Search: For - pla

3032 results found

A four-point action plan to achieve national targets on climate 
Mar 24, 2022

A four-point action plan to achieve national targets on climate 

What structural and conceptual frameworks need to be adopted to achieve its climate pledges? 

A new plateau: The India-China bilateral ties
Jan 04, 2018

A new plateau: The India-China bilateral ties

New realities confront New Delhi and Beijing.

A Plague on the Horizon: Concerns on the Proliferation of Drone Swarms
Oct 22, 2024

A Plague on the Horizon: Concerns on the Proliferation of Drone Swarms

In recent years, a number of states have begun integrating their armed drones into collaborative drone swarms. Although global proliferation can be anticipated, drone swarm proliferation should not be expected to be even or immediate. Some states may race to develop massive, armed drone swarms, while others may never develop sophisticated drone swarm capabilities. This brief explores why some states pursue drone swarms, why others may not, and th

A political player who is rising, but is still no Lenin
Jan 29, 2021

A political player who is rising, but is still no Lenin

Notwithstanding the euphoria, Alexei Navalny is unlikely to be the catalyst that will lead to ‘regime change’ in Russia

Action plan to take on China
Feb 04, 2021

Action plan to take on China

The Biden policy moves signal the need for the US to challenge Chinese assertiveness, its domestic repression and its surge as a technological challenger to the US hegemony.

Ageing  and insufficient submarines plague Indian Navy
Oct 15, 2014

Ageing and insufficient submarines plague Indian Navy

Indian Navy requires at least 30 submarines to fulfil its commitments. But the Navy currently has only 13 subs - that too fairly old diesel electric conventional submarines . Shockingly, only half of them are operational at any given time.

Air India clipping private players' wings
Jan 20, 2015

Air India clipping private players' wings

The government should immediately stop this aviation pricing strategy if it wants to remain being seen as serious about raising investor confidence. One wonders, if the move by Air India has the prior approval and blessing from the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Ambiguities galore: Verify before placing trust
Jul 27, 2005

Ambiguities galore: Verify before placing trust

At first glance, the July 18 India-US joint statement promises a giant leap forward in bilateral relations and a paradigm shift in the US policy towards India. The agreement undoubtedly is a testimony to the growing trust and meaningful strategic partnership between New Delhi and Washington.

Amid COVID–19, India’s Modi and Australia’s Morrison plan virtual prime ministerial summit
May 07, 2020

Amid COVID–19, India’s Modi and Australia’s Morrison plan virtual prime ministerial summit

New Delhi and Canberra are likely to conclude the much-awaited Mutual Logistics Sharing Pact — as well as other agreements covering science and technology and public administration.

An explanation for Russia's interest in Syria
Aug 09, 2012

An explanation for Russia's interest in Syria

While Kremlin may be playing to a Russian audience by blocking the West, broader interests, namely, geopolitics, multilateralism, regional stability, and doubts about the feasibility of UNSC resolutions drive its actions in Syria.

Asteroids, meteors and planetary defence
Feb 18, 2013

Asteroids, meteors and planetary defence

Prior to the meteor hit in Russia and Asteroid 2012 DA 14's close miss, the Indian public and its policy makers likely could just not comprehend such a distant, seemingly un-real threat. Perhaps now, this will not be the case.

Bailouts and balances: Sri Lanka’s IMF rescue plan has geopolitical repercussions
Oct 28, 2022

Bailouts and balances: Sri Lanka’s IMF rescue plan has geopolitical repercussions

Sri Lanka's IMF rescue plan has geopolitical repercussions. The Island nation has entered a difficult terrain with China's expansionist interests and India and Japan's security concerns

Beijing’s Middle East Playbook in a Changing Global Order
Jun 10, 2025

Beijing’s Middle East Playbook in a Changing Global Order

While Beijing’s foreign policy is not focused on the Middle East, its footprint in the region is expanding. Many of China’s short-term aims, such as securing energy, have remained unchanged since the Cold War, but the country’s rise on the global stage is increasingly creating a need for a long-term strategy suited to the changing world order. Especially since the start of the Gaza war, this strategy is slowly materialising, with China leve

Best of Both Sides: A nuclear Iran will make the world a more dangerous place
Jul 06, 2025

Best of Both Sides: A nuclear Iran will make the world a more dangerous place

At a time when international norms are being reshaped, Iran developing nuclear weapons could increase volatility in West Asia and beyond

Between a rock and a hard place
Dec 15, 2014

Between a rock and a hard place

Financial health of Indian banks deserves scrutiny. The RBI should strike a careful balance in its policy objectives. Tighter lending norms are unlikely to be a panacea. It must resist the temptation to resort to such short-term fixes.

