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Playing hardball at the other Davos
Jun 05, 2013

Playing hardball at the other Davos

Considering the importance of the Shangri-La Dialogue and India's declared "Look East" policy, the absence of its Defence Minister A.K. Antony was inexplicable. This was especially so because Mr. Antony was scheduled to be in Singapore a day after the meet, en route to Australia.

Playing the Balancing Act
Sep 02, 2004

Playing the Balancing Act

By referring to the ¿unprecedented¿ parliamentary ruckus that marked his first 100 days in office and to globalisation in the same vein at the J R D Tata centenary celebrations in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have identified areas of concern not only for his party and Government but also for the nation as a whole.

Playing the East
Aug 28, 2014

Playing the East

India today is much better placed to deal with the emerging rivalry between Beijing and Tokyo. On the economic front, Modi should eagerly seek cooperation from both sides. Commercial competition between Tokyo and Beijing, for example on high-speed railways, should work to India's advantage.

Plenty to be done to NE borders and people
Jun 27, 2015

Plenty to be done to NE borders and people

Despite the strategic significance of the corridor leading to Bomdila, Selapass, Tawang and Bumla Pass, the state of the road infrastructure is deplorable. Accessibility to food, proper sanitation, waste disposal and more importantly transport and logistics are some of the key concerns.

Plight of slum-dwellers: Need for better-governed cities
Jun 04, 2011

Plight of slum-dwellers: Need for better-governed cities

The future of Indian cities will be good if planning starts now in all earnest. Every big city in the world has gone through the phases that Indian cities are currently experiencing but each managed to come out of that stage and eschewed stark human deprivation, though many still have ghettos.

Plug in to cross-border recharge
Jan 08, 2013

Plug in to cross-border recharge

Bangladesh has to change its energy policy resulting from demand outstripping the current supply. The country believes in energy autarky with focus solely on use of indigenous resources. But frequent changes of regimes and policies by subsequent governments has only helped arrival of more international oil and gas companies in the Bangladesh market.

Plumbing over poetry
Jan 23, 2015

Plumbing over poetry

Modi and Obama need to focus less on India's near-term carbon emissions and find ways to boost its use of renewable energy like solar and wind. Such an approach will address Delhi's need to grow its economy and Washington's desire to lessen the weight of coal in India?s energy mix.

PM Abe waiting for the right time to push his pet ideas?
Mar 30, 2013

PM Abe waiting for the right time to push his pet ideas?

China, Japan and South Korea have a long way to go in their trilateral free trade agreement. The road to an agreement is going to be long and complex. However, how this trilateral venture is going to be viewed by the US is to be watched with care and interest.

PM could script a new chapter in Dhaka
Sep 01, 2011

PM could script a new chapter in Dhaka

Dr. Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka early September would undoubtedly be a 'game changer' for the India-Bangladesh relations which has been swaying between optimism and scepticism for quite sometime.

PM Khanal resigns
Aug 19, 2011

PM Khanal resigns

Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal on Sunday stepped down from his post, a day after his self-imposed deadline to resign ended on Saturday, August 13. He admitted to have failed in bringing major political parties on-board to advance the peace process.

PM Modi in Mongolia
May 12, 2015

PM Modi in Mongolia

Why has Modi chosen to be India's first prime minister to visit Mongolia? Mongolia is indeed a very sensitive neighbour of China, and the investment of the PM's time in Mongolia seems worthwhile. To be sure, there has been a geopolitical dimension to India's engagement with Mongolia.

PM Modi spells out his vision
Sep 30, 2014

PM Modi spells out his vision

Given the ground realities - where China's power exceeds ours by orders of magnitude - we need allies. That is where relationships with the US, Japan, ASEAN and Australia come in.

PM Modi symbolises an aspirational India
Mar 16, 2015

PM Modi symbolises an aspirational India

Prime Minister Modi has come to symbolise an aspirational India who has been chosen as "an agent of change rather than continuity." Experts think it is unfair to judge him in such a short time. His success depends on whether the rhetoric of the elections would translate into governance.

PM Modi's control over party and government grows
Nov 07, 2014

PM Modi's control over party and government grows

The rise of Narendra Modi from the Gujarat chief ministerial chair to that of the prime minister of the world's largest democracy within a short period of 18 months as a phenomenon is being studied, analysed and written about across the world but there is more to come.

PM Modi's foreign policy
May 15, 2015

PM Modi's foreign policy

Modi's strategy to navigate the impossible trinity of US, China and Europe-Russia is clear. Engage with the US, Japan and Germany aggressively and integrate into their value chains. Keep expectations low but exchange lofty targets with the Chinese and the Russians.

