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.
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 the proposal and what it portends for the Afghan people.
Does the government's demand for funds actually match the outcomes it has promised?
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 Kewalramani and Suyash Desai discuss the NPC’s
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 of the GDP because of air pollution-related health effects.
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 this happen? How are other countries approaching
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 thought?
The COVID-19 pandemic brought along with it increased transmission of disinformation as well. Can 'citizen science' offer solutions?
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 Anirudh Kanisetti discuss what it means for regional security and
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 content creators and platforms are going to function in India.
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 its operations.
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.
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 reminiscent of the grandeur and diversity of life on earth.
Brazil is preparing to launch Amazônia-1, its first indigenously made earth-observation satellite, from Sriharikota in just a few days.
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.
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 in Australia.
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 not only realistic but inevitable.
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 discuss these questions and more.
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 to talk about the ongoing
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.
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 time.
China is offering priority access to Chinese-developed vaccines to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill has been listed for consideration in the Budget session.
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, India will have to adopt innovative solutions.
A major highlight of the Budget 2021-22 was the 18.75% increase in the capital outlay in allocation towards defence.
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 and whether they can be sued for financial damages in similar
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.
A major highlight of the Budget 2021-22 was the 137% increase in the budget allocation towards health.
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 asset monetisation.
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 economic cooperation.
Following the arrest of well known Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, an unprecedented number of protests have broken out across Russia.
