‘Evidence-based’ approach and RCTs: Can they distort policy-making?

In today’s episode we turn our attention to Manipur; a state in India’s Northeast that has been experiencing conflict on ethnic lines. In 2023, the violence between the valley-dwelling Meitei community and hill-based Kuki-Zo tribes erupted in full force: homes burned, villages razed, thousands displaced, and lives forever changed. As per data from the National Crime Record Bureau, crimes in many categories, such as arson and murder surged. Arson cases alone soared from just 27 in 2022 to 6,203 in 2023, while rioting cases rose from 84 to 5,421.However, the number of registered crimes against women showed a 30% drop. The number of rape cases fell from 42 in 2022 to 27 in 2023. Why did crimes against women decline during a period of widespread violence, and what might this reveal about reporting, safety, and justice in conflict-torn Manipur? Tune in! Guest: Siam Thangsing, an independent researcher who has published work on Gender and Health during the conflict; and Greeshma Kuthar, a reporter and lawyer who has been in Manipur’s conflict zones. Host: Nitika Francis Edited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evidence-based policy. Randomised Control Trials or RCTs. These are buzzwords in developmental policy these days. They have become almost synonymous with each other. The ‘evidence’ in ‘evidence-based’ has largely come to mean whatever data is produced by one method of research – RCTs. But as some economists have been trying to tell us, RCTs have their limits. Regardless of whether it is RCTs, or some other research methodology, is it wise to let so-called ‘evidence’ be the sole arbiter of public policy? What are the ways in which ‘evidence-based’ approaches can go wrong, and how have RCTs ended up being misused, resulting in actual harm? Guest: Professor Jean Drèze, Development Economist Host: G Sampath Recorded, edited, and produced by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a major shift in policy, China has announced that it will no longer seek the special treatment reserved for developing countries under World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements.Speaking in New York while he was in the U.S. to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Chinese Premier Li Qiang declared that his country would no longer seek the special treatment given to developing countries in WTO agreements. Beijing said the decision aims to strengthen the global trading system amid rising protectionism and tariff wars. It noted is still part of the developing world, the move reflects its growing global economic influence as the world’s second-largest economy. Chinese officials said Beijing’s decision was voluntary and not meant to suggest that other developing countries should follow suit. “It’s China’s own decision,” China’s top envoy to the WTO, Li Yihong, told reporters in Geneva.Leaders, including WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, welcome China's move, saying it was a key step toward reforming the organisation. The U.S. has demanded that China, India and other larger countries give up the benefits of being a developing country at the WTO and called for reforming the trade body. How will China's decision influence the functioning of the body and how will it affect India's prospects at the WTO?Guest: Abhijit Das, International Trade Policy and WTO Expert, and the former Professor & Head, Center for WTO Studies. Host: Nivedita V Edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few months, the stray dog crisis has rocked the country. The numbers are staggering and how to deal with them has elicited multiple, heated opinions. One crucial aspect to this however is rabies: a disease that is completely preventable and yet claims many lives, primarily of children, every year. While the government states that there were 54 human rabies deaths in 2024, a research paper in The Lancet earlier this year put the number at over 5,700 every year. More of concern is cases that have emerged recently – of people dying even after having taken the rabies vaccination.What is the rabies situation in India? Why does the vaccine not work in some cases – are there systemic gaps that need to be addressed? Where does India stand on surveillance of rabies cases, and do dog bites need to be made notifiable? Guest: Dr Subramanian Swaminathan Director of infectious diseases, Glenagles Global Hospital, president, Clinical Infectious Diseases Society of India Host: Zubeda Hamid Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Election Commission is all set for a country-wide roll out of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The first phase of the process would implemented in more than 10 states, including in poll-bound Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal. This exercise comes in the wake of the controversial SIR in Bihar, which was done hurriedly. As has been widely reported, the final voter list in Bihar is riddled with inaccuracies – including excess deletions, gibberish names, and fake addresses. Now, with a pan-India SIR on the anvil, questions abound: Why is it necessary? Will the process incorporate the changes suggested by the Supreme Court in the Bihar context - especially with regard to the use of Aadhaar, publishing voter lists in searchable format, and checking of migrant names in other states before deleting their names? How serious are concerns about mass disenfranchisement on a national scale in a nation-wide SIR? Guest: Sreeparna Chakrabarty, who covers the Election Commission for The Hindu. Host: G. Sampath Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Camera: Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of Conference of the Parties 30 (COP30) in November in Belém, Brazil, global headwinds have left many developed countries in the West increasingly reluctant to take on the mantle of climate leadership. India, like other countries, is expected to update climate commitments and present an adaption plan. Should India take global leadership on climate change? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Hisham Mundol, Chief Adviser, India, Environmental Defense Fund; Ulka Kelkar, Executive Program Director — Climate, Economics and Finance, WRI India Host: Jacob Koshy Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A serene Sunday morning at the Louvre turned chaotic in just seven minutes. Four thieves, using construction vests and a mechanized lift, cut through reinforced glass and stole eight priceless pieces of the French Crown Jewels—some linked to Napoleon Bonaparte. Guards prioritized visitor safety, while a 60-officer manhunt began. What does this heist reveal about museum security, cultural heritage and the lengths organized criminals will go to target history’s treasures? Guest: Christopher Marinello, founder of Art Recovery International, art crime investigator Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bihar will go to the polls in November. There are 243 seats, and three major players. The NDA Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing 20 years of incumbency. There are also adverse reports about his health, and his ability to lead for another term. The BJP doesn’t have a strong electoral face either. As for the Mahagathbandhan, many believe this is their election to win – provided they get their act together. But can they? There is also the unknown variable -- Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj Party. Whose fortunes will it dent more – the NDA’s or the Mahagathbandhan’s? Which will way will the Extreme Backward Classes (EBCs), Dalits and the Pasmanda vote swing? The NDA is big time into ‘revdi’ politics. Offering ₹10,000 through the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana (MMRY). Will it be enough to get them the women’s vote? How will the Special Intensive Revision impact the polls? Guest: Professor Kumar Sanjay Singh, who teaches history at Swami Shraddhanand College, Delhi. Host: G Sampath Shot, produced, and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a paper in 1992, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt explained how economic growth is propelled by a cycle of innovation, in which outdated technologies and firms are replaced by newer technology. This cycle of “creative destruction” leads to sustained economic growth, as new technologies and firms outcompete and replace the old, driving productivity and efficiency.  Joel Mokyr’s historical analysis shows that technological progress is not merely a result of scientific discovery, but also depends on the cultural and institutional contexts that support the dissemination and application of knowledge.  Together, their work underscores the importance of innovation in driving economic prosperity and the need for supportive institutions and policies to sustain this growth. So, what can we understand from these works, given that are entering a new era of technological innovation? Guest: Partha Chatterjee, Dean of Academics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Professor, Department of Economics, Shiv Nadar University.  Host: Nivedita V Edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They travel with boards in their backpacks and cameras in their faces. Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Vaishali, Divya now play before millions online. For parents, the dream is intoxicating: can my child be next? But the path is heavy: endless hours and lonely tournaments. Few know this better than R.B. Ramesh, who has walked it himself and guided India’s brightest through it. In this weekender episode, he strips away the glamour and tells us what the game really demands of children and of their families. Guest: RB Ramesh, Indian chess grandmaster and renowned chess coach Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Edited and Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices