All Things Policy
Episodes
Ep. 420: Reforming the Information Technology Act
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Internet in India is governed by the IT Act. But the powers this law gives the state need to be balanced with due process and adequate safeguards....
Ep. 419: Military Revolutions: Past, Present, and Future
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recent Pentagon reports indicate that China is quickly leveling the scales against the US by building up its military. New frontiers in military techn...
Ep. 418: Serosurveys and the True Picture of the Pandemic in India
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
India's national and state/city level serosurveys have come up with concerning results. The disparity between the estimated number of cases based on s...
Ep. 417: Inside China's National Security State
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since Xi Jinping assumed power in China in late 2012, concerns about domestic stability, external challenges, and the resilience of Party rule ha...
Ep. 416: Whose History is it Anyway?
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do statues, monuments and buildings represent history? Or just the preoccupations of those that erected them? Should statues of problematic figures be...
Ep. 415: The Wicked Problem of Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
CIB or Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour is a precise-sounding term that remains imprecise. As the recent Buzzfeed exposé on Facebook highlights, pla...
Ep. 414: Why Neglecting Opportunity Costs Leads to Bad Policy
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is foregone when exercising a particular option. Any good public policy needs to take ...
Ep. 413: How Can We Vaccinate India?
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Once a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is available, who should get inoculated first? And how will India vaccinate at least 800 million of its...
Ep. 412: Making Sense of the LAC Standoff
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is the joint statement between India and China on 10th September a sign that the two sides are finding a way to end their standoff on the LAC? Manoj K...
Ep. 411: When Japan Tried to Invade China
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Imjin War of the late sixteenth century changed the fates of Japan, Korea, and China. But what was it all about? And why does it have such a power...
Ep. 410: Should the State Set Rules for Content Moderation?
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Reports suggest that India is looking to formulate guidelines for consistent content moderation across social media platforms.
Ep. 409: How to Increase India's State Capacity
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As India struggles with the COVID19 pandemic, questions about the capacity of the state have come to the forefront.
Ep. 408: Should the Government Collect Health Data?
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The new National Health Data Management Policy creates a framework for collecting citizens' medical data. Sunila Dixit, Shambhavi Naik, and Prateek Wa...
Ep. 407: China Military Report
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Pentagon’s 2020 China Military Power report emphasizes the advances made by the Chinese armed forces towards achieving "world-class" force statu...
Ep. 406: Xi Jinping's Plans for Tibet
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a landmark speech last week, China's President Xi Jinping laid out Beijing's strategy for securing Tibet. What do China's plans mean for the people...
Ep. 405: How Can India be More Disabled Friendly?
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The United Nations has released its first-ever guidelines on making justice systems more accessible to people with disabilities. India has the Right t...
Ep. 404: How the Pandemic Has Affected Indian Women
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the Indian economy struggles with the aftermath of lockdowns and preexisting problems, COVID-19 has now spread across the length and breadth of the...
Ep. 403: Can Our Public Spaces Return to Normalcy?
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic has transformed attitudes towards public spaces like schools, movie theatres, and offices. When can these return to normalcy? And how? Ro...
Ep. 402: Strategic Autonomy: What It Means for India
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As India's relations with China deteriorate, what sort of ties should it seek with the United States? Lt General Prakash Menon talks to Suyash Desai a...
Ep. 401: The Forgotten Heritage of the Deccan
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From the 14th to the 17th centuries, the Sultanates of the Deccan embarked on a remarkable experiment in globalisation and regionalisation. This is re...
Ep. 400: The Scale of the Pandemic in India
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Serosurveys conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune have thrown up some interesting findings on the possible scale of COVID-19 infection in India, showin...
Ep. 399: Revamping India's Labour Laws
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Labour laws in India are complex and rigid. In the last few months, several state governments have announced changes to these old rules. But are the s...
Ep. 398: WhatsApp Pay Antitrust case
25 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a forty-one page order, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) last week ruled on an antitrust case on WhatsApp’s upcoming payments service.
Ep. 397: Does History Shape Foreign Policy?
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Public discourse often attempts to explain the actions of nation-states through "civilisational worldviews". China, for example, is believed to have ...
