Podcasts about policy research cpr

All the exit polls had favoured a Congress victory in the Haryana assembly elections. But defying these predictions, the BJP has secured a clear mandate, winning 48 seats in the 90-member assembly.   How did the BJP manage to beat a strong anti-incumbency factor, not to mention issued such as the farmers' protests, and the Brij Bhushan sexual harassment issue? What went wrong for the Congress? And what was the nature of the social coalition that carried the day?   Guest: Rahul Verma, political analyst and fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi.  Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu. Edited by Jude Francis Weston Listen to more In Focus podcasts:

The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is one of the most formidable political parties in the country and has often been described as a game-changer. But to what extent has that been the case? Has it truly transformed Indian politics, or has Indian politics, in turn, reshaped what the party once stood for?In this episode, host Sandip Roy is joined by Ashutosh and Neelanjan Sircar to discuss the evolution of the party, its current standing, the threat it poses to the BJP, and the challenges that lie ahead.Ashutosh is a former member of AAP, the co-founder and editor of SatyaHindi, and the author of Hindu Rashtra. Sircar is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Ep#049: The current rise in temperature is a cause for concern for everyone, everywhere. In recent years, the April temperatures in the Terai region have consistently crossed the 40+ degree centigrade mark. But this pattern of record-high temperatures is not confined to just the Terai region. It's also happening in places like Kathmandu, which is known for having much milder weather conditions. As a result, we are witnessing a rising trend of school closures, extending even to hilly regions such as Gorkha and Tanahun. Surprisingly, there are news reports that Nepal is experiencing record heat extending as far north as Lukla. In this episode, PEI's Nirjan Rai sits down with Aditya Valliathan Pillai to discuss the science behind the growing heat waves around the world, including Nepal and India, the impacts on the economy and society, and what lessons we can learn from the Indian experience. Aditya Valiathan Pillai is a fellow with the Initiative for Climate, Energy and Environment (ICEE) at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He studies the social and economic consequences of climate impacts in India and South Asia, and the policies and institutions that can help adapt to these changes. His current work focuses on strengthening policies to combat extreme heat. He also studies the forms and varieties of national climate institutions, with a specific focus on how India should restructure its institutions to achieve mitigation and adaptation objectives. If you liked the episode, click here ( https://patreon.com/podsbypei ) to support us on Patreon!!

In recent years, heatwaves in India have become more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. This increase can be attributed to the larger problem of global warming and climate change. Rising greenhouse gas emissions have led to a rise in average global temperatures, which directly contribute to the occurrence and severity of heatwaves. In order to understand the importance of Heat Action Plans and implications of extreme weather, we spoke to Aditya Valiathan Pillai, a fellow with the Initiative for Climate, Energy and Environment (ICEE) at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). His current work focuses on strengthening policies to combat extreme heat. Full transcript of the episode is available here Suggested Reading: How Is India Adapting to Heatwaves?: An Assessment of Heat Action Plans With Insights for Transformative Climate Action Presented by 101Reporters Follow TIEH podcast on Twitter, Linkedin & YouTube Aditya Valiathan Pillai is on Twitter & Linkedin Our hosts, Shreya Jai on Twitter, Linkedin & Dr. Sandeep Pai on Twitter, Linkedin Podcast Producer, Tejas Dayananda Sagar on Twitter & Linkedin

