All Things Policy

What are the challenges in developing a vaccine for Covid-19? How soon can we have one? And what if there is none? Shambhavi Naik and Sunila Dixit join Aditya Ramanathan to talk about the treacherous path to a safe and effective vaccine.

Many accounts of the Cold War accept the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). But did leaders and policymakers actually believe in MAD? And if they did, why did they engage in dangerous arms races? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan

The spread of misinformation has complicated the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the misinformation ecosystem has thrived on both the novelty of the virus and pre-existing social biases. In this episode,

The COVID outbreak has resulted in shortages of key PPE and medical equipment. Building a strategic reserve of these could help encourage indigenous manufacturing, lower prices, and prepare India for possible future waves of the pandemic. Shambhavi Naik d

"Every crisis is also an opportunity," the old saying goes. Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane have some ideas on when that actually happens - and what opportunities India has during the COVID-19 pandemic.

China claims its military has been unscathed by the novel coronavirus pandemic despite being part of the containment effort. Could this claim be true? Aditya Ramanathan talks to Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the

Less than a year ago, the social media giants claimed that moderating content online was an arduous task. Yet, under the shadow of Covid-19, these companies are successfully removing misinformation from their sites.

Foreign investment will be critical to reviving the Indian economy as the threat from Covid-19 retreats. At the same time, there's concern about foreign entities picking up undervalued Indian assets.

As India prepares to ease lockdown restrictions and restore economic activity, most epidemiological models expect there to be fresh waves of infection over the coming months.

The Bengal Famine was one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern Indian history. What caused the famine and can it tell us how to handle a pandemic today? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan talks to Anirudh Kanisetti and Sarthak Pradhan about a tim

The end of the nation-wide lockdown will inevitably force the union government to spend more money on healthcare and economic recovery. But is there money to spend? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane estimate the amount of cash required

Indian authorities have imposed price caps on face masks and sanitisers. Private labs have been told to conduct Covid-19 tests for free. While these measures may be well-meaning, they don't work, and are already leading to disastrous shortages. Anirudh

While India has a transparent nuclear doctrine, its nuclear arsenal is almost a black box to outsiders. Are India's existing nuclear weapons sufficient to deter China? And does India need ICBMs at all? In this episode, Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS ta

Who is to blame for Covid-19? It depends on who you ask, and it might depend on which country's information operations they have been exposed to on social media. As hashtags duke it out on Twitter, Anirudh Kanisetti speaks to Manoj Kewalramani and Prateek

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a pause in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The movement, however, continues to command public support and friction is likely to continue in the long run.

The Medical Council of India has announced guidelines for the practice of telemedicine by registered doctors. Can telemedicine help shield frontline healthcare workers during a viral outbreak?

How should military leaders report difficult truths up the chain of command? As the coronavirus spread on board an American aircraft carrier, its captain sent a strongly-worded letter to his superiors that was leaked to the press.

Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been dealing with the global pandemic in their own ways. In this episode, Anand Arni, Pranay Kotasthane and Suyash Desai talk about how India's neighbours have responded and the role of SAARC and BIMSTEC in facilita

Did the WHO mishandle the SARS-Cov-2 outbreak? Should it have raised the alarm earlier and declared it a pandemic? Suyash Desai and Nischitha Suresh tell Manoj Kewalramani why believe the WHO messed up and how states use international organizations f

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty turned 50 this year. But its landmark review conference this year has been postponed because of the global pandemic. Anirudh Kanisetti talks to Aditya Ramanathan and Pranav RS about treaty's contested past and uncertai

The past six years have witnessed phenomenal growth in Chinese private sector investment in India. So which sectors have gained the most? How does this impact the Sino-Indian relationship? And what are the regulatory challenges that this trend poses? Mano

What will India's economy look like at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic? What should the union and state governments do to limit the damage and aid a recovery? In this episode, Anupam Manur and Nitin Pai discuss a plan to kickstart growth once the smoke

How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted China’s economy? Are we likely to see a swift recovery or a lengthy period of stops and starts? And what’s likely to be the impact on the global trading order? Manoj Kewalramani discusses all this and more with the

Why do we know so little about how the coronavirus pandemic is hurting Pakistan? In this episode, Pranay Kotasthane, Sarthak Pradhan and Sakshi Arora discuss Takshashila's new strategic assessment of Covid-19's impact on Pakistan, and the poli

The Russia-Saudi face-off on oil production combined with the global pandemic has sent crude prices plunging. What's the global impact of low energy prices and what can India do? Anupam Manur, Anirudh Kanisetti and Aditya Ramanathan discuss.