For over 200 years, America has been interested in South Asia across three separate axes: power, ideology and culture. Historian Srinath Raghavan joins Amit Varma in episode 93 of The Seen and the Unseen to provide a guided tour of this fascinating history. Also read: The Most Dangerous Place: A History of the United States in South Asia .
Will the #MeToo movement change behaviour by changing incentives? Economist Shruti Rajagopalan joins Amit Varma in episode 92 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about Criminal Economics in the context of crimes on women in India. Also check out : Changing the Costs for the Rational Sexual Predator : Shruti Rajagopalan in Mint Men Must Step Up Now : Amit Varma's ediotrial in Pragati The Importance of #MeToo : Episode 90 of The Seen and the Unseen Metrics of Empowerment : Episode 88 of The Seen an...
The crisis at IL&FS reveals just how rotten India's financial system is. Vivek Kaul and Ashutosh Datar join Amit Varma in episode 91 of The Seen and the Unseen to demystify the problem. Also check out : DeMon, Morality & the Predatory Indian State -- Episode 85 of The Seen and the Unseen The DNA of the NPA -- Episode 32 of The Seen and the Unseen It's Time to Stop Buying LIC Policies -- Vivek Kaul LIC Should Not Rescue IL&FS -- Vivek Kaul Slay This Indian Hydra -- Andy Mukherjee How ...
#MeToo is the most important cultural moment of our lifetimes. Supriya Nair and Nikita Saxena join Amit Varma in episode 90 of The Seen and the Unseen to share their insights. Also check out : Hostile Climate: Nikita Saxena (Feature on RK Pachauri) #MeToo is anarchic, and that’s a good thing : Supriya Nair Metrics of Empowerment : Episode 88 of The Seen and the Unseen Claiming Your Space : Episode 76 of The Seen and the Unseen One Bad Law Goes, but Women Remain Second Class Citizens : Amit Varma...
Are journalists redundant in a world where no one cares about facts any more? Are we to cater to people's imagined realities? And when money and power come together, how are Independent journalists to resist? Sidharth Bhatia of The Wire and Peter Griffin of The Hindu join Amit Varma in episode 89 of The Seen and the Unseen. Also check out : The State of the Media : Episode 46 of The Seen and the Unseen, with Prem Panicker The Facts Do Not Matter -- Amit Varma...
The lives of women in India must be gradually getting better, right? How do we measure this? Devika Kher, Nidhi Gupta and Hamsini Hariharan join Amit Varma in episode 88 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss a range of possible metrics. Also check out : Where Are the Jobs ? -- Episode 87 of The Seen and the Unseen, with Yazad Jal Claiming Your Space -- Episode 76 of The Seen and the Unseen, with Aditi Mittal & Swati Bakshi Take Cities to the Women -- Devika Kher Frailty, Thy Name is Public P...
India has entered a massive jobs crisis, with more than a million people coming into the workforce every month -- and not enough jobs. Will our Demographic Dividend be a Demographic Disaster? Yazad Jal of the 20 Million Jobs project joins Amit Varma in episode 87 of The Seen and the Unseen to give insight on the scale of the problem. Also check out : The Jobscape -- Yazad Jal 20 Million Jobs : Episode 48 of The Pragati Podcast The Coming Jobs Crisis : Episode 20 of The Seen and the Unseen Namita...
India's agricultural crisis has been caused by the state. Farmer leader Gunvant Patil of the Shetkari Sanghatana joins Amit Varma in episode 86 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain the many ways in which Big Government has created our agricultural crisis. Also see : 'We Must Save Our Farmers' -- Amit Varma 'Free the Farmers' -- Barun Mitra 'The Crisis in Indian Agriculture' -- Brainstorm discussion on Pragati 'Entry and Exit in Agriculture' -- Episode 1 of The Seen and the Unseen 'The Farmer Ro...
Episode 85 of The Seen and the Unseen is about Demonetisation -- and a lot else. First, host Amit Varma launches into an angry monologue about how economic benefits can never justify moral costs. Then he is joined by economist Shruti Rajagopalan, who elaborates on all the things wrong with DeMon. They discuss the predatory Indian state, how Indians are forced into jugaad to cope with it, and that this jugaad might seem to be a good thing, but represents the enormous cost that all of us pay. **Al...
