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Meetings have been taking place, but if China seeks to use the lack of precision of the Line of Actual Control to keep India off balance, little will change

India’s robust economy has tremendous potential. But for sustained economic growth, it needs direct access to the Eurasian markets, backed by reliable, resilient, and diversified supply chains. Indeed, enhanced connectivity with Central Asia and the wider Eurasia is essential to promote regional stability and unlock economic opportunities for all countries in the region. This paper analyses the status of the key connectivity projects in the reg

The visit of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna to Dhaka early July underlines the importance of Bangladesh in India's strategic thinking. The visit was also crucial as it laid out the agenda for the all-important visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Bangladesh later this year.

While the launch of the MUDRA Bank is a laudable effort on the part of the government, there still persists ambiguity in the nature of the Bank's undertakings. The most pressing concern is in regards to the Bank's role as both a regulator and refinancing agency which will lead to a conflict of interests.

In treating Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari badly at the NATO summit in Chicago, US President Barack Obama was highlighting the US frustration at Pakistan's reluctance to open up over land access to the international forces in Afghanistan.

Urban inequality is a blight experienced by many cities, even in the developed world.In developing countries like India, these social and economic inequalities become even morepronounced, with living conditions in certain populations crossing the line to the abysmal. Inthese cities, agencies responsible for addressing welfare concerns are unable to do so, as theythemselves grapple with a host of challenges. This paper argues that any positive tra

Politicians have always used the media to communicate with the electorate. What makes social media unique is the scale, speed, and minimal cost at which leaders can do this task. This paper analyses the relationship between political leaders and the microblogging site, Twitter. It provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the use of Twitter by two contemporary Indian political leaders—Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. It describ

Social mobility reveals the degree to which an individual’s starting point in life determines their chances in the future, and therefore the extent to which talent is rewarded with opportunity. A stronger association between one’s starting point and their outcomes in adulthood, indicates lower social mobility and less meritocracy. For India, realising the potential of its population will be a key driver of progress and growth. This brief expl

Social protection is crucial in tackling extreme poverty and ensuring equitable development, thus catalysing the transition to a more stable and robust economy. About 50 percent of India’s economy hinges on its informal workers, who comprise 90 percent of the country’s total workforce. Yet, these informal workers continue to be excluded from current social-protection schemes, leaving them with no social or financial safety net and trapping th

Despite testing and confirming the acquisition of Kinetic Energy Weapons (KEW)—an integral part of strategic defence systems that are an alternative to nuclear warheads—India remains in need of a more robust military space programme. The country’s principal rival in the space military arena, China, has significantly more expansive and diverse capabilities. Although KEWs as part of its counter-space programme are not a panacea for India’s

LTTE supremo V. Prabhakaran is 'hale and hearty' and busy conferring honours to those who died fighting for Tamil 'Eelam'. Known for his crafty ability to dodge the Sri Lankan armed forces time and again, Prabhakaran made his first public appearance in many months putting at rest the rumours of his failing health.

With the government declaring May 10 as the polling date for Provincial Council elections in the east, LTTE is worried about the outcome of the possibly "rigged" elections. The group has asked its parliamentary proxy, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to boycott the elections fearing a total rout in the predominantly Tamil majority area. On the other hand, the group has softened its stand on talking to the Rajapaksa government.

Amidst, growing concern and apprehension over the failure of political parties to reach an understanding on power-sharing, the first Seven Party Alliance meeting was held last week to evolve consensus and find a way out to the present crisis.

President Pervez Musharraf is doing what he likes to do best: promote himself. The week saw him on a whirl-wind tour of Europe--Belgium, France and Britain-addressing the media and others.

Tamil Nadu has always played an important role in the ongoing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Tamils fighting for their homeland in the island nation has always desired and appreciated the assistance rendered by their Tamil brethren from the neighbouring India,

The historic second round of the presidential elections ended in the Maldives on October 8 with the victory of the Maldivian Democratic Party Alliance leader Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed. Known for his progressive views, Anni defeated his rival, the longest serving ruler in Asia,

As the army advanced deeper into Mullaithivu to regain other territories under the LTTE control, rumours of Prabhakaran's escape to another country have strongly surfaced. Most believe that he could have either fled via sea to Eritrea, Australia and Myanmar or he may have not been able to flee at all.

The week received mixed reactions from international community vis-à-vis Sri Lanka, some of which were in favour and some were against the military approach adopted by the Rajapaksa regime against the LTTE. Sri Lanka realized the importance of being friends with the permanent members

In Sri Lanka, everybody is uncertain about the future. Nobody knows what happens next. Take for instance, the victory march of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) which was once again bogged down by the LTTE's resurgence. Though the week started with the forward march of the Sri Lanka defence forces after the killing of the three senior female LTTE leaders at sea including Lt. Colonel Kalai Arasi,

The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee report on Sri Lanka released this week recommends that the US needs to adopt a fresh approach to this South Asian nation owing to its strategic importance in the Indian Ocean region.

National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan is of the view that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's international financial network is intact. He said that the epicentre of the separatist Tamil movement can turn out to be Tamil Nadu.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party-United People's Freedom Alliance coalition won the southern provincial council elections with a heavy margin.

With the Sri Lankan security forces continuing their advance into north-eastern Mulaithivu district, the last stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the international community has again raised its concern over the safety of trapped Tamil civilians.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) officially admitted that their chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran "attained martyrdom" while trying to escape the last Tiger stronghold of Mullaithivu, where the LTTE top leadership had holed up in a final stand against the advancing Sri Lankan army.

