Center for New Economics Studies: Recent Episodes

Center for New Economic Studies

Espousing the philosophy of how contemporary economic theories look at socio-economic problems in a variety of ways, the Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) through its research and activities aims to focus more on exploring the diversity of the scholarship on economics. At CNES, students and young researchers are not only exposed to the basic foundations of economic reasoning and thought but are exposed to the inter-disciplinary application of the discipline of economics in fields of political science, psychology, history and legal studies.

The 21st century can be characterized by the rise of technology, and therefore the human race has started the sociological processes of adapting itself to this variable which has gotten added on to the equation termed as human life. Like every time period which has witnessed momentous political, sociological or economic changes, this era too will, and has already started to create novice laws, economic relationships, and human reactions, to accommodate the digital realm.

However, one significant difference between today’s digital age and previous years of change, is that the current era is changing at a pace faster than ever seen before, and therefore the clock of adaptation is ticking at too fast a pace for an equal distribution of benefits, mitigative strategies and positive behavioral modification to homogeneously occur.

Hence, this podcast aims to unravel and educate viewers on important terms like Privacy, Big Data and Surveillance Capitalism, which are steadily becoming the cornerstones of human society. Technology's relationship with law and an analysis of the preparedness of global legal systems to tackle the digital realm will also be done, in order to spread awareness about crucial characteristics of the coming ages.

Imagine a courtroom in which every individual, regardless of sexuality or gender feels equally represented, respected and understood. Women courageously seek justice without the weight of societal pressure and expectations looming over them, ensuring that they are not marginalized in the process. This utopian scene is something the newly crafted, Supreme Court’s Gender Sensitisation and Sexual Harassment Prevention Handbook aims to bring about. The handbook reflects the Supreme Court’s holistic understanding of the germination of all gender and sexual related violence, that being the human mind. The human mind deciphers gender relations through language, and therefore, the most effective way to truly erase discrimination and violence faced by sexual minorities, is to cleanse popular language from its highly discriminatory, archaic and degrading phrases and words, which have a huge impact on the psyche of the judges, lawyers, victims, media and conventional society. In this discussion, we aim to uncover the contemporary dynamics between gender and the legal profession, shedding light on the treatment of sexual minorities within the larger society. By connecting these flawed relationships to the handbook, we explore its potential to revolutionize the landscape for gender justice in Indian courtrooms. We also examine the benefits it offers and the challenges it may encounter on its path toward fostering equal representation, respect and understanding for all individuals, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Welcome to Umeed – a word meaning 'hope'. We're the official podcast of Swabhimaan, an initiative under the Centre of New Economics Studies. If you've ever wondered how gender and sexuality influence the world around you – from economic policy to grassroot activism – this is the space for you. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and ignited.This year on International Women’s Day, we launched a new project under Umeed - ‘Every Sexism Project’. We chose this day as it is a day that celebrates conversations around gender, but this in no way limits our project to cis-gendered experiences. Our aim is to have talks to diverse voices and be inclusive of different narratives.If you have ever felt that invisible nudge towards 'acting your gender'? Or seen unfairness play out just because of someone's identity? Or being forced to fit into society’s binaries? That's what we're unpacking this year under this project. We want to hear voices from our own campus O.P. Jindal Global University on everyday sexism and gender discrimination. Because hope starts with honest conversations.Today's Episode is the third one of the three-part series between Swabhimaan's Everyday Sexism Project and JGU GirlUp Society. This series is a deep dive into JGU Girl Up's amazing work on campus. For the third episode in the series, Prabhroop Kaur from Team Swabhimaan is engaging in a discussion with Veena, the JGU GirlUp President, and Tarana, their Public Relations Director.

Welcome to Umeed – a word meaning 'hope'. We're the official podcast of Swabhimaan, an initiative under the Centre of New Economics Studies. If you've ever wondered how gender and sexuality influence the world around, you – from economic policy to grassroot activism – this is the space for you. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and ignited.This year on International Women’s Day, we launch a new project under Umeed - ‘Every Sexism Project’. We chose this day as it is a day that celebrates conversations around gender, but this in no way limits our project to cis-gendered experiences. Our aim is to have talks to diverse voices and be inclusive of different narratives.If you have ever felt that invisible nudge towards 'acting your gender'? Or seen unfairness play out just because of someone's identity? Or being forced to fit into society’s binaries? That's what we're unpacking this year under this project. We want to hear voices from our own campus O.P. Jindal Global University on everyday sexism and gender discrimination. Because hope starts with honest conversations.Today's Episode is the second one of the three-part series between Swabhimaan's Everyday Sexism Project and JGU GirlUp Society. This series is a three-part deep dive into JGU Girl Up's amazing work on campus. For the second episode in the series, Savya from Team Swabhimaan is engaging in a discussion with Mehuli, the JGU GirlUp Vice President, and Arushi, their Events Director.

Welcome to Umeed – a word meaning 'hope'. We're the official podcast of Swabhimaan, an initiative under the Centre of New Economics Studies. If you've ever wondered how gender and sexuality influence the world around, you – from economic policy to grassroot activism – this is the space for you. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and ignited.This year on International Women’s Day, we launch a new project under Umeed - ‘Every Sexism Project’. We chose this day as it a day that celebrates conversations around gender, but this no way limits our project to cisgendered experiences. Our aim is to have talk to diverse voices and be inclusive of different narratives. If you have ever felt that invisible nudge towards 'acting your gender'? Or seen unfairness play out just because of someone's identity? Or being forced to fit into society’s binaries? That's what we're unpacking this year under this project. We want to hear voices from our own campus O.P. Jindal Global University on everyday sexism and gender discrimination. Because hope starts with honest conversations.Today's Episode is the first one of the three-part series between Swabhimaan's Everyday Sexism Project and JGU Girl Up Society. This series is a three-part deep dive into JGU Girl Up's amazing work on campus. For the first episode in the series, Jui from Team Swabhimaan is engaging in a discussion with Nikeeta, the General Secretary and Manavi, the Editor-in-Chief of JGU Girl Up.

In this episode of Vichaar, we talked to Mr. Raqib Hameed Naik who is a Kashmiri journalist, his work focuses on censorship of the State and the State's attempt to persecute religious minorities. The discussion in the episode centred on the experiences of journalists and their loved ones due to censorship by the state. We looked at how living experiences of truthful reporting by journalists have led to continuous harassment and scrutiny by the state to censor their work. This also inherently impacts their safety as well as their loved ones. The discussion also narrates the current landscape in journalism and the systemic change that has occurred in the reporting of news over the years, which is due to the growing majoritarian government in our country.

In this podcast, we had a wonderful conversation with the author of the book, "How to Love in Sanskrit", Anusha Rao. In this we learned the beauty of Sanskrit literature and the way it demonstrates the emotion, we know as love, an emotion seen and written about in every language of the world.Ms Anusha Rao is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, and this is her book which details the way Sanskrit literature has evolved. Sanskrit has too often been regarded as the sacred language of the gods, yet it is love that has been the overwhelming obsession of Sanskrit writers for over 3,000 years.How to Love in Sanskrit is an invitation to Sanskrit love poetry, bringing together verses and short prose pieces by celebrated writers like Kalidasa and Banabhatta, Buddhist and Jain monks, scholars, emperors, and even some modern-day poets.Join us as we navigate the complex landscape of history and identities, gaining insights from Ms. Rao extensive background and shedding light on the multifaceted dimensions of Poetry in the Sanskrit world and how they changed the way we see the world and the word, LoveTune in for a captivating dialogue that transcends boundaries and deepens our understanding of lingual dynamics

The Kerala Model of Development is a unique approach to economic and social development that has been successful in the state of Kerala, India. It is characterized by strong social indicators, such as high literacy rates, low infant mortality and birth rates, and a longer average life expectancy, which are comparable to developed countries. The model is based on wealth and resource redistribution programmes, high levels of political participation and activism, and a focus on investing in people rather than markets. However, the model is in decline because of several reasons such as lack of industrial growth, brain drain, aging population etc. In this discussion, we aim to discuss what can be done to bring Kerala back on track and ensure an upward growth trajectory.

Welcome to Umeed – a word meaning 'hope'. We're the official podcast of Swabhimaan, an initiative under the Centre of New Economics Studies. If you've ever wondered how gender and sexuality influence the world around, you – from economic policy to grassroot activism – this is the space for you. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and ignited.This year on International Women’s Day, we launched a new project under Umeed - ‘Every Sexism Project’. We chose this day as it a day that celebrates conversations around gender but this no way limits our project to cisgendered experiences. Our aim is to have talk to diverse voices and be inclusive of different narratives. If you have ever felt that invisible nudge towards 'acting your gender'? Or seen unfairness play out just because of someone's identity? Or being forced to fit into society’s binaries? That's what we're unpacking this year under this project. We want to hear voices from our own campus O.P. Jindal Global University on everyday sexism and gender discrimination. Because hope starts with honest conversations.For today’s episode, we are having some insights on the Everyday Sexism Project from Team Swabhimaan. Our Team member Savya Atrey is going to engage in a discussion with two of our very own Swabhimaan members Suhani Sharma and Adya Manchanda.

The Caption would be - “ Welcome to Umeed – a word meaning 'hope'. We're the official podcast of Swabhimaan, an initiative under the Centre of New Economics Studies. If you've ever wondered how gender and sexuality influence the world around, you – from economic policy to grassroot activism – this is the space for you. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and ignited.This year on International Women’s Day, we launched a new project under Umeed - ‘Every Sexism Project’. We chose this day as it a day that celebrates conversations around gender but this no way limits our project to cisgendered experiences. Our aim is to have talk to diverse voices and be inclusive of different narratives. If you have ever felt that invisible nudge towards 'acting your gender'? Or seen unfairness play out just because of someone's identity? Or being forced to fit into society’s binaries? That's what we're unpacking this year under this project. We want to hear voices from our own campus O.P. Jindal Global University on everyday sexism and gender discrimination. Because hope starts with honest conversations.For today’s episode, Adya from Team Swabhimaan is engaging in a discussion with Ashish Bayya, a first-year graduate student at the Jindal Global Law School (JGLS)

Welcome to the latest episode of InterLinked, where we delve into the intricate layers of Books in our series, "Kitabon ka Karawan" In this enlightening conversation, Dheemant Anil engages with Mr. Nathan Rosenthal, Professor of History, Spatial Sciences, and Law.

Mr. Rosenthal brings a wealth of expertise to our discussion, drawing from his experiences as a historian of the eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Atlantic world. He focuses on the political and cultural history of Europe and the Americas in the age of revolution, with particular attention to the transnational influences that shaped modern national politics. He received his PhD in history from Columbia University in 2011, with a dissertation on epistolary and revolutionary organizing, and published a first book on a different topic in 2015: Citizen Sailors: Becoming American in the Age of Revolution.

Join us as we navigate the complex landscape of history and identities, gaining insights from Mr. Rosenthal extensive background and shedding light on the multifaceted dimensions of Revolutions in the Atlantic world and how it changed the way we see the world.

Tune in for a captivating dialogue that transcends boundaries and deepens our understanding of conflict dynamics.

Welcome to the latest episode of InterLinked, where we delve into the intricate layers of conflict in our series, "The Unravelling of the Conflict." In this enlightening conversation, Ishie Pasricha engages with Mr. Cyprien Fluzin, a distinguished Ph.D. Researcher in International Law.

Mr. Fluzin brings a wealth of expertise to our discussion, drawing from his experiences as a Visiting Research Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism and as a Senior Researcher at the Bulan Institute for Peace Innovations in Geneva. Currently serving as an Adjunct Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, he imparts his knowledge in international law and global security.

Join us as we navigate the complex landscape of conflicts, gaining insights from Mr. Fluzin's extensive background and shedding light on the multifaceted dimensions of international law, terrorism and modern day conflicts. This episode promises to be a thought-provoking exploration into the heart of global security.

Tune in for a captivating dialogue that transcends boundaries and deepens our understanding of conflict dynamics.

Welcome to Umeed – a word meaning 'hope'. We're the official podcast of Swabhimaan, an initiative under the Centre of New Economics Studies. If you've ever wondered how gender and sexuality influence the world around, you – from economic policy to grassroot activism – this is the space for you. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and ignited.This year on International Women’s Day, we launch a new project under Umeed - ‘Every Sexism Project’. We chose this day as it a day that celebrates conversations around gender but this no way limits our project to cisgendered experiences. Our aim is to have talk to diverse voices and be inclusive of different narratives. If you have ever felt that invisible nudge towards 'acting your gender'? Or seen unfairness play out just because of someone's identity? Or being forced to fit into society’s binaries? That's what we're unpacking this year under this project. We want to hear voices from our own campus O.P. Jindal Global University on everyday sexism and gender discrimination. Because hope starts with honest conversations.For today’s first episode, Savya from Team Swabhimaan is engaging in a discussion with Jigyasha Anand, a third-year student at the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP)

In this episode of “The Unravelling of the Conflict”, Tanish Srivastava and Captain Sarabjeet S Parmar focus on topics relating to Maritime warfare and the issues plaguing the maritime sphere today.

Our guest, Captain Sarabjeet S Parmar, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987 and retired in 2023. He has written and spoken extensively on maritime security and strategy issues at various national and international conferences and his main areas of research include national and maritime strategy and security related aspects in the Indo-Pacific, piracy, and international maritime law.

In this episode of the "Kitabon Ka Karwaan" series, join us as we engage in a revealing dialogue with Tamal Bandyopadhyay, Consulting Editor at Business Standard & Senior Adviser, delving into his latest literary work "Roller Coaster: An Affair with Indian Banking."

Throughout our conversation, we explore the fascinating narrative of the Indian banking sector, uncovering its unique and perhaps unexpected nuances, offering listeners a fresh perspective on the world of Indian bankers.

In this episode of Vichaar, the team is in conversation with Professor Rukmini Sen, Professor of Sociology at Ambedkar University. The discussion primarily revolves around exploringthe perception of sex workers as reservoirs of communicable diseases. It also highlights how such perceptions lead to their increased surveillance, violation of fundamental human rights, as well as systemic denial of access to healthcare services.

In this episode of ‘Kitabon Ka Karwaan’, Revathi Satish and Captain Sajita Nair – a former army officer turned author – delve into the Kerala’s matrilineal history by discussing Captain Nair’s latest book, ‘The Grande Matriarch of Malabar’.

The significance of the matrilineal system in "The Grande Matriarch of Malabar" lies in its portrayal of the fading legacy of the matrilineal household in Kerala. The novel explores the traditional matrilineal set-up, descent, and inheritance of property for women, offering a glimpse into a bygone era when matrilineal joint families were prevalent in the region. The story revolves around Dakshayani Amma, the matriarch of a matrilineal family, and her efforts to ensure the longevity of her ancestral home, known as "tharavad," amidst social changes and family dynamics. The novel delves into the complexities of her relationship with her ancestral house and the challenges she faces in preserving her heritage, providing a rich portrayal of the protagonist's struggle to uphold her matrilineal legacy in a changing society.

Come join us for an enriching conversation about one of Kerala’s oldest legacies, a stubborn matriarch, rich culture and delicious Malayali cuisine.

Continuing the InterLinked podcast series: “The Unravelling of the Conflict”, where we continue our exploration of conflicts from various perspectives, Tanish Srivastava is in conversation with Mr Anant Mishra, who has an academic background in national security, international relations, and counterterrorism. His research has been used by various important institutions such as the Government of India, the government of Nigeria and the United Nations as well.

In this podcast they discuss and delve into the contemporary status of insurgency, militancy and terrorism across the globe, and discuss military strategy involved in dealing with insurgency internationally.

Gain valuable insights into the challenges posed by terrorism and the impact of unstable geopolitical circumstances on security patterns. This episode promises a deep exploration of the complexities surrounding counterterrorism efforts during times of conflict, offering a nuanced understanding of the broader implications on a global scale. Tune in for a compelling conversation that unveils the layers of the terrorism movement in today's turbulent world.

Continuing the InterLinked podcast series: “The Unravelling of the Conflict”, where we continue our exploration of conflicts from various perspectives, Ishie Pasricha is in conversation with Mr. Bipin Ghimire, a Doctoral Candidate at the Department of International Relations at the South Asian University, who specialises in Geopolitics and Refugee Studies. Mr. Ghimire's commitment to capacity and peace building is evident through his tenure at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where he contributed significantly to the projects focusing on different vulnerable refugee groups.

In this podcast they discuss and delve into the intricate dynamics of the Refugee movement and immigration, especially in the midst of conflict, against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine war and the Gaza conflict.

Gain valuable insights into the challenges faced by displaced populations and the impact of unstable geopolitical circumstances on migration patterns. This episode promises a deep exploration of the complexities surrounding refugees and migrants during times of conflict, offering a nuanced understanding of the broader implications on a global scale. Tune in for a compelling conversation that unveils the layers of the Refugee movement in today's turbulent world.

In this episode of the "Kitabon Ka Karwaan" series, Dheemant Anil is in conversdation with Mr. Aashish Chandorkar, who has authored the book "Braving a Viral Storm", which talks about how the war against Covid and the provding of vaccines throughout the country was done. They discuss the logistics behind delivering and manufacturing the vaccine drive in India, how India battled the Covid Delta Variant and how it affected the Indian healthcare Industry.

Mr. Aashish Chandorkar currently serves as a counselor at the Permanent Mission of India to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. Transitioning laterally into the government sector, he brings with him over two decades of experience gained in global roles within management consulting and financial services industries.

This episode with Dr. Shivani Kapoor highlights the transformative essence of writing styles within Gender and caste studies in literature. It underscores the potency of narratives that challenge societal norms and hierarchical constructs. Yet, it's vital to acknowledge that beneath this formidable expression exists a journey marked by oppression, injustice, and violence. Literature serves as a testament to the resilience and fortitude of those encountering such hurdles, revealing the immense power of expression in confronting and tackling these societal dilemmas.

This is the first of our Starting with Startups series, which includes podcast sessions with the founders and developers of startups across the country, giving them a platform to discuss the ideas central to their work and the wide array of social issues that led to their inception.

In this podcast, Samragnee is in conversation with Drishti Makhijani, a multifaceted student entrepreneur. With a dedication towards ending period poverty and fostering an inclusive, period-positive environment, she came up with a menstrual hygiene brand called Qadira Hygiene. Spanning across India, Ghana and Canada, the venture has impacted the lives of 10,000 menstruators by selling eco-friendly and affordable menstrual hygiene products.

In this podcast they discuss the functioning of Qadira Hygiene and broader ideas around menstrual health, hygiene, inclusivity, lack of awareness and sustainability.

In this session of the InterLinked podcast, Tanish Srivastava is in conversation with Professor Ajay Gudavarthy, who is a renowned figure in the Indian political landscape, has authored books around topics of political and societal significance and is now an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

This session explores the history, present and the future of the caste census in India, discussing the political discourse around the Caste Census, its significance, political implications and logistics. They discuss the results of the recent census conducted in Bihar, the current political implications and what a nation-wide caste census could lead to in terms of reservation, political discourse and socioeconomic development. They talk about the history, present and the future of the caste census in India.

This is the first of our Bi-weekly podcast, where we aim to have conversations with the members of other initiatives within the Centre, to understand their broader work and the specific projects they have been undertaking.

Our guest speaker for this podcast is the team lead for Azaad Awaaz, Samragnee. Based on interviews with scholars as well as field interviews in Assam, the Azaad Awaaz team has done an edition on the Doubtful Voters of Assam, and the financial precarity affecting them.

This podcast explores the nuances of their work on the D-voters of Assam.

In this Episode of the "Kitabon ka Karwaan" series, Aarushi Suvarna is in conversation with Anjum Hasan who has authored multiple short stories and novels. Our speaker been shortlisted for several literary awards for her work such as the Hindu Best Fiction award and the Asian Literary Prize.

In this session they discuss her recently published book "History's Angel", the idea behind the book and the way it relates to contemporary issues in India today.

In this episode of Vichaar, the team is in conversation with Shamindra Nath Roy, Associate Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research,on the issue of forced evictions. They discuss forced evictions in India, through a sociological lens and as a human rights violation. The conversation also explores the interrelationship between evictions and social status in terms of caste, religion, tribe and class.

This is the fourth episode of "The Unravelling of the Conflict" series. In this episode, Tanish Srivastava is in conversation with Andrew Russell, who has worked for the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in conflict areas, and continues to be a senior expert in peacebuilding and organizational change. They discuss the role of international organizations such as the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in areas of conflict, the logistical difficulties faced by these forces and the future of multilateralism and its role in conflict and peacebuilding. Our guest for the podcast, Andrew Russell, has served along areas of conflict such as El Salvador, Kosovo and Cyprus in his decades of experience.

In this episode of Vichaar, the team talks to Prof. Nitin Sethi on the recent issues found in the Editors Guild of India's report on media bias emerging from Manipur. The discussion also revolves around the issues of internet shutdown, and the significant lack of resources it presented to journalists on ground in tackling misinformation coming from the region

This is the first podcast of the "State of the States: Paradiplomacy in India" initiative. Through this initiative, we aim to explore the involvement of India’s state governments in the country’s foreign relations. Under the State of the States initiative, we have a podcast series that aims to comprehend the professional perspective of eminent specialists, academics, and practitioners in the domain of paradiplomacy.

In this episode, Professor Maini begins by discussing the recent rise of paradiplomatic activities and their relevance in contemporary geopolitics. We then move on to talk about the boost in sub-national diplomacy in India, especially after liberalisation and briefly discuss the future of Indian paradiplomacy. We conclude the podcast by talking about the broader implications of the rise of paradiplomacy and some challenges it posits.

This is the third episode of "The Unravelling of the Conflict" series. This series of podcasts aims to explore conflict resolution and peace-building through different lenses. In this episode, Samragnee Chakraborty is in conversation with Sanjiv Krishan Sood, who retired as an Additional Director General of the Border Security Force. They discuss conflict, through the lens of security, armed forces and hard power, with a special focus on the Indian context. Our guest for the podcast, Sanjiv Krishan Sood, has served along India’s borders Pakistan and Bangladesh, including sensitive and volatile sectors, in his 38 years of meritorious service in the force.

This is the second episode of "The Unravelling of the Conflict" series. This series of podcasts aims to explore conflict resolution and peace-building through different lenses. In this episode, Samragnee Chakraborty is in conversation with Dr. Roluahpuia, who is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. They talk about conflict from a political-sociological lens, with a specific focus on Northeast India. The research interests of our guest speaker Roluahpuia broadly concern identity, nationalism, development, and borderland studies.

In this episode of Vichaar, the team is in conversation with Prof. Anubhav Dutt Tiwari on the intricate complexities surrounding citizenship, rights, and identity within the intricate context of Assam. The focal point of the discourse revolved around the contentious categorization of individuals as "D-Voters" in Assam and the consequent repercussions on their rights, identity, and societal positioning.

This is the first podcast of "The Unravelling of the Conflict" series. This series of podcasts aims to explore conflict resolution and peace-building through different lenses. In this episode, Samragnee Chakraborty is in conversation with Mandar Apte. They discuss the psychological and emotional dimensions of conflict, and the necessity of focusing on the mental and emotional health of the community stakeholders in conflict-ridden areas. Our guest for today, Mandar Apte is the Founder & Executive Director of Cities4Peace – a not-for-profit consultancy that actively promotes peace in cities worldwide. In 2016, he joined George Mason University for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Apte also launched the World Summit for Countering Violence and Extremism that brings together social justice activists and law enforcement executives from across the world for promoting peace and compassion.

Interviewed by Aaryan Panchal and Sarah Arora

In this episode of InterLinked's sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we hold a book talk on the book "Politics, Ethics, and Emotions in New India" with its author himself, Prof Ajay Gudavarthy.

To begin with, the guest spoke about what motivated him to choose the topic of politics, ethics, and emotions in new India and the significance of the topic in contemporary geopolitics. Following this, professor Gudavarthy expanded on his thesis that the new India is built on a blend of immiscible opposites and how it was achieved through an emotional churn. Moreover, he also gave some instances where this blend has given direction to new India and also provided some examples of instances when emotions have had a profound impact on India's political decision-making. Professor Gudavarthy also provided a brief about the populist shift occurring in India and the role of emotions in the rise of the BJP. To conclude, the guest discussed the role of politics, ethics, and emotions in shaping the future of the nation and the role of stakeholders in fostering a more informed and emotionally aware political environment for ‘New India’.

Ajay Gudavarthy is a political theorist, analyst and columnist in India. He is an associate professor in political science at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

In this edition of Vichaar, we decided to investigate this claim not simply in the backdrop of gig work but in the light of increasing casualisation of labor. For this purpose, we reached out to the research consultant at Samvada, Shradhha NV Sharma. We began the conversation on understanding why the young Indian population is so drawn to choose contractual work and even willing to leave the agrarian economy behind. We furthered our conversation on what casualisation implies and its impact on the real versus imagined agency. How casualisation impacts marginalized groups and if there’s a way to mitigate the impact?

Interviewed by: Neha Tripathi and Madhumita Suresh

The podcast conversation with Anagh explores the initiatives of Bring Back Green Foundation and their recent book on "Coastal Erosion and Indigenous Community of Southwest India”. We began by delving into the broad environmental challenges that India faces and the initiatives undertaken by the Bring Back Green Foundation to mitigate these challenges. Shifting our focus to Anagh's recent book on "Coastal Erosion and Indigenous Community of Southwest India," we explored the key idea behind its conception. The book aims to shed light on the issue of coastal erosion and its impact on indigenous communities. Anagh outlined some of the proposed solutions presented in the book, emphasizing the need for sustainable coastal management practices and community involvement in finding effective solutions. We also discussed briefly on the effectiveness of community participation in natural hazard adaptation and mitigation in the face of climate change. Finally, we delved into how the Bring Back Green Foundation mobilizes and engages young adults to raise awareness and take action on climate change. The foundation utilizes various platforms, campaigns, and educational initiatives to empower young adults, create awareness, and inspire action towards sustainable practices.

Anagh is a passionate researcher and has been persistently working on human rights and environmental conservation. His organisation Bring Back Green Foundation has been actively trying to empower and collaborate with individuals to create a sustainable future. He believes that activism is a way of life and we all must stand up for what’s right, whenever possible. Being apolitical is never a choice. We welcome him on our podcast here and hope to exchange some valuable ideas.

Image source: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-kerala-govt-plans-tackle-coastal-erosion-and-why-experts-disapprove-108872

Interviewed by: Shreeya Bhayana and Madhumita Suresh

This podcast episode concentrates on “The Global Skill Gap and the G20” with Prof. Inderpal Singh. We began the conversation by delving into the concept of the Global Skills Gap and its manifestation in the Indian Market. Moving on, we explored how the Global Skills Gap affects India's standing in the international context, particularly within the G20 cohort. To address the skill gaps within the country, we discussed potential measures that countries like India and other countries in the global south can adopt. The discussion then shifted to the gendered aspect of the skills gap. Finally, we concluded the podcast by discussing about the sectors where the skill gap is most prominent and the necessary steps to address it.

In today’s episode, we are joined by Prof. Inderpal Singh, the Director of Skill Development at the Universal Business School to understand the impact of the Global Skills Gap on the world’s globalised economy, especially in light of India’s Presidency. Inderpal Singh has been a sales and marketing professional and a successful entrepreneur with more than twenty years of having held leadership roles in reputed organizations like Lotte, Wrigley India, Best Foods International and Heinz. He has a passion for training and has also been a successful trainer for soft skills and sales training modules. He has conducted training programs for middle-level managers of reputed FMCG and durables organizations. Having completed an MDP in Retail Management at IIM-Ahmedabad and another one in Case Writing and Teaching from ISB, Mohali, he has been using the case study methodology in his training programs and areas of interaction with budding Student Managers.

Image source: iStock.com/peshkov

Interviewed by: Tanya Verma and Yashovardhan Chaturvedi

This episode delves into the recent report from the OMI Foundation on their Ease of Mobility Index 2022, an undertaking which looks into the state of urban mobility in 40 major cities of India across multitudes of parameters and indicators evaluated. Mr Anish Michael shares his findings of how such measures are evaluated to study the performance of cities as well as the key indicators relating to affordability, sustainability and accessibility of the mobility systems. Discussing the performances of excelling and lagging cities, he describes what factors can help improve public and private mobility in urban environments.

Anish Michael is an accomplished researcher, author and manager, currently based in India. He is presently working with OMI Foundation and is bringing out exceptionally well-written and detailed research papers in synchronization with the organization, some of these impactful research covers concepts such as mobility innovations, frameworks of mobility advancement and public good, urban mobility, accessibility and inclusion etc. In today’s podcast we shall be largely engaging with Mr Anish on his recent publication - Ease of Moving Index, India Report 2022, the report inspires us to envision a world where mobility is effortless, where people and goods can traverse borders and boundaries, and where the true potential of human connectivity is realized.

Image Source: https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/importance-of-mobility-data-in-making-cities-smarter/

Interviewed by: Madhumita Suresh and Jatin Tatia

The podcast episode titled "The Importance of Bridging the Global Skills Gap and the G20" features a discussion on various aspects related to the global skills gap and the role of the G20 in addressing it.

The conversation starts with an introduction to the emerging global skills gap and its primary causes. The discussion then delves into the challenges women in the Global South face in accessing education and training opportunities, along with ways the G20 can work with governments to address gender-based discrimination in the workforce.

The podcast also explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequalities in access to education and skill development in the Global South. It examines steps that governments, international organizations, and the G20 can take to mitigate the impact on vulnerable communities.

The focus then shifts to India and its gig economy, discussing how its development can contribute to closing the global skills gap. The role of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and automation, in the skill gap is examined, along with ensuring workers are prepared for these changes. Lastly, the podcast is concluded with a brief discussion on how India can support upskilling and reskilling in the informal sector to meet the demands of the green transition and reduce the skill gap.

Anthea Mulakala is an accomplished development leader, manager, and policy specialist with more than 25 years of experience living and working in Asia. She has led and managed diverse teams, directly and remotely, to deliver high-impact programs in reproductive health, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, governance, and regional cooperation. Over the last decade, she has honed her expertise on Asian development cooperation, particularly understanding how rising powers, such as China and India, are transforming the 21st-century aid and development landscape.

In addition to developing and implementing programs, she also writes, publishes, and speaks extensively on these issues. Mulakala also co-leads The Asia Foundation’s Future Skills Alliance, a broad coalition of public and private sector partners working together to deliver future skills at-scale to the region’s most marginalized. Prior to that, she worked for The World Bank, UK DFID, the City of Melbourne, and the South Asia Partnership.

Image source: https://theonebrief.com/how-4-countries-closing-skills-gap/

Interviewed by: Ishani Sharma and Shreeya Bhayana

This podcast is a part of InterLinked's special series in collaboration with the Centre for G20 Studies. In this episode, the team at Interlinked spoke to Prof Neha Khetrapal about “The New-Age Multilateralism: The Indian Way”. Prof. Neha discussed with us, the different ways in which her training as a psychologist helps understand India’s foreign policy, especially in light of India’s G20 presidency. She spoke about the idea of India’s adoption of a ‘minilateralist’ stance in its foreign policy and the intentions that inform this policy, in place of a failure of the usual multilateral stance adopted by nations when it comes to foreign policy. Our discussion aims to highlight the influence of soft-power tools, alongside the usual hard-power tools like the military, in how they come to impact India’s positioning in the world order.

Dr Neha Khetrapal is an Associate Professor at the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS), O.P. Jindal Global University (India). She earned her PhD (Linguistics) at Macquarie University (Australia) in 2016. Currently, Dr Khetrapal is engaged in investigating aspects of political memory and how these influence international relations and political diplomacy, as a part of a research portfolio on 'collective memory' that she is developing at JIBS.

Image Source: https://indiafoundation.in/articles-and-commentaries/what-g20-can-do-to-get-the-multilateral-institutions-in-shape-indias-key-challenge/

Interviewed by: Ishani Sharma

In the first episode of InterLinked's special series in collaboration with the Centre for G20 Studies, we invited the Centre's Founding Director, Dr Mohan Kumar. The conversation started off with examining how India's G20 presidency for the year 2023 helps it in projecting itself as a global leader in the international arena. Dr Kumar also shed light on how G20 can promote the safeguarding of labour rights along with bridging the global skills gap. He discussed the necessity of a strong agricultural value chain, underscoring how the G20, led by India, can work to boost the same in the coming years. Given the growing numbers of MSMEs, Dr Kumar talked about the need for the G20 to focus on their full integration into the global value chain. Concluding the conversation, Dr Kumar highlighted the position of G20 in facilitating dialogue and fostering efficient action by the member countries in an attempt to revive multilateralism.

Ambassador Prof. (Dr.) Mohan Kumar has an outstanding career in the Indian Foreign Service lasting 36 years which culminated in his being India’s Ambassador to France based in Paris. He has enormous expertise in the area of international trade- he was India’s lead negotiator first at the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and then at the WTO (World Trade Organization) in crucial areas such as Intellectual Property Rights, Services, Dispute Settlement, Rules and Technical Barriers to Trade. He was a leading member of India’s delegation at the WTO Ministerial Conferences held in Marrakesh (1994), Seattle (1999) and Doha (2001). Ambassador Dr Mohan Kumar also serves as the Chairman of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) since June 2018 and is also the author of a book entitled “Negotiation Dynamics of the WTO: An Insider’s Account”, published by Palgrave Macmillan (2018).

Image Source: Reuters/Willy Kurniawan/Pool

Interviewed by: Bilquis Calcuttawala and Madhumita Suresh

This episode is part of a special series in collaboration with the Centre for G20 Studies.

The podcast conversation revolves around the state of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in global trade, particularly their role within the G20 framework, and the challenges they encounter when venturing into international markets. MSMEs are recognized as crucial drivers of economic growth and job creation, but they face obstacles such as limited resources, inadequate market knowledge, and regulatory barriers when accessing global markets.

We also discuss the importance of supportive policies that facilitate market access and reduce trade barriers for MSMEs. The conversation then delves into how the G20 can assist MSMEs in utilizing technology to improve their access to global markets. It explores the potential of the G20 as a platform for sharing best practices, promoting digitalization, and facilitating technology adoption among MSMEs.

Lastly, we conclude our discussion with the theme of sustainability and competitiveness for MSMEs, mentioning the G20 Policy Toolkit, which is presumably a resource offering guidelines or recommendations for MSMEs to enhance competitiveness while embracing sustainable practices.

Ranen Banerjee is a Partner at PwC India with over 25 years of experience in the consulting industry. He has worked with clients across multiple sectors and geographies, demonstrating strong leadership, governance, and entrepreneurial skills that have led to the development and growth of profitable practices at the firm. Currently, Mr Banerjee leads the Government Sector work and the Economic Advisory Services practice at PwC India. He is a highly respected professional in the consulting industry, known for his commitment to excellence, thought leadership, and industry expertise.

Image Source: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/inclusion-of-traders-retailers-as-msmes-to-improve-ease-of-doing-business/85349667

In this episode of Vichaar, we examined the political underrepresentation of the North-Eastern tribes, analyzing its historical roots and its contemporary implications. It will focus on political underrepresentation which has resulted in the deprivation of the region's resources and suppressing its cultural identity. The North-Eastern tribes of India have historically faced political underrepresentation, which has resulted in their marginalization and discrimination. Despite being home to diverse cultures and languages, the region has been neglected by the central government, leading to a lack of political representation and infrastructure development. This has resulted in a sense of alienation among the tribes, who have been subjected to discrimination and violence. For this, the Team speaks to Dr. Bikash Sarma, who is an Assistant Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs.⁠

Interviewed by: Ishani Sharma and Jatin Tatia

In this episode of InterLinked's sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, Ishani and Jatin conducted a book interview with Prof Tripti Bhushan on her book "Looking into the Question of Terrorism in India: Through the Prism of International Law". Prof Bhushan began by discussing her motivation behind choosing terrorism as the point of focus and inculcating the perspective of international law as well. She also talked about the history of terrorism in India and how it evolved over time, giving an insight into how factors such as globalisation and technology impact the nature of terrorism in India. Prof Bhuan also discussed the role of international law in addressing terrorism and how it can contribute towards counterterrorism measures. She also emphasised the role of media in shaping public perceptions towards terrorism and discussed the importance of engaging with local communities in counterterrorism efforts. The conversation concluded with Prof Bhushan talking about the way forward for terrorism and giving her take on what steps can India take to effectively counter terrorism.

Prof Tripti Bhushan is serving as Lecturer at Jindal Global Law School & Fellow at the Centre for Law & Humanities (CLH). She has various SCOPUS Publications in reputed journals like Economic and Political Weekly, International Journal of Public, Policy & Law, American Journal of Political Science and Criminology, NTUT Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Management, and Oxford Human Rights Hub. Her research interest includes Intellectual Property Rights, Human Rights, Cyber law & technology, Criminal law, and Media & Fashion.

