In this podcast, Pranav, who runs the channel named "Science is Dope," explores the trend of increasing pseudosciences and fraudulent spiritual figures promoted by popular podcasts, YouTubers, and influencers in India.  In his videos, Pranav often calls out pseudosciences and misinformation by providing scientific rebuttals. We delve into the unique susceptibility of Indian society to these regressive trends, the institutionalization of pseudoscience even among influential figures, and...

I sat down patiently with Pratyush, the owner of a roastery named Pahadee Coffee Roasters in Himachal, to explore all things coffee. On this episode, we not only discussed famous brands and delved into the fascinating history and origin of coffee but also ventured into the captivating subculture surrounding coffee. We explored the unique rituals, trends, and passionate communities that have formed around coffee. Additionally, we dove into the science and art behind what makes a cup of coffee...

The Ban on Affirmative Action in the USA - Unpacking its History, Impact, and Implications.  An insightful exploration in our latest episode as we delve into the recent ban on the 'American Reservation system'—more commonly known as affirmative action in the United States. Our esteemed guest, Pallavi Rao, guides us through the intricacies of this decision, shedding light on the motives driving the elimination of diversity plans and affirmative action. Pallavi Rao is an Assistant Professor...

In this episode, I meet Ajay, a middle-aged man from Himachal Pradesh whose life was shaped by his family's religious and superstitious upbringing. However, everything changed when he discovered Navayana Buddhism, a modern movement rooted in social justice and equality. As he delved into the teachings of Dr Ambedkar he began questioning the rituals he had ignorantly followed, finding solace and resonance in the principles of Navayana Buddhism. The episode dives into the multifaceted...

In this Episode 67, I speak with Rahul Sonpimple, a PhD scholar in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University. We discuss his changing nature of higher education, insights on Buddhism, his experiences growing up in a slum, the counterproductivity of political correctness, his reading habits and the future of Ambedkarite politics.  This podcast doesn’t have any corporate funding or support so the contribution by listeners is very important for its survival. Please support it here: 1....

Mayur Helia is a young Dalit student who worked as a sanitation worker with the BMC in Mumbai for 12 years. After his father's passing, Mayur took taking on his father's job as a garbage loader. However, Mayur's life took an unforeseen turn when he was offered a fully-funded PhD opportunity at Lancaster University in the UK. This chance allowed him to escape the difficult life of a sanitation worker and pursue his dreams. Mayur shares his fascinating and inspiring life story in this...

In our latest episode, Greeshma discusses the surprising defeat of the BJP by the Congress in the Karnataka elections.  This episode aims to explore the cultural realities of Karnataka, going beyond the usual analyses of voter demographics and factors favoring one party over the other. Our guest, Greeshma, will shed light on why the BJP and RSS lost the election but still maintain influence in the cultural landscape. We delve into the historical context and the power of the Sangh ideology...

A conversation with Ashok Gopal, author of A Part Apart: The Life and Thought of B.R. Ambedkar. Ashok Gopal shares insights on Dr Ambedkar's pragmatism, reading habits, views on religion, loneliness, and the modern myth of 'castelessness' in this fascinating podcast.  Ashok Gopal, a history graduate, has a diverse professional background, including journalism, NGO consulting, curriculum design, and educational content development. He has been studying Babasaheb Ambedkar's life and ideas...

In this podcast episode, Yashica Dutt provides a critical analysis of the Netflix show "Indian Matchmaking," offering multiple perspectives on the show and sharing her insights into concepts such as love, marriage, and personal preferences, including how these preferences are formed. Additionally, she highlights how her article on the same subject, published in the Atlantic in 2020, was appropriated by various publications without proper credit. Yashica also explores American society and...

Today, our guest is the anonymous artist behind the widely popular internet sensation, Swineryy. She is known for creating unique Animoji art on Instagram that utilizes colourful characters to make absurd and humorous videos. In the podcast, Swineryy discusses a range of interesting topics. Firstly, she talks about the idea and reason behind being anonymous on the internet. She also expresses her concerns about the changing algorithm on Instagram and the pressure to create generic reels....

Thenmozhi Soundararajan is a Dalit American artist, organizer, technologist, and theorist. Currently, Thenmozhi is the Executive Director of Equality Labs, one of the largest Dalit civil rights organizations in the US and globally. She is a frequent contributor on issues related to South Asia, caste, gender, and race as well as interfaith issues and peace building, and has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, Guardian, ABC, NBC news to name a few. She has recently...

We discussed the history of social media and misinformation networks, about Elon Musk and if he is a genius or ruthless evil capitalist, about tech chaos and the future of the jobs market in the era of mass firing and so much more. Prof. Joyojeet Pal is an Associate Professor at the School of Information at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to this he was a Senior Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research India. His recent work has been on the use of social media in mainstream...

Sagar is a writer and journalist currently working with The Caravan. In this episode he discuss in detail about the ideas, legacy and pragmatism of Saheb Kanshi Ram. Kanshi Ram is one of the biggest name in the Dalit movement in India’s political landscape. He launched the Bahujan Samaj Party in 1984, which went on to form the government in India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh on four occasions. To call Manyavar Kanshi Ram, only a politician would be very much of an understatement. He was a...

