In 1906, a 13-year-old boy burnt down his school in a village in Kerala and ran away from home to work in the gold mines of Kolar. Decades later, he put this country together. Narayani Basu joins Amit Varma in episode 167 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the extraordinary life of VP Menon.
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The Seen and the Unseen releases every Sunday. States of Anarchy releases every Tuesday. The Pragati Podcast releases every Wednesday. Thalé-Haraté releases every Thursday. PuliyaBaazi releases every alternate Thursday.
Riya Sinha joins Hamsini Hariharan to discuss the nuts and bolts and Indian connectivity projects in Nepal.
The man known as Guru Nanak was one of the great travellers of his time, passing through lands that are today spread across nine countries. Amardeep Singh joins Amit Varma in episode 166 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about how he retraced Nanak's path -- and also about his efforts at documenting the Sikh heritage of Pakistan.
Srini Venkatramanan of the University of Virginia’s Biocomplexity Institute explains how the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19 can be modeled, and how insightful models can inform public action, on Episode 133 of The Pragati Podcast. How are infectious diseases and pandemics modeled? How can we model and estimate the spread of Influenza or Coronavirus Disease 2019? And most...
Humans are the only bots with the ability to reprogram themselves. Shambhavi Naik joins Amit Varma in episode 165 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the science, ethics, politics and policy implications of genetic engineering.
Health journalist Vidya Krishnan talks about India’s initial response to the global COVID-19 pandemic on Episode 132 of The Pragati Podcast. Close to 200,000 people across 160 countries have been affected by COVID-19 or Coronavirus Disease 2019, and this has happened in just about three months. As of March 18, 2020, India has confirmed 148 cases of COVID-19 and three people have died so...
What is it like to be a practicing doctor and family physician in Bengaluru during COVID-19? Pavan Srinath talks to Dr Srinand Srinivas on Episode 61 of Thale-Harate. ಕೊರೋನ ವೈರಸ್ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ಕೋಣೆ ಕೋಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಹರಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಔಷಧಿಗಳು ಪರಿಹಾರಗಳು ಇನ್ನೂ ಸಂಶೋಧನಾ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲೇ ಇದೆ. ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಜನಸಾಮಾನ್ಯರಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಮೊದಲನೆಯ ವೈದ್ಯರು ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ಮನೆ ವೈದ್ಯರೇ ಆಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಈ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬ ಫಿಸಿಷಿಯನ್ ಆಗಿರುವವರು ಅನುಭವ ಏನು...
Kabir Taneja joins host Hamsini Hariharan to discuss the Islamic State and its relevance to South Asia.
Contrary to popular belief, the Indian constitution was not a copy-paste job without a vision. It emerged from decades of intellectual ferment. Madhav Khosla joins Amit Varma in episode 164 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe the history of the key ideas that drove our founders and shaped our constitution.
Pavan Srinath chats with Ganesh Chakravarthi on whether Karnataka’s budget meets the aspirations of its $250 Billion economy on Episode 60 of the Thalé-Haraté Kannada Podcast. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ 250 ಬಿಲ್ಲಿಯನ್ ಎಕಾನಮಿ ಆಗಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಬಜೆಟ್ ಈ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಪರಿಬಿಂಬಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆಯೆ? ಈ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗಣೇಶ್ ಚಕ್ರವರ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಪವನ್ ಶ್ರೀನಾಥ್ ಅವರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಅತಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಹೊಂಡಿರೋವಂತಹಾ 2020 ಬಜೆಟ್ ಮೇಲೆ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ...
Alok Prasanna Kumar returns to Episode 131 of The Pragati Podcast to talk about the dire institutional state of India’s highest court. Two years ago, four senior judges of the Supreme Court of India held an unprecedented press conference to tell the public that there was an ongoing crisis in the Supreme Court of India. Since then, one of the four judges even went on to become the Chief...
