Podcast: The Election Aftermath and Devesh Kapur on the Indian State

Milan and Lauren discuss whether the election marks a structural break in Indian electoral history and what, if any, impact the economy had on the outcome. Then, Milan sits down with Devesh Kapur, director of Asia programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

First, Grand Tamasha’s Executive Producer Lauren Dueck takes the helm to interview Milan Vaishnav (Director of the South Asia programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) on the election aftermath.

Milan and Lauren discuss whether the election marks a structural break in Indian electoral history and what, if any, impact the economy had on the outcome. The two also discuss whether secularism has a leg to stand on going forward.

Then, Milan sits down with Devesh Kapur, director of Asia programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Devesh has spent much of his career researching the Indian state and he talks with Milan about his diagnosis of the challenges facing Indian public institutions.

The two discuss India’s personnel shortcomings, whether India is truly a “patronage democracy,” and what should be on the next government’s administrative reform agenda.