All Things Policy

The ubiquitous semiconductor chips have acquired huge importance in today’s geopolitical environment. Join Arindam Goswami and Satya Sahu in this episode of All Things Policy as they uncover the intricate world of chip-based hardware backdoors, exploring their implications for cybersecurity, national security and public policy.

The Politburo of the Communist Party of China met in late April to discuss the country’s economic situation. It also announced that the long-awaited third plenary session will be held in July. Third plenums historically have charted the course for economic policy. In this episode, Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani breakdown the readout of the Politburo meeting, analysing the CPC’s economic priorities.

93 percent of India’s workforce is informally employed and migrant workers, who move seasonally from villages to cities, form an extremely vulnerable group in this category. What are some of the chief concerns of such workers and how could India's recent plans to introduce a living wage by 2025 impact them? Join Kripa Koshy and Divya Varma, Co-founder and Director (Knowledge and Policy) at Work Fair and Free, an organization committed to advancing worker-centric knowledge and action, to learn more.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Takshashila Research Analyst Anushka Saxena is in conversation with independent research scholar Suyash Desai. The two discuss the recent reform announced in the Chinese military vis-a-vis disbanding of its Strategic Support Force (SSF), and the institution of a new Information Support Force (ISF). Suyash places this development in the larger context of reforms in the PLA, and its preparedness to fight "informatised" wars.

Born out of war more than 50 years ago, Bangladesh has hauled itself out of poverty to become one of the fastest-growing economies in the Asia Pacific region. But the nation still faces many challenges—climate change threatens to overwhelm its low-lying lands, corruption is endemic, and many critics complain that democracy and freedom of speech are under pressure. In this episode of All Things Policy, Rakshith Shetty quizzes Dr Sreeradha Datta on the current developments in Bangladesh. Do check out her latest book on the theme - https://www.amazon.in/-/hi/Sreeradha-Datta/dp/9356404216

An allegedly unscrupulous one person company has been handling data and infrastructure for DigiYatra, the biometric boarding system used at airports. Anupam Manur and Bharath Reddy discuss the implications.

Join Ashwin Prasad, Shreya Ramakrishnan, and Tanay Ravichandran, three policy enthusiasts sharing their latest discoveries in the world of public policy! A new course on ⁠Unpacking Urban Governance⁠ on OpenTakshashila is now accepting applications. Click ⁠here⁠ for more information.

Is it possible for AI to be racist? When Google's AI chatbot 'Gemini' launched a new text-to-image feature on February 1st, it received a barrage of accusations on social media for possessing an inherent reluctance towards generating images of light-skinned, Caucasian people. These accusations came after instances where the Founding Fathers were shown to be Native American and East Asian men, while the Pope was represented by an Indian woman. The Senior Vice President of Google responded soon after that the bias was an unintended consequence of programming the chatbot to represent a variety of ethnicities. Should text-to-image models accurately reflect the existing prejudices in society based on training data? Or should they, as in the case of Gemini, artificially promote inclusion and diversity as per the prevailing value judgment at the time? Join Rohan Pai and Ashwin Reddy in this episode of All Things Policy as they tackle these difficult, controversial questions. A new course on Unpacking Urban Governance on OpenTakshashila is now accepting applications. Click here for more information.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Kripa Koshy and Saurabh Todi discuss the recent controversy around the high sugar content in Nestle baby food in certain countries. They discuss the need for informed regulation and better compliance in India. A new course on Unpacking Urban Governance on OpenTakshashila is now accepting applications. Click here for more information.

In this episode, Ashwin Prasad quizzes Saurabh Todi on the recent Trilateral Technology Dialogue in Seoul. With a focus on strengthening supply chain resilience and fostering trade partnerships, Saurabh provides insights into the significance of this event. Join them as they unravel the discussions, explore key outcomes, and analyze the implications for technology geopolitics.

The Parliament recently passed legislation called the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, aimed at curbing cheating and upholding the integrity of public examinations. How does the new law safeguard the public recruitment system against malpractices, such as paper leaks, and help to address the problem of state capacity shortfall? In this episode of All Things Policy, Carl Jaison speaks to Pranav Gupta about the context, causes, and consequences of the new law and the wider implications on state capacity owing to a broken recruitment system. Reading: Can new exam bill save India’s public recruitment system? Do check out Takshashila's public policy courses at https://school.takshashila.org.in/

Two weeks after a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria, Tehran launched a massive drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday. What does this mean for an already explosive situation in West Asia? Will the exchange of fire between the two countries lead to a larger regional conflagration? Sachin Kalbag and Yusuf Unjhawala discuss in the latest episode of All Things Policy. Check out Takshashila's public policy courses at https://school.takshashila.org.in/

In early April, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha travelled to China for his first foreign visit since taking office. While no major deals or breakthroughs were reported, this signalled a new proximity between the two countries. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani talks to author and journalist Amish Raj Mulmi about the recent developments in China-Nepal ties. Check out Takshashila's public policy courses at https://school.takshashila.org.in/

Join Dr Nithyanandam, a Professor from Takshashila Institution and Mr Varun Sridharan, Co-founder and CEO of Greenvironment Innovation & Marketing India (P) Ltd, in a captivating podcast episode where they delve into the critical need for wastewater management in the Indian context. Amid the water scarcity crisis affecting southern cities, they explore sustainable solutions and technological advancements for treating water at household levels. The discussion also covers the economic aspects, policy interventions required for system improvements, and practical tips for effective wastewater management. Discover how cities like Chennai have tackled their water needs and the lessons Bangalore can learn to enhance its water sustainability. Tune in to this episode to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in wastewater management. Visit https://school.takshashila.org.in/ for more.

In this episode, 'Willingness to make a Will,' Sowmya Prabhakar is in conversation with Niranjan Vemulkar & Nikhil Varghese to navigate through the why, what, how, and when of having a will in place. We draw insights from the Succession Act, data on unclaimed assets such as Demat accounts & the nomination process. It's important to understand the opportunity cost and the information asymmetry that exists in this landscape of emotions and the need to have a will. Tech solutions hold promise in paving the way for the will.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anushka Saxena of Takshashila quizzes Neha Mishra, Executive Officer at CII and a fellow with the pioneer cohort of Takshashila's Network for Advanced Study of China (NASC) Fellowship, on China's dominance in critical minerals supply chains. Neha discusses the findings from her Fellowship paper vis-a-vis China's policy architecture on critical minerals, the changing global sentiment towards dependence on China for the same, and the way forward for China's dominance. Do check out Takshashila’s public policy courses: https://school.takshashila.org.in/courses See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of All Things Policy hosted by Amit Kumar, Dr Michael Pettis, Professor of Finance at Peking University and Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), answers several critical questions about China's economy. Dr. Pettis weighs on what China's domestic consumption situation looks like; the underlying contradiction between domestic consumption and export policy, and the feasibility of new drivers of the economy and new productive forces. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and Wini Fred Gurung, Communications Manager at the Takshashila Institution, discuss the complexities of India's foreign policy, exploring its perspectives on the global landscape, significant shifts in approach over the past decade, and the challenges and opportunities it faces in an ever-changing world.

human-animal conflict, wildlife conservation, India, Malathi Renati, Humane Society International, Vinod Krishnan, Shubhra Sotie, government, markets, society, wildlife experts, conservation efforts, environmental protection, biodiversity, conservation challenges, conservation successes, wildlife management, wildlife protection

What services do urban local bodies in India provide? Where do they get their revenues from? To what extent are these bodies self-reliant? What factors contribute to their financial vulnerability? In this episode of All Things Policy, Sarthak Pradhan and Suman Joshi give an overview of the state of municipal finances in India.