Search: For - Asia

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Maritime Security and Development in the South-West Indian Ocean Region: Harnessing India’s Engagement with Small Island Developing States
Apr 12, 2022

Maritime Security and Development in the South-West Indian Ocean Region: Harnessing India’s Engagement with Small Island Developing States

In recent years, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region have emerged as vital security and developmental partners in the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)—thereby gaining prominence in India’s foreign policy priorities. This paper examines India’s bilateral and multilateral engagement with the SIDS of the SWIO region, and argues that India should consider the concerns of the

Maritime security issues in the region cannot be separated: Japan's Vice Minister
Sep 06, 2015

Maritime security issues in the region cannot be separated: Japan's Vice Minister

During a lecture on 'Japan's foreign policy: Strategy and practice', Japan's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Akitaka Saiki reiterated the Japanese position that the security issues in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, the South China Sea and East China Sea cannot be treated separately.

Maritime Strategy vs Continental Defence
Feb 05, 2015

Maritime Strategy vs Continental Defence

Debate on whether Indian armed forces need a continental land defence strategy or a sea-based maritime strategy has gained currency in recent years, but there is yet a clear answer to emerge.

MARITIME TRADE AND SECURITY: STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Jan 11, 2007

MARITIME TRADE AND SECURITY: STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE

As part of the Maritime Security Programme which was launched by then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash on 19th May 2006 at ORF Chennai, Observer Research Foundation, the National Maritime Foundation and the College of Naval Warfare, ORF Mumbai joined hands to conduct an International seminar at ORF Mumbai on 11th and 12th January 2007.

Masochism and Commonwealth Game
Sep 27, 2010

Masochism and Commonwealth Game

I am not suggesting that public anger at CWG mismanagement is misplaced. Excess of it is, when the baby is thrown out with the bath water. Those awkward smile of anchors, a sort of disguised self denigration, is actually a function of acute inferiority complex which has deep roots in colonialism and beyond.

Mass migration, adding to Pakistan's woes
Sep 29, 2011

Mass migration, adding to Pakistan's woes

Massive migrations, triggered by natural calamities and the decade-long 'war on terror', are severely testing state's credibility and capability in Pakistan. Reeling under the cumulative effect of terrorism and economic meltdown, Pakistan, with a growing population.

Maulana Azam Tariq
Oct 13, 2003

Maulana Azam Tariq

There are quite a few things which are known about Maulana Azam Tariq, chief of the banned Sunni extremist group, Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP), who was shot dead in broad daylight in Islamabad on October 6. What is not so well-known is that the Maulana and his organisation had a cosy working relationship with Pakistan's intelligence and security forces for more than a decade.

McGuffin or not? The US-India defence 'technology' relationship
Feb 02, 2013

McGuffin or not? The US-India defence 'technology' relationship

The growing US-India defence relationship would have been unthinkable in the past days of sanctions. Whether communication between the two countries' systems can be improved or not will be a key determinant in how far, and fast, it can go.

MDP decision revives hopes on Roadmap Talks
Aug 14, 2012

MDP decision revives hopes on Roadmap Talks

MDP's decision to call off the daily protest demonstrations, demanding early presidential polls, has revived the hopes of early resumption of the All-Party Roadmap Talks, initiated by President Mohammed Waheed Hassan at the instance of Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai in March.

MDP's 'May Day' call, now again to India
Apr 30, 2015

MDP's 'May Day' call, now again to India

Combined with the Maldives government's demonstrated preparations for a face-off, the tone and tenor of the Opposition's preparations for the May Day rally, and their call for the civil society to chip in, indicate a possible repeat of the 'December 23 movement' protests (2011-12) that led to President Nasheed's exit.

Mecca summit: Peace initiative or one-upmanship
Aug 18, 2012

Mecca summit: Peace initiative or one-upmanship

Any evaluation of Shia politics in West Asia would be flawed until it takes into account the considerable influence that the holy city of Najaf exerts on Baghdad, Teheran, the Hezbullah and the majority of Bahrainis.

