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Navigating Considerations of Global Governance, National Strategies, and Ethics in Biowarfare
Climate, Food and Environment | Developing and Emerging Economies | Sustainable Development | Climate Change | Agriculture Aug 07, 2023

Navigating Considerations of Global Governance, National Strategies, and Ethics in Biowarfare

Biological weapons can come from naturally occurring microbes and viruses; but innovations in genomic editing are opening up new, potentially more threatening avenues for their development. These innovations can cause or spread disease or resist known therapeutic approaches. Addressing such threats of biowarfare requires obtaining ...

Russia’s Demographic trajectory: dimensions and implications
Economic Reforms Jul 24, 2023

Russia’s Demographic trajectory: dimensions and implications

Demographic trends in Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 have largely been unfavourable. Deaths exceeded births for the first time in 1992, and a period of negative growth followed which continued unabated until 2012 when marginal growth was achieved for the ...

A guidebook on Pacific diplomacy: India looks to the ‘Far East’
Indian Foreign Policy Jul 24, 2023

A guidebook on Pacific diplomacy: India looks to the ‘Far East’

Since his assumption to power in 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been slowly stretching the arm of the country’s foreign policy into Pacific waters in furtherance of the ‘Act East’ policy. While India’s relationship with the Pacific island states (read, not Australia and ...

An assessment of India’s readiness for tracking SDG targets on Health and Nutrition
Indian Economy | Healthcare | Sustainable Development Jul 24, 2023

An assessment of India’s readiness for tracking SDG targets on Health and Nutrition

India’s endeavour to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a well-defined and time-bound manner is critical for national and global development. This paper examines India’s data availability to assess the SDGs related to health and nutrition. While India is still facing severe challenges of ...

Rethinking China’s non-market economy status beyond 2016
China Foreign Policy Jul 24, 2023

Rethinking China’s non-market economy status beyond 2016

The effect of the 15th anniversary of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the expiry of several provisions of its WTO Accession Protocol was the object of heated debate between major trading partners in 2016. Yet the question of China’s graduation to ...

Securing property rights in India through distributed ledger technology
Indian Economy Jul 24, 2023

Securing property rights in India through distributed ledger technology

India registered rapid economic growth over the past couple of years, with the GDP growing 7.6 percent in 2015-2016. While economic activity remains buoyant, however, the country still has a long way to go. The government must capitalise on the current economic momentum and use ...

India’s Enduring Urban Housing Shortage: The Case for Upgrading Informal Settlements
Urbanisation in India | Urbanisation Jul 23, 2023

India’s Enduring Urban Housing Shortage: The Case for Upgrading Informal Settlements

In 2015, the Indian government launched the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) as a response to the perennial challenge of shortage in urban housing. As of June 2021, 11.2 million houses have been sanctioned under PMAY-U, of which 4.8 million have been completed. However, various ...

Maritime India: The Quest for a Steadfast Identity
Indian Ocean | Maritime Security | Maritime Infrastructure Jul 23, 2023

Maritime India: The Quest for a Steadfast Identity

India’s geography lends itself favourably to the cultivation and expansion of maritime ties. Yet, for much of the country’s contemporary history, the country has overlooked these opportunities. As the world reengages with its vast ocean spaces, India too, has become more willing and capable of ...

India-US Defence Relations: In Search of a Direction
International Affairs | Defence and Security Jul 23, 2023

India-US Defence Relations: In Search of a Direction

The strong reactions to the non-inclusion of American firms in a major Indian military procurement tender, in the backdrop of proposed aggressive weapons sales by the Americans, paint a contrasting picture that could influence India-US defence relations in the near future. This Paper looks at ...

Japan and ASEAN: Changing Security Dynamics
International Affairs | Defence and Security | Multilateralism | Maritime Security Jul 23, 2023

Japan and ASEAN: Changing Security Dynamics

Southeast Asia has been one of the key components of Japan's foreign policy in the post-Cold War period. It is one region where Japan's diplomacy has accomplished considerable success in coming to terms with the challenges posed by the legacies of the Second World War. ...

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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