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While the launch of the MUDRA Bank is a laudable effort on the part of the government, there still persists ambiguity in the nature of the Bank's undertakings. The most pressing concern is in regards to the Bank's role as both a regulator and refinancing agency which will lead to a conflict of interests.

As India starts moving on its path of making its hundred odd cities 'smart', it could take a few cues from the experience of China, another developing country and India's immediate neighbour. Though in many parameters, the Chinese cities do quite well, they too have shortcomings, when looked from some indicators.

Fixers aka political managers abound because they thrive in an artificially scare economy where votes are a premium

It is not often that China defends the rights of whistleblowers against the state and America finds itself defensive about internet freedom. That precisely is what Edward Snowden, the young American who has exposed the expansive cyber espionage activities of the National Security Agency in the United States against its own citizens and the rest of the world, has achieved.

In treating Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari badly at the NATO summit in Chicago, US President Barack Obama was highlighting the US frustration at Pakistan's reluctance to open up over land access to the international forces in Afghanistan.

It's pointless to blame Pakistan for successful terrorist strikes. What about the CCTVs that didn't work? The strategy of the new generation of terrorists is to keep the country forever in the terror warp, and they seem to be winning.

The recent US decision to blackball People¿s War (PW) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) may have revived interest in the naxalite movements, nearer home in India. While there can be no two ways about the State and the society fighting militancy, insurgency or terrorism, there is need to study the social causes and implications of such a trend. That way, we can reduce such incidents and instances, if not totally eliminate them.

Dr. V Krishna Ananth, political scientist and author, initiated an interaction on the 'Emerging scenario of coalition politics in India' at the ORF Chennai Chapter of the Observer Research Foundation, on 12 January 2008.

Social marginalisation in urban India can be overcome by identifying committed non-State individuals/institutions, and supporting them so that they are able to successfully contribute to the government's reform process.

Urban inequality is a blight experienced by many cities, even in the developed world.In developing countries like India, these social and economic inequalities become even morepronounced, with living conditions in certain populations crossing the line to the abysmal. Inthese cities, agencies responsible for addressing welfare concerns are unable to do so, as theythemselves grapple with a host of challenges. This paper argues that any positive tra

Politicians have always used the media to communicate with the electorate. What makes social media unique is the scale, speed, and minimal cost at which leaders can do this task. This paper analyses the relationship between political leaders and the microblogging site, Twitter. It provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the use of Twitter by two contemporary Indian political leaders—Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. It describ

ORF hosted a panel discussion on "Social Media and Politics", based on Shaili Chopra's book, The Big Connect: Politics in the Age of Social Media.

Hate speech, law and order, and mass panic are realities India's states have been living with for years. It would appear that, in dealing with free expression on the internet, India's politicians seem to err on the side of control. Perhaps the next election is not just about the economy, but equally about the Indian citizens freedom of expression and freedom from control.

Irrespective of whether AAP delivers on all its promises or is somehow muscled out of office in a few months, it has proven something to all Indian media watchers. Social media buzz has helped in shaping the agenda for India's largest and most important city, making a newly formed political party into a serious player in just over a year.

Social protection is crucial in tackling extreme poverty and ensuring equitable development, thus catalysing the transition to a more stable and robust economy. About 50 percent of India’s economy hinges on its informal workers, who comprise 90 percent of the country’s total workforce. Yet, these informal workers continue to be excluded from current social-protection schemes, leaving them with no social or financial safety net and trapping th

Despite testing and confirming the acquisition of Kinetic Energy Weapons (KEW)—an integral part of strategic defence systems that are an alternative to nuclear warheads—India remains in need of a more robust military space programme. The country’s principal rival in the space military arena, China, has significantly more expansive and diverse capabilities. Although KEWs as part of its counter-space programme are not a panacea for India’s

Across India, existing systems for the collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste are mired in chaos. The problem is more acute in the urban areas, where rapidly growing populations generate increasingly larger quantities of solid waste that urban local bodies (ULBs) are unable to manage effectively. Improper management of solid waste poses risks to the environment and public health. This paper dissects the state of solid waste manage

It will not be an exaggeration to say that almost all the countries in Africa face some form of conflict. Yet, most of them have managed to survive, and some—like South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo—have even evolved into reasonably successful states. However, Somalia has not. What are the reasons for Somalia’s failure to survive? Did external interventions play a role? Was Islamophobia a contributing factor, and the inter-clan

The tendency of nation States to attempt solving the problem of modern piracy exclusively through the employment of their naval and military might is a flawed effort and has, more often than not, proved unsuccessful. At best, it has resulted in a temporary suppression of the problem that has inevitably re-manifested itself at a later stage.

Aceh is a little known Northwest province of Indonesia that shot into world fame on December 26, 2004. It was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that triggered a tsunami. The western coastal areas of Aceh, including Banda Aceh, the capital, were among the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami. Approximately 230,000 people were killed and 400,000 left homeless out of its total population of 4.01 milli

Less-cash economy formalising shared economy, with an impetus to digital payments, is one of the motivations as well as goals of demonetisation

As signaled by the Myanmar operations against militants, the policy shift in New Delhi must be taken seriously. One can hope that it does have a salutary effect on the extremist elements within the Pakistani establishment and the jihadi organisations located in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi waived agricultural loans and provided cash transfers. It won the Assembly election earlier this month by a landslide.

