Interpreting India

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Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.

As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.

Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.

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The Encryption Debate with Matthew D. Green Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Matthew D. Green joins Udbhav Tiwari to delve into the debate surrounding end-to-end encryption. In February, the Indian government issued new rules requiring companies like WhatsApp to implement traceability in their end-to-end encrypted communications platforms. The decision originated from the government’s concerns about the proliferation of illegal activities on these services, including terrorism, child-abuse, and the spread of fake news. India’s actions come amidst a growing global debate concerning government access to encrypted data. While advocates claim that state access to end-to-end encrypted messages benefits national security, opponents argue that it constitutes a dangerous breach of privacy, while worsening cybersecurity standards.

Is it possible to apply traceability without impacting the core benefits of end-to-end encryption? Could India’s adoption of this requirement hamper the cybersecurity of the country? And finally, how will the growing concerns about this system impact the future of encryption technology?

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Matthew Green is an associate professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University. He is a nationally recognized expert on applied cryptography and cryptographic engineering. He is one of the creators of the Zerocash protocol, which is used by the Zcash cryptocurrency, and is also a founder of the encryption startup Zeutro. Twitter: @matthew_d_green

Udbhav Tiwari is a public policy advisor for Mozilla and a nonresident fellow at Carnegie India. Twitter: @udbhav_tiwari

Additional Reading:

1. A Few Thoughts on Cryptographic Engineering by Matthew Green (Blog)

Carnegie Publications on the Encryption Debate Across the World:

2. Understanding the Encryption Debate in India by Anirudh Burman and Prateek Jha

3. The Encryption Debate in India: 2021 Update by Trisha Ray

4. The Encryption Debate in China: 2021 Update by Lorand Laskai, Adam Segal

5. The Encryption Debate in Brazil: 2021 Update by Priscilla Silva, Ana Lara Mangeth, Christian Perrone

6. The Encryption Debate in Australia: 2021 Update by Stilgherrian

7. The Encryption Debate in Germany: 2021 Update by Sven Herpif, Julia Schuetze

8. The Encryption Debate in the European Union: 2021 Update by Maria Koomen

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Aid and Development in a Taliban-Led Afghanistan with Shanthie Mariet D'Souza Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Shanthie Mariet D'Souza joins Shibani Mehta to analyze the question of aid and development in a Taliban led Afghanistan. The Western withdrawal from Afghanistan and the ensuing ascent of the Taliban has led to the collapse of the Afghan economy. The foreign aid, crucial towards sustaining the economy, has mostly stopped, resulting in food shortages, a decline in the value of local currency and a collapsing health system. While $1.2 billion has been pledged by international donors, it remains unclear whether this will be sufficient in restoring any semblance of normalcy in Afghanistan. How will aid to Afghanistan be structured after the ascent of the Taliban government? How will India, a key development partner in Afghanistan, approach its aid policy in the wake of the Taliban takeover? And finally, what will this situation mean for the future of Afghanistan’s development?

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Shanthie Mariet D’Souza is the founder and president of Mantraya, an independent research forum that seeks to make constructive contributions in the realm of strategy, innovation and alternatives. She is also a founding professor at the Kautilya School of Public Policy, at GITAM University, Hyderabad.

Shibani Mehta is a research analyst with the Security Studies Program at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on India’s security and foreign policies.

Additional Reading:

1. No Time to Lose on Afghanistan by Shanthie Mariet D'Souza

2. Interview: Shanthie Mariet D’Souza on how India was ‘ill-prepared’ for the dramatic Taliban takeoverby Rohan Venkataramakrishnan

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The QUAD, SCO, AUKUS, and UNGA: Discussing India's Position in World Politics with Gautam Bambawale Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

With the conclusion of the first in-person QUAD leaders’ summit, the 76th Session of the UNGA, the SCO summit, and the AUKUS alliance, the last two weeks have been momentous for world politics. In this episode of Interpreting India, Gautam Bambawale joins Deep Pal to discuss the major foreign policy events of the last two weeks and India’s contribution to them. How will the AUKUS alliance impact the QUAD and India in specific? How will the events of last week determine the international community’s response to the Taliban? And finally, what significance do these events hold for the future of Indian foreign policy? --

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Gautam Bambawale is an Indian diplomat. He has served as India's Ambassador to Bhutan, Pakistan, and China. Bambawale was the Minister (Political) and Head of the Political Wing at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. from July to September 2007. From September 2007 to December 2009, he served as India's first Consul General in Guangzhou. From December 2009 to July 2014, he was the Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

Deep Pal is a visiting fellow in the Asia program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is also affiliated with the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) as a non-resident fellow. His research and publications focus on the Indo-Pacific, Indian foreign policy in its immediate and greater neighborhood, and regional security of South Asia, with particular emphasis on China.