Media and Naxalism in Andhra
Mar 17, 2004

Media and Naxalism in Andhra

A news report in the internet edition of Times of India, on March 16, 2004, said Naxalites of the People¿s War Group (PWG) possess Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers. It further claimed that, at a meeting of the Andhra-Orissa Border Special Zone Committee (AOBSZC), PWG leaders asked their cadres to disrupt the April 2004 parliamentary and Legislative elections process from the beginning.

Media For TRPs And Prasar Bharati For Murdoch?
Sep 03, 2011

Media For TRPs And Prasar Bharati For Murdoch?

In a fast paced novel or movie P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Swami Ramdev, Anna Hazare and the media, would all be found to be batting on the same side, heightening dramatic effect from their own vantage points in geometrical progression, filling the media's coffers with mysterious altruism.

Media more swayed by commercial interests, says expert
Mar 09, 2014

Media more swayed by commercial interests, says expert

The "old, new and the social media" in India are "swayed less by ideology and more by commercial interests," according to a senior media professor, Dr Maya Ranganathan.

Media regulatable, but not by government
Apr 06, 2013

Media regulatable, but not by government

Attributing activism by media to rapid decline in governance, economic scams, failings of Government agencies and religious heads, management and media consultant T.V. Krishnamurthy says the present media scenario in India is 'regulatable' but cannot be done by the government.

Media regulation: Is status quo the answer
Jan 14, 2013

Media regulation: Is status quo the answer

Participants at a seminar on "Media regulation: Is Status Quo the Option?" said India cannot afford to be an exception among democracies, with no regulation of cross-holdings in the media. Editorial independence is indispensable if the right to freedom of expression is to be effectively exercised.

Media Regulation: Is Status Quo the Answer?
Jun 08, 2013

Media Regulation: Is Status Quo the Answer?

Media Regulation: Is Status Quo the Answer? This was the topic of an interesting panel discussion organised by Observer Research Foundation and The Hammurabi & Solomon at the India International Centre on August 6.

Media self regulation alone won't work in India
Feb 05, 2014

Media self regulation alone won't work in India

While a combination of statutory regulation and self regulation is at work in the UK, India will find it very hard to improve the standard of its media industry through self regulation alone, according to panellists at a conference on "Perspectives on Media Regulation: Lessons from the UK".

Media's role as foreign affairs impinge on national politics
Mar 22, 2013

Media's role as foreign affairs impinge on national politics

If proof were required, the DMK-Congress spat on the Sri Lanka related vote at the UN Human Rights Council has once again provided it. Foreign Affairs will increasingly impinge on national politics.

Medvedev Flair Firms Up Indo-Russian Relations
Dec 29, 2010

Medvedev Flair Firms Up Indo-Russian Relations

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev added some flair to the normally staid Indo-Russian diplomatic engagements by visiting the Taj Mahal and "rekindling Russia's Bollywood love affair" with a trip to a film studio in Mumbai.

Mega Project Development: Issues in Land Acquisition
Jan 20, 2010

Mega Project Development: Issues in Land Acquisition

Experts stress upon amending the Land Acquisition Act, Ask for making rehabilitation a duty of the State

Mega rail projects an opportunity to slash India's carbon emissions
Nov 19, 2009

Mega rail projects an opportunity to slash India's carbon emissions

The Indian railway is the largest passenger rail system in the world, yet it makes up just about 13% of India's transport sector

Mega-ships in the Indian Ocean: Evaluating the impact and exploring littoral cooperation
Jun 22, 2019

Mega-ships in the Indian Ocean: Evaluating the impact and exploring littoral cooperation

The Indian Ocean has seen a steady increase in the size and number of Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) or mega-ships equal to or in excess of 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) from 2014 onwards. This has created economic and infrastructural pressures on Indian Ocean littorals. With mega-ships growing on the Asia-Europe route, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) will need to create flexibility in landside maritime infrastructure and hin