PM needs to focus on infrastructure for growth
Feb 26, 2015

PM needs to focus on infrastructure for growth

For any nation, development of infrastructure is essential to ensure growth. India has lagged on this front for some time now and the Modi government plans to give a major push to infrastructure. The government is in the process of preparing an ambitious infrastructure programme for the next 10 years.

PM tried his best
Oct 01, 2013

PM tried his best

Posturing for domestic audiences on Pakistan in election year is easy. But dealing with the challenges emanating from an increasingly unstable Pakistan will not be. And if we don't draw the right lessons from Manmohan Singh's failures, there will be no end to the tragedy of India's Pakistan policy.

PM visit consolidates ties with Japan
Oct 29, 2010

PM visit consolidates ties with Japan

Dr. Manmohan Singh's recent successful visit to Japan and his sixth annual summit meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister formed one more significant milestone on the road to strengthening and consolidating India's partnership with Japan.

PM's  Myanmar visit to strengthen Look East policy
Feb 28, 2014

PM's Myanmar visit to strengthen Look East policy

As Manmohan Singh meets Myanmar's President in the sidelines of the Bimstec summit, this will give an opportunity for the two leaders to further deepen bilateral ties. As part of the two neighbours growing relations, a border security pact is expected to be signed during Dr Singh's visit.

PM's China Visit: BRICS and the Bilateral Dynamics
Apr 13, 2011

PM's China Visit: BRICS and the Bilateral Dynamics

India has to be realistic enough to understand that heightened engagement between India and China in BRICS or any other multilateral fora has serious limitations - limitations imposed by the underlying Chinese objective of keeping India bogged down in South Asia as a regional power.

PM's Economic Advisor makes case for 'economic statesmanship'
Dec 02, 2012

PM's Economic Advisor makes case for 'economic statesmanship'

Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, has made an impressive case for "economic statesmanship" which he said would ensure inclusive growth and stability in India as well as globally.

PM's trip to Russia and China gave reason enough to cheer
Oct 31, 2013

PM's trip to Russia and China gave reason enough to cheer

Though India and China failed to resolve the issue of the stapled visa for those hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, there was substantial progress in other areas. The memorandum of understanding speaks about nine deals signed during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

PM's US visit: Nothing to write home about
Sep 25, 2013

PM's US visit: Nothing to write home about

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, his sixth bilateral summit with the U.S. leader in nine years in office, will not be of great significance because the circumstances of what go into a successful summit do not exist. That has to do with the paralysis of governance in New Delhi, but equally the distemper that afflicts Washington.

PM's visit to Russia and China: A journalist's report card
Nov 09, 2013

PM's visit to Russia and China: A journalist's report card

Russia is considering supplying Hydrocarbons to India through pipelines and both countries have commissioned joint study groups to analyse the feasibility of the project.

PM, now it's time to introduce governance analytics
Jun 17, 2014

PM, now it's time to introduce governance analytics

To convert Modi's vision of more governance and less government into a quantifiable experience requires a change in the prevailing mindset of electronic governance as an exclusive issue of hardware and connectivity. The approach has to be reoriented towards intelligence, analytics, real-time data points, interlinked cross-tabulation and smart solutions.

Pointers to Pakistan's Strategy
Sep 14, 2005

Pointers to Pakistan's Strategy

The composite dialogue between India and Pakistan has reached a critical juncture. In the past 20 months, there have been countless discussions on a variety of issues that have been plaguing the relationship between the two neighbours.

Police reform must target weakest link
Sep 28, 2018

Police reform must target weakest link

While technocentric threats pose evolved security problems that need to be addressed, overhauling the police force is essential to move forward.

Policies that fail to energise the fuel sector
Jun 11, 2013

Policies that fail to energise the fuel sector

Starting with the challenges faced by Indian petroleum sector in its hydrocarbon discoveries, the scenario remains to be unimpressive even after nine rounds of NELP bidding. Out of sedimentary basin area of 3.14 million km2 only 22 per cent has been well explored, while similar percentage is poorly explored.

Policy to fight Naxalism: Need for political consensus
Apr 03, 2006

Policy to fight Naxalism: Need for political consensus

On March 13, 2006, the Union Home Minister announced a 14-point policy on Naxalism in the Lok Sabha as outlined in a booklet, 'Status Paper on the Naxal Problem'. In an effort to counter political criticism and allay the oft- repeated concerns of knowledgeable and informed circles,

Political  Iran
Jun 25, 2013

Political Iran

It is easy to be cynical about the elections in Iran to choose a new president. After all, the elected president does not dominate Iran's complex political system. That privilege belongs to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This does necessarily mean the current elections are inconsequential.

