Bharatvaarta

Gautam Bambawale is a retired Indian diplomat with a distinguished  career in key foreign missions like the USA, China, Pakistan and  Germany. Mr Bambawale retired in 2018 from the Indian Foreign Service  and is now settled in Pune. His last posting was India's Ambassador to  China,  Mr Bambawale has had several difficult situations in his career to deal  with.

He was in Beijing during India's nuclear tests in 1998. He was  again in Beijing when the Doklam crisis unfolded in 2017. He was in the  USA around the time Indian nuclear deal was signed.  Mr Bambawale has  had an exemplary career guiding Indian diplomacy through choppy waters.  In this episode, Mr Bambawale spoke about these experiences but also  more broadly about India's foreign policy imperatives especially with  China and Pakistan. He explained the border situation on both the fronts  in detail.  Mr Bambawale also spoke about how India can engage the  Biden administration further.

The discussion was conducted by Amit Paranjape, who you have heard on  several Bharatvaarta podcasts earlier, and Aashish Chandorkar, who is  part of the Bharatvaarta team.  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBfBd-1kvCOPxVll8tBJ9Q/join

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The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the week that was. This week, we'll be talking about the Suez Canal blockage, H&M and Nike's Chinese boycott, Lloyd Austin's India visit, the MMDR bill, and more.

If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and @bharatvaarta on Instagram).

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The Tamil Nadu assembly elections will be held in a single phase on  April 6. For the last 50 years, the State’s politics has been dominated  by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and The All India Anna Dravida  Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).   For half that time, there have been two dominant figures, loved and  reviled in equal measure: J Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK and M Karunanidhi  of the DMK. But, with their passing in 2016 and 2018, respectively, the  State’s politics has seen tremendous flux over the last few years.  Parties have transmogrified, alliances have shifted shape, and new  entrants like cine star Kamal Hassan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam and T. T. V.  Dhinakaran’s breakaway faction from the AIADMK, Amma Makkal Munnetra  Kazhagam, are in the mix.

Who will fill this political vacuum? Will the AIADMK suffer the  incumbent’s curse? Will the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which has  struggled to form a base in the State make new ground? What is the voter  sentiment now and what issues will come to the fore on election day? We  discuss all of this and more with Prasanna Vishwanathan (CEO, Swarajya  Magazine) in this comprehensive analysis of the upcoming Tamil Nadu  elections.   This podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Google, Spotify, Breaker,  Stitcher, and other popular platforms. If you like this episode, then  please rate, subscribe and share! For more information, do check out  www.bharatvaarta.in.Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBfBd-1kvCOPxVll8tBJ9Q/join

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The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the week that was. This week, we'll be talking about the new vehicle scrappage policies, vaccine diplomacy and its criticisms, the global chip shortage, and more.  If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and @bharatvaarta on Instagram).  #Bharatvaarta #BVWeekly

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In its original form, Chess originated in the 6th century in India. However, India produced its first International Master only in 1961. In 1997, India had only 3 Grandmasters. This number has risen to 87 (including 20 Women GMs) thanks to the stellar work of organisations such as Chess Gurukul.  

In this episode, we talk to Ramesh RB (Grandmaster & Founder - Chess Gurukul) about India's chess ecosystem, the approach Chess Gurukul takes when it comes to nurturing young talent, some of the key players from Chess Gurukul (including the second youngest Grandmaster ever Praggnanandhaa) and how the government and private sector can help build India's chess ecosystem. We also talk to Ramesh about his role as official commentator in the 2013 Chess World Championship Match.  

We round off by talking about women's chess and listen to Ramesh share his outlook on Indian chess and what can be done to make Chess more spectator friendly.   This podcast is also available on all leading podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more.

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The West Bengal elections are a couple of weeks away and campaigning is  in full swing with high drama every day. It promises to be an exciting  content and on this episode, we delve into the nuances with our experts,  Aankhi Ghosh (Supreme Court Advocate) and Rohit Jayaraman (Political  Commentator). We begin the discussion by laying out some of the key  issues that this election will be contested on.   Then, we analyse the campaigns of the various parties and alliances  involved and also dissect some of the prevalent narratives.

We drill down on TMC’s recent firefighting, Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and her contesting from Nandigram; the impact of the Left, Congress, and Muslim  parties alliance; how the BJP has rapidly built its base over the last  few years in a state which is not its traditional stronghold. Finally,  we end with predictions on poll numbers, winning parties, and also  potential Chief Minister candidates.

This is a fascinating deep dive into one of the most important elections  of the year and is a must listen for anyone interested in Indian  Politics. This podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, Google, Spotify,  Breaker, Stitcher, and other popular platforms. If you like this  episode, then please rate, subscribe and share! For more information, do  check out www.bharatvaarta.in.

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The Bharatvaarta Weekly is our reaction to the news headlines of the week that was. This week, we'll be talking about the the international Quad meeting with a joint statement, V-Dem report downgrading India to an electoral autarchy, Uttarakhand CM change (AC) and more.  If you liked this episode, then don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and share this content. You can stay updated with everything at Bharatvaarta by following us on social media: we're @bharatvaarta on Twitter, facebook.com/bharatvaarta.in on Facebook, and @bharatvaarta on Instagram).  #Bharatvaarta​ #BVWeekly

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This episode is a discussion with Mr Shailesh Pathak, who is a distinctive and unique personality. Mr Pathak  is currently the CEO of L&T Infrastructure Development Projects and has in the past worked in leadership roles with leading firms like Srei, IDFC and ICICI. He served the Indian Administrative Service for 16 years running projects to build roads, power plants, tiger habitats and dams – notably projects linked to the Sardar Sarovar dam. Mr Pathak is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta.   

Mr Pathak's view from both sides - as a senior government official as well as an industry leader in the private sector offers a vantage point to understand the needs and opportunities for Indian infrastructure. He has personally run some of the largest infrastructure projects in the country from either side.  

The following links were referenced in the podcast:  

* Limitations of urban governance: https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/shailesh-pathak-getting-talent-and-youth-into-politics-115072500933_1.html  

* Mr Pathak's experience when the Sardar Sarovar dam was being built - https://twitter.com/shypk/status/909349245894909952?s=20  

* Constraints in building infrastructure in India - https://twitter.com/shypk/status/1181098164591325185?s=20

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