Heatwaves. Literally and metaphorically the “hottest” topic in climate change research. While heatwaves are becoming more and more common in India, are they still dismissed without proper knowledge? More than what we can as individuals do to save ourselves, what is being done at national and international levels? Have we understood it enough and are our plans actionable? On this episode of The Big Story, our hosts Prateek and Anoushka are joined by Aditya Pillai, fellow with the Initiative for Climate, Energy, and Environment (ICEE) at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) to answer these questions.  Aditya Pillai reviewed 37 Heat Action Plans across the country and shares his findings through this chat. He sheds light on what we mean by heatwaves, their detrimental effects, and addresses Heat Action Plans around India while also giving a global perspective, taking into account HAPs all over the world.  Tune in for an engaging conversation!   . . . . . Chapters: 0:00- Intro 4:14- Alarming Heat Effects and What We Can Do about Them 6:15- Slow Desensitisation to Rising Temperature 13:21- Aditya Talks about his Amazing Smartwatch 17:03- Heatwaves: Undeniable yet Ignored 19:28- Rural Infrastructure Trends and Urban Heat Island Effects 25:52- Contextual Approach to Understanding Heatwaves 27:46- What are Heat Action Plans? 29:10- Encouraging Climate Adaptive Lifestyle Changes 30:15- Oiling the Public Machinery: Is Academic Research Leading to Institutional Impact? 35:20- On-Ground Heat Management 37:43- Behavioural Change to Tackle Heat  39:40- Which State has India's Best Heat Action Plan? 42:50- The Funding and the Legal Foundation of Climate Policy  46:40- Drawing Inspiration from the Global Scenario 49:12- Why does Delhi NOT have a Heat Action plan? 53:33- Can Climate Change Swing Elections? 1:03:59-  The 3 Influential People who should Listen to this Podcast. 1:09:31- Learnings from COVID-19 1:13:03- Why Heat Action Plans need to be Hyper Local? 1:15:01- Suggesting Heat Action Plans for every School and Office

The 2022 Environment Performance Index (EPI), which evaluates countries on their track record in mitigating climate change, improving environmental health, and protecting ecosystem vitality, has ranked India last – at 180th out of 180 countries. The government of India has rejected the Index, claiming that it is based on “biased metrics”. The report, produced by researchers from Yale and Columbia Universities, has ranked Denmark at the top with a score of 77.90, while India is at the bottom with a score of 18.90. So, what is the EPI all about? How valid are the government's claims that its metrics are biased and unfair to India? Can it reshape environmental policy, or change the way countries take decisions that impact the environment? Guest: Kanchi Kohli from the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Edited by Reenu Cyriac

First, Harish Damodaran, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), joins host Shashank Bhargava to talk about why India is experiencing high food inflation, and what the government can do about it.Next, Indian Express' Nihal Koshie talks about the problem of nepotism in the BCCI, and the concerns it raises for cricket in India (08:02).And in the end, Indian Express' Maulshree Seth tells us what the UP government plans to do about the problem of stray cattle in the state (16:24)

