Search

With U.S. domestic politics calling President Biden home early, the Quad capitalized on their visits to Hiroshima for the G-7 to meet on May 20.

At a roundtable on "Understanding Contemporary Bangladesh", attended by vice-chancellors from nine universities of Bangladesh, the consensus view was that regional integration is not only beneficial for Bangladesh but for all of South Asia.

The integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants remains one of the most critical issues in Nepal's peace process. Although there have been a series of agreements since 2006 to formalise the integration of Maoist combatants, the political parties have failed to agree on the number, modality, age and qualification of the combatants.

China and India, sooner than later, must assume regional leadership, which must be inclusive, allowing for not just coopera-tion and collaboration but the accom-modation of all stakeholders in energy. Despite their burgeoning share in energy market, both countries remain price takers rather than price makers now.

India's North-East remains a challenge for the policy makers. Keeping together this diverse region, which is home to more than 250 tribes, speaking more than 190 languages and dialects, and addressing the long drawn conflicts to preserve ethnic identities and over land and other resources is an arduous task. Recent months have witnessed a lot of debate on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) introduced by the Central Government to counter

ORF organised an interaction on the extent and security risks of 5G spectrum technology and the role of Huawei as a provider of 5G technology and equipment. The discussion was led by Harold Furchtgott-Roth, chaired by Kanchan Gupta.

No Indian terrorist group is co-operating with the international jihadi terrorist movement headed by Al Qaeda.However, certain Pakistani jihadi terrorist organisations, which are members of bin Laden's International Islamic Front (IIF), are being used by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for organising terrorist attacks in Jammu & Kashmir (J) and other parts of India.

By pledging humanitarian assistance, but ignoring that conflict is the root cause of famines, the US and UK aren’t making a difference.

India has been a major beneficiary of the decision of the Bush Administration to transfer the responsibility for the compilation and analysis of statistical data relating to significant international terrorist attacks from the Counter-Terrorism Division of the State Department to the newly-created National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) presently headed by John Brennan as the acting Director.

The 15th Conference of Parties (CoP 15) on Climate Change is scheduled to begin on December 7, 2009 in Copenhagen and continue till December 18, 2009.....more

The EU, having taken the lead in initiating the international space code, must be patient in taking it to a meaningful conclusion. It must engage in wider consultations at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels as a means to bridge the political divide between states.

The world is back to 9/10. The jihadi training centres have started functioning full time once again in different parts of Pakistan. The jihadi terrorist training infrastructure in Afghanistan, which the US had destroyed through its air strikes during the course of its "Operation Enduring Freedom", has been fully restored ----this time in Pakistani territory.

‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’ is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day. This is a clarion call with particular resonance for India given the barriers to women’s economic participation. Imagine the extraordinary economic tailwinds that can be generated for India if these barriers are dismantled and women have access to capital and technology and supportive public policy frameworks

An International Workshop on Southern Silk Route: Historical Links and Contemporary Convergences was organized in Kolkata by the Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Calcutta from August 2-4, 2008.

Our "strategic interest" will be served when we acknowledge where our current and future interests lie, in terms of economy and politics. Thereafter, we must negotiate India's role at institutions that govern the internet, be it ICANN, IANA or any other body. Our "self-respect" will be enhanced when we negotiate this role from a position of strength.

'The year old Indo-Pak rapprochement has now reached a stalemate and is in danger of being hijacked by deeply entrenched bureaucracies and hardliners on both the sides', said Lt Gen Talat Masood (Retd), who was Secretary of Defence Production, Ministry of Defense, Pakistan in early 1990s.

Facing a double whammy — the strategic window closing, and ground situation in Kashmir improving — Pakistan will do whatever it can to create disturbances in J&K to bring the issue back in focus.

It has become increasingly fashionable in academic literature, seminars, conferences and private interactions to talk of emerging markets and to use the pression "emerging growth regions" to signal some kind of change in the structure of the world economy.

The Arctic region, with its vast reserves of natural gas, minerals, oil, and hydrocarbons, presents energy and economic opportunities for countries, including India. India’s Arctic Policy, released in 2022, signalled the country’s intent to expand its engagements in the region beyond its historical focus on scientific research and climate studies. While the policy acknowledges the region’s growing economic potential, however, it does not ad

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in India is enshrined in the Constitution and mandated under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009. Yet, its implementation remains tentative for many reasons, primary of which is the absence of a clear government guideline regarding which Ministry is tasked with policymaking and implementation. This brief attempts to offer an answer for the government. It examines

In response to their experience of western colonialism, countries like China and India have sought to develop their own, indigenous and autonomous technology base. China, in the last 30 years, has succeeded in this endeavour, becoming a major manufacturing power and adopting policies to develop and market its own technologies. Such success, however, is not without critics. Developed countries, especially the US which is its principal trading part

The Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) was imposed on non-agricultural commodity derivatives trading in India from 1 July 2013. This paper investigates the impact of the CTT on some of the efficiency parameters of the commodity derivative markets in India. The authors analysed daily trading data from January 2006 to December 2019 of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) of India for five non-agricultural commodities: aluminium, copper, crude oil, gold, and

Adolescents comprise a significant proportion of India’s population. Despite improvements in various outcomes, this demographic continues to face serious challenges to their health and well-being, including high levels of teenage pregnancies, low rates of antenatal care checkups for adolescent pregnancies, and lack of safe menstrual practices among adolescent girls. Investing in adolescent health should therefore be a policy priority. This repo

India’s long-term growth strategy must be pegged to its labour force, whatever the economic model of choice may be. A major part of how the Indian growth story plays out will hinge on the country’s success in delivering the right to life, health and livelihood for all Indians, including India’s girls and women.