Political developments in Pakistan and Impact on India
Sep 21, 2007

Political developments in Pakistan and Impact on India

Brigadier V R P Sarathy (retd) initiated a discussion on Political Developments in Pakistan and Impact on India on Saturday 22, 2007 in ORF Chennai. He started his discussion on Pakistan's political development with Stephen P. Cohen's words: 'Pakistan is cursed by history but blessed by geography - always at the right place at the wrong time'.

Political Dynamics of Allahabad High Court Judgment
Sep 22, 2010

Political Dynamics of Allahabad High Court Judgment

The BJP, which benefited the most from the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi temple dispute catapulting it to power in 1998, would be faced with a serious dilemma in either case of the two possible judgments of the Allahabad High Court on September 24.

Political movements in region becoming unpredictable: ICRC chief
Mar 11, 2013

Political movements in region becoming unpredictable: ICRC chief

There has been a large degree of unpredictability with which political movements have gained weight in the region, making providing humanitarian aid to affected areas very difficult, according to the chief of the International Committee of Red Cross.

Political opposition in Russia in 2018: Composition, challenges and prospects
Jun 22, 2018

Political opposition in Russia in 2018: Composition, challenges and prospects

Russia recently witnessed the re-election of its long-serving president. A constitutionally mandated term limit suggests this would be Vladimir Putin’s last presidential term. As Russia enters a period of power transition, it is likely that a number of political actors will become relevant during this phase. This brief looks at the groups that form the opposition—those operating within the formal institutions and the major players outside it�

Politics of Famine in Somalia
Aug 05, 2011

Politics of Famine in Somalia

Although mired in a state of conflict for the past two decades, the year 2011 has turned out to be particularly bad for Somalia. The United Nations declared famine in regions of Bakool and Lower Shabelle on July 20.

Politics of fear in US presidential campaigns
Oct 21, 2015

Politics of fear in US presidential campaigns

As the election season heats up in the US, the language of fear and name calling is rampant within parties and between parties. Instilling fears of the other candidate into the minds of voters, through campaign rhetoric and negative ads and distributed many times over by the power of new media technologies, has emerged an important feature of the campaigns.

Politics of Naxalite violence in Andhra Pradesh
Nov 24, 2000

Politics of Naxalite violence in Andhra Pradesh

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, announced on November 14, 2003 that the forthcoming mid-term elections to the State Legislature would be fought on the issue of ¿crushing¿ the Naxalites. He declared in Hyderabad, in the presence of the national media, that Naxalite violence was hampering development and progress in the State.

Populism will run out of steam
Mar 15, 2012

Populism will run out of steam

For a person who knows his business economics well, the Railway Minister obviously realises that he will need money to make that happen. That is why his speech contained so many references to the need for budgetary support from the government.

Portends from Polls-2011: Performance and accountability
May 13, 2011

Portends from Polls-2011: Performance and accountability

With the decisive verdicts in these Assembly elections, and more Assembly elections slated in Uttar Pradesh and a host of others States before 2014 general elections, the voter has put Governments and leaders on notice, when it comes to performance and accountability.

Post troops withdrawal, regional mechanism needed to deal with Afghan situation
Dec 01, 2012

Post troops withdrawal, regional mechanism needed to deal with Afghan situation

Prof. Feng Zhongping, Vice President of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, feels that US's rebalancing strategy in Asia is not entirely designed to contain China but also based on economic considerations.

Post-Benazir Pakistan may turn militant
Jan 05, 2008

Post-Benazir Pakistan may turn militant

At an Interaction of the ORF Chennai Chapter of the Observer Research Foundation on 5 January 2008, Mr K J M Varma, until recently the Special Correspondent of the Press Trust of India (PTI) at Islamabad, spoke on 'Pakistan after Benazir Bhutto'

Post-Fahd Saudi Arabia: Al Qaeda Waiting in the Wings
May 31, 2005

Post-Fahd Saudi Arabia: Al Qaeda Waiting in the Wings

Attention has to be focussed on Saudi Arabia as it enters a period of transition and uncertainty in the wake of reports about a deterioration in the health of King Fahd, who has been admitted in hospital. In the absence of authentic reports on his health, rumours are rife that his end may be near.

Post-Genocide Rwanda's dramatic transition
May 22, 2015

Post-Genocide Rwanda's dramatic transition

As Rwanda commemorates 1994 genocide, now it has become a global example of successful post-conflict reconstruction. A talk at ORF by Rwandan High Commissioner Ernest Rwamucyo focussed on post-genocide Rwanda's unique story where ownership and innovative "home-grown solutions" helped re-construct the nation.

Post-Japan, the hunt for the safest option
Apr 28, 2011

Post-Japan, the hunt for the safest option

What are India's options to make Space Based Solar Power a real viable option given the cost factor and technology? Can the governments and the private sectors of both India and the US make serious commitments to take the first step towards R&D investment on SBSP?