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...
Sep 24, 2018•57 min•Season 1Ep. 87
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...
Sep 17, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 86
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...
Sep 10, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 85
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....
Sep 03, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 84
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/...
Aug 27, 2018•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 83
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...
Aug 20, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 82
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...
Aug 13, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 81
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&sr=1-1&keywo...
Aug 06, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 80
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...
Jul 30, 2018•41 min•Season 1Ep. 79
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...
Jul 23, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 78
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...
Jul 16, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 77
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...
Jul 08, 2018•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 76
"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...
Jul 02, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 75
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...
Jun 25, 2018•58 min•Season 1Ep. 74
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...
Jun 18, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 73
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/...
Jun 11, 2018•47 min•Season 1Ep. 72
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=How-to-...
Jun 04, 2018•51 min•Season 1Ep. 71
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...
May 28, 2018•2 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 70
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/...
May 21, 2018•43 min•Season 1Ep. 69
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...
May 16, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 68
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/...
May 07, 2018•2 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 67
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...
Apr 30, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 66
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...
Apr 23, 2018•58 min•Season 1Ep. 65
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/...
Apr 16, 2018•43 min•Season 1Ep. 64
We all have our own guidelines for how individuals should treat each other. But how should nations behave with other nations? Foreign Policy Realist Nitin Pai joins Libertarian Amit Varma to explain the evolution of foreign policy through the ages, and its imperatives today. 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/...
Apr 09, 2018•52 min•Season 1Ep. 63
India's judicial system is broken. How can we fix it? Legal expert Alok Prasanna Kumar joins Amit Varma in episode 62 of The Seen and the Unseen. 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/...
Apr 02, 2018•58 min•Season 1Ep. 62
According to media commentator Nikhil Pahwa, Aadhaar is a subject on which "what we do will impact generations." Nikhil joins host Amit Varma on episode 61 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain how Aadhaar threatens our freedoms, and why we need to take it seriously. 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/...
Mar 26, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 61
We take water for granted, but India might be entering a full-blown water crisis. Water evangelist Vishwanath S ( https://twitter.com/zenrainman ) joins Amit Varma in episode 60 of The Seen and the Unseen to shed light on this. 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/...
Mar 19, 2018•43 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Protectionism is on the rise across the world, which is bewildering, given how harmful it is. Economist Anupam Manur joins Amit Varma in episode 59 of The Seen and the Unseen to bust eight common myths about protectionism. 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/...
Mar 12, 2018•42 min•Season 1Ep. 59
As three recent cases show, misogyny exist not just in our outdated laws, but also in the minds of our lawmakers and the judiciary. Legal expert Madhav Chandavarkar and feminist Hamsini Hariharan join Amit Varma in episode 58 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss Triple Talaq, Hadiya and the Mahmood Farooqui case. 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.i...
Mar 05, 2018•42 min•Season 1Ep. 58
