South Asia Chat

Episode 238: 13th WTO Ministerial Conference - Global Perspective

The World Trade Organization's (WTO) 13^th Ministerial Conference (MC13) was concluded on 2 March 2024. While progress was made on certain commitments by member states, consensus has not been achieved on certain key long-standing issues. In this episode, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS, is in conversation with Stephen Olson, Senior Adjunct Fellow, Pacific Forum and Visiting Lecturer and Non-Resident Fellow at the Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance. They discuss the implications of the WTO MC13 from a global perspective, including the ongoing diversification of trade, the carbon border tax by the European Union, and the upcoming elections in the United States.

Episode 237: India in an Evolving Global Landscape

In this episode, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director of ISAS, engages Dr S Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs, on India’s priorities in its relations with the major powers such as the United States, China and Russia.  Globally, while Dr Jaishankar advocates reforms in multilateralism and highlights the value of minilateralism and regionalism, he also reflects on India's efforts to ensure inclusivity in global agendas, particularly during its presidency of the G20, emphasising the importance of sustaining focus on the needs of the developing countries and the Global South.

Episode 236: Farmers’ Protest in India

Farmer groups in India have been protesting in New Delhi to demand a legally backed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. The government and farm leaders have gone through several rounds of discussions and negotiations but there has been no breakthrough. On 13 February farmer groups launched the “Delhi Chalo” march and for several weeks protesters in trucks and tractors were blocked from entering New Delhi by heavy security deployments within and outside the city. These protest have important economic and political implications and to unpack these Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Harish Damodaran, National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor, Indian Express. They discuss the demands of the protests, the political economy of the farming sector in India and what drives the government’s response to the protests.

Episode 235: Social Media and the Indian Elections

Social media plays an increasingly important role in elections globally and is expected to be a key feature of the 2024 Indian elections. Campaigns on social media involve utilising the volatile nature of the medium and capitalising on communicating directly with voters. Dr Joyojeet Pal takes us through potential strategies that each party may use to connect with voters. He also explains the psyche behind certain posts and trends that may take shape over the election. Ms. Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Joyojeet Pal, Associate Professor, University of Michigan, to discuss the role of social media in the upcoming Indian elections.

Episode 234: 13th WTO Ministerial Conference Outcomes

World Trade Organization's (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) concluded on 2 March 2024 in Abu Dhabi. The declaration shows progress and commitment of the member states on issues like dispute reform and special and differential treatment (S&DT) provisions for developing and least developed countries (LDCs). However, consensus on long standing key issues continue to remain evasive. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Divya Murali, Research Associate, ISAS-NUS is in conversation with Ms R.V. Anuradha, Partner, Clarus Law Associates, New Delhi to understand the developments from MC13 and what it means for India and the developing countries.

Episode 233: Decoding the Indian Political Landscape Ahead of 2024 General Elections

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, and Research Lead of the Politics, Society and Governance cluster at ISAS, to discuss the political landscape in India ahead of the general elections. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion of the BJP winning 370 seats, the discussion probes the party's anticipated gains in specific regions and its challenges in South India. Analysis extends to the Congress' seat-sharing alliances in North India, exploring the potential impact of collaborations with the Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and others. The discussion also analyses the trend of opposition leaders joining the BJP and the risk of complacency in BJP’s bid for a third term.

Episode 232: Bhutan's LDC Graduation

Bhutan graduated from the United Nation’s List of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in December 2023, making it only the seventh country in the world to be able to do so. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Dil Bahadur Rahut, Vice-Chair of Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Asian Development Bank Institute. They discuss various aspects related to Bhutan’s developmental journey and given its recent LDC graduation, the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Episode 231: The Elections in Pakistan 2024

Pakistan recently held its long awaited parliamentary elections which saw 44 political parties compete for 266 seats in the National Assembly. Over the course of the days following the elections, result have been flowing in and revealing a complicated political landscape in the country. To discuss the elections, its emerging results and the evolving political landscape, Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Honorary Fellow, Deakin University and Non-resident Fellow, ISAS.

Episode 230: India Budget Analysis 2024

On 1 February 2024, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her sixth union budget. This interim budget, preceding India’s upcoming general elections, has continued focus on fiscal consolidation while lowering capital expenditure growth and drawing focus on women and youth-centric issues. To unpack the budget and understand its continuities and discontinuities, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Coordinator, Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity. They discuss how this budget stands different from past interim budgets, the significance of the fiscal deficit number and what the post-election budget may look like among other things.

Episode 229: Transformations of South Asian cities and Politics of Space in Sri Lanka

In 2024, South Asian countries faced elections and numerous economic stressors. In this context, cities, which have been subject to rapid transformations over decades of development and political projects are an important site of observation in how these developments play out. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Professor Nihal Perera, Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning at Ball State University, US, speaks to Dr Rajni Gamage, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, on the transformation of cities in South Asia and the politics of space in Sri Lanka.