Recent Updates

Interpreting Elections-2004
Domestic Politics and Governance | National Politics May 29, 2004

Interpreting Elections-2004

Now that the dust is settling down on post-poll government-formation at the Centre, revisiting Elections-2004 may be in order. If anything, it could hold a candle to the future of Indian polity, and the roles that the nation¿s political parties may have to be prepared ...

Power Reforms: The U Turn
Domestic Politics and Governance | Energy Security | National Politics | Coal May 27, 2004

Power Reforms: The U Turn

The process of reforms in the power sector has undergone a full circle with the outcome of this general election and the people's verdict in at least two key reform oriented states, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, necessitating a rethink of the issue.

The Global War against Terrorism: Are We Safer Today?
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Defence and Security May 26, 2004

The Global War against Terrorism: Are We Safer Today?

There has rarely been a period in modern history, when the world has not been confronted with terrorism; somewhere or the other, in some form or another, for some reason or the other. As a mean of coercion through violence, terrorism ebbs and flows and ...

Verdict 2004: Myths and Reality
Domestic Politics and Governance | National Politics May 26, 2004

Verdict 2004: Myths and Reality

Results of the 2004 parliamentary elections have generated a serious debate among scholars and analysts following the unexpected ouster of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the victory of the Congress-led coalition. Some see it as ¿the revenge of the poor ...

Stock markets, volatile and vulnerable
Indian Economy May 20, 2004

Stock markets, volatile and vulnerable

The ¿steep fall¿ and the ¿smart recovery¿ of stock prices with every bit of new information, misinformation and disinformation, on government-formation at the Centre has once again proved the volatility of market sentiments, often not grounded in political realities or economic fundamentals.

Stabilising Indo-Pakistan Relations
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Indian Foreign Policy May 19, 2004

Stabilising Indo-Pakistan Relations

Several high-priority issues will need the new government¿s immediate attention as it assumes office. The Kashmir issue and its impact on the ongoing Indo-Pak entente should be one of them.

Indo-Pak Dialogue Process: Moving Forward
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Indian Foreign Policy May 19, 2004

Indo-Pak Dialogue Process: Moving Forward

The process of rapprochement between India and Pakistan began during the SAARC summit at Islamabad in January 2004. The two estranged neighbors set aside the bitterness of the recent past and decided to work together for peace and stability. That such a beginning could be ...

Percentage-sharing Key to Cauvery dispute
Domestic Politics and Governance | Climate, Food and Environment | State Level Politics | Law and Justice | Water May 17, 2004

Percentage-sharing Key to Cauvery dispute

By directing the Centre to take up stalled works on the ¿Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal Project¿ (SYL) involving Punjab and Haryana recently, the Supreme Court may have re-established the supremacy of the higher judiciary in matters pertaining to inter-State river water disputes, among others. In doing ...

Social Evolution & Militancy: Past and Prospects
Defence and Security | State Level Politics | Internal Security May 12, 2004

Social Evolution & Militancy: Past and Prospects

The recent US decision to blackball People¿s War (PW) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) may have revived interest in the naxalite movements, nearer home in India. While there can be no two ways about the State and the society fighting militancy, insurgency or terrorism, ...

Dealing with Coercive Bargaining
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Indian Foreign Policy | Terrorism May 05, 2004

Dealing with Coercive Bargaining

History is all set to repeat itself in the subcontinent. As usual, the search for a permanent thaw in the India-Pakistan relationship seems to be hitting a big bump in the days ahead that might possibly derail the bilateral negotiation process initiated during the Islamabad ...

Guided Democracy, by Whom?
Domestic Politics and Governance | Development | National Politics May 02, 2004

Guided Democracy, by Whom?

If it is any yardstick for a vibrant democracy, India today has six former Prime Ministers around. Only two of them, namely, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and P V Narasimha Rao completed a full term, and thus became mascots of political stability in their time. Yet, ...

