As the relations between India and Canada hit an all time low, here is a brief history about Sikh Immigration to Canada --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

Slipping on a banana peel is a cliché, a vintage vaudeville gag. But its origins weren’t just slapstick comedy. Before it became a comedy trope, banana peels menaced New Yorkers for decades. This is how bad the trash situation was in the early 1900s. Today, all we need to do is segregate waste and the trucks comes to pick it up certain days of the week like clockwork. But how did we get here? Thats exactly what I am going to talk about with my guests today. We have Patricia Strach and Kathleen Sullivan, authors of the book “politics of trash” on the show Today. Patricia is a professor in the Departments of Political Science and Public Administration & Policy at the state university of New York at Albany and Kathleen is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio university. Both experts in the field of political science public policy and law. Support my work at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shortcastovercoffee About Patricia and Kathleen https://www.ohio.edu/cas/sullivak https://www.albany.edu/rockefeller/faculty/patricia-strach https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501766985/the-politics-of-trash/ Reach out to the author at @bala_devarajan on Twitter or https://www.instagram.com/bala.deva06/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

Today we have a very special guest who is inspiring thousands across India to rethink how we manage waste. My guest is none other than Vani Murthy, aka "Worm Rani." On Instagram. Vani's unlikely journey from homemaker to an environmentalist began a decade ago. While visiting the massive landfill on the outskirts of Bangalore, she was moved by the millions of tons of rotting garbage. Vani vowed never to let her household waste end up in the landfill again. Through tireless trial and error, she mastered the art of composting at home using simple bins. Vani recognized that wet organic waste makes up the bulk of what we throw away. But left to fester in landfills, it releases dangerous greenhouse gases and leachate that pollutes soil and water. As waste generators, she urges, we must take responsibility to compost kitchen scraps and avoid these harms. In her 40s, after living as a traditional homemaker, Vani stepped out of her comfort zone into community activism. She led campaigns on waste segregation and helped catalyze major policy changes in Bangalore. But it was through social media that Vani discovered her true calling to inspire young people. Under her handle "Worm Rani," Vani shares practical, good-humored videos on Instagram that have gained her over 200,000 followers. She says some 70% are under 30, the generation she hopes most to impact. With authenticity and excitement, Vani motivates young people to reduce plastic usage, make natural cleaners, take up gardening, and turn food waste into black gold through composting. In turn, Vani says she gains energy from the feedback loop with her young green-minded fans. She especially enjoys connecting with college students who are receptive to lifestyle changes. Her informal tone and use of classic rock songs also help Vani stand out from traditional lecturers. At 60 years old, Vani proves that social media holds power to catalyze change when used consciously. She is living proof that ordinary citizens can have an outsized impact by inspiring others. More on Vani https://www.instagram.com/wormrani/ https://www.swmrt.com/ Reach out to the host https://www.instagram.com/bala.deva06/?hl=en Support https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shortcastovercoffee --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

I talk about the origin of Google Maps and how people navigated in sparsely populated countries like US and Australia pe-GPS era Support me here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shortcastovercoffee https://venmo.com/u/shortcastovercoffee --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

Murali Neelakantan, former Global General Counsel at Cipla, discusses the poor quality of manufacturing sites in the Indian pharmaceutical industry and the need for stricter regulation. Topics include the use of fillers in tablets, controversies surrounding generic prescriptions, lack of scientific basis for Ayurvedic products, and lack of accountability in vaccine-related deaths. The podcast also explores the disparities in regulations between the US and EU regarding chemicals in processed food.

In this podcast, Murali Neelakantan, a graduate of NLSIU and a pioneer in the legal field, discusses the history and perception of court summer vacations in India, challenges of government litigation, digitization efforts, funding and ethics in Indian law, and the need for more academic involvement in shaping the law.

Today my guest is standup comedian GK. He is not just a standup comedian though; he is a full time engineer and a part time theater artist and movie maker based out of the Bay Area in California. In this episode I will talk to him about his journey to standup comedy and his recent venture, Bldg 18 comedy club, where GK, along with other co-founders, offers a great platform for budding comics. More about GK https://www.instagram.com/gkthecomic/ https://twitter.com/GKtheComic Do checkout https://www.instagram.com/bldg18comedy/ on Instagram! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

My guest today is Mohit Satyanand. Mohit is an entrepreneur and investor among many many other things. He founded several successful companies including the major snack food brand Crax and Teamwork Arts which produces prestigious arts festivals including the Jaipur Literature festival. He is a consultant and policy expert who is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the think-tank Liberty Institute. Mohit has a strong interest in education and macroeconomics policy. He is an avid mountain lover and lifelong trekker, bicycling enthusiast and and actor. About Mohit https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/speaker/mohit-satyanand-3437 https://substack.com/@mohitsatyanand --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

My guest today Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma. Varmaji as his students love to call him, has gained worldwide recognition for his mastery of classical singing and veena skills. He has given performances at many prestigious venues around the world. The clarity of his tones and precise articulation of lyrics are striking features of his singing. Additionally, he is renowned for narrating intriguing backstories, anecdotes, and elucidating the verses of ragas and compositions during his shows More about Rama Varma https://www.youtube.com/@musiquebox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswathi_Thirunal_Rama_Varma --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support

My guest today is chief Tim Chavez from the State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also called Calfire. As many of you would know Wildfires are a major threat in California, especially during the hot, dry summer and fall months. Massive wildfires frequently break out across the state, burning hundreds of thousands of acres. These intense fires are difficult to contain and often cause tremendous damage. Chief Chavez has been with Calfire for over 40 years and has huge amount of experience with putting off challenging fires like the camp fire in 2018. He is a legend in his field and its my honor to have him on the show. In this episode I will talk to Chief Chavez about his own journey as a firefighter, how technology has helped Calfire , major learning from recent fires in California and what we as a society should learn from them. More info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/ https://www.instagram.com/calfire/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/CALFIRE/ https://twitter.com/CAL_FIRE --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/balakrishnan-devarajan/support