Center for New Economics Studies

In this episode of Vichaar, we spoke to Dr. Svati Shah, an anthropologist who works in the fields of migration, sexuality, gender, and caste capitalism. Dr. Shah talks to us about how we can think about queerness and migration, about the vulnerabilities and possibilities of migration for a queer person, and how can we understand the institution of family. 

In this episode, Ashika and Shiva revisit major incidents in  “India's Telecom Sector : Revisiting the” This is the second podcast from a collaboration series between CNES and ICRIER where we will be tackling India's Digital and Telecom Sector and its underpinnings. Our guest is Dr. Rajat Kathuria. He is founder member of Broadband Society for Universal Access and served on the Board of Delhi...

In this podcast, Ajoy Ashirwad provides us with clarity on the UP Assembly Elections 2022. Is BJP's support waning? Will the Samajwadi party, through its social justice promises, be able to topple the BJP government? Or will the BJP ride this anti-incumbency wave with their welfare schemes and Hindutva push? Will caste be a determinant, or will it be the only determinant, in terms of voting? Or wi...

Dr Sugandha Nagpal has a PhD in International Development. Her research work focuses on issues of migration, gender, education, urbanization and development. In her previous work, she has investigated questions of land acquisition and development, maternal health and mobile technology and sex selection in Indo-Canadian communities. In one of her more recent projects, she is working with mental hea...

In this episode of Interlinked, we talk about Philanthropy and the Social Impact space in the context of India. From historical perspectives to current technocratic models of giving and philanthropy during the Covid Pandemic, Ashika discusses the sector with our guest speaker, Ingrid Srinath. Ingrid is currently the founder Director of the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) foun...

In this episode of Umeed, Swabhimaan strikes a conversation with Dr. Akkai Padmashali, a transwoman and gender activist, with over a decade of experience in the developmental sector, to understand how heteronormativity shapes sex education for the Indian curriculum.

In this episode of Vichaar, Team Azaad Awaaz was in conversation with Mr. Sultan Ahmad, who heads the Media and Governance vertical of Gram Vaani- a platform that uses technology to develop communication platforms where people whose voices are often unheard can share their opinions, hear from each other, and build communities. Sultan speaks about his work and role in the very special community-dri...

In this episode, we interview Mr Keshav Gupta, founder of The Dias. Winner of the Karmaveer Chakra 2018, by iCONGO in Partnership with the United Nations and Global Green Schools Award at the UNGA Climate Action Week, Mr Gupta is a renowned development expert and entrepreneur. He holds a degree in law and Economics from the University of Delhi. More recently, he was featured on Tedx for his approa...

This is the first podcast from a collaboration series between CNES and ICRIER where we will be tackling India's digital and telecom sector and its underpinnings. With India hosting its first National Internet Governance Forum late last year, there have been conversations around the topic and what it means for India. In conversation with guest speaker Isha Suri, Ashika and Shiva outline the models...

In this episode of Interlinked we discuss the untapped potential of rural India for women in terms of education and opportunities. Topics like barriers in education for girls, expectations of parents and common misconception of policy makers when it comes to rural education is covered. Our guest speaker, Ashweetha is an Ashoka Youth Venturer, a Ted Speaker and an Acumen India Fellow. She holds a B...

In this episode of Interlinked, we discuss the vibrant industry of circuses with Mr. Sujit Dilip, the owner of Rambo Circus. He walks us through his journey working in a circus, the background of the artists and the innovation of the industry. We speak about the stringent legal framework laid down for the industry and the lack of empathy from the government over the years. Lastly, he tells us the...

In this episode of Inter-Linked, we speak to CNES's researchers on their recent series of fieldwork on assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of domestic workers in India.  We were joined by Richa Sekhani, Senior Research Analyst (CNES), and Research Associate at Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER); and Advaita Singh and...

