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Sino-Pak alliance: Naval and nuclear cooperation
The unrealistic expectations in India from Li Keqiang's visit to Delhi and Mumbai next week are likely to be tempered when weighed against the Chinese premier's agenda in Pakistan.
  more analysis>>
 
Analysis
 
Who says privacy is just about data?
18 May 2013
R. Swaminathan
Privacy and democracy have always had an uneasy relationship in India. However, now India has a unique opportunity to evolve a progressive and expansive legislation on privacy and protection of personal data. The report of the experts group chaired by Justice Ajit Prakash Shah is a good starting point.
 
Li's India visit may be a memorable one
17 May 2013
T.V. Rajeswar
China's Blue Book sees the US as a pivot to Asia and strengthening of alliances in the region is viewed by the Chinese analyst as being directed to contain China. The Blue Book also notes that India's defence cooperation with the US, Japan, Vietnam and Australia has strengthened it.
 
India, Japan PMs to review China's assertive postures
16 May 2013
K.V. Kesavan
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's forthcoming visit to Japan for the annual summit comes at a time when both countries are faced with serious territorial frictions with China. Mr Singh and his Japanese counterpart Mr. Shinzo Abe will review China's assertive maritime postures and other major developments in East Asia.
  more >>
Africa Weekly Report
 
Electricity meter suppliers out to make big business in Africa
17 May 2013
Vol III, Issue 13
The lack of access to electricity in Sub Saharan Africa has not deterred the rapid growth of the market for electricity meters in the region. Power companies from the Continent, US and China are competing for the contracts in order to secure their revenue stream.
  more >>
China Military Watch
 
China, India end border standoff
15 May 2013
Vol II, Issue 10
China and India ended their three week long standoff in the Daulat Beg Oldi sector in eastern Ladakh. According to Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, China and India reached an agreement on resolving the incident in the western section of the border.
  more >>
China Weekly Report
 
Mainland media backs Taipei's ultimatum to Manila
13 May 2013
Vol III, Issue 18
Media groups in China's mainland have expressed their support for Taipei's ultimatum to Manila to formally apologise for the May 9 killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine coast guard.
  more >>
West Asia Monitor
 
Iraq opposed to PKK pullout from Turkey
13 May 2013
Vol I, Issue 1
A fragile peace process between the Turkish state and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) resulted in the first signs of retreat of PKK rebels as they make their way to Iraq's Kurdish region.
 
South Asia Weekly Report
 
Pakistan: The cost of poll violence
04 May 2013 - 10 May 2013
Louis Ritzinger
Vol VI, Issue 19
Pakistan's first democratic transfer of power should have been a moment of hope and triumph. But, as it stands, widespread violence has marred the historic elections and all but halted the public campaigning by several prominent parties outside of Punjab.
Country Reports: 
SriLanka | Afghanistan | Bangladesh | Bhutan | India | Maldives | Myanmar | Nepal | Pakistan
  more >>
Space Alert
 
DARPA asked to develop alternatives to GPS
10 May 2013
Vol I, Issue 5
The Pentagon has asked its research agency, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), to develop a new generation of navigation technology to reduce its reliance on the Global Positioning System. New technologies to be developed include a tiny autonomous chip.
  more >>
Report
 
We are living in industrial society with feudal mindset, says Javed Akhtar
10 May 2013
Noted film personality and now Member of Parliament Javed Akhtar says that one of the reasons for violence against women in India is that we are living in an industrial society with a feudal mindset.
  more >>
ORF Seminar Series
 
The Indigenisation of India's Defence Industry
7 May 2013
Gen. Nirbhay Sharma
Despite several initiatives undertaken by the government, the stated goal of achieving self reliance in defence production still remains elusive. In continuation with ORF's ongoing endeavour on the subject, a seminar was organised recently to discuss the way ahead.
  more >>
South China Sea Monitor
 
Chinese officials fill up first Sansha cruise in disputed seas
4 May 2013
Vol II, Issue 5
More civil servants than actual tourists climbed aboard the first Chinese cruise ship to visit disputed South China Sea islands on 28 April. Only 100 of 240 passengers were regular citizens, the Shanghai Morning Post reported on 29 April.
  more >>
Energy News Monitor
 
The Camouflaged Political Economy of the Coal sector
3 May 2013
Vol IX, Issue 46
Any reform of the Indian coal mining sector can only begin when there is realisation that that there are historic problems and that they require the adoption of coherent approach to correct historic grievances.
  more >>
Issue Brief
 
The Sexual Assault Discourse: Deontology and Disorder
May 2013
Protiti Roy
Issue No. 52
Following the passage of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill, 2013, this Issue Brief compares the Indian legal position with that of four other jurisdictions-the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Africa and two states of the United States-regarding provisions made for penetrative and non-penetrative sexual offences, marital rape, age of consent and gender neutrality.
  more >>
ORF Working Paper Series
 
