The Pragati Podcast

Ep. 01: What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been

23 min 39 sec

Welcome to the first episode of The Pragati Podcast. As Pragati relaunches, editor Amit Varma gets together with founder Nitin Pai and frequent contributor Pavan Srinath to discuss the changes in the political landscape in the last 10 years. How has...

Ep. 02: The Answer is Tourism

16 min 52 sec

The American economist Alex Tabarrok, who is in Mumbai these days, feels that tourism could be Indias leading export sector. In his piece in Pragati, Let the World In , he discusses some of the reforms India needs to carry out to make this...

Ep. 03: Budgets at Home and Military Ops Abroad

45 min 5 sec

The first full Pragati Podcast covers everything from swimming pools in Udupi to Indian military adventures in West Africa. As the budget season comes to a close, Pavan Srinath, Hamsini Hariharan and Amit Varma discuss the importance of state...

Ep. 04: Right wing, left wing or wrong wing?

40 min 50 sec

Left or right Liberal or conservative Paper or plastic Political identities and political labels are becoming popular these days, when someone is describing themselves or labeling someone else. Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan discuss what these...

Ep. 05: The Illicit Episode

43 min 50 sec

Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan catch up on some reading while the hullaballoo of the GST and the One Belt, One Road Project reverberates in the background. Then, Devanghsu Datta joins them to talk about when why they cant host the podcast...

Ep. 06: Till Divorce do Us Part

40 min 51 sec

In the sixth episode of The Pragati Podcast, Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan talk about where the jobs have gone, the crackdown on conjunctions at World Bank, civil military relations and Shuajiao Baba. In the second half, Pavan sits down with...

Ep. 07: Ms. Robot, I Have a Doubt

28 min 6 sec

Not sure which TV show to pick up next In the 7th episode of the Pragati Podcast, Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath discuss a number of shows that break down American and British politics. In the second half they are joined by Amit Varma and Ramez...

Ep. 08: ISRO, Indian Ocean and Infrastructure

43 min 14 sec

Will ISRO be relevant in ten years Will Britain give up its last colony in the Indian Ocean How should India think Chinas infrastructure projects In the eighth episode of the The Pragati Podcast, Hamsni Hariharan and Pavan Srinath swap news from...

Ep. 09: Of Tax Reforms and Secularism

46 min 13 sec

Have the photos of food on your timeline been replaced by photos of bills In the ninth episode of The Pragati Podcast, Hamsini Hariharan sits down with Anupam Manur, Research Fellow at the Takshashila Institution to break down the Goods and Services...

Ep. 10: Terms and Conditions Apply

38 min 8 sec

Do you own your data What do you give up every time you sign up for something new on the interweb In the 10th episode of the Pragati Podcast, Hamsini Hariharan discusses what a new law on data protection could look like with Rahul Matthan and Manasa...

Ep. 11: The sky is falling! IT is imploding!

40 min 39 sec

How do the recent job losses in the IT industry impact the economy Did Nawaz Sharif really lose prime ministership over a font Whats with the inflation targeting mechanisms In the first half of the 11th episode, Hamsini Hariharan and Anupam Manur...

Ep. 12: Kautilya's Legacy

43 min 14 sec

How can cities protect their heritage when growing rapidly Why is India deporting 40,000 refugees How should we think of the trajectory of Indias foreign policy All of this in the twelveth episode of the Pragati Podcast where Pavan Srinath and...

Ep. 13: Floods, Pyjama-Laadi and Mandarin Classes

40 min 12 sec

How do we stop urban flooding year after year What is this mysteriously named pyjamalaadi scheme Why should more Indians learn Mandarin Youll find all this and more in episode 13 of the Pragati Podcast, where Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan...

Ep. 14: Kabuliwaala, Trump and the GDP

40 min 49 sec

Is the Indian economy doing alright Is it suffering from something worse than the painful effects of demonetization Is 2017 the beginning of a new chapter between India and Afghanistan Did Trump actually say something good for a change Youll find...

Ep. 15: Sand, Sanitation and Subsidies

47 min 50 sec

Can we use sand in India without having to deal with a sand mafia Why do Indians have toilets at home, but defecate outside And does anyone ever use a toilet for health reasons Thejaswi Udupa and Nidhi Gupta join hosts Pavan Srinath and Hamsini...

Ep. 16: The Perfidy of Parking

21 min 8 sec

Why should Indian cities consider paid parking as a solution to improve traffic Should curbside parking be priced In this episode of of the Pragati Podcast, hosts Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan discuss the practicalities of paid parking in...

Ep. 17: Who Moved My Science?

33 min 43 sec

While India has successfully sent a mission to Mars and has a globally competitive tech sector back home, we still struggle to do great scientific research in the country. In this episode of the Pragati Podcast, Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan...

Ep. 18: All Quiet on the Western Front?

16 min 27 sec

With the impeachment of Pakistani President Nawaz Sharif and Indias preoccupation with the Doklam standoff, little of the national mindspace is being occupied by Pakistan. To weigh in on current relations with our western neighbour, Ambassador TCA...

Ep. 19: Catch up! Parking for Pollution & Asian Quadrilaterals

26 min 58 sec

Delhi has introduced high parking fees to combat pollution, but is it really helping After a decade, the IndiaUSJapanAustralia quadrilateral is getting revived. What does that mean for India in Asia This week, Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath...

Ep.20: The GDP: From World War I to Today

36 min 33 sec

What is the GDP, and why is the world so obsessed with GDP growth We associate human wellbeing with growth in the GDP but are there better measures And what do the two World Wars and the rise of Hitler have to do with this This episode of the...

Ep.21: Kill the hospital, save the patient?