Mehran attack exposes Pakistan's counter terror
Jun 03, 2011

Mehran attack exposes Pakistan's counter terror

On May 25, four terrorists (initial reports suggested almost a dozen armed men) scaled the perimeter walls of PNS Mehran, Pakistan's only naval air base, located in Karachi. Guided by their commander through hi-tech wireless systems,

Mehran attack: implications and lessons
May 25, 2011

Mehran attack: implications and lessons

The armed assault and siege carried out by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Pakistan's highly secured Pakistan Navy's Mehran airbase in Karachi (May 22-23) has raised fundamental concerns about the continuing failure on the part of Pakistan's intelligence and security agencies,

Mekong-Ganga Dialogue: Learning to manage river basins
Jun 24, 2013

Mekong-Ganga Dialogue: Learning to manage river basins

The second Mekong-Ganga Dialogue, held in Laos and Thailand, effectively threw diverse and comparative insights into wide range of water issues plaguing both the regions and deliberated upon possibilities of cooperation and collective actions to sustainably manage water resources.

Mekong-Ganga Dialogue: Need to desecuritize water dialogues
May 07, 2012

Mekong-Ganga Dialogue: Need to desecuritize water dialogues

A three-day Mekong-Ganga Dialogue has stressed the need for shifting thinking around river-basin development and climate change issues from narrow national security concerns to a regional perspective with ecological and social concerns.

Merkel's visit: A milestone in India-German relations
Oct 21, 2015

Merkel's visit: A milestone in India-German relations

After 70 years of being constrained, following its defeat in two world wars and being partitioned into East and West Germany, a unified Germany is today poised to be a great power again, having overcome its historical legacy of militarism, and the Holocaust. And German Chancellor Merkel's visit underlines the changed dynamics of the relationship between India and Germany.

Message from the South
Feb 19, 2011

Message from the South

Corruption indulged in by late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in Andhra Pradesh was allegedly phenomenal, and since he died in a helicopter crash and left behind a legend, all allegations against him are now forgotten.

Mexican Elections:  Return of the Old Guard?
Jul 05, 2012

Mexican Elections: Return of the Old Guard?

Enrique Peña Nieto, the young and telegenic candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), has been elected Mexico's next president with about 38% of the popular vote. His closest competitor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

MH-17 shooting down: A 'wake-up call' to work for truce
Jul 21, 2014

MH-17 shooting down: A 'wake-up call' to work for truce

If efforts to dilute tensions between the West and Russia fail, Delhi will have to intensify its engagement with Moscow to develop the relationship as leverage against what is perceived to be India's primary strategic challenge - the rise of China. India and Russia will have to creatively use various forums to circumscribe Chinese power.

MH-370 mystery: 'Nothing is isolated in aviation', says former AAI chairman
May 03, 2014

MH-370 mystery: 'Nothing is isolated in aviation', says former AAI chairman

Talking on "Mystery of the missing MH-370" at ORF Chennai, former Airports Authority of India chairman and Air Vice Marshal H.M. Shahul argued the possibility of an electrical fire and the helplessness of the cabin crew in such a case.

MH370 spotlight: Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Apr 01, 2014

MH370 spotlight: Andaman and Nicobar Islands

With the Chinese navy's increasing ability to project power into the Indian Ocean, it is important for New Delhi to strengthen its strategic outpost in the Andaman and Nicobar territory and remain a security provider to the region.

MHA, smell the coffee; let Delhi Police come under Delhi Govt
Jan 21, 2014

MHA, smell the coffee; let Delhi Police come under Delhi Govt

The historical flaw on who controls Delhi Police has deepened into a crator. Can 80,000 cops remain unaccountable to the representative elected by the people of Delhi?

Mid-summer diplomacy in New Delhi
May 30, 2014

Mid-summer diplomacy in New Delhi

While it may be necessary to keep channels to Pakistan open, so long as the Pakistan military remains the arbiter of Pakistan's destiny, it may be prudent to keep in mind what may be in store for both India and Afghanistan.

