplomacy' Work? from 2021-10-20T00:35:33
‘Gastrodiplomacy' is a tool some states have used to promote themselves, a prominent example being Thailand. How effective have such food campaigns been? Ameera Rao and Priyal D'almeida discuss ...
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Fantasy Sports and Karnataka's Online Gambling Ban from 2021-10-19T00:35:21
Over the past few years, online fantasy sports in India have gone from being a rather shady area of niche interest to becoming ubiquitous, so much so that a fantasy sports platform was the title...
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Are the Balkans on Edge Again? from 2021-10-18T00:35:22
With recent headlines warning of impending hostilities between Serbia and Kosovo, there is greater attention again on the proverbial powder keg of conflict in Eastern Europe. The EU and NATO hav...
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The Shadow Pandemic: Impact of COVID-19 on mental health in India from 2021-10-14T00:35:22
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected our lives in more ways than one. It has impacted our engagement with others and disrupted daily routines. Apart from this, “Fearodemic" or the shadow...
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India’s labour force: Why are women missing? from 2021-10-13T00:35:19
India’s Women Labor Force Participation Rate (WLFPR) rate is at an abysmal 21%. Why does this matter? What are the factors that are driving this trend? And what can be done to course-correct? Pr...
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Reading between the lines of the Facebook Files from 2021-10-12T00:35:16
The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files and subsequent revelations made by the whistle-blower Frances Haugen have documented many online harms present on Facebook's various platforms based on i...
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What’s China doing in Africa? from 2021-10-11T00:35:05
Infrastructure projects and technology investments under BRI have led to a sustained expansion of China’s stake and presence across Africa. What is the aim of this engagement? Is there a larger ...
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Religion and the State in Medieval South India from 2021-10-08T00:35:11
The late 11th and early 12th centuries saw the origins of two remarkable religious traditions that have continued to survive to this day: Virashaivism and Srivaishnavism. Anirudh Kanisetti speak...
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Keeping up with the Splinternet from 2021-10-07T00:35:14
September 2021 has been an important month for the future of the internet, in Russia and around the world. The Play Store and the App Store have bowed to pressure and removed a ‘smart voting’ ap...
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Afghanistan: 50 Days After Taliban's Takeover from 2021-10-06T00:35:19
After 50 days of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the situation remains tense. The ISI-imposed interim government is struggling to provide political stability even as the humanitarian crisis...
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Regulating Judicial Data from 2021-10-05T00:35:06
India's judicial system is in need for a whole host of reforms. However, one crucial aspect of this reform process should be the regulation of judicial data. This requires ensuring the right bal...
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The UK’s Space Strategy from 2021-10-04T00:35:15
The UK has released its first-ever National Space Strategy document, which emphasizes the importance of nurturing its space sector, its concerns about adversarial counter-space capabilities, and...
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The Sounds and Stories of Kerala's Theyyam Rituals from 2021-10-01T00:35:20
Theyyam rituals in Kerala, performed annually by communities across the state, contain fascinating subaltern mythologies and musical practices passed down through centuries. Archaeologist and mu...
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Machine Learning Algorithm for COVID Screening from 2021-09-30T00:35:24
Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-ML) have been used to detect, diagnose and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. One such approach was used by Greece to screen potential asy...
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Emigration - Can India fill the World's Vacancies? from 2021-09-29T00:35:08
Many developed countries in Europe and Asia have an ageing population and a shortage of skilled people to fill vacancies in the workforce. India has a very young population with over 18 million ...
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A Global Overview of COVID-19 Booster Shots from 2021-09-28T00:35:28
Concerns over waning immunity and SARS-CoV-2 variants have convinced some countries to deploy booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The World Health Organization has strongly objected to rich s...
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A New Ripple in the Indo-Pacific from 2021-09-27T00:35:06
The new trilateral framework involving Australia, the UK and the US has caused some controversy and signalled a shift in the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific. From France’s initial outrage and fi...
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The Other Rajputs: Purbiya Warriors in 16th century Malwa from 2021-09-24T00:35:10
The 16th century saw the emergence of famous Rajput aristocratic households such as the Sisodias of Mewar - but it also saw the career of remarkable military entrepreneurs from relatively humble...
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What Makes Governments Responsive? from 2021-09-23T00:35:12
A government’s responsiveness to citizen’s preferences is dependent on a host of factors. In this episode, Suman Joshi and Sarthak Pradhan, discuss the dynamics between the three agents - politi...
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Regulating Biobanking in India from 2021-09-22T00:35:21
Biobanks, which are repositories of human biological materials, will shape the future of life science research. This means India needs laws to govern biobanks, that address issues like ethics, d...
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A Lawsuit of Epic proportions from 2021-09-21T00:35:18
The Apple v Epic Games lawsuit recently culminated in a 185-page judgment that has implications for the future of in-app purchases on the App Store. While the 30% cut that Apple places on develo...
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Younger Generals in the PLA from 2021-09-20T00:35:08
Over the last three months, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has appointed several new generals in the People’s Liberation Army. The head of the Western Theatre Command, which is responsible for India,...
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Tibet Before the Dalai Lamas from 2021-09-17T00:35:13
The Tibetan Plateau is one of Asia's most important geopolitical regions, and it has shaped the history and culture of the continent in deep and abiding ways. Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to researc...
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Is MSP Fulfilling its Purpose? from 2021-09-16T00:35:14
Minimum Support Prices have been integral to Indian agriculture for decades. Sarthak Pradhan and Suman Joshi discuss the hows and whys of MSPs with Takshashila's alumni Saurabh Karamchandani and...
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New Cities - More Jobs from 2021-09-15T00:35:10
India needs to generate more than 20 million jobs every year to provide opportunities to its working population. However, even before the pandemic, it only produced somewhere between a million a...
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Russian Interests in Afghanistan from 2021-09-14T00:35:30
With its chaotic exit from Afghanistan, the US finds itself in the same camp as the British in the early nineteenth century and the Soviets in the late twentieth century. The collapse of the US-...
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The Climate Threat in the Indian Ocean from 2021-09-13T00:35:10
The IPCC Report released in early August reveals the potential impact of climate change on the Indian Ocean re...
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The Curious Case of the Havana Syndrome from 2021-09-09T00:35:09
The Havana Syndrome was recently back in the news when US Vice President Kamala Harris had to postpone her flight to Hanoi due to suspected cases. The illness first came to prominence when CIA o...
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What makes democracies tick? from 2021-09-08T00:35:09
In recent times, there have been apprehensions about the future of democracy. In this episode, Apurva and Sarthak talk about the factors and circumstances that might breed support for democracie...
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The US Versus Facebook from 2021-09-07T00:35:26
In a renewed antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Facebook used anticompetitive acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to further its monopoly ...
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Can India Mediate Between Russia and Japan? from 2021-09-06T00:35:08
Trilateral engagement between Russia, India and Japan is emerging, with Pacific Russia and the Russian Far East at its centre. However, the agenda in discussions so far has been limited to trade...
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Pottery for the Gods: The Worship of Ayyanar in Rural Tamil Nadu from 2021-09-03T00:35:07
Every year, hundreds of clay sculptures of horses, cows, and bulls are dedicated across Tamil Nadu to the god Ayyanar. Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to photographer and filmmaker Julie Wayne about th...
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India’s Free Speech Challenge from 2021-09-02T00:35:13
The first amendment of India’s Constitution allowed the right to freedom of speech and expression to be “reasonably restricted”. This amendment created a distinct space for the judiciary and the...
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Financing Upskilling from 2021-09-01T00:35:23
Jobs that are being created today are increasingly technical and tend to require some degree of specialised skill. Without these skills, even the ‘created’ jobs will remain vacant. It is estimat...
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Ethical Design Practice for Smartphone Financial Apps from 2021-08-31T00:35:17
Trading in stocks, funds, cryptocurrency and other financial assets has been made super easy by smartphone-based apps. A dark side to this ease of use is that many users can make trades without ...
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The Bear’s Space Power from 2021-08-30T00:35:06
During the Cold War, the USSR was a pioneering space power, and its successor state the Russian Federation has inherited much of its grandeur and capabilities. In the early twenty-first century,...
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An Indian 5G Standard? from 2021-08-27T00:35:32
Arjun Gargeyas, Research Analyst with Takshashila’s High-Tech Geopolitics programme, wrote an article about 5Gi, India’s domestic 5G standard. Using a unique feature called Low Mobility Large Cell ...
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Creating An Epidemic Intelligence Agency from 2021-08-26T00:35:05
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to develop the ability to assess biological threats. India has mechanisms in place to monitor some health-related trends and biological events, but ther...
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Can Vaccine Mandates Work? from 2021-08-25T00:35:08
As India races to vaccinate its population amid the COVID-19 pandemic, can it consider the use of mandates to ensure speedier and more comprehensive vaccinations? Arjun Gargeyas talks about the ...
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Vaccinating Kids: A Parent's Perspective from 2021-08-24T00:35:02
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What did the Kakatiyas do for us? from 2021-08-23T00:35:11
From 160 years, the often forgotten medieval Kakatiya kingdom sprawled across modern Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Odisha and Karnataka. In its brief life, this extraordinary kingdom e...
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How Columbus Transformed Indian Cuisine from 2021-08-20T00:35:11
The arrival of the Portuguese and other European powers on India's shores profoundly impacted the subcontinent's militaries, polities, and societies - but also its food. Anirudh Kanisetti speaks...
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India’s Reverse Migration from 2021-08-19T00:35:21
According to the latest CMIE estimates, there has been a reverse migration of labour from the manufacturing sector to the agriculture sector due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
The PLA and India from 2021-08-18T00:35:14
The People’s Liberation Army is a unified organisation of China’s land, sea, and air forces. It is one of the largest military forces in the world and traces its roots back to 1927. The PLA cele...
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Outraging into the Machine from 2021-08-17T00:35:05
The Dilemmas of Religious Freedom from 2021-08-16T00:35:05
The French Parliament has passed a bill that will increase the state’s power over mosques. President Emmanuel Macron argues the law will bolster the country’s secular values, but will it really ...
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Ep. 638: Building India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem from 2021-08-13T00:35:10
Semiconductors are central to our global economy. However, the supply chains that make them are fragile and not easy to change. Despite this, India needs to build a sophisticated semiconductor s...
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Ep. 637: iCloud, privacy and law enforcement from 2021-08-12T00:35:23
Apple recently released a feature that will enable them to scan photos stored in iCloud to detect child abuse imagery. The move has sparked off a debate regarding privacy and about what ownershi...
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Ep. 636: Pegasus and India's Cyber Security Capabilities from 2021-08-11T00:35:13
While the Pegasus spyware scandal has led to discussions in India on government surveillance and privacy, it is also important to take note of what this means for India's cyber defence capabilit...
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Ep. 635: Takshashila’s Founders Discuss Post-COVID Inequalities from 2021-08-10T00:35:18
The socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased inequalities. In this episode, Sarthak talks to Takshahila's founders - the two N's, Narayan Ramachandran and Nitin Pai - about t...
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Ep. 634: A "Platform" for More Jobs from 2021-08-09T00:35:07
The platform economy is restructuring jobs in the 21st century. In this episode, Sreelakshmi Ramachandran talks to Sarthak Pradhan on how India can leverage the platform economy to create jobs.<...
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Ep. 633: Uncovering the Warriors of Sinauli from 2021-08-06T00:35:12
Remains dating back to nearly 4000 years ago, at the site of Sinauli in Uttar Pradesh, have revealed that the history of the Indian subcontinent in the Bronze Age is far more complex than imagin...
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Ep. 632: Making Public Health More Equal from 2021-08-05T00:35:16
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in access to health care. Apurva Kumar and Suman Joshi examine the contours of the Indian public health system in the light of a recently relea...
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Ep. 631: The Game of Drones from 2021-08-04T00:35:03
The attack on Merchant Vessel Mercer Street, allegedly by an Iranian drone, has been grabbing headlines. Beyond all the hype, drones have proven to be simple but effective tools in any country’s...
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Ep. 630: Digital Communication Networks and their Harms from 2021-08-03T00:35:26
Over the years, a number of harms have been attributed to Social Media platforms/messaging apps. Despite their high adoption over the last decade, estimates suggest that approximately 50% of the wo...
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Ep. 629: The Far Side of the Indo-Pacific from 2021-08-02T00:35:10
Japan is a major pillar of the Indo-Pacific strategic vision and has a seat at the table when security in the region is discussed. However, Japan’s interests and anxieties vis a vis the Sea of J...
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Ep. 628: What if Vijayanagara Won? from 2021-07-30T00:35:20
What if the South Indian empire of Vijayanagara had won the fateful Battle of Talikota in 1565? The answer is more complex than we might think. Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan explore th...
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Ep. 627: Making sense of feed algorithms from 2021-07-29T00:35:25
Much of our online activity is mediated by algorithms. Whether we are shopping online, binge-watching TV shows, or scrolling through social media, algorithms watch over us and feed us what we se...
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Ep. 626: Defence of Japan from 2021-07-28T00:35:16
Recently Japan issued its 2021 Defense White Paper, which serves as a window into the priorities and activities of the Japanese Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces. This year the publica...
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Ep. 625: Can Genomic Surveillance Tackle COVID Variants? from 2021-07-27T00:35:11
Ep. 624: Living together, separately: What the Pew survey says about religion in India from 2021-07-26T00:35:22
What is the role of religion and caste in Indians’ lives? How do we think about our identity as Indians? What do our choices about how we worship, what we eat, and what we wear say about our ide...
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Ep. 623: Bangladesh - The New Miracle Economy? from 2021-07-23T00:35:15
Bangladesh’s per capita GDP has been on a rise as it emerges as the garment factory of the world. Has Bangladesh defied the received wisdom that countries outside East-Asia and Europe can’t have...
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Ep. 622: Tackling Mis/Disinformation on Vaccines from 2021-07-22T00:35:10
Ep. 621: How Social Media is Reshaping Politics from 2021-07-21T00:35:22
Over the last 10 years, the optimism surrounding social media platforms has given way to skepticism and concerns about their impact on democracy. In this episode, Nitansha Bansal and Prateek Wag...
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Ep. 620: China's New Missile Silos from 2021-07-19T00:35:04
China has reportedly begun the construction of more than 100 new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in a desert near the northwest city of Yumen. Pranav Satyanath and Suyash D...
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Ep. 619: The Queens of Medieval Kashmir from 2021-07-16T00:35:25
Royal men and their conquests dominate our imagination of medieval India - but they are merely one part of an enormously diverse and complex group of societies. Medieval Kashmir offers fascinati...
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Ep. 618: How Indians Shaped their Constitution from 2021-07-15T00:35:24
Ep. 617: Cracking Down on Didi from 2021-07-14T00:35:19
The Chinese state is cracking down on the ‘barbaric growth’ of its tech companies. Twenty-five apps from Chinese tech giant Didi were removed from Chinese app stores last week. Rohan Seth talks ...
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Ep. 616: India, the Moon and the Artemis Accords from 2021-07-13T00:35:05
Humans have always been fascinated by the Moon, but have never managed to agree on a common set of rules governing our activities on the lunar surface. As outer space becomes increasingly commer...
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Ep. 615: Theatre Commands: Are they Necessary? from 2021-07-12T00:35:11
Ep. 614: The Syncretic Rituals of South Indian Catholics from 2021-07-09T00:35:27
Ep. 613: CPC@100: The Challenges Ahead from 2021-07-08T00:35:14
Ep. 612: The Constitution&India's Democracy from 2021-07-07T00:35:24
Ep. 611: Fortress Russia from 2021-07-06T00:35:16
Ep. 610: To DARPA, or not to DARPA from 2021-07-05T00:35:21
US’ Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) is the progenitor of many technologies which are synonymous to modern life today. Several countries including India strive to duplicate DARPA...
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Ep. 609: Policies for the Entertainment Sector from 2021-07-02T00:35:13
Ep. 608: The Mirage of High-Tech Self-Sufficiency from 2021-07-01T00:35:23
Ep. 607: India Needs a Robust Cyber Security Strategy from 2021-06-30T00:36:02
Ep. 606: Consumer Protection&E-commerce from 2021-06-29T00:35:11
Ep. 605: One Year After Galwan from 2021-06-28T00:35:11
Ep. 604: What Archaeology Really Tells Us About the Harappans and the Sarasvati River from 2021-06-25T00:35:22
Ep. 603: Improving Learning Outcomes in Schools from 2021-06-24T00:35:01
Ep. 602: Investigating the Wuhan Lab Leak from 2021-06-23T00:35:05
Ep. 601: Can You Unbundle Social Media? from 2021-06-22T00:35:14
Ep. 600: Lessons from Odisha's Direct Income Transfer Scheme from 2021-06-21T00:35:26
Ep. 599: What Fiction Teaches us About Indian History from 2021-06-18T00:35:18
Ep. 598: Bring Petrol under GST from 2021-06-17T00:35:18
Ep. 597: Apple, Network Effects and China from 2021-06-16T00:35:11
Ep. 596: Do Influence Operations Work? from 2021-06-15T00:35:08
Ep. 595: The Challenges of Governing States from 2021-06-14T00:35:04
Ep. 594: India: Continent or Subcontinent? from 2021-06-11T00:35:05
Ep. 593: Vaccines and Intellectual Property from 2021-06-10T00:35:06
Ep. 592: Battling Future Disease Waves from 2021-06-09T00:35:20
Ep. 591: In Google We Antitrust from 2021-06-08T00:35:06
Ep. 590: DeSWIFTing Russia? from 2021-06-07T00:35:06
Ep. 589: Examining Nehru's Approach to Tibet&China from 2021-06-04T00:35:05
Ep. 588: The Race to Acquire Vaccines from 2021-06-03T00:35:10
Ep. 587: The Evolution of Indian Science from 2021-06-02T00:35:17
Ep. 586: What Next for Facebook and India? from 2021-06-01T00:35:20
Ep. 585 Xi’s ‘Red Footprints’&History Learning Campaigns from 2021-05-31T00:35:11
Ep. 584: India and the ‘Israeli Model’ from 2021-05-28T00:35:16
Ep. 583: Intertwined Histories in South India's Local Legends from 2021-05-27T00:35:10
Ep. 582: US-UK Special Relationship and China from 2021-05-26T00:35:12
Ep. 581: The Life and Times of the Facebook Oversight Board from 2021-05-25T00:35:05
Ep. 580: Will India’s Military Remain Apolitical? from 2021-05-24T00:35:24
Ep. 579: South India and Ancient Rome from 2021-05-21T00:35:01
Ep. 578: Investigating SARS-CoV-2 from 2021-05-20T00:35:22
Ep. 577: Unpacking Xi’s New Development Strategy from 2021-05-19T00:35:19
Ep. 576: Northern Ireland's Uncertain Future from 2021-05-18T00:35:10
Ep. 575: China’s Once-in-a-Decade Census from 2021-05-17T00:35:05
Ep. 574: A Defence Minister with a Military Background? from 2021-05-14T00:35:09
India’s armed forces have provided an ideal example of a military staying away from the corridor of politics. While the armed forces must absolutely stay away... Listen
Ep. 573: Truck De India: Rajat Ubhaykar on India's truckers from 2021-05-13T00:35:18
Ep. 572: Finland, Russia and the Arctic from 2021-05-12T00:35:04
Ep. 571: China's Health Silk Road from 2021-05-11T00:35:08
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Ep. 570: The Narrow Corridor of Liberty from 2021-05-10T00:35:27
Ep. 569: The Most Undiplomatic Affair: China&the Philippines from 2021-05-07T00:35:08
Ep. 568: Digital Monitoring of Global Public Health from 2021-05-06T00:35:12
Ep. 567: Why Russia’s Far East Matters from 2021-05-05T00:35:06
Ep. 566: France, India and the Seas from 2021-05-04T00:35:18
Ep. 565: Biden's Turn to the Indo-Pacific from 2021-05-03T00:35:24
Ep. 564: How to Depoliticise India’s Police from 2021-04-30T00:35:08
Ep. 563: A Single Source for all Laws? from 2021-04-29T00:35:05
Ep. 562: Active Measures Short of War from 2021-04-28T00:35:06
Ep. 561: Free speech on India's Internet from 2021-04-27T00:35:07
Ep. 560: Reflecting on India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy from 2021-04-26T00:35:18
In September 2020, a multi-disciplinary team at Takshashila came out with a policy proposal to vaccinate 80% of India's population by December 2021. Seven months down the line, co-authors Shambh...
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Ep. 559: The Dragon’s Anniversary at Sea from 2021-04-23T00:35:19
Ep. 558: Supplying COVID-19 Therapeutics from 2021-04-22T00:35:11
As urgent requests for convalescent plasma, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab increase, Ruturaj Gowaikar and Shambhavi Naik discuss the application of these therapeutics and the unnecessary shortage ca...