40 min 49 sec

Doctors protesting across Karnataka. Price controls on private medical care. Kangaroo courts for errant doctors. Missing patient empowerment. All from an eventful November. Episode 21 of the Pragati podcast dives into the politics and economics of...

Ep.22: Death by Taxes

28 min 24 sec

Is taxation theft Is the government of India any better than Gabbar Singh Why do Indian actors pretend to be farmers Tune in episode 22 of the Pragati podcast to find out. Hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath are joined by Pranay Kotasthane...

Ep.23: What's Happened to Al Qaeda?

26 min 1 sec

What has Al Qaeda been up to since Osama What happens in India and the subcontinent after the Islamic State falls What does Bollywood director Vishal Bharadwaj have to do with all this In Episode 23 of the Pragati Podcast, Hamsini Hariharan and...

Ep.24: Editing Our Genes

29 min 44 sec

What does it mean to edit someones genes Is Malaria in its last days What is CRISPR, if not a startup that makes chips and are guests on Episode 24 of the Pragati podcast to they explain the recent revolution in gene editing. Cures for blood...

Ep 25: The 2017 Kim Jong Awards

46 min 42 sec

Ideas are stubborn, and bad ones even more so. In North Korea, the Kim family used bad economic ideas with a heavy role for the government, no rule of law, and no economic freedoms. This kept them in abject poverty and hunger, as they suffered...

Ep. 26: The Cholas: Conquerors of Oceans

25 min 27 sec

Is it true that the Indian civilisation never attempted to conquer anything beyond the subcontinent Did Indian and the Chinese courts establish diplomatic relations as early as the 10th century How did trade transform coastal cities in Medieval...

Ep. 27: The Supreme Court in Crisis

36 min 14 sec

Why did four senior judges of the Supreme Court hold a press conference Why are they complaining about the Chief Justice of India Can we expect judicial reforms in 2018 Harish Narsappa of and Alok Prasanna Kumar of talk to hosts and about...

Ep. 28: Looking East on Republic Day

25 min 32 sec

Why do we have ten guests of honour for the Republic Day Parade instead of one How do domestic policy and politics affect Indias foreign policy How should India improve relations with countries in SouthEast Asia On episode 28 of the Pragati...

Ep. 29: Firing On The Line Of Control

43 min 59 sec

How serious are ceasefire violations Why do they happen How can India end this cycle of violence Ceasefire violations have become part and parcel of the IndoPacific relationship. In January 2018 alone, there were more than 100 ceasefire...

Ep. 30: Power plays in the Indo-Pacific

56 min 16 sec

Weve heard of hard power, soft power and smart power, but what is this new sharp power What are the major changes in the global order that we should watch out for How can middle powers that are neither here nor there cope Rory Medcalf of...

Ep. 31: The Shades of Social Credit

30 min 21 sec

Is Black Mirror unfolding in real life What is this social credit system Is an Orwellian dystopia unfolding in China In episode 31 of the Pragati Podcast, Manoj Kewalramani joins Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath to discuss how the social credit...

Ep. 32: Should We Pay for the Kaveri?

40 min 49 sec

Is Bangalore going to run out of water in a couple of years How should Tamil Nadu and Karnatake share the Kaveri Should we start paying for water In episode 32 of the Pragati Podcast, Nitin Pai joins Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan to discuss...

Ep. 33: No More Big Brother

24 min 41 sec

Should India always put its neighbourhood first Was Nehrus foreign policy idealist or realist How should we think of external powers acting in the the Indian subcontinent In Episode 33 of The Pragati Podcast, Constantino Xavier joins Hamsini...

Ep. 34: Liberty and a Free Society

41 min 30 sec

In this episode, well be doing something a little different. Well be talking about ideas, values and labels. The word Liberal has become a slur in India, but it stands for something more. What does it mean when we say that the Pragati magazine is...

Ep. 35: Biohackers and Protesting Farmers

29 min 41 sec

Why were farmers marching on Mumbai Can China become the hub of medical tourism for the next generation of treatments Are there new dangers to democracy in the Indian subcontinent In Episode 35 of The Pragati Podcast, Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan...

Ep. 36: The Kangaroo-Dragon Affair

29 min 38 sec

Ties between Australia and China are coming under strain because of worries about political funding, Chinese students, and ample amounts of rhetoric. In Episode 36 of The Pragati Podcast, Dr Richard Rigby joins Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath to...

Ep. 37: Why is Talk Radio missing in India?

28 min 5 sec

Is it illegal to do the Pragati podcast on radio Why do large Indian cities have so few FM stations, and why do they all sound the same In Episode 37 of the Pragati Podcast,Amit Doshi joins host Pavan Srinath to talk about talk radio...

Ep. 38: A Hundred Billion Dollar Hole

27 min 16 sec

Why are Indian banks in so much trouble Why have so many of their loans gone bad How can the Government of India plug a 100B hole in the banking sector In Episode 38 of the Pragati podcast, hosts Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan are joined by...

Ep. 39: Of Jesters and Stand-Up Comics

32 min 12 sec

Are comedians doing the job of journalists Can the wrong joke land you in jail in India And can the right joke change the nations politics In Episode 39 of the Pragati podcast, the very funny Rohan Joshi and Joel Pereira of comedy group AIB join...

Ep. 40: A Six-Trillion-Dollar Goal

47 min 5 sec

What does the Indian economy look like, in 2018 Does India have the institutions to manage a 6 Trillion economy in a few years How have we done on continuing to reform governance in the country In Episode 40 of the Pragati podcast, banker and...

Ep. 41: India-US Bhai Bhai

40 min 9 sec

Have we finally arrived on the global stage How should the United States change the way it approaches India What are the gaps in the IndoUS relationship In Episode 41, Alyssa Ayres joins Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan to talk about how to...

