All Things Policy

In this episode of All Things Policy, Amit Kumar and Anushka Saxena discuss key developments and sweeping institutional reforms that took place at the Two Sessions of the 14th NPC, as well as in the follow-up 'Party and State Institutional Reform Plan' released by the CPC Central Committee

In the past year we have seen AI go from powering prediction algorithms in the background to now having seemingly intelligent conversations, answering questions, or even creating art. AI is going to transform our lives in big ways. Shailesh Chitnis and Bharath Reddy talk about where India stands in AI innovation and how can we get better at it. Reading: Rebooting AI in India — The Takshashila Institution

According to a joint report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency and the ILO, India created 8,63,000 green jobs in 2020-21. But what constitutes a green job? What kind of efforts can be made by governments, establishments, and citizens to ensure sustainable growth? Tulshe Chowdhury, Founder of Zero2Positive joins Anupriya Mohta and Sudisha Mishra to answer these questions.

Kingshuk Saha and Dr. Tripti Kumari, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Gargi College, a constituent college of Delhi University. They discuss the women in STEM, challenges, and opportunities.

Productivity as a measure is often overlooked in public discourse. Why is it important to track this metric? What are the implications of improving labour productivity for the economy?  Anupam Manur and Sarthak Pradhan join Suman Joshi to discuss this.

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.