All Things Policy
Episodes
What Exactly Does Russia Want?
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek talks to Shrey Khanna about Russia’s motivations, its insecurity with the G-2 and the logic behind its growing alliance with China.
The China Factor in the US - Australia Quantum Tech Agreement
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Megha Pardhi and Shrey Khanna discuss the Agreement, the role of China, and India's initiatives to promote research in quantum technologies.
Gender Inequality in the Fashion World
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Priyal Lyncia joins Aarthi Ratnam to discuss two key components - The gender inequalities that exist in the fashion world and what recommendations can...
Breathing New Life into India-Russia Relations
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek and Aditya Ramanathan discuss the various points of divergences and rapprochement between New Delhi and Moscow.
Australia's "Anti-Trolling" Bill & Internet Anonymity
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Prateek Waghre and Sapni GK join Rohan Seth to discuss its provisions, what it could mean for anonymity on the internet, and broader implications for ...
Unpacking the National Family Health Survey (NFHS5) report
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does the decreased TFR rate mean? How should we read the decreased sex ratio? How does India fare on the nutrition front? What could be a few pol...
Regulating the Cyberspace and International Relations
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sapni G K and Aditya Pareek join Oleg Shakirov, a Senior Expert at Center for Advanced Governance and a Consultant at PIR Center to discuss norms in t...
Omicron: The Harbinger of the third wave?
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
. In this episode, Harshit Kukreja and Mahek Nankani discuss Omicron, how different it is from Delta, its severity and what can be the possible initia...
Are Cities Still Relevant in the Metaverse Era?
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mihir Mahajan speaks to Aarushi Kataria and Sridhar Krishna to discuss the rise and decline of cities, and how cities were reinvented...
Dissent on The Personal Data Protection Bill
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Data Protection Bill is supposed to be up for discussion in the winter session of Parliament. Jairam Ramesh, an MP and a member of the Joint Parli...
What’s Climate Change Got To Do With Your Dinner?
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Arjun Gargeyas talks to Atish Padhy and Aarthi Ratnam on the potential effects of climate change on food production, diversification ...
India's COVID-19 Risk Communication Plan
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mahek Nankani and Apurva Kumar talk about the communication successes and failures of the Union government and discuss the significan...
Talks with the TTP: Peace in sight for Pakistan?
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Priyal Lyncia D'almeida talks to Shrey Khanna to get insights on the nature of the talks and the prospects of peace in Pakistan.
India’s Jobless Growth
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Aarushi Kataria and Sridhar Krishna draw on ideas from Takshashila's 20 Million Jobs project to look for ways India can create new jo...
Mental Health and India's Police
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ruturaj Gowaikar and Aarthi Ratnam discuss the lack of systemic, institutional psychological support for India's police personnel. They also dwell on ...
Social Networks and Indian Women
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Suman Joshi, Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the barriers women face in creating and accessing social networks. They also re...
Creating Safety Nets for Gig Workers
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to Anupam Manur, Aarushi Kataria and Sridhar Krishna discuss the reasons for growth of the gig economy and ideas around providing a safety net ...
How Piped Water Empowers Women
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Piped water allows women, the primary caretakers of a household, more time for labour and leisure, thus improving their bargaining capacity at home an...
China's Military Power
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The US Department of Defense (DoD) released its 2021 China Military Power Report last week. Based on the report's findings, Aditya Pareekh and Suyash ...
Getting Our Feeds In Order
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers in the US has introduced a bill that would require online platforms to let users opt-out of having personal data...
China's Nuclear Expansion
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Pentagon China Military Power Report highlights the PRC's development of new nuclear warheads and delivery systems as potential areas of co...
The Unique History of the Early Deccan
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Deccan Plateau is generally believed to have been "conquered" by the Mauryan empire of the Gangetic Plains - but the reality of its early history ...
How Sports Shapes Diplomacy
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sports have been used to bolster diplomatic relations between states as well as to make political statements on the international stage. There is also...
The Geopolitics of International Technical Standards
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With a new technological revolution underway, emerging technologies are at the heart of geopolitical competition between States. Standard-setting is o...