What is it like to grow up gay in a deeply homophobic country? Writer and stand-up comedian Navin Noronha joins Amit Varma in ep 84 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his experience of growing up gay in Bhayandar, and his insights from his podcast, Keeping it Queer. Also check out Keeping it Queer -- Navin Noronha's podcast How I Met My Daddy -- Navin Noronha The Matunga Racket -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo....
India is a young country, and young Indians today are entitled and angry. Snigdha Poonam joins Amit Varma in episode 83 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the turmoil in small-town India. Also read : Snigdha's book, Dreamers: How Indians are Changing the World You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/...
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is short-sighted, and does not achieve its purpose. Why? What can we do? Economist Shruti Rajagopalan joins Amit Varma in episode 82 of The Seen and the Unseen to break it all down. Also read India needs sewage systems, not free toilets -- Shruti Rajagopalan That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen -- Frédéric Bastiat The Use of Knowledge in Society -- Friedrich Hayek Public Choice: Politics Without Romance -- James Buchanan Where India Goes -- Diane Coffey and De...
How does China see its place in the world? What are its foreign policy objectives? Should India be worried? China expert Manoj Kewalramani ( https://twitter.com/theChinaDude ) joins Amit Varma ( https://twitter.com/amitvarma ) in episode 81 of The Seen and the Unseen. Also check out: Eye on China ( https://www.thinkpragati.com/category/world/china/ ): Manoj Kewalramani's weekly column in Pragati. Inside Xi's China ( http://takshashila.org.in/special-courses/ ): Takshashila's online course, condu...
India as a nuclear power is a different force from what it was before we went nuclear. Lt Gen Prakash Menon joins Amit Varma ( https://twitter.com/amitvarma ) in episode 80 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe how War and Statecraft have been redefined by nuclear weapons. Also read: Lt Gen Menon's book, The Strategy Trap: India and Pakistan Under the Nuclear Shadow ( https://www.amazon.in/Strategy-Trap-Pakistan-Nuclear-Shadow/dp/8183285244/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533201671&...
Is there really democracy in Pakistan? What were these elections all about? Pranay Kotasthane ( https://twitter.com/pranaykotas ) and Hamsini Hariharan ( https://twitter.com/HamsiniH ) join Amit Varma ( https://twitter.com/amitvarma ) in episode 79 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the two Pakistans, and what lies ahead. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at h...
More and more, across this country, violent crowds are taking the law into their own hands. What's going on? Legal experts Madhav Chandavarkar and Alok Prasanna Kumar share their insights with Amit Varma in episode 78 of The Seen and the Unseen. We Don't Need Another Law ( https://express.thinkpragati.com/2018/07/18/why-dont-need-another-law/ )-- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 Y...
According to education scholar and activist Amit Chandra, education in India is a fraud committed on the people of this country by the state. He joins Amit Varma in episode 77 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why. Also check out: The Profit Motive in Education: Episode 9 of The Seen and the Unseen ( http://www.seenunseen.in/episodes/2017/3/13/episode-9-the-profit-motive-in-education ) The Right to Screw up Education: Episode 19 of The Seen and the Unseen ( https://www.thinkpragati.com/podca...
Misogyny is ubiquitous. Women begin life with the odds stacked against them. Aditi Mittal joins Amit Varma in episode 76 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how hard it was for her to claim her space. Guest appearance: Swati Bakshi. Also read: Misogyny is the Oldest Indian Tradition -Amit Varma ( http://indiauncut.com/iublog/article/misogyny-is-the-oldest-indian-tradition/ ) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: htt...
"Comedy is tragedy plus time." Aditi Mittal joins Amit Varma to elaborate on this in Episode 75 of The Seen and the Unseen. Abbas Momin sits in as well, as the conversation spins from the evolution of stand-up in India to the challenges it faces. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com...
GST was supposed to be a Good and Simple Tax, but has ended up as just the opposite. This is hurting the poor the most. Economist Shruti Rajagopalan joins Amit Varma in episode 74 of The Seen and the Unseen to suggest a way out. Also check out: - Simple Rules for a Complex World ( https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/fStxh8vE5vQCW7V1hq1hOK/Simple-rules-for-a-complex-world-GST-classification.html ) - Shruti Rajagopalan - GST -- Episode 3 of The Seen and the Unseen with Devangshu Datta ( http://www.se...