Ep. 42: Sovereignty: From the Cholas to Wakanda

55 min 12 sec

What does it mean when India is considered a Sovereign Republic How do refugee crises like the Rohingya crisis affect sovereignty And what can Wakanda and Black Panther teach us about it International affairs and law expert Ameya Naik joins hosts...

Ep. 43: The Rockets' Red Glare

46 min 46 sec

What connects the American national anthem with battles fought in Mysore Did Mysore have a secret weapon on its side against the British What was military innovation like in South India on the eve of the Industrial revolution Ram Ganesh Kamatham...

Ep. 44: The Art of the Deal

27 min 50 sec

Walmart buys Flipkart. Trump backs out of the Iran Nuke deal. Trump bats for a North Korea Nuke Deal. Hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath round up the news from India and around the world. You can read the Iran nuclear deal withdrawal article by...

Ep. 45: The Magic Number to Elections

37 min 1 sec

What is the answer to the ultimate question of politics, elections and voting Karthik Shashidhar joins hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath to discuss election polling, what works and what doesnt. Karthik Shashidhar is a management consultant,...

Ep. 32: Rebroadcast : Should We Pay for the Kaveri?

25 min 14 sec

Is Bangalore going to run out of water in a couple of years How should Tamil Nadu and Karnatake share the Kaveri Should we start paying for water In episode 32 of the Pragati Podcast, Nitin Pai joins Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan to discuss...

Ep. 46: You're Scaring the Nipah Out of Me!

27 min 27 sec

What is the story behind the Nipah virus that has claimed 16 lives in Kerala Where did it come from How can we prevent it Dr Shambhavi Naik joins hosts Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan to discuss the nittygritties of this new disease. If you...

Ep. 47: My Rupee, My Pride

47 min 57 sec

The Rupee tumbles to 68 against the US dollar. Will the dollar breach the 70rupee mark this year Does a weak rupee mean a weak economy In this episode of the Pragati Podcast, Economist Anupam Manur joins hosts Pavan Srinath and Hamsini Hariharan to...

Ep. 48: 20 Million Jobs

51 min 32 sec

Does India really need to create 20 million jobs a year How well are we doing now In Episode 48 of The Pragati Podcast, economistAnupam Manur joins hostsPavan Srinath andHamsini Hariharan to help size up the most pressing...

Ep. 24: (Rebroadcast) Editing Our Genes

29 min 45 sec

What does it mean to edit someones genes Is Malaria in its last days What is CRISPR, if not a startup that makes chips Shambhavi Naik and Madhav Chandavarkar are guests on Episode 24 of the Pragati podcast to they explain the recent...

Ep. 49: The Rightness of Rights

47 min 34 sec

Is a negative right a positive idea Why is a Right to Education problematic, but a Right to Information perfectly alright In Episode 49 of the Pragati Podcast, Yazad Jal joins hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath to discuss negative and...

Ep. 50: Eminence Before Institution

35 min 40 sec

Jio Institute. Eminence tags for only IITs Bombay and Delhi, not Chennai and Kanpur. Elections in Pakistan, after Nawaz Sharif failed to become the first ever Prime Minister to have served a full term in office. This is the 50th episode of the Pragati...

Ep. 51: A Tale of Two Nukes: Iran (Part 1)

39 min 48 sec

Why did Trump sign a nuclear deal with North Korea, while bailing out of a deal with Iran Is it just Trump being Trump Or is there more to the story In Episode 51 of the Pragati Podcast, lawyer and analystAmeya Naik joins...

Ep. 52: A Tale of Two Nukes: North Korea (Part 2)

31 min 6 sec

If Donald Trump wants to denuclearise the Korean peninsula, how come he met with Little Rocket Man In June Why does it seem like the world has forgotten the nuclear nonproliferation treaty In the second of a twopart series,Ameya...

Ep. 53: Privacy 1.0 to 3.0

44 min 34 sec

Did walls create privacy, and is the internet going to destroy it Is Privacy a western idea, being imported to India Rahul Matthan, author of Privacy 3.0, is a guest in this twoepisode special on privacy and data protection on the Pragati...

Ep. 54: Privacy for 21st Century India

1 hr 7 min 48 sec

Did Pakistan get a privacy law before India Whats a data protection law, and how is that different from a privacy law Rahul Matthan, author of Privacy 3.0, is a guest in this twoepisode special on privacy and data protection on the Pragati...

Ep. 55: I'm not a Data Subject, but a Data Principal!

48 min 23 sec

The Government of India is trying to create the first ever law to protect your personal data and information. The Justice Srikrishna Committee has come out with a draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018. So whats it the data protection bill all...

Ep. 56: A Brave New World Order

50 min 44 sec

Everyone from Henry Kissinger and Donald Trump to Solomon Lane in the newMission Impossible movie cares about the the end of the old world order. What is a world order How is it changing Most importantly, what should India be doing about it...

Ep. 57: Let My Nation Awake

15 min 48 sec

What does nationalism mean How far has India come since 1947 What about the Indian nation gives you hope and despair On this Independence Day Special of The Pragati Podcast, Nitin Pai and Aakash Singh Rathore join hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan...

Ep. 58: A Thin Svaraj

33 min 31 sec

If Swaraj is your birthright, do you have it What does Swaraj even mean Do we have different concepts of selfrule And how do we even spell the word sva or swa Aakash Singh Rathore joins hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath to discuss his...