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Discussing Delhi's Draft Master Plan 2041 with Rumi Aijaz Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Rumi Aijaz joins Anirudh Burman to discuss Delhi’s new Draft Master Plan, 2041. How has it improved upon the shortcomings of the preceding master plans? How does it compare with the planning process across other cities in India?

In July, the Delhi Development Authority released the draft Master Plan 2041, making it the fourth master plan released for the city since the start of this process in 1957. It follows the city’s Master Plan 2021, which aimed to make Delhi a global metropolis and a world-class city. However, it was criticized for its reduced responsiveness to the needs of low-income communities and its inability to meet targets on time. The Master Plan Delhi 2041 also comes after the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that devastated the health and sanitation resources of the city. In this episode, this episode discusses if Delhi's new Draft Master Plan 2041 is able to overcome some of the shortcomings of the previous master plans.

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Rumi Aijaz is a senior fellow at Observer Research Foundation, where he is responsible for the Urban Policy Research Initiative. His research focuses on building a better understanding of urban issues to produce new and correct knowledge for managing urban growth in India.

Anirudh Burman is an associate research director and fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.

Additional Reading:

1. Delhi's Draft Master Plan 2041 Delhi Development Authority

2. Delhi Master Plan 2021–41: Towards a People’s City? by Rumi Aijaz

3. The Smart Cities Mission in Delhi, 2015-2019: An Evaluation by Rumi Aijaz

4. Land Title Insurance in India: Lessons from U.S. Regulatory Approaches by Anirudh Burman

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Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.

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Discussing Afghanistan after the U.S. Withdrawal with Avinash Paliwal and Thomas Ruttig Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

In this episode of Interpreting India, Avinash Paliwal and Thomas Ruttig join Deep Pal to analyze the present situation in Afghanistan, what the implications of the U.S. withdrawal might be, and what this might mean for India and other countries involved.

Episode Background:

The withdrawal of the United States and its NATO allies from Afghanistan has led to concerns over the Kabul government’s ability to survive in the face of an aggressive Taliban onslaught. The peace process, which the U.S. had initiated between the Taliban and the Afghan government, has also stalled without achieving a settlement. While President Ghani has asserted that the government forces are prepared to meet the challenges that the withdrawal presents, analysts remain pessimistic about the possibilities.

Episode Contributors:

Avinash Paliwal is a senior lecturer in International Relations and deputy director of the SOAS South Asia Institute | Twitter: @PaliwalAvi

Thomas Ruttig is co-founder and co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network | Twitter: @thruttig

Deep Pal is a visiting fellow in the Asia program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | Twitter: @DeepPal_

Episode Timestamps:

2:26 The Current Situation and Prospects for Peace

8:48 On the Possibility of a Power-Sharing Agreement

16:01 The Taliban and its Factions, and the India-Pakistan Dyad

54:58 On the Role of Other Countries and Players

57:40 Where is the Conflict Headed?

Additional Reading:

1. A Troika of Four: Looking back at the March 2021 Afghanistan meeting in Moscow by Thomas Ruttig

2. Afghanistan After the US Withdrawal: An Elusive Peace by Thomas Ruttig

3. Engaging with the Taliban is Necessary by Avinash Paliwal

4. Sino twist to Af-Pak puzzle: Given China’s Forays, India’s Afghanistan Strategy Must Look at Iran, Taliban, and Even Pakistan by Avinash Paliwal

5. My Enemy's Enemy: India in Afghanistan from the Soviet Invasion to the US by Avinash Paliwal

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Carnegie India Socials:

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Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.

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Evaluating the Health of India's Financial Institutions with Rajeswari Sengupta Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Rajeswari Sengupta joins Suyash Rai to evaluate the health of India’s financial sector. Together, they assess the impact of the second wave on India's financial sector. What measures can be taken to address some of its main issues? And finally, what does the health of the financial sector mean for the broader economy?

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Rajeswari Sengupta is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai, India. In the past she has held research positions at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in Chennai, the Reserve Bank of India, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington D.C.

