Interpreting India

 With the conclusion of the first in-person QUAD leaders’ summit, the 76th Session of the UNGA, the SCO summit, and the AUKUS alliance, the last two weeks have been momentous for world politics. In this episode of Interpreting India, Gautam Bambawale joins Deep Pal to discuss the major foreign policy events of the last two weeks and India’s contribution to them. How will the AUKUS alliance impact the QUAD and India in specific? How will the events of last week determine the international community’s response to the Taliban? And finally, what significance do these events hold for the future of Indian foreign policy?  --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSGautam Bambawale is an Indian diplomat. He has served as India's Ambassador to Bhutan, Pakistan, and China. Bambawale was the Minister (Political) and Head of the Political Wing at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. from July to September 2007. From September 2007 to December 2009, he served as India's first Consul General in Guangzhou. From December 2009 to July 2014, he was the Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.Deep Pal is a visiting fellow in the Asia program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is also affiliated with the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) as a non-resident fellow. His research and publications focus on the Indo-Pacific, Indian foreign policy in its immediate and greater neighborhood, and regional security of South Asia, with particular emphasis on China.--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/  Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this episode, Rumi Aijaz joins Anirudh Burman to discuss Delhi’s new Draft Master Plan, 2041.  How has it improved upon the shortcomings of the preceding master plans? How does it compare with the planning process across other cities in India?  In July, the Delhi Development Authority released the draft Master Plan 2041, making it the fourth master plan released for the city since the start of this process in 1957. It follows the city’s Master Plan 2021, which aimed to make Delhi a global metropolis and a world-class city. However, it was criticized for its reduced responsiveness to the needs of low-income communities and its inability to meet targets on time. The Master Plan Delhi 2041 also comes after the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that devastated the health and sanitation resources of the city.  In this episode, this episode discusses if  Delhi's new Draft Master Plan 2041 is able to overcome some of the shortcomings of the previous master plans. --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSRumi Aijaz is a senior fellow at Observer Research Foundation, where he is responsible for the Urban Policy Research Initiative. His research focuses on building a better understanding of urban issues to produce new and correct knowledge for managing urban growth in India. Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.--Additional Reading:1. Delhi's Draft Master Plan 2041 Delhi Development Authority2. Delhi Master Plan 2021–41: Towards a People’s City? by Rumi Aijaz3. The Smart Cities Mission in Delhi, 2015-2019: An Evaluation by Rumi Aijaz4. Land Title Insurance in India: Lessons from U.S. Regulatory Approaches by Anirudh Burman--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/  Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this episode of Interpreting India, Avinash Paliwal and Thomas Ruttig join Deep Pal to analyze the present situation in Afghanistan, what the implications of the U.S. withdrawal might be, and what this might mean for India and other countries involved.  --Episode Background:The withdrawal of the United States and its NATO allies from Afghanistan has led to concerns over the Kabul government’s ability to survive in the face of an aggressive Taliban onslaught. The peace process, which the U.S. had initiated between the Taliban and the Afghan government, has also stalled without achieving a settlement. While President Ghani has asserted that the government forces are prepared to meet the challenges that the withdrawal presents, analysts remain pessimistic about the possibilities.  --Episode Contributors:Avinash Paliwal is a senior lecturer in International Relations and deputy director of the SOAS South Asia Institute | Twitter: @PaliwalAviThomas Ruttig is co-founder and co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network | Twitter: @thruttigDeep Pal is a visiting fellow in the Asia program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | Twitter: @DeepPal_--Episode Timestamps: 2:26 The Current Situation and Prospects for Peace8:48 On the Possibility of a Power-Sharing Agreement 16:01 The Taliban and its Factions, and the India-Pakistan Dyad54:58 On the Role of Other  Countries and Players57:40  Where is the Conflict Headed?