All Things Policy
1,398 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsEver wondered how automation will change the world? Maybe you puzzle over what India could do to ease traffic congestion, or how China's aircraft carriers will transform Indian Ocean geopolitics? All Things Policy, a daily podcast brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, brings you all the answers. Every weekday, our researchers break down complex economic and geopolitical ideas through the lens of current events. For everyone from the busy executive to the curious student, All Things Policy is all you'll need to understand the world (and appreciate your breakfast) better.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Ep. 347: SARS-CoV-2 and the Biological Weapons Convention
June 15, 2020 00:35 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBMost scientists have rubbished the idea that the novel coronavirus is a biological weapon.
Ep. 346: Modi and Morrison - India and Australia Draw Closer
June 12, 2020 00:35 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBPrime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison for a "virtual summit" last week, with the two countries striking significant agreements
Ep. 345: A Chip on China's Shoulder: The Geopolitics of Semiconductors
June 11, 2020 00:35 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBHave you ever thought about what goes into manufacturing a smartphone that you might order online? It involves highly-optimised global supply chains spanning countries and continents.
Ep. 344: When Should India Reopen Its Schools?
June 10, 2020 00:35 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBAs lockdown restrictions are lifted across India, some states have announced plans to reopen schools. India’s children need to continue their education, and their parents need to go back to work,
Ep. 343: What's Happening on the LAC With China?
June 09, 2020 00:35 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBChina and India are involved in intense stand-offs at multiple points across the LAC for over a month. China's aggression has approval from Xi Jinping and is driven by domestic pressures, says Jayadeva Ranade, former Additional Secretary, Government of I
Ep. 342: Locking Horns on the LAC
June 08, 2020 00:35 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBFor over a month now, troops from India and China have been locked in a standoff along the LAC in Ladakh.
Ep. 341: Is the Clock ticking for TikTok?
June 05, 2020 00:35 - 28 minutes - 26.6 MBThe idea of banning the TikTok app has been continually trending on Twitter. Critics cite the app's Chinese roots and some of its problematic user-generated content.
Ep. 340: One Country, One System: China’s Toughening HK Policy
June 04, 2020 00:35 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBChina’s decision to press ahead with a new national security legislation has led to much speculation about the future of Hong Kong.
Ep. 339: Choppy Waters: Assertion in the South China Sea
June 03, 2020 00:35 - 32 minutes - 30 MBWhat’s driving China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea? Is this a matter of pandemic opportunism or could there be other factors motivating Beijing?
Ep. 338: Spying on your Neighbour
June 02, 2020 00:35 - 28 minutes - 26 MBGovernments are advocating for social pressure to ensure compliance with lockdowns.
Ep. 337: Cheap Internet: Reliance and the Telecom Sector in India
June 01, 2020 00:35 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBIndia has one of the cheapest internet rates in the world. One gigabyte of data can cost as little as ₹18, while in other countries it may run into hundreds of rupees. How is this possible?
Ep. 336: Managing Civil-Military Relations?
May 29, 2020 00:35 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBWith the establishment of the position of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) there also came the new Department of Military Affairs (DMA). In this episode, Pranay
Ep. 335: Lift Off: Space policy reforms and the private sector in India
May 28, 2020 00:35 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced that the Union government will provide a predictable space policy and regulatory environment for private players.
Ep. 334: Call of Duty: Short-term service in armed forces
May 27, 2020 00:35 - 26 minutes - 23.8 MBThe Union government recently announced a new recruitment plan called "Tour of Duty" to recruit young soldiers and officers for a term of three years. Will this help reduce the burden of pensions expenditure?
Ep. 333: Krishnadevaraya: The Man and the Myth
May 26, 2020 00:35 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBKrishnadevaraya, emperor of Vijayanagara, was a remarkable man, a transition between an ancient Indian king and a recognisably "modern" political leader. Awestruck travellers wrote of the might and wealth of his gunpowder-wielding South Indian empire.
Ep. 332: Intervention Using Tech: Solutions for Tackling COVID-19
May 25, 2020 00:35 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBTechnology touches almost every aspect of our daily life. But what's the use of it during a pandemic? In this episode, Rohan Seth talks to Prateek Waghre, Sapni G Krishna and Utkarsh Narain
Ep. 331: Economic Stimulus for Post-COVID India
May 22, 2020 00:35 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBRupees twenty lakh crore. That's the size of the stimulus package promised by the government. But how will it work?
Ep. 330: Putin's Pandemic
May 21, 2020 00:35 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBToday, Vladimir Putin's Russia faces its most serious threat since its annexation of Crimea in 2014. COVID-19 has spread rapidly, placing enormous strains on its public health system. Russia's economy is in lockdown.
Ep. 329: Preparing for the Second Wave: India Against COVID-19
May 20, 2020 00:35 - 33 minutes - 31 MBWith India easing restrictions on the movement of people, is it possible that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over? Unfortunately, no. There's a long way to go before we can be sure of that. Shambhavi Naik, Sunila Dixit, and Anirudh
Ep. 328: Improving India’s Testing Capacity
May 19, 2020 00:35 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBWith barely 300 tests per million people, India, the world’s most populous country, has a long way to go before it has a clear picture of the way COVID-19 is spreading.
Ep. 327: Why India Needs Arms Imports
May 18, 2020 00:35 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBChief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat recently said the armed forces should not push for large arms imports and be realistic about their requirements. Why does Indian remain a major arms importer? Lt General Prakash Menon,
Ep. 326: India’s Post-Covid Opportunities
May 15, 2020 00:35 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a lasting impact on the global order. While Sino-US competition is expected to accelerate, middle powers like India could enjoy greater bargaining capabilities with both of them.
Ep. 325: Going Conventional: Europe and the Future of Arms Control
May 14, 2020 00:35 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBThe death of nuclear arms control seems imminent. But what about conventional arms? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS talk to Dr. Ulrich Kühn about the history of conventional arms control and its impact on European security.
Ep. 324: Facebook’s Supreme Court
May 13, 2020 00:35 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBFacebook has announced a 20-member content oversight board that many are calling a "Supreme Court". Are 20 members really enough to moderate all the content on Facebook?
Ep. 323: Command of the Officer
May 12, 2020 00:35 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBA recent attack in northern Kashmir killed the Commanding Officer (CO) and three other soldiers of the 21 Rashtriya Rifles.
Ep. 322: WhatsApp with Jio-Facebook?
May 11, 2020 00:35 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBFacebook - which owns WhatsApp - has recently acquired a stake in Reliance Jio. This might have profound implications for the future of Indian e-commerce and telecommunications.
Ep. 321: India: The World's Factory?
May 08, 2020 00:35 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the risks of depending on China for global manufacturing. Is this a call for India to manufacture for the world instead? What will it actually take to achieve that? In this episode,
Ep. 320: The Virus Ravages West Asia
May 07, 2020 00:35 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBCOVID-19 is taking a terrible human toll in West Asia even as it re-wires the region's geopolitics in surprising ways.
Ep. 319: When Will We Get a Vaccine?
May 06, 2020 00:35 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBWhat are the challenges in developing a vaccine for Covid-19? How soon can we have one? And what if there is none? Shambhavi Naik and Sunila Dixit join Aditya Ramanathan to talk about the treacherous path to a safe and effective vaccine.
Ep. 318: How MAD was the Cold War?
May 05, 2020 00:35 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBMany accounts of the Cold War accept the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). But did leaders and policymakers actually believe in MAD? And if they did, why did they engage in dangerous arms races? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan
Ep. 317: Containing the Misinformation Virus
May 04, 2020 00:35 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBThe spread of misinformation has complicated the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the misinformation ecosystem has thrived on both the novelty of the virus and pre-existing social biases. In this episode,
Ep. 316: Other Strategic Reserve: Securing Medical Equipment for India
April 30, 2020 00:35 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBThe COVID outbreak has resulted in shortages of key PPE and medical equipment. Building a strategic reserve of these could help encourage indigenous manufacturing, lower prices, and prepare India for possible future waves of the pandemic. Shambhavi Naik d
Ep. 315: COVID-19: Crisis or Opportunity?
April 29, 2020 00:35 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MB"Every crisis is also an opportunity," the old saying goes. Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane have some ideas on when that actually happens - and what opportunities India has during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ep. 314: The PLA and Covid-19
April 28, 2020 00:35 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBChina claims its military has been unscathed by the novel coronavirus pandemic despite being part of the containment effort. Could this claim be true? Aditya Ramanathan talks to Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the
Ep. 313: Content Moderation During COVID Times
April 27, 2020 00:35 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBLess than a year ago, the social media giants claimed that moderating content online was an arduous task. Yet, under the shadow of Covid-19, these companies are successfully removing misinformation from their sites.
