Subscribe to Dostcast Clips:https://www.youtube.com/@dostcastclips?sub_confirmation=1Listen to Dostcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70vrbHeSvrcXyOeISTyBSy?si=be05dbdd564245d9Join the Dostcast Janta Party on WhatsApp for regular updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAZwo5D8SDs5kf94N3TWant to suggest a guest?Fill this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ft_-1QDs7XpsSWnaPOeF21yUlhk9bzKvwHSyh4hHfBU/edit?usp=drivesdk====================================================================Dr. Mrunal Patel is a renowned Indian educator specializing in economics for competitive exams like UPSC, Banking, CAT, and State PSCs. He is the founder of Mrunal.org, which offers free study material, notes, and current affairs. On Unacademy, he teaches economics courses to a massive online audience, simplifying complex topics for aspirants nationwide. An alumnus of L.M. College of Pharmacy, he has also served as core faculty at SPIPA and visiting faculty at SPIPA and PDPU in Gujarat and his YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@TheMrunalPatel has over a million subscribers.In this episode, Vinamre and Mrunal discuss:- Why the UPSC exam remains opaque, increasingly difficult through CSAT, and whether it favors rote learners or critical thinkers.- The dollar dominance, digital currency, and whether iPhones will get cheaper in the future.- The reality of India as the world’s 4th largest economy, and how budget policies, inflation, digital payments, and "Revadi culture" affect the common citizen.- Why government enterprises keep losing money, how India compares with China and Pakistan economically, and what defines a strong economy.- Recession fears, global instability, the effectiveness of liberal vs conservative economics, and what reforms Mrunal would implement as Chief Economist of India.- Whether you’re studying for UPSC or just trying to understand the economy, this episode has the full picture.Timestamps: 2:47 – How is UPSC taking revenge through the CSAT paper? 4:03 – Why is the UPSC process so opaque? 7:28 – UPSC exam: Preferring rote learners or critical thinkers? 9:15 – Share market questions in the CDS exam 11:09 – Why do people prefer to become IAS officers? 12:52 – Different services through UPSC 14:45 – The role of luck in the UPSC exam 16:15 – What does it mean that India became the 4th largest economy in the world? 18:57 – Impact of tariffs on the economy 21:05 – Basics of trade wars 21:58 – Do bilateral trade agreements impact the universality of the dollar? 25:15 – What is Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)? 27:02 – Impact of demonetisation 29:00 – Problems with digital transactions 31:15 – Why the current budget didn’t help the middle class 32:33 – Why are government enterprises perpetually loss-making? 35:08 – Comparison between the Indian and Chinese economies 38:03 – The economy of Pakistan 39:52 – Key traits of a good economy 40:28 – Oligopoly and duopoly markets in India 42:45 – What can the government do about inflation? 44:52 – Why does the "Revadi culture" still exist? 45:40 – What is a recession and what are its solutions? 47:30 – Are we heading into a recession? 47:56 – Conservative vs liberal economics 52:02 – Is the Javier Milei model effective? 54:02 – Why are resource-rich countries unstable while resource-poor ones are stable? 55:53 – Will iPhones become cheaper? 57:52 – Reforms he would implement if he became the Chief Economist of India 58:40 – Message for UPSC aspirants 59:37 – Conclusion====================================================================Vinamre Kasanaa is a writer at heart, podcaster and entrepreneur by craft.He spends a significant part of his time reading and researching.With over 500 podcasts under his belt, he’s interviewed everyone—from HNIs and industry leaders to everyday superheroes.====================================================================