How India’s Canals Shape its Cities
09 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
According to a recent study, towns situated close to canals in India witnessed faster urbanisation and demand for education but not industrialisation....
The EU’s Arctic Strategy and India
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The focal points of the strategy are the implications of melting permafrost on geopolitical developments, biosecurity, digital connectivity, and a pus...
Can Fortifying Rice Tackle Malnutrition?
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
India is set to fortify rice distributed through the PDS (Public Distribution System) and mid-day meal programmes to alleviate malnutrition. Will fort...
Digital Activism in China
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does digital activism work in China when the Internet is so heavily regulated? Netizens in China get creative when they have something to say onli...
Going Beyond Disinformation
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Conversations about the impact of Digital Communication Networks on public discourse tend to focus heavily on misinformation and disinformation.
The Strange History of South Indian Coffee
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did a bean from West Asia become one of India's most popular morning drinks? It's a story of innovation, trade, capitalism, and media.
India’s Hunger and Nutrition challenge
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The recently released Global Hunger Index sparked discussion on the methodology used to arrive at the figures. What exactly is this index?
Democratise Credit to Create Jobs
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Now that we have JAM, people want bread. Financial inclusion has been bandied about for decades with limited success but JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobil...
Cracks in CPEC
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is facing trouble on more than one front. These include China’s frustration with the lack of progress on...
AI Regulation: A Global Policy Challenge
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The use of Artificial Intelligence technologies is on a rise across the globe. Countries are increasingly demonstrating a keen interest in regulating ...
A Practical Agenda for the Quad
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Quad grouping has launched several new initiatives over last few months. While this is an encouraging development, there are concerns that the gro...
Should India Make Semiconductors?
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While semiconductor design has always been a strong suit for India, the extremely complicated manufacturing process of semiconductor chips has never t...
Can 'Gastrodiplomacy' Work?
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
‘Gastrodiplomacy' is a tool some states have used to promote themselves, a prominent example being Thailand.
Fantasy Sports and Karnataka's Online Gambling Ban
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past few years, online fantasy sports in India have gone from being a rather shady area of niche interest to becoming ubiquitous, so much so ...
Are the Balkans on Edge Again?
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With recent headlines warning of impending hostilities between Serbia and Kosovo, there is greater attention again on the proverbial powder keg of con...
The Shadow Pandemic: Impact of COVID-19 on mental health in India
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected our lives in more ways than one. It has impacted our engagement with others and disrupted daily routines....
India’s labour force: Why are women missing?
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
India’s Women Labor Force Participation Rate (WLFPR) rate is at an abysmal 21%. Why does this matter? What are the factors that are driving this tre...
Reading between the lines of the Facebook Files
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files and subsequent revelations made by the whistle-blower Frances Haugen have documented many online harms presen...
What’s China doing in Africa?
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Infrastructure projects and technology investments under BRI have led to a sustained expansion of China’s stake and presence across Africa.
Religion and the State in Medieval South India
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The late 11th and early 12th centuries saw the origins of two remarkable religious traditions that have continued to survive to this day: Virashaivism...
Keeping up with the Splinternet
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Play Store and the App Store have bowed to pressure and removed a ‘smart voting’ app from Alexei Navalny's team just before the Russian electi...
Afghanistan: 50 Days After Taliban's Takeover
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After 50 days of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the situation remains tense. The ISI-imposed interim government is struggling to provide politic...
Regulating Judicial Data
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
India's judicial system is in need for a whole host of reforms. However, one crucial aspect of this reform process should be the regulation of judicia...
The UK’s Space Strategy
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The UK has released its first-ever National Space Strategy document, which emphasizes the importance of nurturing its space sector
The Sounds and Stories of Kerala's Theyyam Rituals
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Theyyam rituals in Kerala, performed annually by communities across the state, contain fascinating subaltern mythologies and musical practices passed ...
Machine Learning Algorithm for COVID Screening
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI-ML) have been used to detect, diagnose and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus
Emigration - Can India fill the World's Vacancies?
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many developed countries in Europe and Asia have an ageing population and a shortage of skilled people to fill vacancies in the workforce. India has a...