Seven decades after Independence, India is still wracked by poverty and strife. Who is responsible? Kapil Komireddi joins Amit Varma in episode 163 of The Seen and the Unseen to excoriate every political player of Independent India. No prisoners taken.
Manali Kumar joins host Hamsini Hariharan to discuss the changing values in India's national identity since Independence.
Gautham Shenoy returns to the Thalé-Haraté Kannada Podcast to regale Pavan Srinath and Ganesh Chakravarthi with time travel stories and what make them great science fiction on Episode 59. ಸಮಯ, ಕಾಲ, ಮಾನವ ಮೀರದೆ ಇರುವಂತಹ ಒಂದು ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆ. ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಕಥೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಯ ಸಂಚಾರ, ಕಾಲಸಂಚಾರ ಒಂದು ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ಪಾತ್ರ ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಕಾಲಸಂಚಾರ ಸಫಲವಾದರೆ ಏನಾಗಬಹುದು ಎಂಬುದು ಬಹಳ ಸ್ವಾರಸ್ಯಕರವಾದ ಕಲ್ಪನೆ. ಅನೇಕ ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರಗಳು, ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ...
So much of our culture is shaped by our social fault lines. TM Krishna joins Amit Varma in episode 162 of The Seen and the Unseen to peel the layers off the development of Karnatik music — and Indian society itself.
Avinash Ambale joins Pavan Srinath to talk about how intelligent and capable of learning the latest of AI talks to Pavan Srinath about the scientific pursuit of economics on Episode 129 of The Pragati Podcast. What is intelligence? How do we learn what we learn? How are we aware of the world around us and ourselves? It is impossible to think about building an artificial intelligence or getting...
We may be a sexually repressed country today, but it wasn’t always like this. Madhavi Menon joins Amit Varma in episode 161 of The Seen and the Unseen to elaborate on the infinite variety of our desires all through history.
Ramya Bhaskar and Sridhar Pabbisetty talk to Pavan Srinath and Ganesh Chakravarthi about how computer science and programming education can be revamped in Indian schools for the 21st century, on Episode 58 of the Thalé-Haraté Kannada Podcast. How can we re-imagine the role of programming and computer science in our school curricula? How can we equip Indian students with the skills and the...
Street vending is a quintessential part of Indian cities. Yet, the right to carry out trade in public spaces is often hampered by state corruption. So we speak to Prashant Narang on street vending laws and their implementation.
Narayani Basu joins Hamsini Hariharan to talk about VP Menon and the process of consolidating 565 princely states into modern India.
In India, we have government of the people and for the people, but not by the people. How can we fix this? Polymath thinker Ashwin Mahesh joins Amit Varma in episode 160 of The Seen and the Unseen to chat about participatory democracy, India Against Corruption, the Aam Aadmi Party and what makes a Good Indian.
Space entrepreneur Narayan Prasad talks to Pavan Srinath and Ganesh Chakravarthi about space exploration and breaks down rocket science and space economics on Episode 57 of the Thalé-Haraté Kannada Podcast. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಬರಿ ಐ.ಟಿ. ಸಿಟಿ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತರಿಕ್ಷದ ನೆಲೆ ಕೂಡ ಆಗಿದೆ. ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಬರಿ ಇಸ್ರೊ ಆಧಾರದ ಮೇಲೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಈ ಪಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ಗಳಿಸಿತು. ಆದರೆ ಈಗ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕ ಸಂಶೆಗಳು, ಕಂಪನಿಗಳು, ಅಂತರಿಕ್ಷದ ಮೇಲೆ ಸಂಶೋಧನೆ...
Ajay Shah talks to Pavan Srinath about the scientific pursuit of economics on Episode 129 of The Pragati Podcast. The science of economics can often be misunderstood. Economics as a discipline is riddled with paradoxes. We often want economics to be able to predict the next crisis, while dismissing sound economic insights that may be a century old. Where is the science in economics? How much of...
