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Does Indian Foreign Policy towards West Asia have to be as fragmented as the region? Probably not. One could start by enunciating a few guidelines that are minimalist; that we are against religious extremism, toppling established states and condemning disproportionate use of force by Israel.

Karachi is burning, once again. There has been a sudden spurt of violence in the city. Killings, bomb attacks and riots have taken a heavy toll during the past month. Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Maher has been forced to resign. Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali faces criticism for failing to impose law and order.

The rhetoric and the justifications that Radical Islam employs to create willing suicide bombers must be properly understood if this menace is to be tackled effectively

The Indian tendency to muddle through is likely to continue when it comes to counter-insurgency. The distance between the Army and its civilian masters is so gaping that advice, however enriched by experience and reflection, is likely to fall on deaf ears.

The US, as always, learned the hard way that it was not or need not be all that dependent on Pakistani cooperation and generosity and Pakistan was probably beginning to realise that it had exaggerated its own importance.

The opening of Iran will alter the geopolitics of south-western Asia. Even so, India needs to tread with care. But this should not in any way constrain our initiatives with Iran. We need to move beyond the phase of dithering that has characterised our ties with Tehran for the last decade.

As the European Union has recently started to look beyond China, labeling it as a strategic competitor in 2019, new partnerships would be needed and are being codified. Italy too needs to respond fast to this evolving strategic reality by framing its own approach to the Indo-Pacific in general and India in particular.

The strength of Jordan has been its acute awareness of its geographical vulnerabilities

Malala's achievement need not be measured in terms of the Nobel Peace Prize she did not get but in the awakening she can continue to create. For this, she and her kind, all over, need more than just periodic rewards.

There is no reason to believe that things will be any different if now Modi goes to Islamabad.

The wave of terrorist violence that will hit India as a result of de-escalation at this stage is not going to be a tenable proposition.

The wave of terrorist violence that will hit India as a result of de-escalation is not going to be a tenable proposition for India.

Strong Republican support for India in the US Congress, the new tensions in America's ties with China and Russia, and the unfolding geopolitical flux in Middle East and Asia, make it possible for Modi and Obama to boldly reimagine the bilateral partnership.

If the Jal Jeevan Mission succeeds, water will be the Modi administration’s true revolution

Technology solutions for illiterate people are exclusively designed by the formally educated and that is a fundamental problem

These electronic machines have long been punching bags for frustrated political ambitions.

Though India has decided to cut down oil from Iran and thereby, for the time being, might have placated the US, it, however, cannot afford to ignore Iran either - for a myriad of reasons.

Without having to do away with the collegium per se, the new scheme could involve its choice going to Parliament, through the Executive, for a joint committee of both Houses holding public hearings, the American way, before the President appoints the person.

A politics of hand-outs hasn’t removed poverty from India. It has embedded it even more deeply. Narendra Modi was elected to end this politics. He is now following it.

New Delhi and Washington need to be mindful of the larger Asian strategic issues that have brought the two closer in the first place.

Unlike believed and propagated, for any Indian attempt at influencing the Sri Lankan Government on the ethnic issue to fructify, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should attend CHOGM-2013, and also take up the issues involved with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the Summit sidelines.

In the strategic sectors much has been achieved in the last decade. Russia has given us its most advanced aircraft, tanks, rocket launchers, cruise missiles, frigates

Indian Railways remains one of the largest owners of land in the country along with the defence services and the port trusts. And yet, India has been unable to either free up the unutilised land for most part, nor has it been able to monetise it adequately.

National oil companies have raised petrol prices again and, predictably, everyone is up in arms. Didi promises to lead the charge. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's muted support for price hike notwithstanding.

In terms of technology, Japan is way ahead of us and China in many areas. It may be some time before we can expect Japan to export complete weapons systems, but Japanese technologies, be they the fly-by-light aircraft control systems, sonar equipment, or those that go into its own BMD systems, can be very useful.

In dealing with separatism, social protest and public anger, what the state requires is a subtle, rather than a heavy hand. What is needed is a refined strategy that combines elements of toughness, with strategies that promote trust and reconciliation.

Has Indian democracy failed its people? Maybe it is time for all of us to introspect and answer this question in a genuine manner.

The Siachen Glacier is strategically positioned between India and Pakistan, in a disputed and un-demarcated region of Kashmir. Nitin Gokhale, journalist and author of 'Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga' argues why India cannot give up Siachen. He says Indian troops will continue to be deployed in the region despite the difficult weather conditions.

Decades of women right movements have demonstrated that theory and praxis must join hands in order to bring about a sustainable change. Exploring and implementing ideas to make this process participatory with adequate incentives will ensure that half a billion Indians,

While the visits by political leaders to the Yasukuni Shrine potentially exacerbate regional tensions, it is the right of every country to honour those who have sacrificed their lives for their country. All countries have war memorials where they honour such sacrifices. The Yasukuni Shrine should not be seen as an exception.

The last multilateral negotiations in the field of nuclear disarmament took place more than 20 years ago, resulting in the long awaited Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The treaty, however, has yet to enter into force. India is often held responsible for such uncertainty, in spite of having withdrawn from the negotiations before it was even concluded; at other times, it is the US which is blamed for failing to ratify the CTBT—giving reason

Pakistan argues that absence of a dialogue allows the terrorists to dictate the agenda, but has Pakistan suppressed these groups?

The allegation of Indian expansion of its uranium enrichment facilities is based on a report released by IHS Jane's, which has already been dismissed by both the US and the Indian governments as speculative. Indeed, the IHS Jane's report merely identifies a "possible" new uranium hexafluoride plant.

The non-signing of the Teesta agreement has become a point of embarrassment for her government. The treaty was supposed to be signed during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in 2011 but it was suspended at the last minute due to objection by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The best way to understand what the Tipu Sultan controversy is all about is to see who is at the forefront of the protests against the observance of his birth anniversary ? the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Unless you are a terrorist, you can rest assured that the agencies have no time or use for snooping into your computers or mobile phones.

The United States presence in Iraq is going to continue in one way or another, with or without assistance from allies. The reason this assumption can be made forcefully is because of the arguments made before the war and the expectations that arose after victory was declared.

2019 will be the year when social scientists from across the world will be able to test their hypotheses on predicting new world orders.

The deepening crisis in the Korean Peninsula and the stalled nuclear talks with Iran together are a powerful reminder to the US that its non-proliferation policies are not working in Asia. Both Bush's muscular approaches and Obama's coercive diplomacy have failed.

The Indian Air Force faces threats in its Northeastern sector similar to those facing the United States in the Western Pacific. So, it would benefit both to share data on a more regular basis and plan joint responses to any problems.

It is increasingly becoming clear that the battle is less about the trade deficit and more about America’s intention of preserving its global primacy.