All Things Policy

Ep. 581: The Life and Times of the Facebook Oversight Board

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prateek Waghre and Rohan Seth join Atish Padhy to discuss these cases and tackle the larger fault lines that have come to define content moderation an...

Ep. 580: Will India’s Military Remain Apolitical?

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tthe civil-military relationship in India is slowly changing. Can the armed forces maintain their independence? Lt General Menon talks to Ameera Rao.

Ep. 579: South India and Ancient Rome

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Archaeologist and musician Aditya Mohanan joins Anirudh Kanisetti to explore the literary and archaeological evidence from Kerala and Tamil Nadu and w...

Ep. 578: Investigating SARS-CoV-2

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As calls for a thorough investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 re-emerge, Shambhavi Naik and Aditya Ramanathan discuss how novel viruses emerge,...

Ep. 577: Unpacking Xi’s New Development Strategy

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to this conversation between Suyash Desai and Manoj Kewalramani as they unpack the jargon to discuss China's development strategy.

Ep. 576: Northern Ireland's Uncertain Future

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Northern Ireland Protocol following Brexit. Ameera Rao joins Aditya Pareek to discuss.

Ep. 575: China’s Once-in-a-Decade Census

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai discuss what these trends mean for China's society, its economy, and its future.

Ep. 574: A Defence Minister with a Military Background?

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lt. General Prakash Menon argues it is perhaps time for India to have a defence minister with a military background. Ameera Rao joins Lt Gen Prakash M...

Ep. 573: Truck De India: Rajat Ubhaykar on India's truckers

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to journalist and author Rajat Ubhaykar, author of Truck De India!: A Hitchhiker's guide to Hindustan, about his months spent...

Ep. 572: Finland, Russia and the Arctic

12 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Aditya Pareek joins Aditya Ramanathan to talk about Finland’s approach to great powers and changing geopolitics.

Ep. 571: China's Health Silk Road

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai discuss the drivers of China’s HSR and the implications it will have on the geopolitics of the subcontinent.

Ep. 570: The Narrow Corridor of Liberty

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the book "The Narrow Corridor", which examines the specific state-society dynamics needed for liberty to flou...

Ep. 569: The Most Undiplomatic Affair: China & the Philippines

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai join Ruturaj Gowaikar to examine the events leading up to the minister’s outburst and place it in the context of ...

Ep. 568: Digital Monitoring of Global Public Health

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shambhavi Naik and Ruturaj Gowaikar discuss the origins of these organizations, how they function, and why they were not enough to prevent the COVID-1...

Ep. 567: Why Russia’s Far East Matters

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Artyom Lukin of Vladivostok's Far Eastern Federal University joins Aditya Pareek and Aditya Ramanathan to discuss Russia’s geopolitical am...

Ep. 566: France, India and the Seas

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr Virginie Saliou, Research Professor at France’s naval school, discusses her country’s unique approach to maritime affairs, its...

Ep. 565: Biden's Turn to the Indo-Pacific

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan talk to Suyash Desai about Biden's approach to the Indo-Pacific and the opportunities and challenges it presen...

Ep. 564: How to Depoliticise India’s Police

30 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ameera Rao discusses with Lt. Gen Prakash Menon and Ruturaj Gowaikar.

Ep. 563: A Single Source for all Laws?

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, P R Sandhya of DAKSH talks to Takshashila's Sarthak Pradhan about the idea of “a single source for laws” and how it can be design...

Ep. 562: Active Measures Short of War

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ruturaj Gowaikar joins Aditya Pareek for a discussion on Russian and Western Active Measures.

Ep. 561: Free speech on India's Internet

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How social media platforms respond in India has been termed as one of the defining battles for free speech on the Internet. Manoj Kewalramani and Prat...

Ep. 560: Reflecting on India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In September 2020, a multi-disciplinary team at Takshashila came out with a policy proposal to vaccinate 80% of India's population by December 2021.

Ep. 559: The Dragon’s Anniversary at Sea

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The PLA Navy is now the world's largest in terms of pure numbers. While some of China's rivals enjoy

Ep. 558: Supplying COVID-19 Therapeutics

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As urgent requests for convalescent plasma, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab increase, Ruturaj Gowaikar and Shambhavi Naik discuss the application of these ...

