Search: For - East Asia

5352 results found

Death of a liberal leader
Jan 18, 2011

Death of a liberal leader

The killing of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer on January 4 in Islamabad and the wide-spread adulation of his killer, a Punjab Police commando, has raised a whole litany of fears and dilemma in, and about, Pakistan.

Death of Osama bin Laden: The lessons for India
May 10, 2011

Death of Osama bin Laden: The lessons for India

The most important lesson for India from the US operation on Osama bin Laden safehouse is that it should have a clear policy as to how to deal with the principal accused in the concerned case; how to deal with him or them.

Death penalty - for what and when?
Sep 01, 2011

Death penalty - for what and when?

To confuse the delay in executing the death penalty in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case to politically imply that the convicts were not involved in the heinous crime would not pass legal or judicial muster. It could complicate matters, but things would remain where they would.

Debate on MEA's ills is skewed
Aug 17, 2012

Debate on MEA's ills is skewed

The IFS is criticised in some western circles because it resists efforts to incorporate India into the West's sphere of political and intellectual influence. Some who are attacking the MEA today want this resistance to end.

Debating India's nuclear doctrine
Aug 05, 2014

Debating India's nuclear doctrine

The nature of nuclear threat that India faces is not "binary" as India's concerns related with Pakistan and China are intertwined. The history behind China-Pakistan nuclear collusion makes it important to look into the "interlink".

Decentralising Decentralisation
May 23, 2005

Decentralising Decentralisation

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil¿s none-too-recent hint that the Centre was considering the setting up of a new commission to review Centre-State relations is a welcome move. While it may be yet another effort at decentralization of administrative power between the Centre and the States, care should be taken in formulating the terms of reference and in the choice of the commission¿s members that the process percolates down to the panchayat-lev

Deciphering grey-zone operations in maritime-Asia
Aug 03, 2018

Deciphering grey-zone operations in maritime-Asia

Recent grey-zone activity in maritime-Asia suggests an increase in hybrid warfare, even as the lines between military, economic, diplomatic, intelligence and criminal means of aggression become increasingly blurred. By replacing overt military aggression with soft provocations – kept well below the threshold of open warfare – aggressors attempt to leverage asymmetry, ambiguity and incrementalism for strategic effects. These tactics are highly

Declining defence budget
Mar 03, 2006

Declining defence budget

In the Finance Bill introduced in Parliament on February 28, the budget estimates (BE) for defence have increased marginally from Rs 83,000 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 89,000 crore for 2006-07 ¿ a rise of about 7 per cent. With inflation ruling at 4 to 5 per cent, the real increase in current rupees is only of the order about 2 per cent.

Declining number of farmers: The alarming trend must be reversed
May 08, 2013

Declining number of farmers: The alarming trend must be reversed

The reason why there has been a decline in marginal farmers is because of the overall low agricultural growth. It has been less than 2 per cent per annum in the decade of mid-1990s to mid-2000s.

Decoding India's Abstention on UNHRC Vote
Aug 10, 2015

Decoding India's Abstention on UNHRC Vote

In what is being touted as a major shift in Indian policy towards Israel, New Delhi abstained from a vote against Israel at the UN Human Rights Commission. The UN human rights body called for Israel's accountability in alleged war crimes committed by its officials during the conflict in Gaza in July 2014.

Decoding India's stand on international sanctions
Dec 17, 2014

Decoding India's stand on international sanctions

The Modi government's policy of engagement, rather than isolation of sanctioned countries, is very much in line with its predecessor, United Progressive Alliance, led by Manmohan Singh. However, like Singh, Modi too has refrained from speaking on the issue of sanctions.

Decoding Romney's worldview
Aug 17, 2012

Decoding Romney's worldview

At this juncture of the US Presidential campaign, Mitt Romney's worldview seems to be defined, more than anything else, by the desire to sound different from President Obama. But foreign policy is still very much President Obama's turf, and Romney's recent foreign trip did nothing to change that.

Decoding the Afghan elections
Nov 16, 2013

Decoding the Afghan elections

We need to look beyond the Presidential vote in Afghanistan, scheduled for next April. These elections would not only test equations of military and political power as the NATO forces pull out but also the strength and possibility of deeper enduring facts of the Afghan reality.

Decoding the ISISDecoding the ISIS
Jun 21, 2014

Decoding the ISISDecoding the ISIS

Extremists' groups like the ISIS have capitalised on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's ethno-sectarian politics. And, the resurgence of ethnic animosities has long-standing implications for Iraq and the West Asian region as a whole.

Decoding the Land Acquisition Bill
Aug 31, 2013

Decoding the Land Acquisition Bill

The new land acquisition bill has brought transparency in land acquisition. But by incorporating too many instruments and agencies to ensure the same, it instead risks making the process bureaucratic. Thus, the bill ends up replacing a coercive colonial law with a cumbersome one.

Decoding what lies behind the terrorist attack in Punjab
Jul 28, 2015

Decoding what lies behind the terrorist attack in Punjab

Monday's terrorist attack on Dinanagar police station in Gurdaspur district, the first major terror attack in Punjab since 2002, and that took the lives of 11 persons, is a puzzle. This could be a routine warning from the LeT to both the Indian and Pakistani governments against getting too close to each other.

Decoding what U.S. wants from India
Jan 20, 2015

Decoding what U.S. wants from India

Narendra Modi is viewing Obama's New Delhi visit on a longer perspective where he seeks to leverage the U.S. connection to attract technology and investment from the western world, as well as build ties to balance China.

Deconstructing Pakistan's Command and Control ? Tactical Nuclear Weapons
Oct 13, 2014

Deconstructing Pakistan's Command and Control ? Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Development and production of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) by Pakistan has increased the level of tensions in South Asia, though it has, in an attempt to ease global concerns over its development of TNWs, has assured that its top leadership will continue to have complete control over its TNWs if deployed.

Deconstructing the Economic Crisis: Imbalances still worrisome
Nov 23, 2010

Deconstructing the Economic Crisis: Imbalances still worrisome

Experts from India and Germany, including academics, practitioners and policymakers, took part in a day-long seminar titled "Deconstructing the Economic Crisis" organised jointly by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (RLS), Berlin.

Deepen ties with Myanmar
Nov 16, 2012

Deepen ties with Myanmar

For both Myanmar and India, Suu Kyi's visit needs to be viewed as yet another important step towards strengthening relationship between the two neighbours. It will serve nobody's interest if the visit were to be seen as a political gain for a party at the cost of others in Myanmar.

Defence budget : Long-term strategy needed
Feb 16, 2006

Defence budget : Long-term strategy needed

The emergence of Bangladesh as the new hub of international Islamist terrorism, insurgency in Nepal and Maoist militancy across several states, add new challenges to national security threats that India traditionally tackles. Despite these, India's defence expenditure continues to decrease in real terms and as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every year.

Defence diplomacy
Feb 21, 2015

Defence diplomacy

China has discarded the traditional emphasis on criticising the arms control agreements promoted by the Western powers and focuses instead on securing Beijing's national interests by actively participating in international and regional military negotiations and shaping the international military norms.

Defence expenditure: Going beyond the Budget
Mar 20, 2013

Defence expenditure: Going beyond the Budget

Defence needs to be viewed as an integral part of national planning so as to comprehensively quantify the overall requirement to meet our legitimate security needs and strategic aspirations.

Defence is important, but the economy must come first
Jun 11, 2014

Defence is important, but the economy must come first

There is need to re-prioritise the expensive items in the services' wish list in a manner that will not strain the economy, without necessarily increasing the vulnerability of the country.

Defence sector needs drastic reforms
Jul 27, 2015

Defence sector needs drastic reforms

Resources are constraining the modernisation drives of India's three services. The government has not been able to check the growth of manpower in the Army and paramilitary forces. This has a direct repercussion on the modernisation plans of the military.

Defence Spending Trends in India
Mar 30, 2012

Defence Spending Trends in India

While allocations for the defence forces have been prioritized, the country's policymakers still grapple with the question: Despite spending billions, how strong is our Defence?

Defence, beyond action-reaction
Mar 31, 2011

Defence, beyond action-reaction

The defence component of the national budget accounts for 14% of central government expenditure, but gets less than 5% of media space. Virtually no discussion on the issue takes place in Parliament either. A call for increased resources for national defence usually goes out only when defence spending by Pakistan and China makes headlines.

Defence: Not really an ideal Budget
Jul 11, 2014

Defence: Not really an ideal Budget

Modi Govt's defence budget will only sharpen the divide between an increasingly assertive China and the Indian security establishment trying hard to cope up with the Chinese military modernisation programme. China's 2014 military budget is of $132 billion while Indian budget is of approximately US $ 37 bn only.

Defexpo 2014: Driver for India's defence industry
Feb 25, 2014

Defexpo 2014: Driver for India's defence industry

An all inclusive Defexpo would not only add greater character but also help the Indian companies explore the markets through a comparative framework and in turn enhance their manufacturing capabilities in the long term.

Degrees of irresponsibility
Jan 09, 2014

Degrees of irresponsibility

With the Delhi Durbar at its weakest in decades and the national parties in a funk, India's ability to deal with externally induced challenges in the run-up to the elections and after is being undermined by an irresponsible domestic discourse.