Suyash Rai is a Fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms and the performance of public institutions in India.

Additional Reading:

1. Non-performing Assets in Indian Banks by Rajeswari Sengupta and Harsh Vardhan

2. Regime changes in Indias monetary policy and Tenures of RBI governors by Rajeswari Sengupta and Utso Pal Mustafi

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Understanding the Israel-Palestine Conflict with Zaha Hassan and Nicolas Blarel Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Zaha Hassan and Nicolas Blarel join Carnegie India's Shibani Mehta to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict. On May 10th, a raid on the Al Aqsa mosque by the Israeli police left hundreds of Palestinians injured. This cascaded into a war between Israel and Hamas. The ensuing violence has led to hundreds of casualties. A tenuous ceasefire has for now halted the violence, but it is likely that it will significantly change the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Already, several analysts have alleged that the violence marks the death knell for the already fragile peace process and the two-state solution. Other scholars point to the growing embrace of more radical solutions to the conflict in both the Israeli and the Palestinian side. This episode of Interpreting India assesses some of the broader effects of the present conflict. What does it mean for the two-state solution and the peace process? How has the international society and India reacted to the crisis? And finally, what shall be its likely impact on the future of the Arab-Israeli conflict?

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Zaha Hassan is a human rights lawyer and visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her research focus is on Palestine-Israel peace, the use of international legal mechanisms by political movements, and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Previously, she was the coordinator and senior legal advisor to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestine’s bid for UN membership, and was a member of the Palestinian delegation to Quartet-sponsored exploratory talks between 2011 and 2012. She regularly participates in track II peace efforts.

Nicolas Blarel is Associate Professor of International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands. He studies foreign and security policy-making, the politics of power transition in global politics, the politics of migration governance, and the international politics of South Asia. He has previously worked with the French Foreign Ministry’s policy planning staff (Centre d’Analyses, de Prévision, et de Stratégie) and has been a visiting fellow at various research institutions.

Shibani Mehta is a Research Analyst at Carnegie India. Her research focuses on India’s security and foreign policies. Shibani has a keen interest in understanding foreign policy decision-making and the role of institutions and personalities in diplomacy.

Additional Reading:

1. Bringing Assistance to Israel in Line With Rights and U.S. Laws by Zaha Hassan, Salih Booker, and Josh Ruebner

2. Modi looks West? Assessing change and continuity in India’s Middle East policy since 2014 by Nicolas Blarel

3. Breaking the Israel-Palestine Status Quo by Zaha Hassan, Daniel Levy, Hallaamal Keir, and Marwan Muasher

4. An Indian return to the Gaza strip? New Delhi has unique legitimacy to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Nicolas Blarel and Sumit Ganguly

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Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.

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Discussing Patent Laws and Vaccines with Alex Tabarrok May 27, 2021

Show notes

Alex Tabarrok joins Anirudh Burman to discuss if the existing law on patents is affecting India’s ability to vaccinate its citizens. As India battles a devastating second wave of Covid-19, many advocate for a waiver of intellectual property rights on coronavirus vaccines. However, some argue that this might be an incomplete solution; on its own, a TRIPS waiver would do little to alleviate the problem. In this episode, we understand the logic behind the proposal for the TRIPS waiver, and what must be done to globally increase vaccine supplies.

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Tabarrok holds the Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center and is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

Anirudh Burman is an associate fellow at Carnegie India. He works on key issues relating to public institutions, public administration, the administrative and regulatory state, and state capacity.

Additional Reading:

1. Patents are Not the Problem! by Alex Tabarrok

2. Patent Theory versus Patent Law by Alex Tabarrok

3. To Help India, Biden Must Unclog the Vaccine Supply Chains by Rudra Chaudhuri

4. What Is Happening to India’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program? by Arjun Kang Joseph

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Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.

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Discussing India's Urban Governance Structures and the Second Wave with Srikanth Viswanathan May 17, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Srikanth Viswanathan joins Anirudh Burman to assess India's urban governance structures in the face of the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic. In the second wave, states have been given more leeway in handling the pandemic within their borders. How are states and local authorities equipped to manage the situation?

EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Srikanth Viswanathan is the Chief Executive Officer of Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy. Srikanth’s focus area in the urban sector has been “city-systems” reforms spanning Janaagraha’s flagship report the Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) and municipal finance reforms. Srikanth has been an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India for fourteen years and prior to joining Janaagraha worked in banking and audit.

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