The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma

Is there such a thing as Indian conservatism? What does it mean and where did it come from? Jaithirth Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 145 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his latest book. Also check out: The Indian Conservative -- Jaithirth Rao Conservatism: Ideas in Profile -- Roger Scruton Why I am Not a Conservative -- Friedrich Hayek The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) Religion and Ideology in Indian Society -- Episode 124 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Suyash Rai) Political Ideology in India -- Episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rahul Verma) The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism -- Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul) Our Colourful Past -- Episode 127 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai) The Right to Property -- Episode 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) Marching for Salt -- Amit Varma The works of Edmund Burke on Amazon. The column archives of Jaithirth Rao in Indian Express. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The history of humanity is more than just the history of men. Historian Ira Mukhoty joins Amit Varma in episode 144 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about going beyond the male gaze to write history. She also discusses Daughters of the Sun, her account of the rich and complex world of Mughal women. Also check out: Daughters of the Sun -- Ira Mukhoty Heroines -- Ira Mukhoty Yuganta -- Irawati Karve Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World -- Ruby Lal Empress: -- Ruby Lal Wolf Hall -- Hilary Mantel Rebel Sultans -- Manu Pillai India = Migration -- Episode 128 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Chinmay Tumbe) Early Indians -- Episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tony Joseph) The Deccan Before Shivaji -- Episode 98 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai) Our Colorful Past -- Episode 127 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The geopolitics of the West is reasonably well-understood -- but China remains a mystery to many. What drives China? How does it look at India? China expert Manoj Kewalramani joins Amit Varma in episode 143 of The Seen and the Unseen to provide historical context and strategic perspective. Also check out: Modi-Xi Informal Summit: An Indian Interests Agenda -- Manoj Kewalramani Chinese Foreign Policy -- Episode 81 of The Seen and the Unseen Myths About China -- Episode 66 of The Pragati Podcast No, China Isn't Taking Over the World -- Episode 67 of The Pragati Podcast A Meeting in Mamallapuram -- Episode 179 of All Things Policy Protracted Contest -- John W Garver The India-Pakistan Conflict -- Episode 111 of The Seen and the Unseen India in the Nuclear Age -- Episode 80 of The Seen and the Unseen Eye on China: Manoj Kewalramani's weekly newsletter on China You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

We are surrounded by frauds, and are dying to believe them. Vivek Kaul joins Amit Varma in episode 142 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss ponzi schemes, both in India and outside, both by private actors and the government. Also discussed: chit funds and kitty parties, and why we are wired to be deceived. Also check out: Real Estate Prices: Episode 30 of The Seen and the Unseen The Anti-Defection Law: Episode 13 of The Seen and the Unseen 12 Dream Reforms: Episode 138 of The Seen and the Unseen Ponzi's Scheme -- Mitchell Zuckoff Anatomy of a Ponzi Scheme -- Colleen Cross Irrational Exuberance -- Robert Shiller Narrative Economics -- Robert Shiller Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds -- Charles Mackay You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Vivek Tejuja, known for his writing on books, has just released his memoir of growing up gay in India. He joins Amit Varma in episode 141 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how he -- and those around him -- came to terms with his sexuality. In the second half of the episode, Vivek and Amit discuss writers they like, and read out their favourite poetry. Also check out: So Now You Know -- Vivek Tejuja Being Gay in India -- Episode 84 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Navin Noronha) Keeping it Queer The Matunga Racket -- Amit Varma Amit Varma's Twitter thread on 'The Lass of Aughrim' and The Dead Almost Invisible -- Mark Strand Sputnik Sweetheart -- Haruki Murakami The Elephant Vanishes -- Haruki Murakami The Bear Came Over the Mountain -- Alice Munro The Man Who Loved Children -- Christina Stead The Notebook -- Agota Kristof Jhumpa Lahiri on Conversations With Tyler Paper Menagerie -- Ken Liu A Poetry Handbook -- Mary Oliver You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

What exactly is wrong with Indian agriculture? How can we help our farmers? Barun Mitra and Kumar Anand join Amit Varma in episode 140 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the root causes and remedies of this decades-long problem. Also check out: The State of Our Farmers -- Ep 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Gunvant Patil, in Hindi). Entry and Exit in Indian Agriculture -- Ep 1 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pavan Srinath & Karthik Shashidhar) Futures Markets in Agriculture -- Ep 12 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Shashidhar) The Unseen Effects of Farm-Loan Waivers -- Ep 25 of The Seen and the Unseen The Right to Property -- Ep 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) The Delhi Smog -- Ep 40 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul) Free the Farmers -- Barun Mitra Where are the Markets? -- Kumar Anand The Crisis in Indian Agriculture -- Brainstorm on Pragati We Must Save Our Farmers -- Amit Varma The Indian State is the Greatest Enemy of the Indian Farmer -- Amit Varma A Tale of Two Satyagrahas -- Amit Varma Down to Earth -- Sharad Joshi The Mystery of Capital -- Hernando De Soto You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The recent victories of political Hindutva were enabled by a century-long cultural movement spearheaded by a publishing house based in Gorakhpur. Akshaya Mukul, author of Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India, joins Amit Varma in episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen. Themes discussed include the relationship between society and the state, Marwari history, cow, temple, gender, caste, Muslims, Communism, and the spontaneous combustion of virtuous Hindu women. Also check out: Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India -- Akshaya Mukul The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) Political Ideology in India -- Episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rahul Verma) Religion and Ideology in Indian Society -- Episode 124 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Suyash Rai) The 2019 Elections -- Episode 122 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Sadanand Dhume) The BJP's Magic Formula -- Episode 45 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Prashant Jha) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Times are bad -- but pessimists can dream! Tired of only talking about problems, Shruti Rajagopalan, Rajeswari Sengupta and Vivek Kaul join Amit Varma in episode 138 of The Seen and the Unseen, to propose solutions! Three each. Many bad jokes and Bollywood songs are thrown in. Also check out: Population Is Not a Problem, but Our Greatest Strength -- Amit Varma. Alone in the City -- Amit Varma Where Are the Jobs? -- Ep 87 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Yazad Jal) Education in India -- Ep 77 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Amit Chandra) Urban Governance in India -- Ep 31 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) The Bad and Complex Tax -- Ep 74 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) GST Revisited -- Ep 28 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul) Early Indians -- Ep 112 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tony Joseph) Immigration -- Ep 4 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shikha Dalmia) Rent Control -- Ep 14 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Alex Tabarrok) FSI -- Ep 11 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Alex Tabarrok) Women at Work -- Ep 132 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Namita Bhandare) IL&FS and the Indian Financial System -- Ep 91 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul & Ashutosh Datar) The DNA of the NPA -- Ep 32 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul & Kumar Anand) Demystifying GDP -- Ep 130 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswari Sengupta) India's Lost Decade -- Ep 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The India of 2019 is a different country from the India of 1989. Social commentator Santosh Desai joins Amit Varma in episode 137 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the many ways in which we have been transformed in this time -- not always for the better. Also check out: 1. Santosh Desai's column archives in The Times of India. 2. Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India -- Santosh Desai 3. The Decline of Collective Trust -- Santosh Desai 4. Surrounded by Screens - Santosh Desai 5. TikTok: Leave Them Kids Alone -- Santosh Desai 6. The Great Indian Rope Trick -- Santosh Desai 7. The Future as Flow -- Santosh Desai 8. Women at Work -- Ep 132 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Namita Bhandare) 9. The Indianness of Indian Food -- Ep 95 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Doctor) 10. How to Escape From the Shallows -- Amit Varma This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Data journalism in India is fast coming of age, shedding light on our society and politics. Roshan Kishore joins Amit Varma in episode 136 of The Seen and the Unseen to speak about his profession (data journalism), his passion (political economy) and his dark, mysterious past as a student leader in JNU. Also check out: Roshan Kishore's writings in Hindustan Times. Demystifying GDP -- Episode 130 of The Seen and the Unseen. The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen. Political Ideology in India -- Episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen. This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Mohit Satyanand saw the 2008 crisis coming and put his money where his mouth was. Now he says we're in the middle of another crisis. He joins Amit Varma in episode 135 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain what exactly went wrong in 2008, and what's gone wrong now. Also check out: This is All Because of Rupal Ben -- Episode 5 of The Seen and the Unseen Poker and Stock Markets -- Episode 47 of The Seen and the Unseen DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- Episode 85 of The Seen and the Unseen The Bad and Complex Tax -- Episode 75 of The Seen and the Unseen Easy Money -- Episode 56 of The Seen and the Unseen This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Kashmir is in lockdown, and Article 370 is history. What does this mean for Kashmir -- and for India? Historian Srinath Raghavan joins Amit Varma in episode 134 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the historical, geopolitical, ideological and moral questions at the heart of the Kashmir problem. Also check out: War and Peace in Modern India -- Srinath Raghavan The Geopolitics of the Bangladesh War -- Episode 113 of The Seen and the Unseen. Understanding the India-Pakistan Conflict -- Episode 111 of The Seen and the Unseen. Uncle Sam in South Asia -- Episode 93 of The Seen and the Unseen. We Won't Need To Fight A War If We Can Win The Peace -- Amit Varma. The Article 370 Amendments: Key Legal Issues -- Gautam Bhatia Article 370: A Constitutional History of Jammu and Kashmir -- AG Noorani A People's Constitution -- Rohit De The Generation of Rage in Kashmir -- David Devadas This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

We live in a world besieged by falsehood -- but there is a growing resistance movement. Pratik Sinha of Alt News joins Amit Varma in episode 133 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about disinformation, misinformation and why the truth will prevail. Also check out: Alt News Truth of Gujarat India Misinformed -- Pratik Sinha and co-authors The Alt News App for Android The Facts Do Not Matter -- Amit Varma Public Opinion -- Walter Lippmann This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

There is a crisis in India today. There are not enough women taking up paying jobs -- and their unpaid labour at home continues to be taken for granted. Journalist Namita Bhandare joins Amit Varma in episode 132 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the state of women in India today. Also check out: Namita Bhandare's homepage. Namita Bhandare in the Hindustan Times. Why Indian Workplaces Are Losing Women -- Namita Bhandare (The IndiaSpend series) Namita Bhandare at Sheroes. Metrics of Empowerment -- Episode 88 of The Seen and the Unseen The Importance of #MeToo -- Episode 90 of The Seen and the Unseen An Economist Looks at #MeToo -- Episode 92 of The Seen and the Unseen Frailty, Thy Name is Public Policy -- Devika Kher The Girl From Haryana (https://indiauncut.com/the-girl-from-haryana/) -- Amit Varma Men Must Step Up Now -- Amit Varma This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Political Ideology in India Description: The usual spectrum of left and right does not apply to Indian politics. But does that mean that our politics is based on identity and patronage, and not ideology? Not quite, says political scientist Rahul Verma, as he joins Amit Varma in episode 131 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain the two ideological cleavages that divide India. Also check out: Ideology and Identity -- Pradeep K Chhibber and Rahul Verma Religious Practice and Democracy in India -- Pradeep K Chhibber Religion and Ideology in Indian Society -- Episode 124 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Suyash Rai) Imagine No Possessions -- Episode 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) Crime in Indian Politics -- Episode 114 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Milan Vaishnav) This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

In recent times, the GDP has become less of an economic measure and more of a political tool. Economist Rajeswari Sengupta joins Amit Varma in episode 130 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain what the GDP is, what it is good for, what it is not good for and what the fuss over this figure in India is all about. This episode has immeasurable value. Also check out: Rajeswari Sengupta's writings. GDP – A Brief but Affectionate History -- Diane Coyle Gross Domestic Problem -- Lorenzo Fioramonti The Power of a Single Number -- Philipp Lepenies This episode is powered by Storytel: https://www.storytel.com/in/en/ Use the link storytel.com/ivm to get a 30 day free trial as opposed to a 14 day free trial. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Like cricket and cinema, the annual budget brought out by the central government has become a national obsession. Vivek Kaul. the Shah Rukh Khan of Economics, joins Amit Varma, the Govinda of Podcasting, in episode 129 of The Seen and the Unseen to demystify the budget. Much fun is had. Blockbuster guaranteed. Also read: The Sholay Redux -- Vivek Kaul Easynomics: Why high-income tax hurts -- Vivek Kaul How ₹1.7 trillion has gone missing -- Vivek Kaul The State of Our Farmers -- Episode 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Gunvant Patil) DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- Episode 85 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) All Hail Public Choice Theory -- Episode 121 of The Seen and the Unseen India's Lost Decade -- Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra) Economics in One Lesson -- Henry Hazlitt (free pdf link) The Law -- Frédéric Bastiat Marginal Revolution University You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

India is a nation on the move, and migration is in our DNA. Economic historian Chinmay Tumbe joins Amit Varma in episode 128 of The Seen and the Unseen to present the rich history of migrations into, out of and within India. Also check out: India Moving -- Chinmay Tumbe The Story of Our Ancestors -- Episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tony Joseph) Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon -- Patanga You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Indian history is wild fun. Historian Manu Pillai joins Amit Varma in episode 127 of The Seen and the Unseen to regale him with stories from his latest book. The subjects discussed include caste, gender, narrative manipulation, mad elephants and men blown out of cannons. Also check out: The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin -- Manu Pillai The Deccan Before Shivaji -- Episode 98 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai) When Gandhi was Mohandas -- Episode 104 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha) Being Mahatma -- Episode 105 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha) The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Can India ever be a sporting nation? What will it take to get there? Joy Bhattacharjya, who started up Kolkata Knight Riders, brought the u-17 Football World Cup to India and is CEO of the Pro Volleyball League, sure thinks so. He joins Amit Varma in episode 126 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his passion and vision for Indian sport. Also check out: Bindra's Wishlist (2005) -- Amit Varma Opportunity, Choice and the IPL (2008) -- Amit Varma The IPL is Here and Here Are Six Reasons to Celebrate It (2019) -- Amit Varma Netherland -- Joseph O'Neill You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

People often talk of the world of Finance as a giant casino, where sociopathic bankers gamble with the livelihoods of real people. Economist Ajay Shah joins Amit Varma in episode 125 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why this is a misconception, and why Finance is at the heart of our progress. Also check out: Why I Loved and Left Poker -- Amit Varma, from his poker column, Range Rover. Zombie Firms and Creative Destruction -- Episode 118 of The Seen and the Unseen. Futures Markets in Agriculture -- Episode 12 of The Seen and the Unseen. The Indian Financial Code Poker and Stock Markets -- Episode 47 of The Seen and the Unseen You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

What is the role of religion in Indian society? What is conservatism like in India? Suyash Rai joins Amit Varma in episode 124 of The Seen and the Unseen for a wide-ranging free-wheeling chat on these subjects. Also check out: The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- Episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) What is Libertarianism? -- Episode 117 of The Seen and the Unseen (w David Boaz) You're From the Mutton Lobby -- Episode 49 of The Seen and the Unseen (Amit Varma solo, on our political discourse) Every Act of Government is an Act of Violence -- Amit Varma The Three Languages of Politics -- Arnold Kling ये लिबरल आख़िर है कौन? -- Episode 37 of Puliyabaazi (w Amit Varma on Hayek) Ayodhya: The Dark Night -- Dhirendra K Jha and Krishna Jha Sacred and Secular -- Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart A Godless Congregation -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