Vijeta teaches English at St. Joseph's College, Bangalore. She is also a writer and has written for Firstpost, Huffpost India, India Today, The Hindu Business Line, Deccan Herald, amongst other platforms. She writes extensively on her blog, which is titled as rumlolarum which has a dedicated following and admirers. In this podcast, we discussed her recent article about the discipline of words, about the personality of Banglore city, on evolving ideas about Dalit literature and how social...

Here, we talk about the meaning of labour in art and who controls the power to define the ‘pure’ culture. The reasons for marginalization of folk performances in India. How the idea of taste in art is shaped by the role of caste and class. Prof. Brahma Prakash is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. He is the author of the book Cultural Labour (OUP, 2019). His research interest lies in regional...

At the tender age of 13, Bhanwar Meghwanshi started attending the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh's shakhas in Rajasthan without any idea about the organization. Meghwanshi began to take immense pride in his Hindu identity and wished to dedicate his life to RSS's ideology. But one incident shook him immensely, and his entire life changed afterward. Meghwanshi is now a journalist and an activist. His book Main Ek Karsevak Tha—I Was a Karsevak—was first published in Hindi in 2019, and its English...

Born in 1975 in Rajasthan, Bhanwar Meghwanshi is a journalist and an activist who has been part of the Dalit movement in Rajasthan for many decades. His recent book is: I Could Not Be Hindu: The Story of a Dalit in the RSS, Published by Navayana Publishing House. In this podcast, he decodes how in Rajasthan, behind the glitch and glamour of beautiful locations, exists a different kind of archaic world where caste dictates everything and how in this state exists not only a real desert but...

Umar is an aeronautical engineer working in New York, USA. He is originally from Lahore. This podcast doesn’t have any corporate funding or support so the contribution by listeners is very important for its survival. Please support it here: 1. Patreon (Most preferred medium): https://www.patreon.com/anuragminusverma 2. BuyMeACoffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Anuragminus 3. InstaMojo:(UPI/Gpay/PayTm) : https://www.instamojo.com/@anuragminusverma/ 4. PayPal ( Subscribers living outside...

Season 2 of AMV podcast with Neeraj Ghaywan.  Neeraj is an Indian film director and writer who works in Hindi films. He is the winner of several accolades including a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards. Neeraj made his directorial debut in 2015 with Masaan which received wide acclaim and won two prizes at the Cannes Film festival including the FIPRESCI Prize. His acclaimed 2017 short film Juice won him the Filmfare Award for Best Short Film-Fiction. Ghaywan then co-directed the...

Season 2 of AMV podcast with Rofl Gandhi.  Rofl Gandhi is one of the best Indian satirists. He challenges the ruling party's propaganda through his sharp wit and political humor. He has gained a massive audience on Twitter who always wait for his unique takes on the contemporary socio-political situation in the country. Rofl Gandhi is one of the best Indian satires who through his sharp wit and humor challenges the propaganda of the ruling party. This podcast doesn’t have any corporate...

Season 2 of AMV podcast with Lifafa. In 2013, Suryakant started recording jazz music for Peter Cat Recording Co., a New Delhi hemp jazz outfit. It is one of the most unique and experimental bands to emerge from India. A few years back, Suryakant started his solo electronic project called Lifafa. Lifafa carries a unique sound and aesthetics. It flows smoothly between various genres such as jazz, retro Bollywood, lo-fi, soul, and RnB funk. NME, in their review, perfectly describes his style,...

Season 2, Episode 50 with Syed Mohd Irfan. He is the host of a popular show named Guftagoo.  An interview format show started in 2011 on Rajya Sabha TV. Guftagoo is an explorative-inquisitive and intimate conversation with celebrated personalities from various fields of Cinema, Theatre, Visual Arts, Literature, and Culture. As a host and media personality Irfan has been a remarkable communicator. As a television host, his appeal exists from art and culture doyen to all people together,...

Nalin Yadav is a stand-up comedian who was co-accused in a case where he was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, for the jokes he didn’t even crack. This incident turned his life upside down and forced 25-year-old Nalin Yadav to quit his passion as a stand-up comedian and work as a laborer for many days. He was arrested along with five others including Comedian Munnnawar Faruqui and he spent 57 days in Indore jail. This episode is about his early life before he started...

This is a special two-part podcast. In part one Major Priyadarshi Chowdhury dissects the current situation and gives us an insider view of these kinds of wars and operations. In Part two Ananta Barvey tells her story about how she has been able to cross the border from the warzone and the situation of the students who are still stuck in Ukraine. This podcast doesn’t have any corporate funding or support so the contribution by listeners is very important for its survival. Please support it...

Recorded the podcast with Ananta Barvey, a 21-year-old student at National Medical University in Kyiv, Ukraine. She, along with many students, is currently stuck at the hostel where they are hiding in underground bunkers. In this podcast, she narrates the human story of living in the middle of a War.  Students are currently seeking help in amplifying their voices so that they can be evacuated as soon as possible.  Guest Profile (Ananta):https://twitter.com/tendercrimes This podcast...