Image Source: https://www.thequint.com/news/india/india-counter-terrorism-policy

Interviewed by: Jatin Tatia

The podcast starts with understanding the motivation behind the Author's drive to create this book. The converstaion entailed the experience of the professor which is collected and propogated through his book. The podcast highlights the key insights of the book. we discussed that the initial step towards personal growth is to cultivate grit, a quality that involves persevering through challenges and setbacks. In addition to this, it is important to develop the ability to tolerate boredom, as it can be a necessary precursor to creativity and learning. The second practice centers around using insights from behavioral economics to steer yourself towards making better decisions. Another key practice involves embracing intellectual humility and recognizing the limits of your own knowledge. The podcast also highlights the value of cross-disciplinary thinking and the power of combining ideas from different fields to generate new insights. it's also important to recognize the value of interdisciplinary thinking. By exploring and integrating insights from different fields, you can gain a more nuanced understanding of complex problems and develop innovative solutions. This approach can be especially valuable in the corporate ecosystem, where companies increasingly seek out employees with diverse skill sets and perspectives. By embracing an interdisciplinary mindset, you can position yourself for greater success and growth within your career. The podcast also gives a take on mindful choices. Given the constant barrage of distractions and misinformation in modern life, it is crucial to be selective in the choices you make and focus on what truly matters to you. Finally, the last practice involves adopting an entrepreneurial mindset and proactively seeking out opportunities to achieve your goals.

Professor Priyank Narayan is a seasoned entrepreneur and an educationist who brings with him rich experience in organization building. He is an alumnus of AIM, Manila, and IIM Ahmedabad, and is currently a visiting faculty at IIT Delhi, Department of Management Studies. Being the Founder of IndiaPreneurship, which identifies Indian entrepreneurial opportunities to the world, he is adept at giving incredible insights for entrepreneurial success which finds application in the broader sense of life as well. Professor is also the Founding Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Ashoka University, a leading liberal arts university. Priyank teaches courses on Design Thinking, Innovation Management, and Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset.

Image source: https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/15-ways-to-increase-productivity-at-work.html

In developing countries, a large section of women is vulnerable and marginalized due to a lack of education, access to resources and employment opportunities. In India, the self-help group (SHG) movement is among the most effective incubators of female resilience and entrepreneurship in rural regions. It is a great tool for changing the gender social construct in communities. SHGs are a unique model for India, and they also face a distinctive set of problems, including a lack of a formal manufacturing chain, linguistic and technological obstacles, and others.

To have a meaningful conversation in this regard, the team Swabhimaan is in conversation with Ms Smriti Lamech who’s a journalist, a writer and an entrepreneur. She is also the founder of The Smritsonian which was launched during the pandemic to provide employment/marketing assistance to local women’s sewing self-help groups and charitable trusts that were impacted by the Covid-19-mandated lockdown.

Interviewed by: Bilquis Calcuttawala

We begin our discussion with the team by providing a quick overview of MAKAAM and the Feminist Policy Collective, who worked together on this project. This helps us to better understand why this particular research topic was selected. The focus then shifts to how women farmers define the workplace and the various forms of violence they experience as agricultural workers in various sectors, whether it be from migrant workers, single women from families where suicide has occurred, sugarcane workers, or single women asserting their land rights. We conclude our conversation by discussing the impact of the pandemic and the redressal mechanisms that can be used by these women.

This is a study conducted as a partnership between the Feminist Policy Collective (FPC) and Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM), with the generous support of Society for Health Alternatives (SAHAJ), Area Networking and Development Initiatives (ANANDI), and Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM).

Access the report here

Image Source: Neetu Singh/Gaon Connection

Interviewed by: Bilquis Calcuttawala

We begin our discussion with the team by providing an overview of the ASER report 2022. We go on to tackle questions about learning and reading ability (as discussed in the report), and then delve deeper into the infrastructure facility, or more so the lack thereof and how this affects the quality of education received. Additionally, we talk about some of the projects the ant has undertaken to improve the situation in Assam, some of them include Project LEAP, Shiksha, Dolphin, amongst several others. Finally, we end our conversation with policy considerations that the government must come up with to handle the situation at hand better.

Dr. Sunil Kaul, Founder Trustee who is currently the Managing Trustee, formerly the CEO based in the ant’s campus in Rowmari, is a public health doctor who has consulted on malaria, T.B , Maternal and Child Health and other public health issues with national & international agencies; has over 10 years experience in the Army as a medical doctor and associated with Development Sector for over 25 years.

Image source: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/05/14/covid-19-in-india-education-disrupted-and-lessons-learned/

In this episode of Vichaar, the team is in conversation with Mr. Ashutosh Bhardwaj, the author of the book, 'The Death Script: Dreams and Delusions in Naxal Country.’ We look into how the actions of the Naxals have provided some support to the Adivasis, particularly in terms of protecting their land rights and fighting against exploitation by outside groups. However, the Naxals' use of violence and the targeting of security forces have resulted in retaliation and further violence against Adivasi communities, leading to displacement and human rights abuses. Vichaar helps in understanding the complexity of the relationship between the police, Naxals, and the Adivasis in central India and how the government's lack of effective governance in the region has contributed to poverty, inequality, and a general sense of marginalization among the Adivasi communities.

The Parliament took 16 years to implement the directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in 1997, in the landmark case of Visakha vs. the State of Rajasthan(“Visakha Guidelines”) to enact a law for the prevention of sexual harassment of women at the workplace. The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, also referred to as the PoSH Act or the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013, played a crucial role in establishing a safer workplace. Every workplace must establish an Internal Complaints Committee ("IC") in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the Regulations in order to receive and investigate complaints of sexual harassment. Yet fundamentals like the right to dignity and a secure workplace remain a long way off. Many issues, including lack of knowledge, an understaffed committee, ambiguity during hearings, societal stigma, etc., provide significant obstacles to executing the Act's core principles. This is why Swabhimaan reached out to Ms Rhoma Bhatia, the Executive Director at the Spherule Foundation, an NGO based in Pune, which has a presence in 15 states across India and in 18 Thematic Areas of Sustainable Development Goals as prescribed by UNESCO. With over 16 Years of Corporate experience in various Industries currently a Certified PoSH Enabler and External Member on IC panels in various organizations across India.

This interview entails a discussion on the aspect of ‘Gender and Mobility’ where Mitali Nikore, founder of Nikore Associates and an economist and gender policy specialist speaks of the barriers women face when it comes to their participation in the workforce and the role of public transportation systems and public spaces in facilitating the participation.

Interviewed by: Shreeya Bhayana and Ishani Sharma

In this episode of Interlinked’s sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we hold a book talk that explores a recent report published by the ILO on the “Deficits in Decent Work: Employer perspectives and practices on the quality of employment in domestic work in urban India”. For this podcast, We are joined by Dr Neha Wadhawan from the International Labour Organisation and Dr Divya Ravindranath and Ms Rashee Mehra from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. The authors of the report take us through the methodology they adopted and give us a brief into their findings around the factors that determine the nature of domestic work in India from the perspective of employers. Dr Neha also provides valuable insight into the reasons ILO commissioned such a report and they hope the organisation has for exploring domestic work in the future, both in India and globally,

You can find the report here.

Dr Neha Wadhawan is a National Project Coordinator with the International Labour Organisation and is a political scientist by training. Her research interests centre around issues of mobility, gender, labour and citizenship in South Asia. Rashee Mehra is part of the School of Human Development at IIHS. Her research focuses on the issues of inequalities and activism, urban planning, informal work, social protection and gender. At IIHS, she works on creating research on social movements to support the work of activists and practitioners who engage with marginalised urban geographies. Dr Divya Ravindranath studies informal work, social protection, gender and urban health. She has worked with several not-for-profit organisations in urban and rural India, where most of her work focussed on issues of common pool resources, urban infrastructure and livelihoods.

Image Source: https://theleaflet.in/situation-of-domestic-workers-in-india-what-needs-to-change/

Interviewed by: Ishani Sharma

In this episode of InterLinked's sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we hold a book talk on the book "Social and Economic Transitions in China and India: Welfare and Policy Changes" with two of the book's editors, Prof Keerty Nakray and Prof John Clammer. The guests first gave a glimpse into the book and the rationale behind choosing the social and economic transition in China and India as the point of focus for their book. Following this, Prof Clammer discussed in depth the role played by religion and religious institutions in social policy. Prof Nakray shed light on the different approaches adopted by China and India in addressing the issues related to their ageing population along with talking about the importance of artisanal production in India and the struggles faced by the community. Concludingly, the guests gave their views on the way forward for the socio-economic trajectory of India and China.

Dr Nakray is a professor at the Jindal Global Law School and has edited multiple books along with publishing in leading journals on gender budgets, child-sensitive budgets and comparative social policy. She maintains a keen interest in research ethics and establishing linkages between academic research and policy. Dr Clammer is a Professor of Sociology at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Comparative Sociology and Asian Studies at Sophia University, Tokyo and then professor and advisor to the Rector at the United Nations University. He currently works mainly on the interface of culture and development, the sociology of the arts, and issues of sustainability.

Image Source: https://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-3323-a-tale-of-two-economies-india-and-china.html

In this episode of Vichaar, the Team is conversation with Miss Smitha Murthy, the Managing Director of the Ant a voluntary organization that is registered as a public charitable trust in Bongaigaon, Assam since October 2000. Over the past few months, the field researchers as a part of an ethnographic project undertaken by the Centre for New Economics Studies’ visual storyboard team, O.P. Jindal Global University, witnessed an all women weavers organization Aagor, registered as a separate trust, under the Ant. Aagor, a Bodo word that means "motifs," not only has a connection to the tribe in its name but also in its craftswomen and administration. Started as merely a livelihood project, Aagor gives work to over 140 women weavers and runs a training center for building up capacities of other NGOs in Assam and other northeast states.

Interviewed by: Ishani Sharma and Shreeya Bhayana

In this episode of Interlinked's sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, Ishani and Shreeya conduct a book talk around Prof Maini's recently published book, "Humanity Amidst Insanity: Stories of Hope and Compassion During Indo-Pak Partition", which looks into heartwarming experiences of brotherhood during the Partition. Prof Maini also talked about the role played by his own personal experiences in increasing his interest in the Partition. He also delves deeper into the exciting idea of a Punjabi Identity that permeates the Indo-Pakistan border and discusses its prevalence in the present day. Finally, Prof Maini concludes by talking about the intercommunity bonds across borders and gives his take on the increased hostility between different communities.

Prof Maini is an associate professor of diplomatic practice at the Jindal School of International Affairs. His research interests include India’s ties with neighbouring with specific reference to economic ties and the role of sub-regions in bilateral relations. Prof Maini is also a regular contributor for The Hindu, The Millenium Post, The News, The Friday Times, The Global Times and The Diplomat. He has also published in Academic Journals including Asian Ethnicity. Thank you for joining us today, Professor.

Image Source: https://thedailyguardian.com/indias-partition-and-the-reign-of-terror-and-horror/

Interviewed by: Bilquis Calcuttawala and Aarjavi Shah

In this episode of Interlinked's sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we hold a discussion around the recently published book by Professor Pulapre Balakrishnan, ''India's Economy From Nehru to Modi: A Brief History''. We talk in-depth about traversing India’s economy from the Nehruvian era to the present, under the leadership of Narendra Modi and why this expansionary timeline is crucial to make conclusions about our economy. Additionally, we talk about public spending on education, gender parity and labour force participation rate, tying these with discussions on caste and matters of priority in public policy. In the end, we discuss what are some ways in which we can move away from focusing solely on quantitative goals and “reorient” our task to enable something greater.

Professor Pulapre Balakrishnan is currently a Professor of Economics at Ashoka University and has held appointments at the University of Oxford, the Indian Statistical Institute (Delhi Centre) and the Indian Institute of Management (Kozhikode). His published work spans the inflationary process in the Indian economy, productivity growth in manufacturing, the macroeconomics of the transition to a market economy in Ukraine, agricultural involution in Kerala and economic growth in India. He has written in professional journals and is the author of books like Pricing and Inflation in India (OUP India, 1991) and Economic Growth in India: History and Prospect (OUP India, 2010). He has served as Country Economist for Ukraine at the World Bank and has been a consultant to the International Labour Organisation, the Reserve Bank of India and the United Nations Development Program. With that, we welcome you to the podcast professor.

Interviewers: Bilquis Calcuttawala and Ishani Sharma

In this episode of Interlinked's sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we hold a discussion around the recently published book by Dr Rahul Verma, "Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India". We talk in-depth about the two concepts of the politics of statism and the politics of recognition which are central to understanding the arguments in this book. Dr Verma also sheds light on the role of media and the use of religion to portray specific messages and disseminate ideological ideas. Concludingly, Prof Verma discusses how the shift of power (mainly guided by the conservative and vernacular elite) has important lessons for comparative politics.

Rahul Verma is a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He is also Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, at Ashoka University. His research interests include voting behaviour, party politics, political violence, and media. He is a regular columnist for various news platforms and has published papers in Asian Survey, Economic & Political Weekly, and Studies in Indian Politics. His book co-authored with Pradeep Chhibber, Ideology and Identity: The Changing Party Systems of India (OUP: New York, 2018) develops a new approach to defining the contours of what constitutes an ideology in multi-ethnic countries such as India.

Image Source: AFP photos

Interviewer: Ishani Sharma

In this episode, we hold a book talk on Dr Svitych's recently published book: The Rise of the Capital-State and Neo-Nationalism. He began by explaining the differentiating factors between neo-nationalism and populism, highlighting his argument that the rise of neo-nationalism is rooted in the rise of the capital state. Dr Svitych also talked about the importance of the ideas of Karl Polanyi in his book wherein he drew on and also changed and modified Polanyi's ideas to structure his argument. The conversation then moved on to discussing the effects of the pandemic and how neo-nationalism may pan out in the post-pandemic future. Lastly, he concludes by talking about the possibilities of the way forward and suggestions as to how the rise of neo-nationalism can be stopped.

Dr Oleksandr Svitych is an associate professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs. He received his PhD in Political Science from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. His main research interest is the relationship between markets and social stability, spanning the fields of political economy, political sociology, contentious politics, party politics, and nationalism. Thank you for joining us today, Professor.

Image Source: Robert G Fresson - https://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/economics/brexit-rise-neo-nationalism-and-protectionism-1246327

Interviewer: Bilquis Calcuttawala

In this episode of Interlinked, our conversation largely revolves around the role of marketing and social media in an increasingly digital world, especially after the pandemic. We discuss commonly used terms like customer-centricity and network effects, alongside understanding how to use platforms more effectively to draw in a target audience. Additionally, we talk about the role of social media and emerging trends in developing effective campaigns. We conclude our discussion with the future potential for content while highlighting certain restrictions on data privacy and artificial intelligence.

Kiran Pedada is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and F. Ross Johnson Fellow at the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba and was previously on the faculty of the Indian School of Business (ISB). He has been a Visiting Scholar in Marketing at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in the Fall of 2018 and was also on the faculty of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Ambassadors Programme. Kiran focuses on two streams of research - interfirm relationships and growth and marketing transformation for digital environments. His research has been published in premier academic journals such as the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and International Journal of Research in Marketing, and practitioner journals such as Management and Business Review and California Management Review.

Image Source: https://contentfirst.marketing/the-importance-of-social-media-for-digital-marketing/

This interview entails a discussion on the stance of the Government on Surrogacy through a discussion of the implications, reasons etc. of the Surrogacy Regulation Act 2021. Professor Namrata Mukherjee has helped us understand the topic better. Her research has been in the area of labour laws gender studies etc.

Interviewers: Ishani Sharma and Bilquis Calcuttawala

In this episode of our sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we hold a book talk on the recently published book "Nation and its Citizens: Tales of Bondage and Belonging" with its author, Prof Sukumar Muralidharan. In this conversation, the author gave a brief overview of the book, talking about the role of democracy and the constitution in building and sustaining a nation. Prof Muralidharan also looked at the impact of violence in constructing and sustaining a nation-state. Following this, the conversation moved into discussing the various and opposing perspectives of a nation, taking the example of India and talking about how it can lead to the undermining of different minority identities.

Prof. Sukumar Muralidharan was a print media journalist for over two decades. Since 2004 he has worked as a freelance journalist with no formal attachments to any media organisation. He has been a visiting professor in contemporary studies at the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. As South Asia programme manager for the International Federation of Journalists, he has carried out campaign and advocacy work, and training programmes for journalists over much of the sub-continent. Presently, Prof Muralidharan also teaches at the School of Journalism, O.P. Jindal Global University.

Image Source: https://knowlaw.in/index.php/2020/08/25/role-of-citizens-in-nation-building/

Interviewer: Ishani Sharma

In this episode of our sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we discuss the book "International Law and the European Union". The author, Dr Odermatt, shed light on the role of the EU in shaping, both directly and indirectly, public international law and the wider international legal order. Further, the conversation moved on to talking about how the EU has achieved a distinctive identity in the international legal order. Dr Odermatt also discussed a recent trend of neglecting and disregarding international law, as exemplified by the cases of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Chinese disregard of international law in the South China Sea dispute.

Dr Jed Odermatt is a Senior Lecturer at the City Law School, the University of London where he is co-convenor of the International Law and Affairs Group and a member of the Institute for the Study of European Law. His research interests relate to public international law, international dispute settlement, the law of international organizations and EU external relations law.

Image Source: https://www.summerschoolsineurope.eu/course/12991/private-international-law-within-the-european-union---contractual-and-non-contractual-obligations

Interviewers: Ishani Sharma and Aarjavi Shah

In this episode of our sub-series, Kitabon ka Karwaan, we discuss the recently published book "Drifts and Dynamics: Russia's Ukraine War and Northeast Asia. The authors begin with a glimpse of their book, talking about the different aspects covered as well as the vitality of the northeast Asian region. Following that, the authors shed light on the diversity of responses of countries from the region towards the war, looking at the different geopolitical reasons for the same. The authors also discussed the bleak possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, instigated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lastly, the authors concluded by offering their analysis of the way forward for the northeast Asian countries.

Dr Sriparna Pathak is currently working as an associate professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs and has previously worked with multiple institutions such as the Ministry of External Affairs, Observer Research Foundation, South Asia Democratic Forum. Dr Panigrahi is also currently working as an assistant professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs along with being a Non-Residential Research Fellow at Taiwan NextGen Foundation, Taipei.

Image Source: DepositPhotos

In this episode of Vichaar, we are in conversation with Tejaswini Ganti, an Associate Professor of Anthropology and core faculty in the Program in Culture & Media at New York University. Ganti draws from her experience of conducting research about the social world and filmmaking practices of the Hindi film industry since 1996. She elaborates on the percolation of the Hindu Nationalist agenda into the medium of Hindi film, and the further perpetuation of the same through their insidious portrayals of nationalism, religion and class.

Interviewer: Aarjavi Shah

In this episode of Interlinked, Prof Godbole sheds light on the Chinese political economy, discussing the red dragon's role and legitimacy in the larger world affairs. He talks about the Chinese economic model's efficacy in managing supply, investment, debt and excess capacity and looks into whether the new political impulses are affecting the country's business dynamism and growth. The conversation also focuses on how China's domestic governance may stand to impact India, concluding with some policy suggestions for the country.

Professor Avinash Godbole is an Associate Professor of International Relations and China Studies and is also the Associate Academic Dean at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities. He has previously worked at the Indian Council of World Affairs and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. His research interests are in the fields of Chinese Foreign Policy, Environmental Changes in China, Minorities in China, Domestic Politics in China, China’s Asia strategy and India-China Relations.

Image Source: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2019-08-14/party-man

Interviewer: Ojus Sharma

The discussion entailed a conversion on the so-called ‘collapse’ of the Chinese political and economic system. It included addressing the adequacy with which the country managed to deal with the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how its public policy has sustained after the ‘Zero COVID Policy’ which has quite literally locked residents of cities with even one case on gunpoint. The Evergrande crisis and the subsequent real estate fall has also aided this ‘downturn’ in China’s growth trajectory which witnessed growth for consecutive decades. The concept of ‘Tank protecting the Banks’ has been a concern, making foreign outlets terming it a ‘Tiananmen 2.0’. The conversation analysed whether these far flung rhetorics are accurate, or whether it’s just a temporary downturn which will fix itself with time.

Mr Sushil is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in leadership and management roles within complex operations, supervising diverse teams and managing challenging programs/assignments within India and abroad. He has provided customised Risk Management solutions to a variety of MNCs and Indian companies; in Myanmar, Iraq, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Sri Lanka and difficult geographies of India. He is also a prolific speaker in several influential and high-profile industry forums not only in India but also in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore, Beijing, Colombo and Dhaka. To his credit, various articles published in industry and strategic journals; and has also made several appearances as a security/defence expert on national television.

Image Source: Dan Matutina/Agent Pekka

Bindu Doddahatti draws from her experience from working on a report on s. 498A with Women’s organisation Vimochana. With her interests lying in criminal law and the Constitution, criminal justice, and Abolition Feminism, she hasworked as a litigator at the Lawyers Collective, New Delhi, and at the Alternative Law Forum, Bengaluru. She is currently associated with the School of Policy and Governance at the Azim Premji University, Bangalore as well as Prisons Forum, Karnataka. She has a Bachelor of Law degree from the Karnataka State Law University, and a Master of Law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she was a Fulbright-Nehru and Dean’s Scholar, and a Penn Law Human Rights fellow.

Interviewer: Bilquis Calcuttawala

In this episode of Interlinked, Professor Mukherjee shares his insights on game theory and behavioural economics, one of the most upcoming and exciting topics in this domain. This conversation highlights the interdisciplinary nature of game theory by outlining basic terminology, introducing the prisoner's dilemma (one of the most popular games to study the concept), and discussing the various applications in auctions, online portals, analysing players' reactions to rivals in sports, and understanding the change in dynamics after COVID-19. It ends with a discussion on the direction of future research with influences from the fields of geopolitics, machine learning and robotics, alongside sharing resources for those who would like to know more about game theory!

Professor Saptarshi Mukherjee is an associate professor of economics at IIT Delhi. Dr Mukherjee completed his post-doc from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain and his PhD in Quantitative Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), New Delhi. His research interests include mechanism design, social choice, game theory, and bounded rationality; he teaches microeconomics, game theory and mathematical economics.

Image Source: https://www.kdnuggets.com/2020/03/crash-course-game-theory-machine-learning.html

Interviewer: Ishani Sharma

In this episode of Interlinked, Mr Sanchit sheds light on the wide-ranging impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis on the international food supply. Beginning with the important role played by both countries in sustaining the global food trade to discussing the implications of port closures, military attacks and western sanctions on the wider global arena. Lastly, the discussion ended with Mr Gupta recommending the way forward and suggestive steps that vulnerable countries should adopt in order to avoid a similar situation in the future.

Sanchit Gupta is currently working as a research assistant at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi. He also holds a postgraduate degree in agribusiness economics from the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.

Image source: https://swarajyamag.com/economy/russia-ukraine-conflict-global-crisis-of-wheat-shortage-poses-an-opportunity-for-india

Interviewer: Khushi Anupriya Dudi

The podcast "Health and Nutrition" is a part of the series "Eroding the Vulnerabilities". The podcast aimed to discuss the issue of women's nutrition and health care. For this, our guest is Ms Shailaja Chandra, the chairman of the Governing Council of the NGO, CHETNA, which has worked for more than 40 years for the cause. Ms Chandra talked about the issues in the field, ground implementation of the same by their NGO and the new strategy of response in the pandemic period. She also talked about the status of women with respect to health and nutrition and how CHETNA's advocacy and research approach could contribute to abating the issue.

Image: https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/business-news-govt-allocating-rs-35600-crore-for-nutrition-related-programmes-in-budget-2020-a-welcome-move/346615

Interviewer: Khushi Anupriya Dudi

The podcast dealt with the issue of domestic violence and the NGO working in the field, My Choice Foundation. Ms Farzana Khan, Operations Head of the project for ending domestic violence. The discussions revolved around the understanding of domestic violence, the actions taken by the NGO and the ways of tackling it in the light of the pandemic.

Image: https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/urja-ngo-anjali-pathak-womens-rights-domestic-violence-india-news-15241/

Interviewer: Sriniket Bandaru

This conversation revolves around agriculture. We discuss new methodologies, processes and alternative ways of thinking in this field. The main topics addressed are regenerative farming, activism in agriculture, soil building, permaculture and sustainable agriculture. The entire conversation is around the guest’s work, experiences in all of the topics mentioned above and how his work can reform agriculture.

Our guest is Ajay Vallabhaneni. Ajay is an agricultural graduate from Suresh Gyan Vihar University. And for the past two years, he has worked on several projects such as Rural Agriculture, permaculture design and organic farming. He has extensive knowledge of farming techniques and cultivation practices along with on-field experience. He is also a teacher at Living Vikasa Vidya Vanam as in charge of farming, a special interests course.