Delaying elections will only strengthen radicals and endanger Indian Ocean: Nasheed
Apr 18, 2012

Delaying elections will only strengthen radicals and endanger Indian Ocean: Nasheed

If Maldives becomes the biggest radical Islamic cell using the present political situation in the country, it would affect every nation in the Indian Ocean region as a huge part of trade in the Indian Ocean passes through the Maldives, according to former President Mr. Muhamed Nasheed.

Delegation from Chinese think tank visits ORF
Oct 22, 2009

Delegation from Chinese think tank visits ORF

A five-member delegation from the Beijing-based China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) exchanged views with the ORF faculty on bilateral relations, media reportage, regional issues, international terrorism, and possible areas of research cooperation

Delhi And Colombo ride a wave of optimism
Jul 24, 2023

Delhi And Colombo ride a wave of optimism

President Wickremesinghe seems to have succeeded in conveying Sri Lanka's best intentions for India during his visit.

Delhi and the diaspora
Jul 08, 2014

Delhi and the diaspora

As New Delhi intensifies the effort to bring many others home after the successful evacuation of Kerala nurses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi must create a strong institutional framework to cope effectively with the recurrent crises involving Indian citizens abroad.

Delhi Blasts: An Update
Oct 31, 2005

Delhi Blasts: An Update

( At the time of the blasts, I was on a flight from Delhi to Chennai. Immediately on my return home at 9 PM on October 29,2005, I heard of the blasts. At the request of an online journal, I had given my initial reactions in a brief write-up titled " Delhi Blasts: The Message". This article is an attempt at a more comprehensive analysis on the basis of further information available at 8 AM on October 30,2005)

Delhi poll: Major parties playing around "competitive populism"?
Feb 05, 2015

Delhi poll: Major parties playing around "competitive populism"?

Campaign trends in Delhi elections indicate that parties are playing around the issues having popular appeal rather than the hard core issues of governance, statehood or even air pollution. In varying degrees, populist ideas such as free houses, free water and free electricity remain the core poll promises for all political parties.

Delhi polls resurrect political realignment?
Feb 13, 2015

Delhi polls resurrect political realignment?

The shockingly stunning victory of the two-year-old Aam Admi Party (AAP) in the assembly election in the national capital this week is expected to impact the national politics in a significant manner as it is bound to trigger the process of political realignment across the country.

Delhi polls: BJP, Take five!
Feb 06, 2015

Delhi polls: BJP, Take five!

Charismatic, centralised leadership, like Mr Modi's today and Indira Gandhi's earlier, whilst have a huge advantage in national elections, cannot single-handedly carry a local election. Delhi is likely to make this point to leaders yet again.

Delhi to host India-Africa Forum Summit next year
Oct 31, 2013

Delhi to host India-Africa Forum Summit next year

India will be hosting the next India-Africa Forum Summit in 2014 and it is trying to implement as many decisions of the earlier two Summits as possible, according to a senior official at the MEA.

Delhi's obsequious Obamamania
Nov 03, 2010

Delhi's obsequious Obamamania

The relative degree of success of President Barack Obama's visit to India will depend on the extent to which the tough US demands on defence trade be eased to accommodate India's strategic needs without compromising national interests from both sides.

Delhi, Dhaka need to strengthen further ties on border management, counter-terror
Apr 02, 2014

Delhi, Dhaka need to strengthen further ties on border management, counter-terror

During the recent "5th India-Bangladesh Dialogue" organised in Delhi, there was consensus among all participants on the need for strengthening further cooperation on border management and counter terrorism in order of tackle threats which are common to both the countries.

Delhi-Dhaka: A model for the neighbourhood
Dec 22, 2021

Delhi-Dhaka: A model for the neighbourhood

The relationship has its roots in history, but both States have ensured continuous engagement, crucial for contemporary South Asian relations

Delivering on service guarantee: A case of Delhi's e-SLA
Dec 29, 2012

Delivering on service guarantee: A case of Delhi's e-SLA

There is a genuine endeavour in the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to enhance their public delivery mechanisms. And, its example of harnessing ICT can come handy for other states currently implementing Right to Service Acts.

Demilitarisation of Siachen
Apr 09, 2006

Demilitarisation of Siachen

Indo-Pak rapprochement has been stuck in a rut for some time with Pakistan insisting on tangible progress on Kashmir and India reiterating that it is necessary to first build confidence by resolving relatively less intractable problems.

Demilitarisation of Siachen
Apr 05, 2005

Demilitarisation of Siachen

The Observer Research Foundation¿s (ORF) Institute of Security Studies hosted a roundtable discussion on the ¿Demilitarisation of Siachen¿, on May 4, 2005, at ORF Campus, New Delhi. The discussion was chaired by Gen (Retd) VP Malik, former Chief of the Army Staff.