Ep. 312: India’s FDI Dilemmas
April 24, 2020 00:35 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBForeign investment will be critical to reviving the Indian economy as the threat from Covid-19 retreats. At the same time, there's concern about foreign entities picking up undervalued Indian assets.
Ep. 311: A National Reopening Strategy For India
April 23, 2020 00:35 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBAs India prepares to ease lockdown restrictions and restore economic activity, most epidemiological models expect there to be fresh waves of infection over the coming months.
Ep. 310: Learning from History: Bengal Famine and Covid-19
April 22, 2020 00:35 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBThe Bengal Famine was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern Indian history. What caused the famine and can it tell us how to handle a pandemic today? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan talks to Anirudh Kanisetti and Sarthak Pradhan about a tim
Ep. 309: Spending More in the Face of Covid-19
April 21, 2020 00:35 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBThe end of the nation-wide lockdown will inevitably force the union government to spend more money on healthcare and economic recovery. But is there money to spend? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane estimate the amount of cash required
Ep. 308: Price Controls in a Pandemic
April 20, 2020 00:35 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBIndian authorities have imposed price caps on face masks and sanitisers. Private labs have been told to conduct Covid-19 tests for free. While these measures may be well-meaning, they don't work, and are already leading to disastrous shortages. Anirudh
Ep. 307: The Shape of India's Nuclear Arsenal
April 17, 2020 00:35 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBWhile India has a transparent nuclear doctrine, its nuclear arsenal is almost a black box to outsiders. Are India's existing nuclear weapons sufficient to deter China? And does India need ICBMs at all? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS ta
Ep. 306: The Hashtag Pandemic
April 16, 2020 00:35 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBWho is to blame for Covid-19? It depends on who you ask, and it might depend on which country's information operations they have been exposed to on social media. As hashtags duke it out on Twitter, Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to Manoj Kewalramani and Prateek
Ep. 305: Have the Hong Kong Protests Failed
April 15, 2020 00:35 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBThe Covid-19 pandemic has led to a pause in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The movement, however, continues to command public support and friction is likely to continue in the long run.
Ep. 304: Is There a Doctor on the Phone?
April 14, 2020 00:35 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBThe Medical Council of India has announced guidelines for the practice of telemedicine by registered doctors. Can telemedicine help shield frontline healthcare workers during a viral outbreak?
Ep. 303: Truth-Telling in the Military
April 13, 2020 00:35 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBHow should military leaders report difficult truths up the chain of command? As the coronavirus spread on board an American aircraft carrier, its captain sent a strongly-worded letter to his superiors that was leaked to the press.
Ep. 302: India's Neighbours and Covid
April 10, 2020 00:35 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBPakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been dealing with the global pandemic in their own ways. In this episode, Anand Arni, Pranay Kotasthane and Suyash Desai talk about how India's neighbours have responded and the role of SAARC and BIMSTEC in facilita
Ep. 301: WHO and The Pandemic
April 09, 2020 03:51 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBDid the WHO mishandle the SARS-Cov-2 outbreak? Should it have raised the alarm earlier and declared it a pandemic? Suyash Desai and Nischitha Suresh tell Manoj Kewalramani why believe the WHO messed up and how states use international organizations f
Ep. 300: NPT, Covid-19 and the Future
April 08, 2020 00:35 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBThe Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty turned 50 this year. But its landmark review conference this year has been postponed because of the global pandemic. Anirudh Kanisetti talks to Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS about treaty's contested past and uncertai
Ep. 299: China Invests in India
April 07, 2020 00:35 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBThe past six years have witnessed phenomenal growth in Chinese private sector investment in India. So which sectors have gained the most? How does this impact the Sino-Indian relationship? And what are the regulatory challenges that this trend poses? Mano
Ep. 298: Post Pandemic Economics
April 06, 2020 00:35 - 32 minutes - 30 MBWhat will India's economy look like at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic? What should the union and state governments do to limit the damage and aid a recovery? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Nitin Pai discuss a plan to kickstart growth once the smoke