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Testing time for Japanese PM
Jul 19, 2013

Testing time for Japanese PM

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should take care when detailing the reasons why constitutional reforms are needed. While talking about the external threats, he should be very careful not to unnecessarily cause provocations to either China or North Korea.

Testing time for Modi?
Apr 11, 2014

Testing time for Modi?

There is hope among the politicians of various political groups in Kashmir as well as the people of Kashmir that Narendra Modi as Prime Minister would take some decisive action in keeping with their expectations. Modi himself has moderated his stand to that there should be a discussion on Article 370.

Text, Context' Mismatch: UGC Vice-Chairman
Apr 19, 2005

Text, Context' Mismatch: UGC Vice-Chairman

Inaugurating a workshop on 'Role of Universities in Public Policy-Making', hosted by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi, University Grants Commission Vice-Chairman Prof V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, on April 19, 2005, urged Vice-Chancellors and educationists to recreate linkages between universities and Government, research organizations, administrators and society, in order to render universities more relevant and help in enacting effecti

Textbook case of radicalism
Apr 24, 2004

Textbook case of radicalism

The Mullahs have found a fresh issue on which to trap General Pervez Musharraf. It has both religious connotations and a real possibility of a confrontation in which the General is bound to capitulate. The issue deals with school textbooks in Pakistan. A section of the society in Pakistan feels that textbooks cleared by the Federal Education Ministry's Curriculum Wing are regressive in nature and run counter to the objective of a progressive nati

Tezpur University wins ORF Kolkata inter-varsity debate
Nov 12, 2015

Tezpur University wins ORF Kolkata inter-varsity debate

ORF Kolkata organised its 2nd annual Inter-University Debate Competition on 7 November, 2015. Students of the Tezpur University won the competition that saw participation of representatives from eight universities from eastern and north-eastern Indian states.

THE 2012 AUSTRALIA-INDIA ROUNDTABLE  -  CO-CHAIRS- STATEMENT
Dec 04, 2012

THE 2012 AUSTRALIA-INDIA ROUNDTABLE - CO-CHAIRS- STATEMENT

The relationship between Australia and India is poised at an historic moment. Consciously overcoming a challenging period, leaders of the two countries have realised new levels of mutual trust and confidence that are in turn generating policy momentum.

The 2014 elections could mark the start of 21st century politics in India
Mar 05, 2014

The 2014 elections could mark the start of 21st century politics in India

General elections of 2014 could well be the most interesting election they will witness in their lifetime. Several developments suggest that the elections could mark a big shift of the political paradigm and, in that sense, they could well mark the true beginning of 21st century politics in the country.

The accidental empire rises again
Apr 07, 2015

The accidental empire rises again

Berlin might not yet be ready to provide the kind of leadership that some expect, but the real "German question" seems to be whether Europe can really stomach German leadership. Given the uneasy reactions to Merkel's handling of the Eurozone crisis, the answer is clearly no.

The Af-Pak map is about to get a make over
Apr 29, 2015

The Af-Pak map is about to get a make over

It would be a mistake to assume that the US has changed its policy towards the region. It may have changed its style or the way it wishes to handle India and Pakistan but not its overall interests. The US wants to have a stronger presence in India without losing the hold it has on the military rulers in Pakistan.

The Afghanistan-Pakistan peace quagmire
May 21, 2013

The Afghanistan-Pakistan peace quagmire

Pakistan is an important player as far as determining the outcome of a post-2014 Afghanistan is concerned and should be engaged with. But to expect it to play a productive role or to expect Afghanistan and Pakistan to reconcile their differences and jointly work towards stability is a tall order.

The Al Qaeda Striptease
Sep 02, 2004

The Al Qaeda Striptease

ACT 1: March 2002. Abu Zubaidah, a Palestinian member of Al Qaeda, was arrested in Faislabad in Pakistani Punjab by the Pakistani authorities and handed over to the USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was the operational chief of Al Qaeda; his arrest was a major breakthrough, we were told. This is hardly supported by the report of the 9/11 Commission.

The al Qaeda Striptease Continues
May 05, 2005

The al Qaeda Striptease Continues

How big a catch is Abu Faraj al-Libbi, a 40-year-old Libyan married to a Pakistani, fluent in Urdu and Arabic and suffering from lucoderma, whose arrest was announced by the Pakistani authorities at Islamabad on May 4,2005?

The Allahabad High Court Verdict on Ayodhya and the Popular Will
Oct 07, 2010

The Allahabad High Court Verdict on Ayodhya and the Popular Will

While the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board is well within its right to appeal to the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court verdict, the VHP's reaction does not represent the people's will at all.