Midnight deal in Nepal
May 04, 2012

Midnight deal in Nepal

The ministers in Baburam Bhattarai cabinet resigned en masse just before midnight on May 3 to pave the way for the formation of a new national consensus government.

Militants onslaught: Iraq, US should equally share blame
Jun 16, 2014

Militants onslaught: Iraq, US should equally share blame

There is no doubt that the roots of today's problems lie in the 2003 American invasion of Iraq. But the blame for what is happening today must be shared equally between the Americans and the Iraqis, primarily the Shia leadership of al Maliki.

Military approach not enough to deal with IS
May 11, 2015

Military approach not enough to deal with IS

Only a military approach is not enough to solve the problem of Islamic State. A crucial part of the overall strategy to deal with the IS should include creation of an inclusive state apparatus inside Iraq and Syria, felt speakers at a conference on "Transformations in West Asia: Regional Perspectives" organised at ORF.

Military Build-up in the Indian Ocean: Implications for Regional Stability
Oct 12, 2015

Military Build-up in the Indian Ocean: Implications for Regional Stability

The Indian Ocean region is yet again witnessing another phase of strategic rivalries, with global powers including the US, China and India competing to create their own zones of power. The Indian Ocean has historical signicance as a key corridor for both trade and energy resources from the oil-rich Middle East to the big economies of East Asia. The nature of challenges facing the region are evolving. Economically, the Indian Ocean has become more

Military Indianisation: Are we heading the right way?
Jun 15, 2011

Military Indianisation: Are we heading the right way?

At a time when India flaunts its 'arms card' to woo global arms suppliers, its attitude towards strengthening its R&D base has been pathetic. Indian spending on R&D (less than $2 bn) is one-fiftieth of that of the US ($96 bn) and one-fifteenth that of China ($32 bn).

Military matters deserve special care
Jul 03, 2012

Military matters deserve special care

While the defence of our motherland is the mandate of the toiling soldier, that soldier too needs to be shielded from unjust onslaughts. The defender must be defended. If we ignore this fundamental truth, we will do so at our own peril.

Million Arab Lives, Small Price For Freedom
Aug 27, 2011

Million Arab Lives, Small Price For Freedom

A million deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and heaven knows how many more to follow in Syria, and wherever else, is but small sacrifice to keep the flame of freedom burning eternally and all flames need fuel.

Minding the gaps in India’s act east policy
Sep 21, 2018

Minding the gaps in India’s act east policy

New Delhi’s approach to Southeast Asia within the wider Indo-Pacific region is strategically sound but has limits.

Mini Submarine-A Vessel of Choice with Drug Cartels and Terrorists
Apr 01, 2005

Mini Submarine-A Vessel of Choice with Drug Cartels and Terrorists

Following a tip off, the Colombian Police have chanced upon an indigenously built mini submarine in the port of Tumaco, near the Colombian border with Ecuador. Reportedly, the vessel can carry up to 10 tonnes of cocaine valued at about $US200 million in the international market. According to Eduardo Fernandez, head of the Administrative Security Department (DAS), a detective force, ¿They started building the submarine about six months ago, using

Minimal changes to existing laws adequate to fight  corruption
Jun 24, 2011

Minimal changes to existing laws adequate to fight corruption

The controversy over the Lok Pal refuses to die down. Coupled with the Baba Ramdev's aborted fast over unearthing black money, particularly that which is stashed away in overseas tax havens, Anna Hazare's continuing call on a 'Jan Lok Pal bill'.

Minister inaugurates national seminar on Defence
Oct 12, 2006

Minister inaugurates national seminar on Defence

Minister of State for Defence Production Hon. Rao Inderjit Singh inaugurated, on October 12, 2006, a national seminar on "Public Private Partnership in Defence: Problems and Prospects", hosted by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi.