Research Radio

The Project for Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island, a large-scale infrastructure project, is more folly than national gain. The project remains a purely commercial endeavour built on large-scale destruction of the ecologically pristine islands and the alienation of their indigenous people. In this edition of EPW Conversations, we speak with Pankaj Sekhsaria, researcher and author with th...

On this episode of Research Radio we have Sreenath V S and Mini Chandran discussing their paper To Write Was to Cense: Kāvyaśāstra and Creative Freedom in Premodern India Sreenath V S teaches at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras. Mini Chandran teaches at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kanpur.. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast...

On this episode of Research Radio we have Chakali Chandra Sekhar discussing his paper titled “ ⁠ Dalit Women and Colonial Christianity: First Telugu Bible Women as Teachers of Wisdom ”. Chakali Chandra Sekhar is currently working as a lecturer in English at SRR & CVR Govt Degree College, Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh, India. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement...

On this episode of Research Radio we have Inderjeet Parmar discussing his paper titled “ Poly Crisis or Organic Crisis?: The Crisis of the United States and the US-led World Order ”. Inderjeet Parmar teaches international politics at City, University of London. For more episodes and to listen to EPW's other podcast Supplement head to  ⁠https://www.epw.in/podcasts⁠ Subscribe to EPW to access al...

On this episode of Research Radio we have A Suresh discussing his paper titled " Reinventing Agricultural Extension System in India: The Road Ahead " which he co-authored with V K Sajesh, R N Padaria, and A K Mohanty. Dr. A Suresh is Principal Scientist and Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Ko...

On this episode of Research Radio we have Anish Tiwari discussing his paper titled “ ⁠ The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of ‘Startup India": A Review of India’s Entrepreneurship Policy ” which he co-authored with Teresa Hogan and Colm O’Gorman. Anish Tiwari is a former Marie S Curie doctoral fellow, Dublin City University, Ireland. He is currently Senior Associate at PWC, Ireland. For more epis...

On this episode of Research Radio we have Khaliq Parkar discussing his paper titled “ Platformisation, Infrastructuring, and Datafication: Regional Variations in the Digitalisation of Indian Cities ” which he co-authored with Marie-Helene Zerah and Gaurav Mittal. Khaliq Parkar is with the Centre d’études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains, américains et asiatique (CESSMA) Université Par...

In this episode of Research Radio, we have with us Sanjana Meshram and Aditya Rawat discussing conservation law in India and how it perpetuates Brahminical environmentalism. Today's discussion is based on their paper titled " Entrenching Brahminical Conservation: An Analysis of the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act ". Sanjana Meshram is a lawyer and heads the litigation team at th...

Over the past 12 years the EPW Review of Urban Affairs has tried to be a finger to the pulse of Urban Studies in India. In this special episode of Research Radio we speak with two members of the advisory group of the Review of Urban Affairs, Dr. Karen Coelho and Dr. Anant Maringanti, to look back at the RUA over the years and discuss the papers in the most recent edition. Karen Coelho is with the...

In this episode of Research Radio, we have with us Dr. Keshab Das to discuss the changing role of intermediaries in the relationship between labour and capital as Indian labour gets increasingly integrated into global production networks based on his paper " Labour Agency and Global Production Networks in India: Intermediaries—Old and New ". Dr. Keshab Das is Visiting prof at the institu...

In this episode of Research Radio, we have with us Prof. Mukul Sharma who will be discussing his work on Dalits and the environmental movement in India based on his papers titled " The Making of Moral Authority: Anna Hazare and Watershed Management Programme in Ralegan Siddhi ", " The Vrindavan Conservation Project " and " Dalits and Indian Environmental Politics ". P...

In this episode of Research Radio, we have with us Dr. Radhika Kumar, who will be discussing the changing political landscape in the ‘Jatland’ of Haryana. This discussion is based on her papers titled ‘ Saffronising 'Jatland': Mapping Shifts in the Electoral Landscape in Haryana’ , ‘ Stooping to Conquer: Jats and Reservations in Haryana ’, ‘ Why a Nationalist Rhetoric Failed the BJP in Har...

