1334 results found
In short, the principle of subsidiarity demands that India’s national government take some cues from global trends and cede more powers to the city government in capital territory. The current bill by the Centre not only betrays the concept of “cooperative federalism” often espoused by the Union government, but will further complicate governance in India’s fastest growing mega-city.
The primary aim of the ISPS Code was to strengthen the security of international shipping, ports, waterways and the high seas by directing the governments, shipping companies and port operators to enhance security of the maritime edifice.
As global and urban populations continue to grow, and climate change threatens food security, it is imperative that cities—often the largest food consumers—contribute to its production through urban agriculture. Urban agriculture comprises food and non-food products grown for self-consumption or sale. Entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, and citizens worldwide are adopting new technologies to optimise production amid space c
ORF Senior Fellow Dr. R. Swaminathan will work on mobile banking solutions for financial inclusion and prepare a policy document for the government.
In partnership with the Forum of Federations (FoF), Canada, Observer Research Foundation intends to study various decentralized approaches to Health Care delivery and draw inspiration for an ideal Indian model.This programme aims to provide the Government of Gujarat and other interested parties an ideal model of decentralized delivery of Health Care in India drawing from experiences in India as well as countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Can
ORF and Hammurabi & Solomon, a law firm, have submitted a memorandum to Justice Verma Committee, detaling suggestions in the law and the government setup to provide for speedier justice and enhance safety and security of women.
Even though the Nepal government is determined to bring the culprits of the fake Bhutanese refugee scam to justice, a grain of suspicion remains since
In May 2016, the Health Secretaries of the States and Union Territories of India gathered in the capital and issued “The Delhi Commitment on Sustainable Development Goals for Health”. Among others, the document acknowledged the need to invest in health data collection, analysis and research so that these can properly inform government policies and strategies necessary to address the various challenges facing India’s healthcare. Such commitm
The Modi Government is reportedly trying to bring a legislation which will overhaul the antiquated bankruptcy law. Now whether the government will succeed or face the same obdurate tyranny of numbers as recent other reform bills remains a matter of conjecture.
The inauguration of the government-funded Padma Multipurpose Bridge project indicates how Bangladesh is at full throttle to shake off its “basket ca
Two distinguished faculty members of Observer Research Foundation, Mr. Brajesh Mishra and Mr. Surendra Singh, have been bestowed with Padma awards by the Government on the occasion of the 62nd Republic Day.
There is only one way in which Pakistan can survive as a nation-state. That is, the Pakistan Army will have to confine itself to being an armed force and not usurp the powers and responsibilities of the legislature and executive branch of the government. The mission objective of an armed force is to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of the country and not run it. The people of Pakistan have a choice here.
Many historic moments have come and gone in Pakistan's 65 years, but never before has a democratically elected government completed a full term. As a "new" Pakistan readies for election, the question is - will Pakistanis make democracy work?
Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif's decision to withdraw support to the coalition government led by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has only pushed Pakistan deeper into political crisis which is bound to encourage terrorist and extremist groups to consolidate their position in a nuclear-powered state staggering on the verge of becoming a dysfunctional, if not failed, state.
On July 31, 2003, Mr John S. Pistole, Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, testified before the Senate Committee on Government Affairs on ``Terrorism Financing: Origination, Organisation and Prevention``. One of the key findings he referred to was the link between the terrorists involved in the September 11 attack and Pakistan.
In early February when Pakistan was seen as the epicenter of nuclear trade, the United States decided to downplay the entire episode by terming it ¿a part of the past¿. When A.Q. Khan was given a ¿pardon¿ by General Musharraf for all his proliferation activities, for the US, it was merelya ¿matter between Mr. Khan and his government¿.
Without deep structural reform, which includes reducing the size of government and curtailing the expenses on the overbearing and overfed holy cow —
Pakistan's PPP-led government failed to end the domination of the military over the government, much less bring the military machine, particularly the army, under the government's control. A huge percentage of the country's budget is allocated to the military.
n July 2018, Pakistanis voted in what was the third consecutive transfer of power from one civilian government to another in the country’s 71-year history. The elections may be called a success in that winners had been declared. However, the months leading up to the elections demonstrated the power of the military, and its ability to influence election outcomes and control sections of the media. As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan see
The outcome of Pakistan's elections has not been particularly surprising. Nawaz Sharief's PML-N is likely to form government soon. Having a trusted hand like Sharif at the helm is a plus point, but he would have to undertake a herculean labour to transform Pakistan's condition. If he fails, there will only be despair.