Image - https://www.wbcsd.org/Overview/Panorama/Articles/COVID-19-brings-opportunity-for-agricultural-reforms-in-India

In this episode of Interlinked, we discuss the trajectory of India’s role in the Indo-Pacific region. Dr Malhotra sheds light on the evolving perceptions of India’s own role in the region and the multiple factors affecting it. In the conversation, Ishani and Dr Malhotra discuss the impact of China, the United States and other countries like Japan on the role India aspires to play in the Indo-Pacific.

Dr Aditi Malhotra is a co-editor for the journal for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies (JIPSS). She has worked as a research fellow in multiple think tanks and research institutes including the Centre for Land Warfare Studies and the International Strategic and Security Studies Programme. She has recently published a book on understanding India’s Security Orientation towards Southeast and East Asia. By sharing her expertise on the subject, she truly enriched the conversation.

indopacific #southasia #india #china #unitedstates #japan #geopoloitics #contemporarysouthasia

Image - The Diplomatist

In this edition of Vichaar, the team talks to Jhinuk Mukhopadhyay, who is working with the Migration and Asylum Project, about ‘Refugee’ formation and the process of asylum. The conversation included questions on legal rights of refugees, economic opportunities (or lack thereof) for refugees, and their experiences with state structures and policies.

In this episode of Interlinked, we discuss the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan following the United States’ withdrawal from the country after a 20-year-long campaign. Prof. Holland sheds light on the evolving goals of the US invasion and the reasons for its failure. Following this, Prof. Holland and Ishani delved into a conversation on how the Taliban’s takeover impacted the country’s neighborhood, especially in India. They discussed the implications for India through every lens: economic, strategic, and security-related.

Prof. Kenneth Holland is Professor & Dean (Academics, Research & International Affairs) at O.P. Jindal Global University who specializes in establishing the rule of law in developing countries and the legal foundations of the global trading system. Prof. Holland has served as the President of the American University of Afghanistan and by sharing his first-hand experiences in Afghanistan, he truly enriched the conversation.

Image - The Financial Express

taliban #talibantakeover #afghanistan #indiarelations #indioafghanrelations

Resources have been at the core of development and their ease of access has increased significantly over the years. This has led to their indiscriminate usage for economic benefits. “The Global Footprint Network, a sustainability organization which calculates the day, says humanity is currently consuming nature 1.75 times faster than the planet can regenerate.” That means we're squandering our natural capital, jeopardizing future supplies, and contributing to deforestation and carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere. And as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises, so does the rate of climate change.

As a result, today's development issue is to use resources sustainably without overwhelming (eclipsing) the economic domain. This is where the revolutionary concept of the Circular Economy comes into play.

Panelists: Saumya, Deeti, Yuvaraj, Amandeep, and Krishanu.

Image - The Print

india #circulareconomy #transition #employment #waste #wastesegregation #postproduction #recycle #reuseideas

Till now the series covered the trajectory of the Indian Telecom Sector and how digitization is bringing waves of change and also the divide that plagues the sector. In this conversation, we will be taking a step back and looking at the market in itself, with a special focus on competition in India and globally.

In this podcast, Dr. Payal Malik (Advisor (Economics) at the Competition Commission Of India) shares her insights.

Image - Telecom Talk

india #telecomsector #telecommarket #jio #airtel #reliance #antitrust #globaltelecom

While the previous episode in the series covered the trajectory of the Indian Telecom Sector. Today we will discuss how digitization is bringing waves of change and the divide that plagues the Telecom sector. We will touch upon major milestones in India’s telecom story through the lens of inequity. We will discuss topics like India’s rural/urban divide, the transition from 4G to 5G, and more. Our guest today is Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay.

telecomsector #india #digitaldivide #icrier #inequity #technology #5g #digitization

Image - The Week

This conversation revolves around the hijab ban in Karnataka mandated earlier this year, its deeper implications, and the telltale signs of this from India’s history. Our guest, Ambreen Agha, takes us through topics like the "effective religious practice tests" to the Uniform Civil Code and highlights alternate indicators of marginalization of the Muslim Community.

hijabban #karnataka #india

Image - World Crunch

In this Episode of Vichaar, the team is in conversation with Prof. Aashish Yadav, an Assistant Professor at Jindal Global Law School. The conversation takes a look at aspects of persecution by delving into the intersections of political and public issues with more intimate sets of relationships and private identities. The talk also explores literature and law on citizenship conferment and revocation, which has long been thought to be solely vested with the sovereign jurisdiction of a state.

What lies ahead for Sri Lanka? In the grip of a tight, never-ending economic crisis, Sri Lanka stares at the need for immediate change to quell both public outcry and economic distress. International Relations and Public Policy columnists at CNES deliberate on Sri Lanka's path ahead. Will the economic distress force government change? And if so, who will fill the power vacuum? Are we staring at a potential military takeover? But first, how did the country reach this stage? Are there any efficient ways by which they can bail themselves out? Will China be just benevolent lenders or the hostile economic big brother? What would be the implications for India-Sri Lanka relations? Can India leverage its structural and soft power politics to establish better relations with Sri Lanka? And other questions in and around the crisis.

srilanka #economiccrisis #india #china #default #obor #softpower #economicaid

Image credits - Wall Street Journal

Tejaswi is a journalist, researcher and artist whose attention is captured by post-colonial human relationships at a time of the Internet of Things. They are currently working as a Digital Editor & Curator at Gaysi, and also serve as an editorial consultant for feminist organizations working in the space of mental well-being, and sexual & reproductive health.

In this episode, we speak about interpreting masculinity in an attempt to question the social configurations of gender practices that come to define men’s structural dispositions to power in a society.

genderroles #masculinity #men #women #patriarchy #queerpride #feminist

In this episode of Interlinked, we talk about manual scavengers and their lives with Palani Kumar, a People's Archive of Rural India Staff Photographer. Mr.Kumar and Ashika discuss the woes of the under-represented Dalit community , the representation of their work through photos and the impact of the Covid pandemic

Palani Kumar has previously worked as a cinematographer for the documentary film 'Kakoos' and has been working on bringing to light, the hardships of being a manual scavenger, the deaths caused by this means of living and the lives of the children of such workers. He was regarded as the Top Ten Humans 2019 by Anandha Vikatan for his socially impactful work through the years. In March 2020, he received the Best Story of the Year - 2020 award from the Public Relations Council of India.

manualscavenging #dalits #peoplesarchiveofruralindia #covid19

In this episode of Vichaar, we spoke to Dr. Svati Shah, an anthropologist who works in the fields of migration, sexuality, gender, and caste capitalism. Dr. Shah talks to us about how we can think about queerness and migration, about the vulnerabilities and possibilities of migration for a queer person, and how can we understand the institution of family.

In this episode, Ashika and Shiva revisit major incidents in “India's Telecom Sector : Revisiting the” This is the second podcast from a collaboration series between CNES and ICRIER where we will be tackling India's Digital and Telecom Sector and its underpinnings. Our guest is Dr. Rajat Kathuria. He is founder member of Broadband Society for Universal Access and served on the Board of Delhi Management Association. Dr. Kathuria holds a Master’s degree from Delhi School of Economics and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (College Park), USA. He has worked with the World Bank, Washington DC as a Consultant and carried out research assignments for international organizations, like ILO and UNCTAD.

telecom #india #digitaldivide #jio #reliance #5g

Image - EY

In this podcast, Ajoy Ashirwad provides us with clarity on the UP Assembly Elections 2022. Is BJP's support waning? Will the Samajwadi party, through its social justice promises, be able to topple the BJP government? Or will the BJP ride this anti-incumbency wave with their welfare schemes and Hindutva push? Will caste be a determinant, or will it be the only determinant, in terms of voting? Or will it boil down to personality politics? Listen to Ajoy Ashirwad in conversation with Krishanu Kashyap answering these pressing questions.

Ajoy Ashirwad is a Political Affairs editor at The Wire. In the last few months, he has been reporting extensively from the ground in UP.

Photo - Jignesh Mistry

uttarpradesh #upelections2022 #bjp #samajwadiparty #hindutva #caste

Dr Sugandha Nagpal has a PhD in International Development. Her research work focuses on issues of migration, gender, education, urbanization and development. In her previous work, she has investigated questions of land acquisition and development, maternal health and mobile technology and sex selection in Indo-Canadian communities.

In one of her more recent projects, she is working with mental health practitioners, educators and community partners across Kenya, UK and India to develop and implement a family-based approach to mental well-being. This interesting new study forms the basis of the podcast conversation.

Image - F1000 blognetwork

mentalhealth #wellbeing #family #anxiety #depression #counselling #india #uk #kenya

In this episode of Interlinked, we talk about Philanthropy and the Social Impact space in the context of India. From historical perspectives to current technocratic models of giving and philanthropy during the Covid Pandemic, Ashika discusses the sector with our guest speaker, Ingrid Srinath.

Ingrid is currently the founder Director of the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) founded in 2016 at Ashoka University. It was the first center of its kind in South Asia with an academic focus on philanthropy and social impact. An IIM , Kolkata graduate it was in 1998 that Ingrid moved from profit to non-profit sector and since then she has gone forward to work with organizations such as CRY (Child Rights and You), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Image - https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/blog/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-philanthropy/

philanthropy #socialimpact #india #charity #technocratic #ashokauniversity

In this episode of Umeed, Swabhimaan strikes a conversation with Dr. Akkai Padmashali, a transwoman and gender activist, with over a decade of experience in the developmental sector, to understand how heteronormativity shapes sex education for the Indian curriculum.

In this episode of Vichaar, Team Azaad Awaaz was in conversation with Mr. Sultan Ahmad, who heads the Media and Governance vertical of Gram Vaani- a platform that uses technology to develop communication platforms where people whose voices are often unheard can share their opinions, hear from each other, and build communities. Sultan speaks about his work and role in the very special community-driven media platform Gram Vaani platform and goes on to expound on various gaps in the system and the need to make consolidated efforts to help migrant workers at the grassroots level

In this episode, we interview Mr Keshav Gupta, founder of The Dias. Winner of the Karmaveer Chakra 2018, by iCONGO in Partnership with the United Nations and Global Green Schools Award at the UNGA Climate Action Week, Mr Gupta is a renowned development expert and entrepreneur. He holds a degree in law and Economics from the University of Delhi. More recently, he was featured on Tedx for his approach to Climate Action.

Broadly, this episode dives into the action towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The discussion touched upon the work done by The Dias and how it takes the local communities into account. In doing so, it will examine a bottom-up development approach. Additionally, Mr Gupta drew a picture of how The Dias was explicitly affected by the pandemic. Lastly, it delves into Climate Change and its multiple facets.

Mr. Keshav Gupta in conversation with Harsheen Sahni.

This is the first podcast from a collaboration series between CNES and ICRIER where we will be tackling India's digital and telecom sector and its underpinnings.

With India hosting its first National Internet Governance Forum late last year, there have been conversations around the topic and what it means for India. In conversation with guest speaker Isha Suri, Ashika and Shiva outline the models of internet governance, explore issues of representation and diversity, and discuss the work of international voluntary organizations in the space along with their unique challenges.

Isha is currently working as a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Internet and Society and has a commendable amount of experience in the policy space. Her areas of interest include Telecom Policy, Competition Law, Internet Governance, Intellectual Property Rights, and Privacy and Data Protection. She holds an LL.B. (Hons.) degree with a specialization in Intellectual Property Law from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. She also has a degree in Electrical Engineering that often comes to her aid when grappling with complexities of the techno-legal domain.

Image - https://vajiramias.com/current-affairs/india-internet-governance-forum-iigf/617382291d5def430f018278/

In this episode of Interlinked we discuss the untapped potential of rural India for women in terms of education and opportunities. Topics like barriers in education for girls, expectations of parents and common misconception of policy makers when it comes to rural education is covered.

Our guest speaker, Ashweetha is an Ashoka Youth Venturer, a Ted Speaker and an Acumen India Fellow. She holds a Bachelors in Business Administration and later went on to become a Young India fellow at Ashoka University. Above all this , Ashweetha is someone who strongly believes in the power that education has to change one’s life as she has founded Bodhi Tree with the mission of bridging the urban rural divide in education.

Image credits - Bodhi Tree Foundation

In this episode of Interlinked, we discuss the vibrant industry of circuses with Mr. Sujit Dilip, the owner of Rambo Circus. He walks us through his journey working in a circus, the background of the artists and the innovation of the industry. We speak about the stringent legal framework laid down for the industry and the lack of empathy from the government over the years. Lastly, he tells us the hardships the industry faced in a pandemic and the innovative ways he undertook for income generation.

