sustainable transportation, Bicycle Mayor of Guwahati, Arshel Akther, sustainable mobility, equitable transportation, accessible transportation, inclusive mobility, government perspective, road infrastructure, urban mobility, society and transportation, sustainable cities, eco-friendly commuting, green transportation, alternative transportation, public transportation, urban planning, sustainable development, environmental conservation, community mobility, biking culture, city infrastructure, sus...
Dec 20, 2023•48 min
While the pharma sector is significant in India it is also plagued by many failures and government interventions have yet to be effective. What can be done to enable the sector to achieve its potential? Kannan and Deepali spoke to Suman Joshi about their sectoral analysis on this.
Dec 19, 2023•36 min
Economic crimes such as money laundering and corporate fraud affect the country's socio-economic fabric and economic security. India has diverse legislative measures and state agencies in place to tackle such crimes. In this episode of Police Chowki, Shrikrishna Upadhyay quizzes two experts who have worked in the field, Dr. Pravin Tiwari (full-time member of the National Financial Reporting Authority and former Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India) and Mr. Javeed Ahmad (former IPS off...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 2 min
India is set to host the Quad Leaders' Summit in 2024. Over the years, the Quad has evolved to assume numerous domains as part of its public goods agenda. How does India view the Quad’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and how do other Quad countries see India’s role in the Quad? What is the Quad’s regional role? In this episode of All Things Policy, join Bharat Sharma and Kripa Koshy as they discuss the Quad and India's role in it.
Dec 15, 2023•32 min
The Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 is a new draft legislation introduced by the government to update a 30-year-old law, the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. Its significance lies in its attempt to regulate content on both traditional TV channels and emerging platforms like OTT services and streaming platforms. The Bill proposes more oversight by requiring platforms to set up Content Evaluation Committees to review and evaluate content before release. In this episo...
Dec 14, 2023•26 min
India has regularly seen bans on fireworks during festive seasons, but knee-jerk policy reactions aren't enough. Centralised directives to curb air pollution don't account for contextual differences across states, and give a one-size-fits-all model that doesn't seem to help. Can India adopt pollution policies from other countries? How do we ensure the sustainability of these policies? In this episode, Ananya Desai and Rohan Pai discuss possible solutions to tackle India's air pollution problem.
Dec 13, 2023•26 min
With active government support, the UPI has become ubiquitous and has changed the way we transact. What are the welfare gains arising from this? Rama, Shihas, and Krishna talk to Sarthak Pradhan and Suman Joshi about how they quantified this as part of the Estimation Exercise in the just concluded Ideas Shala event at Takshashila.
Dec 12, 2023•32 min
China’s diplomatic efforts since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, indicate a clear decision to lean in favour of the Palestinian side. This decision appears to be driven by a mix of economic and strategic interests, particularly China’s strategic competition with the US. Drawing from his latest working paper, Manoj Kewalramani, Chair of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at Takshashila Institution, explains China’s expanded role in the region, its diplomatic efforts, and strategic calculat...
Dec 11, 2023•28 min
Could the war between Israel and Hamas impact India's tech and defence ties with Israel? And could a broader regional war create an energy crisis? Satya Sahu and Aditya Ramanathan consider potential scenarios that could upend aspects of India's approach to West Asia. Check out the Takshashila Working Paper: The Techno-Economic Impact of the Israel-Hamas War
Dec 08, 2023•36 min
On November 29, 2023, the US Department of Justice indicted an Indian national Nikhil Gupta in a foiled assassination attempt of a US citizen in New York. The purported target is a Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This comes a mere two months after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a listed Khalistani terrorist, on Canadian soil. What does the US indictment mean for relations between Washington and New Delhi? Takshashila In...
Dec 07, 2023•37 min
Tune into All Things Policy for an eye-opening episode on AI Governance. We're dissecting our most recent Takshashila Discussion Document - delving into AI's transformative role in society, the nuances of attempting to govern it, and the complexities of AI supply chains. Join Satya S Sahu, Rijesh Panicker, and Bharath Reddy, as they explore the values guiding AI from democracy to global stability, and the challenges in creating a competitive AI industry.
Dec 06, 2023•38 min
The past few years have witnessed the rapid growth of the India-Australia relationship. The agenda for bilateral partnership has expanded significantly from trade and security to emerging technologies and human capital development. In this special episode, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Philip Green, the new Australian High Commissioner to India, on the priorities for the two sides going forward.
Dec 05, 2023•34 min
India has one of the strictest gun control regimes where obtaining a gun license is difficult for ordinary civilians. Gun violence and death numbers are also relatively low. However, India has a vast underground market of illegal firearms operated by criminal gangs, epitomised by the ‘katta’ or the countrymade handgun. In this episode of Police Chowki, Javeed Ahmad (ex-IPS and DGP of Uttar Pradesh) and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya discuss the gun culture in India, especially Uttar Pradesh, the unintend...
Dec 04, 2023•49 min
Australia's recently released cyber security strategy, aims to enhance cyber protection for individuals and businesses. Jade Donney, Counsellor at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi highlighted the key aspects of this comprehensive approach.
Dec 01, 2023•32 min
In continuation of yesterday’s episode of All Things Policy, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya speaks to Anupam Manur, Professor of Economics at Takshashila Institution, on the economic benefits of migration, the constrained economic freedom in India, and challenges with economic integration of Indian states. Anupam explains how demands for reservation are intrinsically related to unemployment and economic growth. Reading: Reservation For Locals: Whither jobs, economic freedoms, and economic unity?
