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In the run-up to the crucial Diet session, Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko has effected a cabinet reshuffle, bringing in key changes. But will it produce the desired results as the government needs the support of the LDP-New Komeito combination for parliamentary approval of its reforms?
The economic and social problems of the European Union (EU) have not been fully resolved since the euro zone crisis. This issue brief walks the reader through the genesis of the crisis, the reforms and the bailout packages implemented; discusses the adverse consequences of austerity and proposes alternatives; and ends with implications for India.
Australia’s reformed policy towards China is not a turn to China; it’s a return to normality
The affordable housing challenge plagues cities across India. Although city administrations have framed various strategies to tackle the issue, weak implementation, flawed policies, and an inherent lack of capacity to find longterm solutions have allowed slums to proliferate as an alternative. This paper examines the affordable housing issue in Greater Mumbai. Since affordability is not absolute but relative to the development stage and income di
Given that India is on the path to urbanisation, there is a dire need for governance reforms at the municipal level to ensure that it reaches the qual
South Asian nations are using anti-American rhetoric to push back against the US’s demands for internal reforms and signal their agency and increasi
Like in some other regions of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated external debt accumulation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This could have massive, adverse impacts on growth as governments prioritise debt servicing commitments over key development expenditures such as healthcare and education. For the countries in SSA with relatively lower GDP, this could mean getting caught in a vicious cycle of low output and mounting debt. A pa
Democracies constantly evolve to meet the demands of changing times and the requirements of their citizens. This continuous unfolding includes reforms in the electoral system, such as in India. Debate and discussion over the issue of First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) versus Proportional Representation (PR) electoral systems have been ongoing for decades. The issue regained momentum after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance
Pulses are the cheapest source of protein for Indians – and thus a favoured food item nationwide. The Indian pulses sector, however, faces numerous challenges. Scrutiny of the sector increased sharply after price fluctuations in 2015-16 and the increase in import of pulses. Government interventions, as part of the anticipated supply response to the shortfall in availability of pulses, did not entirely mitigate the problem. The sector stands at
India’s large defence industrial base has historically been dominated by public sector entities, although they have failed in meeting the growing requirements of the armed forces. The public sector suffers from inefficiency in productivity, innovation and international sales, rendering New Delhi highly dependent on arms imports. The government is taking steps to reform the public sector, even as it accords greater importance to the private sect
Is the R&AW or any other intelligence service infallible? The answer is no. Is the R&AW competent? The answer is yes. Does it need continuous reform and upgrading? Of course, yes.
Both manifestos have made laudable assertions regarding city problems, however, the issues of the financial domain of ULBS and certain pending urban r
Until the early 1990s, India’s urban local bodies (ULBs) were under the complete control of the states, having little functional, financial and administrative autonomy. The 74th Amendment Act of 1992 sought to make ULBs self-governing institutions. Many salutary provisions were made in the Act and there have been certain positive outcomes since it came into effect in April 1993. However, many key issues have remained unresolved and at present,
The Global South must unite to transform the UN into a multilateral institution that truly recognises the sovereign equality of all member states
Given the daunting challenges of 2021, and the opportunity that the pandemic presented to reform the health sector, Budget 2021 unfortunately remained
Russia’s war on Ukraine, interrupted value chains, and increased regionalisation are putting pressures on the already-strained multilateral trading system. Though a strong World Trade Organization (WTO) is needed to navigate these challenges, the organisation risks becoming irrelevant if far-reaching reforms are not implemented as soon as possible. In the short- and medium-term, WTO members must agree on limiting export barriers, especi
Amidst economic and geopolitical uncertainties, the lack of movement on reviving and reforming the World Trade Organisation will only exacerbate divis
Post the success of demonetisation PM should now move towards taxing rich farmers by stopping the rhetoric of ‘poor farmers’ as a fig leaf.
Democracy costs a lot of money. To fight elections and run their routine activities, political parties in India seek donations from all possible sources including ‘illegal’ and ‘interested’ money. This has serious ramifications in preserving the integrity of Indian democracy. An increasing number of countries, meanwhile, have taken the path of public subsidies and direct funding of parties and political activities — aiming to reduce dep
The most important reform that needs to be introduced is to permit the use of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) across the entire State and not ju
Twenty years after the launch of economic reforms, India has visibly changed. But the 'common man' is still confused and struggling even though most people in the low income group can afford a TV, mobile phone, scooter and even a room or two in a poor residential area.