Between Diplomacy and Displacement: The Contradictions of the Rohingya Repatriation Discourse
Jul 16, 2025

Between Diplomacy and Displacement: The Contradictions of the Rohingya Repatriation Discourse

The Bangladesh interim administration’s announcement in April this year—that it would soon repatriate 180,000 of its 700,000-odd Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar—was quickly hailed as a diplomatic victory. This paper analyses the claim, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analyses of refugee narratives, to highlight its implausibility. It argues that Rakhine State in Myanmar, from which the Rohingyas hail and to which they are ex

Beyond Cyber Fires and Ukraine: PLASSF Impact on a Sino-Indian Conventional War
Sep 01, 2023

Beyond Cyber Fires and Ukraine: PLASSF Impact on a Sino-Indian Conventional War

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has served as a laboratory test to assess the effectiveness of Cyber Warfare (CW) capabilities. It would be misleading, however, to extrapolate sweeping conclusions from this conflict about the relative ineffectiveness of CW. Rather, diligence should be exercised by Indian strategic and military planners in assessing the CW capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) and enhancing

Big scope for EU countries to set up new tech power plants
Apr 30, 2012

Big scope for EU countries to set up new tech power plants

During a roundtable with a delegation of EU Members of Parliament, the ORF Director pointed out the great chance the international community has today in setting up electricity generating plants in India with green technology.

BIMSTEC: Overcoming inertia to serve as a truly strategic platform
Sep 08, 2017

BIMSTEC: Overcoming inertia to serve as a truly strategic platform

Two decades since its inception, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has yet to truly succeed as an instrument of regional integration. The primary reason for the group’s slow progress is general inertia, or lack of interest amongst its members. There have also been more pressing national and regional issues that have overtaken the group’s development. This is set to change under the im

Boston bombings: The end of complacency
Apr 20, 2013

Boston bombings: The end of complacency

With the US already having made a strong base to deal with terrorist activities from external sources, it is time the US, and other countries develop mechanisms that tackle home-grown groups with vigour, but without endangering the principles of 'rule of law'. This is particularly important as the elements of home-grown terrorism are, in fact, the citizens of the respective countries.

BRICS: A wall for some and a platform for others
Apr 04, 2013

BRICS: A wall for some and a platform for others

China as the leader of the pack will use BRICS for control and dominance. The West will see this as a threat to existing arrangements and try to pull it down before it takes off. Indian presence will remain weak so long as our economic reforms and progress remain slow and our internal political and policy frameworks remain uncertain.

Cabinet reshuffle: From 'K-Plan' to '2-K Plan
Oct 29, 2012

Cabinet reshuffle: From 'K-Plan' to '2-K Plan

If there is one thing that the weekend reshuffle of Ministers and portfolios may have done for the image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Government, it is to put the recent past behind in terms of political charges of corruption and non-performance.

Calls for India to play the Taiwan card grow louder
Jul 10, 2020

Calls for India to play the Taiwan card grow louder

As tensions simmer between New Delhi and Beijing, some have called for India to focus on developing stronger relations with Taiwan.

Can Economic Sanctions Replace Armed Forces in Modern Warfare?
Aug 17, 2023

Can Economic Sanctions Replace Armed Forces in Modern Warfare?

Economic sanctions are often seen as an alternative to war, but they do not always have the desired effect. This brief argues that for such sanctions to be effective, economic interdependence must be established, economic rationality must outweigh political ambition in the sanctioned country, and the message of the sanctions must be clear. Using the sanctions against Russia as an example, this brief contends that because of the interdepen

Can maid fracture plateau with US?
Dec 18, 2013

Can maid fracture plateau with US?