In this episode, Marla Spivack speaks to Yamini Aiyar about her new book, ‘Rewriting the Grammar of the Education System: Delhi's Education Reform (A Tale of Creative Resistance and Creative Disruption)', which documents the introduction of education reforms in Delhi public schools. They discuss some of the challenges faced throughout this reform as well as lessons that emerged from documenting the reform experience. These include the importance of understanding that everyone is part of a larger system which is conditioning the behaviours and actions of people within it, and the necessity (and challenges) of building consensus for learning throughout systems. Links ‘Rewriting the Grammar of the Education System: Delhi's Education Reform (A Tale of Creative Resistance and Creative Disruption)' [Book] by Aiyar, Davis, Govindan, and Kapoor: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/rewriting-grammar-education-system-delhis-education-reform-tale-creative-resistance (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/rewriting-grammar-education-system-delhis-education-reform-tale-creative-resistance) ‘The Limits of Accounting-Based Accountability in Education (and Far Beyond): Why More Accounting Will Rarely Solve Accountability Problems' [Working Paper] by Honig and Pritchett: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/limits-accounting-based-accountability-education-and-far-beyond-why-more-accounting (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/limits-accounting-based-accountability-education-and-far-beyond-why-more-accounting) ‘Is Knowledge Power? The Right to Information Campaign in Delhi' [IDS Discussion paper Sussex; 2007] by Amita Baviskar: http://rtiworkshop.pbworks.com/f/2006-00-IN-Is-Knowledge-Power-The-Right-to-Information-Campaign-in-India-Amita-Baviskar.pdf (http://rtiworkshop.pbworks.com/f/2006-00-IN-Is-Knowledge-Power-The-Right-to-Information-Campaign-in-India-Amita-Baviskar.pdf) ‘Documents and Bureaucracy' by Michael Hull [article; 2012]: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hullm/MHull_2012_Documents%20and%20Bureaucracy.pdf (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hullm/MHull_2012_Documents%20and%20Bureaucracy.pdf) ‘Video: Initiatives in India That Align Levels of Instruction with Goals and the Needs of Students' by Aiyar, Banerji and Hwa: https://riseprogramme.org/blog/video-initiatives-india-align-instruction (https://riseprogramme.org/blog/video-initiatives-india-align-instruction) Centre for Policy Research: https://cprindia.org/ (https://cprindia.org/) ‘India's New National Education Policy: Evidence and Challenges' [Insight Note] by Singh and Muralidharan: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/indias-new-national-education-policy-evidence-and-challenges (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/indias-new-national-education-policy-evidence-and-challenges) ‘Improving Public Sector Management at Scale? Experimental Evidence on School Governance in India' [Working Paper] by Singh and Muralidharan: https://riseprogramme.org/publications/improving-public-sector-management-scale-experimental-evidence-school-governance-india (https://riseprogramme.org/publications/improving-public-sector-management-scale-experimental-evidence-school-governance-india) Guest biography Yamini Aiyar is a research collaborator on the RISE India and Political Economy teams and the President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). Her research interests are in the field of social policy and development. In 2008, she founded the Accountability Initiative at CPR. Under her leadership, the Accountability Initiative has produced significant research in the areas of governance, state capacity and social policy. It pioneered a new approach to tracking public expenditures for social policy programs and is widely recognised for running the country's largest expenditure-tracking survey in elementary education. Her own research...

Last week in a rally in Unnao, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a new policy will be introduced to tackle the stray cattle problem after March 10, when the Uttar Pradesh election results will be announced. In the fourth part of our special election series on UP, Indian Express' Monojit Majumdar is joined by Harish Damodaran to talk about this issue, and the extent to which it actually affects farmers in the state.Harish Damodaran is Indian Express' Rural Affairs Editor, and a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

Last week in a rally in Unnao, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a new policy will be introduced to tackle the stray cattle problem after March 10, when the Uttar Pradesh election results will be announced. In the fourth part of our special election series on UP, Indian Express' Monojit Majumdar is joined by Harish Damodaran to talk about this issue, and the extent to which it actually affects farmers in the state.Harish Damodaran is Indian Express' Rural Affairs Editor, and a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

Transferring weapons can have deleterious effects. Nolan Fahrenkopf, research fellow at the Center for Policy Research at the University at Albany, determines how some may get into the wrong hands. Nolan Fahrenkopf is a research fellow at the Center for Policy Research (CPR), at the University at Albany. He has extensive policy and research experience […]

The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) completes 48 years on 2 November 2021. In this special episode of India Speak: The CPR Podcast, Mukta Naik (Fellow, CPR) speaks to Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) about her impressions of CPR's journey, her vision for CPR in the years to come, the institute's research agenda, impact, experiences and more. Aiyar reflects on how CPR has remained relevant through the years with path-breaking multisectoral research. She discusses CPR's core values of strict non-partisanship and fierce independence and ways in which the institute can deepen its engagements to contribute to the development of 21st-century India. She also highlights the challenges CPR faces, the need for deep and long-term engagement with ideas and research for effective policy implementation and the importance of democratic argumentation and dialogue.

On 1st February 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first ever paper-less and digital Union Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22. This is the first time the budget documents were paperless since Independence. All members of Parliament received soft copies of the Union Budget. We wanted to find out how Union Budgets have been presented so far. What were the financial priorities changed over the past 73 years? Suno India’s Research and Communications Officer, Kunika Balhotra spoke to Avani Kapur, a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). She is also the Director of the Accountability Initiative (AI). The focus of her work has been in building evidence for policy advocacy to strengthen transparency and accountability in public financial management for service delivery. Additional ReadingBudget Document 2021Accountability Initiative Budget BriefsSee sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Sharma discusses what it was like to be in the thick of that control room, confronting a crisis of deep distress but also concerns of managing the health system in the midst of constant SOS messages about lack of basic supplies and most importantly, oxygen. He speaks about the role of the courts in fixing responsibility and bringing in some transparency to the process of allocation. Finally, Sharma elaborates on the logistical and technical complexities in ramping up oxygen supply and its distribution across hospitals.About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic.Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariImpact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh VyasImpact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit BasoleResponding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit ChowdhuryRealities of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Anurag BeharUnpacking India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy featuring Partha MukhopadhyayDissecting India's Problem of Economic Inequality featuring Maitreesh GhatakFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The second wave of COVID-19 left an already-strained health system crumbling. As one of the initial states hit by the surge of cases, Delhi faced many challenges ensuring adequate oxygen supply to patients. In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Shailendra Sharma (Education Advisor, Delhi Government) about his experience of working and supporting the oxygen control room that was set up in response to the crisis by the Delhi Government. Why did the oxygen crisis happen and how was it overcome? What was it like to be a Front Line Worker in this crisis? How did the government react? What were the big challenges during that period? Sharma discusses what it was like to be in the thick of that control room, confronting a crisis of deep distress but also concerns of managing the health system in the midst of constant SOS messages about lack of basic supplies and most importantly, oxygen. He speaks about the role of the courts in fixing responsibility and bringing in some transparency to the process of allocation. Finally, Sharma elaborates on the logistical and technical complexities in ramping up oxygen supply and its distribution across hospitals. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: ● Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari ● Impact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh Vyas ● Impact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit Basole ● Responding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit Chowdhury ● Realities of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Anurag Behar ● Unpacking India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy featuring Partha Mukhopadhyay ● Dissecting India's Problem of Economic Inequality featuring Maitreesh Ghatak For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The slowdown of economic activity experienced due to the lockdowns resulted in a significant impact on the lives of the poorest. In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Dr Maitreesh Ghatak (Professor of Economics, London School of Economics) to discuss India's inequality problem. How unequal is India? Are these inequalities because of COVID or merely economic realities that COVID has now exposed? How do we bring India back on a more equitable growth path? Dr Ghatak who has written extensively on the inequalities of the Indian economy walks us through the issue of widening inequality in the context of the pandemic, unpacks the growth versus inequality debate, and discusses the long term implications the pandemic has posed. He explains the impact on the informal sector, intergenerational mobility, and discusses the dynamics of potential recovery. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: ● Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari ● Impact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh Vyas ● Impact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit Basole ● Responding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit Chowdhury ● Realities of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Anurag Behar ● Unpacking India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy featuring Partha Mukhopadhyay For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

Dr Ghatak who has written extensively on the inequalities of the Indian economy walks us through the issue of widening inequality in the context of the pandemic, unpacks the growth versus inequality debate, and discusses the long term implications the pandemic has posed. He explains the impact on the informal sector, intergenerational mobility, and discusses the dynamics of potential recovery.About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic.Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariImpact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh VyasImpact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit BasoleResponding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit ChowdhuryRealities of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Anurag BeharUnpacking India's COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy featuring Partha MukhopadhyayFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India  or visit  www.cprindia.org .

Mukhopadhyay who has been closely tracking the vaccine policy walks us through the different phases of the vaccine strategy across the country. He sheds light on the many inequities of the policy, the state of private supply, the role of the Supreme Court, the Centre-State dynamic and more. He further discusses how the digital inequity was built in with the CoWIN app from an economic, linguistic, and spatial standpoint. Finally, Mukhopadhyay share's his perspective of where we are today vis-a-vis our goals on achieving universal vaccination. About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic.Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariImpact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh VyasImpact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit BasoleResponding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit ChowdhuryRealities of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Anurag BeharFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