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Ep. 557: How an FDI Hike Could Boost Pensions from 2021-04-21T00:35:15
The Indian government is reportedly planning to hike the FDI limit in the pension sector from 49% to 74%. A bill to this effect is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the next session. Ma...
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Ep. 556: Understanding the US’s Tri-Service Naval Strategy from 2021-04-20T00:35:11
A new strategy document outlines the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard's joint vision for winning the contemporary great power competition. Titled Advantage at Sea, the document details acti...
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Ep. 555: Intellectual Property Un-reform from 2021-04-19T00:35:15
Earlier this month, the Union government passed the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance to eliminate several appellate bodies, one of which is the Intellectua...
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Ep. 554: Ending America's Forever War from 2021-04-16T00:35:07
Ep. 553: Cracking Down on China’s Tech Giants from 2021-04-15T00:35:11
Ep. 552: Of Freedom of Navigation and Outrage from 2021-04-14T00:35:17
Ep. 551: Impact of China’s policies in Tibet on India’s National Security from 2021-04-12T00:35:03
From rail connectivity, new dams and border villages to increasing sinicization of religion, Beijing is ramping up efforts to tighten its control over Tibet. In this episode, Suyash Desai and Ma...
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Ep. 550: What Lies Ahead for Antitrust Reform from 2021-04-09T00:35:12
The Democratic Party, which has strongly advocated regulation of large technology corporations, effectively controls Congress and the White House in the US. Anupam Manur and Rohan Seth join Prat...
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Ep. 549: Does India's Vaccine Diplomacy Work? from 2021-04-08T00:35:10
India has practiced vaccine diplomacy during COVID-19, engaging its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. But are there advantages in extending this diplomacy beyond COVID-19? Pranathi Rao and Shambhavi...
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Ep. 548: Rethinking Indian Healthcare from 2021-04-07T00:35:08
India performs poorly in most of the health indicators. Yet, there isn't much popular demand for a robust healthcare system. In this episode, Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan look at the state o...
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Ep. 547: Is Privacy a Competition Issue? from 2021-04-06T00:35:05
Google and Facebook have cornered the largest parts of the global digital advertising marketplace. The way these markets operate has a significant impact on privacy. With antitrust action pickin...
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Ep. 546: How Britain Plans to Engage the World from 2021-04-05T00:35:23
The UK’s recently published but long-awaited Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, is being hailed as a visionary document. It made headlines across the world w...
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Ep. 545: Panchsheel - How a Dream Ended from 2021-04-01T00:35:13
Why did Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru choose to pursue the 1954 Panchsheel Agreement with China? Was it mere naivete? Or was there realpolitik thinking involved? Anirudh Kanisetti and A...
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Ep. 544: How to Provide Reliable Power from 2021-03-31T00:35:16
India's power generation capacity is underutilized, and the Indian consumer is still underserved. In this episode, Jisha Cherian talks to Sarthak Pradhan about how the Indian power sector works ...
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Ep. 543: Making the Net-work from 2021-03-30T00:35:12
Why didn't everyone switch from WhatsApp to the Signal messaging service earlier this year? Network effects, lock-in, and switching costs shape up our preferences every day. Anupam Manur talks t...
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Ep. 542: Quad to Anchorage - Shifting sands of the international order from 2021-03-26T00:35:10
The past two weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity, from the Quad summit to the US-China talks in Alaska. Listen to this conversation between Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai as they...
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Ep. 541: A New Law for Assisted Reproductive Technology? from 2021-03-25T00:35:17
Last week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare came up with a report on the The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2020 which was introduced in Lok...
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Ep. 540: India's Approach to Welfare from 2021-03-24T00:35:04
India's welfare architecture has changed over time. But have these changes been for the better? Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the evolution of welfare systems in India.
Here are...
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Ep. 539: Welcome to the Splinternet from 2021-03-23T00:35:05
Russia recently attempted to throttle Twitter, while China has blocked access to Signal and instituted new rules which require social media users to have government-issued credentials. These mov...
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Ep. 538: Is the Quad ushering a new era in the Indo-Pacific? from 2021-03-22T00:35:06
The first-ever Quad leaders summit ended with leaders of the US, India, Japan and Australia agreeing to work towards furthering shared values and interests. They also outlined an agenda for vacc...
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Ep. 537: How Does China Think About Nuclear War? from 2021-03-19T00:35:19
A recent report indicates China is doubling the number of its nuclear missile silos. Does this suggest Beijing is moving towards a hair-trigger's launch-on-warning posture? Suyash Desai, Manoj K...
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Ep. 536: Is it Safe to Breathe in India? from 2021-03-18T00:35:10
A new report from air technology company IQAir concludes that despite an 11% reduction in PM2.5 levels, India emerged as the world's third-most polluted country. India's air quality has serious ...
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Ep. 535: The Missiles of Lady Liberty from 2021-03-17T00:35:01
The US military’s Indo-Pacific Command is seeking additional funding to strengthen the US security umbrella in the region under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative(PDI). The funding will partly go...
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Ep. 534: Safe Water for Big Cities from 2021-03-16T00:35:20
As we record this episode, residents in East Delhi are facing an acute water shortage. The shortages come soon after the Delhi Government went to the Supreme Court against the state of Haryana, ...
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Ep. 533: Will the Internet FLoC to Google’s Standards? from 2021-03-15T00:35:19
In early March, Google announced that it would not support alternatives to third-party cookies to track user behaviour at an individual level. It will also begin public tests for FLoC (Federated...
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Ep. 532: Peace for Afghanistan? from 2021-03-12T00:35:20
A draft agreement proposed by the US to “jump-start” the peace talks in Afghanistan envisages the formation of a transition government with the Taliban. Anand Arni talks to Suyash Desai about th...
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Ep. 531: Does the Government Spend as Promised? from 2021-03-11T00:35:18
Does the government's demand for funds actually match the outcomes it has promised? The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology has tabled its report on t...
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Ep. 530: What’s China Planning in 2021? from 2021-03-10T00:35:05
China’s Two Sessions prioritised the roadmap for the country’s 14th Five Year Plan and flagged areas of development to achieve sustainable growth and lead innovation in the future. Manoj Kewalra...
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Ep. 529: Fixing Mumbai's Air Pollution from 2021-03-09T00:35:05
Mumbai, one of the most densely populated cities, is reeling under growing levels of air pollution. Compared to 27 other cities globally, Mumbai bears some of the highest costs as a percentage o...
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Ep. 528: The Long Arm of the Law Crosses Borders from 2021-03-08T00:35:05
Electronic evidence has become an integral part of criminal investigations. This often requires access to data stored in other jurisdictions. What processes are in place in India today to make t...
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Ep. 527: Northern Sea Route - A New Dawn for Russia? from 2021-03-05T02:53:55
The Russian LNG carrier Christoph De Margerie’s latest voyage along the NSR is being seen as a watershed. Is Moscow’s dream of year-round access to the NSR closer to reality than previously thou...
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Ep. 526: Citizen Science - A Solution to Fake Information? from 2021-03-04T00:35:13
The COVID-19 pandemic brought along with it increased transmission of disinformation as well. Can 'citizen science' offer solutions? Sunila Dixit talks to Surat Parvatam and Suryesh Namdeo about...
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Ep. 525: China's New Coastguard Law from 2021-03-03T00:35:13
China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a law authorizing its coastguard to open fire on foreign vessels in the contested waters around its periphery. Suyash Desai and Aniru...
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Ep. 524: A New Era for Indian Internet from 2021-03-02T00:35:10
Last week the government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The rules have some serious implications for how Internet conten...
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Ep. 523: China’s Naval Expansion and India’s Options from 2021-03-01T00:35:14
China has publicized its current naval strategy of “Near Seas Defense and Far Seas Protection,” which calls for the People’s Liberation Army Navy to expand the geographic and mission scope of it...
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Ep. 522: How Did Rome Defeat the Armies of Alexander's Successors? from 2021-02-26T00:35:16
Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Greek historian Polybius tried to analyze how Rome's armies vanquished the world-conquering Hellenistic armies centered on the Macedonian pike-phalanx. In this episod...
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Ep. 521: The Strange World of Serina from 2021-02-25T00:35:15
Imagine a world of endless meadow and hills, lit by the glow of a nearby gas giant. Here, over hundreds of millions of years, birds evolve into a dizzying array of strange shapes and forms remin...
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Ep. 520: Reaching for the Heavens Via India from 2021-02-24T00:35:11
Brazil is preparing to launch Amazônia-1, its first indigenously made earth-observation satellite, from Sriharikota in just a few days. In this special episode, we are joined by Adenilson Silva,...
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Ep. 519: How Russia Uses the Geopolitics of Natural Gas from 2021-02-23T00:35:05
Russia has been the largest supplier of LNG to Europe. Being the hydrocarbon bridge between Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine is heavily dependent on transit fees from Russia.
W...
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Ep. 518: Should Google and Facebook Pay for News? from 2021-02-22T00:35:22
Australia has come up with a code to make Google and Facebook negotiate with news outlets and pay for content that they host. The tech giants have reacted by threatening to stop their services i...
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Ep. 517: The Mirage of a United Asia from 2021-02-19T00:35:02
Totally amicable relations between the countries of Asia might seem hopelessly idealistic today - but about a hundred years ago, a wave of intellectuals in India and China believed that it was n...
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Ep. 516: Can India Meet Its COVID-19 Vaccination Target? from 2021-02-18T00:35:17
Will India be able to cover its target population for COVID-19 vaccination? What issues is India facing during vaccination? Which vaccines are being approved? Sunila Dixit and Shambhavi Naik dis...
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Ep. 515: Making sense of China-India disengagement on the LAC from 2021-02-17T06:56:39
China and India announced an agreement to disengage from Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Lt Gen (Dr) Prakash Menon and Manoj Kewalramani join Suyash Desai ...
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Ep. 514: 5G: will India be Late to the Party? from 2021-02-16T00:35:24
The standing committee on Information Technology has come out with a report examining India’s preparedness for 5G. It questions whether India is going to miss the bus. From issues in spectrum pr...
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Ep. 513: Struggle and Revolution in Telugu Literature from 2021-02-15T00:35:30
Telugu culture is most often associated with Tollywood today - but at one point, revolutionary Telugu writers and poets were among the most progressive and influential intellectuals of their tim...
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Ep. 512: China's Vaccine Diplomacy from 2021-02-12T00:35:04
China is offering priority access to Chinese-developed vaccines to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai discuss how China’s vaccine diplom...
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Ep. 511: Will the DNA Bill do More Harm than Good? from 2021-02-11T00:35:05
The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill has been listed for consideration in the Budget session. Shambhavi Naik and Sunila Dixit discuss the bill's benefits and risks in light o...
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Ep. 510: The Contest to Chart the Indo-Pacific's Oceans from 2021-02-10T00:35:10
Major powers are ramping up their efforts to map the undersea environment of the Indo-Pacific. Charting and mapping the ocean deeps confer both economic and military advantages and to keep up, I...
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Ep. 509: Making Sense of India's Defence Budget from 2021-02-09T00:35:01
A major highlight of the Budget 2021-22 was the 18.75% increase in the capital outlay in allocation towards defence. Suyash Desai talks to Lt Gen Prakash Menon and Pranay Kotasthane about this y...
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Ep. 508: When The Stonks Are Down from 2021-02-08T00:35:12
The Reddit-GameStop saga has been making news around the world. The next few weeks will raise important questions about how much responsibility social media platforms have in cases like these an...
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Ep. 507: The Seleukid Empire and the Silk Roads from 2021-02-05T00:35:11
Though often seen as a footnote in Indian history, the Seleukid Empire dominated much of the Hellenistic world after the death of Alexander the Great. Anirudh Kanisetti joins Aditya Ramanathan t...
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Ep. 506: What Does 137% Hike in Health Budget Mean? from 2021-02-04T00:35:10
A major highlight of the Budget 2021-22 was the 137% increase in the budget allocation towards health. Sunila Dixit talks to Sarthak Pradhan and Apurva Kumar about the details of this hike and h...
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Ep. 505: Unpacking Budget 2021 from 2021-02-03T00:35:06
This year's budget included several welcome steps such as higher infrastructure funding and a greater allocation to healthcare. It also included newer ways to raise resources, such as the use of...
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Ep. 504: Asia's Cold Frontier: Tracking Japan - Russia Ties from 2021-02-02T00:35:08
As immediate neighbours, Japan and Russia have an uneasy relationship going back centuries. A long-standing territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands has held back the promise of widening econo...
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Ep. 503: Alexei Navalny - The Face of the Russian Opposition? from 2021-02-01T00:35:06
Following the arrest of well known Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, an unprecedented number of protests have broken out across Russia. Navalny has received widespread media attention across the wo...
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Ep. 502: What Angkor Teaches Us About India from 2021-01-29T00:35:08
Southeast Asia is generally thought of as being "Indianised" for much of its history - but what does that actually mean? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan discuss the kingdom of Angkor in ...
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Ep. 501: How to Foster Science and Tech in India from 2021-01-28T00:35:05
The Draft 5th Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 outlines a grand vision for Indian science over the coming years. But is it a feasible one? Aditya Ramanathan and Shambhavi Naik disc...
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Ep. 500: Behind the Scenes at All Things Policy from 2021-01-27T00:35:09
On 27 January, All Things Policy, the world's only daily public policy podcast, marked 500 episodes. Manoj Kewalramani talks to Aditya Ramanathan and Anirudh Kanisetti about the surprising origi...
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Ep. 499: What Should India Do With Its Rare Earth Reserves? from 2021-01-25T00:35:09
Rare earth underpins the Indian economy. But despite being home to the world's fifth-largest rare earth reserves, India overwhelmingly imports these crucial resources and their derivatives from ...
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Ep. 498: How Not to Secure Women's Liberty from 2021-01-22T00:35:09
The Madhya Pradesh government recently proposed that women living away from home must register with police stations to be tracked. This may have serious implications for the mobility and privacy...
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Ep. 497: The Vaccine Update: India's Rollout and Beyond from 2021-01-21T00:35:05
As India launches the first phase of its COVID-19 vaccination programme, Shambhavi Naik talks to Rohan Seth about domestic and international developments, India's vaccine diplomacy, and the cruc...
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Ep. 496: Launching India's Space Start-ups into Orbit from 2021-01-20T00:35:05
As Bengaluru-based start-up Pixxel prepares for the launch of its first satellite into space, we talk to its CEO, Awais Ahmed, about India's growing commercial space sector, the promise it holds...
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Ep. 495: Declassified: The US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy from 2021-01-19T00:35:06
In an unexpected move last week, the US National Security Advisor declassified the Trump administration’s 2018 U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. What does this tell us about America...
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Ep. 494: Jack and the Ant: A Fairytale that's Ending? from 2021-01-18T00:35:05
China’s financial sector is making global news. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, Alipay and Ant Group, has not been heard from recently, while Chinese regulators are reportedly talking about bre...
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Ep. 493: Can India Displace China in Global Supply Chains? from 2021-01-14T00:35:08
The rise in international tensions and the decline in economic globalisation are often touted as opportunities for India to become a critical part of global supply chains as businesses exit Chin...
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Ep. 492: What Biden Means for India from 2021-01-13T00:35:01
How will Joe Biden's administration approach relations with India? Should Delhi be worried? Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan discuss the prospects for India-US ties in the post-Trump era....
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Ep. 491: Trustbusters! What the Microsoft Case Teaches Us About Antitrust from 2021-01-12T00:35:06
Modern tech monopolies are being subject to antitrust investigations in the US and in India. There are lessons they can learn from Microsoft in the 1990s. Rohan Seth talks to Mihir Mahajan on Mi...
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Ep. 490: What was China’s PLA up to in 2020? from 2021-01-11T00:35:06
The year 2020 was critical for the Chinese armed forces. Its goal of achieving mechanisation was delayed, as were recruitment reforms. Meanwhile, assertion with regard to territorial disputes in...
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Ep. 489: What's Going to Happen in 2021? from 2021-01-08T00:35:02
2020 was one of the most turbulent years in recent history. What's 2021 going to look like? Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane speak to Anirudh Kanisetti about their big economic and geopolitica...
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Ep. 488: Can you Speed up Vaccine Approval? from 2021-01-07T00:35:03
India's approval of two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use has received mixed responses. Shambhavi Naik, Anirudh Kanisetti and Sunila Dixit discuss the approval process, the possible consequenc...
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Ep. 487: Great Books From a Year of Reading from 2021-01-06T00:35:01
2020 has been a strange year. One thing that remained constant at Takshashila was our love for reading. Manoj Kewalramani joins Nitin Pai and Rohan Seth to talk about their reading lists and lea...
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Ep. 486: How Britain Spied on the Seas from 2021-01-05T00:35:04
The Royal Navy has been one of the most formidable forces ever to put to sea in history. Through modern times, the Royal Navy has been served by a well-oiled intelligence machine made of many co...
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Ep. 485: The Curious Case of Markets, Masks and Hand Sanitisers from 2021-01-04T00:35:02
The availability and quality of face masks and hand sanitisers have improved many times over since the pandemic began. How did this happen? Sarthak Pradhan joins Saurabh Modi to discuss how mark...
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Ep. 484: Civilisation: What Ancient Mesopotamia Tells Us about India from 2020-12-28T00:35:14
The Indian Subcontinent had some of the oldest cities in the world - but we know almost nothing about the urban culture of the Indus Valley, especially compared to its contemporaries in ancient ...
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Ep. 483: Quad and the Semiconductor Value Chain from 2020-12-24T00:35:03
The semiconductor value chain is one of the most diverse supply chains in the tech world. No one country has been successful in having a completely domestic supply chain. Could collaborations wi...
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Ep. 482: How Can Citizens Make Cities Better? from 2020-12-23T00:35:10
While Indians lavish attention on general and state elections, democracy at the municipal tends to be ignored or hijacked by extraneous issues. In this episode, Suman Joshi, programme manager fo...
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Ep. 481: Should AYUSH Doctors Perform Surgeries? from 2020-12-22T00:35:05
Ep. 480: Europe's China Dilemma from 2020-12-21T00:35:08
Even as incoming US President Joe Biden vows to craft a "coherent strategy" on China, the European Union is trying to clinch a trade deal with Beijing. How do Europeans view the rise of China? A...
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Ep. 479: What are China's Lunar Ambitions? from 2020-12-18T00:35:02
China's Change 5 mission returned to Earth after a 23-day mission to the moon during which it collected two kilograms of lunar samples. What does this mission tell us about China's lunar program...
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Ep. 478: Surprises in the National Family Health Survey from 2020-12-17T00:35:08
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the findings of the first phase of the National Family Health Survey 5. While indicators on family planning and vaccination have improved, the ...
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Ep. 477: Is the FTC Suit Against Facebook Fair? from 2020-12-16T00:35:05
The US Federal Trade Commission is suing Facebook for its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. Is Facebook monopolising the personal social networking marketplace? Anupam Manur and Rohan Seth...
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Ep. 476: India-China Ties: The Strategic Dimension from 2020-12-15T00:35:01
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said this week that the relationship with China had been “significantly damaged” this year. In fact, as winter sets in, multiple rounds of talks at the Corp...
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Ep. 475: Bear's Den: Why Does Russia Want A Naval Base in the Red Sea? from 2020-12-14T00:35:08
Russia is planning to lease a naval base in Sudan for at least 25 years. Aditya Pareek talks to Aditya Ramanathan about Moscow's underlying ambitions, the geopolitics driving this move, and the ...
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Ep. 474: Is India Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine Soon? from 2020-12-11T00:35:08
Vaccines are being approved for emergency use in countries like the UK and Canada. Can India do the same? Sunila Dixit talks to Shambhavi Naik about the status of various vaccine candidates, a p...
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Ep. 473: Could Spies Avert the Next Pandemic? from 2020-12-10T00:35:11
As threats from disease outbreaks and ecological disasters grow, should intelligence agencies be tasked with tracking them? What are the potential benefits and pitfalls of such a move? Takshashi...
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Ep. 472: Is Corporate Ownership of Banks a Good Idea? from 2020-12-09T00:35:06
An internal working group set up by RBI recommended allowing corporate houses to own and operate banks. Sarthak Pradhan joins Saurabh Modi to discuss the reasoning behind the move and the new ch...
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Ep. 471: The Death of a Scientist and the Future of Iran’s Nuclear Programme from 2020-12-08T00:35:02
The killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has dimmed prospects for a renewed nuclear deal with Iran. Will US President-elect Joe Biden be able to resume talks? And how will the...
