Parley by The Hindu

In a recent note, former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan questioned the success of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme in boosting India’s domestic manufacturing and exports. The PLI scheme was introduced by the Centre in 2020. Lakhs of crores of rupees have been allocated towards subsidising companies that manufacture in India. The Centre believes that the PLI scheme has boosted the domestic manufacturing sector, but critics have questioned its success.  Do PLI schemes for manufacturing work? Here we discuss the question.

After its loss in the recent Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party is left with no State government in south India. It is part of an alliance in the Union Territory of Puducherry. The governments of the five States of the south are led by different parties — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala, the YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana, and the Congress in Karnataka. This is not a new trend; the south has rarely followed the electoral trend set by the north. In the 1977 Lok Sabha elections, while the Congress was wiped out in the Hindi heartland, it continued to hold onto its seats in the south. Similarly, in the last nine years, even at the peak of its popularity the BJP has been unable to breach the southern fortress as convincingly as it would like to.  Is there a north-south divide in politics? Here we discuss the question. Guests: K.K. Kailash teaches at the Department of Political Science, Hyderabad University; Sudha Pai is a political scientist and former Professor, JNU Host: Sobhana K. Nair

The National Pension Scheme (NPS) was launched in 2004. While the older pension scheme offered defined benefits to all government employees without any contribution on their part, the NPS requires employees to contribute a sum throughout their working years. Almost two decades after the NPS came into effect, several States are switching back to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Earlier this year, the Central government set up a committee under the leadership of the Finance Secretary to review the working of the NPS and evolve an approach that addresses the needs of government employees while maintaining fiscal prudence. Here we discuss whether States should return to the OPS. Guests: Praveen Chakravarty, a political economist and chair of the Data Analytics Group of the Congress party; Rohit Azad, an economist teaching at JNU Host: Priscilla Jebaraj

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Union Health Ministry and the Union Ministry of Ayush have agreed to enhance cooperation in health research in the field of integrated medicine. This move will help Ayush departments at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) evolve into departments of integrated medicine. Will such an integrated system of medicine work? Here we discuss the question.

The coronation of King Charles III of the U.K. has led to critical questions on the relevance of the monarchy in the 21st century, in the context of tectonic shifts in society, politics and culture in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth realms. In a conversation moderated by Narayan Lakshman, Priyamvada Gopal and Philip Murphy discuss what these changes imply for the future of monarchies in the U.K. and across the world.

Germany has shut down the last of its nuclear power plants; France, the nuclear powerhouse of the world, is struggling to replenish its stock of ageing reactors. With solar and wind power becoming more popular globally, there are questions on whether nuclear power, with its attendant concerns on cost and safety, remains a relevant option for a future that is fossil-free, particularly in India.  Here we we discuss whether nuclear energy should be phased out.  Guests: R. Srikanth, Professor and Dean, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru and head of the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Programme; Rahul Tongia, Senior Fellow, Center for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi, where he leads the Energy, Natural Resources and Sustainability Group Host: Jacob Koshy

With the second phase of the caste survey beginning in Bihar, other political parties such as the Congress are also raising a pitch on the issue. Last month, there was a heated political war over sections of the Ramcharitmanas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with some leaders arguing that the text “abuses” Dalits, Adivasis and backward castes.  Here we discuss how these developments compare to the high noon of Mandal mobilisation in the late 1980s and 1990s. Guests: Mona G. Mehta, Associate Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University; Amit Ahuja, fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara Host: Sobhana K. Nair

The growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and their deployment has raised questions about privacy, monopolisation and job losses.  Here we discuss concerns about the economic and privacy implications of AI as countries try to design regulations to prevent the possible misuse of AI by individuals and governments.  Guests: Ajay Shah, Research Professor of Business at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat; Apar Gupta, executive director of the Internet Freedom Foundation Host: Prashanth Perumal

During Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s visit to New Delhi this month, India announced a number of measures to support its neighbour’s development plans. However, the unspoken part of the visit was Bhutan’s boundary talks with China. Before the King’s visit to India, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering had said in an interview that Bhutan and China have made considerable progress on demarcating border lines.  Here we take stock of the India-Bhutan relationship.  Guests: Pavan K. Varma, a writer, former diplomat and MP. He served as India’s Ambassador to Bhutan from 2009 to 2012; Phunchok Stobdan, an academic and a former diplomat, is the author of The Great Game in the Buddhist Himalayas Host: Suhasini Haidar

After the Punjab police launched a coordinated crackdown against the Dubai-returned radical preacher, Amritpal Singh, and his associates on March 18, there is rising concern- about a revival of the Khalistan movement in Punjab. Here we discuss the developments. Guest: Shashi Kant, a former Director-General of Punjab Police; Manish Tewari, Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab and former I&B Minister. Host: Vijaita Singh

In recent weeks, there have been many attacks by stray dogs on people, especially children. With an estimated 1.5-6 crore stray canines roaming around the streets in India, questions are being raised about the implementation of municipality laws and cultural attitudes of tolerance towards stray dogs.  Here we discuss the scale of the public safety issue and provide a legal and administrative context. Guests: Meghna Uniyal, Director and Co-founder, Humane Foundation for People and Animals; Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary of Delhi Host: Jacob Koshy

