BIC TALKS

A large citizen survey was conducted in Bengaluru to better understand the everyday practices through which citizens effectively wield their rights. This is beyond conventional measures of voter turnout or generalisations about citizen participation in politics. The key takeaway is that the poor access the state through political participation and the rich through their influence and connections. It was also found that unlike the conventional celebration of participation as a citizenship-deepening activity, a substantial part of participation is associated with forms of brokerage that compromise democratic citizenship. In this episode of BIC Talks, political scientist Ashutosh Varshney presents the findings of the study and its implications for understanding the nature of urban democracy. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

It is generally believed that the indigenous vernacular education in India was oral, controlled by certain sections of the population and exclusive in nature. However, the archival data of 16,000 indigenous vernacular schools gives a very different picture. In 1813, the British Parliament earmarked 100,000 rupees a year for education in India. The colonial government did not utilise the amount. The British liberals collected the data on indigenous schools to urge the colonial government to spend on improving these schools. The data is diverse and covers the Madras, Bombay and Bengal Presidencies and North Western Provinces (Uttar Pradesh). It comprises nine linguistic groups – Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Tamil, and Telugu. It was collected between 1819 and 1838 by British officials and civilians proficient in local vernaculars. William Adam, a Sanskrit and Bengali scholar, collected the data for Bengal and Bihar. He sat in the classrooms and observed the method of teaching. So we have first-hand information on classroom practices of both Sanskrit and Bengali schools of Bengal. Many Sanskrit Pundits continued to correspond with Adam in Sanskrit long after the data collection was over. A.D. Campbell, who collected the data for the Bellary district, was proficient in both Kannada and Telugu languages. This episode of BIC Talks which took place in early July 2023, by Parimala V Rao Historian & Professor, History of Education, Jawaharlal Nehru University covers access, curriculum, textbooks, school holidays, fees charged by the teachers and the colonial policy towards them. It will also address how education became exclusive by the end of the nineteenth century. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.  

Much has been written and debated about the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. It cost more than one million Hindu, Muslim and Sikh lives and bequeathed a legacy of suspicion, hatred and hostility. For many it was a blessing, for others a tragedy. For many it meant independence and freedom, for others loss of independence and change of the masters. It left millions traumatized. The violence unleashed before, during and after the independence movement keeps recurring in various forms – most notably, as religious extremism. 75 years on, the crisis on both sides of the border is deepening. The “two nations” are still struggling to define themselves as nations. Emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 as the third nation has challenged several myths. 75 years later, the negative fallout of that legacy is all there to see. It is time to bury the hatchet and build peace. Almost everyone agrees that a strong friendly relationship between these states is essential for their progress, welfare and security of their people. In this episode of BIC Talks, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed speaks on the need for peace between India and Pakistan. This episode is adapted from an event at the BIC Premises that took place in June 2023. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Noted musician and scholar Satyasheel Deshpande, delves into and demystifies the music of his Guru, Padmavibhushan Pandit Kumar Gandharva in an illustrated talk. This rich, flavourful mehfil, in Hindi with some English, begins with a recording of Kumar Gandharva, the child prodigy, before moving on to include both speech and song that span the many facets of his musical personality and ideas as they evolved from the 1950s to 1992 when he passed away. Satyasheel Deshpande also shares anecdotes from his years with Kumar ji, who was a close friend of his father, the renowned musicologist Vamanrao Deshpande, visiting and staying at their culturally vibrant Walkeshwar home in South Mumbai along with other great musicians of the era. This episode of BIC Talks covers the following aspects of Kumar Gandharva's journey in music - Parampara, Raj-Vichar, Navsarjan, Gayaki and Bhavishya He is accompanied by his disciple and son, the performer, teacher and archivist of Hindustani Khayal music, Srijan Deshpande on vocal support and Rupak Kharvandikar on tabla. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Former Kerala health minister KK Shailaja became a global icon because of her handling of the first phase of the COVID pandemic. In her memoir, My Life as a Comrade, she tells her story – from her childhood as a shy, fearful girl, her days as a school teacher where she learnt the art of managing difficult students to her entry into politics leading to a tenure as health minister where she dealt with two terrifying epidemics. In this episode of BIC Talks she tells the story of Kerala in post-independent India – how its Communist politics shaped her family and the state, and what makes the Kerala model so remarkable. KK Shailaja is in conversation with Journalist Indulekha and writer and editor Manju Sara Rajan. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar was not only a vocalist of extraordinary calibre, she was also one of the greatest composers in Hindustani music in her era. Compositions like ‘Sahela Re Aa Mil Gaaye’, ‘Nainawa Barase’ or ‘Ganapata Vighan Harana’ have left a mark in the minds of listeners long after even Kishoritai stopped performing them. However, very few listeners may know of the vast ocean of compositions that the legend had composed, but never performed! These include not only bandishes in various ragas but also bhajans, abhangs and even ghazals! ‘Unsung Kishori’ is an attempt to bring these gems to the audience. In this episode of BIC Talks these compositions are presented by Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar, who is one of the most sought after and versatile vocalists in the country today and Kishoritai’s senior disciple. The concert includes a presentation of the various genres that Kishoritai composed, interspersed with narration by Radhika Joshi, who shares some anecdotes from Kishoritai’s musical journey. Pt. Raghunandan is accompanied by Gurumoorthy Vaidya on the Tabla and Ashwin Walawalkar on the Harmonium. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Justice BV Nagarathna reflects on the importance of key constitutional ideals and their relevance in present times, emphasizing the need for a thriving democracy. She discusses various ideals including elections, parliamentary proceedings, public debates, autonomous institutions, and free speech. She also highlights the significance of citizen-centric ideals like justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, while pointing out that there is still room for courts to recognize more rights.