Ep. 59: Trump's New Washington DC

34 min 46 sec

Its been almost two years since Donald Trump was elected the President of the United States of America. What has happened to the Washington DC ecosystem since then In Episode 59, Soren Dayton joins hosts Hamsini Hariharan and Pavan Srinath to...

Ep. 60: The Indian Rupee in a Turkish Bath

45 min 21 sec

How do actions by President Erdoan in Turkey affect the Indian rupee What is the emerging market crisis that business channels keep talking about How does changing geopolitics in the Middle East affect everyone from Brazil to China to Pakistan...

Ep. 61: The Many Indian Genomes

44 min 47 sec

It is time to talk about the many Indian Genomes, and the great genetic diversity of Indians, 28 years after the Human Genome Project was launched. Dr Kumarasamy Thangaraj joins Pavan Srinath and guest host Dr Shambhavi Naik on Episode 61 of the...

Ep. 62: Syria and the Ugliness of Modern Warfare

56 min 5 sec

The Syrian Civil War has been raging since 2011. Now the war is entering a new and perhaps final phase. How did a peaceful protest turn into a multisided war that has killed half a million people and displaced more than 10 million Syrians Lawyer and...

Ep. 63: Modern Cuisine meets 19th Century Governance

43 min 46 sec

There are restaurants at every corner in a city like Bangalore, but they are never easy to run. Governments make the lives of restaurateurs more difficult in a million ways. Banning dance bars, regulating signboards or controlling liquor licenses...

Ep. 64: The Aadhaar Judgements Explained

1 hr 7 min 37 sec

and unpack the Supreme Courts judgments on Aadhaar. In Episode 64, The Pragati Podcast delves deep into the 1,448page, 6.5lakhword set of judgments. The episode includes discussions on the constitutionality of how the Aadhaar Act was passed...

Ep. 65: Journalism, South India Style

35 min 40 sec

How do you do good journalism online How do you keep opinion and reportage separate How do you report live on active humanitarian disasters like the Kerala Floods of 2018 CoFounder and EditorinChief of The News Minute, joins host in...

Ep. 66: Myths about China

1 hr 7 min 29 sec

Most Indians know more about USA and Europe than our northern neighbour China. This twopart series on The Pragati Podcast will bust myths about China and the Chinese government. China expert joins host in Episode 66 to dispel commonly...

Ep. 67: No, China Isn't Taking Over the World

56 min 54 sec

Does China really have a grand strategy to take over the world Is Chinese media nothing more than a mouthpiece of the Chinese government And has China sidestepped an overpopulation problem with good public policy China expert joins...

Ep. 68: Being a Foreign Correspondent in India

38 min 19 sec

How do you report on India for a global audience What do you choose to write about And how should we understand cronyism in Indian policymaking Author and journalist James Crabtree joins host Pavan Srinath on Episode 68 of The Pragati Podcast....

Ep. 69: Why Do We Elect Criminals?

56 min 42 sec

Why do we vote criminals and corrupt politicians into power Can politicians really buy the votes of Indians Does good governance translate into electoral victories joins host on Episode 69 of The Pragati Podcast to explain elections, money...

Ep. 45: (Rebroadcast) The Magic Number to Elections

36 min 23 sec

Its election season in India again, and everybody wants to know who will win Listen to this rebroadcast of Episode 45 of the Pragati Podcast to learn about how opinion polls work, and why they often fail. This will help you parse all the news that...

Ep. 70: Behind the Scenes of a Hostage Rescue Mission

29 min 45 sec

What was it like to rescue Indian hostages from Talibancontrolled Afghanistan almost 20 years ago Retired RAW officer Anand Arni takes us behind the scenes of the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC814 in 1999. joins and host Pavan...

Ep. 71: 10 Years Later: The 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

58 min 38 sec

It has been 10 years since the 2008 Terrorist Attacks on Mumbai. Ten terrorists from the LashkareTaiba killed over 174 people in South Mumbai, and committed the one of the worst acts of terror on Indian soil. Dheeraj PC, a doctoral student in...

Ep. 72: India Putting the Jumbo in Shrimp

1 hr 11 min 5 sec

India is one of the largest producers of frozen shrimp in the world, and may take the top spot from China in 2018 or 2019. Industrialist and shrimp exporter Aditya Dash talks to Pavan Srinath and Anupam Manur on aquaculture, the seafood industry and...

Ep. 73: Can the Courts Protect India's Environment?

46 min 32 sec

How well have Public Interest Litigations and the National Green Tribunal served the cause of upholding environmental concerns in India Is it really Environment versus Development, as most debates frame it Supreme Court Lawyer Ninad Laud joins host...

Ep. 74: Why Should Indians Care About Distant ISIS?

53 min 17 sec

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS, is rapidly losing territory and seems to be collapsing. Can this collapsing Islamic State pose new challenges to India and its neighbourhood Foreign policy scholar talks to host on ISIS and...

Ep. 75: True Financial Inclusion

1 hr 19 min 48 sec

How is India doing on increasing access to finance for all its citizens When we talk about microfinance, are we actually talking about only loans has a wideranging conversation on financial inclusion with hostand guest...

Ep. 76: India's Successes and Failures

41 min 40 sec

How should we think about India as a republic and as a democracy What has India succeeded in doing, and where do we still have a long way to go known to all as Dr JP, shares his realism and his optimism with host in the first Pragati Podcast...

Ep. 77: The US-China Tariff Battle

53 min 29 sec

A Trade War between the United States and China has dominated headlines and discussions across the world in 2018. Is this really a war Is it a battle Do all such metaphors distort discussions on trade In Episode 77, Anupam Manur and Manoj...

