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An interview podcast with newsmakers from around India and the world, spanning politics, culture, food, and the economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. How Iran managed to take on a superpower

    1 DAY AGO

    How Iran managed to take on a superpower

    Over the past months, the entire world watched in surprise as Iran stood up to the most powerful militaries in the world. On February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, killing its head of state, Trump was hoping for a quick, Venezuela-style regime change. Instead, Iran fought back, attacking Arab states in the region which host American military bases and even successfully closing off the Strait of Hormuz, a major thoroughfare for the world's oil. On this episode of Scroll Adda, writer and anthropologist Alex Reza Shams explains that one should not be surprised by this dogged Iranian resistance. For decades now, sanctions have made Iran self-sufficient in a way few countries are. Moreover, for the Iranian government this is an existential war. There is no option of surrender. In fact, Shams argues that this war might end up strengthening extremist elements within Iran. The fact that the United States has broken all agreements with Tehran has greatly weakened the moderate Iranians who championed dialogue. Rather than being a monolith, the current Iranian system has seen liberal, democratic movements in the past. But long years of sanctions and now war mean that these political actors risk being shut out by extreme elements, who favour conflict with US and Israel, given that trying for peace has only seen Tehran being double crossed. Producer: Kritika Pant Host: Shoaib Daniyal Have any feedback? Email us at Adda@Scroll.in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min
  2. India's scam epidemic

    13 FEB

    India's scam epidemic

    We all know someone who has been scammed over the internet. It could be a dramatic digital arrest scam or something milder like a phishing scam. In her new book, Scamlands, journalist Snigdha Poonam explores this epidemic. For many Indians, desperation drives them to become scammers. Shut out by the iron gates of caste, communal prejudice and poverty, tricking the elite is often the only way out of the shackles Indian society. On the other side, for the people getting scammed, it is often a moment of deep shame. Scammers gain their confidence and then abuse it for money. The experience is so jarring that in many cases, people do not even admit to being scammed. Contribute to Scroll's studio fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/scrollstudiofund Producer: Raghav Kakkar Editor: Hyder Habib Host: Shoaib Daniyal We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 3min
  3. A ringside view of the world of social media

    30 JAN

    A ringside view of the world of social media

    “In the age of monetisation, we cannot judge the internet based on morality,” argues Anurag Minus Verma, podcaster and multimedia artist. In this episode of Adda, the host of the widely popular Anurag Minus Verma Podcast speaks with Shoaib Daniyal about his book The Great Indian Brain Rot. The conversation jumps from “cringe” creators to the economics of virality and the rise of the internet as the new battleground for caste pride and superiority. Verma also reflects on the dichotomy of profound loneliness in the age of hyperconnectedness. Support our award-winning journalism by becoming a Scroll member: https://scroll.in/contribute Producer: Aryan Mahtta Editor: Hyder Habib Host: Shoaib Daniyal We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 10min
  4. Why India's GDP data can't be believed

    19/12/2025

    Why India's GDP data can't be believed

    In A Sixth of Humanity, political scientist Devesh Kapur and economist Arvind Subramanian set out to do something ambitious: chart India’s development journey from Nehru to Modi. In this episode of Adda, they sit down with Shoaib Daniyal and break down the four stages of India’s development. Starting with Nehru’s planned economy, which they argue did not do what it set out to: import substitution. Rather than create a safe space for Indian industry to grow and then eventually take on international competition, it ended up nearly killing the private sector. Interestingly, Modi might be doing something similar now by promoting so-called national champions like Adani and Ambani. Again, by allowing them to largely play in the domestic space, rather than making them take on international competition, these firms are not adding to India’s growth story. Most shockingly, however, Kapur and Subramanian argue that India’s GDP growth has ground to a halt over the last decade or so, with them estimating that average growth has been only around 3%. For context, official data reported that India’s real GDP grew 8.2% in the second quarter of 2025-26. Contribute to Scroll's studio fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/scrollstudiofund Producer: Aryan Mahtta Editor: Hyder Habib Host: Shoaib Daniyal We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
  5. Delhi’s pollution crisis needs drastic action

    12/12/2025

    Delhi’s pollution crisis needs drastic action

    In almost any other city in the world, Delhi’s apocalyptic pollution levels would have sparked alarm. In India, however, it is business as usual. Governments are wary of taking action and even the once-activist judiciary is now lying low. This state of affairs is untenable, Sunita Narain, director Centre for Science and Environments says in this episode of Scroll Adda. The situation is severe and massive policy changes will have to be taken. Industries must be shifted to clean fuel, car and motorcycle users must be shifted to buses as well as trains and old, polluting vehicles must be barred from the streets of Delhi. Narain notes the progress that has been made. Fuel today is much cleaner than it was a few years back. But also notes that any such steps forward are rolled back given the sheer increase in the number of private vehicles in Delhi. She is despondent about the Indian state’s response to pollution, arguing that earlier in her career as an environmental activist, institutions were far more responsive to people’s needs. Producer: Raghav Kakkar Editor: Hyder Habib Research: Vaishnavi Rathod Host: Shoaib Daniyal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
  6. Why Ladakh is angry with the Modi government

    07/11/2025

    Why Ladakh is angry with the Modi government

    On September 24, shots rang through the otherwise idyllic town of Leh. Four people were killed and many more injured in police firing as protests for statehood turned violent. Sajjad Kargili, one of Ladakh’s most popular leaders and a part of the delegation that is negotiating with the Modi government joins Shoaib Daniyal on Scroll Adda to explain why Ladakhis are so angry with Delhi. Ladakhi demands, he explains, are simple: they want their political and cultural rights secured within India’s federal framework. Ladakh should be ruled by Ladakhis as part of a state in the Union. Jobs should be reserved and migration from other states restricted to protect the rights of tribal people as well as the environment in this mountainous region. Kargili criticises the Modi government for removing safeguards like Article 370 when the state of Jammu and Kashmir was partitioned and demoted to Union territory in 2019. The stakes for Delhi are high. Ladakh is bordered by Pakistan and China with both nuclear states occupying Indian territory in the Union territory. Moreover, Ladakhis, both its Buddhists and Muslims, have always stood shoulder to shoulder with the Indian Army as it defends Ladakh. Producer: Aryan Mahtta Host: Shoaib Daniyal Have any thoughts, ideas or criticism? Email us at adda@scroll.in We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  7. Does communism have a future in India?

    24/10/2025

    Does communism have a future in India?

    From the 1950s to the 1990s, left-wing thought played a major role in Indian society. From shaping the nascent Indian state after the British left, with Indians turning to socialist ideas to combat the ravages of colonialism, to the stasis of the big Central government measures like the license permit raj and freight equalisation. Things, however, are quite different now. India’s youth has little experience of the Left. India’s largest left-wing party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), in fact, barely has a presence in Parliament. From 43 seats in 2004, it has only four in the Lok Sabha today. On Scroll Adda, the CPI(M)’s Saira Shah Halim joins Shoaib Daniyal to explain why communism lost its appeal and how she thinks the reds can make a comeback. #communism #socialism #CPIM #Left #westbengal #kerala #Maoists #China Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  8. Can an IAS officer have a conscience?

    10/10/2025

    Can an IAS officer have a conscience?

    India has, in theory, a cabinet system of government. A group of popularly elected politicians are meant to rule using consensus.In practice, of course, we have a strongman (or strongwoman) model, where one powerful politician rules via a clique of Indian Administrative Service officers. So much do politicians like the IAS that since independence, they have given the cadre more and more power. This when, during the Raj itself, babus were already seen to be all-powerful.What happens, though, when an IAS officer decides to listen to his conscience? In 2019, Kannan Gopinathan resigned from the service in protest against the draconian crackdown in Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. On Scroll Adda, Kannan tells me how he became an IAS officer almost by accident, what it felt like having so much power and what it is now after his resignation. Producer: Kritika Pant Host: Shoaib Daniyal Have any thoughts, ideas or criticism? Email us at adda@scroll.in We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 30min
See All (17)

About

An interview podcast with newsmakers from around India and the world, spanning politics, culture, food, and the economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Scroll.in
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © SCNS PRIVATE LIMITED
  • Show Website
    Scroll Adda

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