FO° Podcasts

The Revealing Story of the Changing Map of India

 
Since 1954, the internal borders have changed more in India than in the rest of the world. The retired director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, which trains Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, explains the story of the formation of new states and India’s changing internal borders.
 
Even before independence, linguistic identity mattered to Indians. In fact, the independence struggle became a mass movement because leaders even before Mahatma Gandhi adopted their native tongues to rouse the masses. Gandhi himself ran three newspapers, one in English, another in Hindi, and a third in his native Gujarati.
 
Chopra argues that India’s earliest self-conception is a union of diverse cultures. The British divided the country into 11 provinces for administrative convenience. Linguistic considerations did not matter to them. Of course, there were over 500 princely states as well.
 
In 1947, India inherited nine provinces from the British. The incorporation of princely states by this young country was a feat of extraordinary statesmanship by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. For a while, the country retained the borders of the imperial states until linguistic identity asserted itself.
 
This identity led to new linguistic states. Most recently, the formation of Telangana after splitting up Andhra Pradesh has boosted the demand for smaller states. 
 
The formation of states is a story of the growing democratization of Bharat, as Sanjeev Chopra’s book, We, the People of the States of Bharat. You can buy the book here. 
 
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Credits: 
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

What You Need to Know About Start-Ups in G20

Over 90% of start-ups fail. To say they are a risky business is an understatement. For the first time, G20 has put startups on the agenda. India has led that move and Chintan Vaishnav of NITI Aayog—the Indian government’s public policy think tank—discusses startups in India and the G20.
 
This edition of FO° Podcasts examines start-ups. Historically, the US has given birth to this strange beast. Since the 2007-08 crash in Western economies, things have changed. Start-ups are starting to take off in poorer economies, especially India. As chair of the G20 this year, India has put startups on the agenda for the first time. 
 
In emerging markets, start-ups were not always popular. People were afraid to take risks. With economic growth, broader access to technology, and changing demographics, start-ups are on the rise in many G20 countries.
 
India has been a shining example of rising entrepreneurship. Forbes estimates that there are now 100 unicorns in the country. As per Pew Research Center, 40% of India’s population is under 25. This population is more educated and technologically savvy than ever before, producing a huge demand for goods and services. Naturally, entrepreneurs are emerging to serve this demand.
 
Vaishnav takes the view that entrepreneurship is just getting started in India and many other G20 countries and start-ups have a long way to go. He explains what makes a healthy start-up ecosystem possible, the national and international forces that influence such an ecosystem, and how it can be a driving force for economic and social good.
 
Vaishnav also outlines why India has placed start-ups front and center of the G20 agenda.
 
Author Bio
 
Chintan Vaishnav is a socio-technologist, an engineer trained to design and build large-scale systems that possess both human as well as technological complexities. Presently, he serves as the Mission Director for the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative of the government of India under the auspices of the NITI Aayog. Chintan is on leave from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his present assignment. As a teacher, innovator, and entrepreneur, he has split his time between teaching and research at MIT, and living and working with rural communities in India to build solutions that improve living conditions despite resource constraints.
 
Photo: https://aim.gov.in/chintan-vaishnav.php
Email: chintan.vaishnav@gov.in
Social Media:
- Linkedin
- Twitter
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 
[Matthew Knudson produced this podcast.]

What You Need to Know About Cryptocurrencies

To most people, cryptocurrencies are an abstract and complicated financial system. So what exactly are they, who uses them, and why? Former British MP Oonagh McDonald, awarded the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to financial regulation and business, makes sense of cryptocurrencies in 2023.
 
This edition of FO° Podcasts examines the rise of cryptocurrencies and their place in the international banking system. Crypto set itself as an alternative to banks and regulation, promising anonymity. Over the years, the value and success of crypto skyrocketed. However, scandals like the collapse of the FTX demonstrate have taken the sheen off crypto recently. Clearly, these new currencies have unique pitfalls and are hence increasingly volatile.
 
In a wide-ranging conversation with editor-in-chief Atul Singh, McDonald explains the workings of crypto, its counterculture origins, recent scandals, and these currencies are being used today. 
 
