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.
In this podcast, Anushka Saxena and Amit Kumar discuss the mandates of Private Security and Military Companies operating in situations of armed conflict, debates surrounding their proliferation in international law, and repercussions for UN peacekeepers and the state monopoly on coercive power.
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The extent of female property ownership impacts women and their families, society, and the economy. Governments provide gender-based tax incentives to increase female property ownership. Suman Joshi and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the effectiveness of these measures as outlined in a recent World Bank working paper. Here are the papers referred to in the episode: World Bank Working Paper Which women own land in India? Between divergent data sets, measures and laws - Impact of Intergovernmental Fiscal...
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have recently signed the first Nordic Air Commanders' Intent to create a unified Nordic air defence alliance, pooling the resources of their air forces. In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Pranav Satyanath unpack this development and analyse its implications.
It came as no surprise that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first diplomatic visit after the commencement of his unprecedented third term was to Russia. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani dissects Xi’s visit to Russia and its strategic importance and gets quizzed by Shrikrishna Upadhyaya on its implications for India-Russia relations.
In February 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country will suspend its participation in the New START Treaty. But does this mean the end of bilateral arms control between Russia and the United States? Not quite so. In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav Satyanath discuss the nuances of the New START treaty's suspension and its implications for future arms control treaties.
India needs to grow its bio-economy and work with other countries to bolster its research and development capabilities and its manufacturing capacity. In this episode, Shambhavi Naik and Saurabh Todi discuss how India should work with like-minded partners across the globe, including with plurilateral groupings such as the Quad to seize this opportunity.
Does the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse herald wider troubles for banks? Anupam Manur talks to Shrikrishna Upadhyaya and Aditya Ramanathan about how a combination of macroeconomic factors, monetary tightening, and bad management have conspired to create a major crisis.
In this episode of All Things Policy, Amit Kumar and Anushka Saxena discuss key developments and sweeping institutional reforms that took place at the Two Sessions of the 14th NPC, as well as in the follow-up 'Party and State Institutional Reform Plan' released by the CPC Central Committee
In the past year we have seen AI go from powering prediction algorithms in the background to now having seemingly intelligent conversations, answering questions, or even creating art. AI is going to transform our lives in big ways. Shailesh Chitnis and Bharath Reddy talk about where India stands in AI innovation and how can we get better at it. Reading: Rebooting AI in India — The Takshashila Institution
According to a joint report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency and the ILO, India created 8,63,000 green jobs in 2020-21. But what constitutes a green job? What kind of efforts can be made by governments, establishments, and citizens to ensure sustainable growth? Tulshe Chowdhury, Founder of Zero2Positive joins Anupriya Mohta and Sudisha Mishra to answer these questions.
Kingshuk Saha and Dr. Tripti Kumari, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Gargi College, a constituent college of Delhi University. They discuss the women in STEM, challenges, and opportunities.
Productivity as a measure is often overlooked in public discourse. Why is it important to track this metric? What are the implications of improving labour productivity for the economy? Anupam Manur and Sarthak Pradhan join Suman Joshi to discuss this.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent visit to India marked a new chapter in the bilateral relationship between India and Australia. Along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders suggested that the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) is in the works and are hopeful it could be finalised this year. As it has been a couple of months since the India-Australia trade agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) came into effect, Carl Jaison spoke with former Ambassador Ani...
The Pharmacy Council of India and All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists have opposed e-pharmacies and demanded they be banned. In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Dr. Harshit Kukreja examine the need for e-pharmacies and reasons behind their opposition.
For the fifth year in a row, India topped the world in internet shutdowns, according to an international report by Access Now and KeepItOn Coalition. Why do internet shutdowns happen in a democracy like India? What is the economic, social and academic fallout of such shutdowns?
Kingshuk Saha and Dr. Nithiyanandam Yogeswaran analyse National Geospatial Policy 2022 in this episode. They discuss the key features of the policy paper and its immense economic and governance potential.
The first week of March is always key to the Chinese political calendar, with the beginning of the Two Sessions. The annual NPC and CPPCC meetings help frame the key policy priorities for the Party and state each year. So what’s been going on at the Two Sessions this year? Listen to this discussion between Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani.
Talking about sex is taboo in India. This means schools don't teach students about reproduction, contraception, and consent. In this episode of All Things Policy, Leah Govias and Harshit Kukreja discuss Sexual Education, its need, the effects, and the way forward.
In this episode of All Things Policy, Amit Kumar quizzes Anushka Saxena on the reforms of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the relevance and scope of the PLA's military drills and power projection at home and abroad, and lessons for India.
World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative estimates that around 850 million people in the world do not have official legal identification. That is not to say the rest of the 7 billion are covered under robust identification systems. Lack of identification leads to denial of services, benefits, and opportunities. In this episode, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya and Ritul Gaur (IIC Fellow, MEITY) speak to Jonathan Marskell (Senior Program Officer, ID4D) on ID4D initiatives around promoti...
Have you ever tried to subscribe to something on an international platform only to find that your Indian credit or debit card gets declined? It’s been over a year since RBI’s mandate on recurring payments kicked in, but there are still issues in processing some payments. Shrikrishna Upadhyaya and Bharath Reddy discuss the recurring payments nightmare
The Censor Board in India enjoys a wide remit of powers to not only certify films but also demand cuts and modifications in movies and even refuse certification. It has come under criticism for hampering freedom of expression, demanding unreasonable cuts in movies and infantalising audience choices.
In today’s world, high technology is directly linked to national power. Hence, it will have an outsized role in geopolitics. In this episode, Shrikrishna Upadhayaya hosts a conversation with Pranay Kotasthane on the trends in the next decade as governments focus more on the competition in the high technology domain.
In this episode, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya speaks to Shantanu Srivastava, Energy Finance Analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis on sustainable financing and sovereign green bonds. They discuss India’s huge climate financing needs, Government of India’s recent first & successful sovereign green bond issuance, and incentives for investors to finance climate action through green bonds.
In this episode, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya quizzes Manoj Kewalramani on his characterisation of the post-pandemic world order as a great power competition in an increasingly multipolar world. Manoj explains the reasons behind the fluidity in the word order today, the areas that will witness great power competition between the U.S. and China, and the opportunities middle powers can exploit amidst this volatility.
In this episode of All Things Policy, Anushka Saxena discusses with Amit Kumar the recent developments in the semiconductor supply chain as a result of the U.S.-China rivalry and its implications.
The World Health Organisation is working on a Global Pandemic Treaty which will seek to address the gaps in global pandemic identification, preparedness, and response. The proposed treaty is comprehensive in nature and seeks to promote equitable access to resources during a pandemic, among other things. In this episode, Shambhavi Naik and Saurabh Todi discuss the provisions of the proposed treaty and what to expect from it.
India needs more female representation in politics and the Women's Reservation Bill can be an effective tool to implement this. Anurpiya Mohta and Sudisha Mishra discuss the need for the Bill, what else will it take to ensure women's participation in politics, and whether or not other countries have had success with political reservations.
In this episode,Manoj Kewalramani, in conversation with Aditya Ramanathan, offers us a rare glimpse into how China’s diplomacy actually works and the challenges it presents for those on the other side of the negotiating table.