India embarked on its COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in early January prior to the second wave. In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Partha Mukhopadhyay (Senior Fellow, CPR) to discuss India's vaccine policy and guide us through the many bottlenecks, confusions, and successes we have encountered in the last few months. Why didn't India start vaccinating earlier? How did the policy evolve once the second wave hit? Mukhopadhyay who has been closely tracking the vaccine policy walks us through the different phases of the vaccine strategy across the country. He sheds light on the many inequities of the policy, the state of private supply, the role of the Supreme Court, the Centre-State dynamic and more. He further discusses how the digital inequity was built in with the CoWIN app from an economic, linguistic, and spatial standpoint. Finally, Mukhopadhyay share's his perspective of where we are today vis-a-vis our goals on achieving universal vaccination. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: ● Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari ● Impact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh Vyas ● Impact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit Basole ● Responding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit Chowdhury ● Realities of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Anurag Behar For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic saw rural parts of India get affected as well, unlike the previous year during the first wave. In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Anurag Behar (Chief Executive Officer, Azim Premji Foundation) to discuss the impact of COVID-19 in the hinterlands. How are people in those areas responding to the pandemic? What are the economic consequences beyond just the health consequences they face? Behar walks us through his experiences over the last few months visiting different parts of the country that were ravaged by the virus. He sheds light on the stigma associated with COVID, the challenges of documenting death, and the state of India's health infrastructure. He further discusses the levels of economic deprivation, condition of hunger, the potential for schools reopening and more. Finally, Behar share's his perspective on what we need to do now, in advance of a potential third wave. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: • Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari (https://bit.ly/2T7VSU6) • Impact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh Vyas (https://bit.ly/3jcCKze) • Impact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit Basole (https://bit.ly/3qq92rT) • Responding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit Chowdhury (https://india-speak-the-cpr-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-4-responding-to-the-spread-of-covid-19-in-rural-india) For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

Behar walks us through his experiences over the last few months visiting different parts of the country that were ravaged by the virus. He sheds light on the stigma associated with COVID, the challenges of documenting death, and the state of India's health infrastructure. He further discusses the levels of economic deprivation, condition of hunger, the potential for schools reopening and more. Finally, Behar share's his perspective on what we need to do now, in advance of a potential third wave. About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic.Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariImpact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh VyasImpact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit BasoleResponding to the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural India featuring Abhijit ChowdhuryFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

Unlike last year during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second wave witnessed the virus making inroads into rural areas of India as well. To discuss this and more, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Abhijit Chowdhury (Chief Advisor, Liver Foundation, West Bengal) in this episode of India Speak. Chowdhury discusses what the on-ground realities look like in rural India. He sheds light on how the health system in these areas can be prepared to respond to this unfolding crisis. Finally, he discusses what it will take to achieve universal vaccination for all adults in these areas, advocating for a community-based approach to both treatment and vaccination. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: • Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari (https://bit.ly/3q6lBIB) • Impact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh Vyas (https://bit.ly/3xt027F) • Impact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit Basole (https://bit.ly/3gvFPIO) For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