Author Bio
Dr Oonagh McDonald CBE, author and international expert in financial regulation, was a British Member of Parliament, and Opposition Spokesman on Treasury and the City. She subsequently became a board member of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and worked under the auspices of the Asian Development Bank, advising newly established financial regulatory authorities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Brunei, and Mongolia. Onnagh has also worked with USAID, more recently in Ukraine and Moldova. She has written numerous articles, published in leading academic Journals and The Times and The Financial Times. Oonagh’s books include Lehman Brothers: A Crisis of Value and Holding Bankers to Account. In 1998, she was awarded the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen for her services to financial regulation and business. Oonagh now resides in Washington, DC where she swims almost every morning and cooks exotic curries for friends.
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 

Why is the Pakistani Economy Imploding Now

 
As Pakistan’s inflation rate soars, retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji discusses the country's dire economic crisis with editor-in-chief Atul Singh. The two dive deep into history and envisage what lies around the corner for this deeply troubled nation.
 
This edition of FO° Podcasts examines Pakistan’s turbulent past and current economic crisis. Nasir Khilji has five decades of experience as an economist. He worked in many departments for the US government before retiring as a senior economist from the Treasury. 
 
Although Khilji is American, he grew up in Pakistan. He has been a regular visitor to the country and has observed the Pakistani economy closely.
 
In a wide-ranging conversation with Fair Observer’s editor-in-chief Atul Singh, Khilji addresses Pakistan’s struggles with its political leadership, military involvement in politics, persistent instability, and rampant corruption. The two also discuss inflation, brain drain, and more.
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 

The Hot Mic: US Debt Ceiling, Ukraine and Trouble in the Arctic

In this not-so-new series for FO° Podcasts—The Hot Mic—Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine the US debt ceiling, the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine War, and the new great game over the melting Arctic.
 
The two hosts are back after a hiatus to dive into things that matter.
 
US Debt Ceiling
 
The debt ceiling is in the news again. Fundamentally, the US has a legal mechanism that caps the total amount of debt that the US Treasury can issue. Congress has to approve spending beyond the debt ceiling and this sometimes causes friction with the president.
 
Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives. They want the government to cut costs. Democrats in the White House want the House to raise revenues by raising taxes. If the two cannot agree, the government can grind to a halt and it has in the past.
 
This podcast examines the hullabaloo about the debt ceiling and makes sense of it all.
 
Russia-Ukraine War
 
The Russia-Ukraine War has been in a stalemate for a while. In the early phases of the war, the Russians got a beating. Then, they regrouped and made some advances. For months, there has been a stalemate.
 
With spring thawing the snow, a Ukrainian offensive seems to be in the offing. Some believe that Ukraine has the advantage. After all, the country will be getting F-16 fighter jets. The US is still pouring in aid and arms. Others argue that there are too many different weapons needing different types of ammunition. The Russians are using prisoners as cannon fodder and killing the flower of Ukrainian youth.
 
The next few weeks might be a critical period of this war. 
 
The Arctic Great Game 
 
Once, great powers played the great game over Afghanistan. Now, it has shifted to the Arctic. As Atul Singh wrote in an earlier piece, “The melting of polar ice caps opens up new opportunities for resource extraction and sea routes. This has sharpened rivalries between the US-led West and a China-backed Russia. Tensions are increasing and so are the possibilities of conflict.”
 
Russia has used the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) astutely to claim the continental shelf. Note that the US does not recognize UNCLOS. Other Arctic powers such as Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland have been late to the party. So, Russia has the legal lead.
 
At the same time, Russia is building military bases in this region. As Singh wrote, “Russia has seven nuclear-powered icebreakers and around 30 diesel-powered ones. The US and China have just two diesel-powered icebreakers each in operation. The US is the global superpower but Russia is the Arctic superpower.”
 
China claims to be a near-Arctic power and is funding Russian military development. China is looking to bypass two choke points that could cut off its energy supplies, block its exports and bring its economy to a standstill. These choke points are the Suez Canal and the Straits of Malacca. China desperately wants another sea route.
 
The melting of the Arctic is opening up new trans-Arctic routes that China desperately craves. In the past, a Russian tanker sailed from Norway to South Korea in 19 days. A passage through the Suez Canal would have taken over 50 days. As the factory of the world with an insatiable appetite for commodities, the oil, gas, and minerals along with a shorter sea route is China’s wet dream. No wonder the stage is set for yet another great game.
 
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/ 
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 

Paint it Black: Lebanon’s Failures and How to Save it

In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh is joined by Jean AbiNader, a veteran expert on the Middle East and a Lebanese American who is closely connected to his ancestral land to analyze Lebanon’s endangered economy and political instability. 
Jean AbiNader was born in Lebanon and has spent the last 40 years traveling and working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He has worked in marketing, public affairs, and project management. AbiNader has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the MENA region.
AbiNader paints a dire picture of Lebanon’s current problems. He makes sense of Lebanon’s gutted and struggling economy, entrenched government corruption, identity politics and instability.
For nearly three years, Lebanon has suffered the most devastating, multi-pronged crisis in its modern history. The unfolding economic and financial crisis started in October 2019. COVID-19 and the 2022 explosion in the Beirut port exacerbated this crisis.
The World Bank’s Spring 2021 Lebanon Economic Monitor found that Lebanon’s crisis ranks among the worst economic crises since the mid-19th century. Nominal GDP plummeted from $52 billion in 2019 to $23.1 billion in 2021. The GDP per capita fell by 36.5%. Incomes fell and jobs vanished.
Lebanon was an upper middle-income country despite the ethnic conflict and the refugee burden. In July 2022, the World Bank reclassified it as a lower-middle income country.  Such a brutal contraction is usually associated with conflicts or wars.
AbiNader makes sense of Lebanon’s crisis, examines why things have come to such a pass and posits solutions for the future.
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

A Canadian Perspective on Ukraine, Iraq and Afghanistan

In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Canadian Defense Attaché Major-General Michel-Henri (Mike) St-Louis speaks to Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh about conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, the changing nature of war, and more.
 
Major-General Michel-Henri St-Louis is an experienced soldier. He has deployed on missions in Bosnia, Croatia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In this podcast, Major General St-Louis shares his insights from his distinguished military career to analyze the Russia-Ukraine War. He talks about the lessons of this war from proper training and sensible doctrines to empowering field commanders and maintaining morale.
 
The eloquent general goes on to share his insights on the complex political and military situation in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. He served twice in the country and shares his rich insights here. The Canadian Defence Attaché also speaks about Iraq, the rise of ISIS, the Syrian civil war, and Qasem Soleimani of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He shares many lessons relevant for military members, diplomats, and all students of history, geopolitics, and international relations.
 
 
Author Bio
 
Major-General Michel-Henri (Mike) St-Louis currently serves as Canada’s Defence Attaché to the United States. His career highlights include serving as the Acting Commander of the Canadian Army, Commander of Canada’s Joint Task Force—IMPACT—in the Middle East, Deputy Commanding General for Operations of America’s First Corps, command of 5e Groupe Brigade Mécanisé du Canada, and the last Canadian Battle Group overseeing combat operations in Afghanistan. Maj Gen St-Louis is a graduate of the National War College (US), Canadian Forces College, Canada’s Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, Royal Military College in Kingston, and the Canadian Army Command and Staff College. He is an officer within the Legion of Merit (US) and Canada’s Order of Military Merit and also received the Meritorious Service Cross and Medal.
 
 
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The Hot Mic: Trump’s Fraud Charges, Taiwan’s Defiance, and OPEC’s New World Order

In a new series for FO° Podcasts—The Hot Mic—Atul Singh and Christopher Roper Schell examine Donald Trump's falsifying business records, Taiwan's precarious relationship with the U.S., and how the Russia-Ukraine war is causing OPEC to reevaluate its relationship with the West. 
 
Learn more about Atul and Christopher, and read their work on the two links below:
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/atul-singh/
https://www.fairobserver.com/author/christopher-schell/ 
 
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 

An Outstanding Deep Dive Into the American Economy with Nasir Khilji

In the second of this two-part series, retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji discusses the American economy with editor-in-chief Atul Singh.
 
In a wide-ranging conversation, this edition of FO° Podcasts examines the American economy. Nasir Khilji has five decades of experience as an economist. He worked in many departments for the US government before retiring as a senior economist from the Treasury.
 
Khilji speaks about both the challenges and the prospects of the American economy. He speaks about inflation, debt, healthcare, and more in this podcast. Khilji discusses oil prices, inflation, growth prospects, and more with editor-in-chief Atul Singh, the host of FO° Podcasts.
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 

An Excellent Deep Dive Into the Global Economy with Nasir Khilji

In the first of this two-part series, retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji discusses the global economy with editor-in-chief Atul Singh.
In a wide-ranging conversation, this edition of FO° Podcasts examines the global economy. Nasir Khilji has five decades of experience as an economist. He worked in many departments for the US government before retiring as a senior economist from the Treasury.
 
Khilji speaks about the US, Europe, and emerging markets in this podcast. He discusses oil prices, inflation, growth prospects, and more with editor-in-chief Atul Singh, the host of FO° Podcasts.
 
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"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/