Trends in Africa are diverging. While East Africa shows growing signs of authoritarianism and suppression of dissent, in Southern Africa — liberatio
In many countries across the world, democracy and political violence can be inseparable. Even the most advanced western democracies have not escaped this pitfall. For the young republic that is India, political violence is commonly linked to electoral politics and in many instances, is episodic. States such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala, for example, have had a long history of violent incidents erupting during elections. West Bengal
The lack of a Uniform Civil Code in India is undercutting the chances of an overall development of the Indian society
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राष्ट्रीय बज़ट इस धारणा को बल देती है कि भारतीय अर्थव्यव�
कैरिकॉम (कैरेबियाई कम्युनिटी) के लिए सुरक्षा परिषद में स
In Saudi Arabia, the Biden administration is trying to walk a fine line between a robust interpretation of US interests and a softer definition of US values. For all his flaws, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has embarked on an ambitious and perilous mission to ‘normalise’ Saudi Arabia. The process isn’t democratic and there are times when reform & repression travel side by side.
The competition between the US and China has severely impacted the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. This is a wake-up call to reform multilateral
The United States should reset expectations in line with India’s preferences for continuity, reformation, and new equilibria
Uzbekistan has embarked on an economic reform drive to unlock Uzbekistan's socio-economic potential through partnerships with China and others
Most analysts agree that a dangerous mix of demand, supply and currency is responsible for Punjab’s drug menace. Punjab is both a transit point and a market for the drugs smuggled from the so-called Golden Crescent that is Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. While the heroin produced in Afghanistan is smuggled through the 553-km-long, porous India-Pakistan border, the opium, poppy husk, charas and hashish, among other drugs, come from the neighbour
It is only by reducing its unnecessary expenditure, reforming underperforming SOEs, and diversifying its economy, can Maldives mitigate its economic p
The demand for basic infrastructure and services in Indian cities has increased phenomenally due to rapidly growing populations. Such unmet demands often adversely affect the quality of urban life, the economic productivity, as well as the process of sustainable development. The main purpose of this brief is to highlight the problems involved in improving access to water supply in Indian cities faced with a severe water shortage crisis. A case st
The need of the hour is to double down on defence reforms with strategic foresight.
China's ruling Communist Party, at its plenum, will deliberate on the economic and social agenda for China over the next five years focusing on financial reforms and how to maintain growth of around seven per cent. Contrast this with India where the new administration appears somnolent.
The agenda for change is a large one. This list or any other can be multiplied several times and still come up short. But the compulsions of reform are urgent. With a bulging profile of young people, India is said to be on the cusp of a demographic dividend. But that dividend could well become a nightmare unless we are able to fix our politics, our governance system, economy, national security machinery.
India has pulled ahead of China and United States as the most favoured destination for foreign direct investment. But is being number one good enough to make the Modi government's 'Make in India' productivity reform a success story and achieve its desired 8-8.5 per cent growth?
On December 20, 2003, a landmark in the history of modern India was achieved. The nation's forex reserves for the very first time crossed the $ 100 billion mark, to be precise clocked 100.048 billion. The high, coming just after a decade of reforms, remember 1990-91, could well be termed as the coming of age of India¿s liberalisation program.
Internationalisation of higher education as part of key second generation reform is a long overdue since the country went for the pathbreaking economi
The international community seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place as coercive tactics to reform the Talibann are proving to be ineffectiv
It is imperative to highlight that we’re now reaching a period when a “sacred alliance” between Japan and India should be built up as a force of
With top brass of the PLARF being accused of corruption, President Xi’s changes to the PLARF’s leadership implies a rot in the regime’s power hi
Though Dr. Hassan Rouhani is labelled as a 'pragmatist', 'moderate', or even a 'reformist' by analysts, all these terms have very restrictive meanings in the Iranian context.
Whether the new India-EFTA trade deal that has been touted as “modern, fair, and equitable” would be able to correct the prevalent trade imbalance
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has a fairly heavy political agenda before him. The foremost is his firm resolve to introduce constitutional reforms. If he wins the December 14 elections, Abe would have bright chances to win another term as the LDP president in September next year and stay at the helm for three more years.
युरोपीय संघ आणि भारत यांच्यात सध्या सुरू असलेल्या डब्ल्�
