13856 results found
Text of the keynote address delivered by Prof. K. V. Kesavan in the symposium Changing Perception of Japan in South Asia in the New Asian Era: State of Japanese Studies in India and other SAARC Countries
There is a need to look beyond the use and conservation of resources by re-imagining cities as vibrant socio-cultural systems of people and communitie
It appears that the Modi government is beginning to recognise the need for greater synchronisation between the different arms of the government and appreciate the need for better space utilisation in the realm of foreign policy and national security. This new approach needs to be strengthened and sustained for India to tap its full potential in outer space.
English dominates the Internet. But as the next billion swarm online from the developing world, access to relevant content in a language one comprehen
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
What can cities do to ensure progress and prosperity for all?
Goal seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commits the international community to providing access to clean cooking fuels and technologies to all by 2030. Progress has been slow, however, and in about 40 of the UN’s 189 member countries for which data is available, more that 80 percent of the populations continue to lack such access. Using case studies, this brief analyses the role of a country’s policies, i
At least 4 billion people around the world are yet to be covered by any form of social security, and therefore vulnerable to economic, social, and environmental shocks. This paper examines the state of social security in the Group of Twenty (G20) economies—home to 63 percent of the global population. It finds gaps in social security financing in these countries: between universal coverage and actual coverage, and between countries of the Global
The enhancement of the SDG framework in line with the human rights norms and indicators should not be onerous, given the voluntarism of the SDG proces
In 2019, the Indian Railways (IR) recorded zero fatalities from accidents caused by operational errors. However, many people continue to meet with train-related mishaps that are beyond the IR’s control; many of these accidents result in death. The IR’s experience in preventing deaths in accidents caused by operational errors (technically called “consequential accidents”) offers lessons on minimising all railways-related fatalities. This p
Peer pressure is the single most effective tool for building successful platforms that encourage women’s participation without fear.
A common thread that runs through TPP, TTIP and CETA deals is the Investor-state dispute settlement system (ISDS), an opaque supranational court that decides disputes, bypassing the domestic courts and national laws. Now, the fear is that these trade deals might just end up producing managed rather than free trade.
With the attack on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters, some of whom wore QAnon shirts and brandished confederate flags, the far-Right’s threat to American liberal democracy is more visible than ever.
The pace of Indian infrastructure building along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) bordering China has historically been slow due to financial and doctrinal constraints, but has accelerated in the past 20 years. Construction has become more efficient owing to bureaucratic changes and the infusion of greater financial resources. This paper attributes these changes to strategic compulsions brought about by Chinese actions—both diplomatic and on-th
This paper creates an index to track the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation) across India’s states. The SDG 6 index incorporates both supply-side indicators and demand management variables, as well as institutional interventions. In this paper, state-wise indices are constructed to identify their respective performances in the domains of access to clean water and provision of sanitation facilitie
The achievement of global sustainable development goals (SDGs) depends largely on India’s progress, given the country’s massive size and its moderate historical success in key health and nutrition outcomes over the last several years. This further increases the relevance and need for effective monitoring of India’s performance, through timely and disaggregated data, which ensures systematic assessments and course-correction. As India will b
India is ranked third globally in terms of venture capital funding, behind only the US and China. With the total year-on-year funding amount increasin
Indian and Pakistani governments have realised the necessity of better connecting provinces on both sides of the border as a possible means of improving broader relations between the two nations.
Speaking on India-China relations Dr Yiwei Wang gave a Chinese perception of this relationship. The basic theme was that there was need to look at three T's (Trade, Tibet and Territory) to improve the bilateral relations.
With both India and the US having differing domestic and national priorities, these countries are bound to compete and conflict on trade issues. But these must not be allowed to overshadow the larger gains that bilateral trade has brought to each country.
More worrying are Washington’s actions before the WTO, which can affect the efficiency and capacity of its robust Dispute Settlement Mechanism. This
India?s improved relations with Bangladesh have brought new opportunities for economic development in the North East region. To maximise the benefits, there is need for identifying the factors and the issues that might hinder the growth of economic ties.
For starters, trade talks between the two countries resumed after a hiatus of nearly three years. The talks were suspended following the Mumbai attacks. But the thaw emanating from the latest bout of 'cricket diplomacy' has paved the way for cooperation in the sphere of trade.
By using the markets, developed countries still have a lot to offer the international community, particularly the developing world. However, this would involve a fundamental recast of traditional aid into a wider framework.
Covid is merely the latest in a narrative emerging from the US, which feels ‘cheated’
Three main issues were discussed in the 40th Munich Conference on Security Policy held on 6-8 February 2004: prospects of transatlantic relations, future of NATO, and future developments in the Middle East. As usual, several Defence and Foreign Ministers, representatives of think tanks, academia, media and the defence industry attended the conference.
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
The 2014 general elections are all about the economy, jobs, good governance and rising aspirations. Survey after survey conclusively agree that for most voters what matters is stable employment, steady income, corruption free governance and a decisive leadership.
Information security has to move beyond its traditional concepts if it needs to cater to the special demands of governance. Knowledge is for cutting. For long, it has been in the hands of the bureaucrats. It?s time that we snatch it.
Since its inception, DBT has been committed to delivering solutions for societal challenges with a focus on Make in India.
The run-up to the upcoming presidential polls in the Maldives will determine the shape of things to come in the future, with far-reaching implications for India, for bilateral relations between the two countries and the Indian Ocean region. This became evident at the end of a candid discussion that a high-level team of the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had with a section of Indian intellectuals at Observer Research Foundation (ORF),
Discussing Dr. C Raja Mohan's book 'Modi's World: Expanding India's Sphere of Influence' in Kolkata, former Foreign Secretary K. Srinivasan said foreign policy has to be a combination of aspirations and capabilities. He said translating aspirations into policy would be a key challenge for the government.
The flailing multilateral system has led global corporations to rethink just how connected they ought to be
A free and fair election is critical for Pakistan to face the mounting challenges the country is grappling with, according to Mr Saad S Khan, a bureaucrat and scholar from Pakistan.
The size of the Indian Diaspora is a force to reckon with. Though 'brain-drain' is the main problem flowing from migration, the migrant talent has been very successful in promoting the nation's image in the host countries.
Speaking at an interaction on 'Trends in Indian Foreign Policy', organized by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), ORF Mumbai Chapter, Prof. S D Muni of Jawaharlal Nehru University, ... more
Although the transatlantic alliance has shown resilience so far, several emerging trends may impact relations in the coming months
It¿s not the first time, nor will it be the last time. The Press and Television coverage of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswati¿s arrest in the ¿Sankararaman murder case¿, has revived the eternal debate on trial by the Indian media. If on occasions in the past, the media may have substituted fact with fiction or thereabouts, this time again, it cannot escape the opprobrium of partisan sensationalism in the name of extensive news
Given Kenya's recent diplomatic, financial and trade advancements in the international community, observers anxiously await the verdict in the trials of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at The Hague and the reactions of Kenyans to it.
Two months back an observer had noted that "without India wanting to make it so, an impression is gaining ground that our American commitments seem to insist on intruding on India-Iran relations."
