All Things Policy
Episodes
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...
Ep. 620: China's New Missile Silos
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pranav Satyanath and Suyash Desai join Aditya Ramanathan to discuss what this development means for China's evolving nuclear strategy, and the US-Chin...
Ep. 619: The Queens of Medieval Kashmir
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Academic and author Dr Devika Rangachari joins Anirudh Kanisetii for a fascinating discussion on women in the making of Indian history.
Ep. 618: How Indians Shaped their Constitution
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Suman Joshi and Apurva Kumar talk about the role common citizens played in building constitutional values through the years.
Ep. 617: Cracking Down on Didi
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rohan Seth talks to Manoj Kewalramani to understand what’s driving this dramatic move by China’s authorities.
Ep. 616: India, the Moon and the Artemis Accords
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nitansha Bansal, Aditya Ramanathan, and Aditya Pareek discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the Accords and examine the choices that lie ahead for I...
Ep. 615: Theatre Commands: Are they Necessary?
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Nitin Pai discusses this with three former decorated officers from India's armed forces, Lt. General Prakash Menon, Vice Admiral Anil...
Ep. 614: The Syncretic Rituals of South Indian Catholics
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to independent researcher Vivek Joseph to learn about the peoples and practices involved in these connected dynamics.
Ep. 613: CPC@100: The Challenges Ahead
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai discuss the big ideas and major themes of the build-up to the celebrations and the challenges that the party faces ...
Ep. 612: The Constitution & India's Democracy
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the motivations and intentions of the framers of India's constitution.
Ep. 611: Fortress Russia
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On 23 June, news emerged that Russian forces had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of Royal Navy’s HMS Defender.
Ep. 610: To DARPA, or not to DARPA
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aditya Pareek joins Pranay Kotasthane to discuss the various issues around the Indian defence R&D space and what we can learn from the DARPA model.
Ep. 609: Policies for the Entertainment Sector
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Biren Ghose talks to Sarthak Pradhan about the need for a policy to enable this sector to thrive in the coming years.
Ep. 608: The Mirage of High-Tech Self-Sufficiency
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
China's growing technology prowess has led many countries to rollout old-style industrial policies of their own
Ep. 607: India Needs a Robust Cyber Security Strategy
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last decade, India has been facing a flurry of cyber attacks targeted at critical infrastructure sectors for reasons such as espionage or inf...
Ep. 606: Consumer Protection & E-commerce
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anupam Manur and Rohan Seth join Prateek Waghre to unpack the changes proposed and the impact they might have on India’s e-commerce industry.
Ep. 605: One Year After Galwan
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Ameera Rao to discuss the possible Chinese motivations and India's response.
Ep. 604: What Archaeology Really Tells Us About the Harappans and the Sarasvati River
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to archaeologist and history communicator Disha Ahluwalia, who is conducting a study of the region, to find out.
Ep. 603: Improving Learning Outcomes in Schools
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devang Bhandari and Aanchal Govindani talk to Sarthak Pradhan and suggest some measures to improve learning outcomes. The discussion ...
Ep. 602: Investigating the Wuhan Lab Leak
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In May, US President Joe Biden ordered an intelligence probe into the origins of the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2. Suspicions that the virus potent...
Ep. 601: Can You Unbundle Social Media?
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some proposals aim to strike a balance between competition and free speech by unbundling functions and features on social media platforms
Ep. 600: Lessons from Odisha's Direct Income Transfer Scheme
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shilpa Kumar talks to Sarthak Pradhan about the policy thinking behind KALIA, as well as it's design and implementation.
Ep. 599: What Fiction Teaches us About Indian History
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to journalist and author Rajat Ubhaykar, author of Truck De India.
Ep. 598: Bring Petrol under GST
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane discuss the potential benefits of this and how it can be achieved.
Ep. 597: Apple, Network Effects and China
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference was held earlier this month and had some interesting implications for both privacy and how the company is go...
Ep. 596: Do Influence Operations Work?
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manoj Kewalramani and Prateek Waghre discuss how their effectiveness is measured and how platforms respond.
Ep. 595: The Challenges of Governing States
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
India's states have often followed very different trajectories. In this episode, Suman Joshi and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the performance of some state...
Ep. 594: India: Continent or Subcontinent?
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a continent? Is it the tectonics of plates? Is it geographical boundaries? Is it population?
Ep. 593: Vaccines and Intellectual Property
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As the world continues its vaccination drive, countries like India and South Africa have been calling for an intellectual property waiver to make vacc...
Ep. 592: Battling Future Disease Waves
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic in India has savagely illustrated the need to develop institutional wherewithal to prepare for future health crises.
Ep. 591: In Google We Antitrust
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rohan Seth and Prateek Waghre join Anupam Manur to discuss recent developments in France, Germany, and the US and Google’s dominance in online adver...
Ep. 590: DeSWIFTing Russia?
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Some in IR academia circles see the prospects of Russia being cut off from SWIFT as a new proverbial financial iron curtain descending upon the world....
Ep. 589: Examining Nehru's Approach to Tibet & China
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manoj Kewalramani speaks to AS Bhasin about his new book Nehru, Tibet and China to understand the challenges, limitations and failures of Indian diplo...
Ep. 588: The Race to Acquire Vaccines
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ameera Rao and Shambhavi Naik examine the key decisions the EG needs to take in the race to vaccinate Indians.
Ep. 587: The Evolution of Indian Science
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Hari Pulakkat talks to Aditya Ramanathan and Aditya Pareek about his new book, Space. Life. Matter., which chronicles the work of India's s...
Ep. 586: What Next for Facebook and India?
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Suchir Kalra and Atish Padhy join Prateek Waghre to discuss the possible outcomes and their consequences on the market.
Ep. 585 Xi’s ‘Red Footprints’ & History Learning Campaigns
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Manoj Kewalramani tells Aditya Pareek what these tell us about the state of Chinese politics and Xi Jinping’s grip on power.
Ep. 584: India and the ‘Israeli Model’
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a conversation with Ameera Rao, Pranay Kotasthane argues that Israel's experience has little to offer India and that adopting an 'Israel Model' may...
Ep. 583: Intertwined Histories in South India's Local Legends
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to independent researcher Vivek Joseph to unravel this tapestry of stories and what they tell us about the interactions betwe...
Ep. 582: US-UK Special Relationship and China
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
However, with Brexit, Russian actions, and the rise of China, the two traditional allies are finding that some of their interests diverge. How will th...