Unlike last year during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second wave witnessed the virus making inroads into rural areas of India as well. To discuss this and more, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Abhijit Chowdhury (Chief Advisor, Liver Foundation, West Bengal) in this episode of India Speak. Chowdhury discusses what the on-ground realities look like in rural India. He sheds light on how the health system in these areas can be prepared to respond to this unfolding crisis. Finally, he discusses what it will take to achieve universal vaccination for all adults in these areas, advocating for a community-based approach to both treatment and vaccination. About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariImpact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh VyasImpact on Jobs, Incomes, Inequality and Poverty featuring Amit BasoleFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The State of Working India 2021 report by the Centre for Sustainable Employment (CSE) at the Azim Premji University finds that the pandemic has further increased informality and led to a severe decline in earnings for the majority of workers resulting in a sudden increase in poverty. In particular, the poor, women and younger workers have disproportionately borne the brunt of the pandemic. To discuss key findings of the report and more, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Amit Basole (Associate Professor of Economics and Head, CSE, Azim Premji University) in this episode of India Speak. Basole sheds light on the trends in employment patterns and the dynamics of informality in India's labour market prior to the pandemic, to make sense of the slow structural transformation in the economy. He discusses the implications of the differentiated gender dynamics, the move to informality and the loss of income for India's economy. He further highlights what the policy response should be to the immediate crisis and the lessons that can be learned from it. About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariImpact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh VyasFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter  @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The State of Working India 2021 (https://bit.ly/3xc4W98) report by the Centre for Sustainable Employment (CSE) at the Azim Premji University finds that the pandemic has further increased informality and led to a severe decline in earnings for the majority of workers resulting in a sudden increase in poverty. In particular, the poor, women and younger workers have disproportionately borne the brunt of the pandemic. To discuss key findings of the report and more, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Amit Basole (Associate Professor of Economics and Head, CSE, Azim Premji University) in this episode of India Speak. Basole sheds light on the trends in employment patterns and the dynamics of informality in India's labour market prior to the pandemic, to make sense of the slow structural transformation in the economy. He discusses the implications of the differentiated gender dynamics, the move to informality and the loss of income for India's economy. He further highlights what the policy response should be to the immediate crisis and the lessons that can be learned from it. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: • Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari (https://bit.ly/355aQwE) • Impact of the Second Wave on Unemployment and Labour Force Participation featuring Mahesh Vyas (https://bit.ly/3wpcNjL) For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The second wave of the pandemic saw localised lockdowns across India that brought economic activities to a halt. What has been the impact of this on unemployment and labour force participation? In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Mahesh Vyas [Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE)]. Through its surveys, CMIE has been closely tracking the health of the Indian economy, particularly the labour market, consumer sentiment and investment patterns. Vyas sheds light on the trends in unemployment and labour participation rates during the peak of the national lockdown, the phase of economic recovery and the second wave. He discusses the impact of increased informality and decreased female labour force participation and the lessons learned from the first wave of COVID-19. Further, he underscores the impact of the second wave on consumer sentiment and what the government must do to revive the economy. Finally, he discusses the need to monitor the economy regularly and ways to strengthen India's statistical systems. About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series:Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul BhandariFor more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India  or visit  www.cprindia.org.

The second wave of the pandemic saw localised lockdowns across India that brought economic activities to a halt. What has been the impact of this on unemployment and labour force participation? In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Mahesh Vyas [Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE)]. Through its surveys, CMIE has been closely tracking the health of the Indian economy, particularly the labour market, consumer sentiment and investment patterns. Vyas sheds light on the trends in unemployment and labour participation rates during the peak of the national lockdown, the phase of economic recovery and the second wave. He discusses the impact of increased informality and decreased female labour force participation and the lessons learned from the first wave of COVID-19. Further, he underscores the impact of the second wave on consumer sentiment and what the government must do to revive the economy. Finally, he discusses the need to monitor the economy regularly and ways to strengthen India's statistical systems. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. Listen to other episodes in this series: • Impact of the Second Wave on the Economy featuring Pranjul Bhandari (https://bit.ly/2RXsCPH) For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The Indian economy was going through an unprecedented slowdown that was exacerbated by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant national lockdown. Just as the economy was showing signs of recovery, the country has been hit by the virulent second wave. With multiple localised lockdowns, a halt on mobility and economic activity and an unprecedented health crisis, this time, the ravages of the pandemic are being felt across the nation, even rural areas. What has been the impact of the second wave on India’s economy and how does it differ from the first wave? In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Pranjul Bhandari (Managing Director and Chief India Economist, HSBC). Bhandari sheds light on the state of India’s economy before the second wave hit, the implications of the second wave particularly for the informal sector and why it needs a special focus and what a policy response to the economic crisis from the Centre and states should look like. About the Series The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country’s response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. For more information on the Centre’s work, follow CPR on Twitter @CPR_India or visit www.cprindia.org.

