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This brief is an experienced journalist’s view of how the media should regard the relevance of BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation; and, in turn, how BIMSTEC can utilise the media in making its issues known to the public and the policymakers, in its immediate region and beyond. The brief argues that if BIMSTEC is to become an effective forum for regional cooperation, it should be more o
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is standing on the threshold of a new inning, as it marks its 25th year in 2022. The past months have been momentous for BIMSTEC, as it adopted a charter at the fifth Summit Meeting in March to outline a clearer purpose for the organisation. During the summit, BIMSTEC rationalised its 14 diverse sectors of cooperation into seven core areas of inte
As BIMSTEC pushes for transport connectivity, it stands to gain from other, complementary transport connectivity projects that are emerging in the region. BIMSTEC can also take advantage of extant policy designs, and aligning its projects with the various national, bilateral and multilateral projects either ongoing or being planned. Given India’s key role in BIMSTEC — owing not only to its geographical location but also its capabilities — i
As we commemorate World Cotton Day, the transformative potential of cotton within the T&A industry needs to be examined
India needs to be mindful of the transformative potential of Bitcoin and initiate regulations to manage the risks and reap the benefits.
Despite numerous government efforts to popularise digital transactions, India continues to be a cash-dependent economy. This is because the transforma
If Modi is a strong leader who is bringing greater purposefulness to India's China policy, Xi is even more powerful at home. He has conveyed a strong interest in transforming relations with New Delhi and is willing to explore opportunities with Modi.
A constitutional court must not outsource its judgement on freedom of expression online to an industry association even if it convenes others to help make this decision. It must also avoid allowing the executive to take over this role, determining without any transparency what content is blocked.
Once a niche term, Blue Economy (BE) has matured into a popular concept in marine governance discussions in the Indo-Pacific region. As land resources reach their limits, governments in the region are keen to harness the ocean’s wealth for economic projects. Policymakers widely believe the blue paradigm allows marine activities to be earth-friendly and sustainable, and thereby guaranteeing a more equitable future. Recent developments, however,
The PSIDS require a holistic approach to development as business-as-usual is proving to be detrimental to the ocean ecosystem and the people whose liv
Indian decision makers recognise the need for cooperative tools to fight transnational crime in the littorals. Indian initiatives, however, are yet to bring about an alignment of objectives and strategies of regional littoral states.
Under the Vibrant Villages Programme nearly 3,000 villages selected along the 3,400-km-long border are set to get better infrastructure facilities
The crisis of the state in Pakistan is only getting worse.
Trump’s approach to transatlantic security, the US’s allies in the Indo-Pacific, and security concerns in West Asia will be shaping his vision of
India is seeing a shift towards greater financial inclusion and women's empowerment. Policies supporting this trend can create a more equitable financ
Smart Grid technology solutions can not only help India reduce its transmission and distribution losses, but can also help leap to the future by bundling major public utilities over one single grid.
The recent technological advancement in the energy front could translate into abundant low carbon energy supply; however, there are multiple problems
The BRICS expansion is a big win for China as it would be able to enhance its geopolitical influence by admitting Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Sa
China as the leader of the pack will use BRICS for control and dominance. The West will see this as a threat to existing arrangements and try to pull it down before it takes off. Indian presence will remain weak so long as our economic reforms and progress remain slow and our internal political and policy frameworks remain uncertain.
This report is part of the Observer Research Foundation’s “Financing Green Transitions” series which aims to find potential linkages between private capital, in all its forms, and climate action projects. The series will primarily examine domestic and international barriers to private capital entry for mitigation oriented climate projects, while also examining potential avenues for private capital flow entry towards adaptation and resilienc
India and Bangladesh relations got a new boost following Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's brief visit to Bangladesh recently, demonstrating New Delhi's keenness in enhancing bilateral relations.
In this article, the situation of water supply and disposal in Delhi is described. The analysis reveals that Delhi government is lagging behind in ser
This brief underlines the immense potential for increased cross-border trade, tourism, and people-to-people interactions between India and its Southeast Asian neighbours. In particular, it evaluates the importance of India–Thailand relations, emphasising the present state of the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMT-TH). Although India and Thailand share a maritime boundary along India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Th
The recent India-Bangladesh border incident suggests a need to rethink the dialogue processes among the border guarding forces.
India has no reason to be fazed by the growing ties between Pakistan and Russia as showcased by Imran Khan’s recent visit to Moscow.
Budget 2022 could be a turning point for India in achieving its climate ambitions if adequate steps are taken to improve investments and innovation in
The underlying philosophy behind this budget is to help India transition from entitlements to empowerment
G20 India aims to provide a global approach to realising common aspirations like a just green transition, renewed forms of multilateralism, digital
The Union Budget provides a boost to the energy transition but fails to address the critical need to synergise climate adaptation with India’s devel
Digital India has made significant progress in transforming India into a digitally empowered society and Budget 2023 is making wider strides in the sa
Sri Lanka’s Budget 2024 has ambitious proposals that could push the country forward, however, it continues to stare at a long road to economic recov
Visiting Pakistani journalists informed a select gathering at Observer Research Foundation that the ongoing turmoil in their country was the result of a transition from military dictatorship to coalition politics in the democratic setup.
Climate change, conflicts, and various crises have exposed the vulnerabilities of global food systems. Acute food insecurity and undernourishment have become more prevalent in recent times, and the imperative is to build more robust and sustainable food systems that do not adversely impact the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has only underlined the importance of food security in times of crises. This brief explores the promise of clima
Given the diversity of stakeholders and technical requirements, there is a need for flexible standards to achieve scale and drive the adoption of digi
India’s power sector requires sustained efforts to achieve the power generating capacity target of approximately 1.2 terawatts by 2047. It needs such capacity to meet the demands of economic growth and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 7 of providing universal electricity access. At the same time, the country also needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to meet commitments to global climate action agreements. This paper revi
The G20 can steward inclusive approaches to digital transformation, directing international development cooperation, and strengthening multilateralism
There are a number of measures the Bundeswehr needs to take to fill the ranks of its planned cyber command.
The Indo-German relationship is undergoing a transformation but areas such as lesser ease of doing business, bureaucratic hurdles and red tapism need further attention to improve economic relations, according to Mr Achim Fabig, Consul-General of the Republic of Germany, in Chennai.
Decisive and ruthless crackdown on jihadis is the need of the hour, not more empty rhetoric ---- Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT), headed by Hafiz Saeed based in Pakistan, is a threat to India's security and sovereignty and must therefore be branded as 'enemy of the nation'. There need not be a legal provision to do so. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is empowered to take such a decision.
While the financial assistance has come at a critical time and will provide BEST with the backbone to straighten itself out, it is not a panacea for i
The essence of any democratic system is the healthy functioning of political parties and consequently free and fair elections. Free and fair elections imply not only a legal institutional framework for the conduct of elections and a transparent electoral process.
Despite the diplomatic normalisation, fundamental issues that divide Saudi Arabia and Iran will remain. Can China deliver as a peacemaker in West Asia
China will need to be more specific in spelling out its climate plans.
Replacing tech authoritarianism with state overreach will only exacerbate problems plaguing social media platforms
Macron’s recent speech prior to the European elections has reiterated his ideas on defence, and his fervent push for European strategic autonomy and
In an ironic situation, President Obama finds his own party, the Democrats, his key opponents while, the Republicans, his greatest allies as he pushes for the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.
Since P20-type parliamentary diplomacy has seen acceptance, slight organisational changes can place the P20 on track for being an exemplar multilatera