When tempers have cooled down, and the plateau regained, we should rethink IBDH, enforce strict set of "Devyani Guidelines," and derisk an entire gamut of ties - sadly, the US one being the only legacy Manmohan Singh might have had!

Can plant protein be the solution to India's supply vs demand conundrum
Feb 27, 2021

Can plant protein be the solution to India's supply vs demand conundrum

India is the largest producer of pulses, accounting for 25 percent of the world's output yet 70 percent of Indians are protein deficient

Checkmating Musharraf's plan
Nov 24, 2004

Checkmating Musharraf's plan

President Pervez Musharraf has a number of reasons to be unhappy with India. It took only a few hours for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dismiss the General's seemingly well-crafted and cleverly worded war-game plans for Greater Kashmir. The General's idea was simple.

China feels India needs to be shown its place
Dec 21, 2022

China feels India needs to be shown its place

New Delhi must sharply raise its preparedness to deal with a Beijing that seems bent on aggression

China’s PLA upgrades its forces along the disputed border with India
May 29, 2021

China’s PLA upgrades its forces along the disputed border with India

Despite continuing talks between India and China, military preparations clearly are continuing, too.

China’s Relationship with ASEAN: An Explainer
Apr 15, 2021

China’s Relationship with ASEAN: An Explainer

Arguably the most significant global phenomenon of the past four decades has been the economic and strategic rise of China. Today analysts are confronting questions of whether China will replace the United States as the world’s biggest power, if it will do so peacefully or through confrontation and conflict, how it will subvert the existing system of global rules and institutions, and whether a new form of bipolarity would emerge to accommodate

China’s second aircraft carrier: A sign of PLA naval muscle?
Dec 27, 2019

China’s second aircraft carrier: A sign of PLA naval muscle?

The PLA Navy acknowledges the importance of maintaining air superiority in future naval conflicts, for which large aircraft carrier are important.

Command and Ctrl: India’s Place in the Lethal Autonomous Weapons Regime
May 25, 2016

Command and Ctrl: India’s Place in the Lethal Autonomous Weapons Regime

Technological advancement in artificial intelligence has created a situation where the deployment of Lethal Autonomous Weapons has become practically, if not legally, possible within a few years. As the international community struggles to arrive at a definition of ‘autonomous weapons’, the need to regulate their use has become paramount. Apart from the legal and ethical considerations in the use of autonomous weapons, there are also con

Comprehensive Mobility Planning in Indian Cities: Challenges, Gaps, and the Way Forward
Jun 30, 2025

Comprehensive Mobility Planning in Indian Cities: Challenges, Gaps, and the Way Forward

India’s rapid urbanisation is resulting in massive mobility challenges, including congestion, inadequate public transport, and poor infrastructure for non-motorised transport. To address these issues, the Government of India introduced the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) as a strategic framework that emphasises the movement of people and goods, unlike traditional transport planning focused on vehicular flow. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru Nationa

Congress must craft a solid policy platform to survive
Oct 31, 2014

Congress must craft a solid policy platform to survive

The depth of the Congress's problems is evident from the party's inability to come to grips with the problem of party leadership. For structural reasons -- primarily the fact that it is a proprietorial entity -- this is the most critical problem for the party. This was evident from the reactions to P. Chidambaram's remark that a "non-Gandhi" could "someday" become president of the party.

Contesting neighbours, revised geopolitical playbooks
Oct 27, 2020

Contesting neighbours, revised geopolitical playbooks

The engagement by India and China in the West Asia region is a good example of their metamorphosing approaches

Cordial yet cold: Explaining China's aversion to international sanction regimes
Nov 03, 2014

Cordial yet cold: Explaining China's aversion to international sanction regimes

China has sometimes been cordial to sanction imposers depending on the issue-salience of the sanction, yet its posture towards international sanctions regimes remains cold, especially when they conflict with its national interests.

Corruption vs capability in PLA
Dec 28, 2024

Corruption vs capability in PLA

Illusion of strength partly explains Xi Jinping's cautious approach to regional disputes.