Ep. 78: The US-China War for Technology

57 min 45 sec

The USChina Trade War goes well beyond tariffs on steel. Tariffs might just be a current battle, but the real conflict between China and the United States could be on technology dominance. In Episode 78, Anupam Manur and Manoj Kewalramani talk to...

Ep. 79: Corporate-Government Relations in India.

36 min 58 sec

How should we think of the relationship between governments and businesses Can the private sector engage with governments in a way that doesnt involve corruption, cronyism and more Is Lobbying a bad word Rahul Sharma speaks to host Pavan Srinath...

Ep. 80: Being a Foreign Policy Journalist in India

45 min 37 sec

How do you report on Indias complex neighbourhood as a journalist in Delhiof The Wire talks to hoston Episode 80 of The Pragati Podcast about being on the foreign policy beat. Devirupa Mitra is Deputy Editor Diplomatic...

Ep. 81: The Parliament and the Republic

51 min 16 sec

Sixty nine years ago, Indians established a radical new government that put the individual at the centre of all governance. Republic Day celebrates the Constitution of India, where we not only sought freedom from the British, but freedom from the...

Ep. 83: Voicing India

47 min 8 sec

Podcasts are all about voices and conversations, but how did Indias own voiceover industry evolve On Episode 83 of Pragati Podcast,andshare their personal journey from the early days of radio ads in India to the rapidly...

Ep. 84: From Academia to Entrepreneurship

1 hr 5 min 54 sec

How can great academic research lead to building a great tech company Listen totalk about his life, work and journey as one of Indias first academic entrepreneurs on Episode 84 of The Pragati Podcast. The Pragati Podcast is a weekly...

Ep. 85: India's Strategic Culture

48 min 53 sec

Does India have a strategic culture Does India display strategic thought and action on global affairs There is widespread skepticism about India having any grand strategy, but are people mistaking form for substanceargues that India...

Ep. 86: Afghanistan before 9/11

47 min 49 sec

2019 is an important year for Afghanistan, with national elections scheduled for July. At the same time, the people and the State of Afghanistan continues to face grave threats to their national security, and the Taliban continue to remain relevant....

Ep. 87: The Growth of Indian E-Commerce

1 hr 20 min 49 sec

How did ECommerce grow from next to nothing in India a decade ago to a 50 Billion industry today Is Indian ecommerce business little more than a clone of ecommerce in the United States or elsewheretalks about the business and the...

Ep. 88: India's Telecom Revolution

1 hr 6 min 18 sec

As we enter 2019, Indians have close to 1.2 billion phone connections, and close to half a billion smartphones with 3G and 4G connections. India got here by leapfrogging over wired telephones to cellphones, and over computers directly to...

Ep. 89: Science Journalism in India

1 hr 6 min 18 sec

Great science needs great journalism, and thats in short supply in India. Nandita Jayaraj and Vasudevan Mukunth talk about science journalism on Episode 89 of The Pragati Podcast. The Pragati Podcast is a weekly talkshow on public policy, economics...

Ep. 90: Not Just A Civil Servant

55 min 4 sec

We hear about the allpowerful District Collector or Deputy Commissioner in every district in India, but what do they really do How was the Government of Indias first successful health insurance scheme launched What is the relationship between...

Ep. 91: Meet an Astronaut

19 min 31 sec

Do astronauts grow up dreaming of going to space What makes human spaceflight special Listen to astronaut and former head of NASA Charlie Bolden on Episode 91 of the Pragati Podcast. The Pragati Podcast is a weekly show on public policy, economics...

Ep. 92: Public Choice, Voting and Governance

57 min 3 sec

Is it rational to vote Is it rational for us to think about government as a benign entity Amit Varma is back on Episode 92 of The Pragati Podcast to talk about public choice theory and how it can inform our thinking about governments and public...

Ep. 93: Markets in Space

1 hr 9 min 3 sec

Space exploration was unthinkable for anyone except the US and USSR in the early 1960s. Today, students and startups can launch satellites. Narayan Prasad joins us on this episode of The Pragati Podcast to tell us about this amazing transformation of...

Ep. 94: Freedom on the Internet

1 hr 12 min 23 sec

Internet access is an essential part of many of our lives. And in 2019, there are more than 500 million broadband internet connections in the country. While celebrating this success, we also need to ask how our rights and freedoms must be protected on...

Ep. 69: (Rebroadcast): Why do We Elect Criminals?

56 min 58 sec

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 69 of The Pragati Podcast with Pavan Srinath. joins hoston Episode 69 of The Pragati Podcast to explain elections, money and crime in India. is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for...

Ep. 95: Working with Government

1 hr 4 min 11 sec

Bangalore has at least a 20 year legacy of private citizens working with city and state governments in a variety of ways. V Ravichandar symbolises that, as over the last 19 years he has worked with the government, driven change while being completely...

Ep. 96: Afghanistan: A Republic in Peril

1 hr 13 min 36 sec

Afghanistan was all set to go to elections this summer, but Afghanistan, its State and its people are all in peril. The Taliban are now on the negotiating table with global powers, often without the presence of the legitimate government of...

Ep. 76: (Rebroadcast): India's Successes and Failures

41 min 51 sec

Its Election week in India, and as we wait to see who will form the next union government and who will become our prime minister, its a great time to listen to the words of Dr Jayaprakash Narayan again. This is a rebroadcast of Episode 76 of the...

Ep. 97: The Agenda for NDA 3.0

1 hr 7 min 8 sec

The Narendra Modiled NDA has won an unprecedented mandate for a second term in office. With a new cabinet being sworn in and 100 day plans being drawn up, what should be the top priorities of the new Government of India Narayan Ramachandran returns...

Ep. 98: Where is the Brexit?