Ep. 557: How an FDI Hike Could Boost Pensions

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Indian government is reportedly planning to hike the FDI limit

Ep. 556: Understanding the US’s Tri-Service Naval Strategy

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new strategy document outlines the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard's joint vision for

Ep. 555: Intellectual Property Un-reform

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, the Union government passed the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service)

Ep. 554: Ending America's Forever War

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ameera Rao joins Anand Arni and Lt. General Prakash Menon to discuss whether the Taliban and the Afghan government can work out a durable settlement.

Ep. 553: Cracking Down on China’s Tech Giants

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manoj Kewalramani and Rohan Seth discuss what this means for the future of anti-trust regulation in China and the country’s technology ecosystem.

Ep. 552: Of Freedom of Navigation and Outrage

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manoj Kewalramani joins Aditya Pareek and Aditya Ramanathan to discuss US FONOPs and how such actions may affect India-US ties.

Ep. 551: Impact of China’s policies in Tibet on India’s National Security

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From rail connectivity, new dams and border villages to increasing sinicization of religion, Beijing is ramping up efforts to tighten its control over...

Ep. 550: What Lies Ahead for Antitrust Reform

09 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic Party, which has strongly advocated regulation of large technology corporations, effectively controls Congress and the White House in t...

Ep. 549: Does India's Vaccine Diplomacy Work?

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India has practiced vaccine diplomacy during COVID-19, engaging its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. But are there advantages in extending this diplomacy...

Ep. 548: Rethinking Indian Healthcare

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India performs poorly in most of the health indicators. Yet, there isn't much popular demand for a robust healthcare system. In this episode, Apurva K...

Ep. 547: Is Privacy a Competition Issue?

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Google and Facebook have cornered the largest parts of the global digital advertising marketplace. The way these markets operate has a significant imp...

Ep. 546: How Britain Plans to Engage the World

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The UK’s recently published but long-awaited Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, is being hailed as a visionary ...

Ep. 545: Panchsheel - How a Dream Ended

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru choose to pursue the 1954 Panchsheel Agreement with China? Was it mere naivete? Or was there realpoliti...

Ep. 544: How to Provide Reliable Power

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India's power generation capacity is underutilized, and the Indian consumer is still underserved. In this episode, Jisha Cherian talks to Sarthak Prad...

Ep. 543: Making the Net-work

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why didn't everyone switch from WhatsApp to the Signal messaging service earlier this year? Network effects, lock-in, and switching costs shape up our...

Ep. 542: Quad to Anchorage - Shifting sands of the international order

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The past two weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity, from the Quad summit to the US-China talks in Alaska. Listen to this conversation betwee...

Ep. 541: A New Law for Assisted Reproductive Technology?

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare came up with a report on the The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regula...

Ep. 540: India's Approach to Welfare

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India's welfare architecture has changed over time. But have these changes been for the better? Apurva Kumar and Sarthak Pradhan discuss the evolution...

Ep. 539: Welcome to the Splinternet

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Russia recently attempted to throttle Twitter, while China has blocked access to Signal and instituted new rules which require social media users to h...

Ep. 538: Is the Quad ushering a new era in the Indo-Pacific?

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first-ever Quad leaders summit ended with leaders of the US, India, Japan and Australia agreeing to work towards furthering shared values and inte...

Ep. 537: How Does China Think About Nuclear War?

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A recent report indicates China is doubling the number of its nuclear missile silos. Does this suggest Beijing is moving towards a hair-trigger's laun...

Ep. 536: Is it Safe to Breathe in India?

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new report from air technology company IQAir concludes that despite an 11% reduction in PM2.5 levels, India emerged as the world's third-most pollut...

Ep. 535: The Missiles of Lady Liberty

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The US military’s Indo-Pacific Command is seeking additional funding to strengthen the US security umbrella in the region under the Pacific Deterren...

Ep. 534: Safe Water for Big Cities

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As we record this episode, residents in East Delhi are facing an acute water shortage. The shortages come soon after the Delhi Government went to the ...

Ep. 533: Will the Internet FLoC to Google’s Standards?

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In early March, Google announced that it would not support alternatives to third-party cookies to track user behaviour at an individual level. It will...

Ep. 532: Peace for Afghanistan?

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A draft agreement proposed by the US to “jump-start” the peace talks in Afghanistan envisages the formation of a transition government with the Ta...

Ep. 531: Does the Government Spend as Promised?

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Does the government's demand for funds actually match the outcomes it has promised?