Mr. Sujit Dilip is a second-generation owner of Rambo Circus, which was established by Mr. P.T. Dilip on 26 January 1991. Rambo Circus holds several achievements in its name and houses hundreds of artists and acrobats

In this episode of Inter-Linked, we speak to CNES's researchers on their recent series of fieldwork on assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of domestic workers in India.

We were joined by Richa Sekhani, Senior Research Analyst (CNES), and Research Associate at Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER); and Advaita Singh and Vanshika Mittal, Senior Research Analysts (CNES) and students at Ashoka University.

The two studies are publicly accessible on the links below:

(1) Mohan, D., Sekhani, R., Singh, A., Mittal, V., Mistry, J., Mishra, S., & Agarwal, S. Gauging the Impact of a Pandemic on the Lives and Livelihoods of Female Domestic Worker Across Indian Cities. https://jgu.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/jslh/Journal+Submission.pdf

(2) Sekhani, R., Mohan, D., Mistry, J., Mittal, V., & Singh, A. Understanding the Intra-Household Decision Making of Female Domestic Workers Across Cities of India: Ethnographic reflections from Bhopal, Katni, Jhansi, Lucknow, and Pune. https://jgu.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/jslh/Understanding+the+Intra-Household+Decision+Making+of+Female+Domestic+Workers+Across+Cities+of+India-+Ethnographic+reflections+from+Bhopal%2C+Katni%2C+Jhansi%2C+Lucknow%2C+and+Pune.pdf

In the second episode of this series on Gendered Identities in the Digital Space, we spoke to Ambika Tandon from The Centre for Internet and Society about the issue of platformisation of work and how it impacts gendered groups in our economy.

Ambika Tandon is a Senior Policy Officer at CIS, where she studies the intersections of gender and technology. Her work focuses on women’s work in the digital economy, and the impact of emerging technologies on social inequality. She also engages in developing feminist methods for technology research.

You can check out our first episode, here.

For this episode, the team was in conversation with Mir Suhail, a political artist currently based out of New York, but was born and brought up in Kashmir. He talks to the team about growing up and living in an occupied territory, using art, humor, and satire as means to amplify the voices within the valley, and how his experiences led him to take a stance on different issues that plague different societies, such as racism, gender discrimination, and casteism. He also talks about the problems with the depiction of Kashmir and its issues by the Indian media, and how repeated lockdowns and crackdowns affect the freedom of speech and thus, the lives of different artists in the Kashmir Valley.

Bisou is a sustainable clothing venture that upcycles scrap fabric to create pieces that appeal to the “modern” taste. Bisou was started with the objective of preserving the art form of Jaipur hand block printing. It focuses on empowering women and local artisans economically and redefines the arena of fashion through a sustainable approach. Founded by Sachi Badaya in 2020, this clothing brand makes sustainable clothing affordable to reduce the usage of fast fashion, and promote local art industries.

In this conversation of Umeed, we talk about the role of women in sustaining the ‘culture’ of traditional art forms. This conversation highlights how adapting to modern practices, and the consequences of the pandemic are essential to conserving the Jaipur hand block printing industry. We shed light on the importance of sustainability, upcycling, thoughtful consumption, and the role producers, consumers, and the government can play in upholding the life of these dying art industries.

This is the first conversation in our 4-part series on ‘Gendered Identities in the Digital Space’. Prof (Dr) Lina Sonne foregrounds our understanding of accessibility, usage, and ownership of technology, and technology-enabled devices (mobile phones), to establish how women continue to be disadvantaged in this perceived gender agnostic space. This conversation primarily draws from Dr Sonne’s research in this area of women’s use of mobile phones in India.

This podcast was conducted in collaboration with the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). Tanya Rana, Research Assistant at CNES and Isha Suri, Research Associate with the Digital Economy, Startups and Innovation team at ICRIER, will be co-hosting this series. Our next episode is on ‘Platformisation of Work’ and how it impacts gendered groups in the economy. Stay tuned!

For more information about Prof Sonne’s work, you may visit the following links:

Sonne, L. (2020). What Do We Know About Women's Mobile Phone Access & Use? A review of evidence. https://www.dvara.com/research/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/What-Do-We-Know-About-Womens-Mobile-Phone-Access-Use-A-review-of-evidence.pdf.

Sonne, L. (2021). Women’s Mobile Phone Access and Use: A Snapshot of Six States in India. https://www.dvara.com/research/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Womens-Mobile-Phone-Access-and-Use-A-Snapshot-of-Six-States-in-India.pdf.

In this episode of Inter-Linked, we discuss the issue of whether homemakers should be paid for domestic work. We discuss the nascent political developments and weave together the arguments posed by feminist academicians on the opposite ends of the debate. We also look at why there are better alternatives to wages-for-housework in the Indian context.

For this conversation, we interviewed Mitali Nikore, the founder of Nikore Associates and a New Delhi-based economist. She is a Development Consultant for the Indian Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank, and a short-term consultant to the World Bank. Mitali has been writing and researching extensively in the mainstream media and leads research inquiries on infrastructure financing gaps, gender-based discrimination, framing policy, programmatic and project-level interventions.

Ms. Sneha Mishra, the founder of AAINA is an activist from Odisha. AAINA is an organization promoting the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities in Odisha & India and in operations for the last two decades. Ma’am is a trainer on child rights and disability rights, specifically with regards to the Prevention Of Sexual Harassment Act (POSHA) and has been serving as independent member to the Internal Complaint Committees under POSHA in many govt & corporate sectors.

In this episode, we talk about the aspects of welfare and criminalisation of the Trafficking in Persons( Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill 2021. This conversation clearly highlights how the bill has not incorporated the grey areas that exist in the lives of victims and survivors. When based on such intersectionality, it is necessary to maintain the thin line between the nuances of consent in migration, sex work and trafficking and that is exactly where the bill has failed. It uses interchangeable words and rides on far -fetched punishments. The largest implication of the death penalty for the crimes does not start with actually helping the victims but with delaying the process of disposal of cases.

In this edition of Vichaar, the team was in conversation with Miss Rajyashree Goody, a visual artist who speaks about what art has meant to her in the current socio-political context we find ourselves in, specifically with respect to Dalit History and resistance.

Solidarity Foundation is an organization based out of Bangalore and works for the dignity of sex workers, gender and sexual minorities. We interviewed Shubha Chacko, who is the Executive Director of Solidarity Foundation. She has over 15 years of experience in engagement with issues around sexuality and has been closely linked to grassroots level groups. Her three decades of work experience has been varied but within the realm of development, human rights, and social justice.

In this conversation of Umeed, we discussed a rather new development in the area of sex work and its impact on sex workers and their rights. This is the development of Virtual Sex Work, which essentially entails providing the service of sex work through a virtual platform. Although having been in existence for while globally, it seems to have (re)surfaced since the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many sex workers in India have shifted to this virtual mode of practising their livelihood source. Shubha dispels some myths and shares her insights on how this typology of sex work has interacted with sex workers’ privacy, bodily integrity and freedom, and other forms of social and economic transactions, in the context of the pandemic.

In this episode of Interlinked, we will unpack the recently introduced Global Minimum Tax, in terms of its working, its profound impact on developing economies, especially India and Multinational Companies in general. The plan for asserting a global minimum tax of 15% on corporates, gained public eye post the 2021 Cornwall G7 summit. Several OECD countries have also voiced their opinion in favour of such a mechanism to keep the growth of shell companies and tax havens around the world in check. India particularly is also estimated to benefit hugely from the implication of a global minimum tax. We will look at various aspects of the proposed plan’s working and impact on economies and organisations a little more closely with Dr. Mansi Kedia and Mr. Meyyappan Nagappan.

This conversation introduces us to how urban development planning can be gender inclusive. We contextualise women’s work, travelling patterns, perceptions of safety, amongst other issues, for understanding how feminist cities are the need of the hour in the post-pandemic policy planning.

We spoke to Aila Bandagi Kandlakunta, who is an urban researcher and activist. Her work focuses on gender and cities in India. She is a PhD scholar at the Department of Geography, University of Nevada. Her work attempts to understand what a gender responsive city in the global south looks like. Aila is also an India Urban Fellow from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bangalore and A Writing Urban India Fellow from the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi. She holds a master’s degree in development studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. Previously, she worked as a fact-checker with Factly and as a research associate for inclusive development at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

In this edition of Vichaar, Team Azaad Awaaz was in conversation with Dr. Abhiroop Chowdhury about Conservation Strategies for the Sundarbans region in India. He talks to us about the importance of the Sundarbans, how and why it is unique, the challenges its local population faces and explains in detail the history of the region and the conservation projects that are being undertaken to protect it from climate change.

The horrors of the second wave that ravaged the nation acted as an eye-opener for a lot of Indians and highlighted the importance of taking the coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. However, with the opening of vaccination for all adults in May 2021, India experienced a steep rise in demand, which was barely met by the suppliers. This mounted to a big challenge for the policymakers and an interesting study for the economists. We saw that during the past few months, actions were taken by the centre & state governments in conjunction with domestic and international vaccine producers to satiate this demand.

In this interview with Dr. Anil Kumar Angrish, we will look at these very steps and measures from an economic point of view to understand the market dynamics of the coronavirus vaccine in India and the role of foreign pharmaceutical giants.

Ms. Sameedha Bhat has been associated with Paddling Foundation, an organization approaching menstruation in a gender-inclusive way. The organisation has been educating and emancipating menstruators from the fears and stigmas around menstruation. During the pandemic, Ms. Bhat has participated in a number of initiatives, where she taught and provided menstruators with menstrual hygiene products. She also conducted interviews with trans-men to better understand their perspectives on menstruation and have a more gender-inclusive discourse about it.

In this episode, Ms. Bhat talks about her journey with the foundation. She explains how her personal experiences led her to work towards making menstruation a more accessible and acceptable topic to talk about. This episode brings to you the challenges faced by menstruators across different gender dimensions, the stories of their struggles, the physical and psychological effects of it, and the novel approaches of the foundation in uprooting these issues.

In this episode of Inter-Linked, we discuss the concerns associated with the lack of representation and inclusivity in the spaces of economics & policy. The conversation captures the current situation of discrimination in these fields, including how prevailing attitudes and mainstream approaches to study economics curb representation.

The speaker - Prerna Kundu - is the co-founder and director at the Women in Econ and Policy initiative. Prerna has been associated with J-PAL South Asia, where she worked on interventions in child and maternal health in Jharkhand as a part of the Payments and Governance Research Program. She will be commencing a PhD in Economics at the University of British Columbia this fall. She holds a Master's in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Shri Ram College of Commerce.

In this episode of Vichaar, Professor Harsh Vardhan Bhati discusses the issue of climate refugees and environmental casteism in the South Asian context.

The politics of aesthetics has often been the cause of debates when it comes to the way in which art is consumed and understood with respect to intersections with class, caste, gender and other such markers of society. Pierre Bordieu classified high art and popular culture as being significant to the ways in which society organised and understood the value and classification of what art is. Berger defined the self as being created by the gaze, be it the oppressive nature of the male gaze or the constitutive one of the orient.

The changing landscape of art consumption where the movement has been from physical spaces to our smartphone screens has been both transformative in the ways in which it has broadened access and also in how art itself has begun to be constituted and reconstituted. With this, we have Aryan Nair. Aryan shoots and records banal life-- his profile is peppered with videos of moscow streets and tutorials on how to make ginger tea.

In this episode of Interlinked, we will unpack India’s Foreign Policy approach in its neighbourhood. In recent years, India has been faced with mixed signals from its neighbours on a variety of issues. To understand the nuances of India’s foreign policy trajectory in its neighbourhood, we have Sandeep Bharadwaj with us here today.

Sandeep is a doctoral candidate at the History Department of Ashoka University. He was a foreign policy researcher at the Centre for Policy Research until recently. In the past, he has worked as a journalist, a think tank analyst, a documentary scriptwriter and a political organizer. He has co-authored the official history of the Kargil War for the Government of India.

In the second edition of the e-magazine, team Swabhimaan explores Madhubani art form and speaks with Ms Malvika Raj, an eminent Madhubani artist hailing from Bihar, India. She talks about her journey into this field, her unique style, transitioning her artwork into a clothing brand and many more inspirational experiences of her life!