59 min 19 sec

51.9 per cent of the people of Great Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016. A country divided, Brexit is still in the works three years later and it has cost them two Prime Ministers. Anupam Manur talks to Pavan Srinath on Episode 98 of...

Ep. 99: Questioning Nationalism

1 hr 28 min 58 sec

The world today is broadly organised into sovereign nation states, and we all believe that the Indian Nation exists and is thriving. But what is nationalism, at its core How did nationalism really evolve in Europe, and are ideas like Indian...

Ep. 100: A Long Strange Trip in Public Policy

39 min 1 sec

On the 100th episode of The Pragati Podcast, the tables have been turned. Host Pavan Srinath occupies the guest seat today, with Winona Laisram talking to him about his last decade of working in public policy, and recording one hundred episodes of The...

Ep. 101: Protecting the Commons

1 hr 5 min 51 sec

Air pollution in our cities, vanishing groundwater, disappearing lakes and global climate change. What is common to all of them is that they suffer from the tragedy of the commons. Lingaraj Jayaprakash joins us on the Pragati Podcast to help us think...

Ep. 102: Fiscal Federalism in India

1 hr 21 min 21 sec

India is a Union of States, and Indian Republics federal nature has been hardcoded into the Constitution. While political federalism is important, control over the purse strings often makes or breaks federalism. Pranay Kotasthane returns to The...

Ep. 103: The United Nations Explained

1 hr 30 min 33 sec

India was one of the founding members of the United Nations, but as a colony of the British Empire. Almost 75 years later, the UN has shaped international relations as we know it. The UN has played pivotal roles in completing decolonisation across the...

Ep. 104: Addictive Dollar Bonds

33 min 21 sec

The Government of India has announced that it will start issuing Overseas Sovereign Bonds, thereby allowing the government to borrow in dollars from foreign lenders. With falling savings rates in India and the little money available to the private...

Ep. 105: The Anti Defection Law

1 hr 16 min 8 sec

How has Indias antidefection law undermined democracy in the country How do we tackle endless horsetrading of elected representatives in India The AntiDefection Law stifles intraparty democracy and dissent, and is also undermining the stability...

Ep. 106: The State of Higher Education

1 hr 1 min 11 sec

Can Indias higher education system thrive when the teaching profession has lost most of its status in society What is necessary for India to educate millions of its citizens who turn collegegoing age every yearjoinson...

Ep. 107: Regulating DNA Tech

54 min 25 sec

DNA samples can today be used for creating a unique fingerprint or ID, for diagnosing cancer and heritable diseases, for telling you your ancestry or even paternity. The cost of sequencing the full genome of any human cost over a 100 million dollars...

Ep. 108: Unlocking Medical Education in India

1 hr 14 min 3 sec

India has fraction of the doctors and medical professionals it needs, even as healthcare is increasingly becoming a politically important issue. In this context, the Government of India recently passed the National Medical Commission NMC Act 2019,...

Ep. 109: Cybersecurity: From Company to Country

58 min 4 sec

Companies around the world have been learning how to manage the safety and security of their digital assets. Can the cybersecurity logic of a private corporation be expanded to that of a nation state Sandesh Anand joins Pavan Srinath on Episode 109...

Ep. 110: Putting Stock in the Market

1 hr 15 min 19 sec

What is happening in Indias stock markets right now How do the stock markets interact with the real Indian economy Deepak Shenoy is on Episode 110 of The Pragati Podcast to help us make sense of what is happening in India right now. The Pragati...

Ep. 111: India's Mental Health Challenge

1 hr 14 min 12 sec

Mental health is not a first world concern, but very much an Indian challenge. Social taboos have prevented Indians from confronting mental illnesses head on and now its estimated that there are over a 100 million people in India who need medical...

Ep. 112: The 2019 Hong Kong Protests

1 hr 14 min 20 sec

Hong Kong has seen protests since March 2019, triggered by newly proposed legislation that allows Hong Kong citizens to be extradited to China or Taiwan. This is the latest round in a long conflict between the Peoples Republic of China seeking to...

Ep. 61: (Rebroadcast) The Many Indian Genomes

45 min 16 sec

Genome sequencing and mapping is unearthing new knowledge about the origin of humans and human civilisation. More than that, genome analysis is also yielding new insights about human health, and will be vital for medicines of the 21st century. It is...

Ep. 113: The Platform Economy

57 min 16 sec

The Industrial Revolution led to the creation of firms. The Information Revolution has led to the creation of platforms. Amazon and Flipkart, Ola and Uber, Google and Apple are all platforms that connect producers to consumers, and gain tremendous...

Ep. 114: A Bottom-Up Look at India's Judiciary

33 min 56 sec

Indias judicial system operates at three levels: the Supreme Court at the national level, High Courts at the state level, and city or district level courts at the local level. A lot of the public interest in how Indias courts are doing is largely...

Ep. 115: Engineering Interplanetary Missions

36 min 58 sec

Rocket science has moved well beyond rocketry in the 21st century. Even the Jet Propulsion Lab in California hasnt done any rocket science in the last several decades, focusing entirely on robotic space missions instead. One of the big challenges...

Ep. 116: Drug Discovery for India

1 hr 8 min

How is a new drug discovered or invented What does it take for medicine to go from a small idea in a research lab all the way to your local pharmacy How can we develop new medicines for India and Indian ailments is in the guest seat today as...

Ep. 62: (Rebroadcast) Syria and the Ugliness of Modern Warfare

55 min 50 sec

The Syrian Civil War has been raging since 2011, and crimes against humanity are being committed even in 2019. How did a peaceful protest turn into a multisided war that has killed half a million people and displaced more than 10 million Syrians...