Ep. 530: What’s China Planning in 2021?

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China’s Two Sessions prioritised the roadmap for the country’s 14th Five Year Plan and flagged areas of development to achieve sustainable growth ...

Ep. 529: Fixing Mumbai's Air Pollution

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mumbai, one of the most densely populated cities, is reeling under growing levels of air pollution. Compared to 27 other cities globally, Mumbai bears...

Ep. 528: The Long Arm of the Law Crosses Borders

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Electronic evidence has become an integral part of criminal investigations. This often requires access to data stored in other jurisdictions. What pro...

Ep. 527: Northern Sea Route - A New Dawn for Russia?

05 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Russian LNG carrier Christoph De Margerie’s latest voyage along the NSR is being seen as a watershed. Is Moscow’s dream of year-round access t...

Ep. 526: Citizen Science - A Solution to Fake Information?

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 pandemic brought along with it increased transmission of disinformation as well. Can 'citizen science' offer solutions?

Ep. 525: China's New Coastguard Law

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a law authorizing its coastguard to open fire on foreign vessels in the contested wat...

Ep. 524: A New Era for Indian Internet

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week the government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The rules have some ...

Ep. 523: China’s Naval Expansion and India’s Options

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China has publicized its current naval strategy of “Near Seas Defense and Far Seas Protection,” which calls for the People’s Liberation Army Nav...

Ep. 522: How Did Rome Defeat the Armies of Alexander's Successors?

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 2,200 years ago, the Greek historian Polybius tried to analyze how Rome's armies vanquished the world-conquering Hellenistic armies centered on...

Ep. 521: The Strange World of Serina

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine a world of endless meadow and hills, lit by the glow of a nearby gas giant. Here, over hundreds of millions of years, birds evolve into a dizz...

Ep. 520: Reaching for the Heavens Via India

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brazil is preparing to launch Amazônia-1, its first indigenously made earth-observation satellite, from Sriharikota in just a few days.

Ep. 519: How Russia Uses the Geopolitics of Natural Gas

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Russia has been the largest supplier of LNG to Europe. Being the hydrocarbon bridge between Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine is heavily de...

Ep. 518: Should Google and Facebook Pay for News?

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has come up with a code to make Google and Facebook negotiate with news outlets and pay for content that they host. The tech giants have rea...

Ep. 517: The Mirage of a United Asia

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Totally amicable relations between the countries of Asia might seem hopelessly idealistic today - but about a hundred years ago, a wave of intellectua...

Ep. 516: Can India Meet Its COVID-19 Vaccination Target?

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Will India be able to cover its target population for COVID-19 vaccination? What issues is India facing during vaccination? Which vaccines are being a...

Ep. 515: Making sense of China-India disengagement on the LAC

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China and India announced an agreement to disengage from Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Lt Gen (Dr) Prakash Me...

Ep. 514: 5G: will India be Late to the Party?

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The standing committee on Information Technology has come out with a report examining India’s preparedness for 5G. It questions whether India is goi...

Ep. 513: Struggle and Revolution in Telugu Literature

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Telugu culture is most often associated with Tollywood today - but at one point, revolutionary Telugu writers and poets were among the most progressiv...

Ep. 512: China's Vaccine Diplomacy

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China is offering priority access to Chinese-developed vaccines to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Ep. 511: Will the DNA Bill do More Harm than Good?

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill has been listed for consideration in the Budget session.

Ep. 510: The Contest to Chart the Indo-Pacific's Oceans

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Major powers are ramping up their efforts to map the undersea environment of the Indo-Pacific. Charting and mapping the ocean deeps confer both econom...

Ep. 509: Making Sense of India's Defence Budget

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A major highlight of the Budget 2021-22 was the 18.75% increase in the capital outlay in allocation towards defence.

Ep. 508: When The Stonks Are Down

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Reddit-GameStop saga has been making news around the world. The next few weeks will raise important questions about how much responsibility social...

Ep. 507: The Seleukid Empire and the Silk Roads

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Though often seen as a footnote in Indian history, the Seleukid Empire dominated much of the Hellenistic world after the death of Alexander the Great....

Ep. 506: What Does 137% Hike in Health Budget Mean?

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A major highlight of the Budget 2021-22 was the 137% increase in the budget allocation towards health.

Ep. 505: Unpacking Budget 2021

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This year's budget included several welcome steps such as higher infrastructure funding and a greater allocation to healthcare. It also included newer...