Although Pakistan does definitely have stability concerns, it was able. And, although the government and the institutions have generally weak legitimacy within the population, this does not necessarily translate in the rejection of the idea of Pakistan as a national entity.
In the Afghanistan peace process, Pakistan's significance lies more in its capability to play a destructive role than a constructive one. It is capable of scuttling the peace process and can stoke violence by supporting groups like the Haqqani network and engineer attacks against the government or foreign troops in Afghanistan.
It may not have been pretty, but the finish-line is within sight for the Zardari-led coalition government in Pakistan. And the first democratic transfer of power is a significant milestone in the growth of democracy in the country.
Calls for immediate ceasefire for a comprehensive political solution have fallen flat. Seemingly because Pakistan has used the Taliban as a lever to k
From the inception of independent Pakistan, civilian governments have continued to largely remain under the influence of the military.
COVID-19 has once again exposed the widening rift between radical religious organisations, their parochial leaders — and the government.
The rapidly-approaching March 16 deadline for the dissolution of the Government led by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, ahead of scheduled May elections, is an occasion worthy of note and reflection for Pakistan.
The UPA government needs to inject some boldness into its Pakistan policy. A.B. Vajpayee, representing the "communal" BJP, visited Pakistan twice during his six-year tenure as PM. Manmohan Singh representing the "secular" Congress has been too timid to go across the border.
In the ongoing power game in Pakistan, the US would secretly back the Army despite all the ill feeling in recent weeks while publicly supporting the civilian government. Probably the US would prefer that the PPP government be sacrificed in an early election, something the Army would appreciate.
Would the appointment of a new army chief change the relationship between the military and the Pakistani government?
People have voted against the military’s political favourites but General Munir still gets to cook up the next coalition government
No matter the winner, Pakistan’s economy will make it difficult for the incoming government to meet election promises
Pakistan's borrowing history has discouraged IMF and its allies from providing fresh loans or restructuring existing ones.
With panchayats emerging as front warriors in the collective fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister’s address to key members of rural self-
Paradiplomacy throws up fresh challenges for the Indian government.
Paradiplomacy as it is conducted by sub-state governments introduces the idea of decentralisation of political power to make regional governments prominent actors in the international sphere. This paper examines the scope for subnational diplomacy in India, as the country seeks to appreciate the significance of federalism and regionalism in promoting local interests, as well as identity, in current international politics. Regional governments ope
If a vaccine or a treatment is to be created, is there a possibility that patent rights could restrict access to the cure across the world? Much depen
The contours of the fledgling peace process with the People's War Group (PWG) Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh are gradually emerging. It is the second attempt in as many years. The Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh, K Jana Reddy, announced on June 29, 2004 that the government has requested S R Sankaran, a retired Secretary to Government and Andhra Pradesh-cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS),
The governments of the South Asian countries can cooperate to solve many of their problems, especially poverty alleviation and fighting corruption. It will bring about stability and good governance. Otherwise, when are people dissatisfied with their lives, they will demand change.
There can be no two views that the updating of the NRC is a legitimate exercise that every State undertakes to protect its sovereignty. However, the NRC can also not be used by any government as a tool for harassment.
Energy subsidies are described as hard to reform as they are leveraged by government leaders to secure votes. However, their phasing out is well under
Philanthropic organisations have a financial capacity beyond that of governments. Thus, governments should create conditions that enable the private s
Why has the UPA been so ineffective in pushing GDP growth in its second term? Why has it not been able to tame inflation? Looking back, it was the three stimulus packages that the UPA government gave that was responsible for much of what is wrong today.
During a recent discussion on Indo-US relations, a former senior adviser to the Government of India, who retired some years ago, expressed his surprise that the community of non-governmental strategic analysts in New Delhi had failed to forewarn the policy-makers of the Government of India over the likelihood of opposition from the US to the construction of a gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan till the Indian border to sell gas to Pakistan a
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.
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.
After Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of Sher Bahadur Deuba’s coalition, a tricky road lies ahead for Deuba’s government amidst multiple c
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.
To stop the coronavirus, the government will have to be there for its people in unprecedented ways.
