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Silenced histories, razed shrines: The difficult task of rediscovering India and Pakistan’s shared heritage
Neighbourhood Aug 21, 2023

Silenced histories, razed shrines: The difficult task of rediscovering India and Pakistan’s shared heritage

The national identity of Pakistan is rooted in the ‘two-nation theory’—the very basis of the creation of the country—which says that the Hindus and Muslims of the subcontinent were two different nations and therefore, the Muslims were entitled to a separate homeland where Islam would ...

Realism in the study of International Relations in India
Indian Foreign Policy Aug 21, 2023

Realism in the study of International Relations in India

Attempts to arrive at a non-Western understanding of International Relations have often been made to counter the “hegemonising” influence of realism in the Indian milieu. This brief examines realist scholarship in India in recent years to understand what variants of realism have been given prominence. ...

US sanctions on Pakistan and their failure as strategic deterrent
Neighbourhood | US Foreign Policy Aug 21, 2023

US sanctions on Pakistan and their failure as strategic deterrent

The US has subjected Pakistan to a unilateral sanctions regime at several crucial junctures in the history of their bilateral ties. Though the reasons for cutting off economic and military aid to Pakistan have been contingent on strategic exigencies prevalent at different points in time ...

The higher education commission of India bill: A failure of imagination
Education in India | Sustainable Development Aug 21, 2023

The higher education commission of India bill: A failure of imagination

The Ministry of Human Resource Development in late June floated the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, 2018, to repeal the seven-decade-old University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956. The HECI, when established, will replace the UGC that has been the bedrock of India’s higher ...

Finding innovative solutions to India’s NPA woes
Indian Economy | Economics and Finance Aug 21, 2023

Finding innovative solutions to India’s NPA woes

Accumulated non-performing assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking system, specifically in the public sector banks (PSBs), have adverse effects on credit disbursement. An increasing amount of bad loans have prompted the banks to be extra cautious, which has dried the credit channel. Two components are ...

Examining India’s stance on the Rohingya crisis
Neighbourhood | Indian Foreign Policy Aug 21, 2023

Examining India’s stance on the Rohingya crisis

The current debate on Delhi’s approach towards the Rohingya crisis focuses principally on the implications. While this aspect, without doubt, deserves careful examination, there is a need for a more holistic understanding. This brief fills the gap by shifting the focus on the role that ...

India and China: A gathering nuclear storm?
Indian Foreign Policy | China Foreign Policy | Nuclear Security Aug 21, 2023

India and China: A gathering nuclear storm?

The Doklam crisis of 2017 illustrates the increasing tension in India and China’s nuclear relationship. There are elements of stability and instability in such relationship, and this brief examines them. Stability, on one hand, is derived from a history of military and political restraint, ongoing ...

Strengthening urban India’s informal economy: The case of street vending
Urbanisation in India | Urbanisation | Sustainable Development Aug 21, 2023

Strengthening urban India’s informal economy: The case of street vending

Street vending was illegal in urban India for almost six decades until the passage of the Street Vendors Act in 2014. Despite the law having legalised the activity, however, the default policy in most cities across India is to clamp down on street hawkers. Yet ...

India-Bangladesh defence cooperation: Coming of age, at last?
Neighbourhood Aug 21, 2023

India-Bangladesh defence cooperation: Coming of age, at last?

This brief analyses the efforts of India and Bangladesh to strengthen their defence cooperation, in the context of the series of agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in April 2017. Some quarters ...

Quality rules in India: Trade, technical regulations and consumer protection
Indian Economy | International Trade and Investment | Sustainable Development Aug 21, 2023

Quality rules in India: Trade, technical regulations and consumer protection

India’s competitiveness in manufacturing and the success of ‘Make in India’ depend on its ability to produce high-quality products and services. Product quality is important for human health and consumer safety, as well as for protecting the climate and the environment. One way of ensuring ...