A Global Overview of COVID-19 Booster Shots
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Concerns over waning immunity and SARS-CoV-2 variants have convinced some countries to deploy booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
A New Ripple in the Indo-Pacific
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The new trilateral framework involving Australia, the UK and the US has caused some controversy and signalled a shift in the geopolitics of the Indo-P...
The Other Rajputs: Purbiya Warriors in 16th century Malwa
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The 16th century saw the emergence of famous Rajput aristocratic households such as the Sisodias of Mewar - but it also saw the career of remarkable m...
What Makes Governments Responsive?
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A government’s responsiveness to citizen’s preferences is dependent on a host of factors. In this episode, Suman Joshi and Sarthak Pradhan, discus...
Regulating Biobanking in India
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Biobanks, which are repositories of human biological materials, will shape the future of life science research. This means India needs laws to govern ...
A Lawsuit of Epic proportions
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Apple v Epic Games lawsuit recently culminated in a 185-page judgment that has implications for the future of in-app purchases on the App Store.
Younger Generals in the PLA
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last three months, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has appointed several new generals in the People’s Liberation Army. The head of the Western Th...
Tibet Before the Dalai Lamas
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Tibetan Plateau is one of Asia's most important geopolitical regions, and it has shaped the history and culture of the continent in deep and abidi...
Is MSP Fulfilling its Purpose?
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The discussion traces the trajectory of the MSP regime from its origins to the multiple market failures it has caused.
New Cities - More Jobs
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sridhar Krishna and Aarushi Kataria talk about the origin of cities, how cities help create new jobs, and how new cities can be creat...
Russian Interests in Afghanistan
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With its chaotic exit from Afghanistan, the US finds itself in the same camp as the British in the early nineteenth century and the Soviets in the lat...
The Climate Threat in the Indian Ocean
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
tish Padhy talks to Arjun Gargeyas about why the report ought to be a wake up call for collective action by states in the Indian Ocean Rim Association...
The Curious Case of the Havana Syndrome
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Havana Syndrome was recently back in the news when US Vice President Kamala Harris had to postpone her flight to Hanoi due to suspected cases.
What makes democracies tick?
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In recent times, there have been apprehensions about the future of democracy. In this episode, Apurva and Sarthak talk about the factors and circumsta...
The US Versus Facebook
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a renewed antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Facebook used anticompetitive acquisitions of Ins...
Can India Mediate Between Russia and Japan?
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Trilateral engagement between Russia, India and Japan is emerging, with Pacific Russia and the Russian Far East at its centre.
Pottery for the Gods: The Worship of Ayyanar in Rural Tamil Nadu
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, hundreds of clay sculptures of horses, cows, and bulls are dedicated across Tamil Nadu to the god Ayyanar.
India’s Free Speech Challenge
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The first amendment of India’s Constitution allowed the right to freedom of speech and expression to be “reasonably restricted”.
Financing Upskilling
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jobs that are being created today are increasingly technical and tend to require some degree of specialised skill. Without these skills, even the ‘c...
Ethical Design Practice for Smartphone Financial Apps
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Trading in stocks, funds, cryptocurrency and other financial assets has been made super easy by smartphone-based apps.
The Bear’s Space Power
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the Cold War, the USSR was a pioneering space power, and its successor state the Russian Federation has inherited much of its grandeur and capa...
An Indian 5G Standard?
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Arjun Gargeyas, Research Analyst with Takshashila’s High-Tech Geopolitics programme, wrote an article about 5Gi
Creating An Epidemic Intelligence Agency
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A Takshashila Institution discussion document proposes the creation of an Indian National Epidemic Intelligence Service. Ruturaj Gowaikar and Shambhav...
Can Vaccine Mandates Work?
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Arjun Gargeyas talks about the fascinating history of vaccine mandates and discusses the ways in which India can implement them in a manner that is vi...
Vaccinating Kids: A Parent's Perspective
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Since the early days of the pandemic, parents have been taking some comfort from the fact that SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to cause serious illness...
What did the Kakatiyas do for us?