As the recent sexual harassment case indicates, all is not well with the Supreme Court of India. Constitutional economist Shruti Rajagopalan joins Amit Varma in episode 123 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why the Supreme Court has gone wrong on both ends of the tradeoff between Independence and Accountability. Also read: Justice Is Dead, Long Live the Justices -- Shruti Rajagopalan Imagine No Possessions -- Episode 26 of The Seen and the Unseen Fixing Our Judicial System -- Episode 62 of The Seen and the Unseen Ek Baar Jo Maine Commitment Kar Di -- Amit Varma Where Have All the Leaders Gone? -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Elections in India are madly complex, and defy simple explanations. Sadanand Dhume joins Amit Varma in episode 122 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the Age of Modi, and what these elections mean for India, the BJP and the Congress party. Also check out: Sadanand Dhume's bio and archives The Questions That Election 2019 Leaves Us With -- Amit Varma Beware of the Useful Idiots -- Amit Varma Amit Varma's writings+podcasts on DeMon, in one twitter thread The Intellectual Foundations of Hindutva -- ep 115 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Aakar Patel) Modi's Lost Opportunity -- ep 119 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Salman Soz) The BJP's Magic Formula -- ep 45 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Prashant Jha) Rajesh Jain's Journey to Dhan Vapasi -- ep 94 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajesh Jain) The Paradox of Narendra Modi -- ep 102 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shashi Tharoor) Why Both Modi and Trump are Textbook Populists -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Governments consist of people, and people respond to incentives. For this reason, there is no better way to understand government than through the tools of economics. Episode 121 of The Seen and the Unseen is a rerun of an old episode of The Pragati Podcast, in which Amit Varma introduces Pavan Srinath to the mindblowing insights of Public Choice Theory. Also check out: What Does It Mean to Be Libertarian? -- ep 64 of The Seen and the Unseen Public Choice: A Primer -- Eomonn Butler Politics Without Romance -- Amit Varma's monthly column on Public Choice for Bloomberg Quint Parkinson's Law -- C Northcote Parkinson The Calculus of Consent -- James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock Bureaucracy and Public Economics -- William A Niskanen Urban Governance in India -- ep 31 of The Seen and the Unseen Restaurant Regulations in India -- ep 18 of The Seen and the Unseen Of Endings and Beginnings -- Amit Varma's goodbye editorial for Pragati

Conventional wisdom holds that there are three ways to respond to injustice by the state: we may leave, complain, or comply. Philosopher Jason Brennan joins Amit Varma in episode 120 of The Seen and the Unseen to argue that there is a fourth option: to resist. Also check out: When All Else Fails -- Jason Brennan The Milgram Experiment You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Despite being a Congress spokesperson, economist Salman Soz was hopeful in 2014 that the Modi government would be good for India. As the title of his new book indicates, that turned out to be quite The Great Disappointment. Soz joins Amit Varma in episode 119 of The Seen and the Unseen to elaborate on the many economic failures of the Modi government. He also tackles tough questions on the Congress party. Also check out: The Great Disappointment -- Salman Soz India's Lost Decade -- Ep 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra) DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- Ep 85 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan) The Bad and Complex Tax -- ep 74 of The Seen and the Unseen ( w Shruti Rajagopalan) The Fraud of Indian Education -- ep 77 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Amit Chandra) The Importance of Cities -- ep 108 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Reuben Abraham & Pritika Hingorani) The State of Our Farmers -- ep 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Gunvant Patil) Beware of the Useful Idiots -- Amit Varma A Manifesto for Progress -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The Indian economy has the seeds of a horror film, with zombies stalking the landscape. Air India is one. Jet could have been another had it been rescued. Economist Ajay Shah joins Amit Varma in episode 118 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain the importance of creative destruction, and why failing firms should be allowed to die. Also discussed: price controls and market failure. Do check out: Making Sense of Airline Troubles -- Ajay Shah Lessons from the RCom Mess -- Ajay Shah A Great Churning -- Ajay Shah Bankruptcy Process and the Utilisation of Assets -- Ajay Shah Using the Bankruptcy Code for Privatisation -- Ajay Shah What Happens to Private Airlines When Air India is Privatised? -- Ajay Shah The Price is Right -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

In a sense there have always been but two political philosophies: liberty and power." David Boaz. author of The Libertarian Mind, joins Amit Varma in episode 117 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain what libertarian thinking stands for, and to bust some of the misconceptions around it. Also check out: The Libertarian Mind -- David Boaz The Libertarian Reader -- edited by David Boaz What Does It Mean to Be Libertarian? -- ep 64 of The Seen and the Unseen (w. Amit Varma) Every Act of Government Is an Act of Violence -- Amit Varma The Evolution of Everything -- ep 96 of The Seen and the Unseen (w. Matt Ridley) The World is Getting Better -- ep 101 of The Seen and the Unseen (w. Steven Pinker) The Right to Property -- ep 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w. Shruti Rajagopalan) Public Choice, Voting and Governance -- ep 92 of The Pragati Podcast (w. Amit Varma) The Kim Kardashian Liberal -- Amit Varma I, Pencil -- Leonard Read You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

