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The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma
Ep 370: Yugank Goyal Is out of the Box
Feb 26, 2024
Academic Yugank Goyal challenges conventional thinking on education, elections, colonisation, society and history. He discusses elitism, interdisciplinary thinking, cultural influences, colonial impact, alternate frameworks, academic pursuits, decentralized data in India, creditworthiness algorithms, labor dynamics in coal mines, sex work in Delhi post-smartphone era, discrepancies in Indian elections, leadership accountability, campaign financing in politics, voting dynamics in India, youth influence on BJP, and colonial writings.
04:34:20
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Quick takeaways
- Academia incentivizes quantity over quality in publications, affecting academic output.
- Colonial legacy influences Indian practices, shaping beliefs with imposed categories and frameworks.
- Challenges arise in fitting diverse Hindu beliefs into rigid theological structures.
- Informal markets thrive on local knowledge and social networks, impacting economic development.
- Random selection of leaders challenges traditional election systems, emphasizing accountability.
- Corruption in elections stems from heavy financial burdens and interplay between money and power.
Deep dives
Incentives in Academia
The current academic environment often incentivizes quantity over quality in publication, leading to a culture where publishing papers takes precedence over genuine contribution to knowledge. The pressure to keep publishing can result in subpar work being produced, affecting the overall quality of academic output.
Echo Chamber and Irrelevance to Real World
Academia can sometimes become an echo chamber, where scholars primarily engage with and cater to other academics, leading to insular discussions with limited relevance to the real world. The focus on conforming to particular ideologies or publication requirements can result in scholarly work that lacks practical applicability or significance outside academic circles.
Balancing Academic Rigor with Real-World Relevance
To counteract the trend of academic work becoming detached from practicality, there is a need to encourage a balance between academic rigor and real-world relevance. Emphasizing the importance of translating complex ideas into accessible insights that address pressing societal issues can help bridge the gap between academia and the broader community.
Impact of Colonial Perspective
The podcast delves into the lingering effects of colonial rule on India, highlighting how the British aimed to define and categorize Indian practices and beliefs through their own lens. The British struggled to understand the diverse cultural landscape of India, leading to oversimplified generalizations and categorizations. This legacy continues to influence how Indians see themselves and their traditions, with a reliance on categories and frameworks imposed during colonial times, shaping beliefs and practices even today.
Challenges of Cultural Interpretation
The discussion underscores the challenges of interpreting cultural practices through a Western perspective. The episode reflects on how practices like not eating beef or donning specific attire are viewed from outside frameworks, often leading to misunderstandings and the imposition of theoretical explanations where none are needed. It explores the idea that certain cultures naturally accept practices without the need for justifications, contrasting with the questioning nature prevalent in Western thought.
Evolving Definitions and Colonial Documentation
The conversation further delves into the evolving definitions of identity post-colonial rule, where systems like the Hindu Marriage Act attempted to codify identities in a rapidly changing world. The legacy of colonial documentation, such as the British Gazetteers, influences contemporary understanding of Indian history and culture, underlining the continuing struggle to reconcile indigenous experiences with external frameworks. The episode raises critical questions about the impact of colonization on cultural identity and the complexities of defining traditions through post-colonial perspectives.
The Impact of Colonialism on Indian Cultural Narratives
The podcast delves into the long-lasting effects of colonialism on the Indian cultural and social narratives. It highlights how colonial writings and the imposition of certain ideas by the colonizers led to ossification of Indian cultural identity, restricting imagination and perpetuating a skewed view of traditional practices. The discussion points out examples where victorian or western values were superimposed on Indian customs, leading to the adoption of foreign standards like prudishness being mislabeled as 'sanskari.' Furthermore, it explores how British colonial legacies have influenced the perception of Indian society, leading to a narrow understanding of Hinduism and the erasure of the diverse and complex aspects of Indian culture.
Challenges in Defining Hinduism and Indian Cultural Frameworks
The podcast addresses the complexities in defining Hinduism and Indian cultural frameworks, emphasizing the challenges posed by attempts to fit these diverse belief systems into a singular, Abrahamic-style narrative. It questions the imposition of rigid theological structures on inherently flexible cultural practices, leading to a loss of the essence of Indian traditions. The conversation delves into the need to evolve new theoretical frameworks that capture the multifaceted nature of Indian society, highlighting the importance of preserving the open-source nature of Indian culture, which embraces diversity and eschews rigid categorizations. Additionally, it raises concerns about the oversimplification and distortion of Hinduism, mirroring historical colonial attempts to control and reinterpret indigenous beliefs.