Ep. 117: The Future of Indian States

1 hr 7 min 59 sec

The States Reorganisation Act came into effect 63 years ago to this day, on November 1, 1956. Indias states as we know them started taking their shape then. Many states like Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and others celebrate this as a State...

Ep. 118: Security in the Kashmir Valley.

1 hr 7 min 17 sec

The State of Jammu Kashmir as we know it has changed permanently in 2019. With the end of JKs special status and the restructuring of the state into two union territories under greater control of New Delhi, there have been many discussions...

Ep. 119: Refugees in the 21st Century

1 hr 25 min 56 sec

About 1 of the worlds population today are refugees, internally displaced or stateless. They live difficult, dangerous lives, have few protections and often no voice. Meanwhile, globalisation has been lopsided. Money and goods can move relatively...

Ep.120: Pakistan in 2019

1 hr 1 min 9 sec

What has been happening in Pakistan after Imran Khan became the Prime Minister Why do some people want General Qamar Javed Bajwas tenure as the army chief to come to an end Dr Christine Fair gives us a tour of Pakistani politics, geopolitics and...

Ep. 121: Improving India's State Capacity

1 hr 5 min 35 sec

The Indian State has incredible ambition, but often falls very short of meeting grand outcomes. The mismatch is linked to State Capacity, a nebulous concept at the best of times. Prakhar Misra is on Episode 121 of The Pragati Podcast to help us...

Ep. 122: The Adolescents of India

1 hr 14 min 38 sec

India has made strides in improving the health, wellbeing and lives of infants and expecting mothers over the last several decades. But once children enter school and enter adolescence, they get lost as a public priority till they enter adulthood....

Ep. 123: Growing Up In Patriarchal India

1 hr 13 min 25 sec

The Republic of India is often a Republic of men. While men and women nationally enjoy the same rights, we are yet to solve many of the social failures from decades ago. Child marriage for women remains the norm in many parts of the country, many...

Ep. 124: Nuclear War, Deterrence and Peace.

52 min 1 sec

Nuclear war feels unthinkable, but how much peace does nuclear deterrence guarantee Do nuclear programmes truly deter or compel adversaries in the real world And can we imagine a world where 20 countries have nuclear weapons Vipin Narang joins...

Ep. 125: Learning From The Assam NRC

1 hr 6 min 17 sec

A nationwide NRC is an unknown beast of unknown dimensions. Real world examples of the NRC come from Assam, where close to 19 lakh residents of the state were left out of the NRC list brought out in August 2019. How do you prove your citizenship in...

Ep. 99: (Rebroadcast) Questioning Nationalism

1 hr 28 min 58 sec

The world today is broadly organised into sovereign nation states, and we all believe that the Indian Nation exists and is thriving. But what is nationalism, at its core How did nationalism really evolve in Europe, and are ideas like Indian nationalism

Ep. 126: US-China Trade Wars: What Next?

1 hr 5 min 51 sec

On January 15, 2020, the United States of America and the Peoples Republic of China and Xi Jinping signed the Phase One Trade Deal after more than a year of protracted negotiations.

Ep. 127: The Rich History of Banking in India

1 hr 6 min 54 sec

Is Indias banking crisis the first of its kind in the country How did banks flourish and fail a hundred years ago, and what can we learn from themAmol Agarwal gives us a magesterial tour of the rise of modern banking in India, all the way up to whe

Ep. 128: Getting Back to Economic Growth

1 hr 3 min 40 sec

Indias economic growth dips below 5 per annum again, less than a decade after the previous economic crisis. Is 5 growth for a country like India all but a recessionAnupam

Ep. 129: The Science of Economics

46 min 38 sec

The science of economics can often be misunderstood. Economics as a discipline is riddled with paradoxes. We often want economics to be able to predict the next crisis, while dismissing sound economic insights that may be a century old.

Ep. 130: AI, Learning and Intelligence

45 min 22 sec

What is intelligence How do we learn what we learn How are we aware of the world around us and ourselves It is impossible to think about building an artificial intelligence or getting machines to learn without exploring these questions.

Rebroadcast Ep. 90: Not Just A Civil Servant

55 min 8 sec

We hear about the allpowerful District Collector or Deputy Commissioner in every district in India, but what do they really do How was the Government of Indias first successful health insurance scheme launched What is the relationship betwe

(Rebroadcast) Ep. 37: Why is Talk Radio Missing in India?

28 min 5 sec

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 37 of The Pragati Podcast, first released on March 29, 2018. Brand new episodes of The Pragati Podcast will return from next week.

Ep. 131. The Supreme Court in 2020

1 hr 4 min 4 sec

Two years ago, four senior judges of the Supreme Court of India held an unprecedented press conference to tell the public that there was an ongoing crisis in the Supreme Court of India. Since then, one of the four judges even went on to become the Chief J

Ep. 132: Managing the COVID-19 Epidemic in India

58 min 27 sec

Close to 200,000 people across 160 countries have been affected by COVID19 or Coronavirus Disease 2019, and this has happened in just about three months. As of March 18, 2020, India has confirmed 148 cases of COVID19 and three people have died so far.

Ep. 133: Modeling the Spread of Epidemics

1 hr 8 min 39 sec

How are infectious diseases and pandemics modeled How can we model and estimate the spread of Influenza or Coronavirus Disease 2019 And most importantly, how can disease modeling help us design effective interventions that contain

Ep. 134: Tackling COVID-19 during India's Lockdown

34 min 14 sec

How can India make the most of the nationwide lockdown to contain the threat of the COVID19 pandemic How can India rapidly ramp up testing and diagnostics How can Indias governments, private sector and civil society come together to halt the further

Ep. 135: A Mission Mode Health Response to COVID-19?