The alphabet soup at Goa
Oct 13, 2016

The alphabet soup at Goa

This weekend at Goa Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his foreign policy team will undertake a significant manoeuvre with SAARC grouping gasping for breath

The Andijan uprising - the Back Ground
May 16, 2005

The Andijan uprising - the Back Ground

The violent uprising of the people of Andijan in Uzbekistan on May 13,2005, seems to have been crushed for the time being by the Uzbek authorities with heavy force, resulting in the death of at least 20 civilians. The anti-Government elements, which organised the uprising, claim to have captured 30 Uzbek soldiers and to be keeping them in their custody.

The Arab divide on Syria
Sep 02, 2013

The Arab divide on Syria

The Libyan case is vastly different from that of Syria. The maverick Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had few friends in the Arab League. Unlike Libya, Syria is a critical element of the regional balance of power in the Middle East.

The Arab Spring & India: Promises and Challenges
Jul 20, 2011

The Arab Spring & India: Promises and Challenges

Saeed Naqvi, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, traveled to Bahrain, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Baghdad, Najaf, Amman, Cairo, Jerusalem and Ramallah after the Arab Spring broke out. Earlier, he visited Tunisia, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Western Sahara and Libya. In this paper, he shares his first-hand experiences and discussions with leaders and diplomats, many of whom have requested anonymity. This paper follows

The art of the deal with America
Jan 29, 2015

The art of the deal with America

To understand the strategic significance of the second summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama, it is necessary to look beyond the very important and tangible outcomes that the two leaders have unveiled.

The Baloch want to tell their story
Jan 09, 2014

The Baloch want to tell their story

Whatever be the demands of the Baloch nationalists, the situation now is that of a growing humanitarian crisis that the rest of the world chooses to ignore. Continued indifference will not help the problem go away but will only exacerbate it further and make it more intractable.

The battle for Kunduz
Oct 17, 2015

The battle for Kunduz

Kunduz has a large ethnic mix of Pashtun, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others - all of whom wish to hold the province. The recent move to capture Kunduz by the Taliban is significant in many ways. It is the first major engagement by the Taliban after Mullah Akhtar Mansour succeeded Mullah Omar.

The Beslan Jihadi Carnage & After
Sep 09, 2004

The Beslan Jihadi Carnage & After

From the available facts of the jihadi terrorist carnage at the North Ossetian town of Beslan in Russia on September 3, 2004, the following reconstruction is possible:

The best of both worlds
Nov 15, 2013

The best of both worlds

The West has finally woken up to something that strategic analysts in India have been saying for decades: Saudi Arabia funded the Pakistani nuclear programme. In this connection, we have three questions to analyse; First, how valid is this information? Second, how is it then that Saudi Arabia gets away with so much? Third, why is Nato and Israeli intelligence taken seriously but not the Indians?

The Bhagidari Programme of Delhi Government
Jun 04, 2008

The Bhagidari Programme of Delhi Government

In January 2000, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi initiated a 'Bhagidari Programme' as an attempt to resolve the various problems being faced by the city's residents. Smt. Sheila Dikshit, the Honorable Chief Minister of Delhi, visited the Observer Research Foundation campus on April 10, 2008 to make a presentation on the programme. The discussion was facilitated by Ambassador M. Rasgotra. This discourse is an abridged documen

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Can China and India now press the reset button?
Aug 27, 2013

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Can China and India now press the reset button?

China is looking at their problems and working on them and willing to shift established positions if the situation so demands, while India seems to be trapped in the verities of the past and are unable to move beyond tired slogans and nostrums.

The BRICS view on Iran: India's motivations
Apr 20, 2012

The BRICS view on Iran: India's motivations

The problem with imposing sanctions on a country which has the world's third largest proven reserves of oil and second largest conventional natural gas reserves is that the implications are felt globally. The price of oil is highly correlated throughout the world due to market arbitrage.

The Budapest Convention and cyber cooperation
Mar 18, 2015

The Budapest Convention and cyber cooperation

There is no universally accepted international cyber treaty. However, the Council of Europe?s Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which has been in force for a decade and has been ratified by 44 countries, is the closest.

The Bush - Blair media campaign backfires.
Dec 10, 2003

The Bush - Blair media campaign backfires.

The good old days of media diplomacy launched by Washington and London to justify the Iraq invasion seem to be getting over.The American and the British administration had successfully hijacked media spaces across the world to build legitimacy for the offensive on Iraq.