Since September 2022, India has translocated eight African cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa. This is part of a long-term conservation plan to re-introduce the wild cat into the country after it became extinct in the 1950s, primarily due to hunting. The aim is to be able to build a self-sustaining population, centred at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, which will also contribute to the global survival of the cheetah as a species.  Can the cheetahs thrive in India and help India’s grasslands? Here we discuss the question.   Guests: Rajesh Gopal, a former forest officer closely involved with Project Tiger, now heads the Global Tiger Forum; Ravi Chellam, former member of an expert committee to guide the translocation of the Asiatic Lion, and CEO, Metastring Foundation Host: Jacob Koshy

On February 17, the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the party’s Bow and Arrow symbol to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction, in effect recognising it as the original party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray. The political crisis in Maharashtra began last year after a group of 40 of the 55 Sena MLAs walked out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance under the leadership of Mr. Shinde, which caused a division in the party. Both the Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde sides staked claim to the party name and symbol, each claiming to represent the ‘real’ Shiv Sena. The ECI said that it had based its decision on a “test of majority.” It said the group of MLAs supporting the Shinde faction got nearly 76% of the votes polled for the 55 winning Shiv Sena candidates in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, while the Uddhav Thackeray faction got 23.5% of votes.  The crisis has thrown the spotlight once again on the anti-defection law, whose purpose is to prevent political defections. Here we discuss whether the law needs changes.  Guests: P.D.T. Achary, former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha; Ruchi Gupta, Executive Director of the Future of India Foundation Host: Sonam Saigal

Recently, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court put forth the idea of setting up an expert committee that could recommend ways to protect common investors from market events. The court’s recommendation came soon after the stocks of the companies of the Adani Group crashed following a report by Hindenburg Research, a U.S.-based investment research firm. It is estimated that the fall in the Adani Group’s stocks has cost investors over $100 billion.  Can investments be free of risk? Here we discuss the question.   Guests: Jayati Ghosh, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Anand Srinivasan, an investor and a personal finance advisor Host: Prashanth Perumal J.

Last October, Mallikarjun Kharge was elected as the national president of the Congress party. The election was historic as the party’s top post was, from 1978, occupied by a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family (except for brief spells between 1992 and 1998). Officially, the party says it is now ready to hold a similar election to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), its highest decision-making body, but there are still internal debates going on. The last time the CWC had an election was in 1997, under the presidency of Sitaram Kesri.  Should there be an election now to the CWC? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Praveen Chakravarthy, chairman of the Congress Data Analytics Department; Mridula Mukherjee, a former Professor of History at JNU and former Director at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Host: Sandeep Phukan

A report prepared for a security conference in Delhi set off a controversy by stating that India has lost access to 26 of 65 patrolling points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since the Galwan Valley clash in April 2020. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised again that no territory has been ceded to China, while the Opposition has called for the government to clarify matters on the LAC.  Here we discuss whether the government should put out a white paper on Ladakh. Guests: Satish Dua, former Corps Commander of the Kashmir based Chinar Corps, retired as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff; Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and author of Understanding the India-China Border: The Enduring Threat of War in the High Himalayas Host: Suhasini Haidar

The Union Budget set to be presented in Parliament on February 1 will be the last full-year Budget of the Narendra Modi government before the Lok Sabha elections are held next year. Given the electoral timetable, there is an expectation that the Budget could be populist in nature; but with high inflation, there are questions about the government’s ability to spend freely at the moment.  Here we discuss the fiscal situation. Guests: Lekha Chakraborty, a professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy; Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at the Bank of Baroda Host: Prashanth Perumal

With the surge in COVID-19 cases in China, after the easing of its stringent zero-COVID policy in December, there is apprehension that the pandemic could be entering a new, uncertain phase.  Here we discuss the situation in China and the potential impact in India.  Guests: Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of the World Health Organization; Dr. Giridhara R. Babu, professor and head of Life Course Epidemiology, Indian Institute of Public Health, PHFI, Bengaluru Host: Zubeda Hamid

By issuing decrees banning girls/women from school, gyms and public parks, and from working at NGOs, the Taliban regime controlling Afghanistan seems to have made it clear that it does not intend to keep the promises it made of protecting women’s rights. It also seems to be reneging on its other assurances, such as ensuring an inclusive government, the safety of minorities, and disallowing terror groups to operate from Afghanistan. Should India, which changed its traditional stand against the Taliban by holding talks with the group and setting up a mission in Kabul this year, review its position? Guests: Amar Sinha and Tara Kartha Host: Suhasini Haidar

The Supreme Court of India goes on vacation for a week during Holi, 45 days during summer and for around two weeks during Deepavali and winter. This practice came into the news recently when Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said that no vacation Benches in the apex court would be available this winter break. He said this a day after Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju spoke of “long vacations” of the court and the inconvenience it caused to litigants.  Here we discuss whether courts should close for vacations amid the overall burden of cases on them. Guests: Indu Malhotra, a retired judge of the Supreme Court; Devadatt Kamat, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court Host: Sonam Saigal