A consignment of over 100 tonnes of explosives, carried in six shipping containers. The ship was bound for Bander Abbas in Iran where the consignment was to be unlaoded and moved overland from Iran to Jaranz in Afghanistan since Pakistan does not permit such cargo to be sent from India over its territory. The consigment was of commercial grade explosives meant for use by Border Road Organization (BRO) for road construction.

India appears to have successfully climbed into the category of a nuclear "have," overcoming the divisions enshrined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and enforced fervently by its adherents. However, as India prepares to argue its case for entering the export control regimes, it will find that the new "status" will bring contentious new issues, which will demand careful consideration.

South Africa openly acknowledged that it had ‘learnt a lot’ from India’s experience hosting the F20. New Delhi provided best-practice guidance on managing working groups, digital coordination, logistics, sherpa processes, and public diplomacy

This Paper analyses South Africa's position as a member of both BRICS and IBSA, especially the broader strategic implications arising out of its membership of the two organisations.

South Asia as a whole was struggling with crises of governance, said Professor Sumit Ganguly while broadly outlining some key political, social and economic trends in the region during a presentation at ORF on December 16, 2011.

China uses history in imaginative fashion. This aspect is evident in Chinese expansionism over land and sea. Therefore, the challenge is often to locate South Asia within the broader configurations of land and sea, says Prof. Rila Mukherjee, Head of History of the Hyderabad University.

Indian concerns over a 'rising China' is more about China's 'increasing influence' in the South Asian neighbourhood than over the possibility of a revived border episode or a return to war between the two Asian giants.

Like Europe interlinked themselves and how it has benefitted their economy as a whole, Dr. Muhammad Hasan Mahmud, a former Minister in Sheikh Hasina Cabinet, thinks the same kind of integration could be done between India and Bangladesh and the whole of South Asia.

LTTE supremo V. Prabhakaran is 'hale and hearty' and busy conferring honours to those who died fighting for Tamil 'Eelam'. Known for his crafty ability to dodge the Sri Lankan armed forces time and again, Prabhakaran made his first public appearance in many months putting at rest the rumours of his failing health.

With the government declaring May 10 as the polling date for Provincial Council elections in the east, LTTE is worried about the outcome of the possibly "rigged" elections. The group has asked its parliamentary proxy, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to boycott the elections fearing a total rout in the predominantly Tamil majority area. On the other hand, the group has softened its stand on talking to the Rajapaksa government.

On the domestic front, Sri Lanka remained engaged in the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. On the eastern front, various electoral alignments are being worked out. Bargaining is taking place among political parties to woo winnable contenders to their side.

Two politically significant events took place this week. First was the filing of the nomination papers by People¿s Front of Liberation Tigers (PFLT), the political wing of LTTE set up in 1998. Second was the split in the only Muslim party,

The much anticipated Constituent Assembly (CA) elections were held on April 10, 2008. Despite wide-spread apprehensions, the elections were peaceful, with people turning out in huge numbers to cast their votes.

Though belatedly, Norway, which brokered a Ceasefire Agreement between Colombo and LTTE in 2002, clarified that it never supported the creation of a separate Tamil Eelam contrary to popular belief. Majority of Sri Lankans, including President Rajapaksa, accused Norway of being pro-LTTE.

Both internal as well as external skepticism about the Rajapaksa government's warmth towards 'hard-line' countries like Pakistan, China and Iran is bound to grow with the impending visit of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmedinejad.

The US State Department, in its latest report on terrorism, came down heavily on LTTE for its extortionist activities. The terrorist group, despite world-wide ban on its various activities, has been raising funds by forcing business houses to pay tax in areas they dominate.

Amidst, growing concern and apprehension over the failure of political parties to reach an understanding on power-sharing, the first Seven Party Alliance meeting was held last week to evolve consensus and find a way out to the present crisis.

The CPN-Maoists are clear about their economic agenda: they want an economic miracle in Nepal within 10 years. To achieve this objective, they have promised to adopt a liberal economic policy to boost the country's economic development and revive the dormant industrial sector.

An unlikely crisis is causing headache to already besieged President Pervez Musharraf and his caretaker government. It is not Osama's men or the Taliban which is troubling Islamabad the most but the scarcity of wheat flour across the country.

Ending the month-long political stalemate and uncertainty, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala invited the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Chairman Prachanda, also the leader of the single largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA), to form a new government.

Last week Nepal became a federal democratic republic. On May 28, the first sitting of the newly elected Constituent Assembly members endorsed a proposal to amend the interim Constitution and declare the country a republic.

With the stalemate on the judicial restoration continuing, the focus was back on the man who is responsible for most of the mess Pakistan is in today. President Pervez Musharraf¿s three-and-a-half-hour meeting with Army Chief, General Ashfaq Kayani,

The integration of the People's Liberation Army of the Maoists into the Nepal Army (NA) continues to remain a contentious issue. While, all the big parties namely the Nepali Congress and the CPN-Unified Marxist Leninist have stressed