Ep. 396: An Extraordinary Life in the British Raj
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stuck in the trenches of the Western Front in Europe, a soldier named Mir Mast took a very important decision that sent him on a remarkable journey th...
Ep. 395: Restructuring India's Public Health Sector
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suffers from a lack of clear division of responsibilities, a platform for inter-sectoral coordination and co...
Ep. 394: Regulating India's Wet Markets
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While a wet market in Wuhan has become notorious for being the likely place of origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, some of India's own wet markets are pla...
Ep. 393: How Big Tech Sees the World
18 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Geographies and domestic politics have a profound impact on how big tech operates. This is evident when we examine the stance tech companies have take...
Ep. 392: Pivoting towards Taiwan
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The standoff in Eastern Ladakh has led to a number of calls for India to deepen the relationship with Taiwan.
Ep. 391: The Secrets of Bengaluru's Past
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The recorded history of Bengaluru, one of India's most dynamic cities, goes back well over a thousand years. However, it's a past that offers us only ...
Ep. 390: Ensuring Nutrition Amid a Pandemic
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has worsened the problem of malnutrition in India because it has disrupted two critical programmes: the ICDS and Mid-Day Meal Scheme. However...
Ep. 389: Reforming India's Agricultural Markets
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Agricultural markets in India have long been characterized by multiple trade barriers and uncompetitive policies.
Ep. 388: The Promise and Perils of Facial Recognition
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Facial recognition technology and its applications have been advancing, even in the absence of adequate privacy laws. Facial data is personal, sensiti...
Ep. 387: Confucian Confusion: India Reviews Work of CIs
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Amid the standoff at the LAC, the Indian government is reportedly reviewing the work of Confucius Institutes in the country.
Ep. 386: Gender and the Indian City
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are Indian cities equal spaces for everyone? Do social expectations determine how accepting an urban space is to people of different genders? What do ...
Ep. 385: Is India Prepared for Gene Edited Humans?
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The technology to modify the human genome is here, potentially signaling a transformation of societies and economies.
Ep. 384: The Puzzle of Tech Clusters
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tech clusters play a leading role in fostering innovation, creating jobs, and attracting investments. In this episode, Sarthak Pradhan and Pranay Kota...
Ep. 383: Antitrust Enquiry and Tech Giants
04 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, and Jeff Bezos attended an antitrust enquiry last week. The tech giants were grilled on issues ranging from ...
Ep. 382: Securing the Future: India’s Options Amid the LAC Standoff
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While India and China are in talks to disengage in Eastern Ladakh, what are the long-term implications of the standoff for bilateral ties? Manoj Kewal...
Ep. 381: Did India Win in Doklam?
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 2017 India-China standoff in Doklam, at a crucial trijunction between India, China, and Bhutan, was widely hailed as a victory for India. But was ...
Ep. 380: Disconnecting From Huawei
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The past few weeks have been tough for Huawei, as the UK and France have moved to reduce their dependence on it for their 5G networks. What’s prompt...
Ep. 379: The Twitter Hack and Data Protection
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter’s recent hack has raised concerns about data protection. But would the current Indian Data Protection Bill, which is being reviewed by Parli...
Ep. 378: India's Arctic Ambitions
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why should India care about what happens in the polar regions? And why has it sought greater influence in Arctic governance? Aditya Ramanathan talks t...
Ep. 377: Why Don't We Have Underwater Aircraft Carriers?
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the Second World War, Japan tried to develop a whole class of submarines that worked as small aircraft carriers. Why did the idea not catch on afte...
Ep. 376: Personal Memory and History
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why do diaries written in times of tumult have such appeal to us even today? What place do they hold in history? Manoj Kewalramani and Ganesh Chakrava...
Ep. 375: The Grand Challenge of Weaponising the Economy
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Economic interdependence was supposed to bring peace but it also gives states the leverage they can use to coerce each other.
Ep. 374: Beijing's Bid for Supremacy in the South China Sea
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Even as China seeks to enforce its territorial claims in the South China Sea, the United States has reacted strongly.
Ep. 373: Getting Children Back to Schooling
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on school education. But if schools can't open, how can students continue their education in a coun...
Ep. 372: How to do More COVID-19 Testing
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
India has no shortage of diagnostic labs but it isn't testing enough people for COVID-19. To understand why, Takshashila's Pranay Kotasthane talks to ...