Budgets matter more than they should — and the process of making them matters more than their contents. Ajay Shah and Vivek Kaul join Amit Varma in episode 159 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss both journey & destination, strategy & tactics.
Avinash Ambale talks to Surya Prakash BS and Pavan Srinath about cognition, learning and the quest for Artificial Intelligence on Episode 56 of the Thalé-Haraté Kannada Podcast. ಬುದ್ಧಿವಂತಿಕೆ ಅಂದರೆ ಏನು? ನಾವು ಕಲಿಯುವುದನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತೇವೆ? ಆರ್ಟಿಫಿಶಿಯಲ್ ಇಂಟೆಲಿಜೆನ್ಸ್ (AI) ಈಚೆಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲೂ ಕೇಳಿಬರುವ ಪದ. ಆದರೆ ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಎ.ಐ. ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯವೇನು? ದೃಶ್ಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮೂಡುವ ಮಾದರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ (ಪ್ಯಾಟರ್ನ್) ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು...
यह चर्चा है रैण्डमाइस्ड कंट्रोल ट्रायल (RCT) के बारे में, एक ऐसी प्रक्रिया जिसने अर्थशास्त्र करने का तरीका ही बदल कर रख दिया | यह प्रकिया मेडिकल रिसर्च में उपयोग की जा रही थी लेकिन अब इसका प्रयोग गरीबी उन्मूलन के लिए भी हो रहा है| इस सोच के लिए अभिजीत बैनर्जी, एस्थर डूफ्लो, और माइकल क्रेमर को इस साल का नोबेल पुरस्कार भी मिला | तो हमने चर्चा की अपूर्व कुमार के साथ RCT के उपयोग, दुरुपयोग, और...
Anupam Manur talks to Pavan Srinath about India’s falling economic growth and how to get back on track on Episode 128 of The Pragati Podcast. India’s economic growth dips below 5% per annum again, less than a decade after the previous economic crisis. Is 5% growth for a country like India all but a recession? Anupam Manur returns to The Pragati Podcast in Episode 128 to talk to Pavan...
Karin Vazquez joins Hamsini Hariharan on episode 43 of States of Anarchy to talk about the Brazil-India relationship beyond dictators.
From the Arab Spring to Shaheen Bagh, radically networked societies are rising up to express themselves. What do they have in common? How will a hierarchical state deal with a networked society? Pranay Kotasthane shares his insights with Amit Varma in episode 158 of The Seen and the Unseen.
Amol Agarwal talks to Pavan Srinath and shares a magisterial history of modern banking in India on Episode 127 of The Pragati Podcast. Is India’s banking crisis the first of its kind in the country? How did banks flourish and fail a hundred years ago, and what can we learn from them? Amol Agarwal gives us a magisterial tour of the rise of modern banking in India, all the way up to when...
This is episode 55 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ಸೈಂಸ್ ಫಿಕ್ಷನ್, ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಕಥೆಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ಪತ್ರ ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಪ್ರಗತಿ, ಸಮಾಜದ ಬದಲಾವಣೆಗಳು, ಮಾನವನ ಮುನ್ನೆಳಿಗೆಗೆ ಹಲವಾರು ದಾರಿಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡಿದೆ. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ರಚಿಸಿದಂತಹ ಅನೇಕ ಕಾಲ್ಪನಿಕ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ಉತ್ಪನ್ನಗಳು ಇವತ್ತು ನಾವು ಕಣ್ಣಾರೆ ನೋಡಬಹುದು. ಇದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡಲು ನಮ್ಮ ಜೊತೆ...
India has endured -- but as we celebrate another Republic Day, we must remember that we cannot take this for granted. Historian Ramachandra Guha joins Amit Varma in episode 157 of The Seen and the Unseen to examine some of the currents of history that brought us here, and are still in flux.
What does the future of electric vehicles and electric storage in India look like? Charging stations or battery swapping - which model is better for Indian conditions? What role can the government play to encourage this industry?
