All Things Policy

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent visit to India marked a new chapter in the bilateral relationship between India and Australia. Along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders suggested that the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) is in the works and are hopeful it could be finalised this year. As it has been a couple of months since the India-Australia trade agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) came into effect, Carl Jaison spoke with former Ambassador Anil Wadhwa who had authored GoI's Australia Economic Strategy (AES) during his tenure as Secretary (East) in the MEA.

The Pharmacy Council of India and All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists have opposed e-pharmacies and demanded they be banned. In this episode, Saurabh Todi and Dr. Harshit Kukreja examine the need for e-pharmacies and reasons behind their opposition.

For the fifth year in a row, India topped the world in internet shutdowns, according to an international report by Access Now and KeepItOn Coalition. Why do internet shutdowns happen in a democracy like India? What is the economic, social and academic fallout of such shutdowns?

Kingshuk Saha and Dr. Nithiyanandam Yogeswaran analyze National Geospatial Policy 2022, discussing its economic and governance potential. They explore the applications of geospatial technology in agriculture, land administration, smart cities, and banking. The podcast also delves into the strengths and challenges of the policy, its use in transparency and capacity building, and the importance of private sector involvement in the geospatial ecosystem.

The first week of March is always key to the Chinese political calendar, with the beginning of the Two Sessions. The annual NPC and CPPCC meetings help frame the key policy priorities for the Party and state each year. So what’s been going on at the Two Sessions this year? Listen to this discussion between Anushka Saxena and Manoj Kewalramani.

Talking about sex is taboo in India. This means schools don't teach students about reproduction, contraception, and consent. In this episode of All Things Policy, Leah Govias and Harshit Kukreja discuss  Sexual Education, its need, the effects, and the way forward.

In this episode of All Things Policy, Amit Kumar quizzes Anushka Saxena on the reforms of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the relevance and scope of the PLA's military drills and power projection at home and abroad, and lessons for India.

World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative estimates that around 850 million people in the world do not have official legal identification. That is not to say the rest of the 7 billion are covered under robust identification systems. Lack of identification leads to denial of services, benefits, and opportunities. In this episode, Shrikrishna Upadhyaya and Ritul Gaur (IIC Fellow, MEITY) speak to Jonathan Marskell (Senior Program Officer, ID4D) on ID4D initiatives around promoting Digital IDs. They discuss the potential of digital ID systems to become digital public goods and the principles of identification for sustainable development.

Have you ever tried to subscribe to something on an international platform only to find that your Indian credit or debit card gets declined? It’s been over a year since RBI’s mandate on recurring payments kicked in, but there are still issues in processing some payments. Shrikrishna Upadhyaya and Bharath Reddy discuss the recurring payments nightmare

The Censor Board in India enjoys a wide remit of powers to not only certify films but also demand cuts and modifications in movies and even refuse certification. It has come under criticism for hampering freedom of expression, demanding unreasonable cuts in movies and infantalising audience choices.