Search

Taking care of the urgent requirements, the new Cabinet Committee on Security of the Modi government should insist on a radical overhaul of the national security system before funding new acquisitions.

The discussion covered various aspects of video streaming ecosystem interspersed with insightful panel discussions.

India’s August 2021 presidency of the United Nations Security Council allowed New Delhi to exhibit clout, creativity, and diplomacy, as it pushed for its inclusion in the Council permanently. Such a push reignites the “responsible stakeholder” debate in Washington and other Western capitals, particularly to gauge India’s rise against the interests of the US and its allies. This brief argues that the West needs to reassess India in a renew

India’s membership in the Australia Group since 2018 and consistent diplomatic support for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) give it significant credibility, particularly among countries of the Global South. But in what ways is Delhi well-positioned to champion the diverse needs of the Global South and push for a modern, resilient BWC? See infographics for quick key insights.

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 street vending remains a viable source of employment for many. As the pace of urbanisation increases across India, it is only likely that a greater number of street traders will contest for

China's increased assertiveness in the South China Sea has been pushing Japan and Vietnam towards greater security cooperation. Bilateral security cooperation has been increasing.

Safer cities are a product of technology, policing, community participation, education, and planning and architectural design. In the policy frame, focus should be on inclusive development, participatory approaches, identity mainstreaming, and sustainable urban development to create a more equal and tolerant urban society.

The political mess in Nepal presents a very difficult challenge for India. Nepal is geo-politically too sensitive for India to detach itself from developments there. We have to be ever watchful of the inroads China makes.

While India is looking to the UN to manage the cyber challenges, America and China are exploring bilateral solutions that could eventually be imposed on the rest of the world. That is very similar to what happened in the nuclear arena five decades ago.

Like China did in the early 1980s, India needs to exploit the opportunity of good relations with the US to become a stronger economic and military power. Indeed, as a decisive leader, Modi could well transform the relationship with the US and enable it to reach its full potential.

This brief examines how transactional bilateralism has become a feature of American trade policy under Trump 2.0, and argues that economic coercion can lead to cooperation when the right structural conditions exist. Framed by the idea of ‘reciprocism’, it explores how cooperation can emerge among self-interested states when two conditions, namely, small-N participation and credible pre-play commitments that reshape incentives, are present. Th

As Modi resets ties with the Maldives with Sushma Swaraj's visit, he also has an opportunity to rethink the current Nepal policy which has entered a turbulent phase in the last few weeks. Nepal's election of a new PM, K.P. Sharma Oli, is a good moment to take a fresh look at the differences between Delhi and Kathmandu.

Recent policies and programmes such as the draft National Energy Policy (NEP), 2017 and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana have attempted to fill the critical gender gap by recognising the linkages of women to energy access.

Succession to the next generation poses a threat to the Saudi Kingdom's stability as it will create "a complex web of rivalry and political competition" among Saudi princes who wish to secure their family lines.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's bold act of barging into the Abyei territory with his troops is a sure act of defiance and it remains to be seen to what extent this conflict can be kept from turning into a full-blown war.

July 7, 2004, Wednesday, witnessed the first suicide attack in Sri Lanka since the signing of the Cease Fire Accord (CFA) between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

As a tool of diplomacy, forum summits have allowed countries to interact, exchange views, and work together to cooperate on issues of mutual interest. This is true for the African continent, where there is a recent surge in high-level summits involving heads of state, ministers, and civil society organisations. These ‘Africa+1’ summits have provided countries in the continent with an institutional platform to engage with both traditional and

The amount of money which are expected to be raised and spent in the campaigns leading to the US Presidential elections of 2016 are being seen as unprecedented. At the centre of this complex cycle between big money and US election campaigns are the new breed of organisations called the Super PACs.

Indian climate policy-making should 'mainstream' adaptation strategies into development planning to better address climate change. The Indian Government had formulated the National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008.

A landmark judgment by the Supreme Court on Thursday is what the doctor ordered to galvanise India's moribund steel frame. Between the lines, the apex court tells a distraught citizenry, running from pillar to post even for basic delivery of services, that babus (government servants) needn't cower before the political master -- they can shape up.

Indian announcement of having conducted surgical strikes across the de-facto border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir has major implications for deterrence-stability in South Asia. New Delhi has sought to devise a military strategy to respond to Pakistan’s sub-conventional war that does not lead to escalation of conflict to nuclear levels and collapse of nuclear deterrence. This paper analyses India’s surgical strikes of September 2016, thei

No matter whether the stunning performance of AAP brings new politics or not, it has already impacted the old-style politics. With the union government indicating its willingness to pass the Ombudsman (Lokpal) bill in the current session of the Parliament, it would be too early to write the party off.

The statistics in the socio economic caste census is a stark reminder that most rural poor in India do not belong to the 'middle class' at all. It is important to face up to the stark reality. Emphasis and implementation of Digital India, Make in India, Smart cities' programmes ought to take into account the problems faced by the poor.

For both India and South Korea, cooperation in the civilian nuclear sphere is a subject of great importance. Both countries had signed an agreement in 2011 and since then, South Korea has been keen to sell its nuclear reactors to India but without success. Now, Seoul's interest has become stronger as it is competing with Japan.

A city goes through several stages of evolution from being an aggregate of activities and population to developing its own identity as an economic and cultural hub. In the context of urban management, the evolution of a city is seen in its ability to think for itself in terms of resource sustainability and dynamic infrastructure needs. Coimbatore, the second-largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu, has gone through various stages of economic evol

The swapping of land between India and Bangladesh will bring clarity to the border, which will eventually lead to improved border management. This will also help in controlling illegal migration, and reduce scepticism in Bangladesh, leading to a sense of optimism all around.

Even before the hype over US President Barack Obama's visit to Delhi has died down, the Modi government is on the move to enhance its ties with China. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's ongoing China visit is an important part of this effort.

After Sushma Swaraj's successful visit to Beijing, which managed to create a certain degree of 'warmth' in China's attitude towards India, now all eyes will be on Mr Modi's visit to China in May. But before that the border talks that are going to be held soon will play a key role in determining the course of events.

With a $4-trillion economy and laudable efforts at lifting 300 million people out of poverty, China today appears more socially cohesive than before.

Having the Union Cabinet now accepted a new globally identifiable symbol for the Indian Rupee, designed by Udayakumar, New Delhi may need to consider ways to take the horse to where it should belong, if it, together with the cart, has to be a driving force.

Like road repair gangs working on different stretches of a highway, the same gang of Arabs and their western minders are proceeding from Libya to Syria to.....sorry, hang on. Syria is proving to be a much tougher project than earlier imagined.

The issue of radical Islamism remains Russia's fundamental concern in Syria. Having fought two Chechen wars, it would not want another conflict to erupt on its territory. If either the ISIS or the rebels succeed in overthrowing Assad, there is a huge likelihood of expansion of jihadist activity to the Caucasus and southern Russia.

Turkey needs is to revert to a policy of peace with all its neighbour. CIA Special Forces operating from Turkey will harm Turkey more than they will Syria.

Everywhere in Syria the grand conspiracy of the US, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to overthrow the Assad regime is feverishly discussed. Turkey reportedly tried to mediate in this crisis by suggesting that Muslim Brotherhood should be included in the negotiations, but Damascus refused since the Brotherhood is a religious grouping.

Though realism suggests India cannot directly influence the evolution of the Syrian situation, India must more actively partake in the international debate on Syria and step up its political engagement with all major states in the region, said experts at a brainstorming on Syria.