In this episode of Research Radio, we have Rajat Roy discussing his research on Dalit Political Subjectivity. In his papers titled " From Postcolonial Irony to Dalit Truth: A Perspective on Experience " and " Politics of Identity Contra Anti-caste Social Visions: The Matua Problem and Beyond ," he highlights the uniqueness of Hindu life world and the social practices of castes....

This time on Research Radio we have with us Prof. Sunil Mani for a two-part episode on COVID-19 vaccine R&D and manufacturing in the US and in India based on his Special Article titled " The Role of Industrial Policy in Market-friendly Economies: Case of COVID-19 Vaccine R&D and Its Manufacturing in India and the US—I " and " The Role of Industrial Policy in Market-friendly Economies: Case...

This time on Research Radio we have with us Prof. Sunil Mani for a two-part episode on COVID-19 vaccine R&D and manufacturing in the US and in India based on his Special Article titled " The Role of Industrial Policy in Market-friendly Economies: Case of COVID-19 Vaccine R&D and Its Manufacturing in India and the US—I " and " The Role of Industrial Policy in Market-friendly Economies: Case...

On this episode of Research Radio we have Sameer Mohite discussing his research on Caste among School Children in Maharashtra. In his  papers titled  " Critical Thinking on Caste among Schoolchildren in Maharashtra: Case Study of Two Schools in Chiplun " and " Caste amongst Schoolchildren: A Response " he discusses whether schools have been successful in encouraging children to overcome...

On this World Mental Health Day we bring you a conversation with Sudarshan Kottai on Mental Health in India and it’s entanglements with socio-cultural factors both in the provision of mental healthcare as well as within the institutions of mental health themselves. Sudarshan Kottai teaches at the Jindal School of Psychology and Counselling, OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat and has published se...

In this episode of Research Radio we speak to Tathagatan Ravindran about the rising ‘pink tide’ in Latin America based on his papers in EPW titled “ Bolivia at the Crossroads ”, “ Neo-liberal Restoration at the Barrel of a Gun: Dissecting the Racist Coup in Bolivia ”, “ Return of the Left in Bolivia: Social Movements and Popular Power ”, and “ The Left Victory in Colombia: From Resistance to Power...

In her book 'Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents' Isabel Wilkerson looks to the Indian caste system to provide the vocabulary to expose the invisible substructure underlying race in America. Wilkerson draws comparisons between Racism in America and Caste in India in the way certain logics and practices - such as purity-pollution and endogamy - are used to establish one's status, access to resour...

In this episode Atul Bhardwaj discusses his papers on Contemporary Capitalism and the 4th Industrial Revolution. The first paper titled ' Decay of Liberalism and Withering Away of the Left: Fourth Industrial Revolution ' talks about how the technology-driven revolution is fundamentally affecting the relationship between capital and labour. And how this change is driving right-wing populism across...

The FIRs filed to regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol follow a curious template in Madhya Pradesh, our guests from today’s episode found. An FIR is likely to begin with a tip from an anonymous informant. Police officers would then reach the “crime site” and find that the accused does not have the appropriate licence to sell liquor. On paper, the section they are charged under is about reg...

Although the role of Birsa Munda has been seminal in championing the Adivasi cause, his political movements and legacy have been distorted, like other prominent Indian historical figures, including B R Ambedkar and M K Gandhi. Despite misrepresentations, Birsa Munda and his politics continue to inspire not just Adivasis but also Dalits and other marginalised sections in their pursuit of attaining...

Byju’s is likely to be the first name that pops into our heads when  we think of the words online education and EdTech. While online  education was once seen with doubt, Byju’s has reported consistent  growth in users and the pandemic has given them a turbo boost. What are  the implications of EdTech companies in changing how students learn and  grow? What types of partner...

Although the role of Birsa Munda has been seminal in championing the Adivasi cause, his political movements and legacy have been distorted, like other prominent Indian historical figures, including B R Ambedkar and M K Gandhi. Despite misrepresentations, Birsa Munda and his politics continue to inspire not just Adivasis but also Dalits and other marginalised sections in their pursuit of attaining...

The recent Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, passed in the Karnataka legislative assembly that claims to combat conversion is a diabolical move by the government to provide legal cover to the majoritarian fundamentalist oppression against minorities. This podcast is based on the article “ Anti-conversion Legislation in Karnataka: BJP’s Responsible Governance or Descent in Communal Chaos? ”...