The Takshashila Podcast

The UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub is working on the challenge that “finance is not working for people or the planet”. They believe that the the answer is “an architecture for sustainable finance based on the SDGs” and their “target is a $1 trillion “Moonshot”. Shrikrishna Upadhyaya hosts Laure-Anne Parpaleix and Saiyed Kamil, programme analysts at the Sustainable Finance Hub, for a chat on the significance of the Hub’s mission, their work leading up to the G20 endorsing the G20 Technical Assistance Action Plan (TAAP) for sustainable finance this year, and innovations in green financial instruments.

Kingshuk Saha and Dr Nithiyanandam Yogeswaran discuss the recent floods in Chennai, triggered by Cyclone Michaung, highlighting the vulnerability of Indian cities to climate-induced disasters and the way forward to mitigate them using technological and policy interventions

This episode delves into the escalating issue of GPS spoofing, especially spotlighting recent incidents in the Middle East. Prof Nithiyanandam dissects the fundamentals of GPS technology, demystifies the mechanics and motives behind GPS spoofing, and explores effective strategies for managing these threats.

sustainable transportation, Bicycle Mayor of Guwahati, Arshel Akther, sustainable mobility, equitable transportation, accessible transportation, inclusive mobility, government perspective, road infrastructure, urban mobility, society and transportation, sustainable cities, eco-friendly commuting, green transportation, alternative transportation, public transportation, urban planning, sustainable development, environmental conservation, community mobility, biking culture, city infrastructure, sustainable commuting options, conversation on sustainable transportation, eco-friendly initiatives, cycling advocacy, green urban solutions, societal impact of transportation, government policies on mobility, urban transportation challenges, sustainable living, transportation equity, sustainable future, eco-conscious commuting, community-focused mobility.

While the pharma sector is significant in India it is also plagued by many failures and government interventions have yet to be effective. What can be done to enable the sector to achieve its potential? Kannan and Deepali spoke to Suman Joshi about their sectoral analysis on this.

Economic crimes such as money laundering and corporate fraud affect the country's socio-economic fabric and economic security. India has diverse legislative measures and state agencies in place to tackle such crimes. In this episode of Police Chowki, Shrikrishna Upadhyay quizzes two experts who have worked in the field, Dr. Pravin Tiwari (full-time member of the National Financial Reporting Authority and former Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India) and Mr. Javeed Ahmad (former IPS officer and DGP of Uttar Pradesh) on various aspects of economic crimes and the challenges in combating them.

India is set to host the Quad Leaders' Summit in 2024. Over the years, the Quad has evolved to assume numerous domains as part of its public goods agenda. How does India view the Quad’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and how do other Quad countries see India’s role in the Quad? What is the Quad’s regional role? In this episode of All Things Policy, join Bharat Sharma and Kripa Koshy as they discuss the Quad and India's role in it.

The Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 is a new draft legislation introduced by the government to update a 30-year-old law, the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. Its significance lies in its attempt to regulate content on both traditional TV channels and emerging platforms like OTT services and streaming platforms. The Bill proposes more oversight by requiring platforms to set up Content Evaluation Committees to review and evaluate content before release. In this episode of All Things Policy, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya & Carl Jaison discuss the potential fallouts from & challenges in the proposed Bill.

India has regularly seen bans on fireworks during festive seasons, but knee-jerk policy reactions aren't enough. Centralised directives to curb air pollution don't account for contextual differences across states, and give a one-size-fits-all model that doesn't seem to help. Can India adopt pollution policies from other countries? How do we ensure the sustainability of these policies? In this episode, Ananya Desai and Rohan Pai discuss possible solutions to tackle India's air pollution problem.

With active government support, the UPI has become ubiquitous and has changed the way we transact. What are the welfare gains arising from this? Rama, Shihas, and Krishna talk to Sarthak Pradhan and Suman Joshi about how they quantified this as part of the Estimation Exercise in the just concluded Ideas Shala event at Takshashila.

China’s diplomatic efforts since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, indicate a clear decision to lean in favour of the Palestinian side. This decision appears to be driven by a mix of economic and strategic interests, particularly China’s strategic competition with the US. Drawing from his latest working paper, Manoj Kewalramani, Chair of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at Takshashila Institution, explains China’s expanded role in the region, its diplomatic efforts, and strategic calculations. Read the working paper: Takshashila Working Paper - The Israel-Hamas War: China’s Interests & Crisis Diplomacy

Could the war between Israel and Hamas impact India's tech and defence ties with Israel? And could a broader regional war create an energy crisis? Satya Sahu and Aditya Ramanathan consider potential scenarios that could upend aspects of India's approach to West Asia. Check out the Takshashila Working Paper: The Techno-Economic Impact of the Israel-Hamas War

On November 29, 2023, the US Department of Justice indicted an Indian national Nikhil Gupta in a foiled assassination attempt of a US citizen in New York. The purported target is a Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This comes a mere two months after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a listed Khalistani terrorist, on Canadian soil. What does the US indictment mean for relations between Washington and New Delhi? Takshashila Institution's Sachin Kalbag and Yusuf Unjhawala discuss the aftermath (spoiler alert: it won't impact much).

Tune into All Things Policy for an eye-opening episode on AI Governance. We're dissecting our most recent Takshashila Discussion Document - delving into AI's transformative role in society, the nuances of attempting to govern it, and the complexities of AI supply chains. Join Satya S Sahu, Rijesh Panicker, and Bharath Reddy, as they explore the values guiding AI from democracy to global stability, and the challenges in creating a competitive AI industry.

The past few years have witnessed the rapid growth of the India-Australia relationship. The agenda for bilateral partnership has expanded significantly from trade and security to emerging technologies and human capital development. In this special episode, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Philip Green, the new Australian High Commissioner to India, on the priorities for the two sides going forward.

India has one of the strictest gun control regimes where obtaining a gun license is difficult for ordinary civilians. Gun violence and death numbers are also relatively low. However, India has a vast underground market of illegal firearms operated by criminal gangs, epitomised by the ‘katta’ or the countrymade handgun. In this episode of Police Chowki, Javeed Ahmad (ex-IPS and DGP of Uttar Pradesh) and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya discuss the gun culture in India, especially Uttar Pradesh, the unintended consequences of the strict gun control regime, and the debate over arming police officers.

Australia's recently released cyber security strategy, aims to enhance cyber protection for individuals and businesses. Jade Donney, Counsellor at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi highlighted the key aspects of this comprehensive approach.

In continuation of yesterday’s episode of All Things Policy, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya speaks to Anupam Manur, Professor of Economics at Takshashila Institution, on the economic benefits of migration, the constrained economic freedom in India, and challenges with economic integration of Indian states. Anupam explains how demands for reservation are intrinsically related to unemployment and economic growth. Reading: Reservation For Locals: Whither jobs, economic freedoms, and economic unity?

The State of Haryana passed the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 which provided 75% reservation to local candidates in all private sector jobs in the state which paid less than Rs. 30,000 per month. Last week, the Punjab & Haryana High Court struck down the law as unconstitutional for violating the fundamental rights to movement, settlement and trade, occupation and business. In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya dissect the issue of local reservation in the private sector, the anti-migrant sentiment associated with such policies, and the reasoning and implications of the High Court verdict.

Rahul Matthan joins Rijesh Panicker and Bharath Reddy for a chat about his new book, "The Third Way." Together, they unravel  India's unique approach to data governance, embedded within its digital public infrastructure. Buy the book here on Amazon.