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Ep. 470: Does One Nation, One Election Make Sense? from 2020-12-07T00:35:07
Recently, on the Constitution Day, the Prime Minister called for replacing current election cycles with simultaneous elections. While this is not a new idea, does it solve the challenges of hold...
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Ep. 469: Is India Really Closer to Achieving its Sanitation Goals? from 2020-12-04T00:35:08
A new WHO report, State of the World's Sanitation, reveals what progress has been made and what remains to be done. What are the social factors affecting the utilization of sanitation facilities...
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Ep. 468: Guidelines for Cab Aggregators: The good, the bad, and the unnecessary from 2020-12-03T00:35:02
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has issued new Motor Vehicle Aggregators guidelines. These have some serious implications for companies like Uber and Ola. Rohan Seth talks to Anupa...
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Ep. 467: Dropping Out of RCEP: An Opportunity Lost for India from 2020-12-02T00:35:10
For a larger regional and global presence, India needs to be pro-active in joining free trade agreements. Dropping out of RCEP is an opportunity lost to push the Indian industry towards greater ...
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Ep. 466: Lessons to Learn on Big Tech Regulation from 2020-12-01T00:35:06
Both the US and Europe have attempted to regulate 'Big Tech' effectively. Soon, it will be India's turn to work out new ground rules for these novel technologies and business practices. Atish Pa...
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Ep. 465: Should 2020 be a Zero Year for Education? from 2020-11-30T00:35:04
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequalities in India's education sector. While many schools and colleges have resorted to online classes, millions of students struggle to get access to the r...
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Ep. 464: How Effective Are the New COVID Vaccines? from 2020-11-27T00:35:04
How is vaccine effectiveness calculated? Should ministers be part of vaccine clinical trials?
Sunila Dixit is joined by Ameya Paleja and Shambhavi Naik to discuss the latest developments i...
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Ep. 463: How Not To Regulate Disinformation from 2020-11-26T00:35:08
The Kerala State government has backed down from amending its Police Act to include imprisonment for social media posts considered "offensive" or "defamatory". But different efforts to tackle di...
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Ep. 462: The World Health Assembly Meets Amid a Pandemic from 2020-11-25T00:35:03
While the pandemic rages on without end, the 73rd World Health Assembly has passed important resolutions relating to vaccination, food security, and other diseases. Manoj Kewalramani and Sunila ...
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Ep. 461: India's Marathon: Surya Prakash BS on Reimagining India's Revenue from 2020-11-24T00:35:04
The Takshashila Institution has launched a new book, India's Marathon: Reshaping the Post-Pandemic World Order, a collection of essays by public intellectuals about our changing world and what I...
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Ep. 460: India's Marathon: Kunal Singh on Leveraging the India-US Partnership from 2020-11-23T00:35:09
The Takshashila Institution has launched a new book, India's Marathon: Reshaping the Post-Pandemic World Order, a collection of essays by public intellectuals about our changing world and what I...
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Ep. 459: India's Marathon: Shruti Rajagopalan on India's Strength in Numbers from 2020-11-20T00:35:01
The Takshashila Institution has launched a new book, India's Marathon: Reshaping the Post-Pandemic World Order, a collection of essays by public intellectuals about our changing world and what I...
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Ep. 458: India's Marathon: Raja Karthikeya on India as an International Mediator from 2020-11-19T00:35:04
The Takshashila Institution has launched a new book, India's Marathon: Reshaping the Post-Pandemic World Order, a collection of essays by public intellectuals about our changing world and what I...
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Ep. 457: India's Marathon: Ameya Naik on India and the Rules-Based International Order from 2020-11-18T00:35:07
Ep. 456: India's Marathon: Alok Prasanna Kumar on Reforming India's Institutions from 2020-11-17T00:35:09
The Takshashila Institution has launched a new book, India's Marathon: Reshaping the Post-Pandemic World Order, a collection of essays by public intellectuals about our changing world and what I...
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Ep. 455: Pfizer and the Hunt for a COVID-19 Vaccine from 2020-11-13T00:35:10
What does Pfizer’s announcement about its COVID-19 vaccine mean? Why did Brazil halt China’s SinoVac vaccine trial? When will Serum Institute’s vaccine be ready? Manoj Kewalramani is joined by A...
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Ep. 454: What India's Information Ecosystem Can Learn from the US Elections from 2020-11-12T00:35:02
Information disorder took center-stage in the 2020 US elections, with mass-media and social media platforms both amplifying and containing narratives. What lessons can the information ecosystem ...
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Ep. 453: How Will Biden Deal With China? from 2020-11-11T00:35:08
Will a Biden administration get tougher on Beijing? Will it ease the pressure? Or will it be more of the same? Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss what the comin...
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Ep. 452: What Ancient Egypt Tells Us About Ourselves from 2020-11-10T00:35:09
Cleopatra, the last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt is closer to our time than the Great Pyramid of Giza was to her time. How did ancient Egypt last so long? And how did it combine dynamism with...
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Ep. 451: What Today's Submarines Owe to the Cold War and WWII from 2020-11-09T00:35:02
The cutting edge features in naval submarines today are the legacy of Cold War-era technologies that were, in turn, derived from both Axis and Allied efforts from the 1930s. Suyash Desai and Adi...
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Ep. 450: China's Plan for the Next Five Years from 2020-11-06T00:35:06
China held the fifth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party Central Committee last week. The primary task was to assess the results of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) and consider the d...
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Ep. 449: Rags to Riches: The Mystery of Social Mobility in India from 2020-11-05T00:35:03
Social mobility refers to a change in one's social status relative to one's current social location. What are the factors impacting social mobility? What is the extent of social mobility in Indi...
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Ep. 448: The Political Theatre of Section 230 from 2020-11-04T00:35:09
The US Senate questioned the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, and Google on whether Section 230- which shields them from liability for the actions of online users - enables their own 'bad behaviour'. ...
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Ep. 447: The Perils of Stubble Burning from 2020-11-03T00:35:07
Stubble burning in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh contributes to air pollution in North India during the wintertime. Sowmya Nandan talks to Sunila Dixit about the causes behind...
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Ep. 446: How Australia Sees the Indo-Pacific from 2020-11-02T00:35:06
In a historic development, Australia will join the Malabar naval exercise in November along with India, the US and Japan. High Commissioner Barry O'Farell joins Nitin Pai and Pranay Kotasthane t...
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Ep. 445: Understanding the Taliban's Strategies for War and Peace from 2020-10-30T00:35:07
The United States, the Afghan government, and the Taliban are vying for advantage in the ongoing talks. In a conversation with Pranay Kotasthane and Aditya Ramanathan, Takshashila's distinguishe...
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Ep. 444: Reforming the Power Sector OR Can we have less power cuts? from 2020-10-29T00:35:07
Reforms are long overdue in India's power sector. Does the recent draft Electricity Amendment Bill offer viable solutions? Anupam Manur and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the challenges India's power s...
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Ep. 443: Is Herd Immunity a Viable Strategy for COVID-19? from 2020-10-28T00:35:05
A recent declaration from a group of experts calls for a different strategy to deal with COVID-19: one of achieving herd immunity while protecting the vulnerable. The majority of experts oppose ...
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Ep. 442: Making Content Policy for Hate Speech from 2020-10-27T00:35:01
It has been a busy time for content moderation and social media. Facebook has updated its policy on holocaust denial and Delhi’s Peace and Harmony Committee recently talked about the outcomes of...
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Ep. 441: The Paradoxes of Pakistani Politics from 2020-10-26T00:35:02
What’s fuelling political instability in Pakistan? Why are opposition parties rallying behind former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - and against army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa? Has the COVI...
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Ep. 440: Who Really Wrote the Arthashastra? from 2020-10-23T00:35:10
The Arthashastra is famously believed to have been composed by Chanakya, the prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. But a new wave of scholarship is challenging that idea. Was Chanakya real? Who...
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Ep. 439: Submarine Cables: Why They Matter and Who Threatens Them from 2020-10-22T00:35:05
Around 97% of all global communications are facilitated by submarine telecom cables. These cables, and the online connectivity they enable, are crucial to India's economic recovery and progress....
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Ep. 438: Mental Health and the Pandemic from 2020-10-21T00:35:03
Prolonged periods of isolation and loss of jobs due to COVID-19 have resulted in rising cases of suicide, depression, and anxiety. Open conversations about mental health are the best way to addr...
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Ep. 437: To Break or Not to Break: Discussing the US Congressional Report on Antitrust from 2020-10-20T00:35:01
The US Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law came out with a 449-page report on monopoly power in digital markets. How might recommendations from this report impact the f...
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Ep. 436: What's Happening in Space? from 2020-10-19T00:35:08
It's been an eventful couple of weeks in matters relating to space, with eight nations signing an agreement on moon exploration and new advances in the reusable craft.
Suyash Desai talks t...
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Ep. 435: How the Portuguese Influenced India's Culture from 2020-10-16T00:35:05
From a transformation of cuisines to vanishing creole languages to loan words we use every day, the influence of Portugal on the fabric of life in the subcontinent is endlessly fascinating. Anir...
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Ep. 434: The Hidden Realities Behind Crime Statistics from 2020-10-15T00:35:16
What state has the worst crime rates? That's not easy to tell because crime statistics in India aren't always accurate reflections of the actual crime situation. In this episode, Sowmya Nandan a...
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Ep. 433: China’s Blueprint for Data Security from 2020-10-14T00:35:03
China recently launched the Global Data Security Initiative, laying out eight important principles. One of these principles talks about the need to use judicial processes to provide law enforcem...
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Ep. 432: The Trials and Tribulations of ASHAs from 2020-10-13T00:35:02
Why did India's auxiliary health workers, the ASHAs, go on strike? Sunila Dixit talks to Anirudh Kanisetti about the challenges ASHAs have faced - the increased burden from the COVID-19 pandemic...
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Ep. 431: Taiwan's China Threat from 2020-10-12T00:35:07
Tensions between China and Taiwan are on the rise due to repeated Chinese military drills and activities in the Taiwan Strait. In this episode, Manoj and Suyash talk to Sunila about what it mean...
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Ep. 430: How Can States Help Themselves? from 2020-10-09T00:35:02
The stalemate between the Union and the states with regards to GST compensation continues. Even if it is resolved, it is going to be a temporary fix. States will need to explore ways to leverage...
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Ep. 429: Does Facebook Risk Antitrust Action? from 2020-10-08T00:35:08
Facebook reportedly aims to integrate Messenger and Instagram Direct. While this may have been in the works all along, it's now stirring murmurs about US antitrust action. Aditya Ramanathan join...
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Ep. 428: Ethics in Clinical Trials from 2020-10-07T00:35:09
ICMR's 2017 ethical guidelines need a revision, with more focus on fundamental principles that govern the moral decisions and on ethical dilemmas that arise while conducting clinical trials/biom...
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Ep. 427: How Should We Disagree Online? from 2020-10-06T00:35:02
Interventions against problematic discourse online can result in amplifying it due a combination of group dynamics and algorithmic reward. For example, retweeting something controversial to debu...
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Ep. 426: Choppy Waters in the South China Sea from 2020-10-05T00:35:12
As China asserts itself once again in the South China Sea, the United States outlines a new position, and regional actors react cautiously, Suyash Desai discusses the latest development and Indi...
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Ep. 425: How China's Belt and Road Initiative is Adapting to COVID from 2020-10-01T00:35:03
Even as the world is buffeted by a global pandemic and massive economic slowdowns, China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is quietly adapting to the new realities. In a conversation wi...
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Ep. 424: Celebrities and Vaccines, From the 19th Century to the Present from 2020-09-30T00:35:10
Can celebrities help build trust in a new vaccine? Shambhavi Naik and Anirudh Kanisetti talk to Aditya Ramanathan about the historical role celebrities have played in facilitating vaccinations i...
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Ep. 423: Online Fashion Vs Amazon from 2020-09-29T00:35:01
Why did the Competition Commission of India rule in favour of Amazon in an antitrust case brought by a fashion brand? Rohan Seth and Prateek Waghre discuss this ruling and its implications.
<... Listen
Ep. 422: Why Great Powers Procrastinate from 2020-09-28T00:35:08
Why did the United States aid and abet China's rise instead of "strangling the baby in the cradle"? Manoj Kewalramani, Pranay Kotasthane, and Aditya Ramanathan discuss the arguments of political...
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Ep. 421: India's Sea War Against Germany and Japan from 2020-09-25T00:35:02
From 1939 to 1945, the Royal Indian Navy fought on the high seas in the greatest conflict in human history. In this episode, Commodore Odakkal Johnson, director of the Maritime History Society j...
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Ep. 420: Reforming the Information Technology Act from 2020-09-24T00:35:02
The Internet in India is governed by the IT Act. But the powers this law gives the state need to be balanced with due process and adequate safeguards. Rohan Seth and Prateek Waghre are joined by...
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Ep. 419: Military Revolutions: Past, Present, and Future from 2020-09-23T00:35:07
Recent Pentagon reports indicate that China is quickly leveling the scales against the US by building up its military. New frontiers in military technology are constantly being pushed, from hype...
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Ep. 418: Serosurveys and the True Picture of the Pandemic in India from 2020-09-22T00:35:01
India's national and state/city level serosurveys have come up with concerning results. The disparity between the estimated number of cases based on seroprevalence and the actual number of cases...
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Ep. 417: Inside China's National Security State from 2020-09-21T00:35:04
Ever since Xi Jinping assumed power in China in late 2012, concerns about domestic stability, external challenges, and the resilience of Party rule have led to the building of a national securit...
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Ep. 416: Whose History is it Anyway? from 2020-09-18T00:35:03
Do statues, monuments and buildings represent history? Or just the preoccupations of those that erected them? Should statues of problematic figures be taken down? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ra...
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Ep. 415: The Wicked Problem of Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour from 2020-09-17T00:35:06
CIB or Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour is a precise-sounding term that remains imprecise. As the recent Buzzfeed exposé on Facebook highlights, platform action against such activities is often...
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Ep. 414: Why Neglecting Opportunity Costs Leads to Bad Policy from 2020-09-16T00:35:07
Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is foregone when exercising a particular option. Any good public policy needs to take this into account, to avoid an inefficient a...
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Ep. 413: How Can We Vaccinate India? from 2020-09-15T00:35:04
Once a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is available, who should get inoculated first? And how will India vaccinate at least 800 million of its citizens? Shambhavi Naik and Ameya Paleja d...
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Ep. 412: Making Sense of the LAC Standoff from 2020-09-14T00:35:09
Is the joint statement between India and China on 10th September a sign that the two sides are finding a way to end their standoff on the LAC? Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Aditya Rama...
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Ep. 411: When Japan Tried to Invade China from 2020-09-11T00:35:04
The Imjin War of the late sixteenth century changed the fates of Japan, Korea, and China. But what was it all about? And why does it have such a powerful grip on modern imaginations? Anirudh Kan...
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Ep. 410: Should the State Set Rules for Content Moderation? from 2020-09-10T00:35:01
Reports suggest that India is looking to formulate guidelines for consistent content moderation across social media platforms. What triggered this development? Is it better than the status quo? ...
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Ep. 409: How to Increase India's State Capacity from 2020-09-09T00:35:07
As India struggles with the COVID19 pandemic, questions about the capacity of the state have come to the forefront. What are the factors which influence state capacity? What can we do to bolster...
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Ep. 408: Should the Government Collect Health Data? from 2020-09-08T00:35:04
The new National Health Data Management Policy creates a framework for collecting citizens' medical data. Sunila Dixit, Shambhavi Naik, and Prateek Waghre discuss the provisions of this policy, ...
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Ep. 407: China Military Report from 2020-09-07T00:35:07
The Pentagon’s 2020 China Military Power report emphasizes the advances made by the Chinese armed forces towards achieving "world-class" force status. Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Suyash Desai to...
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Ep. 406: Xi Jinping's Plans for Tibet from 2020-09-04T00:35:05
In a landmark speech last week, China's President Xi Jinping laid out Beijing's strategy for securing Tibet. What do China's plans mean for the people of Tibet? And what could be the impact on I...
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Ep. 405: How Can India be More Disabled Friendly? from 2020-09-03T00:35:09
The United Nations has released its first-ever guidelines on making justice systems more accessible to people with disabilities. India has the Right to Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, but it...
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Ep. 404: How the Pandemic Has Affected Indian Women from 2020-09-02T00:35:06
As the Indian economy struggles with the aftermath of lockdowns and preexisting problems, COVID-19 has now spread across the length and breadth of the country. One of the most serious consequenc...
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Ep. 403: Can Our Public Spaces Return to Normalcy? from 2020-09-01T00:35:04
The pandemic has transformed attitudes towards public spaces like schools, movie theatres, and offices. When can these return to normalcy? And how? Rohan Seth talks to Shambhavi Naik to better u...
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Ep. 402: Strategic Autonomy: What It Means for India from 2020-08-31T00:35:08
As India's relations with China deteriorate, what sort of ties should it seek with the United States? Lt General Prakash Menon talks to Suyash Desai and Aditya Ramanathan about the way ahead. Listen
Ep. 401: The Forgotten Heritage of the Deccan from 2020-08-28T00:35:07
From the 14th to the 17th centuries, the Sultanates of the Deccan embarked on a remarkable experiment in globalisation and regionalisation. This is reflected in their art, politics, and culture,...
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Ep. 400: The Scale of the Pandemic in India from 2020-08-27T00:35:05
Serosurveys conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune have thrown up some interesting findings on the possible scale of COVID-19 infection in India, showing a huge difference between the prevalence o...
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Ep. 399: Revamping India's Labour Laws from 2020-08-26T00:35:02
Labour laws in India are complex and rigid. In the last few months, several state governments have announced changes to these old rules. But are the steps in the right direction? Anupam Manur an...
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Ep. 398: WhatsApp Pay Antitrust case from 2020-08-25T00:35:01
In a forty-one page order, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) last week ruled on an antitrust case on WhatsApp’s upcoming payments service. The order raised several crucial points, includ...
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Ep. 397: Does History Shape Foreign Policy? from 2020-08-24T00:35:01
Public discourse often attempts to explain the actions of nation-states through
"civilisational worldviews". China, for example, is believed to have a "Middle Kingdom" approach to foreign pol...
Ep. 396: An Extraordinary Life in the British Raj from 2020-08-21T00:35:03
Stuck in the trenches of the Western Front in Europe, a soldier named Mir Mast took a very important decision that sent him on a remarkable journey through the 20th century world. Involving fami...
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Ep. 395: Restructuring India's Public Health Sector from 2020-08-20T00:35:04
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suffers from a lack of clear division of responsibilities, a platform for inter-sectoral coordination and conflicts of interest. These weaknesses have b...
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Ep. 394: Regulating India's Wet Markets from 2020-08-19T00:35:04
While a wet market in Wuhan has become notorious for being the likely place of origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, some of India's own wet markets are plagued by problems like unhygienic conditions ...
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Ep. 393: How Big Tech Sees the World from 2020-08-18T00:35:05
Geographies and domestic politics have a profound impact on how big tech operates. This is evident when we examine the stance tech companies have taken on racial justice issues in the US, compar...
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Ep. 392: Pivoting towards Taiwan from 2020-08-17T00:35:05
The standoff in Eastern Ladakh has led to a number of calls for India to deepen the relationship with Taiwan. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Sana Hashmi, Taiwan Fellow at the Insti...
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Ep. 391: The Secrets of Bengaluru's Past from 2020-08-14T00:35:01
The recorded history of Bengaluru, one of India's most dynamic cities, goes back well over a thousand years. However, it's a past that offers us only the most tantalising glimpses - through hero...
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Ep. 390: Ensuring Nutrition Amid a Pandemic from 2020-08-13T00:35:02
COVID-19 has worsened the problem of malnutrition in India because it has disrupted two critical programmes: the ICDS and Mid-Day Meal Scheme. However, after initial setbacks, the Union and stat...
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Ep. 389: Reforming India's Agricultural Markets from 2020-08-12T00:35:05
Agricultural markets in India have long been characterized by multiple trade barriers and uncompetitive policies. The Union government has passed three ordinances permitting trade outside the ph...
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Ep. 388: The Promise and Perils of Facial Recognition from 2020-08-11T00:35:05
Facial recognition technology and its applications have been advancing, even in the absence of adequate privacy laws. Facial data is personal, sensitive, and potentially permanent - and it is be...
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Ep. 387: Confucian Confusion: India Reviews Work of CIs from 2020-08-10T00:35
Amid the standoff at the LAC, the Indian government is reportedly reviewing the work of Confucius Institutes in the country. These institutes have come under increasing scrutiny around the world...