The Case for Waiving Intellectual Property Protection for Covid-19 Vaccines
Apr 06, 2021

The Case for Waiving Intellectual Property Protection for Covid-19 Vaccines

The arrival of vaccines against Covid-19 gives hope in ending the pandemic that has claimed close to 2.84 million lives so far. However, inoculating millions of people all over the world would require the massive production of vaccines, followed by their equitable distribution. An impediment to production and distribution of vaccines is the intellectual property (IP) rights that their developers enjoy. India and South Africa have together propo

The Caucasus and Iraq - The Chechen Connection
Jun 25, 2004

The Caucasus and Iraq - The Chechen Connection

On June 22, 2004, over 200 well-armed persons simultaneously raided three towns in the Ingushetia Republic of Russia, adjoining Chechnya, and attacked police stations, government buildings and checkpoints with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. The Russian and the local security forces were totally taken by surprise. Ninety-five persons were killed, the majority of them members of the security forces and other Government officials,

The Causes and Consequences of Abolishing Cantonments in India
Sep 19, 2023

The Causes and Consequences of Abolishing Cantonments in India

India’s decision to abolish cantonments after carving out the military areas, announced in April 2023, has been met with scepticism and support. Cantonments, primarily created during the British rule to station and house the military, evolved to include civilians as residents and staff to provide support and logistic services. Over time, cantonment boards, with some civilian members, were created to manage the civil areas, but the rights of civ

The Centre, the State - and Tamil Nadu
Jan 30, 2013

The Centre, the State - and Tamil Nadu

There is an urgent need for the appointment of a new commission, on the footsteps of the Sarkaria Commission and the Justice E Venkataramaiah Commission, to review Centre-State relations, and State-to-State relations.

The Chicago chance
May 22, 2012

The Chicago chance

If the Obama Administration avoids the temptation of returning to business as usual with Rawalpindi, it has an opportunity to get both Afghanistan and Pakistan right.

The China Big Picture
Oct 15, 2011

The China Big Picture

India needs to take a broad approach to its foreign policy. One of the biggest mistakes Delhi could make would be to see the Indo-Vietnam relationship as simply a means for countering China.

The China factor in the global coal market
May 10, 2012

The China factor in the global coal market

The idea of energy security which was hitherto rooted in the supply and price of oil has now been expanded to include concerns over the availability and trade of coal. The key concern is the demand growth from China and its impact on coal price and availability, given the level of concentration in its sources of supply.

The China-India Defense Dialogue
Apr 20, 2015

The China-India Defense Dialogue

China is touting its vision of linking two Indian projects (Mausam and Spice Route) with its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. China's main goal is to coordinate regional policy so that each country's economic development plan becomes part of a larger regional vision.

The Chinese are coming
Apr 03, 2015

The Chinese are coming

While West Asia is volatile, the Chinese are beginning to get more active in Afghanistan, retain their pre-eminence in Pakistan and strengthen ties with Iran. In fact, Iran is the third leg of China?s policy in our immediate western neighbourhood. The Chinese are obviously making preparations for the time when peace returns to the Arab world, which might leave a stronger Iran.

The complex battlefields of Iraq
Oct 10, 2005

The complex battlefields of Iraq

Yemen is the cradle to the Arabs, Iraq their grave. So goes an Arab proverb. Since March 2003 Iraq has certainly been the grave of a great many Arabs ¿ men, women, and children caught in the crossfire of a conflict wantonly unleashed to sustain a misbegotten thesis.

The cow, India's icon: Who'll pay the price?
Jun 05, 2017

The cow, India's icon: Who'll pay the price?

The Centre has chipped in by banning the export of beef and cows, thereby minimising the incentive for cow slaughter.

The curious case of India and China
Oct 29, 2013

The curious case of India and China

India and China, the two pillars of the dawning Asian century, are still prisoners to their perceived insecurities and imagined magnificence. They seem condemned to "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity," as one wise man had once remarked. And Mr Manmohan Singh's China visit has added yet another chapter to this narrative.

The decline of America
Mar 23, 2010

The decline of America

The decline has gone unnoticed because of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War

The Delhi Blasts: What Next?
Nov 09, 2005

The Delhi Blasts: What Next?

The three synchronised Delhi blasts of October 29,2005, have proved¿¿if further proof was needed¿¿that the motivation and the morale of the pan-Islamic jihadi terrorists belonging to the International Islamic Front (IIF) formed by Osama bin Laden in 1998 continue to remain undamaged, despite the successes scored by our security agencies in neutralising many of their sleeper cells.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: Recommendations for Inclusion in the Digital India Act
Oct 30, 2023

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: Recommendations for Inclusion in the Digital India Act

The new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) is market-friendly but is lacking in attention to privacy requirements for sensitive personal data. This report highlights three types of sensitive personal data—i.e., biometric, financial, and health—and emphasises the need for transparent consent mechanisms that will safeguard an individual’s data. It underscores the role of data fiduciaries, urging the formulation of clear operational

The Disappearing Crafts
Feb 04, 2005

The Disappearing Crafts

Indian designers seem to be gaining in importance both in India and abroad because they are using a lot of embellished textiles in which intricate embroidery, zari, beads and semi precious stones are sown into the fabric. Unlike the western designers who use the cut of the dress or suit as the unique selling point,