Mainstream debates on European investment in India do not consider the full and diverse impact of investment on economic and social life, and therefore narrow the terrain for crafting richer, alternative investment policies and strategies. This paper examines three misguided—and recurring—ideas that arise in investment debates: (1) consumption growth as an inevitable effect of investment liberalisation; (2) efficiency in fresh food retail as

The Prime Minister's first visit to the UK and US after he assumed office was preceded by a flurry of activity. The Cabinet approved the promulgation of three ordinances pertaining to Banking Regulation (Amendment and Miscellaneous Provisions), Securities Contract (Regulations) Act 1956 as well as

Noting that maritime disputes and strategic competition in the Indian Ocean are at the core of changing geo-politics in the IO, participants of the Indian Ocean Dialogue concluded that the members of the IORA should address the security concerns themselves rather than relying on international forces.

While a setback is imminent, the strikes may not be enough to push Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Making his first public speech since being elected President, Mahmoud Ahmadinezad said in Mashhad on July 21 that he would not allow a violation of Iran's legal rights on peaceful use of nuclear technology. He reaffirmed that Iran would never pursue weapons of mass destruction.

Making his first public speech since being elected President, Mahmoud Ahmadinezad said in Mashhad on July 21 that he would not allow a violation of Iran's legal rights on peaceful use of nuclear technology. He reaffirmed that Iran would never pursue weapons of mass destruction.

Iranians are political creatures, love to politic, enjoy its uncertainties, and delight in manipulating it. These traits are in evidence as the stage is being set for a presidential election in May 2005 when Mohammad Khatami's second term of office comes to an end. The Iranian Constitution prohibits more than two successive terms.

Opening up to Iran would give the US some leverage over Tehran, while also ensuring that its current allies in West Asia do not take it for granted. Meanwhile, once Iranian oil flows into the market, oil and gas will get cheaper, and US companies will get more opportunities to invest in Iran.

Delivering the 5th RK Mishra Memorial Lecture on Thursday, Iran's Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif called for a "new paradigm" in international relations to usher in an inclusive world where each State played a role.

The American justification that delaying any possible Iranian nuclear weapon programme is itself a benefit might be short-sighted because the balance of power will have shifted in Iran?s favour by then.

Iran recently organised the first international conference on 'World against Violence and Extremism (WAVE)' as per the proposal made by President Hassan Rouhani at the UN General Assembly in September. Most significantly, the conference brought together the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen - four of the most troubled states in the region.

This year, India's and China's crude oil imports from Iran has risen sharply - up by 43% year-on-year basis and 36% year-on-year basis respectively, according to a Reuters report. World's oil giant companies have also shown interest to return to Iran. Do these indicate that Iran has turned the bend and worst phase of sanctions is over?

On 6 November 2003, US President George W. Bush made an 'excellent¿ and ¿noble¿1 speech (much acclaimed by analysts and the media) at the 20th anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy, whereby he launched a new ¿forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East'.

While the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 are on track and when Iran is conceding most of the demands, why should there be an explosion in a crucial Iranian nuclear site, that too a missiles and munitions centre -- Parchin.

Senator John Kerry has been at pains to convince his Iranian counterpart that the Congressional act of voting on April 14 to appropriate to itself the power to reject the final deal is merely symbolic and President Obama can easily over-ride these hurdles. But what it reveals is an ugly side of the Congressmen who still live in a world of 'sanctioning' the rest.

A significant thaw is happening in the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Once Saudi Arabia decides to mend its ties with Iran, the US should hardly have any reason to go on punishing Iran. In this scenario, it seems the resolution of Iran's nuclear negotiations is not far off.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is currently investigating Iran's nuclear program, especially the possibility that Pakistan helped it with substantial transfers of technology and materials in the past. There has been no conclusive evidence so far, except for a piece of evidence that Pakistan

In a prescient view, when the region and the world were still sizing up the Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Xinhua despatch from Teheran featured by People's Daily in early August reported: "The successful play of the class card and religion card at a critical juncture has brought an unknown mayor to the office of the president.

Modalities of statecraft have abiding relevance. In a celebrated letter to Moghul Emperor Akbar, Shah Abbas the Great commented on a predecessor's misrule and said that "internal diversity of opinions made the foreigner covetous and caused anarchy in the country."

The recently concluded fourth Vienna meeting, between Iran and P5+1, has revealed that Iran and the international community will have to cross the major hurdles for the successful conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear deal.

The unexpected good showing of the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Mayor of Tehran, in the first round of the Iranian Presidental elections held on June 17, 2005, and his emergence in the No.2 position with 19.5 per cent of the valid votes polled as against 21 per cent for the favourite Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani throws open the possibility that in the second

Police and Army are perceived to be low . The mercenaries of the Iraqi members of the governing council such as Ahmed Chalabi are better paid. The staff of the Iraqi Police and Army were till recently not entitled to the war hazard allowance. A proposal to grant that allowance even to them was under consideration.

As Iraq heads to elections, voters face a choice: preserve the oil-dependent status quo, risk radical reforms, or embrace populist uncertainty.

The invasion and occupation of Iraq in March-April 2003 by a 'Coalition of the Willing' led by the United States was the second part of the response to the outrage conducted by a non-state actor on September 11, 2001. This was perceived in Washington as a gift from history, an opportunity to reshape a region of crucial relevance to the politics and economics of the western world. The impulse for drastic action was greater because notwithstanding