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Ep. 386: Gender and the Indian City from 2020-08-07T00:35:04
Are Indian cities equal spaces for everyone? Do social expectations determine how accepting an urban space is to people of different genders? What do gender relations in our homes have to do wit...
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Ep. 385: Is India Prepared for Gene Edited Humans? from 2020-08-06T00:35:03
The technology to modify the human genome is here, potentially signaling a transformation of societies and economies. In the light of WHO's draft framework on governing human gene editing, Aniru...
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Ep. 384: The Puzzle of Tech Clusters from 2020-08-05T00:35:05
Tech clusters play a leading role in fostering innovation, creating jobs, and attracting investments. In this episode, Sarthak Pradhan and Pranay Kotasthane discuss what makes tech clusters work...
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Ep. 383: Antitrust Enquiry and Tech Giants from 2020-08-04T00:35:05
Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, and Jeff Bezos attended an antitrust enquiry last week. The tech giants were grilled on issues ranging from conservative bias to platform neutrality. Th...
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Ep. 382: Securing the Future: India’s Options Amid the LAC Standoff from 2020-08-03T00:35:08
While India and China are in talks to disengage in Eastern Ladakh, what are the long-term implications of the standoff for bilateral ties? Manoj Kewalramani talks to Ambassador Nirupama Rao and ...
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Ep. 381: Did India Win in Doklam? from 2020-07-31T00:35:04
The 2017 India-China standoff in Doklam, at a crucial trijunction between India, China, and Bhutan, was widely hailed as a victory for India. But was it? In the light of new satellite imagery, A...
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Ep. 380: Disconnecting From Huawei from 2020-07-30T00:35:01
The past few weeks have been tough for Huawei, as the UK and France have moved to reduce their dependence on it for their 5G networks. What’s prompted this change? Is India also likely to follow...
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Ep. 379: The Twitter Hack and Data Protection from 2020-07-29T00:35:02
Twitter’s recent hack has raised concerns about data protection. But would the current Indian Data Protection Bill, which is being reviewed by Parliament, have been effective in tackling these c...
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Ep. 378: India's Arctic Ambitions from 2020-07-28T00:35:01
Why should India care about what happens in the polar regions? And why has it sought greater influence in Arctic governance? Aditya Ramanathan talks to Anirudh Kanisetti about India's fascinatin...
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Ep. 377: Why Don't We Have Underwater Aircraft Carriers? from 2020-07-27T00:35:08
In the Second World War, Japan tried to develop a whole class of submarines that worked as small aircraft carriers. Why did the idea not catch on after 1945? Why do some military innovations rea...
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Ep. 376: Personal Memory and History from 2020-07-24T00:35:06
Why do diaries written in times of tumult have such appeal to us even today? What place do they hold in history? Manoj Kewalramani and Ganesh Chakravarthi discuss how personal, anecdotal, and fi...
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Ep. 375: The Grand Challenge of Weaponising the Economy from 2020-07-23T00:35:05
Economic interdependence was supposed to bring peace but it also gives states the leverage they can use to coerce each other. Manoj Kewalramani talks to Pranay Kotasthane and Aditya Ramanathan a...
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Ep. 374: Beijing's Bid for Supremacy in the South China Sea from 2020-07-22T00:35:06
Even as China seeks to enforce its territorial claims in the South China Sea, the United States has reacted strongly. What are China's aims in the region? And how should India react? Suyash Desa...
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Ep. 373: Getting Children Back to Schooling from 2020-07-21T00:35:01
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on school education. But if schools can't open, how can students continue their education in a country with limited Internet access? Takshashil...
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Ep. 372: How to do More COVID-19 Testing from 2020-07-20T00:35:02
India has no shortage of diagnostic labs but it isn't testing enough people for COVID-19. To understand why, Takshashila's Pranay Kotasthane talks to NIPFP researchers Harleen Kaur and Siddharth...
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Ep. 371: A COVID-19 Vaccine Made in India? from 2020-07-17T00:35:03
The ICMR recently stoked controversy by asking hospitals to participate in clinical trials for developing a COVID-19 vaccine by August 15. Is this a realistic deadline? What does it tell us abou...
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Ep. 370: How China Sees India from 2020-07-16T00:35:05
How do China's public policy thinkers and strategic community view India's rise? How did social media in China react to the Galwan clash? Delhi Policy Group's Antara Ghosal Singh joins Takshashi...
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Ep. 369: Should Companies Boycott Social Media? from 2020-07-15T00:35:03
Social media platforms, especially Facebook, have been facing an ad boycott from companies such as Unilever and Starbucks that are demanding they address concerns misinformation and hate speech ...
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Ep. 368: A Mountain Strike Corps to Deter China? from 2020-07-14T00:35:02
As India considers its options to deter China along the LAC, some are pushing for a revival of the Mountain Strike Corps idea. But what is a Mountain Strike Corps? Why has it not taken shape for...
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Ep. 367: The State of India's Judiciary from 2020-07-13T00:35:05
How has India's judiciary functioned in India's changing social conditions and political milieu? Are there differences in the way the Supreme Court, high courts, and district courts respond to t...
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Ep. 366: Talking Turkey in India from 2020-07-10T00:35:01
Are there parallels between Turkish and Indian politics? Why has Turkey been drawn into the Middle East's wars? And how do Turkey and India see each other? Journalist Madhuvanthi Srinivasan talk...
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Ep. 365: Crafting India's Strategy for China from 2020-07-09T00:35:01
Should India balance against China by drawing closer to the United States? Or should it adopt a more subtle strategy that allows it to keep its options open? Historian and strategist Zorawar Dau...
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Ep. 364: China Tightens it Noose Around Hong Kong from 2020-07-08T00:35:03
China is tightening its grip on Hong Kong through a new national security law. The law's sweeping provisions give Beijing powers to crack down on political opposition both offline and online. Ma...
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Ep. 363: Oil Prices and the Hidden Game of Governments from 2020-07-07T00:35:02
Why are consumers paying more for their petrol and diesel when crude oil prices are low? What do the Union and state governments do to control prices at the pump? Who else benefits? Pranay Kotas...
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Ep. 362: COVID and Coronil from 2020-07-06T00:35:02
Ayurvedic formulations touting to cure COVID-19 have raised questions both about their claims and the scientific rigour of their clinical trials. Prateek Waghre talks to Sunila Dixit and Shambha...
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Ep. 361: China Through Indian Eyes from 2020-07-03T00:35
What's it like to study politics and international relations in China? And how does India fit into the Chinese world view? Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Hamsini Hariharan, an analyst and Yenching ...
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Ep. 360: Will the TikTok Ban Work? from 2020-07-02T00:35:05
The Government of India has banned 59 apps developed by Chinese companies - but what does it actually mean to "ban" an app? How will this affect tensions between India and China, and does bannin...
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Ep. 359: China's Ambitions in the Subcontinent from 2020-07-01T00:35:02
There’s been a growing debate in India about China’s influence in the Indian subcontinent. How has China’s role in the region evolved? What’s China been upto during the pandemic? And is a Sino-I...
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Ep. 358: How Should India Deal With China? from 2020-06-30T00:35:01
Even as it tries to make sense of what happened in the Galwan Valley, India needs to make a serious reassessment of its policy towards China. In this episode, Nitin Pai and Manoj Kewalramani joi...
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Ep. 357: Galwan Clash: Understanding Chinese Propaganda and Reportage from 2020-06-29T00:35:10
How has the Chinese media reported the LAC standoff with India? Why has Chinese media not pushed for clarity on casualty figures from the Galwan clash? How has Chinese social media reacted to th...
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Ep. 356: Making Sense of the Galwan Valley Incident from 2020-06-26T00:35:01
The 15 June clashes in the Galwan Valley have resulted in heightened military and political tensions between India and China. For a deeper insight into the developments, in this episode, Manoj K...
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Ep. 355: Can India and China Fight and Trade? from 2020-06-25T00:35:01
Should India boycott Chinese goods? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane look at some of the common reasons given for banning Chinese products and why they're wrong.
You can...
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Ep. 354: Ordering the Information Disorder from 2020-06-24T00:35:05
COVID-19 has also unleashed a parallel pandemic of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. How are social media platforms in India responding to this information disorder? How will it...
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Ep. 353: COVID-19: A Testing Strategy for India from 2020-06-23T00:35:03
As COVID-19 continues to spread in India, it’s becoming clear that governments at all levels, not just the Union, need to get involved in fighting it. Dr. Shambhavi Naik joins Anirudh Kanisetti ...
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Ep. 352: How a Pandemic Creates New National Security Risks from 2020-06-22T00:35:07
What are the new national security threats India will face amid a global pandemic? How can it anticipate these threats and prepare for them? Pranay Kotasthane and Aditya Ramanathan talk to Manoj...
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Ep. 351: What the Second World War tells us about COVID-19 from 2020-06-19T00:35:04
In the 1930s, the US was an inward-looking country struggling with a collapsing economy and spiralling unemployment. But by 1945, it was on the winning side of the Second World War, manufacturin...
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Ep. 350: The Geopolitics of a COVID-19 Vaccine from 2020-06-18T00:35:03
Companies, institutions and governments around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. How will the country that gets there first use the vaccine to its advantage? Nitin Pai,...
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Ep. 349: Treating COVID-19 from 2020-06-17T00:35:08
While much attention is paid to developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, what are the treatments being tested or developed? Shambhavi Naik and Sunila Dixit join Aditya Ramanathan to look at the pote...
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Ep. 348: How Russia Plans for Nuclear War from 2020-06-16T00:35:02
What does Russia's new document on nuclear deterrence say about how it thinks about the ultimate weapon? Does Russia have a policy of escalate to de-escalate? Aditya Ramnathan and Pranav RS talk...
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Ep. 347: SARS-CoV-2 and the Biological Weapons Convention from 2020-06-15T00:35:07
Most scientists have rubbished the idea that the novel coronavirus is a biological weapon. Their position could be bolstered by having the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) to investigate the ...
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Ep. 346: Modi and Morrison - India and Australia Draw Closer from 2020-06-12T00:35:03
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison for a "virtual summit" last week, with the two countries striking significant agreements on everything from mining to m...
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Ep. 345: A Chip on China's Shoulder: The Geopolitics of Semiconductors from 2020-06-11T00:35:06
Have you ever thought about what goes into manufacturing a smartphone that you might order online? It involves highly-optimised global supply chains spanning countries and continents. US-China r...
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Ep. 344: When Should India Reopen Its Schools? from 2020-06-10T00:35:08
As lockdown restrictions are lifted across India, some states have announced plans to reopen schools. India’s children need to continue their education, and their parents need to go back to work...
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Ep. 343: What's Happening on the LAC With China? from 2020-06-09T00:35:02
China and India are involved in intense stand-offs at multiple points across the LAC for over a month. China's aggression has approval from Xi Jinping and is driven by domestic pressures, says J...
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Ep. 342: Locking Horns on the LAC from 2020-06-08T00:35:08
For over a month now, troops from India and China have been locked in a standoff along the LAC in Ladakh. While media speculation has been rife, both governments have been fairly tight-lipped. I...
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Ep. 341: Is the Clock ticking for TikTok? from 2020-06-05T00:35:04
The idea of banning the TikTok app has been continually trending on Twitter. Critics cite the app's Chinese roots and some of its problematic user-generated content. But does a ban work as a pol...
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Ep. 340: One Country, One System: China’s Toughening HK Policy from 2020-06-04T00:35:04
China’s decision to press ahead with a new national security legislation has led to much speculation about the future of Hong Kong. What’s driving Beijing’s policies and what could be the conseq...
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Ep. 339: Choppy Waters: Assertion in the South China Sea from 2020-06-03T00:35:06
What’s driving China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea? Is this a matter of pandemic opportunism or could there be other factors motivating Beijing? Anirudh Kanisetti discusses all this and...
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Ep. 338: Spying on your Neighbour from 2020-06-02T00:35:02
Governments are advocating for social pressure to ensure compliance with lockdowns. Is this wise? And should social media play a role? Prateek Waghre talks to Mira Swaminathan and Shubhika Saluj...
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Best Of Last Week from 2020-06-01T00:35:06
India has one of the cheapest internet rates in the world. One gigabyte of data can cost as little as ₹18, while in other countries it may run into hundreds of rupees. How is this possible? Anup...
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Ep. 337: Cheap Internet: Reliance and the Telecom Sector in India from 2020-06-01T00:35:06
India has one of the cheapest internet rates in the world. One gigabyte of data can cost as little as ?18, while in other countries it may run into hundreds of rupees. How is this possible? Anup...
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Ep. 336: Managing Civil-Military Relations? from 2020-05-29T00:35:03
With the establishment of the position of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) there also came the new Department of Military Affairs (DMA). In this episode, Pranay Kotasthane talks to Lt General (ret) ...
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Ep. 335: Lift Off: Space policy reforms and the private sector in India from 2020-05-28T00:35:06
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced that the Union government will provide a predictable space policy and regulatory environment for private players. But are the measures anno...
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Ep. 334: Call of Duty: Short-term service in armed forces from 2020-05-27T00:35:05
The Union government recently announced a new recruitment plan called "Tour of Duty" to recruit young soldiers and officers for a term of three years. Will this help reduce the burden of pension...
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Ep. 333: Krishnadevaraya: The Man and the Myth from 2020-05-26T00:35:03
Krishnadevaraya, emperor of Vijayanagara, was a remarkable man, a transition between an ancient Indian king and a recognisably "modern" political leader. Awestruck travellers wrote of the might ...
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Ep. 332: Intervention Using Tech: Solutions for Tackling COVID-19 from 2020-05-25T00:35:06
Technology touches almost every aspect of our daily life. But what's the use of it during a pandemic? In this episode, Rohan Seth talks to Prateek Waghre, Sapni G Krishna and Utkarsh Narain abou...
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Covid 19 Conversations from 2020-05-22T00:35:03
Rupees twenty lakh crore. That's the size of the stimulus package promised by the government. But how will it work? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Sarthak Pradhan do a deep dive into the gove...
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Ep. 331: Economic Stimulus for Post-COVID India from 2020-05-22T00:35:03
Rupees twenty lakh crore. That's the size of the stimulus package promised by the government. But how will it work? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Sarthak Pradhan do a deep dive into the gove...
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Ep. 330: Putin's Pandemic from 2020-05-21T00:35:04
Today, Vladimir Putin's Russia faces its most serious threat since its annexation of Crimea in 2014. COVID-19 has spread rapidly, placing enormous strains on its public health system. Russia's e...
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Ep. 329: Preparing for the Second Wave: India Against COVID-19 from 2020-05-20T00:35:05
With India easing restrictions on the movement of people, is it possible that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over? Unfortunately, no. There's a long way to go before we can be sure of tha...
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Ep. 328: Improving India’s Testing Capacity from 2020-05-19T00:35:02
With barely 300 tests per million people, India, the world’s most populous country, has a long way to go before it has a clear picture of the way COVID-19 is spreading. Dr. Shambhavi Naik joins ...
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Ep. 327: Why India Needs Arms Imports from 2020-05-18T00:35:07
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat recently said the armed forces should not push for large arms imports and be realistic about their requirements. Why does Indian remain a major arms im...
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Ep. 326: India’s Post-Covid Opportunities from 2020-05-15T00:35:03
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a lasting impact on the global order. While Sino-US competition is expected to accelerate, middle powers like India could enjoy greater bargaining capabil...
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Ep. 325: Going Conventional: Europe and the Future of Arms Control from 2020-05-14T00:35:04
The death of nuclear arms control seems imminent. But what about conventional arms? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS talk to Dr. Ulrich Kühn about the history of conventional arm...
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Ep. 324: Facebook’s Supreme Court from 2020-05-13T00:35:06
Facebook has announced a 20-member content oversight board that many are calling a "Supreme Court". Are 20 members really enough to moderate all the content on Facebook? What does this portend f...
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Ep. 323: Command of the Officer from 2020-05-12T00:35:02
A recent attack in northern Kashmir killed the Commanding Officer (CO) and three other soldiers of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles. But why was the CO in battle? What's his role? In this episode, Pranay...
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Ep. 322: WhatsApp with Jio-Facebook? from 2020-05-11T00:35:08
Facebook - which owns WhatsApp - has recently acquired a stake in Reliance Jio. This might have profound implications for the future of Indian e-commerce and telecommunications. Rohan Seth and P...
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Ep. 321: India: The World's Factory? from 2020-05-08T00:35:03
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the risks of depending on China for global manufacturing. Is this a call for India to manufacture for the world instead? What will it actually take to achieve t...
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Ep. 320: The Virus Ravages West Asia from 2020-05-07T00:35:04
COVID-19 is taking a terrible human toll in West Asia even as it re-wires the region's geopolitics in surprising ways. Prateek Waghre talks to Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan about what ...
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Ep. 319: When Will We Get a Vaccine? from 2020-05-06T00:35:04
What are the challenges in developing a vaccine for Covid-19? How soon can we have one? And what if there is none? Shambhavi Naik and Sunila Dixit join Aditya Ramanathan to talk about the treach...
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Ep. 318: How MAD was the Cold War? from 2020-05-05T00:35:02
Many accounts of the Cold War accept the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). But did leaders and policymakers actually believe in MAD? And if they did, why did they engage in dangerous...
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Ep. 317: Containing the Misinformation Virus from 2020-05-04T00:35:07
The spread of misinformation has complicated the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the misinformation ecosystem has thrived on both the novelty of the virus and pre-existing social b...
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Ep. 316: Other Strategic Reserve: Securing Medical Equipment for India from 2020-04-30T00:35:07
The COVID outbreak has resulted in shortages of key PPE and medical equipment. Building a strategic reserve of these could help encourage indigenous manufacturing, lower prices, and prepare Indi...
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Ep. 315: COVID-19: Crisis or Opportunity? from 2020-04-29T00:35:07
"Every crisis is also an opportunity," the old saying goes. Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane have some ideas on when that actually happens - and what opportunities India has during the COVID-1...
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Ep. 314: The PLA and Covid-19 from 2020-04-28T00:35:03
China claims its military has been unscathed by the novel coronavirus pandemic despite being part of the containment effort. Could this claim be true? Aditya Ramanathan talks to Manoj Kewalraman...
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Ep. 313: Content Moderation During COVID Times from 2020-04-27T00:35:11
Less than a year ago, the social media giants claimed that moderating content online was an arduous task. Yet, under the shadow of Covid-19, these companies are successfully removing misinformat...
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Ep. 312: India’s FDI Dilemmas from 2020-04-24T00:35:04
Foreign investment will be critical to reviving the Indian economy as the threat from Covid-19 retreats. At the same time, there's concern about foreign entities picking up undervalued Indian as...
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Ep. 311: A National Reopening Strategy For India from 2020-04-23T00:35:04
As India prepares to ease lockdown restrictions and restore economic activity, most epidemiological models expect there to be fresh waves of infection over the coming months. A national strategy...
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Ep. 310: Learning from History: Bengal Famine and Covid-19 from 2020-04-22T00:35:05
The Bengal Famine was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern Indian history. What caused the famine and can it tell us how to handle a pandemic today? In this episode, Aditya Ramanath...
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Ep. 309: Spending More in the Face of Covid-19 from 2020-04-21T00:35:02
The end of the nation-wide lockdown will inevitably force the union government to spend more money on healthcare and economic recovery. But is there money to spend? In this episode, Anupam Manur...
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Ep. 308: Price Controls in a Pandemic from 2020-04-20T00:35:07
Indian authorities have imposed price caps on face masks and sanitisers. Private labs have been told to conduct Covid-19 tests for free. While these measures may be well-meaning, they don't work...
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Ep. 307: The Shape of India's Nuclear Arsenal from 2020-04-17T00:35:02
While India has a transparent nuclear doctrine, its nuclear arsenal is almost a black box to outsiders. Are India's existing nuclear weapons sufficient to deter China? And does India need ICBMs ...
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Ep. 306: The Hashtag Pandemic from 2020-04-16T00:35:02
Who is to blame for Covid-19? It depends on who you ask, and it might depend on which country's information operations they have been exposed to on social media. As hashtags duke it out on Twitt...
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Ep. 305: Have the Hong Kong Protests Failed from 2020-04-15T00:35:06
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a pause in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The movement, however, continues to command public support and friction is likely to continue in the long run...
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Ep. 304: Is There a Doctor on the Phone? from 2020-04-14T00:35:02
The Medical Council of India has announced guidelines for the practice of telemedicine by registered doctors. Can telemedicine help shield frontline healthcare workers during a viral outbreak? C...
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Ep. 303: Truth-Telling in the Military from 2020-04-13T00:35:07
How should military leaders report difficult truths up the chain of command? As the coronavirus spread on board an American aircraft carrier, its captain sent a strongly-worded letter to his sup...