Jane's Intelligence Review report on  Terrorism
International Affairs | Defence and Security Apr 28, 2004

Jane's Intelligence Review report on Terrorism

In its June 2004 issue, Jane¿s Intelligence Review, has carried a report on the "Workshop on International Terrorism in South East Asia and its likely Implications for South Asia"

Workshop on International Terrorism in South-East Asia and its likely implications for South Asia
International Affairs | Defence and Security Apr 28, 2004

Workshop on International Terrorism in South-East Asia and its likely implications for South Asia

A two-day workshop on international terrorism in the South-East Asian region and its likely implications for South Asia was organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) at its headquarters at New Delhi on April 28 and 29, 2004, under its International Terrorism Watch Project.

Rantissi: Murder most foul
International Affairs | Terrorism Apr 26, 2004

Rantissi: Murder most foul

An old maxim has it that, you can drive a man to murder, but can't make him think. What President George W. Bush's shameful and imperious encouragement to the unilateral Gaza pullout plan and the land grab that it entails in the West Bank do ...

Textbook case of radicalism
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Terrorism Apr 24, 2004

Textbook case of radicalism

The Mullahs have found a fresh issue on which to trap General Pervez Musharraf. It has both religious connotations and a real possibility of a confrontation in which the General is bound to capitulate. The issue deals with school textbooks in Pakistan. A section of ...

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Office: A Non-Starter?
International Affairs | Terrorism | Multilateralism Apr 22, 2004

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Office: A Non-Starter?

The immediate concerted European response in the aftermath of Madrid blasts on March 11, 2004 was the creation of the post of a Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, who would directly work under the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana. In fact, ...

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Office: A Non-Starter?
International Affairs | Terrorism | Multilateralism Apr 22, 2004

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Office: A Non-Starter?

The immediate concerted European response in the aftermath of Madrid blasts on March 11, 2004 was the creation of the post of a Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, who would directly work under the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana. In fact, ...

India and the Sri Lankan Peace Process
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Indian Foreign Policy Apr 21, 2004

India and the Sri Lankan Peace Process

Sri Lanka¿s new Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, has indicated the importance, and relevance of India to the Sri Lankan context, by visiting New Delhi within days of his being sworn in. His visit to India even before the conclusion of the Indian electoral exercise ...

Pakistan and US, Short term benefits and long term payments
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Defence and Security | US Foreign Policy | Terrorism | Nuclear Security Apr 21, 2004

Pakistan and US, Short term benefits and long term payments

In early February when Pakistan was seen as the epicenter of nuclear trade, the United States decided to downplay the entire episode by terming it ¿a part of the past¿. When A.Q. Khan was given a ¿pardon¿ by General Musharraf for all his proliferation activities, ...

Sri Lanka: Taking the Peace Process Forward
International Affairs | Neighbourhood Apr 19, 2004

Sri Lanka: Taking the Peace Process Forward

The end to ¿Karuna rebellion¿ inside the LTTE, as fast as it commenced in early March also marks the beginning of a new, rather revived pace in the Sri Lanka peace process. Within days of telling the world who was the boss in all the ...

Pak Army's Second Kargil
International Affairs | Neighbourhood | Terrorism Apr 13, 2004

Pak Army's Second Kargil

Waziristan last month ostensibly to hunt down al Qaida and Talibanelements has been a visible failure which could dramatically alterthe already existing fault lines in the force divided betweenloyalty to Musharraf, nation and religion.South Waziristan is one of the seven areas -Khyber, Kurram,Orakzai, Mohmand, Bajaur, ...

Contributors

Siranush Melikyan

Siranush Melikyan

Siranush Melikyan is an Assistant Professor at the Yerevan State University. ...

Read More + Tigran Yepremyan

Tigran Yepremyan

Tigran Yepremyan is the Dean of the Faculty of International Relations and an Associate Professor of World History and IR at the Yerevan State University, Armenia. ...

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