Ep. 371: A COVID-19 Vaccine Made in India?
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The ICMR recently stoked controversy by asking hospitals to participate in clinical trials for developing a COVID-19 vaccine by August 15. Is this a r...
Ep. 370: How China Sees India
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do China's public policy thinkers and strategic community view India's rise? How did social media in China react to the Galwan clash? Delhi Policy...
Ep. 369: Should Companies Boycott Social Media?
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Social media platforms, especially Facebook, have been facing an ad boycott from companies such as Unilever and Starbucks that are demanding they addr...
Ep. 368: A Mountain Strike Corps to Deter China?
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As India considers its options to deter China along the LAC, some are pushing for a revival of the Mountain Strike Corps idea. But what is a Mountain ...
Ep. 367: The State of India's Judiciary
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How has India's judiciary functioned in India's changing social conditions and political milieu? Are there differences in the way the Supreme Court, h...
Ep. 366: Talking Turkey in India
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are there parallels between Turkish and Indian politics? Why has Turkey been drawn into the Middle East's wars? And how do Turkey and India see each o...
Ep. 365: Crafting India's Strategy for China
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should India balance against China by drawing closer to the United States?
Ep. 364: China Tightens it Noose Around Hong Kong
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
China is tightening its grip on Hong Kong through a new national security law. The law's sweeping provisions give Beijing powers to crack down on poli...
Ep. 363: Oil Prices and the Hidden Game of Governments
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why are consumers paying more for their petrol and diesel when crude oil prices are low? What do the Union and state governments do to control prices ...
Ep. 362: COVID and Coronil
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ayurvedic formulations touting to cure COVID-19 have raised questions both about their claims and the scientific rigour of their clinical trials. Prat...
Ep. 361: China Through Indian Eyes
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's it like to study politics and international relations in China? And how does India fit into the Chinese world view? Manoj Kewalramani speaks to...
Ep. 360: Will the TikTok Ban Work?
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Government of India has banned 59 apps developed by Chinese companies - but what does it actually mean to "ban" an app? How will this affect tensi...
Ep. 359: China's Ambitions in the Subcontinent
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been a growing debate in India about China’s influence in the Indian subcontinent.
Ep. 358: How Should India Deal With China?
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Even as it tries to make sense of what happened in the Galwan Valley, India needs to make a serious reassessment of its policy towards China.
Ep. 357: Galwan Clash: Understanding Chinese Propaganda and Reportage
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How has the Chinese media reported the LAC standoff with India? Why has Chinese media not pushed for clarity on casualty figures from the Galwan clash...
Ep. 356: Making Sense of the Galwan Valley Incident
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 15 June clashes in the Galwan Valley have resulted in heightened military and political tensions between India and China.
Ep. 355: Can India and China Fight and Trade?
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should India boycott Chinese goods? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane look at some of the common reasons given for banning Chinese p...
Ep. 354: Ordering the Information Disorder
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has also unleashed a parallel pandemic of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
Ep. 353: COVID-19: A Testing Strategy for India
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As COVID-19 continues to spread in India, it’s becoming clear that governments at all levels, not just the Union, need to get involved in fighting i...
Ep. 352: How a Pandemic Creates New National Security Risks
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the new national security threats India will face amid a global pandemic? How can it anticipate these threats and prepare for them? Pranay Ko...
Ep. 351: What the Second World War tells us about COVID-19
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1930s, the US was an inward-looking country struggling with a collapsing economy and spiralling unemployment. But by 1945, it was on the winnin...
Ep. 350: The Geopolitics of a COVID-19 Vaccine
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Companies, institutions and governments around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. How will the country that gets there first ...
Ep. 349: Treating COVID-19
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While much attention is paid to developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, what are the treatments being tested or developed? Shambhavi Naik and Sunila Dixi...
Ep. 348: How Russia Plans for Nuclear War
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What does Russia's new document on nuclear deterrence say about how it thinks about the ultimate weapon?
Ep. 347: SARS-CoV-2 and the Biological Weapons Convention
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Most scientists have rubbished the idea that the novel coronavirus is a biological weapon.
Ep. 346: Modi and Morrison - India and Australia Draw Closer
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison for a "virtual summit" last week, with the two countries striking significa...