The Significance of Local Knowledge in Informal Markets and Decentralized Systems
The podcast explores the role of tacit knowledge and decentralized systems in the functioning of informal markets, particularly in non-Western countries like India. It highlights how informal markets thrive on experiential knowledge and social networks, making formalization challenging due to the implicit nature of this knowledge. The conversation delves into the impacts of local knowledge on market dynamics, emphasizing the inherent strengths of informal networks while also acknowledging the limitations in scalability and formal adoption. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of understanding and leveraging these local knowledge systems to foster innovation and sustainable economic development in small towns and regions.
Election System and Structural Insights
The current election system is critiqued for its heavy financial burdens on political parties, with massive spending reaching levels equivalent to the annual GDP of certain countries. The interplay between money and political power highlights a cycle where special interests and businesses fund candidates for their own returns, entwining money and power. This system thrives due to the excessive power of the state, enabling post-election benefits for those in power, perpetuating a cycle of dependency and corruption.
Alternative to Elections: Random Selection
An unconventional proposal suggests scrapping elections and selecting leaders randomly through a draw of lots. This idea challenges the traditional election system, advocating for a random selection process where accountability is paramount. By emphasizing accountability over the election process, the proposal questions the necessity of election mechanisms in guaranteeing competent and responsible leadership.
Accountability and Transparency in Governance
The debate between transparency and accountability emerges, highlighting the importance of holding leaders answerable for their actions. The concept of proportional representation and the disp metric indicate the level of preference leakage in electoral outcomes. By focusing on accountability and minimizing preference leakage, the political system can aim for more representative and effective governance.
Public Procurement and Political Interests
Public procurement emerges as a significant economic sector, with substantial influence on corporate-government dynamics. The nexus between corporate entities, political patronage, and election finance reveals a symbiotic relationship where businesses seek government favors in return for financial support. This intricate web of interactions underscores the influence of money on political power and underscores the necessity for greater accountability and transparency in governance.
Challenges in Electoral Systems and Design
Evaluating the design of electoral systems reveals inherent structural challenges, including the power dynamics between special interests and political parties. The quest for balanced representation, accountability, and transparency underscores the need for reevaluating electoral processes to address preference leakage, enhance accountability mechanisms, and promote responsible governance.
Role of Desire in Career Choices
Discussions on career choices, such as engineering, reflect the interplay between passion, hard work, and randomness in professional pursuits. The selection process for professions like engineering often focuses on academic performance as a proxy for desire, potentially overlooking individual passion and intrinsic motivation. Examining the connection between desire, hard work, and career paths raises questions about the effectiveness of current selection methods in capturing true vocational aspirations and promoting long-term engagement in chosen fields.
The Influence of Cultural Consciousness on BJP's Rise
The podcast episode discusses how cultural consciousness, exemplified by events like the Rama Yana serial and its massive viewership, played a pivotal role in shaping the BJP's political narrative. It emphasizes the importance of customs, traditions, and everyday practices in Indian society, highlighting the continuity and significance of these cultural elements in influencing people's preferences and voting behaviors.
The Impact of Specific Events on BJP's Political Success
The episode delves into the significance of key events like the Rama Yana serial and the 22nd January speech by Prime Minister Modi in shaping the political landscape. It explores how these events resonated with the Indian population, fostering a sense of community and cultural bonding, which transcended mere political or saffron appeals, contributing to the BJP's electoral success.
The Role of Custom, Culture, and Identity in Political Choices
By examining the historical context and contemporary political landscape, the episode underscores the importance of custom, culture, and identity in shaping political preferences and voting patterns. It challenges dominant narratives and encourages a deeper exploration of cultural influences on political decisions, suggesting that understanding these aspects is crucial in comprehending India's diverse and complex political landscape.
18.
Analysis of 1991 Reforms, Campaign Financing, and Public Procurement in Indian Politics
2min
19.