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Ep. 302: India's Neighbours and Covid from 2020-04-10T00:35:02
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been dealing with the global pandemic in their own ways. In this episode, Anand Arni, Pranay Kotasthane and Suyash Desai talk about how India's neighbours...
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Ep. 301: WHO and The Pandemic from 2020-04-09T03:51:34
Did the WHO mishandle the SARS-Cov-2 outbreak? Should it have raised the alarm earlier and declared it a pandemic? Suyash Desai and Nischitha Suresh tell Manoj Kewalramani why believe the WHO me...
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Ep. 300: NPT, Covid-19 and the Future from 2020-04-08T00:35:06
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty turned 50 this year. But its landmark review conference this year has been postponed because of the global pandemic. Anirudh Kanisetti talks to Aditya Ramanat...
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Ep. 299: China Invests in India from 2020-04-07T00:35:02
The past six years have witnessed phenomenal growth in Chinese private sector investment in India. So which sectors have gained the most? How does this impact the Sino-Indian relationship? And w...
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Ep. 298: Post Pandemic Economics from 2020-04-06T00:35:06
What will India's economy look like at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic? What should the union and state governments do to limit the damage and aid a recovery? In this episode, Anupam Manur and ...
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Ep. 297: COVID and China's Economy from 2020-04-03T00:35:03
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted China’s economy? Are we likely to see a swift recovery or a lengthy period of stops and starts? And what’s likely to be the impact on the global trading or...
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Ep. 296: Pakistan's Pandemic Politics from 2020-04-02T00:35:04
Why do we know so little about how the coronavirus pandemic is hurting Pakistan? In this episode, Pranay Kotasthane, Sarthak Pradhan and Sakshi Arora discuss Takshashila's new strategic assessme...
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Ep. 295: India and the Oil Wars from 2020-04-01T00:35:05
The Russia-Saudi face-off on oil production combined with the global pandemic has sent crude prices plunging. What's the global impact of low energy prices and what can India do? Anupam Manur, A...
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Ep. 294: A Grand Strategy with Chinese Characteristics from 2020-03-31T00:35:02
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is considered to be China's path to carving a new world order. But who conceptualized it first? And how do the Chinese actually think about their place in the ...
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Ep. 293: The Geopolitics of Covid-19 from 2020-03-30T00:35:06
How is the Covid-19 pandemic reshaping the Sino-US relationship? Are we witnessing a geopolitical realignment in Europe? Is China’s influence growing or are its early failures and aggressive pro...
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Ep. 292: Sandalwood: A Sad Story from 2020-03-27T00:35:03
What happens when the government takes away your property rights? Why does the state government own all sandalwood trees in Karnataka? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane discuss...
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Ep. 291: Pandemic Winners from 2020-03-26T00:35:05
While the Covid-19 pandemic has cast a gloom over the global economy, there are some sectors and companies that continue to thrive. Rohan Seth and Nischitha Suresh join Manoj Kewalramani to talk...
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Ep. 290: Tech in the Time of Corona from 2020-03-25T00:35:05
A number of states have leveraged technology solutions to combat the Covid-19
outbreak. What have they done? What can India learn from their experiences? And what are the long-term implicatio...
Ep. 289: Viral World Order from 2020-03-24T00:35:01
We are probably still in the early days of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. What human and financial toll will it take? And what sort of a world will we inherit when this pandemic is over? Mano...
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Ep. 288: The Two Ns Meet: The End of Pandemics? from 2020-03-23T00:35:04
Could we be experiencing the last global pandemic? Will revolutions in computing and synthetic biology transform the way we deal with contagious diseases? In this episode, Takshashila's founders...
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Ep. 287: Narratives of COVID-19 from 2020-03-20T00:35:02
As Covid-19 cases spread around the world, China says it has ‘turned the tide’ to contain the outbreak. Anirudh Kanisetti and Manoj Kewalramani discuss how Chinese officials and media are now se...
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Ep. 286: Ruling the World-Island from 2020-03-19T00:35:06
President Vladimir Putin is consolidating his power both internally and along Russia's peripheries. Is there a method that underlies Moscow's behaviour? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan d...
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Ep. 285: Stocking up on Oil: India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves from 2020-03-18T00:35:04
India is one of the most oil-dependent countries in the world. But what can it do when hydrocarbon supplies are disrupted? Anupam Manur and Narayan Ramachandran talk about their new research int...
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Ep. 284: Making Sense of China's Military Modernization from 2020-03-17T00:35:02
The military reforms initiated by President Xi Jinping have brought sweeping changes to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). But are these measures making China more secure? In this episode, Mano...
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Ep. 283: Yes, Banks Fail from 2020-03-16T00:35:04
The Yes Bank crisis has spurned the government to send State Bank of India (SBI) to its rescue. This has led to a further consolidation of public sector banks in India. Why are some banks strugg...
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Ep. 282: The Two Ns Meet from 2020-03-13T00:35:02
From the COVID-19 outbreak to the Yes Bank crisis, the Indian and the world economy are being buffeted by relentless waves of crises. Anupam Manur talks to Takshashila's founders, the two Ns: Na...
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Ep. 281: The Coronavirus Update from 2020-03-12T03:21:43
Is the global Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic? What must India do to contain its fallout? Nitin Pai and Shambhavi Naik join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss this unprecedented health crisis and what we...
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Ep. 280: VP Menon's Legacy from 2020-03-11T00:35:05
VP Menon rose from nothing to become a critical figure in both the transfer of power from the British and the integration of India's states. In this episode, historian Narayani Basu joins Anirud...
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Ep. 279: The Contest for Undersea Supremacy from 2020-03-10T00:35:01
In the murky depths below Asia's oceans, competition is brewing between major powers as they seek to protect and expand their fleets of ballistic missile submarines. What's driving this competit...
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Ep. 278: Bertil Lintner on India-China Rivalry from 2020-03-09T00:35:06
From Wuhan to Chennai, both China and India have reiterated that they must not let differences turn into disputes. But strategic competition in the Indian Ocean Region appears unavoidable, given...
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Ep. 277: The Problem of Depressed Potatoes from 2020-03-06T00:35:01
The humble potato emerged from the mountains of Peru to become a staple food around the world. Today, the potato suffers from inbreeding or 'depression' that's reducing its nutrition and product...
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Ep. 276: Getting More Women in the Workforce from 2020-03-05T00:35:05
India continues to have too few women at work even in white-collar jobs. What can be done to increase their numbers? Anupam Manur asks Sowmya Nandan and Shambhavi Naik why women in India find it...
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Ep. 275: Sense and Censorship? from 2020-03-04T00:35:06
The decision by the streaming service Hotstar to withhold the show Last Week Tonight has stirred controversy. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani, Prateek Waghre and Utkarsh Narain discuss the re...
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Ep. 274 What Next in Afghanistan? from 2020-03-03T00:35:03
America's deal with the Taliban is being celebrated by some as a step towards peace. Are they right? Anand Arni and Pranay Kotasthane join Aditya Ramanathan to dissect the deal and highlight the...
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Ep. 273: Indian Troops in Afghanistan? from 2020-03-02T00:35:05
With the U.S. looking for a quick exit from Afghanistan, should India consider putting boots on the ground? Pranay Kotasthane is joined by Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan as he makes the...
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Ep. 272 China's Expeditionary Forces from 2020-02-28T00:35:02
Slowly but surely, China is developing expeditionary capabilities that will allow it to project power in the overseas territory. What's driving it to develop such forces? And should India be wor...
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Ep. 271: Fighting the Coronavirus Pt 4 from 2020-02-27T08:21:11
While the number of new coronavirus cases are falling in China, Xi says the situation remains “grim and complex.” What’s worse, there are new hotspots emerging internationally. Manoj Kewalramani...
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Ep. 270: The Perils of Eugenics from 2020-02-26T00:35:08
As gene-editing technology advances, the social contexts within which it will unfold need to be understood and integrated into policy planning. Shambhavi Naik and Anirudh Kanisetti discuss the d...
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Ep. 269: A European Nuclear Force? from 2020-02-25T00:35:02
French President Emmanuel Macron wants European Union countries to discuss the possibility of giving France's nuclear forces a broader role in European security. Is this a feasible idea? What is...
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Ep. 268: Is a Multipolar World Good for India? from 2020-02-24T00:35:06
Even as India receives US President Donald Trump with fanfare it remains committed to a multipolar world order. But is such an order really conducive to India's rise? Manoj Kewalramani, Anirudh ...
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Ep. 267: Fighting the Coronavirus Pt 3 from 2020-02-21T00:35:03
A new speech by Xi Jinping shows that the Chinese leadership was aware of the outbreak well before strict measures were taken. Is this an admission of systemic failure or signalling of strength?...
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Ep. 266: Trump Comes to India from 2020-02-20T00:35:07
US President Donald Trump is set to land in Ahmedabad on February 24 on his first trip to India. But will his visit amount to anything more than hype? Manoj Kewalramani and Pranay Kotasthane joi...
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Ep. 265: India's Fiscal Future from 2020-02-19T00:35:06
The 15th Finance Commission has come out with a slew of recommendations. Which states stand to gain and which ones stand to lose? Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane examine some of the implicati...
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Ep. 264: Reading the Economist from 2020-02-18T00:35:03
In this week’s Reading the Economist, Aditya Ramanathan is joined by Anirudh Kanisetti and Suyash Desai to discuss the failure of UN peacemaking, arms sales in the Middle East, and the politics ...
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Ep. 263: Competition and Reassurance in the Indo-Pacific from 2020-02-17T00:35:05
Is China now playing nice after years of assertiveness? Does India's policy of "evasive balancing" make any sense? Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Aditya Ramanathan to debate new ideas a...
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Ep. 262: Fighting the Coronavirus Pt 2 from 2020-02-14T00:35:02
As the coronavirus continues to take a lethal toll across the world, Manoj Kewalramani and Shambhavi Naik take stock of recent developments and try to make a better sense of China's response. Listen
Ep. 261: Caste Away from 2020-02-13T00:35:07
After hundreds of years of caste endogamy, one would think that Indian society would be far more open to intercaste marriages than it actually is. Shambhavi Naik and Sarthak Pradhan unpack the s...
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Ep. 260: Dissing Misinformation from 2020-02-12T00:35:07
Facebook recently stated that a doctored video of U.S. congresswoman Nancy Pelosi did not violate community guidelines. So what constitutes fake news? And what are the big social media companies...
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Ep. 259: Reading the Economist from 2020-02-11T00:35:02
In this week’s Reading the Economist, Aditya Ramanathan, Anirudh Kanisetti, and Sarthak Pradhan explore everything from the consequences of the Atlantic Slave Trade to Britain’s nuclear deterren...
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Ep. 258: India versus the Internet from 2020-02-10T00:35:06
Nearly six months after the internet shutdown in J&K, the Union government's decision to partially lift the shutdown has been riddled with controversy. Why is this judgement so controversial...
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Epi 257: Fighting the Coronavirus from 2020-02-07T00:35:02
The coronavirus continues to spread across China and beyond. The WHO has declared a global health emergency, and governments across the world are rushing to contain it. But it’s a challenge that...
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Ep 256: The Challenge of Theatre Commands from 2020-02-06T00:35:06
India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat announced that the armed forces would transition to theatre commands in the next three years. Wh...
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Ep. 255: Does the Budget Matter from 2020-02-05T00:35:08
Union Budgets are an annual ritual marked by pageantry and breathless commentary. But how important are they? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane discuss how the budget really im...
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Ep. 254: The Dilemmas of Nuclear Security from 2020-02-04T00:35:04
How big a threat is a nuclear terrorism? How did the AQ Khan network really work? And is arms control dead? In this special episode, Matthew Bunn, ...
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Ep. 253: China's AI Ambitions and Nuclear Weapons from 2020-02-03T00:35:03
China's has an ambitious plan to use artificial intelligence to transform its armed forces. But how would such changes affect nuclear stability? Lora Saalman, a leading expert on the subject joi...
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Ep 252: Religion and Money In Medieval Gujarat from 2020-01-31T03:39:48
Medieval India is far more complicated than we give it credit for - it’s full of wily merchants, pragmatic rulers, and complex interactions. Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan dive into 13t...
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Ep 251: The Final Frontier from 2020-01-30T00:35:06
Takshashila's policy proposal, 'The New Space Policy 2020' proposes a clear governance structure that paves the way for the growth of the nascent private space sector in India. The proposal seek...
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Ep. 250: The Dark Side Of The Kashmir Whitelist from 2020-01-29T00:35:07
Tech researchers Rohini Lakshané and Prateek Waghre join Anirudh Kanisetti to discuss the whitelist of 301 sites that have been made accessible in Jammu & Kashmir. Their analysis highlights ...
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Ep. 249: The Rise and Fall of West Asia from 2020-01-28T00:35:04
West Asia is notorious today for its geopolitical instability - but has that always been the case? What do the premodern states of the region tell us about today's shifting dynamics? Aditya Rama...
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Ep. 248: The Virus From Wuhan from 2020-01-27T00:35:06
The Wuhan virus is already spreading across the world and taking a deadly toll. But what is the virus anyway and how does it spread? In this episode, Rohan Seth talks to Manoj Kewalramani and Sh...
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Ep. 247: Dispatches From China from 2020-01-24T00:35:02
Indian media coverage of China often tends to be dominated by issues like national security and border frictions. There’s little original reportage around social issues, attitudes towards techno...
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Ep. 246: The Stubborn Challenge of PSU Reform from 2020-01-23T00:35:08
What kind of products should a state-run PSU produce? Do PSUs make a profit? In this episode, Anupam Manur, Pranay Kotasthane and Sarthak Pradhan talk about the persistent role of state PSUs in ...
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Ep. 245: Protection from Data Protection from 2020-01-22T00:35:10
What power does the government have over your data? How should India approach global data sharing agreements? With the Joint Parliamentary Committee due to give its recommendations on the Data P...
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Ep. 244: Ten Risks to Global Health from 2020-01-21T06:17:39
Though people on average live longer today, there remain serious threats to global health. But do we know what these are? In this episode Anirudh Kanisetti talks to Shambhavi Naik to get her ins...
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Ep. 243: Going Soft on Hard Balancing from 2020-01-20T00:35:05
With the rise of China and the slow decline of the international system, how should countries think about the balance of power? In this special episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Manoj Kewalramani t...
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Ep. 242: The State of India's Media from 2020-01-17T00:35:03
What is the role of news media in India today and how do we assess its health? In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai sit down with veteran journalist and Rajya Sabha member Kumar K...
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Ep. 241: The Meaning of Taiwan’s Elections from 2020-01-16T05:58:31
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen won a second four-year term in an historic election on January 11. Suyash Desai and Manoj Kewalramani join Anirudh Kanisetti to discuss the impact of Tsai’s re-el...
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Ep. 240: Shooting the Messenger from 2020-01-15T00:35:09
Should the government be allowed to know whom you’re texting? Should it be able to pressure social media companies to silence voices? With the IT Act due to be amended this month with rules on i...
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Ep. 239: Reading Foreign Policy Magazine: From Flight Shaming to Volunteer Journalism from 2020-01-14T00:35:05
Do countries really need a grand strategy? Can volunteers transform journalism? And what's up with the curious phenomenon of 'flight shaming'? In this episode, Sarthak Pradhan, Nischitha Suresh ...
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Ep. 238: Behaving Badly in the South China Sea from 2020-01-13T00:35:07
A high profile confrontation at sea between China and Indonesia comes even as countries in the region try to come up with a common code of conduct. Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Aditya...
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Ep. 237: Favourite Books from 2019 from 2020-01-10T00:35:02
What books did people at Takshashila read in 2019? What is the significance of these books? In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani, Nitin Pai and Rohan Seth list their favourite books from last year...
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Ep. 236: The Year that Changed the World from 2020-01-09T00:35:03
A strange revolution, a catastrophic invasion, a dramatic terrorist attack, and an economic transformation. Few years in modern history have been as consequential as 1979. Four decades on, Mano ...
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Ep. 235: The Death of Soleimani - The US, Iran, and West Asia from 2020-01-08T07:42:16
The killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds expeditionary force, is a pivotal moment in the history of modern West Asia. Aditya Ramanathan and Manoj Kewalramani join Anirudh K...
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Ep. 234: Reading the Economist: On China, Tech and Forest Fires from 2020-01-07T00:30
Anirudh Kanisetti and Utkarsh Narain join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss the most interesting stories of the week: China and the US are undergoing a divorce in hi-tech industries, Brazi...
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Ep. 233: SSF - China’s War-Winning Tool from 2020-01-06T00:30
Four years after its inception, China's Strategic Support Force (SSF), which is responsible for cyber, space and electronic warfare, has become central to the PLA's military capabilit...
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Ep. 232: The World of Public Policy from 2020-01-03T00:30
How does someone who wants to influence policy actually do so outside of government? How does a policy career help transform the country, and for that matter, how do you get into the ...
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Ep. 231: The Many Colours of Krishna Menon - A Conversation with Jairam Ramesh from 2020-01-02T00:30
Ep. 230: 2019 in Review: The Indian Economy from 2019-12-25T00:30
How has the Indian economy fared in 2019? From agricultural output to the GDP calculations, Apurva Kumar, Pranay Kotasthane, and Anupam Manur try to figure out the year's hits and misses.
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Ep. 229: 2019 in Review: India and the World from 2019-12-24T00:30
How did India’s foreign policy hold up in 2019? From the ASAT test to Howdy Modi, Manoj Kewalramani, Pranay Kotasthane, Sankalp Gurjar and Suyash Desai discuss and debate the hits and...
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Ep. 228: 2019 in Review: Tech in India from 2019-12-23T00:30
What did 2019 mean for the Indian tech space? Rohan Seth talks to Utkarsh Narain and Prateek Waghre about how the debate has progressed in policy circles around data protection, facia...
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Ep. 227: Cyber Insecurity: What should India do in cyberspace? from 2019-12-20T00:30
The Union government is asking for inputs on a cybersecurity strategy for a new India. Takshashila’s Tech Team, Prateek Waghre, Utkarsh Narain, and Rohan Seth talk about the shortcomi...
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Ep. 226: Beware, Warehouses!: Amazon's Fulfillment Centres and Local Economies from 2019-12-19T00:30
What happens when Amazon enters or leaves an Indian city? In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani talks to Anupam Manur and Rohan Seth about how Amazon's new fulfillment centres impact eve...
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Ep. 225: Does the Government Want Your Data? from 2019-12-18T00:30
Ep. 224: Reading the Economist: Institutional Crises and Captures from 2019-12-17T00:30
What role do institutions of the state play in shaping government policy, and how do these institutions affect policy when in peril? In this edition of Reading the Economist, Anirudh ...
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Ep. 223: China: the Middle-Aged Kingdom from 2019-12-16T00:30
China’s fertility rate is down to just 1.6. The workforce is shrinking while the population of the elderly grows. At the same time, the now abandoned one-child po...
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Ep. 222: War in the Heavens: Space Power in the 21st Century from 2019-12-13T00:30
Getting to space has never been as easy as it is today, but this has also opened the doors for a new space race. In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranay Kotasthane talk to Prana...
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Ep. 221: Is Cyberwarfare Coming? from 2019-12-12T00:30
The term “cyber warfare” has come into vogue in recent times, but nobody seems to know what it actually is. In this episode, Anirudh Kanisetti sits down with Prateek Waghre, Pranav RS...
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Ep. 220: Is NATO Going to Collapse?: The 70th Anniversary Episode from 2019-12-11T00:30
After last week's annual summit, cracks seem to be appearing in NATO over Russia, Turkey, and even the USA. Is this anti-Soviet alliance finally on its last legs, 70 years after it wa...
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Ep. 219: Reading the Economist: The Rise and Fall of Economies from 2019-12-10T00:30
In this week's Reading the Economist, Apurva Kumar and Suyash Desai join Anirudh Kanisetti to discuss global inequality and how bad policies are holding us back from tackling climate ...
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Ep. 218: What can India do about China? from 2019-12-09T00:30
Anirudh Kanisetti and Suyash Desai join Manoj Kewalramani to further unpack our report to India's Parliament on China's rise. This is part 2 of 2, exploring how China has impacted Ind...
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Ep. 217: Why is China Powerful? from 2019-12-06T05:59:43
Takshashila researchers Manoj Kewalramani, Anirudh Kanisetti and Shibani Mehta unpack our latest research: a report to India's Parliament about China's rise. This is part 1 of 2, expl...
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Ep. 216: The Tragedy of the Trans Bill from 2019-12-05T00:30
The Transgender Persons Bill that has been passed by Parliament has been widely decried by activists, but met with societal and political indifference. Dr Shambhavi Naik and Anirudh K...