Ep. 345: A Chip on China's Shoulder: The Geopolitics of Semiconductors
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever thought about what goes into manufacturing a smartphone that you might order online? It involves highly-optimised global supply chains s...
Ep. 344: When Should India Reopen Its Schools?
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As lockdown restrictions are lifted across India, some states have announced plans to reopen schools. India’s children need to continue their educat...
Ep. 343: What's Happening on the LAC With China?
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
China and India are involved in intense stand-offs at multiple points across the LAC for over a month. China's aggression has approval from Xi Jinping...
Ep. 342: Locking Horns on the LAC
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For over a month now, troops from India and China have been locked in a standoff along the LAC in Ladakh.
Ep. 341: Is the Clock ticking for TikTok?
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of banning the TikTok app has been continually trending on Twitter. Critics cite the app's Chinese roots and some of its problematic user-gen...
Ep. 340: One Country, One System: China’s Toughening HK Policy
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
China’s decision to press ahead with a new national security legislation has led to much speculation about the future of Hong Kong.
Ep. 339: Choppy Waters: Assertion in the South China Sea
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What’s driving China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea? Is this a matter of pandemic opportunism or could there be other factors motivating B...
Ep. 338: Spying on your Neighbour
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Governments are advocating for social pressure to ensure compliance with lockdowns.
Ep. 337: Cheap Internet: Reliance and the Telecom Sector in India
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
India has one of the cheapest internet rates in the world. One gigabyte of data can cost as little as ₹18, while in other countries it may run into ...
Ep. 336: Managing Civil-Military Relations?
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the establishment of the position of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) there also came the new Department of Military Affairs (DMA). In this episode, ...
Ep. 335: Lift Off: Space policy reforms and the private sector in India
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced that the Union government will provide a predictable space policy and regulatory environment fo...
Ep. 334: Call of Duty: Short-term service in armed forces
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Union government recently announced a new recruitment plan called "Tour of Duty" to recruit young soldiers and officers for a term of three years....
Ep. 333: Krishnadevaraya: The Man and the Myth
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Krishnadevaraya, emperor of Vijayanagara, was a remarkable man, a transition between an ancient Indian king and a recognisably "modern" political lead...
Ep. 332: Intervention Using Tech: Solutions for Tackling COVID-19
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Technology touches almost every aspect of our daily life. But what's the use of it during a pandemic? In this episode, Rohan Seth talks to Prateek Wag...
Ep. 331: Economic Stimulus for Post-COVID India
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rupees twenty lakh crore. That's the size of the stimulus package promised by the government. But how will it work?
Ep. 330: Putin's Pandemic
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Vladimir Putin's Russia faces its most serious threat since its annexation of Crimea in 2014. COVID-19 has spread rapidly, placing enormous str...
Ep. 329: Preparing for the Second Wave: India Against COVID-19
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With India easing restrictions on the movement of people, is it possible that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over? Unfortunately, no. There's a...
Ep. 328: Improving India’s Testing Capacity
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With barely 300 tests per million people, India, the world’s most populous country, has a long way to go before it has a clear picture of the way CO...
Ep. 327: Why India Needs Arms Imports
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat recently said the armed forces should not push for large arms imports and be realistic about their requirem...
Ep. 326: India’s Post-Covid Opportunities
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a lasting impact on the global order. While Sino-US competition is expected to accelerate, middle powers like ...
Ep. 325: Going Conventional: Europe and the Future of Arms Control
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The death of nuclear arms control seems imminent. But what about conventional arms? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS talk to Dr. Ulric...
Ep. 324: Facebook’s Supreme Court
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook has announced a 20-member content oversight board that many are calling a "Supreme Court". Are 20 members really enough to moderate all the c...
Ep. 323: Command of the Officer
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A recent attack in northern Kashmir killed the Commanding Officer (CO) and three other soldiers of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles.
Ep. 322: WhatsApp with Jio-Facebook?
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook - which owns WhatsApp - has recently acquired a stake in Reliance Jio. This might have profound implications for the future of Indian e-comme...
Ep. 321: India: The World's Factory?
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the risks of depending on China for global manufacturing. Is this a call for India to manufacture for the world inst...