Rapid growth in ACI Region changing world strategic landscape
19 March 2013
C Raja Mohan
The rapid economic growth in the region consisting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the People?s Republic of China (PRC), and India has begun to change the strategic landscape of the world.
more >>
 
Annual Report
 
Annual Report 2012



Observer Research Foundation (ORF) is an endeavour to aid and influence formulation of policies for building a strong and prosperous India. The expectations of the global community from India are immense as the country is poised to play a leading role in the knowledge age. The Foundation believes that in the next 15 years, India will be one of the great economic powers in the world and contribute to a significant transformation in the quality of life of humanity.
  more >>

 

 
 



  

  
 
Events
 

(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Conference on

Global Launch of the "India Poll-2013 Report" Monday, 20 May 2013
(11:00 AM To 1:00 PM)
Venue: ORF-Delhi, Auditorium

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Talk by

'Cultural Diplomacy: a Strategy of Culture or a Culture of Strategy'
by Dr. Suresh Goel DG, ICCR at ORF Campus. Tuesday, 21 May 2013
(3:30 PM To 5:00 PM)
Venue: ORF-Delhi, Conference Hall

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Talk by

'Afghanistan's Changing Situation ? Humanitarian Challenges'
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
(11:30 AM To 1:00 PM)
Venue: ORF Delhi

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Lecture Discussion on

'The Future of Afghanistan Post-2014: Implications for India'
Saturday, 25 May 2013
(11:00 AM To 1:30 PM)
Venue: ORF Kolkata

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Talk on

'Computational Analysis of Terrorist Groups: Lashkar-e-Taiba'
by Dr. VS Subrahmanian.
Monday, 27 May 2013
(11:30 AM To 1:00 PM)
Venue: ORF-Delhi, Conference Hall

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Roundtable Discussion on

'India, Australia and the Indian Ocean Region: Stability and Security'
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
(9:30 AM To 5:30 PM)
Venue: Hotel Park Hyatt, Chennai

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Conference on

'EU as a Security Actor in Asia'
26-27 September 2013
(10:00 AM To 6:00 PM)
Venue: ORF-Delhi, Conference Hall

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Meeting on

'Internal project planning meetings between PRIO, Norway and ORF staff '
6-7 November 2013
(10:00 AM To 5:00 PM)
Venue: ORF-Delhi

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

Conference on

'Asian Forum on Global Governance'
10-20 November 2013
(10:00 AM To 6:00 PM)
Venue: The Oberoi, New Delhi

 


(BY INVITATION ONLY)

'ORF-Stanley Dialogue '
10-20 November 2013
(10:00 AM To 5:00 PM)
Venue: ORF-Delhi, Conference Hall

 




  

  

  

  

  

  

 
Energy/Coal/Power
India's Dash for Cheap Gas
14 May 2013
Lydia Powell
India's dash for cheap gas from the Atlantic Basin began in 2011 when GAIL, Petronet and other companies rushed to sign long term LNG supply pacts with producers in the USA. First GAIL signed a 20 year contract to buy 3.5 mtpa of LNG from Cheniere Energy beginning in 2017.
 
Royalty Linked Compensation: End of Doctored Accounts?
14 May 2013
Ashish Gupta
The recent suggestion from a panel headed by Mr. Kalyan Banerjee, a Lok Sabha Member from Trinamool Congress that in coal and lignite mining, the compensation for displaced people must be linked with the royalty paid by miners during the fiscal year instead of 26% of the net profits that has been suggested earlier.
more >>
 
International
Sour notes at the nuclear high table
18 April 2013
Seema Sirohi and Abhijit Iyer-Mitra
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.
 
Do nothing Delhi
16 April 2013
C. Raja Mohan
Delhi must focus on realising the full potential of bilateral cooperation with both the US and China, instead of precluding beneficial bilateral engagement with one in the name of avoiding conflict with the other.
more >>
 
National
A blueprint to evaluate digital governance
18 April 2013
R. Swaminathan
Sooner than later, India will have to start evaluating its e-governance projects. And in the near future, the focus will shift to the outcomes of e-governance initiatives.
 
India's Demographic Dividend: Where are the jobs?
11 April 2013
Rohit Sinha
With the labour force participation rate expected to rise significantly in the coming years in India, it is imperative that the government formulates a common policy on business development and regulation.
more >>
 
Security
North Korean imbroglio: Who can do what?
16 April 2013
Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan
While on the surface, both the US (and South Korea and Japan) and China appear to have the goal of seeing a stable Korean Peninsula, there appear to be serious differences about what regional stability means.
 
ATT implementation remains questionable
06 April 2013
Rahul Prakash
The ATT has finally been adopted. But it remains to be seen if the treaty could really be implemented as major players like China, India, Russia have not favoured it.
more >>
 
US
Boston bombings: The end of complacency
20 April 2013
Arvind John
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'.
 
Pressure cooker bombs: Low-intensity but greater headache than RDX
20 April 2013
Wilson John
After the Boston bombings, the big counter terrorism question for the US will be how to prevent such attacks in the future. The possibility of 'copy cat' attacks cannot be ruled out.
more >>