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Ep. 215: Talking Nukes with Vipin Narang from 2019-12-04T00:30
Are new developments eroding the credibility of India’s no first use policy? Is North Korea going to spark a crisis in the new year? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav R.S....
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Ep. 214: Extinguishing the Crop Burning Problem from 2019-12-03T00:30
Annual stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is a major cause of pollution in North India and a serious public health crisis. While the problem is well known, the solutions are not. I...
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Ep. 213: The Primacy of Bengaluru? from 2019-12-02T00:30
Do hi-tech industries create regionally unbalanced development? If so, is it a problem governments can address? In this episode, Pranay Kotasthane and Anupam Manur debate the challeng...
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Ep. 212: Russia’s Military Renaissance from 2019-11-29T00:30
The post-Soviet military of Russia has evolved into a fighting force for the 21st century. How has Russia achieved this and how do the Russians spend their money on weapons? To discus...
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Ep. 211: Algorithms at War from 2019-11-28T00:30
What do dolphins, artificial intelligence, and brain-machine interfaces have to tell us about the future of war? Manoj Kewalramani, Anirudh Kanisetti, and Aditya Ramanathan debate and...
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Ep. 210: China’s Undersea Adventures from 2019-11-27T00:30
How does China plan to use its expanding submarine fleet? And what does it mean for India? Aditya Ramanathan, Pranav RS and Suyash Desai dive into the murky world of military competit...
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Ep. 209: Reading The Economist: From East Asian Politics to Technology Prejudices from 2019-11-26T00:30
The US-South Korea alliance is on shaky ground. China is looking to expand its nuclear arsenal. The parallels between Sri Lankan and Indian politics. And are tech companies ignoring w...
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Ep. 208: Auditing India’s Foreign Policy from 2019-11-25T00:30
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s Ramnath Goenka Lecture last week was hailed by some as a landmark speech. But did it really lay out a new vision for Indian foreign policy? S...
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Ep. 207: New Thinking on Old Nukes from 2019-11-22T00:30
Since the first mushroom cloud erupted over Hiroshima, there’s been a strong belief that nukes have fundamentally changed international politics. But is this true? In this special epi...
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Ep. 206: China’s Awful Secret from 2019-11-21T00:30
A New York Times report based on leaked internal Chinese documents sheds fresh light on the unprecedented crackdown on ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Suyash Desai, Sankalp Gurjar and ...
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Ep. 205: Toot or Dare from 2019-11-20T00:30
Why have Indian Twitter users started moving to Mastodon? What is the so-called Fediverse, and will it replace Twitter? Utkarsh Narain, Anirudh Kanisetti and Prateek Waghre break it d...
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Ep. 204: Reading the Economist: From Warships to Netflix from 2019-11-19T00:30
An unwieldy coalition is set to rule Spain but will it last? What good are aircraft carriers in today’s world? How are online platforms like Netflix changing media competition? Sankal...
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Ep. 203: India’s Genome Project from 2019-11-18T00:30
The IndiGen project will map genes across India's ethnic groups to discover clinically actionable genetic information. Shambhavi Naik, Pranay Kotasthane and Anirudh Kanisetti discuss ...
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Ep. 202: Forever Young from 2019-11-15T00:30
New technologies are pushing the boundaries of how long humans beings can lead healthy lives. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani, Shambhavi Naik, and Ganesh Chakravarthy debate the sc...
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Ep. 201: The Real Nehru from 2019-11-14T00:30
Was Jawaharlal Nehru a starry-eyed foreign policy optimist? Did he have a more realist strategy than we like to think? And how did his actions shape the future trajectory of Indian di...
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Ep. 200: Can We Stop A Climate Disaster? from 2019-11-13T00:30
How will climate change transform societies and economies? What solutions do we have ready right now? Australian climate change scholar Prof Tim Flannery joins Manoj Kewalramani and S...
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Ep. 199: The Looming Shadow of Nuclear Weapons from 2019-11-12T00:30
Ep. 198: The Politics of Afghanistan: The Elections from 2019-11-11T00:30
How is the post-election politics shaping up in Afghanistan? What is the prospect of peace after the Presidential elections in September? Pranay Kotasthane talks to Anand Arni and San...
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Ep. 197: The Counterinsurgency Puzzle and the Utilities of Force from 2019-11-08T00:30
How should great powers support local governments fighting insurgencies? And is the Indian Army’s Cold Start doctrine still relevant? In this episode, Walter C Ladwig III, an associat...
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Ep. 196: Assuring Retaliation: Why India's Nuclear No-First-Use Doctrine Makes Sense from 2019-11-07T00:30
On this episode, Dr Manpreet Sethi, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies, tells Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS why nuclear no-first-use is the best strategy for I...
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Ep. 195: Keepin’ it Real: Realism in Indian Foreign Policy from 2019-11-06T00:30
What is realism in international relations? Where are the Indian realists? And what do they think of the India-China relationship? Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan of Jawaharlal Nehru Univers...
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Ep. 194: China and the Bomb from 2019-11-05T00:30
China’s nuclear arsenal has evolved and expanded since its first nuclear test in 1964. In this episode, Sankalp Gurjar talks to Pranav RS and Suyash Desai about how Chinese thinking o...
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Ep. 193: Predictably Indian from 2019-11-04T00:30
Standard economic wisdom tells you people are self-interested, rational actors. But behavioural science says otherwise. How can we better understand the irrationalities that guide our...
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Ep. 192: India's Military Options Against China from 2019-11-01T00:30
A new paper has made some interesting recommendations for how India's armed forces can manage the challenge from China. But are they feasible? General Prakash Menon and Manoj Kewalram...
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Ep. 191: Digital Africa from 2019-10-31T00:30
In the last two decades, Africa has seen extraordinary leaps in access to mobile phones, sparking an IT revolution across the continent. Andre-Michel Essoungou, Cameroonian journalist...
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Ep. 190: Cameras and Control from 2019-10-30T00:30
As CCTVs become more ubiquitous in Indian cities and facial recognition algorithms become more advanced, we may be moving towards a world where technology is used to violate individua...
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Ep. 189: India’s Afghan Conundrum from 2019-10-25T00:30
With an election in limbo and uncertain peace talks, Afghanistan’s long war could pack some surprises for India. In this special episode, Nitin Pai joins Ambassador Nirupama Rao and L...
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Ep. 188: Xi, Modi and the Prospects for India-China Relations from 2019-10-24T00:30
The informal summit in Mamallapuram between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping may have generated photo ops, but does it provide a way forward for ties between Asia...
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Ep. 187: The Moral Dilemmas of IVF from 2019-10-23T00:30
In the recent past, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or assisted reproductive technologies has enabled women of older age to bear children. What are the ethical dilemmas of such births? S...
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Ep. 186: Reading the Economist: From Hungarian Politics to Japanese Royals from 2019-10-22T00:30
Viktor Orbán’s setback in Budapest; Japan’s Naruhito faces royal restrictions; psychedelics could treat depression; and China’s uncomfortable tryst with football acquisitions. Manoj K...
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Ep. 185: War on the Roof of the World from 2019-10-21T00:30
The 1962 war with China scarred India and had a lasting impact on its politics. But why did the war break out? How did the world react? And are there any lessons for today? Manoj Kewa...
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Ep. 184: The Missiles of October: The Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis from 2019-10-18T00:30
This week, 57 years ago a crisis broke out in the Caribbean that brought the world closest its ever been to all-out nuclear war. In this episode, Shibani Mehta, Pranav RS and Aditya R...
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Ep. 183: Military Revolutions and the Future of War from 2019-10-17T00:30
How do countries think about revolutionary changes in the character of war? In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani, Pranav RS, and Aditya Ramanathan debate the dynamics driving strategic ...
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Ep. 182: The Military Pensions Dilemma: Investing in Human Capital from 2019-10-16T00:30
Nearly 25% of India’s defence expenditure for this year will be used to service the pension bill. Is this sustainable? And how does it impact modernisation? Manoj Kewalramani talks to...
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Ep. 181: Reading the Economist: Smart Cars, Inflation, and Russia from 2019-10-15T00:30
Will China have autonomous cars before the West? Is inflation no longer a worry for emerging markets? And why are the EU and Russia patching up now? Manoj Kewalramani, Sankalp Gurjar ...
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Ep. 180: A Peculiar Alliance: The China-Pakistan Alliance from 2019-10-14T00:30
Sweeter than honey and higher than the mountains-that’s how China and Pakistan describe their relationship. But what really drives it? Is it just about containing India or are there other factor...
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Ep. 179: A Meeting in Mamallapuram: Xi Visits India from 2019-10-11T00:30
Is the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping an empty gesture or a valuable diplomatic initiative? Our China watchers, Manoj Kewalramani and Su...
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Ep. 178: Eastern Promises: Why Does the India-Bangladesh Relationship Matter? from 2019-10-10T00:30
Delhi and Dhaka signed several agreements during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit, despite concerns about issues like the NRC. Shambhavi Naik talks to Pranav RS, Sankalp Gu...
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Ep. 177: The Fake News Conundrum: Singapore’s Gambit from 2019-10-09T00:30
Singapore's anti-fake news law took effect on October 02. Shibani Mehta, Rohan Seth, and Utkarsh Narain talk about what such laws might mean for free speech, dissent, and civil libert...
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Ep. 176: China’s Web of Influence and Power from 2019-10-07T00:30
Much has been written about Chinese influence operations undermining democracies and impacting academic freedoms. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani talks to Suyash Desai and Sankalp ...
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Ep. 175: The Geopolitics of Online Worlds: What MMOs teach us about Economics and Politics from 2019-10-04T00:30
The astonishing multiplayer world of Eve Online allows players to build, trade, become politicians, and wage war on each other. In this episode, Anirudh Kanisetti joins Manoj Kewalram...
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Ep. 174: Fighting Together: Joint Operations in the Armed Forces from 2019-10-03T00:30
Is military jointness good? Or should each service should be allowed to formulate its own strategy? Are there any lessons for India from the military reforms in China? Manoj Kewalrama...
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Ep. 173: Getting Back on Track: Improving India’s Railway Network from 2019-10-02T00:30
The Railway Board Chairman has recently announced plans to allow 150 private trains into the railway network. What really needs to be done to improve the quality and availability of r...
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Ep. 172: India's Economic Dilemmas: How to Fix the Slowdown from 2019-10-01T00:30
India's economy is in doldrums, but the way out is unclear. Nitin Pai and Anupam Manur join Pranay Kotasthane to discuss the options, from sweeping reforms to sensible taxation.
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Ep. 171: The Promise and Tragedy of China: 70 Years of the People’s Republic from 2019-09-30T00:30
The People's Republic of China is celebrating its 70th anniversary on October 1st, 2019. Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai talk to Pranay Kotasthane about China's tumultuous journey ...
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All Things Policy is Moving to IVM Podcasts! from 2019-09-27T07:14:05
Hello there! Thank you so much for tuning in to All Things Policy. As of the 30th of September, 2019, new episodes of the show will be produced by IVM Podcasts. Don't worry, we're still going to ge...
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Cryptocurrency Explained from 2019-09-27T02:05:05
We all know what cryptocurrency is and how it can be used. But how does it really work? On this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Anirudh Kanisetti talk to Utkarsh Narain to undertand the A to Z of cr...
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On Killer Robots and Partisan Bubbles from 2019-09-26T09:38:28
Will lethal autonomous weapon systems make future crises more dangerous? And how does information gerrymandering help vested interests divide and rule populations? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Rama...
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A Climate Emergency: Policy Implications and Plausible Solutions from 2019-09-25T10:17:31
The UN General Assembly has been debating climate change, but what are the practical measures countries like India can take? Manoj Kewalramani joins Pavan Srinath and Pranay Kotasthane to assess th...
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Reading The Economist: The Perils of Climate Change from 2019-09-24T10:53:02
What's happening in the world with changing climate? Did Iran really attack Saudi Arabia? And what is Netanyahu's future? Manoj Kewalramani, Pranav R.S. and Utkarsh Narain talk about all this and m...
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Howdy Prime Minister?: Modi visits the United States from 2019-09-23T10:53:47
Prime Minister Modi kicked off his week-long visit to the United States with a massive event in Houston. Manoj Kewalramani, Sankalp Gurjar and Suyash Desai discuss the implications of the rally for...
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An Engine of Growth Sputters from 2019-09-20T11:41:58
With India's automobile industry skidding off the growth path, Anupam Manur joins Aditya Ramanathan to discuss what ails the sector and what can be done about it.
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Art Of The Deal In Kabul: A Businessman in Afghanistan from 2019-09-19T10:02:28
With US-Taliban talks frozen for now, what will it take to create a lasting peace that secures India's interests? In this special episode, Sumeer Bhasin, a businessman with deep experience in the c...
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Setting the Desert on Fire: Attack on Saudi Oil from 2019-09-18T09:04:03
Last week's attack on Saudi oil facilities highlights the threat to India's hydrocarbons supplies. Manoj Kewalramani and Sankalp Gurjar join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss what the dramatic attack me...
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Reading The Economist: Immortality, Huawei And Apple from 2019-09-17T11:29:37
Has Huawei made a peace offering to the US? Is Silicon Valley on the brink of discovering the secret to immortality? And how does our perception of people affect our judgement of them? Find out thi...
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Libra Raj? from 2019-09-16T10:45:41
How much power does the newly announced digital currency Libra give Facebook? What will be the geopolitical implications? To understand the fallout, Aditya Ramanathan and Anirudh Kanisetti talk to ...
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India's Podcasting Adventures from 2019-09-13T11:01:34
What is it like to be a podcaster in India? Our own podcasters - Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan - sit down with Amit Doshi and Kavita Rajwade, co-founders of IVM Podcasts, to find out.
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Speedy Redressal: Massive Fines and Road Safety from 2019-09-12T11:38:23
How would a smart policymaker tackle the problems of pollution and traffic law violations? Rohan Seth, Pranay Kotasthane and Anupam Manur discuss in the context of the recently announced amendment ...
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An Indian Trade Dilemma: RCEP and its Future from 2019-09-11T09:11:29
Negotiations for the massive Asia-Pacific trade deal, RCEP, are in their final phase. Rohan Seth, Anupam Manur, and Manoj Kewalramani debate the pros and cons of the potential agreement for India.
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Reading The Economist: Assad, AI and Mugabe from 2019-09-10T11:13:17
Why does Bashar al-Asad’s regime have a new lease of life? How will militaries use artificial intelligence? And what is the legacy of Robert Mugabe? Manoj Kewalramani, Sankalp Gurjar and Rohan Seth...
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Space, Incorporated: Private players and Indian space policy from 2019-09-09T08:15:56
Indian regulations actively discourage private space companies. In this special episode Dr Ranjana Kaul, an expert on space law and policy, and Narayan Prasad, an entrepreneur, tell us what the cou...
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The Future of Humanity from 2019-09-06T10:13:27
For the first time in history, humanity can take shortcuts to the many destinations of natural evolution. On this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Anirudh Kanisetti talk to Ganesh Chakravarthi about ...
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On Nukes and Bystanders from 2019-09-05T10:00:44
How does China coerce without nuclear weapons? Will emerging technologies weaken existing security guarantees? And why do bystanders help strangers in trouble?
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No Smoking: Banning E-Cigarettes in India from 2019-09-04T12:22:28
The government has a draft ordinance proposing a ban on electronic cigarettes. Anupam Manur tells Rohan Seth and Aditya Ramanathan why that’s a terrible idea.
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Political Resilience and the Chalukyas: Lessons from 11th Century India from 2019-08-30T09:41:02
How and why do some polities endure, while others shatter? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan explore the medieval Deccan in search of answers.
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On Nations and Power from 2019-08-29T12:17:16
Does Iran’s space programme have a military purpose? Has CPEC brought Pakistan’s provinces together? And how do countries demonstrate military power in peacetime? Manoj Kewalramani, Pranav RS and A...
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RBI's Massive Transfer from 2019-08-27T12:21:16
The RBI recently transferred its excess reserves to the Union Government amounting to 1.76 lakh crores. Anupam Manur, Harsh Vora and Pranay Kotasthane dicsuss the sources of revenue for the RBI , i...
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How China Wins Without Fighting from 2019-08-26T12:29:28
China's "whole of nation" approach to statecraft gives it a variety of economic and political tools with which it can further its diplomatic and military objectives. Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash De...
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Distance from Delhi: The experience of being in Bangalore from 2019-08-23T11:01:06
What’s it like for policy wonks to work in Bengaluru instead of Delhi? In this fun episode, Aditya Ramanathan talks to Prachi Misra, Rohan Seth and Utkarsh Narain about their good, bad, and plain u...
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Financing India's Defence from 2019-08-22T10:55:22
The cabinet has approved changes that will allow the Fifteenth Finance Commission to set up a defence and internal security fund. But will this really help India’s police and armed forces? Pranay K...
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India Needs a Chief of Defence Staff from 2019-08-21T10:42:34
On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would soon have a chief of defence staff. General Prakash Menon and Nitin Pai join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss why the new ap...
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India's Russia Conundrum from 2019-08-20T11:35:07
Why does Russia do as Russia does? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan are joined by scholars from the Indian Council of World Affairs to understand it. Dr Indrani Talukdar and Dr Chandra Rekha...
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India's Economic Slump: The indicators and possible solutions from 2019-08-19T10:06:47
Various indicators strongly suggest India’s economy is in trouble. Pranay Kotasthane and Anupam Manur talk about India’s economic challenges and some possible solutions.
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A Medieval Trade War from 2019-08-16T10:03:07
The 21st century isn't the first time China has been embroiled in a trade war. 1000 years ago, the Chola dynasty of South India attacked Southeast Asia because of the Chinese economy. How? Why? Ani...
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The Future of Jammu and Kashmir: The Way Forward from 2019-08-14T12:11:40
What does the dramatic transformation of Jammu and Kashmir’s status last week mean for India? Nitin Pai, General Prakash Menon and Anand Arni debate the problems, opportunities, and prospects. Taks...
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Reading The Economist: Currency wars, space debris and microeconomics from 2019-08-13T10:46:16
A brewing Sino-US currency war, the challenge of space debris and Brexit’s impact on consumers. Anupam Manur, Manoj Kewalramani and Shambhavi Naik talk about all this and more from this week's edit...
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Bartering Privacy? The death of privacy and data analogies from 2019-08-09T09:47:54
Privacy is dying. But can we use data as a bargaining chip with the tech behemoths? Aditya Ramanathan, Manoj Kewalramani and Rohan Seth debate the options. Rohan's op-ed: https://theprint.in/opinio...
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Decoding The Chinese Art Of Strategy from 2019-08-08T12:33:56
From Confucius and Sun Tzu to Han Fei Zi, China has been home to many great strategists. In this special episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai talk to Dr Chao Xie about China’s strategic cult...
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The Clash Of The Titans: The Trade War in China's Perspective from 2019-08-08T04:35:30
In this special episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai talk to Dr Chao Xie about the US-China trade war, its implications for India, and how China perceives it.
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The Wealth Of Nations from 2019-08-05T10:49:43
What does the evolution of China's political economy have in common with European dominance of sea-based trade in the 18th-19th centuries? They challenge our notion of what is modern, and what the ...
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The Twilight of Arms Control: The End of the INF Treaty from 2019-08-02T10:20:48
The Cold War-era INF Treaty died this week. In its wake, we might see a new arms race fuelled by international tensions and technology. Pranav R.S. and Aditya Ramanathan talk to Anirudh Kanisetti a...
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Politics of Afghanistan: Talking to the Taliban from 2019-08-01T09:59:23
In this episode on Politics of Afghanistan, Anand Arni and Pranay Kotasthane discuss the latest developments in the ongoing talks between the US and Taliban.
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Witnessing China's Transformation from 2019-07-31T09:54:40
On this special episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai talk to N. Jayaram, a veteran journalist who's reported on China for decades. They talk about China's transformation since the 1980s, the...
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Shaking up the Labour Market: Andhra Pradesh and its new labour reforms from 2019-07-29T08:22:11
Andhra is seeking to reserve jobs for locals, while the Modi government is proposing modest labour reforms.India is still a long way from freeing up its labour markets. To understand the opportunit...
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The Death of Privacy: AI and Privacy concerns from 2019-07-26T10:16:07
Artificial intelligence poses a mortal threat to the privacy of our data, but there may be some ways to ameliorate the problem. Rohan Seth, Manoj Kewalramani, and Aditya Ramanathan discuss.