In this episode of Interlinked we examine the debates around Free speech, secularism and the rise of Islamism in France and Europe. In order to do so we have with us Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad of Ashoka University. Dr. Khan is a professor of Political Science and History at Ashoka University. He has done his Phd in History from the University of Cambridge and regularly writes on Islamic affairs in various international dailies.

The recently conducted DDC (District Development Councils) elections in Jammu and Kashmir is the first democratic exercise conducted within the state since the amendment of Article 370 in the state on August 5, 2019. While PAGD (People’s Alliance of Gupkar Alliance) and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), both claimed victory, the results of the elections present special challenges for anyone trying to analyse them. It was the first of its kind exercise in Jammu and Kashmir and the present political context of it makes it all the more difficult to make sense of.

To understand these elections, we are joined by Dr. Ellora Puri in this episode of Interlinked. Prof. Puri is Assistant Professor of political science at the Jammu University. Her expertise in political violence and the politics of Jammu and Kashmir is particularly relevant to the topic at hand and we hope that through her insights we can enrich the conversation around the politics of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mrs. Liz Hartman is an American designer with a keen interest in building supply chains within the fashion industry that benefit both people and the planet. She earned her BFA at Parsons in NYC and then went on to work as a technical designer in the fashion industry for brands such as Kenneth Cole and Ralph Lauren. Ma’am founded Swiatlo in 2019 after becoming disillusioned with fast fashion’s lack of handmade connection. 'Swiatlo' is a Polish word meaning "light, to illuminate" inspired by Ma’am’s matrilineal Polish heritage, and the effort to keep migration and cultural identity in the brand's design narrative.

In this podcast, Ma’am talks about her journey from New York to India. She mentions how no story or journey is a straight line from Point A to point B even if they are narrated in that manner online. This episode brings to you the challenges faced by ethical homegrown brands when they compete against their multinational fast fashion counterparts, the importance of stories behind each fabric and the experiences of an American woman in the Indian markets.

This episode explores the pivotal changes in K-12 education; particularly the paradigm shifts in pedagogy, examinations patterns and curriculum designs post-COVID. The three speakers will offer insights on how the many months of online education have revolutionised the approach to education altogether.

Professor Shohini Sengupta, at the Jindal School of Banking and Finance, has a strong research background in law and finance. Her research interests focus on areas of financial regulation, financial stability and the banking sector. She has previously assisted the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the Ministry of Petroleum, financial regulators, and the Fifteenth Finance Commission, on a number of socio-economic issues and legal matters. This episode of Inter-Linked focuses on the state of financial regulation in India’s troubled banking sector; the RBI’s EMI moratorium introduced during the pandemic, and on other aspects (such as understanding the central’s bank role in responding to the current crisis shocks).

In this episode, Professor Iain Stewart provides an Earth Scientist’s perspective to climate change – both as a science and as a movement. He explores the notion of environmental determination where societies can empower themselves through cultural geology and geo-heritage. He also talks about the importance of communicating the complex details of science to non-technical audiences and how that can be a way into making people acknowledge the realities of climate change.

Professor Arunava Sinha translates classic, modern and contemporary Bengali fiction, nonfiction and poetry into English. He has so far translated 60 texts into English. Along with this he has also worked as a journalist and is currently a books editor at Scroll. He is currently an associate professor of practice in the Creative Writing department at Ashoka University. This episode focuses on the politics behind the translation of texts- especially in the context of identities in post-colonial nations. It explores the question “What are the implications of translation and how has it become almost a sort of independent literary tradition in some senses?”

Professor Divya Karnad, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences at Ashoka University, has founded InSeason Fish, a sustainable seafood initiative. The focus of her work is marine conservation, fisheries management, geography and common property theory. She is also the first Indian woman to receive the Netherlands based Nature for Future 2019 award. As the government of India announced the Environmental Impact Assessment Draft 2020, this episode deconstructs the discourse of economic development and environment prosperity.

This episode attempts to chronologically trace the idea and the application of “human development” in the public policy landscape since the early 1980’s, while drawing upon Professor Sudarshan’s experience of work at institutions like the UNDP and Ford Foundation during the decades of 1980s, 90s and the 2000s. Professor Ramaswamy Sudarshan is now the founding dean of the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy and has had distinguished careers in the domain of research, development programming and governance in international institutions.

Under the Constitution, police is a subject governed by states. To understand policing and police reforms better, we have with us Ms. Devyani Srivastava who is the head of the police reforms program at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an international non-government organization headquartered in New Delhi. We aim to have a conversation around legislative policies governing law enforcement agencies in India, structural organization and representation within police bodies, police accountability and its impact on criminal investigations, and finally the reforms that are needed to provide more transparent access to justice.

In this episode of Vichaar, Siddharth G. from Team Azaad-Awaaz speaks with Dr. Indranil Mukhopadhyay about the financial and other equalities that the Senior Citizens of India are subject to while accessing health care services.

In the contemporary era, sustainable economic growth is quintessential for any country in determining its success, power and the welfare of its citizens. Largely, economic growth is defined as the change in per capita Gross Domestic Product of an economy over a particular time period. This podcast unpacks the idea of economic growth, its recipe, the factors influencing it and certain problems in its face with Professor Anuradha Saha.

Professor Saha is currently an Assistant Professor of Economics at Ashoka University. Her research interests include Macroeconomic Theory, Growth Theory, and Development Economics. Her thesis focused on sectoral growth with emphasis on services sector dynamics. She is currently working on characterizing international trade in services, where some of the features are quite different from that of trade in manufactures.

There are various provisions to obtain witness testimonies laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure with special provisions laid down for the disabled. Is our legal system truly equipped to accommodate their needs or do these merely remain provisions on paper? Today we have with us Advocate Roma Bhagat, to discuss access to the justice system and the impediments faced by the disabled, their rights as witnesses in the context of police investigations, the lacunae in the law and her own experiences in the field of litigation, advocacy and training in the disability rights sector.

In this episode, Professor Raghavan discussing some of the finer details of India’s Foreign Policy in South Asia, its history, and recent trends in relationship with neighbouring nations. He speaks about the systematic rise of China, its implications and the place India occupies in the broader geo-political setting.

In the episode Prof. Apurv Mishra gives a broad overview of the functioning of Judiciary in India through its relationship with various stakeholders like the executive, the citizens and the communities. He discusses some of the recent cases like the Triple Talaq and Sabarimala case to highlight the trends of Judicial thought in India. He also speaks about issues of contemporary relevance like citizenship and nationalism in the context of the Indian Judicio-legal system.

In this episode, Prof. Ashwini Deshpande of Ashoka University breaks down the recent decline and persistently low levels of female labour force participation in India. Professor Deshpande has worked extensively in the broad field of economics of discrimination in South-Asia. In this podcast, she discusses the impact of various determinants like education, income, and cultural factors on LFPR.

In this episode, Prof. Ananya Sharma, a critical theorist in International Relations highlights the relationship and role of Gender in the field of International Relations and Global Affairs. She takes us through many important concepts like intersectionality, gender mainstreaming and introduces us to ideas by various authors like Chandra Talpade Mohanty, who have hugely contributed to this part of the discipline.

In this episode, Professor Aditi Saraf delves into the field of economic sociology and its development in response to classical economics. She speaks about the facilitation of commerce in unique and ambiguous ways in the background of conflict and combat. She shares insights from her field study in Kashmir and elaborates on the making and breaking of dalliances, provision of credit, informality in the economy and much more. At a time when Article 370 and its aftermath has brought the discussion on Kashmir in the limelight, the podcast ties this discussion back to the political and economic lives of traders, cross-border movements of finances, and their sociological implications.

In this episode, team Azaad Awaaz speaks with Dr. Jayshree Dasgupta about the condition of dementia care systems in India through a socio-economic and medical perspective and traces the challenges that lie ahead.

This episode attempts to chronologically trace the idea and the application of “human development” in the public policy landscape since the early 1980’s, while drawing upon Professor Sudarshan’s experience of work at institutions like the UNDP and Ford Foundation during the decades of 1980s, 90s and the 2000s. Professor Ramaswamy Sudarshan is now the founding dean of the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy and has had distinguished careers in the domain of research, development programming and governance in international institutions.

Professor Atreyee Majumder is a historical and political anthropologist with a focus on the impact of capitalism on space and time. She has a law degree from the NLU, Bangalore and has practiced law and conducted legal research in New Delhi on questions of land, environment, water rights and indigeneity. She has also been engaged in ethnographic research and teaching anthropology in Bangalore and Toronto after completion of her PhD. This episode delves into the social aspect of environmental degradation in India. Professor also talks about the various clauses provided under the EIA notification draft and how they can be reformed further.

In this episode of Umeed, a podcast series by Swabhiman, we speak with Ms. Richa Sakhani about the Arts and Craft Industry in the Unorganised Sector in India.

Mr. Bankat Mandhania is a director at Ashtech India, India’s leading fly-ash processor and exporter. He has been involved in India’s construction and infra industry for the last three decades. In this episode, he discusses the damage brought to the labor market, where millions of laborers are unemployed and displaced. Mr. Mandhania presents us with the ground reality of the situation laborers are in today and what the future might hold.

Mr. Ramesh Prasad Kharel is a policeman of Nepal known for his integrity and fight against corruption. He served as the SSP for Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Birgunj. He is one of the few policemen who contested political criminality in Nepal. In this episode, Mr. Kharel provides deep insights into the Indo- Nepal relations with regards to the Lipulekh Dispute. He presents an in-depth explanation of Nepal’s domestic politics and its impact on the relations with India.

In this episode, Ambassador Shivshankar Menon helps us unfurl India’s relationship with China in light of the recent skirmish in the Galwan Valley. Mr. Menon served as the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India from January 2010-May 2014, Foreign Secretary of India from October 2006-July 2009 and was the Indian Ambassador or High Commissioner to China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Israel. In 2010, he was chosen as one of the “Top 100 Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy magazine. This podcast provides a historical, social, economical and political overview of India and China’s strategic relationships with its neighboring nations and the dynamics they share among themselves.

Mr. Rameysh Kumar is a well-known Emotional Intelligence and Life Skill Trainer. He has been teaching various Central Government officials working across the length and breadth of the country, including the Central Armed Forces. He is also well trained in Yoga & Pranayama.

In this podcast, Mr. Rameysh emphasizes the importance of developing a strong EI in these turbulent times. He provides us with useful advice on how to attract positivity and develop the self.

In this episode of Vichaar, Mr. Srini Ramaswamy, co-founder of India's first diversity & inclusion consulting organization 'Pride Circle', addresses the hurdles faced by the queer community during the lockdown and specifically the economic discrimination inflicted on them.

In this episode, Vichaar and Paigam come together to speak with Mr. Vikas Pathak, a former journalist at The Hindu newspaper and author of the book, Contesting Nationalisms.

Prisons are punitive spaces, but they punish certain vulnerable prisoners in more ways than one. What happens when the structures that aim to protect us, through constitutional guarantees become breeding grounds to reinforce untouchability and segregation? In her recent article, “From Segregation to Labour, Manu’s Caste Law Governs the Indian Prison System” published in the Wire, Ms. Sukanya Shantha provides us an insight into how in several states, prison manuals still dictate the kind of labour that should be assigned to prisoners based on caste. We aim to have a larger conversation on marginalized inmates and their basic human rights, the psychological impact of labour segregation, deconstructing such violence and the motivation behind her work.

Prof. Dasgupta commences her podcast by differentiating between the terms Adivasi, tribe, scheduled tribe, and indigenous people. Professor Dasgupta not only talks about the politics of tribal representation but also stresses the contemporary need of reconstructing the way tribes are perceived in India. Adivasi history cannot be truly understood without taking into account their pasts and lived experiences. She concludes by saying that we cannot write unbiased history, but as young students of History, we must be cautious of what we write and how they write history.

This edition of Vichaar hosted Professor (Dr.) Saagar Tewari, Associate Professor of History at the Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities. Professor Tewari begins by pointing out the connotations of the terms ‘civilization’ and ‘tribe’, with the former being more relatable to river banks, and the latter, to the wilderness. He then talks about how these groups were eventually marginalized as cities, and a flourishing economy developed, and how colonization arrested the development of individual, autonomous tribal groups. We also discuss the role of left-wing politics in amplifying the voices of the tribal communities, and how, because the state did not deliver on its promises, has also led to the infiltration of Maoism and other left-wing extremist elements in the tribal areas. We also talk about how the thriving of tribal culture is important for sustainability, and this requires more research from different angles into tribal history, whose avenues are now open for the generations to come.