The Takshashila Podcast

TRAI has released a consultation paper discussing the potential regulation of OTT platforms, reigniting discussions on net neutrality. The key questions raised: Should communication and entertainment platforms compensate for network usage? And should they be regulated in the same way as telecom service providers? Should selective banning of apps be allowed instead of blanket internet bans? Join Sridhar Krishna as he discusses these topics with Rijesh Panicker and Bharath Reddy. Reading: Takshashila Policy Advisory - Regulatory Mechanism for Over-The-Top (OTT) Communication Services and Selective Banning of OTT Services

Join Satya Sahu and Saurabh Todi as they have a conversation on the geopolitics and the complicated diplomatic path ahead for India and Canada in the aftermath of Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations of India’s ties to the killing of a Khalistani supporter on Canadian soil.

In this episode of Police Chowki, Javeed Ahmad (ex-IPS & DGP, Uttar Pradesh) and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya discuss crime prevention initiatives of the Indian police. They talk about predictive policing, using evidence-based policing techniques, and the successes and drawbacks of community policing initiatives.

Kingshuk Saha and Bharat Sharma discuss the likely Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the sideline of UNGA. They discuss some of the issues that might come up during the meeting and its geopolitical implications.

Should the state shape the composition of economic activity? What are some arguments in favour of and against the use of the Industrial Policy? Anupam Manur and Sarthak Pradhan analyse and discuss some recent literature and trends on Industrial Policy. This paper analyses some trends in industrial policy: The Who, What, When, and How of Industrial Policy: A Text-Based Approach This paper explores the rationale behind industrial policies: The New Economics of Industrial Policy

In this episode, we unravel the ticketing fiasco in relation to the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup to be held in India. From scheduling delays to inefficient ticket sales, the tournament organiser, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), had quite a surprise for fans. Carl Jaison speaks to Jaideep Vaidya, who writes on sports business for The Signal, a business & tech newsletter. They cover the opportunity cost of the scheduling delay, scarcity of tickets, the economy of ticket distribution, and why e-tickets still need to be a viable option in India. Article link:https://theplaybook.thesignal.co/p/india-cricket-world-cup-2023-tickets-chaos

Malathi Renati (head of policy school, Takshashila Institution) is in conversation with Jaydeep Daripa, Debashree Chatterjee, and Avantika Srivastava, all current students of Takshashila's 48 week Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy, where they share their insights on the state of affairs in India's Power Sector. They explore market structures & failures, government interventions via tariff control and cross-subsidies, its disproportionate role in power purchase agreements between Gencos and DISCOMs, its control of coal production and transport freight controls, etc. Some of the unintended consequences as a result and we delve into some known solutions to the multiple-faceted issues faced by the power sector. Reading: Power Sector in India

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act of 2015 governs children in conflict with the law and those needing care and protection. The treatment of juvenile delinquency is based on, among other things, the principle of fresh start which enables children to start with a clean slate upon competing their sentence. In this episode of Police Chowki, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya hosts experts Shyni S (IPS and IG, Training, Biju Patnaik State Policy Academy, Odisha and Javeed Ahmad (Ex-IPS and DGP, Uttar Pradesh) for a conversation on how the juvenile justice system works. They discuss the institutional structure of juvenile justice and provisions for treating specific categories of juveniles accused of heinous crimes as adults. They also discuss the issue of criminalising consensual and non-exploitative relationships among minors and policy solutions to address it.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Amit Kumar discusses with Anushka Saxena the implications of Huawei's release of its latest smartphone, Mate 60 Pro, for the US-China tech contestation. He delves into topics such as the sustainability of China's quest for self-reliance in chip manufacturing and the prospects for large-scale commercialisation of the SMIC-Huawei 7nm collaboration. Reading: The signals from this ‘Made in China’ smartphone story - The Hindu

In the episode of All Things Policy, Saurabh Todi and Aditya Ramanathan discuss recent domestic and international developments related to India's nuclear power sector. They discuss the need for reforms to enable further growth of this sector.

In this episode Sowmya Prabhakar, Malathi Renati & Nidhi Chawla delve into two tangents of aging - elderly welfare & elderly care. They grapple with some solutions & explore how other countries are tackling them, and conclude with the role of society, government & markets.

The Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor has released the draft deep tech startup policy and is seeking stakeholder comments. Satya S Sahu, Sai Rahul Poruri and Bharath Reddy talk about the need for such a policy required and are some preliminary thoughts on the draft policy.

One of the pivotal tenets of India's agenda as G20 President this year is highlighting concerns and issues of the "Global South". India hosted the "Voice of Global South Summit" in January earlier this year. Anushka Saxena hosts Manoj Kelwalramani and Bharat Sharma to talk about what conceptual meaning the Global South carries, how India and China have pitched themselves as leaders of the Global South, the distinction in their approaches, and what their leadership means for Global South countries.

In this episode, Anushka Saxena quizzes Dr. Shambhavi Naik of Takshashila on her experience working with the Think20 working group of the 2023 G20 under India's presidency. Dr. Naik, who has been a Co-Chair of the Task Force on SDGs at the T20, shares her insights on the T20's mandate, the vetting process of Policy Briefs submitted as recommendations to the G20, and her encounters with "competitions of ideas".

In this episode, Anushka Saxena is joined by Dr. Nithiyanandam and Amit Kumar to discuss the use of remote sensing technologies in detecting traits of Chinese military radars along the Indian border, with a focus on Tibet and Aksai Chin. Reading: #3 Shifting Shadows: Military Radar Dynamics in Tibet

Six new members were added to the grouping in the recently concluded BRICS Summit in South Africa. The new BRICS will take shape in January 2024. In this episode, Sachin Kalbag and Anushka Saxena of Takshashila discuss what exactly this new grouping means. Given the latter's military and economic heft, how will India counter the China question in BRICS?

In this episode, Anushka Saxena and Amit Kumar discuss a proposal for the G20 to develop a transparent and collaborative data-sharing mechanism to reduce vulnerabilities induced by supply chain disruptions. The ideas discussed here are part of a Policy Brief submitted to the G20's working group, Think20, and can be perused here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/618a55c4cb03246776b68559/t/645f7f66f46ae72ee221a24d/1683980136318/T20_PolicyBrief_TF1_Data-Asymmetry-SupplyChain.pdf.

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 is set to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 as the country’s primary criminal procedural law. In this episode of Police Chowki, Javeed Ahmad (ex IPS & ex DGP of Uttar Pradesh) and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya break down the various significant changes proposed in the Sanhita and discuss its ramifications on the right to fair and speedy trial, individual liberties and police powers.

The India-Australia bilateral relationship has achieved great heights. Both countries have worked extensively across various areas, but two particular areas of interest have been defence and critical technology. In this episode of All Things Policy, Bharat Sharma and Josiah Neil speak about India and Australia's growing defence engagement in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific regions, and what leads to an increasing convergence of security interests between them. They also discuss how critical and emerging technologies are playing a part in the bilateral relationship.

While growth in disposable incomes has led to better access to clothing, the problems that fast fashion has brought on the environment are non-trivial. Shambhavi Naik and Suman Joshi discuss the dilemmas around fashion and sustainability in this episode Readings: Synthesis Report on United Nations System-wide Initiatives related to Fashion  7 Reasons I Wear The Same Thing Every Day