The BIC series, My Guru, My Art takes an intimate look at the Guru-Shishya tradition and hopes to capture for posterity the stories of how the magic is created. Conversations between two artistes, Guru and Shishya, will explore their personal histories of learning a classical art form, sharing memories of interactions with their teachers, inspirations, influences, anecdotes of compositions and teaching moments, punctuated by music to illustrate the stories. In this episode of BIC Talks Vidushi Aditi Kaikini Upadhya and her disciple Priya Purushothaman reflect on the Guru-Shishya tradition within their rich musical parampara. Tracing back to Pandit Bhatkhande, Pandit SN Ratanjankar, and Pandit Dinkar Kaikini, this musical lineage is known for scholarship, composition, and an intentional pedagogical approach. Aditiji shares her thoughts about the nature of taalim and the rigorous training she received from her gurus, Smt Shashikala Kaikini and Pandit Dinkar Kaikini. In dialogue with Priya, she discusses her shishya’s taalim experience and how this process takes shape in the modern day.  Along with conversation and anecdotes, this episode will showcase special compositions and musical exchanges that highlight the way creative knowledge is transferred in this art form. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

The Guru-Shishya Parampara has been integral to the learning of Indian classical dance. It is a deeply immersive and rigorous tradition that holds its own even in the modern context. A profound bond forms between teacher and student, through which both a way of life, and the practice and knowledge of art, is transmitted. The Guru goes beyond merely imparting technicalities and nuances to shape and hone the Shishya’s voice and their artistic identity. The Shishya becomes part of a lineage going back to the Guru’s Gurus and carries this tradition to a new generation of artists and audiences. In this episode of BIC Talks, Pandit Vinayaka Torvi and Dhananjay Hegde discuss their artistic journeys. This event took place at the BIC premises in June 2023. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

In the third and final episode of Being a Present Parent, Gauri and Tena talk about intersectionality and feminist motherhood. They explore how class, caste and gender impact motherhood and mothering in urban Indian lives. They discuss the challenges of carrying the load of parenting and household responsibilities, how to navigate the help we in a way that promotes equity and empowerment for all involved. The Series: Parenting can be one of those challenges in life that never has any right answers. How do you enable another person to live up to their full potential in a healthy way while being mindful of their individuality and personality as well as taking care of yourself? Some have called it the ultimate crash course in adulting. A large number of us have come to understand equity, equality and feminism later in life and are finding ways to live them now, including in the way we speak and work with our children. What does feminist parenting look like? We seek answers in this three-part podcast series of BIC Talks. In this mini-series, we have Educator and Head of CSR, DXC India, Gauri Bhure Roy, and Tena Pick, Social Impact Consultant and Founder of Project Kal, taking us through the journey of feminist parenting. Gauri and Tena are co-founders of the feminist parenting collective, Parenthesis India. The third and final episode, Gauri and Tena talk about intersectionality and feminist motherhood. They explore how class, caste and gender impact motherhood and mothering in urban Indian lives. They discuss the challenge of carrying the load of parenting and household responsibilities and navigate the help we have in a way that promotes equity and empowerment for all involved. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.