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Ep. 09: The Profit Motive in Education
Jawaharlal Nehru once said that profit is a 'dirty word'. He wasn't alone in his distrust of the profit motive, which is effectively banned in education in India. Amit Varma chats with education refo…
Published on 8 years, 5 months ago
Ep. 08: The Medical Council of India
Healthcare in India is in a dismal state, and so is the state of medical education. Pavan Srinath joins Amit Varma to discuss the role of the Medical Council of India in this mess. Is it a responsibl…
Published on 8 years, 6 months ago
Ep. 07: MRP (Maximum Retail Price)
For any shopper in India, there is no acronym as comforting as MRP: Maximum Retail Price. When you see that on any packaged good, you feel assured that you won't be ripped off. But is it really that …
Published on 8 years, 6 months ago
Ep. 06: Surgical Strikes
On September 18, 2016, a group of terrorists attacked an Indian army brigade headquarters near the town of Uri in J&K. Nineteen people died, and there was immense pressure on the Indian government to…
Published on 8 years, 6 months ago
Ep. 05: This is all because of Rupal Ben
A few years ago, a photo studio in Ahmedabad offered its customers free passport photographs. There was no catch, no small print. It was a free lunch. Amit Varma is joined by Mohit Satyanand, as they…
Published on 8 years, 6 months ago
Ep. 04: Immigration
In Episode 4 of The Seen and the Unseen, Amit Varma discusses Immigration with Shikha Dalmia. Are the demagogues right about immigration being a bad thing? Do immigrants take jobs away from locals? A…
Published on 8 years, 7 months ago
Ep. 03: GST (Goods and Services Tax)
There are two kinds of diversity in India, one good, and one not so good. Our greatest strength is our diversity of people and cultures and languages. But one of our great weaknesses is our diversity…
Published on 8 years, 7 months ago
Ep. 02: Demonetisation
On November 8, 2016, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi announced that 500- and 100-rupee notes would cease to be legal tender from midnight that day, which removed 86% of the cash from circulation…
Published on 8 years, 7 months ago
Ep. 01: Entry and Exit in Agriculture
India has a panoply of laws that prevent corporations from getting into farming, and which prevent farmers from escaping agriculture, by virtue of not being able to sell their farm land for non-agric…
Published on 8 years, 7 months ago
Preview - The Seen And the Unseen
All public policies -- indeed, all actions by humans -- have two kinds of effects: the effects that are intended, and visible; and unintended consequences, which are invisible. The Seen and the Unsee…
Published on 8 years, 8 months ago