1866 results found
Tax rationalisation, higher capex, the idea of green growth, and agricultural markets — highlights of Budget 2023
The arrival of vaccines against Covid-19 gives hope in ending the pandemic that has claimed close to 2.84 million lives so far. However, inoculating millions of people all over the world would require the massive production of vaccines, followed by their equitable distribution. An impediment to production and distribution of vaccines is the intellectual property (IP) rights that their developers enjoy. India and South Africa have together propo
India and Nepal must return to the core strength of their unique social, cultural, strategic, political, and economic ties
A combination of institutional frameworks and policy changes has ensured a profound transformation in India's defence policy
The legal systems in India lag when it comes to the fast-adapting formats of radicalisation. Policy can seldom keep up with technology.
While Israel-Saudi normalisation will bring a long-standing divide to an end on paper, in practice, a full gambit of regional situations will need to
The Smart Cities Mission in India, launched in 2015, is a unique experiment undertaken with the aim of improving people’s quality of life in cities. It bypasses traditional institutional approaches and employs innovative methods to achieve its targets. This brief provides an overview of the work initiated under the mission since its inception and explores the gains so far. It documents sectoral reforms and conducts a critical appraisal of the m
The current Sri Lankan political environment is ripe for transformations in power structures, economic policy, and citizen involvement
Young people across the world today are facing multiple challenges: lost school years due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns, the looming climate crisis, increasingly dangerous virtual spaces, and food and energy security concerns triggered by the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This paper analyses the challenges facing the youths of the Commonwealth, where 60 percent of the combined population are under 30 years old, and explores the investments require
The Digital Silk Road (DSR), part of the Belt and Road Initiative, symbolises China’s approach to expanding information exchanges and digital cooperation with emerging markets and developing economies. Under the DSR, several private corporations and state-owned enterprises supported by Chinese state banks are offering inexpensive technological contracts and rapidly building digital infrastructure projects. This brief examines the operationalisa
With 23.5 per cent proposed salary hikes, everyone expects that the government will work more efficiently. But the hard performance criteria of the pr
It will be in the realm of ideas where the world would be seeking India’s leadership.
China has employed cognitive warfare tactics to sway the opinions and beliefs of the Taiwanese public without resorting to direct military confrontati
As the Indo-Pacific region grows in prominence, all the members of the CSC, which are democracies, will continue to play their cards based on domestic and external benefits.
Is the use of constitutional means to secure ruling in perpetuity a new normal in west Africa?
How intra-party factionalism weakened the strongest government Nepal has seen in decades
The female workforce in India is changing as younger women with higher levels of education enter the workforce
India is witnessing a phenomenal increase in urbanisation and it is essential that this process is studied and analysed thoroughly to provide for a better quality of life, said Mr. Strobe Talbott, President of the Brookings Institution, while formally releasing ORF Mumbai Vision 2015: Agenda for Urban Renewal, published by Observer Research Foundation in ORF Mumbai on September 20.
Care work, both paid and unpaid, is at the heart of most economies. The care sector comprises formal healthcare, childcare services, early childhood education, disability and long-term care, and eldercare. Two-thirds of care workers globally are women, and women and girls perform more than three-quarters of all unpaid care work. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the vulnerability of care workers and deepened the gender gap. This paper a
The rapid growth in military cyber capabilities of the countries in the Indo-Pacific combined with the use of assets from the cyberwarfare toolbox—in domestic and interstate contexts—is adding uncertainty to already competitive political, military, and economic relations. This issue brief assesses the cyberwarfare context in the Indo-Pacific, and reviews the military cyber capabilities of the region’s countries and their commitment to inter
The rapid growth in military cyber capabilities of the countries in the Indo-Pacific combined with the use of assets from the cyberwarfare toolbox—in domestic and interstate contexts—is adding uncertainty to already competitive political, military, and economic relations. This issue brief assesses the cyberwarfare context in the Indo-Pacific, and reviews the military cyber capabilities of the region’s countries and their commitment to inter
Despite the hype, some of the biggest impacts from the use of AI and applied machine learning in the defence context are mundane.
The ‘Compact with Africa’ (CWA) is the main pillar of a renewed G20 partnership with the continent. Its objective is to attract more private investment to Africa, especially for infrastructure. African countries face the challenge of diversifying their economies and promoting industries and services that can absorb a rapidly growing labour force. Lack of investment and Africa’s massive infrastructure gap are major obstacles to this economic
While the BRI faces resistance from some countries, the GG forum has yet to establish itself. On balance, all these initiatives are bound to coexist i
Given the dearth of natural resources, all major powers are intensifying their collaboration with African countries and investing in infrastructure an
The Ministry of Human Resource Development in late June floated the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, 2018, to repeal the seven-decade-old University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956. The HECI, when established, will replace the UGC that has been the bedrock of India’s higher education system. This brief analyses the draft bill and examines its deficiencies. It suggests that the present bill fails to address the shortcomings of
Any solution to the Kashmir issue requires a two track process involving the domestic separatists and the Pakistanis.
Children in Georgia have so far remained protected from the direct consequences of the pandemic, but the indirect impact is yet to be fully assessed
Proper policy measures and improvement in the performance of public transport would help draw people away from private transportation and address traf
While much of the Indo-Russian relationship appears to be already existing ties, especially in the military-technical cooperation and hydrocarbon industry, trade and economic relations are faced with myriad challenges. It is time to diversify the trade basket to include technology, pharmaceuticals, etc.
In the fight against the coronavirus, the equally challenging issue of misinformation needs to addressed as part of the COVID-19 response.
If India wants to show the world Kashmir is back to normal, the downed shutters, empty schoolyards and unpicked fruit will make sure it hears a differ
After the end of the Cold War, we did not realise that two different and contrasting ambitions were at stake: the transnational purpose of the Western
The Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar is aimed at speeding up reconstruction in war-torn Afghanistan and bringing peace and normalcy to the nation
The Modi government’s fragmented approach has remained at the canopy and has not been able to achieve foundational improvements in budgeting at the
A lookback at Angela Merkel’s 16-year leadership of Germany
Policymakers and practitioners are leading the emerging consensus on the need to fundamentally reassess assumptions
With the onset of the pandemic, the urban informal workforce in India has been hit hard by the ongoing livelihood crisis, especially women. This call
Australia’s reformed policy towards China is not a turn to China; it’s a return to normality
The world moulded by the Delhi Summit will be one of people-focused principles, and agile, trust-based partnerships
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concerned about the looming energy crisis, is determined to expand the contribution of civilian nuclear power to India¿s energy budget. For this it is necessary to remove the shackles imposed by the United States and its friends on international nuclear transactions.
Indo-US relations that have witnessed a remarkable transformation in recent years, both in tenor and substance, are under intense scrutiny on the eve of US President Barack Obama's forthcoming visit to India. While relations between the two democracies have moved from one of 'estrangement' to a relationship of 'engagement' at many levels, there are outstanding issues that need to be addressed. This Issue Brief explores the prospects for cooperati
If Narendra Modi becomes prime minister, he will join a select band of predecessors who can be called "outliers" - a scientific term used to describe phenomena which are outside the normal experience.
Education in India is compulsory and free for primary and middle school, yet about 20 percent of children aged 6-14 remain absent. Analysts offer various explanations for India’s continued challenges in ensuring universal basic education, including lack of access to schools and poor educational environment. In this context, an index measuring the health of the early education system can be a valuable tool. This paper devises a Performance, Infr