43 min 24 sec

Can Indias health and healthcare systems ramp up on mission mode to respond effectively to the COVID19 pandemic What should we know about Indias messy public and private healthcare systems before we think about a pandemic response

Ep. 136: The SARS-COV-2 Virus: Mutations & Evolution

49 min 28 sec

The SARSCOV2 virus started infecting humans in Wuhan in late 2019. How has the virus mutated and evolved so far With 12 mutations occurring per month, researchers are now seeing a clade or a subtype of the virus: A2a, becoming more common in COVID1

Ep. 137: Vaccines and Immunity against COVID-19 (BIC Talks)

43 min 49 sec

Nearly a hundred vaccine candidates are being developed across the world. Awardwinning medical scientist, Dr Gagandeep Kang talks to host Pavan Srinath about the development of vaccines,

Ep. 138. Building Online News Media in India

56 min 8 sec

Indias news houses are in crisis. The COVID19 pandemic, the lockdown, the dwindling circulation of print newspapers, and the loss of advertising revenue have all created a perfect storm for an already ailing news industry in India.

Ep. 139: Palliative care: Treating the Person, Not the Disease

54 min 8 sec

Dr. M.R. Rajagopal of Pallium India talks to host Pavan Srinath about Palliative care, what it means and how we can ease suffering and pain across India, on Episode 139 of The Pragati Podcast.

Ep. 140: The Environment in India's Law & Courts

1 hr 2 min 44 sec

Can Indias courts protect the countrys environment The Pragati Podcast revisits the topic on World Environment Day 2020 with returning guest and Supreme Court Lawyer Ninad Laud.

Ep. 141: A 21st Century Justice Platform for India

44 min 53 sec

Leah Verghese and Surya Prakash from Daksh India talk to host Pavan Srinath about how a 21stcentury justice platform can transform access to justice for Indians.

Ep. 83: (Rebroadcast) Voicing India

46 min 30 sec

Podcasts are all about voices and conversations, but how did Indias own voiceover industry evolve This is a rebroadcast of Episode 83 of Pragati Podcast, where pioneering voice artists Shammi Narang and Dishant Narang

Ep. 142: India's Land and Reforms in 2020

54 min 30 sec

What land reforms does India need in 2020 How can we think about property rights, and a complicated legislative history and ground reality in India

Ep. 143: Bringing Podcast Tech to the 2020s

57 min 36 sec

Podcasts are a modern, new medium for most of us in India, but is the underlying technology stuck in the 2000s

Ep. 144: IN-SPACe and Space Reforms in India

1 hr 3 min 34 sec

Space Law scholar Dr Ranjana Kaul and space entrepreneur Narayan Prasad discuss space reforms and the recent Indian INSPACe announcement with host Pavan Srinath on Episode 144 of The Pragati Podcast.

Ep. 145: Science: From Publishing to Communication

1 hr 3 min 20 sec

Neuroscientist and Science Communicator Shruti Muralidhar is on Episode 145 of The Pragati Podcast to talk about the challenges of science publishing and science communication in 2020. Shruti also talks to host Pavan Srinath about how

Ep. 146: Police reforms in India and Beyond

52 min 34 sec

Ameya Naik and host Pavan Srinath discuss longoverdue police reforms and provide a primer on how to reimagine policing in India in the 21st century, on The Pragati Podcast.

Ep. 147: Eye Care in India

56 min 36 sec

Dr. Gullapalli N Rao, Founder of the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, talks about human vision, eye health, and the transformation of eye care in India on Episode 147 of The Pragati Podcast.

Ep. 148: The Unfinished Journey of Women's Property Rights

1 hr 6 min 42 sec

Shipra Deo and Devendra Damle talk to host Pavan Srinath about the long struggle for women to secure property rights and land ownership in India.

Ep. 149: Creating Social Infrastructure for Our Cities

44 min

V Ravichandar returns to The Pragati Podcast to talk about the dire need to create more public spaces and social infrastructure in Indian cities.

Ep. 150: What's Happening in China?

58 min 18 sec

Foreign policy wonk and podcaster Hamsini Hariharan returns to Episode 150 of The Pragati Podcast to discuss Chinas internal issues and news in 2020.

Ep. 151: Questioning Tradition

1 hr 1 min 21 sec

AP Ashwin Kumar returns to The Pragati Podcast to discuss traditions, how to understand them better, and confronts the challenges of reform.

Ep. 152: The Safety of a Good Pension

1 hr 20 min 18 sec

Whether in 1980 or in 2020, the idea of a good, assured pension is an incentive like few others. Economist Renuka Sane talks to host Pavan Srinath on Episode 152 of The Pragati Podcast

Ep. 153: Fixing NPAs in Indian Banks

1 hr 18 min 20 sec

Former RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya talks to host Pavan Srinath about understanding and fixing Indias persistent Bank NPA problem.

Ep. 154: The Role of an RBI Deputy Governor

39 min 5 sec

Economist Viral Acharya talks to host Pavan Srinath about his tenure as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Ep. 155: The Nobel Pursuit of Science

55 min 35 sec

Professor Gautam Menon talks to host Pavan Srinath about the Nobel Prize, what they mean for scientists, and how they shape science.

Ep. 156: How Does a Bill Become a Law?

1 hr 20 min 29 sec

Kaushiki Sanyal explains how bills become laws in India, on Episode 156 of The Pragati Podcast.

Ep. 157: The Science and Magic of Indian Food with Krish Ashok

1 hr 34 min 44 sec

Krish Ashok and Pavan Srinath explore the science, knowledge, and the wonder of Indian home cooking, on Episode 157 of The Pragati Podcast.