Exploring Accountability and Selection Processes in Professions and Leadership
10min
So what if he is an academic? He is also an an original thinker with deep insights about education, elections, colonisation, politics, history, society. Yugank Goyal joins Amit Varma in episode 370 of The Seen and the Unseen to throw thought-bomb after thought-bomb at all of us. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out:
1. Yugank Goyal on Twitter, LinkedIn, EPW, Flame University and Google Scholar. 2. Who Moved My Vote? -- Yugank Goyal and Arun Kumar Kaushik. 3. Documenting India: The Centre for Knowledge Alternatives. 4. Fixing Indian Education — Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan). 5. Robert Sapolsky’s biology lectures on YouTube. 6. Harvard's CS50 course. 7. Superforecasting — Philip Tetlock and Dan Gardner. 8. Fixing the Knowledge Society -- Episode 24 of Everything is Everything. 9. The Superiority of Economists -- Marion Fourcade, Etienne Ollion and Yann Algan. 10. Publish and Perish — Agnes Callard. 11. The Long Divergence — Timur Kuran. 12. The Incredible Insights of Timur Kuran — Episode 349 of The Seen and the Unseen. 13. Suyash Rai Embraces India’s Complexity — Episode 307 of The Seen and the Unseen. 14. Premchand on Amazon and Wikipedia. 15. Dead Poet's Society -- Peter Weir. 16. Maithili Sharan Gupt and Jaishankar Prasad. 17. Kafan -- Premchand. 18. Elite Imitation in Public Policy — Episode 180 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Alex Tabarrok). 19. Is There an Indian Way of Thinking? — AK Ramanujan. 20. The Intimate Enemy -- Ashis Nandy. 21. The Colonial Constitution — Arghya Sengupta. 22. Arghya Sengupta and the Engine Room of Law -- Episode 366 of The Seen and the Unseen. 23. The History of British India -- James Mill. 24. SN Balagangadhara (aka Balu) on Amazon and Wikipedia. 25. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Ramachandra Guha: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 26. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Manu Pillai: 1, 2, 3, 4. 27. Pride and Prejudice -- Jane Austen. 28. Ranjit Hoskote is Dancing in Chains -- Episode 363 of The Seen and the Unseen. 29. The UNIX Episode -- Episode 32 of Everything is Everything. 30. The Evolution of Everything -- Matt Ridley. 31. The Evolution of Everything -- Episode 96 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Matt Ridley). 32. The Evolution of Cooperation -- Robert Axelrod. 33. Kantara -- Rishab Shetty. 34. Early Indians — Episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tony Joseph). 35. Early Indians — Tony Joseph. 36. Who We Are and How We Got Here — David Reich. 37. Alice Evans Studies the Great Gender Divergence — Episode 297 of The Seen and the Unseen. 38. The People of India -- Herbert Risley. 39. Rahul Matthan Seeks the Protocol — Episode 360 of The Seen and the Unseen. 40. Gangs of Wasseypur -- Anurag Kashyap. 41. Why Children Labour (2007) -- Amit Varma. 42. Laws Against Victimless Crimes Should Be Scrapped — Amit Varma. 43. Intimate City — Manjima Bhattacharjya. 44. Manjima Bhattacharjya: The Making of a Feminist — Episode 280 of The Seen and the Unseen. 45. A Life in Indian Politics — Episode 149 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jayaprakash Narayan). 46. Politics — A limerick by Amit Varma. 47. India’s Far From Free Markets (2005) — Amit Varma in the Wall Street Journal. 48. The Four Quadrants of Conformism — Paul Graham. 49. Public Choice Theory Explains SO MUCH -- Episode 33 of Everything is Everything. 50. Ramayana, the 1987 serial, on Wikipedia and YouTube. 51. 300 Ramayanas — AK Ramanujan. 52. The Life and Times of Vir Sanghvi — Episode 236 of The Seen and the Unseen. 53. The BJP Before Modi — Episode 202 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vinay Sitapati). 54. The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva — Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel). 55. Cycle -- Prakash Kumte. 56. Mulshi Pattern -- Pravin Tarde. 57. The Heathen in His Blindness -- SN Balagangadhara. Amit's newsletter is explosively active again. Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It’s free! Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Look Inside the Box’ by Simahina.Get the Snipd
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