All Things Policy

The 16th century saw the emergence of famous Rajput aristocratic households such as the Sisodias of Mewar - but it also saw the career of remarkable military entrepreneurs from relatively humble backgrounds, such as Silhadi of Raisen.

A government’s responsiveness to citizen’s preferences is dependent on a host of factors. In this episode, Suman Joshi and Sarthak Pradhan, discuss the dynamics between the three agents - politicians, bureaucrats, and citizens

Biobanks, which are repositories of human biological materials, will shape the future of life science research. This means India needs laws to govern biobanks, that address issues like ethics, data protection, and consent.

The Apple v Epic Games lawsuit recently culminated in a 185-page judgment that has implications for the future of in-app purchases on the App Store.

Over the last three months, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has appointed several new generals in the People’s Liberation Army. The head of the Western Theatre Command, which is responsible for India, has been changed four times in just the past year.

The Tibetan Plateau is one of Asia's most important geopolitical regions, and it has shaped the history and culture of the continent in deep and abiding ways.

The discussion traces the trajectory of the MSP regime from its origins to the multiple market failures it has caused.

In this episode, Sridhar Krishna and Aarushi Kataria talk about the origin of cities, how cities help create new jobs, and how new cities can be created

With its chaotic exit from Afghanistan, the US finds itself in the same camp as the British in the early nineteenth century and the Soviets in the late twentieth century.

tish Padhy talks to Arjun Gargeyas about why the report ought to be a wake up call for collective action by states in the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

The Havana Syndrome was recently back in the news when US Vice President Kamala Harris had to postpone her flight to Hanoi due to suspected cases.

In recent times, there have been apprehensions about the future of democracy. In this episode, Apurva and Sarthak talk about the factors and circumstances that might breed support for democracies.

In a renewed antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that Facebook used anticompetitive acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp to further its monopoly power.

Trilateral engagement between Russia, India and Japan is emerging, with Pacific Russia and the Russian Far East at its centre.

Every year, hundreds of clay sculptures of horses, cows, and bulls are dedicated across Tamil Nadu to the god Ayyanar.

The first amendment of India’s Constitution allowed the right to freedom of speech and expression to be “reasonably restricted”.

Jobs that are being created today are increasingly technical and tend to require some degree of specialised skill. Without these skills, even the ‘created’ jobs will remain vacant.

Trading in stocks, funds, cryptocurrency and other financial assets has been made super easy by smartphone-based apps.

During the Cold War, the USSR was a pioneering space power, and its successor state the Russian Federation has inherited much of its grandeur and capabilities.

Arjun Gargeyas, Research Analyst with Takshashila’s High-Tech Geopolitics programme, wrote an article about 5Gi

A Takshashila Institution discussion document proposes the creation of an Indian National Epidemic Intelligence Service. Ruturaj Gowaikar and Shambhavi Naik discuss the role of such an organisation and how it would work.

Arjun Gargeyas talks about the fascinating history of vaccine mandates and discusses the ways in which India can implement them in a manner that is viable and ethical.

Since the early days of the pandemic, parents have been taking some comfort from the fact that SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to cause serious illness in children than it is in adults.

Anirudh Kanisetti takes us through the birth of the Kakatiya dynasty, its extraordinary rise, and its violent fall.

Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to food blogger Sujata Shukla about how the arrival of new crops from the Americas, often brought by Europeans, transformed Indian eating habits.