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China's Military Ambitions: The New Defense White Paper from 2019-07-25T09:36:20
China has released its first Defense White Paper after four years, the first since its latest military reform. Manoj Kewalramani, Pranav R.S. and Suyash Desai unpack everything that's been said in ...
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DNA Dilemmas: Genome Catalogue in India from 2019-07-24T11:12:18
With India's ambitious plans to catalogue human genomes set to get underway, Shambhavi Naik and Anirudh Kanisetti join Aditya Ramanathan to unpack the opportunities and perils involved.
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Ending an Estrangement? from 2019-07-23T10:47:36
Does Imran Khan's meeting with Donald Trump on Monday herald an upswing in US-Pakistan ties? General Prakash Menon and Pranay Kotasthane join Aditya Ramanathan to make sense of Khan's visit and wha...
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Pacific Ream: China’s Naval Base in Cambodia from 2019-07-22T10:29:52
China has reportedly struck a secret deal to set up a naval base in Ream, Cambodia. Manoj Kewalramani and Anirudh Kanisetti join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss what that means for India and the region.
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Do these Genes Fit? DNA testing and congenital diseases from 2019-07-19T09:55:11
As DNA testing becomes cheaper, more countries and societies are starting to use it to tackle congenital disorders - the latest being Nigeria. How might such policies work in India? Anirudh Kaniset...
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The French Digital Tax: A new headache for tech giants? from 2019-07-18T10:22:25
Is France's recently announced the GAFA (Google,Apple, Facebook, Amazon)tax a viable model for taxing the tech giants? Is it something that India could implement? Anirudh Kanisetti, Anupam Manur an...
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Parched Nation: Solving India's Water Crisis from 2019-07-17T10:32:47
India can manage its chronic water crisis. But doing so will require it to out a price on water. Anupam Manur, Nitin Pai talk to Aditya Ramanathan about this issue.
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Reading The Economist: Annoyed Penguins, Global Recession and Happiness from 2019-07-16T10:23:36
Do travelers in Antarctica annoy penguins? Is there a global recession coming? And does happiness make you vote better? Anupam Manur, Manoj Kewalramani and Shambhavi Naik talk about all this and mo...
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Sri Lanka's Uncomfortable SOFA: United States in Indian Ocean from 2019-07-15T10:00:43
A political storm is brewing in Sri Lanka over military agreements with the United States like SOFA and ASCA. Manoj Kewalramani, Pranav R.S. and Aditya Ramanathan examine the causes of the controve...
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Osaka Backtrack: The new Data Regime from 2019-07-12T10:52:33
The Osaka Track has opened new doors in data governance and localization, which has global implications. Manoj Kewalramani, Rohan Seth and Shambhavi naik discuss the American, Chinese and Indian re...
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Access DNAed: Discussing the DNA Tech Bill from 2019-07-11T12:20:43
The Lok Sabha is deliberating the DNA Technology Regulation Bill - a legislation that, though ostensibly meant to lay down guidelines for the usage of DNA in judicial procedures, also raises seriou...
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China's Carrier Killers: The Anti Ship Missile in the South China Sea from 2019-07-10T12:04:31
Did China test an anti-ship ballistic missile in the South China Sea? If so, what are the larger implications? Anirudh Kanisetti, Pranav R.S. and Suyash Desai discuss all this today.
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Reading the Economist: Water Crises, Brexit and More from 2019-07-09T12:50:57
How could the world address the water crises? How is Brexit going and who are the key players in Libya today? Anupam Manur, Gayatri Ganpule and Manoj Kewalramani discuss this week's edition of The ...
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Inside Indian Diplomacy: A Conversation with Indrani Bagchi from 2019-07-08T10:18:01
On this special episode of All Things Policy, Aditya Ramanathan, Anirudh Kanisetti and Manoj Kewalramani have a fascinating conversation with Times of India's diplomatic editor Indrani Bagchi on ho...
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Learning from War: Kargil, Pulwama and the Future from 2019-07-05T10:46:21
Twenty years on, can the Kargil war offer us lessons for more recent India-Pakistan crises? Aditya Ramanathan, Pranav R.S. and Samir Kumar critique three new articles on Kargil and the Pulwama cris...
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Weapons, Diplomacy and Mobs from 2019-07-04T11:18:30
Did America's policy of engagement with China really fail? How does military technology affect domestic politics? And can publicity really help stop lynchings? Manoj Kewalramani, Anirudh Kanisetti ...
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Reading The Economist from 2019-07-03T11:07:43
Trump's offer to Modi, South Asia's social divisions, and a Swatchh Russia initiative. All of this and more discussed by Gayatri Ganpule, Manoj Kewalramani and Samir Kumar on this episode.
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Another Trump - Kim Meeting: The Future of nuclear North Korea from 2019-07-02T11:13:45
In a surprise move, Donald Trump became the first sitting American president to enter North Korea. What does the future hold for Kim Jong-un and his nuclear weapons? Aditya Ramanathan, Manoj Kewalr...
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The G20 Summit from 2019-07-01T10:48:10
How did Trump and Xi negotiate a trade war ceasefire at the G20 summit? Can Turkey purchase S400s without sanctions imposed on them? To help us navigate through all the outcomes of the G20, Manoj K...
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First-Use and its Critics: The Problem of Credibility from 2019-06-29T07:54:26
Seven of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons maintain a first-use posture. But is first-use a viable option? Is it even credible? Aditya Ramanathan, Pranav R.S., Shambhavi Naik and Shib...
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An Indian Space Strategy: What is India Going to do Next? from 2019-06-27T09:03:14
The Indian government announced that it will set up the Defence Space Agency (DSA) and the Defence Space Research Organization (DSRO), kick-starting its military space program. What should be our n...
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Pompeo's Visit to India: The Future of US-Indian Relations from 2019-06-26T10:18:27
Can Mike Pompeo's visit to India help manage rising differences between the two countries? And are domestic constituencies in both countries adding to the troubles? Aditya Ramanathan, Manoj Kewalra...
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A Chinese data trap? Data localization and Indian policy from 2019-06-25T11:47:58
Huawei has announced it would be willing to provide India telecom equipment without "back doors". Is this a feasible idea? How should India treat the data of its citizens? Anirudh Kanisetti, Manoj ...
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Is the world getting any better? Battle deaths, digital economy and measuring national power from 2019-06-24T11:17:27
Have human and societies become less violent? Are digital wallets ever good for the economy? Have we been measuring national power the wrong way for centuries? Aditya Ramanathan, Anirudh Kanisetti ...
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Why didn't Vijayanagara have a Navy? from 2019-06-21T09:37:03
What does the history of the Indian subcontinent teach us about maritime power and the behavior of sea-states? For that matter, why and what is a sea-state? Aditya Ramanathan and Anirudh Kanisetti ...
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Troubles in the Persian Gulf from 2019-06-20T10:43:32
Iran has shot down an American UAV just days after the US blamed it for attacks on the two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. What do deteriorating US-Iran relations mean for India? Anand Arni, Prana...
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India's Ocean? from 2019-06-19T09:54:15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the Maldives is the latest move in a contest for power in the Indian Ocean region. How can India win? Manoj Kewalramani and Shibani Mehta join Aditya ...
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Reading The Economist: Brexit, Airless tires and Shocking experiments from 2019-06-18T09:57:09
Anupam Manur and Gayatri Ganpule join Shambhavi Naik in discussing proposed policies of the prime ministerial candidates in the UK, Saudi Arabia's Soverign-Wealth fund, the latest development by Mi...
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When Xi Met Modi from 2019-06-17T10:59:42
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit seemed to herald new thinking on Sino-Indian relations. But will it amount to anything? Manoj Kewalramani and Anirudh Kanisetti join Aditya Ramanathan t...
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India Needs GMOs from 2019-06-14T08:05:07
Despite India's ban on genetically modified crops, hundreds of farmers in Akola are planting them anyway. Why are GMOs banned in the first place? Will India roll back the ban? Anirudh Kanisetti and...
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Upheaval in Hong Kong from 2019-06-13T09:55:57
The mass protests against Hong Kong's new extradition law turned violent on Wednesday. As tensions boiled over, Hong Kong police used tear gas and fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowds, injur...
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Reading the Economist: Trade in the Plant World, Magic Mushrooms and Mo Salah from 2019-06-12T09:15:48
Shambhavi Naik, Pranay Kotasthane and Gayatri Ganpule join Yazad Jal to discuss the latest section of the Economist. Today's podcast includes the economics behind plant activity, the legality of ce...
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Grossly Doubtful Production: A Mis-estimation Of India's GDP Growth Rate from 2019-06-11T10:20:13
A recent paper by former Chief Economic Advisor of India, Arvind Subramanian made a shocking claim that India's GDP growth between 2011-12 and 2016-17 was 4.5 per cent per year, substantially lower...
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A Master Class on Sea Power: Talking with Rear Admiral Shrikhande from 2019-06-10T10:25:27
In this special episode, Rear Admiral Sudarshan Shrikhande talks about how maritime power has shaped our world, from ancient Greece to the 21st century Indo-Pacific. In conversation with Aditya Ram...
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Anti-Abortion Laws: Legality and Consequence. from 2019-06-07T07:42:35
With the recent wave of anti-abortion laws in the US, the right of a woman to bodily autonomy is being attacked. Shambhavi Naik is joined by Nidhi Gupta, Anirudh Kanisetti and Yazad Jal to discuss ...
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The U.S Indo-Pacific Strategy: Discussing America's Plan from 2019-06-06T10:03:08
The US has a new Indo-Pacific strategy. What does it mean for the region? What's China's response it? And how does it impact India? Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Yazad Jal to discuss this...
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Reading The Economist- Intestinal Bacteria, Genital Mutilation, and Iraqi Sheikhs from 2019-06-05T09:12:59
Shambhavi Naik and Gayatri Ganpule join Yazad Jal to explore the latest section of the Economist and discuss the nuances of its most intriguing articles. Listen in to hear about how intestinal bact...
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The Tiananmen Square Massacre -- 30th Anniversary from 2019-06-04T11:29:15
The Tiananmen Square massacre is still an extremely controversial topic in China 30 years on. What led to the mass protests at the time? How does the Chinese Government still censor it? Manoj Kewal...
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A National Security Doctrine for India from 2019-06-03T11:05:15
The Takshashila Institution released a National Security Doctrine for India on 3rd June 2019. In this episode, Lt Gen Prakash Menon, Nitin Pai, and Pranay Kotasthane discuss what this doctrine enco...
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Voting With Your Wallet- Exploring Ethical Consumerism from 2019-05-31T08:33:39
Brands are becoming increasingly outspoken about their political values and so are consumers. Are we in an era of ethical consumerism? What does this mean for manufacturers and workers? Ananya Iyer...
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Understanding Chinese Power from 2019-05-30T10:44:08
In today's Thoughtful Thursday episode, General Prakash Menon and Suyash Desai join Manoj Kewalramani to discuss China’s international political machinations and its military strategy through the l...
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The Promise of BIMSTEC from 2019-05-29T11:49:56
With BIMSTEC leaders attending the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, General Prakash Menon and Suyash Desai join Shambhavi Naik to talk about how the organisation could help rewire the g...
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Reading The Economist- Jobs in Rich Countries, Tech Wars and Soda Tax from 2019-05-28T09:45:18
In this week's episode, Anupam Manur, Yazad Jal and Gayatri Ganpule discuss the booming job market in rich countries, disruption of the interlinkages in the tech industry and welfare-motivated sin ...
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The Case For Defence Reforms from 2019-05-27T11:02:51
What should be on the agenda for the new government as it sets about reforming defence? General Prakash Menon and Nitin Pai join Yazad Jal to discuss. Editor: Ananya Iyer
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Will RuNet Ruin the Net? from 2019-05-24T10:13:35
Will Russia's new internet regulations end the global internet as we know it? Does China have its own internet? Should states rule over the internet? Manoj Kewalramani and Rohan Seth join Anirudh K...
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Quotas- Are They Hurting the Prospects of Social Equity? from 2019-05-23T09:10:52
Nidhi Gupta, Pranay Kotasthane and Ananya Iyer join Shambhavi Naik to discuss the recent news coverage surrounding the cut-off and quota measures in Karnataka Pre-University colleges. Can quotas be...
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Butcher and Bolt: The Truth About Surgical Strikes from 2019-05-22T10:05:11
Surgical strikes are back in the news. But what are these surgical strikes really? Do they help reduce terrorism? Are they being exploited for political purposes? General Prakash Menon discusses wi...
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Huawei To Hell: The Future of Technology Geopolitics from 2019-05-21T10:04:19
Is the US-China trade war entering its final phases? Huawei will not be able to purchase components from American suppliers - and will be excluded from future versions of Google's Android OS. But t...
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Reading The Economist - More Cold War, Political Comedy, and Sleep Technology from 2019-05-20T12:36:39
Yazad Jal and Manoj Kewalramani join Nitin Pai discuss the nuances of the articles in the latest edition of The Economist (May 18th). Tune in for insights on the US-China new "cold war", comedic ha...
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Politicising The Military- Should Military Officers Be Allowed to Join Politics? from 2019-05-17T10:18:55
Has politicisation affected the Indian military? Should our senior officers have a “cooling off” period before they’re allowed to join a political party? Gen. Prakash Menon joins Pranay Kotasthane ...
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Teaching Soldiers- Is Military Education Inefficient? from 2019-05-16T09:58:42
How have India and China tried to educate their military personnel? Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan join Yazad Jal to talk about two different studies on the subject. Check out the studies ...
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Reading The Economist- Decline of Racial Bias, Left-Leaning Think-tanks and More from 2019-05-15T09:01:45
Yazad Jal and Anupam Manur join Nitin Pai to dive into the latest edition of The Economist and discuss the nuances of the articles that they found the most intriguing. Tune in for insights on US-Ch...
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Cab Apps and Congestion- Why Are Cab Aggregators Jamming Our Roads? from 2019-05-14T10:10:25
With Uber and Ola having gamechanging effects on urban mobility, how can urban planning authorities account for the sharp hike in road congestion with a view to make transport as efficient as possi...
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Need Jobs? Build Cities.- Is Creating Additional State Capitals a Good Idea? from 2019-05-13T12:50:03
India needs to create 20 million jobs per year for the next decade or so. One of the best ways to do that is through the construction of new cities. But how? And why would people move to these new ...
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Mainstreaming Counterculture- How do counterculture movements end up as part of the mainstream? from 2019-05-10T10:18:42
How does Che Guevara's face end up on mass-manufactured t-shirts? How did superheroes go from comic books to blockbuster film franchises? How do counterculture movements end up as part of the mains...
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A War of Ideas- Do Ancient Civilisations Explain Present Day Power Politics? from 2019-05-09T10:44:20
Does the notion of a "clash of civilisations" really explain the competition between major powers today? Shambhavi Naik talks to Manoj Kewalramani, Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan. Editor: ...
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Pakistan's Nuclear Bluff- Is the Nasr Just an Intimidation Tactic? from 2019-05-08T06:38:14
Pakistan's Nasr rocket was supposed to "pour cold water" over the Indian Army's Cold Start doctrine. But Aditya Ramanathan and Kunaal Kini drop a truth bomb over Pakistan's overheated claims. Check...
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Justice Denied- Is the Chief Justice Above the Law? from 2019-05-07T10:58:27
The Supreme Court's in-house probe panel has given a clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi after allegations of sexual harassment against him. But the probe ignored the well-established Vishakha guideline...
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China And Masood Azhar- Why Did China Cave? from 2019-05-06T10:54:53
Why did China finally allow Masood Azhar to be sanctioned by the UN? What do these sanctions actually achieve? What are China’s motivations behind doing this now? And how will it affect the India-C...
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Poets and Kings: Then and Now from 2019-05-03T09:41:34
Why did pre-modern Indian states patronise poetry? How did poets balance their commitments to kings with their ideas of social justice? Are there lessons that modern India can learn from our histor...
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Marvel(ous) Geopolitics- What Does the MCU Teach Us About International Relations? from 2019-05-02T11:25:07
The Marvel Cinematic Universe offers rich and often surprising insights into the most pressing matters of ethics, policy, international politics. Manoj Kewalramani, Shibani Mehta, Ajay Patri, and A...
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Recruiting Better Spies- How Do We Improve India's Intelligence Agency? from 2019-05-01T09:56:23
All is not well with India's external intelligence agency. In this fascinating episode, Anand Arni, Pranay Kotasthane, and Shibani Mehta talk about how India's spies were recruited in the past, wha...
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The Paradoxes of Prediction- Do Prediction Markets Affect Actual Outcomes? from 2019-04-30T10:48:53
How do prediction markets work? Do they offer advantages over traditional methods? And why did they go wrong in predicting Trump's election or Brexit? Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane talk to Yaz...
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China's Naval Might from 2019-04-29T09:46:14
China's navy marked its 70th anniversary with a four-day-long celebration last week. The festivities included a parade, which showcased the Liaoning aircraft carrier and the navy's newest destroyer...
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Bubble Boy- A Bold New Age in Healthcare? from 2019-04-26T10:00:29
A revolutionary new gene therapy hijacks the human immunodeficiency (HIV) virus to cure inherited immune disorders such as SCID - also known as Bubble Boy Disease. Is this the start of a bold new a...
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Belt And Road Forum II from 2019-04-25T10:55:35
The second summit of the Belt and Road Initiative began on 25th April 2019. Will this summit, attended by more than 37 heads of the countries and several other delegations, bring clarity from China...
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Why Sri Lanka? from 2019-04-24T10:48:33
Is the attack in Sri Lanka a product of third-party terrorism? Can a local terror outfit carry out an orchestrated attack of this scale without outside help? What is the nature of the allegiance of...
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Tik For Tok- What Does the Ban Mean for Freedom of Expression? from 2019-04-23T10:36:46
Should India ban TikTok? Does the ban violate the principle of freedom of expression, or tackle the problem of illegal and dangerous content? Does it help achieve broader geopolitical objectives? Y...
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Where No Tourist Has Gone Before from 2019-04-22T10:25:08
India's tourism industry is not in the best of shapes - Times Square in New York alone gets more than the entire country. Some places get way too much traffic and strain their infrastructure to bre...
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Affairs of the Heart from 2019-04-19T08:01:22
In Israel last week, a team of scientists created the first functioning 3D-printed artificial heart made of biological materials. This is potentially a huge leap forward for synthetic biology - and...
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On Terrorists, Nukes, And Linguistic States from 2019-04-18T10:09:49
We at the Takshashila Institution change our minds when presented with better arguments. In today's episode Pranay Kotasthane and Aditya Ramanathan talk to host Shambhavi Naik about papers and book...
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Coming Home from 2019-04-17T09:32:09
Why do migrants return home? What makes people make the arduous shift back after settling in a new place? Three migrants who returned home to India: Nidhi Gupta, Yazad Jal and Shambhavi Naik discus...
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Breaking The Ice In The Arctic from 2019-04-16T10:36:37
Last week's Arctic conference saw the unveiling of an ambitious Russian plan to expand its military presence in the region, including a larger fleet of nuclear icebreakers. Why are countries expres...
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The Politics Of National Security from 2019-04-15T10:44:55
In the first episode of our relaunched podcast, All Things Policy, Lt Gen Prakash Menon and Pranay Kotasthane join host Yazad Jal to discuss how India's leading political parties deal with national...
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To Gene or Not To Gene from 2019-04-12T11:35
Shambhavi Naik, Yazad Jal and Anirudh Kanisetti discuss the contentious issue of germline gene editing. Eminent scientists have called for a five year moratorium on clinical applications of germlin...
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Great Wall Of Trade from 2019-04-11T10:47:29
The recent EU-China summit has resulted in unprecedented concessions from China that could have long-lasting implications for the global economy. What are they? Is this a watershed in relations bet...
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Break Up Big Tech? from 2019-04-10T09:55:39
Calls to regulate big technology firms are increasingly entering political discourse. The latest spark to the debate is US Senator Warren's proposal to break apart Google, Facebook and Apple. Are t...
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The Emperor's New Norms from 2019-04-09T12:05:39
What do a children's story, Indore's cleanliness, and Mumbai local trains have in common? Social norms! Nidhi Gupta joins Shambhavi Naik, Anirudh Kanisetti, and Aditya Ramanathan to explain how the...
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Robot Rules from 2019-04-08T09:47:45
Should lethal autonomous weapons have the discretion to take human life? With governments already debating the issue at the UN, Ganesh Chakravarthi talks to Manoj Kewalramani, Shibani Mehta, and Ad...
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India's Satellite Killers from 2019-04-05T08:31:50
Having proven its ability to knock out satellites, India should pledge a no first use policy for A-SAT missiles, since these weapons can create dangerous debris fields in space. Such a pledge will ...