Sri Lanka secured a major diplomatic victory when the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution backing its post-war plans for refugees. The UN resolution, which was passed 29 to 12 with six abstentions, urged support and assistance to Sri Lanka in its efforts to deal with large number of refugees.

Foreign aid reserves are at an all-time low in Sri Lanka. The island country requires foreign assistance to resettle millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and reconstruct war-ravaged areas of the northeast.

The International Monetary Fund has cleared a standby facility of US $2.6 billion to Sri Lanka. This clearance comes despite criticism from various quarters over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Exploring the growing importance of BIMSTEC, the maritime policies in Sri Lanka and other developments in South Asia.

In a country where the healthcare system is already under-equipped to deal with a public health crisis as extensive as the coronavirus, continued hostilities would sabotage any chance of surviving the pandemic.

The crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan are raising questions about the relevance and the costs of their reliance on the alternative financial system provided by China’s Belt and Road Initiative

This Special Report examines key themes highlighted during a series of panel discussions exploring South Asian Perspectives on Net Neutrality, hosted by the Observer Research Foundation and the Centre for Internet and Society in New Delhi on 12 December 2015. The first panel analysed the potential effects of net neutrality regulation and zero-rated platforms on the market. The second explored viable regulatory frameworks for net neutrality that c

The likely announcement by Philippine President Duterte of the Scarborough Shoal as an environmental marine sanctuary and off limits to fishermen could prove to be the first incremental step towards defusing the South China Sea disputes and in the process endow considerable strategic advantages to Beijing.

South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy, released in December 2022, highlights the country’s willingness to engage with the Indo-Pacific concept, shedding the ambiguity of the earlier stance under President Yoon Suk Yeol’s predecessor. This policy step up recognises emerging geopolitical trends that require South Korea to engage with new territories previously overlooked in its strategic radar, such as the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This brief

South Korea’s Moon Jae-in government has adopted what it calls a “New Southern Policy”, and by most accounts, the strategy is aimed at strengthening the country’s relations with India. What is the rationale for South Korea’s current inclination towards India? This brief argues that the ‘China factor’ is playing a key role in this new approach: South Korea wants to diversify its foreign relations as it faces a dilemma over its econom

Space technology has manifold applications in areas as wide-reaching as disaster management, resource management, meteorology, governance, and military and security. Southeast Asian countries, recognising the importance of space technologies, have made investments quite early on. While some of these countries already have established institutions and programmes, others are in the earliest stages of structuring their own. This report tracks the sp

Global data governance is at a crossroads—intensely contested by nations and industry players seeking to shape rules of the road to benefit their strategic interests. India has placed itself at the heart of the battle, its foreign policy vision fuelled by the principle of ‘data sovereignty’—a broad notion that supports the assertion of sovereign writ over data generated by citizens within a country’s physical boundaries. While this visi

Competing maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea resulting in frequent provocations and standoffs are well-documented. China’s increasingly assertive stance over its claims has led to increased militarisation of the region, making it a potential flashpoint. To better understand the complex SCS question vis-a-vis the extent of, and jurisdiction over this maritime space, this brief explores the distinction between the principl

As long as humanity has been going into space, efforts have been made to disrupt space capabilities. What is new, however, is the proliferation of counterspace capabilities beyond the Cold War superpowers, as well as the increased importance of space for many countries. This means that not only has the incentive to interrupt countries’ ability to utilise space grown, but so have the tools for responding accordingly. This brief examines what ‘

The defence and foreign ministers of Japan and the US, meeting under the bilateral consultative committee, have decided to revise the 1997 Guidelines for US-Japan Defence Cooperation to make sure that the alliance continues to maintain its credibility and effectiveness in deterring conflict in Asia-Pacific.

Ever since the start of the insurgency in Kashmir, the Pakistani intelligence agencies have constantly raised, mutated, emasculated and even extirpated the so-called jihadi groups active in Kashmir. The dependence of the Jihadis active in Kashmir on Pakistan for training, logistics, arms and ammunition and most of all sanctuaries, has been exploited to the hilt by the Pakistani establishment.

The sweeping victory for the Tamil National Alliance in Saturday's first-ever Northern Provincial Council in Sri Lanka has a message for various stake-holders nearer home and afar.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) chief ministerial candidate for the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections in Sri Lanka, Justice C V Wigneswaran, could not have said it more candidly and categorically.

The current impasse in the peace process in Sri Lanka should worry friends of the nation, including India. Starting haltingly in the post-war months, the negotiations between the Government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has been deadlocked...

Reports that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leadership is in Delhi this week for an exchange of views with the Indian leadership should be utilised by both sides to review their known positions on 13-A, and should not stop with reiterating the same.

The just-concluded parliamentary polls in Sri Lanka may have a lesson or two for political parties in India, which too is facing elections in the coming weeks. If past parallels are any indicator of a sub-continental voter-behaviour, the average Sri Lankan has gone with bread-and-butter issues, highlighted by the United People¿s Freedom Alliance (UPFA)

Sri Lanka’s pact with China for Hambanbota port may well be a case of strategic deception, and not just a political balancing act between India and China.

This brief examines state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking the cases of India, Israel, Brazil, Hungary and the United States. It studies the language utilised by the government leaders in these countries and finds extensive war-time semantics. The brief explores the interrelationship of such rhetoric with the legitimisation of extreme measures through the construction of an issue as an “existential threat”— a process analysts call

The question of full statehood for Delhi has occupied the national limelight since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s landslide victory in the assembly elections of 2015. To be sure, the demand for statehood for Delhi has been on the slow burner since the time of the country’s independence; however, it was in the past three years that it gained considerable pace. While the last seven decades have witnessed nearly all major national parties advocatin