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Unsocial Media: Inclusion, Representation, and Safety for Women on Social Networking Platforms
Gender | Cyber and Technology May 06, 2021

Unsocial Media: Inclusion, Representation, and Safety for Women on Social Networking Platforms

Social media has had a transformative impact on how people live, engage with one another, and work. However, it can be a double-edged sword as it constantly evolves owing to modern technological innovation. This cannot be more true for the world’s women: social media gives ...

Trans-Border Migration: Bridging the Gap between State and Human Security
Great Power Dynamics Apr 26, 2021

Trans-Border Migration: Bridging the Gap between State and Human Security

Cross-border migration poses security challenges for the modern nation-state, as the influx of populations exert massive pressures on a country’s resources and governance ecosystems. The undocumented migrants, for their part, not only struggle for their livelihood but often face fundamental crises of identity and belonging. ...

Bengal through the Decades: The More Things Change, Have They Stayed the Same?
Domestic Politics and Governance Apr 20, 2021

Bengal through the Decades: The More Things Change, Have They Stayed the Same?

West Bengal is conducting a massive, potentially historic eight-phase state legislative assembly election between March and April 2021. This paper gives a historical account of the different factors that are influencing the conduct of the elections, including the economic challenges facing the state, unabated political ...

China’s Nuclear Ambiguity and its Implications for India
Indian Foreign Policy | China Foreign Policy | Nuclear Security Apr 07, 2021

China’s Nuclear Ambiguity and its Implications for India

China’s evolving security dynamics with the United States have compelled it to rethink its nuclear strategy to achieve effective deterrence. It is aiming to modernise its nuclear arsenal and increase its nuclear ambiguity through conventional-nuclear entanglement. Ambiguity will increase the risks of mischaracterisation and can ...

The West Wanes, China Grows: What’s at Stake for the Liberal Order?
International Affairs | Domestic Politics and Governance | Great Power Dynamics | China Foreign Policy Mar 30, 2021

The West Wanes, China Grows: What’s at Stake for the Liberal Order?

As liberal democracies struggle to deal with their domestic crises, China is finding it opportune to fill the gap in global leadership. China’s economic growth in four decades—called by many analysts as a “miracle”—has made its “state-controlled capitalism” model attractive especially to countries facing massive ...

A Legal Toolkit for Fair and Competitive Digital Markets in India
Media and Internet | Developing and Emerging Economies | Cyber and Technology Mar 24, 2021

A Legal Toolkit for Fair and Competitive Digital Markets in India

Ensuring contestability and fairness in India’s digital market—one of the world’s most prominent—is critical to ensuring consumer welfare. This paper outlines a legal and regulatory framework that can ensure contestability and fairness in the Indian digital market.  The paper identifies the following elements of this ...

Embedding Technology in Education: The Potential of India’s Solutions in East Africa
Education | Cyber and Technology Mar 23, 2021

Embedding Technology in Education: The Potential of India’s Solutions in East Africa

India and the countries of Africa share common challenges in their education systems, among them, weak teacher capacities and lack of basic infrastructure. In India, technological interventions have been able to address some of the challenges at scale. Africa has met with less success in ...

Delhi Master Plan 2021–41: Towards a People’s City?
Urbanisation in India | Urbanisation Mar 15, 2021

Delhi Master Plan 2021–41: Towards a People’s City?

By 2041, Delhi’s population is expected to reach 28-30 million. To meet the requirements of a massive population in a systematic and sustainable manner, the Fourth Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) is being prepared and expected to be completed in 2021. This paper describes the ...

Digitising Indian Retail: Analysing Challenges and Exploring Growth Models
Indian Economy | Media and Internet | Cyber and Technology Mar 09, 2021

Digitising Indian Retail: Analysing Challenges and Exploring Growth Models

E-commerce has made massive inroads in India’s retail sector: 220 million people are expected to shop online by 2025, and the industry is predicted to grow to INR 13,97,800 crore (US$200 billion) by 2027. Yet, about 90 percent of grocery retail trade in India are ...

Exploring Prospects for Digital Europe in the Age of the US-China Technology Race
International Affairs Mar 03, 2021

Exploring Prospects for Digital Europe in the Age of the US-China Technology Race

In today’s digital economy, the United States (US) remains a market leader in many digital technologies; meanwhile, China is fast catching up. In Europe, foreign technology companies have a strong presence, often creating dependencies that can undermine digital sovereignty. Digitisation, therefore, is high on the ...

Contributors

Soumya Bhowmick

Soumya Bhowmick

Soumya Bhowmick is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for New Economic Diplomacy at the Observer Research Foundation. His research focuses on sustainable development and globalisation economics. He is pursuing his PhD and holds a double master’s degree in economics ...

Read More + Sreeparna Banerjee

Sreeparna Banerjee

Sreeparna Banerjee is a Junior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation Kolkata with the Strategic Studies Programme.

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