In 2008, India was growing at 8.8% and was described as a miracle economy. It all went downhill in the next 10 years. Puja Mehra, author of The Lost Decade, joins Amit Varma in episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe the random events, political imperatives and human dramas that collided to bring us to the brink of a crisis. Also check out: The Lost Decade -- Puja Mehra DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- ep 85 of The Seen and the Unseen Most of Amit Varma's writing on DeMon, collected in one Twitter thread Narendra Modi Takes a Great Leap Backwards — Amit Varma Demonetisation -- Ep 2 of The Seen and the Unseen The Bad and Complex Tax -- Ep 74 of The Seen and the Unseen (on GST) Is KitKat a Chocolate or a Biscuit? -- ep 28 of The Seen and the Unseen (on GST) The State of Our Farmers -- ep 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (in Hindi) Where Are the Jobs? -- ep 87 of The Seen and the Unseen You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The ideology of Hindutva dominates our political and cultural landscape today. How did it begin, and what is it precisely? Aakar Patel, author of the forthcoming book Our Hindu Rashtra, joins Amit Varma in episode 115 of The Seen and the Unseen to shed light on three important Hindutva thinkers. Also check out: Hindutva – VD Savarkar Bunch of Thoughts – MS Golwalkar Integral Humanism – Deendayal Upadhyay Ayodhya: The Dark Night – Dhirendra Jha and Krishna Jha The Coffeehouse of Surat – Leo Tolstoy Why I Write – Saadat Hasan Manto (translated by Aakar Patel) The Story of Our Ancestors – Episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen The BJP's Magic Formula – Episode 45 of The Seen and the Unseen You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Why is crime ubiquitous in Indian politics? Why is your neta also a dada? Political scientist Milan Vaishnav joins Amit Varma in episode 114 of The Seen and the Unseen to speak about the incentives in play that have brought us to this place. Also check out: When Crime Pays -- Milan Vaishnav The Grand Tamasha -- Milan Vaishnav's podcast You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

The formation of Bangladesh was neither inevitable nor a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan. Historian Srinath Raghavan joins Amit Varma in episode 113 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe the geopolitical forces that shaped those events of 1971. Also check out: 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh -- Srinath Raghavan The Blood Telegram -- Gary Bass Uncle Sam in South Asia -- episode 93 of The Seen and the Unseen, with Srinath Raghavan Understanding the India-Pakistan Conflict - episode 111 of The Seen and the Unseen, with Srinath Raghavan The formation of the Mujibnagar interim government Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's speech at the UN You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Who were the first Indians? Where did the Harappans go? Who were the Aryans? Whose descendants are we? Tony Joseph joins Amit Varma in episode 112 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe how massive scientific advances in the last few years have given us answers to these questions. Also check out: Early Indians -- Tony Joseph Who We Are and How We Got Here -- David Reich You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

What are the hidden dynamics of the India-Pakistan conflict? What are the possible ways of resolving it? Historian and foreign policy analyst Srinath Raghavan joins Amit Varma in episode 111 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the game theory and geopolitics of this messy situation. Also check out: Srinath Raghavan's books on Amazon Unlike Vajpayee & Manmohan, PM Modi thinks prudence in conflict is a self-imposed fetter -- Srinath Raghavan Uncle Sam in South Asia -- ep 93 of The Seen and the Unseen Strategy: A History -- Lawrence Freedman Not War, Not Peace -- George Perkovich and Toby Dalton Images of Terror -- Philip Jenkins Posturing For Peace -- Vipin Narang To Escalate or Not? This is Modi's Zugzwang Moment -- Amit Varma

Venezuela is a country blessed by nature but cursed by politics. Journalist Alexandra Ulmer joins Amit Varma in episode 110 of The Seen and the Unseen to share her insights from her years as a reporter there. Also check out: - Alexandra Ulmer's homepage Alexandra Ulmer for Reuters Crude Nation: How Oil Riches Ruined Venezuela -- Raúl Gallegos Hugo Chávez: The Definitive Biography -- Cristina Marcano & Alberto Barrera Tyszka Comandante: Inside Hugo Chavez's Venezuela -- Rory Carroll Hell of a Fiesta -- Enrique Krauze. non-gated version here How to End Venezuela's Nightmare -- Ricardo Hausmann You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Should we care about philosophy in these modern times? Philosopher Rebecca Goldstein joins Amit Varma in episode 109 of The Seen and the Unseen to argue that we should -- and Plato's Dialogues illustrate why. Also check out: Plato at the Googleplex -- Rebecca Goldstein You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

India is rapidly urbanizing – and the Indian state seems to be in denial about it. Reuben Abraham and Pritika Hingorani join Amit Varma in episode 108 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss what India needs to do to prepare for its urban future. Also check out: India's a Land of Cities, Not Villages -- Reuben Abraham and Pritika Hingorani How cities, not states, can solve the world's biggest problems -- Robert Muggah and Reuben Abraham Reclaim the Sky -- Episode 11 of The Seen and the Unseen, on FSI Why Are Our Cities So Messed Up? -- Episode 31 of The Seen and the Unseen, on Urban Governance The Gateway to Our Cities -- Episode 21 of The Seen and the Unseen, on Slums The World is Getting Better -- Episode 101 of The Seen and the Unseen, on Human Progress Order Without Design -- Alain Bertaud Triumph of the City -- Edward Glaeser Young Rural Women in India Chase Big-City Dreams -- Ellen Barry You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Host Amit Varma is joined by Vivek Kaul and Kumar Anand in episode 107 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the economic landscape of the day. Subjects discussed include the interim budget, the minimum income guarantee, the jobs crisis and how good politics leads to bad economics. Also check out: -Here Is Why the Indian Voter Is Saddled With Bad Economics -- Amit Varma -Politics = Bribery -- Amit Varma and Kumar Anand -Show us the money: Will Rahul Gandhi's MIG-19 fly? -- Vivek Kaul Budget or Fudget?: Read This and Decide -- Vivek Kaul -India budget: Will India buy Narendra Modi's story of hope again? -- Vivek Kaul -The Indian State Is the Greatest Enemy of the Indian Farmer -- Amit Varma -The Business of Doing Business -- Reshu Natani and Kumar Anand -DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- ep 85 of The Seen and the Unseen -Rajesh Jain's Journey to Dhan Vapasi -- ep 94 of The Seen and the Unseen -The State of Our Farmers -- ep 86 of The Seen and the Unseen You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

In his latest book, Stubborn Attachments, Tyler Cower lays out a moral vision for the future. He joins Amit Varma in episode 106 of The Seen and the Unseen to explain why future lives matter as much as present ones, and why our priorities should be centered around sustainable economic growth constrained by negative rights. Also check out: Stubborn Attachments by Tyler Cowen. Marginal Revolution. The Marginal Revolution University Reasons and Persons by Derek Parfit. The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

In the second of a two-part series, historian Ramachandra Guha joins Amit Varma in episode 105 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about Mohandas Gandhi's transformation into Mahatma Gandhi -- and how that changed the world. Among the subjects discussed: caste, misogyny and Gandhi's personal obsessions Also check out: Ramachandra Guha's books on Gandhi, Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most fascinating characters in history: complex, misunderstood, deeply impactful. Ramachandra Guha, author of two acclaimed biographies of the man, joins Amit Varma in episode 104 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the first 45 years of Gandhi's life, before he returned to India to catalyse the Indian freedom struggle. Do check out: Ramachandra Guha's books on Gandhi, Gandhi Before India and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World . You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

The Emergency of 1975 was not an aberration, but was written into the DNA of the Indian state. Historian Gyan Prakash joins Amit Varma in episode 103 of The Seen and the Unseen to shed light on why the framers of the constitution gave such draconian powers to the state -- and why we may not have become so free in 1947 after all. Also read: Emergency Chronicles by Gyan Prakash on Amazon. Shruti Rajagopalan on our constantly changing constitution. (Aug 2015) The Evil of Family Planning (Dec 2014) -- Amit Varma Lessons From 1975 (Sep 2015) -- Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

Shashi Tharoor, author of The Paradoxical Prime Minister, joins Amit Varma in episode 102 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the many faces of Narendra Modi, as well as the nature of politics, the idea of India and his own journey as a politician. Also read: The Paradoxical Prime Minister on Amazon, as well as Shashi Tharoor's other books. The Facts Do Not Matter -- Amit Varma No Free Trade For Horses -- Ep 13 of The Seen and the Unseen, on the Anti-Defection Law. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

We tend to take progress for granted, and are wired to focus on bad news instead of good. Steven Pinker joins Amit Varma in episode 101 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about why the world is getting better, and why Enlightenment values are essential for ensuring that the trend continues Also check out: Enlightenment Now and The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker. It is Daft to Worry About Inequality --Amit Varma You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

The Seen and the Unseen reaches 100 episodes! Yea! Economist Shruti Rajagopalan, the most frequent guest on the show, joins host Amit Varma as they shoot the breeze about the 99 episodes before this, the horrors of 2018, and the further horrors of 2019. Also check out: These past episodes with Gunvant Patil, Vikram Doctor, Harsha Bhogle, Gideon Haigh+Prem Panicker, Rajesh Jain, Vishwanath S, Parth Shah, Amit Chandra, Alex Tabarrok, Naveen Noronha, Kumar Anand, Vivek Kaul, Ashok Malik, Nikita+Supriya (on #MeToo), Devika+Nidhi+Hamsini and Matt Ridley. And also with Shruti on the Right to Property, DeMon, GST, #MeToo and Caste. And ah, The Matunga Racket. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

A democracy is not merely about voting. Those who are voted into power need to be kept in check, and Rules and Institutions are essential for this. Foreign policy analyst Ameya Naik joins Amit Varma in episode 99 of The Seen and the Unseen to elaborate -- and to explain the danger that Donald Trump poses. Also check out: Why Both Modi and Trump are Textbook Populists - Amit Varma Ek Baar Jo Maine Commitment Kar Di - Amit Varma Trade Deficits (and Trumpism) - Episode 73 of The Seen and the Unseen Immigration and Outsourcing - Episode 69 of The Seen and the Unseen You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

When people think of the Deccan, they think Shivaji vs Mughals. But the history of the Deccan is far richer than that -- and far racier. It's full of lust and laughter, murder and madness, sex and senselessness. Historian Manu S Pillai joins Amit Varma in episode 98 of The Seen and the Unseen to tell that fascinating story. Also check out: Manu S Pillai's book Rebel Sultans, on Amazon and on Juggernaut The Indianness of Indian Food -- ep 95 of The Seen and the Unseen You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

In his three-decade career covering cricket, Harsha Bhogle has had an inside view on the transformation of the game. He joins Amit Varma in episode 97 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about how cricket has changed – and why it gives him hope. You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5 You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com Also check out: How Money Changed Cricket -- Ep 41 of The Seen and the Unseen Opportunity, Choice and the IPL (2008) -- Amit Varma The Tamasha All Purists Should Love -- Amit Varma Purists, keep quiet. Cricket is changing, not dying -- Amit Varma Test Cricket Is Dying, but Cricket Is Not -- Amit Varma

The world evolves in a bottom-up way, despite the top-down beliefs of those who have blind faith in either God or Government. Matt Ridley joins Amit Varma in episode 96 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe the evolution of the universe, life, culture, language, cities, the economy, our minds, our future and more. Also check out: The Evolution of Everything -- Matt Ridley Other books by Matt Ridley: The Rational Optimist,Genome,The Origins of Virtue Matt Ridley's Homepage What Does It Mean to Be Libertarian? -- Ep 64 of The Seen and the Unseen The Fraud of Indian Education -- Ep 77 of The Seen and the Unseen The Profit Motive in Education -- Ep 9 of The Seen and the Unseen