--Additional Reading:1. A Troika of Four: Looking back at the March 2021 Afghanistan meeting in Moscow by Thomas Ruttig2. Afghanistan After the US Withdrawal: An Elusive Peace by Thomas Ruttig3. Engaging with the Taliban is Necessary by Avinash Paliwal4. Sino twist to Af-Pak puzzle: Given China’s Forays, India’s Afghanistan Strategy Must Look at Iran, Taliban, and Even Pakistan  by Avinash Paliwal5. My Enemy's Enemy: India in Afghanistan from the Soviet Invasion to the US by Avinash Paliwal--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/ Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this episode, Rajeswari Sengupta joins Suyash Rai to evaluate the health of India’s financial sector. Together, they assess the impact of the second wave on India's financial sector. What measures can be taken to address some of its main issues? And finally, what does the health of the financial sector mean for the broader economy? --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSRajeswari Sengupta is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai, India. In the past she has held research positions at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in Chennai, the Reserve Bank of India, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington D.C. Suyash Rai is a Fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms and the performance of public institutions in India.--Additional Reading:1. Non-performing Assets in Indian Banks by Rajeswari Sengupta and Harsh Vardhan2. Regime changes in Indias monetary policy and Tenures of RBI governors by Rajeswari Sengupta and Utso Pal Mustafi--Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/   Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Zaha Hassan and Nicolas Blarel join Carnegie India's Shibani Mehta to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict. On May 10th, a raid on the Al Aqsa mosque by the Israeli police left hundreds of Palestinians injured. This cascaded into a war between Israel and Hamas. The ensuing violence has led to hundreds of casualties. A tenuous ceasefire has for now halted the violence, but it is likely that it will significantly change the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Already, several analysts have alleged that the violence marks the death knell for the already fragile peace process and the two-state solution. Other scholars point to the growing embrace of more radical solutions to the conflict in both the Israeli and the Palestinian side. This episode of Interpreting India assesses some of the broader effects of the present conflict. What does it mean for the two-state solution and the peace process? How has the international society and India reacted to the crisis? And finally, what shall be its likely impact on the future of the Arab-Israeli conflict?  --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSZaha Hassan is a human rights lawyer and visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on Palestine-Israel peace, the use of international legal mechanisms by political movements, and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership, and was a member of the Palestinian delegation to Quartet-sponsored exploratory talks between 2011 and 2012. She regularly participates in track II peace efforts.Nicolas Blarel is Associate Professor of International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands. He studies foreign and security policy-making, the politics of power transition in global politics, the politics of migration governance, and the international politics of South Asia. He has previously worked with the French Foreign Ministry’s policy planning staff (Centre d’Analyses, de Prévision, et de Stratégie) and has been a visiting fellow at various research institutions.Shibani Mehta is a Research Analyst at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on India’s security and foreign policies. Shibani has a keen interest in understanding foreign policy decision-making and the role of institutions and personalities in diplomacy.--Additional Reading:1. Bringing Assistance to Israel in Line With Rights and U.S. Laws by Zaha Hassan, Salih Booker, and Josh Ruebner2. Modi looks West? Assessing change and continuity in India’s Middle East policy since 2014 by Nicolas Blarel3. Breaking the Israel-Palestine Status Quo by Zaha Hassan, Daniel Levy, Hallaamal Keir, and Marwan Muasher4. An Indian return to the Gaza strip? New Delhi has unique legitimacy to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Nicolas Blarel and Sumit Ganguly--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/ Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Alex Tabarrok joins Anirudh Burman to discuss if the existing law on patents is affecting India’s ability to vaccinate its citizens. As India battles a devastating second wave of Covid-19, many advocate for a waiver of intellectual property rights on coronavirus vaccines. However, some argue that this might be an incomplete solution; on its own, a TRIPS waiver would do little to alleviate the problem. In this episode, we understand the logic behind the proposal for the TRIPS waiver, and what must be done to globally increase vaccine supplies. --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSAlex Tabarrok holds the Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center and is a professor of economics at George Mason University. Anirudh Burman is an associate fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.--Additional Reading:1. Patents are Not the Problem! by Alex Tabarrok2. Patent Theory versus Patent Law by Alex Tabarrok3. To Help India, Biden Must Unclog the Vaccine Supply Chains by Rudra Chaudhuri4. What Is Happening to India’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program? by Arjun Kang Joseph--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/ Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this episode, Srikanth Viswanathan joins Anirudh Burman to assess India's urban governance structures in the face of the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic. In the second wave, states have been given more leeway in handling the pandemic within their borders. How are states and local authorities equipped to manage the situation?  --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSSrikanth Viswanathan is the Chief Executive Officer of Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. Srikanth’s focus area in the urban sector has been “city-systems” reforms spanning Janaagraha’s flagship report the Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) and municipal finance reforms. Srikanth has been an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India for fourteen years and prior to joining Janaagraha worked in banking and audit. Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/ Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

In this episode, Yogendra Kumar joins Deep Pal to analyze the state of the international order. The conclusion of the Cold War in 1991 heralded a new age of peace and prosperity under the leadership of Western powers. Yet, there remain several problems that plague the international system. What can be done to stem the decay of the international order and its constituent multilateral organizations?--EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSYogendra Kumar is a former Indian ambassador to the Tajikistan (also handled Afghanistan), Namibia, and the Philippines. Also, non-resident ambassador to Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. He is the author of books and commentator on geopolitics, strategic affairs, including maritime. Deep Pal is a visiting fellow at the Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is also affiliated with the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) as a non-resident fellow. His research and publications focus on the Indo-Pacific, Indian foreign policy in its immediate and greater neighborhood, and regional security of South Asia, with particular emphasis on China. --Additional Reading:1. Geopolitics in the Era of Globalisation: Mapping an Alternative Global Future  by Yogendra Kumar--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/   Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Pinaki Chakraborty, Director NIPFP, joins Carnegie India's Suyash Rai to analyze India’s fiscal responses to the pandemic. Together, they assess how India’s fiscal policy to tackle the pandemic has fared so far. What fiscal measures may be taken to boost economic output? What are some of the prominent obstacles likely to hinder these efforts?--EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSPinaki Chakraborty is the Director, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy New Delhi. Prior to this, he was the Chief-Social Policy-UNICEF, and the Chief of Field Office-UNICEF Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Since 2008, he has been Professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi. Suyash Rai is a deputy director and fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms, and the performance of public institutions in India.--Additional Reading:1. GST in India: Simple Tax in a Complex Federal System by Pinaki Chakraborty2. State Finance Commissions: How successful have they been in Empowering Local Governments? by Pinaki Chakraborty3. Many good things in Budget 2021. But wait for Modi govt to show its will, capability by Suyash Rai--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/ Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

What would a cashless India and world look like? Jonathan Dharmapalan joins Carnegie India's Rajesh Bansal to shed light on Central Bank Digital Currencies, which are meant to act as a replacement for cash. Together, they unpack what digital currencies are, and how they could affect the way we transact. --EPISODE CONTRIBUTORSAs founder and CEO of eCurrency, Jonathan Dharmapalan provides technology solutions to central banks to issue digital currencies. He was most recently Head of Ernst & Young’s Global Telecommunications Practice and Chair of its Mobile Money Office. Prior to his appointment to the global leadership role, Jonathan was Partner in Charge of EY’s Telecoms Center in Beijing, China. Rajesh Bansal leads Carnegie India's Tech & Society program to find ways in which digital financial technologies can be made more inclusive.  His research focuses on financial technologies, particularly electronic payment systems, electronic cash transfers, and digital financial services to enable inclusive development. He leads the center’s technology and society program.--Additional Reading:1. Govt can ban Bitcoin but for ‘digital rupee’ to succeed, India has to do a lot by Rajesh Bansal and Prateek Jha2. Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures by Bank of International Settlements--🎙️ Check out our podcast, Interpreting India available now on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes! Home: https://interpreting-india.simplecast...YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51yeOb8...iTunes: https://pcr.apple.com/id1476357131--Carnegie India Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carnegieindia/ (@CarnegieIndia) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarnegieIndiaWebsite: https://carnegieindia.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnegieIndia/ Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.