This is episode 54 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ತುಳುನಾಡಿನ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ವ್ಯಶೀಶ್ಯತೆಗಳು ಅನೇಕ. ನಾಟ್ಯ, ನೃತ್ಯ, ವೇಷಭೂಷಣಗಳು ಮೂಡಿ ಬಂದಿವೆ. ತುಳುನಾಡಿನ ಜನಾಂಗದ ಭಿನ್ನತೆಯು ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಆದ ಎಣೆಯಿಲ್ಲದ ವಿಶೇಷತೆಯನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತಾಡಲು ನಮ್ಮ ಜೊತೆ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ ಸೌಮ್ಯ ನಂದನ್ ಅವರು. ಸೌಮ್ಯ ಅವರು ತುಳುನಾಡಿನ ನಿವಾಸಿ ಮತ್ತು ತಕ್ಷಶಿಲಾ...
Pavan Srinath talks to China analyst Manoj Kewalramani about the US-China Phase-1 Trade Deal and the ongoing war for technology between USA and China on Episode 126 of The Pragati Podcast. On January 15, 2020, the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China and Xi Jinping signed the “Phase One Trade Deal” after more than a year of protracted negotiations. On the...
Vineet Hegde joins Hamsini Hariharan to discuss the crisis in the dispute mechanisms of the World Trade Organization and what it means for international organizations.
Kerala has a madly interesting history. It was a hub of globalisation centuries ago, an exemplar of tolerance. Almost in contrast, it took casteism to an extreme. It also had a matrilineal system, a tradition of empowered women, and some badass queens. Historian Manu Pillai joins Amit Varma in episode 156 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss all this and more.
This is episode 53 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ನಮ್ಮೂರಾದ ನಾಯಿಗಳು ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಸದಾ ಓಡಾಡುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತವೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಮನುಷ್ಯರು ಊಟ ನೀಡುವುದು, ದತ್ತು ತೊಗೊಳುವುದು, ಮತ್ತು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗೆ ಕರೆತಂದು ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ ಕೊಡಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಇವುಗಳು ಸುಮಾರು ಜನರಿಗೆ ಹಾನಿಯನ್ನು ಕೂಡ ಉಂಟುಮಾಡಿವೆ. ರೇಬೀಸ್ ಅಂತಹ ಪರಿಹಾರವಿಲ್ಲದ ಖಾಯಿಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಕಾರಣವಾಗಿವೆ. ಇವುಗಳಿಂದ ಆಗುವೆ...
Immense changes have swept through our lives in the last three decades. Filmmaker and writer Paromita Vohra joins Amit Varma in episode 155 of The Seen and the Unseen, and turns her unique gaze both inwards and outwards.
यह ज़माना स्टार्टअप और नए उद्यमों का है | इस तरह की कम्पनियाँ शुरूआती चरणों में अक़्सर वेंचर कैपिटल के ज़रिए पूँजी जुटाती है | तो हमने सोचा इसी वेंचर कैपिटल जगत पर एक लम्बी पुलियाबाज़ी की जाए जिससे हम समझ सके कि वेंचर कैपिटल की एक अर्थव्यवस्था में आख़िर क्या जगह है? इस विषय पर चर्चा के लिए जुड़ रहे है कुशल भागिया जो फर्स्टचेक नामक एक वेंचर कैपिटल कंपनी के सीईओ है |
This is episode 52 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ಸಿ.ಎ.ಎ. ಮತ್ತು ಏನ್.ಆರ್.ಸಿ. ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಜನರು ಏಕೆ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ಒಂದು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಪೌರತ್ವ ನೋಂದಣಿ ಇಂದ ಆಗುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳೇನು? ಜನರನ್ನು ಶಾಂತಿಯುತ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಏಕೆ ತಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ಅಲೋಕ್ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸರಾಯು ನಟರಾಜನ್ ಅವರು ನಮ್ಮ 50, 51 ಮತ್ತು 52ನೇ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಎಎ...
