|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
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.
|
| |
more analysis>> |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
 |
No closure to India-China border flare- up |
Just because China now seems to be in a hurry to move on the border issue should not be cause for New Delhi to reciprocate. We need to weigh the issues carefully and see what serves our interest the best. Anyway, we are not likely to see a final resolution of the border issue in a hurry.
|
| |
more analysis>> |
|
|
| |
| Africa Weekly Report |
|
| |
With a booming economy, Africa seeks to re-brand
24 May 2013 |
 |
Vol III, Issue 14
The United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA) and the African Union (AU) recently launched the Economic Report on Africa 2013: Making the most of Africa's Commodities.
|
| |
more >> |
|
| Report |
|
| |
India Poll 2013: A revelation for policy makers and strategists
24 May 2013 |
 |
The India Poll 2013, prepared by the Lowly Institute for International Policy in partnership with Australia India Institute at the University of Melbourne, provides stark and surprising insights into what the people of India think about their future and the world.
|
| |
Cultural diplomacy as an instrument of projecting India's foreign policy
23 May 2013 |
 |
ICCR Director General Dr Suresh Goel says cultural diplomacy creates an additional space which softens the sharp edges of foreign policy, which is interest driven, thus fostering a favourable public opinion impacting foreign policy.
|
| |
TV Ads: Some regulation necessary, but TRAI notification not adequate
15 May 2013 |
 |
At an ORF discussion on advertising regulation on television, while there seemed to be agreement that some regulation is necessary to prevent excessive advertising and harmful or offensive content from airing, the TRAI's notification was badly timed and not adequate to the needs of the industry.
|
| |
Beyond the plateau in US-India relations
3 May 2013 |
|
This Special Report by Observer Research Foundation and The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., is about finding ways to rekindle the strategic enthusiasm between the US and India. The sections in this report offer specific proposals for advancing bilateral cooperation in various sectors.
|
| |
more >> |
|
| Analysis |
|
| |
Pakistan poll: Imran Khan down, but not out
22 May 2013 |
 |
Aryaman Bhatnagar
All is not lost for Pakistan's Imran Khan. He may not have succeeded in "sweeping the elections" but his performance was a significant improvement from his previous outings. From having secured only one seat in 2002, his party emerged with a plurality in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
|
| |
Good script, now act on it
21 May 2013 |
 |
Louis Ritzinger
Pakistan's first transfer of power between elected governments is indeed a milestone, but how strong a precedent it will set is very much dependent on the performance of Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N. Confidence in civilian institutions, high voter turnout aside, remains dreadfully low.
|
| |
Time for hard questions on Sino-Indian relationship's future
21 May 2013 |
 |
Samir Saran and Abhijit Iyer-Mitra
India and China must bilaterally develop a substantial conversation on the cutting edge of global governance issues, including issues of the global commons like climate change, water, health and medicine, and Asian security architecture, as well as issues of space and proliferation, of rules and mechanisms of economic governance, and on new arenas of maritime and ocean governance.
|
| |
Li's India visit: The die has already been cast
21 May 2013 |
 |
Abhijit Iyer Mitra
Can China be meaningfully engaged on issues like the border or the boundary? The answer is a resounding 'no'. The Chinese leadership structure is in flux. All the meaningful rapprochements and border resolutions were carried out either in the Mao or the Deng era. Since then, China's leaders have been too weak and fearful of internal coups to move forward in a meaningful way.
|
| |
Real touchstone is action on 26/11 accused
21 May 2013 |
|
Aryaman Bhatnagar
The democratic transition in Pakistan has coincided with the last year of the UPA government's second term in India. As the government battles one controversy after another, the looming elections in 2014 may act as a distraction wherein improving relations with Pakistan may not be a priority for the government at present.
|
| |
more >> |
|
| China Weekly Report |
|
| |
Chinese media optimistic on Premier's India visit
20 May 2013 |
 |
Vol III, Issue 19
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Delhi on Sunday, May 19 to commence his first foreign trip. He will be in India for three days before travelling to Pakistan, followed by a visit to Switzerland and Germany.
|
| |
more >> |
|
|
|
| Energy News Monitor |
|
| |
India's Dash for Cheap Gas
17 May 2013 |
 |
Vol IX, Issue 48
The dash to cheap gas in the Atlantic basin by Indian buyers was not based on considered analysis of future Indian market conditions. Nor was it based on a deep understanding of current and future changes in overseas gas markets.
|
| |
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 >> |
|
| 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.
|
| |
|
|
| 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 >> |
|
| 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 >> |
|
| Occasional Paper |
|
| |
Sino-Indian Border Infrastructure: An Update
May 2013 |
 |
Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan. Rahul Prakash
Issue No. 42
Improved infrastructure has a critical role in enabling a nation to apply military power. On the India-China border, there is a clear military imbalance-not just in terms of equipment and forces on the border but also in terms of the physical infrastructure. |
| 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 >> |
|
|
|
| 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 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| 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 |
|
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. |
|
| |
|
|
| more >> |
| |
| National |
|
| TV media as the new mom and dad |
| 14 May 2013 |
| Maansi Parpiani |
| It was not a big surprise that the Bill that came into force as the 'The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013' on April 3 retained the age of consent at 18, taking away from the teenagers the right to make their sexual choices; |
|
| |
|
|
| 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 >> |
| |
| Pakistan |
|
| Sino-Pak alliance: Naval and nuclear cooperation |
18 May 2013
|
| C. Raja Mohan |
| 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. |
|
| |
| Sharif must strike against ISI fast and hard |
| 14 May 2013 |
| Manoj Joshi |
| The one thing Nawaz Sharief should do on day one is to issue an order placing the ISI under civilian leadership. This will de-fang the Army of the most potent instrument it uses to distort Pakistani democracy. |
|
| more >> |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
