‘In Perspective’ is The Swaddle’s podcast series where academics reveal little-known facts about Indian history, society and culture.

Notes:

00:00:53:03- What is ‘state capacity?’ What does it mean to hollow out state capacity?

00:05:33:02- How did the Brahmin elite hollow out the bureaucracy in the Bombay and Madras Presidencies at the time the Indian state was being democratised?

00:10:48:07- How does this play out in India even today?

00:13:26:14- What makes right-wing political parties popular among the poor?

00:18:21:16- What role does people’s income play in voter turnout in India?

00:19:54:23- Why are caste and class so relevant when it comes to voting and politics in India?

00:22:53:17- Why does India see a huge proliferation of various political parties across states?

00:27:55:02- In the recent 2021 West Bengal elections, almost all news sites’ pre-poll data predicted that the BJP would win, which turned out to be wrong when the All India Trinamool Congress won by a landslide. Where does the mismatch between voters’ attitudes and perceptions of the media come from?

Credits:

Featuring: Dr. Pavithra Suryanarayan

Producer: Aditi Patel

Original Interview Edit: Anahita Sachdev

Cover Art: Hitesh Sonar

Creative Director: Shrishti Malhotra

Executive Producer: Karla Bookman