The Takshashila Podcast

In this episode of All Things Policy, Saurabh Todi and Shambhavi Naik discuss the most recent draft of the proposed WHO Global Pandemic Treaty. They discuss its strengths, and weakness and how can the gaps in the current draft be strengthened. A copy of the leaked draft can be accessed here and the policy brief on the need for BWC Scientific Experts Group can be found here.

AI tools such as DeepFake have been around for years, but with the launch of advanced generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, DALL-E, etc, artificial intelligence has come into the front and centre of fake news generation and its spread. Boomlive's Karen Rebelo, one of India's leading fact checkers, joins Sachin Kalbag in this conversation where they dissect the ominous future of AI-led disinformation campaigns as India heads into election mode in 2024.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is typically considered the provision under which the police issue curfew orders. In this episode of the limited series Police Chowki, Javeed Ahmad and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya discuss the findings of the study “The Use and Misuse of Section 144 CrPC - An Empirical Analysis of all the Orders Passed in 2021 in Delhi”. They delve into the routine use of Section 144 by the police far beyond the purpose and object of the section to achieve social and governance goals, as opposed to public order.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anushka Saxena discusses with Saurabh Todi and Amit Kumar recent developments in India-China relations, and what are the factors that are keeping the tensions in the relations from thawing. Some of these factors, as discussed in the episode, include friction points on the Line of Actual Control, India-China disagreements in the UNSC, and competing commitments to the Global South.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Saurabh Todi and Satya Sahu explore the concept of Strategic Technological Vulnerabilities and what it may take for India to plug those in the case of its semiconductor ecosystem.

In this episode, Amit Kumar quizzes Anushka Saxena on her recent position paper that discusses the developments in the cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan, Taiwan's domestic public opinion, potential scenarios of China's usage of force to invade Taiwan, and India's options on the Taiwan issue. They also speculate on potential signs to look out for in case China is preparing to invade Taiwan. Reading: Takshashila Position Paper - The China-Taiwan Saga

Blue Economy refers to the multitude of ocean resources available in the country that can be harnessed to aid the production of goods and services because of its linkages with economic growth, environmental sustainability, and national security. In this episode, Carl Jaison speaks with Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia, a Distinguished Fellow of the Foreign Studies Programme at Gateway House. He is also the Chair of FICCI’s Task Force on Blue Economy and served as Chair of the Core Group of Experts on BIMSTEC. They discuss India’s national efforts to harness Blue Economy sectors including the draft National Policy on Blue Economy, the role of the private sector, the opportunities and challenges in the key and allied sectors, and potential areas of collaboration for the G20 countries.

In the second episode of the Police Chowki series, Javeed Ahmad and Shrikrishna Upadhyaya discuss the colonial roots of police legislation in India, the subsequent attempts to reform the Police Act of 1861, the Supreme Court decision in the Prakash Singh case on police reforms, the effectiveness of the reforms and guiding principles for police laws. Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media. We are @‌IVMPodcasts on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. https://twitter.com/IVMPodcasts https://www.instagram.com/ivmpodcasts/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/ivmpodcasts/ You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured Follow the show across platforms: Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Gaana, Amazon Music Do share the word with your folks!

Kingshuk Saha and Dr. Satarupa Sen, an Assistant Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the Bengal Institute of Science and Technology, discuss the evolution of language policy in India.

Despite its merits, the 'platformisation’ of gig jobs has failed to increase female labour force participation in India. Anupriya Mohta and Sudisha Mishra invite independent development consultant and researcher Ria Kasliwal to shed more light on this topic. Ria scrutinises gig job platforms from a gender lens and outlines the gaps that bar women’s inclusion in gig work.

As scientists hone the ability to extract meaningful information from DNA found in the air, Shambhavi Naik and Saurabh Todi discuss the policy challenges this new technological progress presents.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative has seen an unprecedented expansion of Chinese overseas lending. While this has led to infrastructure development across developing countries, it has also exacerbated geopolitical competition, had adverse environmental impacts, and led to debt distress. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani speaks to Samantha Custer from Aid Data to understand the scale, scope, and implications of China’s overseas finance.

This is the first episode of a new limited series Police Chowki on All Things Policy. In this series, we cast a critical look at the role and functioning of Indian police forces, and unpack the challenges of policing and the need for reform and accountability. In the inaugural episode, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya hosts Javeed Ahmed for a discussion on the daily lives of various police actors like the police constable, station house officer, and superintendent of police/ commissioner of police, who are critical cogs in the police machinery. They discuss the work, role, and responsibilities of these functionaries and some behind the scenes functions they perform.

With recent bank failures in the West raising concerns, how stable is India's financial system? Dive into an engaging conversation with Ruchir Agarwal from the Harvard Kennedy School and Yale School of Management, as we explore the state of India's financial sector. Our discussion will span its development over the past twenty years, insights from banking crises, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Even as India's gender stats don't paint a pretty picture, what is heartening to see is a move towards gender-equitable fertility preferences. Bharath Reddy and Suman Joshi talk to Isha Bhatnagar about the findings in her paper titled A Girl and a Boy, Are a Bundle of Joy: A Rise in Gender-Equitable Fertility Preferences in India. Reading: A Girl and a Boy, Are a Bundle of Joy: A Rise in Gender‐Equitable Fertility Preferences in India - Bhatnagar - Studies in Family Planning - Wiley Online Library Do follow IVM Podcasts on social media.

Twenty-five years ago, India declared itself an overt nuclear power. Its journey was long and often constrained by the international export control regime. In this episode, Pranav R Satyanath and Saurabh Todi converse about the significance of India's 25th year of nuclearisation and our outlook on India's future as a nuclear power.

In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Pranay Kotasthane delve into the recent controversy created by Ashley Tellis's article which tried to set expectations about the India-US partnership, and a rejoinder to that by Ashok Malik. They discuss how this bilateral relationship has evolved over the years and what it holds for the future. Readings: America’s Bad Bet on India | Foreign Affairs View: Orthodoxies outside govt are fixating on US-India divergences than strategic commonalities - The Economic Times

Malathi Renati, Sachin Kalbag, and Sowmya Nandan talk and share about the role of society, government, and market in elderly care. They discuss the role of stakeholders and what it takes to be primary caregivers for aging parents/in-laws.

Over the past few days, Chinese authorities have conducted raids on the offices of Capvision, an international consultancy, citing national security concerns. This comes after the arrest of five employees of Mintz Group, an American firm, in March, and a subsequent visit by officials at the offices of Bain & Company. What’s driving this latest crackdown on foreign consultancies in China? Manoj Kewalramani asks Anushka Saxena and Amit Kumar.

The World Economic Forum recently released The Future of Jobs report highlighting the anticipated developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Sridhar Krishna, Anupriya Mohta, and Sudisha Mishra discuss the report in detail, with a focus on what the rise in AI could mean for job creation, the imminent need for new skills, and what it will take to finance them. Reading: The Future of Jobs Report 2020 | World Economic Forum