All Things Policy

Lant Pritchett has described India as "flailing state", one where the limbs are not in sync with the head and the outcomes sought are not delivered. Sridhar Krishna talks to Bharat Reddy on how AI can be used to bridge the gap in state capacity and help Indians get the goods and services they desire from the government. Readings: Why does the Indian state both fail and succeed? By Devesh Kapur Is India a flailing state? By Lant Pritchett Breaking the Mould by Raghuraman Rajan and Rohit Lamba

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has released regulations on studying the Party's history. It outlines the key objectives and principles embedded in the newly introduced regulations, emphasising the need for regular, long-term study of the Party’s history. Comprising six chapters and 34 articles, the document outlines general principles, leadership structures, responsibilities, content, and methods for the study of the Party's history. In this episode of All Things Policy, Rakshith Shetty quizzes Manoj Kewalramaani on the History Learning Regulations by the Party. Manoj also talks about the key objectives of the regulation and, on a broader scale, explains why history and historical narratives matter to the Party.

Recently, the Karnataka government fixed uniform kilometre-based fares for all types of cabs plying in the state. In this light, Saurabh Todi speaks to Anupam Manur, Assistant Professor, Takshashila Institution, on the consequences of this policy.

The 2024 Munich Security Conference has recently concluded on February 18, and key discussions surrounded both traditional and non-traditional security issues such as China's military capabilities, the Russia-Ukraine war, leaps in technology, and climate change. In this episode of All Things Policy, Anushka Saxena quizzes Manoj Kewalramani on the important insights from the Conference, and what they say about Europe's vision for its own role in the contemporary global order. Manoj also discusses China's role at the Conference, highlighting key aspects of Wang Yi's statements, especially during his bilateral meetings with representatives from the US, UK and Ukraine.

Music has played a complimentary role in all our lives. In this tuneful episode, Malathi Renati has a chat with Lakshmy Iyer, a music exponent in carnatic classical, veena and musical whistling. They talk about the importance of music education from primary to higher education and touch upon its resonating impact across a wide spectrum of areas from learning difficulties and therapy to neurological conditions like Alzheimer's and post trauma care.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Anushka Saxena interviews Kerry Brown, professor of China studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London, on the nature and drivers of Chinese Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping. Professor Brown shares keen insights on everything – from how Xi's supposed "all-powerful" authority manifests itself in policymaking, to the fundamental factors underpinning US-China and EU-China relations in the past few years. He also answers in brief the million-dollar question – "Why does the Taiwan issue matter?" Tune in for a deep dive into the making of Chinese foreign policy in the contemporary world order, and do keep an eye out for Prof. Brown's upcoming book, "Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island that will Dictate our Future".

Article 23 of India's constitution allows the union government to mandate conscription to secure the nation’s interest and public well-being. There are various social as well as political arguments on why we should or should not enforce such conscription, but what would either option mean for India's contemporary security approach? Should the military focus on officers' quantity or quality, or on technological advancements instead? Tune in with Ananya Desai as she speaks to Aditya Ramanathan about the possibility of mandatory conscription in India's present context.

Exploring India's demographics, the podcast discusses the government's methods for population control, the formation of a committee to study demographic challenges, the changes in India's population growth, and the importance of demographic considerations in resource development.

Technologies like Solar PVs have become critical to enabling shifts towards the use of more renewable energy. In this episode, Anushka Saxena quizzes Amit Kumar on the supply chains of the solar PVs, and China's role in it. Amit also highlights the key factors behind China's dominance of the supply chains.

The Quad's rise as a strategic grouping has received much attention in recent years. In this episode of All Things Policy, Bharat Sharma hosts Arzan Tarapore, a Research Scholar at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation, to discuss what binds the grouping today, where the Quad countries stand in relation to China, and the Quad's prospects in the Indian Ocean Region. In this vein, challenges to greater cooperation are also discussed. This episode is part of a series of podcasts on understanding the Quad’s role in the Indo-Pacific, where we host experts, analysts and scholars working on the Quad. Stay tuned for more!