In the second episode of this series on Gendered Identities in the Digital Space, we spoke to Ambika Tandon from The Centre for Internet and Society about the issue of platformisation of work and how it impacts gendered groups in our economy. Ambika Tandon is a Senior Policy Officer at CIS, where she studies the intersections of gender and technology. Her work focuses on women’s work in the digita...

For this episode, the team was in conversation with Mir Suhail, a political artist currently based out of New York, but was born and brought up in Kashmir. He talks to the team about growing up and living in an occupied territory, using art, humor, and satire as means to amplify the voices within the valley, and how his experiences led him to take a stance on different issues that plague different...

Bisou is a sustainable clothing venture that upcycles scrap fabric to create pieces that appeal to the “modern” taste. Bisou was started with the objective of preserving the art form of Jaipur hand block printing. It focuses on empowering women and local artisans economically and redefines the arena of fashion through a sustainable approach. Founded by Sachi Badaya in 2020, this clothing brand mak...

This is the first conversation in our 4-part series on ‘Gendered Identities in the Digital Space’. Prof (Dr) Lina Sonne foregrounds our understanding of accessibility, usage, and ownership of technology, and technology-enabled devices (mobile phones), to establish how women continue to be disadvantaged in this perceived gender agnostic space. This conversation primarily draws from Dr Sonne’s resea...

In this episode of Inter-Linked, we discuss the issue of whether homemakers should be paid for domestic work. We discuss the nascent political developments and weave together the arguments posed by feminist academicians on the opposite ends of the debate. We also look at why there are better alternatives to wages-for-housework in the Indian context.  For this conversation, we interviewed Mita...

Ms. Sneha Mishra, the founder of AAINA is an activist from Odisha. AAINA is an organization promoting the rights of children, women and persons with disabilities in Odisha & India and in operations for the last two decades. Ma’am is a trainer on child rights and disability rights, specifically with regards to the Prevention Of Sexual Harassment Act (POSHA) and has been serving as independent m...

In this edition of Vichaar, the team was in conversation with Miss Rajyashree Goody, a visual artist who speaks about what art has meant to her in the current socio-political context we find ourselves in, specifically with respect to Dalit History and resistance.

Solidarity Foundation is an organization based out of Bangalore and works for the dignity of sex workers, gender and sexual minorities. We interviewed Shubha Chacko, who is the Executive Director of Solidarity Foundation. She has over 15 years of experience in engagement with issues around sexuality and has been closely linked to grassroots level groups. Her three decades of work experience has be...

In this episode of Interlinked, we will unpack the recently introduced Global Minimum Tax, in terms of its working, its profound impact on developing economies, especially India and Multinational Companies in general. The plan for asserting a global minimum tax of 15% on corporates, gained public eye post the 2021 Cornwall G7 summit. Several OECD countries have also voiced their opinion in favour...

This conversation introduces us to how urban development planning can be gender inclusive. We contextualise women’s work, travelling patterns, perceptions of safety, amongst other issues, for understanding how feminist cities are the need of the hour in the post-pandemic policy planning.  We spoke to Aila Bandagi Kandlakunta, who is an urban researcher and activist. Her work focuses on gender...

In this edition of Vichaar, Team Azaad Awaaz was in conversation with Dr. Abhiroop Chowdhury about Conservation Strategies for the Sundarbans region in India. He talks to us about the importance of the Sundarbans, how and why it is unique, the challenges its local population faces and explains in detail the history of the region and the conservation projects that are being undertaken to protect it...

The horrors of the second wave that ravaged the nation acted as an eye-opener for a lot of Indians and highlighted the importance of taking the coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible. However, with the opening of vaccination for all adults in May 2021, India experienced a steep rise in demand, which was barely met by the suppliers. This mounted to a big challenge for the policymakers and an inter...

Ms. Sameedha Bhat has been associated with Paddling Foundation, an organization approaching menstruation in a gender-inclusive way. The organisation has been educating and emancipating menstruators from the fears and stigmas around menstruation. During the pandemic, Ms. Bhat has participated in a number of initiatives, where she taught and provided menstruators with menstrual hygiene products. She...