The US has a trade deficit with China. Trump is worried. Trump is nuts. Vivek Kaul explains why to Amit Varma in episode 73 of The Seen and the Unseen. You can listen to the episode on 'Protectionism with Anupam Manur here: https://bit.ly/2JEXu1J You can listen to the 'Easy Money' episode with Vivek Kaul here: https://bit.ly/2yfeS7X You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our webs...
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has just been passed in Europe. What are its Unseen Effects? What can India learn from it? Legal expert Manasa Venkataraman joins Amit Varma in episode 72 of The Seen and the Unseen to demystify this subject. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/...
The Indian government has a disturbing tendency to cherry-pick data. Vivek Kaul joins Amit Varma in episode 71 of The Seen and the Unseen to catch them with their pants down. Also read: 'How to cherry-pick data, Arvind Panagariya-style' ( https://www.newslaundry.com/2018/05/07/population-job-seekers-data-arvind-panagariya-modi-government-unemployment ) - Vivek Kaul 'How to Manage Jobs Data, Modi Govt Style' ( https://www.equitymaster.com/diary/detail.asp?date=05%2F02%2F2018&story=3&title...
The internet was supposed to bring us all together -- but instead, is it driving us apart? Reddit moderator Nikhil,X joins Amit Varma in episode 70 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the changing shape of online conversations -- and society. Also check out: You’re From The Mutton Lobby ( https://www.thinkpragati.com/opinion/3079/youre-mutton-lobby/ ) - Amit Varma What We Talk About When We Talk About Politics ( http://indiauncut.com/iublog/article/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-politic...
Donald Trump had two simple answers to everyone who complained about jobs in America. One: Immigrants are taking your jobs. Two: Your jobs are being shipped overseas. Trump was bullshitting. Gaurav Sabnis joins Amit Varma in episode 69 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why. Also check out: Facts Don't Matter. Stories do ( http://indiauncut.com/iublog/article/facts-dont-matter.-stories-do/ ) -- Amit Varma Ep.4 of The Seen and the Unseen: Immigration ( http://www.seenunseen.in/episodes/2017/2/...
The government of India recently broached the possibility of regulating online content -- even more than it already does. What does this mean for our freedoms. Nikhil Pahwa joins Amit Varma in episode 68 of The Seen and the Unseen. Check out the previous episodes where Amit had Nikhil Pahwa as a guest: Ep. 61: Aadhaar ( http://ivmpodcasts.com/the-seen-and-the-unseen-episode-list/2018/3/26/ep-61-adhaar ) Ep. 65: The Future of the Internet ( http://ivmpodcasts.com/the-seen-and-the-unseen-episode-l...
This is an AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode, in which host Amit Varma answers questions from both in-studio guests and Twitter and Facebook users. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/
What does our economy look like today? Vivek Kaul joins Amit Varma in episode 66 of The Seen and the Unseen, as they talk about Air India, cash shortages, the jobs crisis and other such miscellanea. Also check out Episode 56: The Age of Easy Money ( https://www.thinkpragati.com/podcast/the-seen-and-the-unseen/3541/age-easy-money/ ) Episode 53: A Deep Dive into Pakodanomics ( https://www.thinkpragati.com/podcast/the-seen-and-the-unseen/3305/deep-dive-pakodanomics/ ) Episode 40: The State of the E...
The internet has empowered us all beyond belief -- but is there a flip side to this? Does it need to be regulated? Nikhil Pahwa and Amit Doshi have a lively conversation with Amit Varma in episode 65 of The Seen and the Unseen Also read: 'Facts. Don't. Matter' ( http://indiauncut.com/iublog/article/facts.-dont.-matter/ ) -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our we...
What does it mean to be free? What is the basis of individual rights? Episode 64 of The Seen and the Unseen is a rerun of an old episode of The Pragati Podcast, as Amit Varma tells Pavan Srinath what it means to be a libertarian, and why it all boils down to one word: Consent. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/...