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Fixing Indian PhDs from 2019-04-04T11:33:27
The Indian government recently stated that PhDs would only be offered on subjects of "national interest" (though it later backtracked). Are there better ways to nurture research in India and addres...
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What Is The Kra Canal? from 2019-04-03T10:12:03
What if China were to cut a canal through the Isthmus of Kra in Thailand? Such a project could transform the geopolitics of Southeast Asia. What are India's stakes in the matter and what does it ne...
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Why Is Facebook Banning Pages? from 2019-04-02T09:33
Facebook just announced that it has taken down hundreds of pages in India and Pakistan for "coordinated inauthentic behaviour". What does this mean? Why is Facebook cracking down on pages, and what...
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Dream Manifestos Science And Technology from 2019-03-29T06:26:22
Science and technology ought to be a priority strategic investment for India's future. Shambhavi Naik and Pavan Srinath tell Aditya Ramanathan why the government needs to increase funding, articula...
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Dream Manifestos: Manufacturing from 2019-03-28T09:43:31
What kind of reforms would be required to make Indian manufacturing globally competitive? In this episode of our Dream Manifesto series, Anupam Manur discusses his wish list with Yazad Jal.
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Dream Manifestos: Judicial Reforms from 2019-03-27T08:38:31
In this episode of our series on dream manifestos, Surya Prakash and Ajay Patri discuss the reforms that Union and State governments can introduce to make the functioning of the Indian judiciary mo...
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Dream Manifestos: Foreign Policy from 2019-03-26T12:32:18
In this episode of our elections-inspired special series, Pranay Kotasthane joins Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan to discuss how a dream manifesto could change India's foreign relations and...
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Dream Manifestos: Agriculture from 2019-03-25T10:50:52
In the first of our election special series, Yazad Jal joins Pranay Kotasthane to discuss a dream manifesto to address the woes of Indian agriculture.
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Is All Charity Good? from 2019-03-22T10:23:08
Human history is full of examples of money acquired by unscrupulous means being poured into all sorts of charitable undertakings. The 21st century is no exception. Is it morally acceptable to accep...
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Creative Accounting from 2019-03-20T12:19:36
The accuracy of the Indian government's fiscal deficit numbers is under question thanks to what has been described as "creative accounting". What is it, how does it work, and is it a matter for con...
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Biowarfare Is Coming from 2019-03-19T10:18:56
The old assumptions around bioweapons are falling apart as new technologies make it easier for terrorists to produce and dispense deadly pathogens. Those technologies could also make it possible in...
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India Works At Night from 2019-03-18T10:15:19
One sure-shot way for India to create jobs is to open up its cities for business at night. Keeping the lights on will benefit a wide cross-section of the economy, from IT services to healthcare to ...
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Counting Every Vote from 2019-03-15T10:31:14
The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission to respond to a plea by some opposition parties asking for half the EVMs in the upcoming elections to be audited with Voter Verifiable Paper Audi...
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China Shields a Terrorist from 2019-03-14T10:45:10
On Wednesday, China placed a 'technical hold' on a proposal at the UN Security Council to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar a global terrorist. What are China's calculations in blockin...
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Brexit And Its Implications from 2019-03-13T12:23:18
UK Prime Minister Theresa May just lost another vote in parliament on Brexit. What happens next? Will there be a "hard" Brexit? Or no Brexit? What about other allied issues like the Irish backstop?...
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Genetics Is Better Than Cure from 2019-03-12T08:31:09
India's huge population consists of hundreds of sub-groups which have been marrying within themselves for the last 2000 years. This has led to a huge undiagnosed genetic disease problem, which must...
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The Mullah Omar Mystery from 2019-03-11T08:41:23
A new book by a Dutch journalist claims Taliban leader Mullah Omar remained in hiding near a US base in Zabul, Afghanistan, until his death in 2013. The release of the book, and an accompanying Eng...
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The Future Of India's Social Infrastructure from 2019-03-08T12:05:15
India's social infrastructure is stuck in the industrial age. Creating social services for the twenty-first century will require looking beyond the existing models of developed countries. Nitin Pai...
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The CPC: China's Political Carnival from 2019-03-07T09:38:04
Thousands of delegates from all over China have gathered in Beijing for the annual meetings of the country's two main political bodies, the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political...
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Trouncing Trump's Tariffs from 2019-03-06T10:02:54
US President Donald Trump has called India a “tariff king” and threatened to withdraw India’s preferential trade status under the GSP. What is the GSP? What does India stand to lose? More important...
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Is Prohibition The Answer? from 2019-03-05T09:06:12
Dealing with alcoholism is a very complex public policy problem. Many Indian states have inaugurated a policy of outright prohibition - but this move can have risky unintended consequences. With a ...
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How Many Jobs Is India Really Creating? from 2019-03-04T11:28:19
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently argued that there was no good method available for estimating job creation. But with the discontinuation of the NSSO's five-year surveys and lack of Labour Bur...
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Trump&Kim: The Art Of No Deal from 2019-03-01T09:57:47
The summit between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ended abruptly with no agreement. Manoj Kewalramani (@theChinaDude) and Ram Ganesh Kamatham (@RGKWriting) discuss wh...
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What is India's New Ecommerce Policy? from 2019-02-28T10:24:50
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) released a Draft National e-Commerce Policy on 23rd February (https://dipp.gov.in/sites/default/files/DraftNational_e-commerce_Policy_23Febr...
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The Struggle For Afghanistan's Future from 2019-02-27T09:51:25
This week, Afghanistan sent a shipment of goods via Iran’s Chabahar port to India. Meanwhile, American and Taliban representatives are in talks in Doha. What do these developments mean for the futu...
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The Limited War Paradox from 2019-02-26T10:31:57
Is a limited war between Pakistan and India possible? What political objectives can such a war achieve? With India striking alleged terrorist targets in Pakistani territory, General Prakash Menon a...
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What DNA Tells Us About Indians Past, Present and Future from 2019-02-25T10:51:52
Groundbreaking new scientific studies are changing our understanding of the history of India and its people. Yazad Jal joins Anirudh Kanisetti and Shambhavi Naik to discuss what science and history...
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Why the Demand for Special Category Status in Andhra Pradesh? from 2019-02-22T13:49
It's been more than four years since the AP Reorganisation Act came into effect. Yet the acrimony between the union and the new look Andhra Pradesh state doesn't seem to be going away. The AP CM wa...
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Should The Indian Government Regulate Social Media? from 2019-02-21T11:56:02
The Indian government may be thinking of regulating the activities of major social media firms such as WhatsApp. Facebook and Google have come out with new policies to control political advertising...
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What Is the Jaish-e-Mohammad? from 2019-02-20T09:01:41
The Jaish-e-Mohammad is a terrorist outfit that has claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack. What is it, and what are its links to the Pakistani Military-Jihadi Complex? Pranay Kotasthane and...
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Should Publicly Funded Research Be Free? from 2019-02-19T09:53:44
India has recently announced its intent to join Plan S, by which all public-funded research in India would have to be published in open access compliant journals. This move will help scientists, st...
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The Pakistani Military-Jihadi Complex from 2019-02-18T10:15:58
In this episode, Nitin Pai, Pranay Kotasthane, and Yazad Jal discuss the meta-structure of political Pakistan. The central argument is that Pakistan is not one geopolitical entity, but two: the put...
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India's Responses to Sub-conventional Warfare by Pakistan from 2019-02-15T08:57:55
On 14th February 2019, a CRPF convoy was attacked by a vehicle-bound suicide bomber near Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the ...
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Security vs Privacy in a Digital Economy: Social Credit Edition from 2019-02-14T12:17:55
Social Credit System is the umbrella term to describe the multiple reputation systems being experimented by Chinese companies and local governments. It is being promoted as a means to improve trust...
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Key insights from the ASER 2018 Report from 2019-02-13T12:30:12
ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) is an annual survey that provides annual estimates of children’s schooling status and basic learning levels for each state and rural district in India. (ASE...
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How Does an Angel Tax Affect the Indian Economy? from 2019-02-12T12:29:18
Angel tax, levied on angel investment in startups, has been in news recently for tax notices slapped on a large number of startups. (Economic Times, 9 Feb 2019). In this episode, Yazad Jal and Anup...
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Do We Need A Ministry of Culture? from 2019-02-11T08:53:09
Acclaimed actor and director Amol Palekar was repeatedly interrupted during his speech at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Mumbai when he criticised the Ministry of Culture for reported...
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Chinese Apps in India and Regulating Fake News from 2019-02-07T10:14:38
Manoj Kewalramani (@theChinaDude) and Anirudh Kanisetti (@AKanisetti) discuss India's draft regulations for Chinese social media apps, as well as startup ecosystems, how to think about China's pres...
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New ECommerce Regulations and FDI in Retail from 2019-02-06T09:51:53
Anupam Manur and Yazad Jal discuss the new ecommerce regulations that came into force on February 1 and how it affects major players like Amazon and Flipkart. The new e-commerce investment rules ba...
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Defence Budgeting And The Strategy Bridge from 2019-02-05T13:00:42
The defence budget for 2019 again brought into focus the unsustainable pension figures. This year, the Indian Army’s pensions and salaries alone amount to Rs 1.82 lakh crores – a whopping 42 % of t...
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Afghanistan After Withdrawal of US Forces from 2019-02-04T12:33:04
US President Trump reiterated on 3rd Feb that US forces should withdraw from Afghanistan. He backed the ongoing peace negotiations with the Taliban. In this episode, Nitin Pai, Gen Prakash Menon, a...
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The Jobs Crisis in India from 2019-02-01T04:21:41
The National Sample Survey Office’s data showing that employment in 2017-18 has hit a 45-year low highlights the urgency of the jobs crisis situation in India. So in this episode, we discuss ideas ...
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Avoiding a Nuclear Catastrophe from 2019-01-31T10:27:12
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful and Senate Armed Services Committee member, offered a bill — “The No First Use Act” — to es...
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The Geopolitics of Technology: 5G edition from 2019-01-30T13:01:57
After the Canadian government arrested Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei upon an extradition request by the United States, relations between China and Canada have taken a beating. This arrest is likely t...
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The Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme for the Poor vs Universal Basic Income from 2019-01-29T12:45:49
In this conversation, we discuss what a minimum income guarantee scheme for the poor means and how it is not a universal basic income transfer. We discuss a few ballpark cost estimates and take a s...
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Many Belts And Many Roads from 2018-10-07T05:07:16
What do the recent backlashes against the Belt & Road Initiative tell us?
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 3 - Tax Terrorism? from 2018-01-30T00:00
How much of India's taxes are stuck in legal disputes? Can we make it simpler for companies and people to pay their taxes? Pavan Srinath and Pranay Kotasthane discuss what the Economic Survey has t...
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 7 - Farmers' Future from 2018-01-30T00:00
Can India help farmers double their incomes by 2022? Do millions of Indians have a future in farming, or are they better off outside it? Pranay Kotasthane and Pavan Srinath discuss what the Economi...
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 5 - Swachch Bharat? from 2018-01-30T00:00
Does 74% of India's rural population really have access to toilets in 2017? Should we wait for the Census to get a real handle on how well the Swachh Bharat Mission is doing? Pavan Srinath and Pran...
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 2 - Jobs, Jobs, Jobs from 2018-01-30T00:00
Does India really have a large formal sector? The Economic Survey says that India's formal sector is much bigger than previously imagined. As many as 53% of India's workers seem to work for GST-pay...
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 1 - Why care? from 2018-01-30T00:00
What is the Economic Survey good for? What can we learn from it? From demonetisation to the GST to India's formal sector to Swachh Bharat -- the survey shares new data and new claims. Separate the ...
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 4 - Cash after Demonetisation from 2018-01-30T00:00
Has India's cash supply recovered from demonetisation? Do people have enough cash to go about their lives? Pavan Srinath and Pranay Kotasthane discuss what the Economic Survey has to say about it. ...
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Economic Survey Explained - Part 6 - Village and City Governments from 2018-01-30T00:00
Why are India's cities and villages so poor when it comes to property taxes? Can having their own sources of money liberate them from state governments? Pavan Srinath and Pranay Kotasthane discuss ...
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Part 2: What does it mean to be a Liberal in India? from 2017-02-23T17:20:42
The book, "What does it mean to be a liberal in India?" edited by Ronald Meinardus, was launched in Bangalore by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and The Takshashila Institution. In this special fo...
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Part 3: What does it mean to be a Liberal in India? from 2017-01-23T14:53:20
The book, "What does it mean to be a Liberal in India" edited by Ronald Meinardus, was launched in Bangalore by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and The Takshashila Institution. In this special fou...
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Part 4: What does it mean to be a Liberal in India? from 2017-01-23T14:53:04
The book, "What does it mean to be a Liberal in India" edited by Ronald Meinardus, was launched in Bangalore by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and The Takshashila Institution. In this special fou...
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Part 1: What does it mean to be a Liberal in India? from 2016-12-23T14:16:17
The book, "What does it mean to be a Liberal in India" edited by Ronald Meinardus, was launched in Bangalore by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and The Takshashila Institution. In this special fou...
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Judgements that changed India #3 The Bedrooms of the Nation from 2016-12-15T14:44:21
What role does the state have in the bedrooms of the nation? In this episode of Judgements that changed India, Madhav Chandarvarkar, Manasa Venkataraman and Nidhi Gupta discuss Section 377 of the I...
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The Woes of Indian Cash from 2016-11-16T08:32:39
The withdrawal of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 notes as legal tender by the Indian Government has been marred by claims and counter claims about the objectives and the impact. Saurabh Chandra, Anupam Manur a...
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Impact Of The US Elections On India from 2016-11-02T18:23:30
In the run up to the US elections, The Takshashila Podcast looks at how the presidential elections in America will affect India. Pranay Kotasthane, Anupam Manur and Hamsini Hariharan sit down and d...
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Air Power and National Security from 2016-10-27T04:25:55
In a new episode of the Takshashila Podcast, Guru Aiyar and Air Marshal Arjun Subramaniam discuss the various facets of air power in the current national security discourse. The conversation covers...
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Judgements That Changed India #2 Keshavnanda Bharati vs. State Of Kerala from 2016-10-19T18:48:13
Join Hamsini Hariharan, Madhav Chandarvarkar and Manasa Venkataraman as they debate the basic structure of the Constitution and weigh the scrupulousness of lawyers against politicians. This episode...
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Securing the Seaboard: Part 2 from 2016-10-10T09:46:57
In the final of a special two part podcast, Dr. Pushpita Das and Hamsini Hariharan discuss threats to Indian coasts and the restructuring of the existing structure, particularly the need for a new ...
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Securing the Seaboard: Part 1 from 2016-10-07T13:12:50
In the first of a special two part podcast, Abhijit Singh and Hamsini Hariharan discuss challenges to coastal security, particularly the role of technology in securing the coastlines. This is a spe...
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Defamation Nation from 2016-09-28T08:51:18
Join Pavan Srinath, Madhav Chandravarkar and Manasa Venkataraman in this episode of the Takshashila Podcast as they pit the right to free speech against the right to reputation. Madhav Chandravarka...
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The Rise Of Global Authoritarianism from 2016-09-19T05:06:37
In this episode of the Takshashila Podcast, Hamsini Hariharan sits down with Manu Bhagavan to discuss authoritarianism, internationalism and globalisation. Manu Bhagavan is a Professor of History a...
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The Nuclear Way Forward from 2016-09-01T07:38:11
The Takshashila Podcast breaks down India's entry to groups like the NSG and MTCR, the future nuclear order and looks into possible strategies for India. The episode features Happymon Jacob and Ham...
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The South China Sea Verdict: What Next? from 2016-08-11T11:57:15
In this episode of the Takshashila Podcast, Guru Aiyar and Hamsini Hariharan, discuss the implications of the verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration initiated by the Philippines against Chin...
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Judgements That Changed India - K M Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra from 2016-06-16T17:07:44
In this new series on Judgements that Changed India, Madhav Chandavarkar(@MadChap88) provides a birds-eye-view of important cases in Indian legal history. This episode, hosted by Varun Ramachandra(...
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Women In Constituent Assembly from 2016-06-15T10:42:46
This edition of the Takshashila Podcast describes Priyadarshini Ravichandran's (@binaryfootprint) project on women in India's Constituent Assembly. Hosted by Varun Ramachandra(@_quale). You can fin...
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On Indian Philosophy By Ethan Mills from 2016-05-11T09:47:03
Ethan Mills discusses classic Indian Philosophy, followed by a discussion on Jayar??i . Further, he talks about the diverse history of Indian philosophy and how it impacts the present day understan...
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#GCPPprimetime 15 —Unpacking India's Water Crisis from 2016-04-28T18:08:46
Pavan Srinath and Pranay Kotasthane discuss India's water crisis. Pavan explains the difference between meteorological, agricultural and hydrological drought. Further, he talks about the need to pr...
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Takshashila Podcast - Karnataka Budget from 2016-03-24T05:25:22
Takshashila staff discuss the Karnataka budget, why it matters, and what's in store for residents of Karnataka in the latest podcast. Pavan Srinath discusses the Karnataka budget with Pranay Kotast...
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Podcast: Pre-Budget Discussion with Narayan Ramachandhran from 2016-02-26T01:34:51
Anupam Manur talks to Takshashila Fellow and Mint Columnist Narayan Ramachandran ahead of the Government of India's Budget for FY 2016.
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#GCPPprimetime 8 on the Indian Navy during War and Peace from 2016-02-12T17:30:24
Guru Aiyar and Pavan Srinath chat about the Indian Navy, on the occasion of the 11th international fleet review, and its role in both war and peace in modern India. #GCPPprimetime is a weekly onlin...
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#GCPPprimetime 7 on India – Myanmar relations from 2016-02-05T13:25:42
Priya Ravichandran and Pranay Kotasthane discuss the political changes in Myanmar and the future of India—Myanmar relations. #GCPPprimetime is a weekly online show on public affairs and policy host...
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#GCPPprimetime 6 on the Indian Constitution from 2016-01-31T06:31:05
Sidin Vadukut and Pavan Srinath discuss the Indian Constitution and the idea of a Republic, as the constitution turns 66 years old. #GCPPPrimetime is a weekly online show on public affairs and poli...
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Former R&AW Chief AS Dulat and Ramachandra Guha on "Kashmir: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" from 2016-01-15T13:03:56
Excertps from a talk on "Kashmir : Yesterday,Today and Tomorrow" by Mr. Amarjit Singh Dulat, former chief of R&AW – chaired & moderated by Dr. Ramachandra Guha. The event was conducted by The Taksh...
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#GCPPprimetime 2 on COP21 and Climate Change from 2015-12-18T11:35:47
Pavan Srinath and Pranay Kotasthane discuss COP21 and Climate Change on the second edition of #GCPPprimetime – a regular web discussion on public affairs and policy.
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INI9 – Genocide against the minorities In Pakistan from 2014-12-23T07:05:04
Nitin Pai and Farahnaz Ispahani discuss genocide against minority groups in Pakistan at the Takshashila-Hudson Conference "Shaping India's New Growth Agenda: Implications for the World".
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INI9 - Anand Arni and Aparna Pande on Afghanistan after the US drawout from 2014-12-23T06:59:27
Anand Arni and Aparna Pande discuss post-US Afghanistan at the Takshashila-Hudson Conference "Shaping India's New Growth Agenda: Implications for the World".
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INI9 – Nandan Nilekani and Saurabh Chandra on Innovation from 2014-12-23T06:53:23
Nandan Nilekani and Saurabh Chandra discuss Aadhar and innovation in India at the Takshashila-Hudson Conference "Shaping India's New Growth Agenda: Implications for the World". This conference was ...
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INI9 – Pavan Srinath and Rohini Nilekani on Sanitation and Malnutrition from 2014-12-23T06:45:24
Pavan Srinath and Rohini Nilekani of Arghyam discuss malnutrition, sanitation and water in India, at the Takshashila-Hudson Conference "Shaping India's New Growth Agenda: Implications for the World...
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INI-9: Pavan Srinath and Raj Cherubal on Smart Cities from 2014-12-23T06:32:12
Pavan Srinath talks to Raj Cherubal from Chennai CityConnect at the Goa Arts and Literary Festival on local governance and the idea of smart cities.
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INI-9: Priya Ravichandran and Dr. Rajeev Gowda on Gender and Safety from 2014-12-23T06:27:36
Priya Ravichandran and Member of Parliament Dr. Rajeev Gowda discuss gender inclusion, safety, and public spaces.
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Nitin Pai on Lokpal on Radio One Mumbai from 2013-12-19T13:52:12
Nitin Pai speaks on Mumbai's Radio One on the idea of a Lokpal to solve India's corruption challenge.
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