Ep. 504: Asia's Cold Frontier: Tracking Japan - Russia Ties

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As immediate neighbours, Japan and Russia have an uneasy relationship going back centuries. A long-standing territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands...

Ep. 503: Alexei Navalny - The Face of the Russian Opposition?

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following the arrest of well known Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, an unprecedented number of protests have broken out across Russia.

Ep. 502: What Angkor Teaches Us About India

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Southeast Asia is generally thought of as being "Indianised" for much of its history - but what does that actually mean? Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya ...

Ep. 501: How to Foster Science and Tech in India

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Draft 5th Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 outlines a grand vision for Indian science over the coming years. But is it a feasible on...

Ep. 500: Behind the Scenes at All Things Policy

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On 27 January, All Things Policy, the world's only daily public policy podcast, marked 500 episodes. Manoj Kewalramani talks to Aditya Ramanathan and ...

Ep. 499: What Should India Do With Its Rare Earth Reserves?

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rare earth underpins the Indian economy. But despite being home to the world's fifth-largest rare earth reserves, India overwhelmingly imports these c...

Ep. 498: How Not to Secure Women's Liberty

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Madhya Pradesh government recently proposed that women living away from home must register with police stations to be tracked. This may have serio...

Ep. 497: The Vaccine Update: India's Rollout and Beyond

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As India launches the first phase of its COVID-19 vaccination programme, Shambhavi Naik talks to Rohan Seth about domestic and international developme...

Ep. 496: Launching India's Space Start-ups into Orbit

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Bengaluru-based start-up Pixxel prepares for the launch of its first satellite into space, we talk to its CEO, Awais Ahmed, about India's growing c...

Ep. 495: Declassified: The US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In an unexpected move last week, the US National Security Advisor declassified the Trump administration’s 2018 U.S. Strategic Framework for the Indo...

Ep. 494: Jack and the Ant: A Fairytale that's Ending?

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China’s financial sector is making global news. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, Alipay and Ant Group, has not been heard from recently, while Chine...

Ep. 493: Can India Displace China in Global Supply Chains?

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The rise in international tensions and the decline in economic globalisation are often touted as opportunities for India to become a critical part of ...

Ep. 492: What Biden Means for India

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How will Joe Biden's administration approach relations with India? Should Delhi be worried? Manoj Kewalramani and Aditya Ramanathan discuss the prospe...

Ep. 491: Trustbusters! What the Microsoft Case Teaches Us About Antitrust

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Modern tech monopolies are being subject to antitrust investigations in the US and in India. There are lessons they can learn from Microsoft in the 19...

Ep. 490: What was China’s PLA up to in 2020?

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The year 2020 was critical for the Chinese armed forces. Its goal of achieving mechanisation was delayed, as were recruitment reforms. Meanwhile, asse...

Ep. 489: What's Going to Happen in 2021?

08 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

2020 was one of the most turbulent years in recent history. What's 2021 going to look like? Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane speak to Anirudh Kanise...

Ep. 488: Can you Speed up Vaccine Approval?

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India's approval of two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use has received mixed responses. Shambhavi Naik, Anirudh Kanisetti and Sunila Dixit discuss t...

Ep. 487: Great Books From a Year of Reading

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

2020 has been a strange year. One thing that remained constant at Takshashila was our love for reading. Manoj Kewalramani joins Nitin Pai and Rohan Se...

Ep. 486: How Britain Spied on the Seas

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Royal Navy has been one of the most formidable forces ever to put to sea in history. Through modern times, the Royal Navy has been served by a wel...

Ep. 485: The Curious Case of Markets, Masks and Hand Sanitisers

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The availability and quality of face masks and hand sanitisers have improved many times over since the pandemic began. How did this happen? Sarthak Pr...

Ep. 484: Civilisation: What Ancient Mesopotamia Tells Us about India

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Indian Subcontinent had some of the oldest cities in the world - but we know almost nothing about the urban culture of the Indus Valley, especiall...

Ep. 483: Quad and the Semiconductor Value Chain

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The semiconductor value chain is one of the most diverse supply chains in the tech world. No one country has been successful in having a completely do...

Ep. 482: How Can Citizens Make Cities Better?

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While Indians lavish attention on general and state elections, democracy at the municipal tends to be ignored or hijacked by extraneous issues. In thi...