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India: Energy geo-politics
Indian Foreign Policy | Great Power Dynamics | Energy Oct 16, 2018

India: Energy geo-politics

In the last four decades, India’s geo-political identity has evolved from being the leader of the non-aligned movement - a representative of the developing poor nations of the world to becoming a member of the G-20, the world’s leading industrialized and emerging economies. The change ...

Can PMJAY fix India’s healthcare system? Crossing five hurdles on the path to universal health coverage
Healthcare Oct 12, 2018

Can PMJAY fix India’s healthcare system? Crossing five hurdles on the path to universal health coverage

Arguably the most ambitious health insurance programme in the world today, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) gives India the chance to transform its healthcare infrastructure. Launched in September 2018 and foreshadowing the general elections of 2019, PMJAY is equal-parts political and economic. It ...

The African continental free trade area and its implications for India-Africa trade
Economics and Finance | Developing and Emerging Economies | Sustainable Development Oct 08, 2018

The African continental free trade area and its implications for India-Africa trade

The African countries are set to launch the African Continental Free Trade Area or AfCFTA, the biggest free trade agreement in the world since the World Trade Organization was created in the 1990s. When implemented, the AfCFTA is projected to increase intra-African trade by 52.3 ...

Locating Xinjiang in China’s Eurasian ambitions
International Affairs | Great Power Dynamics | China Foreign Policy | Multilateralism Sep 25, 2018

Locating Xinjiang in China’s Eurasian ambitions

The importance of Xinjiang Province in China’s Eurasian connectivity initiative—the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB)—has received some coverage in the media. However, these news articles offer only a cursory view of China’s primary motive in pursuing the initiative, that is the ethnic unrest in Xinjiang. ...

Limits to efficiency: Rethinking current perspectives on climate action
Climate, Food and Environment | Climate Change Sep 19, 2018

Limits to efficiency: Rethinking current perspectives on climate action

Climate change and economic development are emotive subjects that are closely related: yet one is caused by the other. People’s lives are increasingly getting affected by the negative side-effects of climate change, particularly in developing countries which, at the same time, face enormous challenges to ...

Strengthening municipal leadership in India: The potential of directly elected mayors with executive powers
Domestic Politics and Governance Sep 04, 2018

Strengthening municipal leadership in India: The potential of directly elected mayors with executive powers

The question of municipal leadership is of great significance in urban governance in India. There are various models of the position of chief executive of an urban local body (ULB), predominantly tilting towards the ‘strong mayor’ model either through ‘presidentialisation’ of the office or through ...

Digital hatred, real violence: Majoritarian radicalisation and social media in India
Domestic Politics and Governance | Privacy & Data Protection Aug 28, 2018

Digital hatred, real violence: Majoritarian radicalisation and social media in India

Social media’s impact on mainstream media, and the way people communicate with one another and disseminate information, has become a subject of serious study for journalists, academics and policymakers alike. While it has been a significant equaliser as a vehicle by which the fundamental right ...

Conceptualising an inclusive future of work in India
Development | Sustainable Development | Skilling | Education Aug 27, 2018

Conceptualising an inclusive future of work in India

The rise of modern technologies may drastically alter the employment landscape in India, potentially displacing large portions of the workforce. India requires an inclusive future of work that retains those currently in work while also creating sufficient new opportunities for the growing labour force. This ...

Lessons from transboundary waste trade: Why India should focus on the judicious use of its own waste
Indian Economy | Climate, Food and Environment | Development | Sustainable Development Aug 23, 2018

Lessons from transboundary waste trade: Why India should focus on the judicious use of its own waste

This paper examines two types of waste on which India can explore transboundary waste-trade opportunities and challenges: farm-produce waste and municipal solid waste. Using lessons learnt from trade between other countries, the paper argues that while India can augment its economy through increased waste exports ...

The road to peace in Kashmir: Public perception of the contentious AFSPA and PSA
Neighbourhood | Defence and Security | Terrorism | National Politics | Internal Security | Indian Defence Aug 16, 2018

The road to peace in Kashmir: Public perception of the contentious AFSPA and PSA

The troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir is governed by two controversial laws – the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act (AFSPA) of 1990 and its predecessor, the Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978. In the past few years, state security ...

Contributors

Soumya Bhowmick

Soumya Bhowmick

Soumya Bhowmick is a Fellow and Lead, World Economies and Sustainability at the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy (CNED) at Observer Research Foundation (ORF). He is pursuing his PhD and holds a double master’s degree in economics from Jadavpur University, ...

Read More + Sreeparna Banerjee

Sreeparna Banerjee

Sreeparna Banerjee is an Associate Fellow in the Strategic Studies Programme. Her work focuses on the geopolitical and strategic affairs concerning two Southeast Asian countries, namely Myanmar and Thailand. Her primary focus is on the Rohingya issue within the Bay of ...

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