2723 results found
What should be India's approach towards the international internet governance discourse? This Issue Brief attempts answer this question by examining the Indian government's engagement with the global community, using the recently concluded NETmundial conference on internet governance as a case study. It also provides policy recommendations for the way forward.
The 2011 anti-corruption movement in India—characterised by a huge trust deficit in the political class—was the culmination of several such localised movements that marked the birth of a new civil society in contemporary urban India. This paper studies the profusion of middle-class-led associations in Mumbai fighting for good governance, and their increased political mobilisation in the city. It argues that a new civil society bypasses electe
India has been importing from Israel various weapons systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles over the last few years, making India one of Israel's largest buyers of military hardware.
This report is part of the Observer Research Foundation’s “Financing Green Transitions” series which aims to find potential linkages between private capital, in all its forms, and climate action projects. The series will primarily examine domestic and international barriers to private capital entry for mitigation oriented climate projects, while also examining potential avenues for private capital flow entry towards adaptation and resilienc
The ancient idea of ‘Thucydides trap’ points at a ‘war’ between the titans
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive economic and social fallout for India, as it has across the globe. In India, large numbers of people lost their jobs, and supply chains across industries and agriculture have been disrupted. At the same time, environmental indicators—notably air and freshwater quality—showed improvements following the long period of a nationwide lockdown. This brief outlines why India must make a focused decision to mov
By some accounts, the economy is doing spectacularly well. At the same time, infrastructure has been deteriorating.
Discussions between the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) also saw a general agreement that the Taliban victory in Afghanistan will lead to a civil war with disastrous consequences for Pakistan
The ongoing narrative of AI in the military involves finding a balance between fostering innovation and seeking military dominance
Will President Obama's passionate call for stricter gun laws from the pulpit bring any change, or will he go towards the sunset in 2016 with having done practically nothing on this issue?
Hamas attack and Israel’s response to these terror strikes will single-handedly reshape the trajectory of regional geopolitics at least in the near
The progress made through the Jal Jeevan Mission has laid a robust foundation for a transformative shift in public health dynamics, yet the journey to
President Macron’s recent visit to Sri Lanka intends to provide a larger diplomatic canvas for both countries to strengthen their geopolitical ties
Due to the persistent adversarial nature of the Sino-Indian border environment, and because China is now a de facto maritime neighbour as well, India needs to examine its options of leveraging sea power. This brief analyses some fundamentals of sea control and sea denial, and examines some misconceptions about these. By using factors of time, force and space, the brief argues that while maritime economic warfare (explained as counter-value operat
The future of the Wagner Group, a private mercenary conglomerate linked to Russian foreign policy, is uncertain, raising questions about its global footprint.
The increasing range of cross-boundary health issues has prompted the integration of health into the discipline of diplomacy, and this trend is reflected in India-Africa partnership. India’s development partnerships are, however, predicated on the idea of development effectiveness, which requires active private sector engagement. By focusing on four opportunity sectors — medical tourism, tele-health, frugal innovations, and the pharmaceutica
For a navy wandering the far seas with warships with mostly empty helicopter decks, the prospect of acquiring any helicopter is of utmost importance versus the acquisition of a superfluous seaplane.
India’s intangible heritage representation list is poor. It is time we actively work towards creating crucial databases.
Fostering women's participation in the workforce is a cornerstone towards achieving not only a more equitable world but also promoting economic effici
The central administration in China is wary of a protracted confrontation about the public in Hong Kong, and considering the nature of the demand, a prolonged protest would certainly be an embarrassment to China in the global political arena, says a China expert.
Though the devastating WannaCry ransomware attack was a failure on the NSA’s part, current UN cyber norms are far too weak to hold any international actor – let alone the US – responsible.
Ten years later, it is clear that the Syrian people on all sides lost the war — but Russia won on all fronts.
What are the consequences of India's “balancing act” on the Russia-Ukraine war and its impact on India's security and geopolitical interests wit
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the K-4 will be an intermediate range submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
The reforms generated rapid economic growth and transformed the way India engaged with the world.
The Quad statement is tantamount to the declaration of the New Cold War between the US and its allies and China.
Before the elections in the beginning of this year, the authorities of the Iraqi Government had announced warrants for the arrest of 29 Iraqis and foreigners, who, according to them, are either former members of the Saddam Hussein Government or part of the Abu Mus¿ab al-Zarqawi terrorist network of the Al Qaeda.
Issues between the US and China are not likely to be worked out quickly.
A close assessment of India’s foreign policy reveals the youth’s understanding and acceptance of India’s policy towards its neighbours
QAnon has been increasingly used as a hashtag to create content that continuously attacks Democrat leaders and points towards impending doom.
India's thinking about the Middle East, whether from the UPA or NDA, has tended to be ideological and rooted in their domestic political considerations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to break from this tradition and develop a strategy towards the Middle East that is firmly anchored in realpolitik.
In some ways, the real war began after 2009, as the US forces drew down from Iraq. The result was a carrots and sticks approach; the swelling to over 60,000 US troops in Afghanistan (with another 30,000 committed during the “surge”) coupled with greater economic assistance to Pakistan
It’s a fact that countries of the Global South, while not supportive of Russia’s war against Ukraine, also blame NATO and the West for its global impact. Europe needs to change its approach.
The stagnation in US-Russia relations does not augur well for New Delhi's strategic interests. It's a throwback to the Cold War, when India had to choose between the two countries
Aware of the economic threat posed by the US, the Chinese president has been pushing for economic reforms.
The furore generated in Pakistan over the al-Qaeda chief, Osama Bin Laden's death in 'Operation Geronimo' by the US forces is symptomatic of Pakistan's dilemma in the 'war against terror'.
Human rights issues have been a cornerstone of US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. This paper examines Washington’s human rights focus on India and China under former President Donald Trump, and identifies trends under the current Joe Biden administration. The paper notes an emergent US bipartisan approach to refocus on Beijing’s human rights record following a period of policy dissonance owing to concerns to protect its economic
In light of World Population Day’s focus on individuals’ choices and rights, adequate policies should be adopted to create awareness amongst women
The emergence of this new grouping is clearly an outcome of the Abraham Accords of Aug 2020 and the possibilities that they have created for Israel and the UAE to be on the same platform with India and the US. As President Biden moves to Saudi Arabia for the second leg of his visit to West Asia, we are likely to see a push towards integrating Israel through trade, technology, direct flights and people-to-people contact even with countries where f
The NEP 2020 can help ensure that a holistic approach towards the integration of technology with different functional requirements of the sector is un
The US needs to alter its policy towards Pakistan for an enhanced partnership on the Taiwan front
We could soon see America leave Afghanistan's brutal war half-finished. The implications of this will be dreadful for ordinary Afghans. This is no good news for India either.
When a strategy yields no results, or worse, is counterproductive, then the wise move is to change it. Our strategy of not reacting to repeated Pakistani depredations or offering conciliatory gestures may have earned us international accolades but has not made Pakistan change its policy options or stance towards India.
Immunisation coverage under national programmes is an important indicator to track advancement towards child health-related SDGs.
There is a need to move beyond empowerment towards improving the ability of urban women to join and remain in the workforce
With pan-Islamic and Pakistan-based terrorist organisations weaponising the deluge of footage from the Gaza Strip, their propaganda will impact terror
While saving lives is a laudable objective, good driving habits alone are not enough to bring down deaths. Quality of roads, competence and freshness
