This week, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, and Jayashree Arunachalam are joined by policy researcher Yamini Aiyar and senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai.

On the challenges facing think tanks in India, Yamini says working in policy has “moved from jholawala inputs to suit-boot inputs” over the years, referring to the increased corporatisation.

The panel then discusses the Congress manifesto, and the party’s relevance in the upcoming elections. Abhinandan asks, “Is the Congress inevitable?” Rasheed says the grand old party is “not a dead body. It is very much alive and kicking.”

The conversation then moves on to the controversy around Ramayana fame actor Arun Govil campaigning in Meerut with a photograph of the deity Ram. On the use of religion for votes, Rasheed says it’s “not an issue” for voters in India.

This and a whole lot more. Tune in!

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Timecodes

00:07:09 - Policy research in India

00: 17:41 - Headlines

00:27:09 - Think tanks in India

00:38:13 - Is the Congress inevitable?

00:59:50 - Use of religion in election campaign

01:22:31 - Letters

01:55:19 - Recommendations

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Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, edited by Samarendra K Dash and Umrav Singh.

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