The Indian economy was going through an unprecedented slowdown that was exacerbated by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant national lockdown. Just as the economy was showing signs of recovery, the country has been hit by the virulent second wave. With multiple localised lockdowns, a halt on mobility and economic activity and an unprecedented health crisis, this time, the ravages of the pandemic are being felt across the nation, even rural areas. What has been the impact of the second wave on India's economy and how does it differ from the first wave? In this episode of India Speak, Yamini Aiyar (President and Chief Executive, CPR) speaks to Pranjul Bhandari (Managing Director and Chief India Economist, HSBC). Bhandari sheds light on the state of India's economy before the second wave hit, the implications of the second wave particularly for the informal sector and why it needs a special focus and what a policy response to the economic crisis from the Centre and states should look like.About the SeriesThe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges that need immediate attention. The collapse of an already strained health system, vaccine supply shortage, an unprecedented economic crisis and sharpening inequality, are factors that raise crucial concerns. How must India confront this crisis? The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) brings leading experts to discuss what the country's response should look like in a new podcast series, India and the Pandemic. For more information on the Centre's work, follow CPR on Twitter  @CPR_India or visit  www.cprindia.org.

On 1st February 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first ever paper-less and digital Union Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22. This is the first time the budget documents were paperless since Independence. All members of Parliament received soft copies of the Union Budget. We wanted to find out how Union Budgets have been presented so far. What were the financial priorities changed over the past 73 years? Suno India's Research and Communications Officer, Kunika Balhotra spoke to Avani Kapur,  a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). She is also the Director of the Accountability Initiative (AI). The focus of her work has been in building evidence for policy advocacy to strengthen transparency and accountability in public financial management for service delivery.  Additional Reading Budget Document 2021 Accountability Initiative Budget Briefs Being an editorially independent platform, we rely on you to help us bring in untold stories that have the potential for social change. Do consider supporting us! See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

In this episode, Sandip talks to Kanchi Kohli, senior researcher at Center for Policy Research (CPR), about how the pandemic has affected the way the ministry has been taking decisions and changing the fundamentals of the environment assessments process.

Can India's health and healthcare systems ramp up on mission mode to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic? What should we know about India's messy public and private healthcare systems before we think about a pandemic response?Yamini Aiyar discusses what India can do and how, on Episode 135 of The Pragati Podcast.The Pragati Podcast is a weekly talkshow on public policy, economics and international relations. hosted by Pavan Srinath.Yamini Aiyar is the President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Delhi. Her research interests are in the field of social policy and development. In 2008, Yamini founded the Accountability Initiative at CPR, which has done pioneering work on governance, state capacity and social policy in India, and pioneered a new approach to tracking public expenditures. She is on Twitter at @AiyarYamini.Further reading & listening:1. [Podcast] Yamini Aiyar and Jishnu Das on health systems challenges and COVID-19. https://cprindia.org/news/8561[Article] COVID-19: Centre and states must work together. https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/covid-19-centre-and-states-must-work-together/story-UFuvvR18MU54lzsIF3FkYJ.html[Article] COVID-19 will test, reshape the state. https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/covid-19-will-test-reshape-the-state/story-IG0R8swKTZ1vO9FBEd1tIJ.html[Research] Jishnu Das and Jeffrey Hammer on the Quality of Public & Private healthcare in Delhi. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=610346[Research] Hammer, Aiyar and Samji on Panchayati Raj institutions and health services. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/108011468042305807/Bottoms-up-to-the-role-of-Panchayati-Raj-Institutions-in-health-and-health-services[Research] Das et al on healthcare provider training and huge quality gaps in urban and rural India. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/108011468042305807/Bottoms-up-to-the-role-of-Panchayati-Raj-Institutions-in-health-and-health-servicesIf you have any questions or comments, write in to podcast@thinkpragati.com, we would love to hear from you.Follow The Pragati Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/pragatipodFollow Pragati on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinkpragatiFollow Pragati on Facebook: https://facebook.com/thinkpragatiSubscribe & listen to The Pragati Podcast on iTunes, Saavn, Spotify, Castbox, Google Podcasts, AudioBoom, YouTube or any other podcast app. We are there everywhere.