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti takes us through the birth of the Kakatiya dynasty, its extraordinary rise, and its violent fall.
How Columbus Transformed Indian Cuisine
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to food blogger Sujata Shukla about how the arrival of new crops from the Americas, often brought by Europeans, transformed I...
India’s Reverse Migration
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Suman Joshi and Apurva Kumar discuss the latest trend of reverse migration of labour in India.
The PLA and India
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The People’s Liberation Army is a unified organisation of China’s land, sea, and air forces. It is one of the largest military forces in the world...
Outraging into the Machine
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is outrage a genre? What are its attributes? What roles do supply-side and demand-side incentives play? Prateek Waghre joins Rohan Seth to discuss.
The Dilemmas of Religious Freedom
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan talk to Professor Olivier Roy of the European University Institute about the law.
Ep. 638: Building India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek speaks to Samparna Tripathi, Amol Sarin, and Anup Rajput to discuss India’s challenges and opportunities.
Ep. 637: iCloud, privacy and law enforcement
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Apple recently released a feature that will enable them to scan photos stored in iCloud to detect child abuse imagery. The move has sparked off a deba...
Ep. 636: Pegasus and India's Cyber Security Capabilities
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nitansha Bansal and Nitin Pai discuss what issues the Pegasus row has brought to light for India's defence strategists and policymake...
Ep. 635: Takshashila’s Founders Discuss Post-COVID Inequalities
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sarthak talks to Takshahila's founders - the two N's, Narayan Ramachandran and Nitin Pai - about the disparities exacerbated by the p...
Ep. 634: A "Platform" for More Jobs
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sreelakshmi Ramachandran talks to Sarthak Pradhan on how India can leverage the platform economy to create jobs.
Ep. 633: Uncovering the Warriors of Sinauli
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to archaeologist and history communicator Disha Ahluwalia, who worked on excavations in the region, to find out.
Ep. 632: Making Public Health More Equal
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If these All Things Policy conversations interest you, consider applying for Takshashila's courses. Admissions are now open and the application deadli...
Ep. 631: The Game of Drones
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek joins Aditya Ramanathan to discuss the latest developments and some possible future trajectories for drones including autonomous systems...
Ep. 630: Digital Communication Networks and their Harms
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Prateek Waghre joins Rohan Seth to discuss a Takshashila Working Paper that defines Digital Communication Networks (DCNs) and categor...
Ep. 629: The Far Side of the Indo-Pacific
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek joins Yoshihiro Inaba to discuss Japan’s Self Defence Forces and the international law dimension to all parts of the Indo-Pacific.
Ep. 628: What if Vijayanagara Won?
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan explore the culture, society, and geopolitics of the Vijayanagara empire and its nayaka successors in search o...
Ep. 627: Making sense of feed algorithms
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mihir Mahajan joins Rohan Seth to talk about feed algorithms, how they work, and how technologists, regulators, and individual users can promote healt...
Ep. 626: Defence of Japan
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek and Suyash Desai join Ameera Rao to discuss the publication in detail vis a vis Japan’s concerns about Russia, China, Taiwan, and the ...
Ep. 625: Can Genomic Surveillance Tackle COVID Variants?
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Shambhavi Naik, Ruturaj Gowaikar and Priyal Lyncia D'Almeida discuss India's genomic surveillance efforts and the ways in which it ca...
Ep. 624: Living together, separately: What the Pew survey says about religion in India
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Neha Sahgal and Jonathan Evans from the Pew Research Center, join Mihir Mahajan and Apurva Kumar to talk about their findings and help identify meta...
Ep. 623: Bangladesh - The New Miracle Economy?
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sarthak Pradhan and Apurva Kumar discuss the new miracle economy of Bangladesh and the factors that contributed to its growth story.
Ep. 622: Tackling Mis/Disinformation on Vaccines
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kamesh Shekar and Apurva Kumar discuss how mis/disinformation leads to vaccine hesitancy and what steps can be taken to address the problem.
Ep. 621: How Social Media is Reshaping Politics
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nitansha Bansal and Prateek Waghre discuss some of the defining characteristics of social media and digital communication networks, a...