Nov 30, 2023•40 min
The State of Haryana passed the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 which provided 75% reservation to local candidates in all private sector jobs in the state which paid less than Rs. 30,000 per month. Last week, the Punjab & Haryana High Court struck down the law as unconstitutional for violating the fundamental rights to movement, settlement and trade, occupation and business. In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya dissect the issue of local reservation ...
Nov 29, 2023•27 min
Rahul Matthan joins Rijesh Panicker and Bharath Reddy for a chat about his new book, "The Third Way." Together, they unravel India's unique approach to data governance, embedded within its digital public infrastructure. Buy the book here on Amazon.
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 2 min
The Indian state has long witnessed separatism, often backed by militancy, in various regions across the country. We have had periods of militancy in Punjab, the North Eastern states, and Jammu Kashmir as well as Naxalite movements in Central India. In this episode of Police Chowki, Javeed Ahmad (ex-IPS and DGP of the State of Uttar Pradesh) speaks to Shrikrishna Upadhyaya regarding the unique challenges of policing in conflict zones, tactics employed by police forces, civilian counterinsurgency...
Nov 27, 2023•43 min
Kingshuk Saha and Manoj Kewalramani discuss the evolution of the Canada-India crisis and discuss how it has not only impacted the bilateral relations between both countries but also has cast a shadow on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Nov 24, 2023•28 min
In February 2023, the Tom Tom traffic index found Bengaluru to be the world’s second-most traffic congested city. In September, the city experienced massive traffic congestion with lakhs of commuters stranded for hours. October saw the Namma Metro's Purple Line fully operational to help ease traffic. But will the metro really suffice as the solution for Bengaluru's long-term traffic needs? Or are there other factors at play? In this episode, Ananya Desai and Rohan Pai discuss Namma Metro's role ...
Nov 23, 2023•17 min
In this episode, Kingshuk and Dr. Nithyanandam delve deeply into the most recent events in the Doklam region, as reported in the most recent news article from Takshashila Geospatial Bulletin. Join them as they unravel the complexities surrounding the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and their strategic moves in this critical border area.
Nov 22, 2023•32 min
India's Electric Vehicle ecosystem has grown remarkably in the last few years. However, questions arise about the sustainability of this growth and potential challenges. In this All Things Policy episode, Sarthak Pradhan engages in conversation with Manish Bhandari and Ashwin Kak, both current students of Takshashila's 48 week Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy, where they share their insights on the state of affairs in India's Electric Vehicle sector.
Nov 21, 2023•36 min
In this episode of All Things Policy, Amit Kumar and Bharat Sharma speak to Anushka Saxena about the recent Indo-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. They discuss deepening defence and security cooperation between India and the US, what it means for the Quad, and how it affects its agenda. Finally, they also discuss the China factor in the relationship, and what role China plays in the context of deepening technology cooperation between the two countries. Edited
Nov 20, 2023•32 min
A recent report suggested that Indian men outrank women as organ recipients. Meanwhile, women are far more likely to donate their organs to male counterparts within their families. Further, the proportion of organ donations from deceased persons is minuscule as opposed to living donors. In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya discuss the reasons behind the gender disparities in organ transplants in India and certain solutions to solve the demand and supply mismatch in the organ t...
Nov 17, 2023•30 min
Many scientists and policymakers around the world are standing up and highlighting the potential harm that AI can do but Sridhar Krishna and Rijesh Panicker bring a different perspective and suggest AI can actually support the growth of liberal democracy. Readings: AI and its potential impact on liberal democracy, FRANCIS FUKUYAMA interview New UN Advisory Body aims to harness AI for the common good How Generative AI can help boost democracy HBR - 10 ways AI will change democracy Future does not...
Nov 16, 2023•31 min
Rapid urbanization presents a pressing challenge for solid waste management as burgeoning cities generate increasing amounts of waste, necessitating innovative and sustainable solutions to handle the growing volume of solid waste. Effective solid waste management practices are crucial to maintaining urban hygiene, reducing environmental pollution, and ensuring urban populations' well-being in the face of urban expansion. Mubeena Mubarak and Malathi Renati speak about solid waste management's nua...
Nov 15, 2023•54 min
The journey of education is a combination of many experiences put together. What goes into the nuts & bolts of the Australian education system? Josiah Neal is in conversation with Sowmya Prabhakar to give us a fair idea about it from a student’s perspective.
Nov 13, 2023•34 min
In this episode of All Things Policy, Anushka Saxena discusses with Manoj Kewalramani and Amit Kumar tensions in US-China relations, and whether the upcoming Xi-Biden meeting at the APEC Summit signals a thaw in relations. Manoj and Amit also highlight the significance of the high-level diplomatic dialogue that has taken place between the two sides in the past few months, and its role in creating stability and guardrails in a largely tenuous relationship.
Nov 10, 2023•39 min
Hours after the horrific terror strike on Israel by Hamas on October 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced unequivocal support to Israel in its hour of grief. Within days, India reiterated its stand on the two-state solution, and clearly differentiated between Hamas and the Palestinian people. On October 19, Modi spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Takshashila's Sachin Kalbag and Yusuf Unjhawala break down the unique position that India is in, and how it could use its d...
Nov 09, 2023•29 min
According to a 2021 census, 710,380 Indian-born people were living in Australia, effectively making them the second-largest migrant group in the country after those born in England. The Department of Home Affairs (Australia) granted 382,000 student visas between July 2022 and February 2023. This is a 41.3 percent increase compared to the same period of 2019-2020. Should immigration continue to be encouraged in Australia? What draws Indian students to Australia, as opposed to the US and the UK? I...
Nov 08, 2023•30 min
