The UK has declared a climate emergency. Europe is seeing unprecedented heatwaves, forest fires and droughts. In this episode, Mahek Nakani and Harshit Kukreja discuss climate change, its effects, who is responsible for this and what can India do to be prepared.
Opinion
Perspectives on current affairs and public policy from the sharpest minds in the business.
Bihar’s per capita GDP is at the level of Sub-Saharan Africa and unemployment is double the national average. Sridhar Krishna talks to Dr. Sudhanshu Kumar of the Centre for Economic Policy and Public Finance in Patna seeking solutions to the huge unemployment in Bihar and bridge the gap.
In this episode, Sowmya and Ritul are joined by Antara Vasudev (Founder, CIVIS) and Divya Pinge (Senior Associate, CIVIS) in discussing the relationship between state and citizens and its evolution in the wake of CIVIC tech platforms. They also talk about pre-legislative consultation, precedents of technology-led initiatives in the International arena, the role of CIVIS and the way forward for...
Children were thought to be less susceptible to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the emergence of the omicron variant, many children have been infected by this variant. Recent studies have shown the prevalence of long COVID in kids infected by SARS-CoV-2. Priyal D’almeida talks to Arjun Gargeyas about what long COVID is, its symptoms and what can be done.
India is suffering from a double whammy of malnutrition. On the one hand, we are dealing with undernutrition and overnutrition on the other. In this episode, Megha Pardhi and Harshit Kukreja talk about malnutrition, public nutrition, and clinical nutrition.
Suggested Reading:
Takshashila Discussion Document – Nutritional Outcomes in Karnataka: Analysis and Recommendations
For decades, it has been assumed that placing nuclear weapons inside nuclear-powered submarines, also known as SSBNs, is the best way of ensuring the survivability of a countries nuclear arsenal. But can the same be said today, when we have a leap in computer processing and sensor technologies? To discuss this topic, Rohan Pai joins Pranav R Satyanath to talk about the history and future of SSBN...
Understanding policies and their effect on intended beneficiaries as illustrated by the Street Vendor Act and the Public Distribution System. Shailesh GK, student of GCPP, who studied this as part of the community engagement project of GCPP(Advanced Public Policy), discussed the gaps in policy and implementation with Suman Joshi.
This year the Indian Rupee has depreciated almost 7% against the US dollar. On 14th July 2022, it briefly touched the Rs 80 mark against the dollar. Why is the rupee falling against the dollar? What will be the impact on the economy? Is there anything the government can do? Anupam Manur talks to Sarthak Pradhan.
In this episode, Ritul Gaur speaks to Varun Kaushik, Architect and Urban Planner about the latest Global Liveability Index 2022 by the Economist Intelligence Unit. They discuss the causes behind Indian cities’ abysmally poor rankings, the categories it considers and the importance of this index for policymakers. They also discuss the evolution of Indian cities, imitation from the west and...
Programme evaluations could improve the effectiveness of public policies and drive more efficient use of public funds. In this episode, Sarthak Pradhan and Ritul Gaur speak to Veenu Singh about the history of programme evaluation in India. They discuss India’s Output-Outcome framework, Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks across the world, the constraints and the way forward. Here are some...
For decades, scientists and engineers have attempted to intercept incoming missiles through pure kinetic energy. While these efforts have never been fully successful, they have influenced international politics a great deal. In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav R Satyanath talk about the evolution of Kinetic Kill Vehicles since the Cold War and how this technology has come to space...
The key to improving the employment rate in Bihar lies in capitalising on the industrial and agricultural sectors. Sudisha Mishra and Srijay Raj discuss the ways in which Bihar can improve its agricultural and industrial output and the role improvement in law and order plays in that. Suggested readings: Political Economy of Poverty in BiharBihar chalks out new plans for industrialisation, job...
Evolution, sociology and psychology have wonderful insights that can be used to understand society and civilization. In this episode, Priyal Lyncia D’almeida and Harshit Kukreja discuss cultural-gene convolution, costly information hypothesis and learning biases. Suggested Reading: Why Humans Cooperate: A Cultural and Evolutionary Explanation – book by Joseph Henrich and Natalie...
The climate crisis is worsening every day and there’s a need to find some mitigation factors. This is where the field of geoengineering comes in. Priyal D’Almeida discusses with Arjun Gargeyas the pros and cons of geoengineering. Suggested Readings: What is geoengineering—and why should you care? by James TempleClimate change: How India and China can work together on a...
What role does ideology play in the policies of Communist states, and how useful is studying and thinking about ideology to understand the actions of China’s leader Xi Jinping? In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Joseph Torigian, Asst. Professor at the School of International Service at the American University in Washington DC, about his new paper Xi Jinping and Ideology. Cleck here to...
The idea of gender neutral parental leave policies is gaining ground. What would this look like? Why is it important? What can we do to make it more equitable? How can we bring more people into this? Shambhavi Naik, Sridhar Krishna, Sowmya Nandan and Suman Joshi discuss this. Suggested Readings: A fresh look at paternity leave: Why the benefits extend beyond the personal by Francesca Colantuoni...
There is a growing nationalism ideology which revolts against the immigrant influx in India. There is still research required on how immigration impacts developing economies. In this episode, Aarushi Kataria and Sudisha Mishra trace the history of immigration in India with an emphasis on Bangladeshi immigrants, address some pertinent questions on immigration, and discuss the role these immigrants...
BRICS countries held their 14th summit on 23rd-24th June 2022 with the theme “Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development.” In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Megha Pardhi discuss the outcomes of the BRICS summit and China’s objectives in the BRICS.
Non-timber forest produce (NTFP) are an important source of livelihood for India’s forest-dwelling communities. The collection and trade of these produce is regulated by a number of different national level schemes and policies, implemented variously by different states. At the same time, the Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) provision of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) holds great potential...
The word humanity contains the word ‘man.’ For the longest time, the history of humanity has been the history of man. This has led to the systems, models, technology, and design we see around us catering only to half of the world’s population. This impacts women’s participation in the workforce, their health, and their movement. Aarushi Kataria and Atish Padhy discuss Caroline Perez’s 2019...