This is episode 51 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ಸಿ.ಎ.ಎ. ಮತ್ತು ಏನ್.ಆರ್.ಸಿ. ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಜನರು ಏಕೆ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ಒಂದು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಪೌರತ್ವ ನೋಂದಣಿ ಇಂದ ಆಗುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳೇನು? ಜನರನ್ನು ಶಾಂತಿಯುತ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಏಕೆ ತಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ಅಲೋಕ್ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸರಾಯು ನಟರಾಜನ್ ಅವರು ನಮ್ಮ 50, 51 ಮತ್ತು 52ನೇ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಎಎ...
This is episode 50 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ಸಿ.ಎ.ಎ. ಮತ್ತು ಏನ್.ಆರ್.ಸಿ. ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಜನರು ಏಕೆ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ಒಂದು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಪೌರತ್ವ ನೋಂದಣಿ ಇಂದ ಆಗುವ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳೇನು? ಜನರನ್ನು ಶಾಂತಿಯುತ ಹೋರಾಟ ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಏಕೆ ತಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ? ಅಲೋಕ್ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸರಾಯು ನಟರಾಜನ್ ಅವರು ನಮ್ಮ 50, 51 ಮತ್ತು 52ನೇ ಸಂಚಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಎಎ...
Pavan Srinath talks to journalist Rohini Mohan about the NRC in Assam on Episode 125 of The Pragati Podcast. A nation-wide NRC is an unknown beast of unknown dimensions. Real world examples of the NRC come from Assam, where close to 19 lakh residents of the state were left out of the NRC list brought out in August 2019. How do you prove your citizenship in India, where most people do not have...
Hamsini Hariharan looks at the seven major global affairs stories in 2019 and looks at the way forward for 2020.
नागरिकता संशोधन अधिनियम के कई विरोध प्रदर्शनों में संविधान की उद्देशिका का लाखों-करोड़ों लोग उच्चार कर रहे है | इससे प्रेरणा लेते हुए हमने सोचा कि इस उद्देशिका को सरल भाषा में लिखा जाना चाहिए | इसी प्रयास पर हमारा यह छोटा सा स्पेशल एपिसोड |
Economic policy affects each of us — and yet, India has gotten it wrong for decades. In their groundbreaking new book, Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah write not just how to do policy, but how to think about policy. They join Amit Varma in episode 154 of The Seen and the Unseen to share their learnings, first principles onwards.
Alongside much social unrest, the Indian economy went to hell in 2019. Vivek Kaul joins Amit Varma in episode 153 of The Seen and the Unseen to survey the damage, and to demystify the rubble.
In this episode, Saurabh and Pranay discuss how the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register for Indian Citizens are likely to work on the ground. They also discuss the ways in which these moves will hurt the Indian national interest.
This is episode 49 of Thalé-Haraté, a weekly Kannada podcast hosted by Pavan Srinath, Surya Prakash BS and Ganesh Chakravarthi. ಉಪಗ್ರಹಗಳನ್ನು ಬಳಸುವ ಮೊದಲು ಜನರು ಜಗತ್ತನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಅಳೆಯುತ್ತಇದ್ರು? ಎವರೆಸ್ಟ್ ಪರ್ವತದ ಎತ್ತರವನ್ನು ಅಳೆಯುವ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾಯಿತೆ? ಉದಯ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಪಿ.ಎಲ್. ಅವರು ‘ದ ಗ್ರೇಟ್ ಟ್ರಿಗ್ನೊಮೆಟ್ರಿಕ್ ಸರ್ವೇ’ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪವನ್ ಶ್ರೀನಾಥ್ ಮತ್ತು ಗಣೇಶ್ ಚಕ್ರವರ್ತಿ ಅವರ ಜೊತೆ ನಮ್ಮ ತಲೆ-ಹರಟೆ...