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With the foreign forces drawing down in Afghanistan, there is an inevitable loss offocus on the threat of terrorism in the highly vulnerable region of South Asia. But almost everycountry in the region, barring Bhutan, continues to confront the challenges of terrorism andinsurgency. Yet there appears little sense of the danger posed by terrorism, and its 'new' formsthat ride the wave of technology and the collapse of traditional state structures.

Social media platforms facilitate the sharing of information and enhance connectivity and civic engagement. At the same time, however, they are vulnerable to abuse by malicious actors who use the channels to spread misinformation and hateful and divisive content. Regulatory reforms must seek to align the utility of social media platforms with the welfare of citizens, while safeguarding the right to free speech. This paper explores the regulatory

Drone or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) technology has become more accessible and affordable in recent years, and their increasing long-range capability, endurance, and applications, have made them integral for both civilian and military uses. At the same time, malicious elements such as criminal networks, drug smuggling syndicates and terrorist organisations, have exploited the technology to aid their activities. For India, the increase

As the scale of global challenges swells in size, so does the need for leading ad-hoc transnational countries to prove their diplomatic proficiency. C

Challenges mount for Joe Biden as the Democratic National Convention gets postponed due to the COVID19 pandemic and Trump sowed discord amongst Democr

The race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is gaining ground in many parts of the world. This brief examines the challenges that India must hurdle to successfully manufacture and distribute a vaccine. It argues for a fair and equitable distribution of vaccine with an aim to save the maximum number of lives. It suggests a multi-parameter model based on age, co-morbidity, income and profession to justify one’s claim for vaccine. The imperative is to

Rapid and mass testing, setting up gigantic infrastructure is the biggest challenge in fighting the contagion in this slum colony.

The challenge for agriculture is to meet rising demand for food while dealing with climate change and natural resource constraints. This paper takes the case of cereal production in the lower Indo-Gangetic plains in the state of West Bengal, India, and examines the implications of various crop-shifting scenarios on consumptive water demand and nutrient production. The analysis finds that by replacing summer crop (Boro rice) in each district with

The Teesta issue poses unique challenges to both India and Bangladesh. The growing involvement of China adds a geopolitical dimension to this problem

Cyber attacks are not a security challenge that can easily be eliminated. No kind of infrastructure is absolutely impregnable and the adverse impacts can at best be minimised by emphasising on risk containments, according to experts.

The India Conference on Cyber Governance and Cyber Security, organised recently by ORF and FICCI, is the beginning of a strong forum that can debate India's policies, help mould its strategy and simultaneously address global challenges.

This paper investigates, in the context of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, the burgeoning threats posed by cyber mercenaries acting as proxies for revisionist states bent on destabilising the institutions and societies of adversary nations. The paper offers essential definitions of what comprises cybersecurity threats, including cyber mercenaries, and delineates current trends. Drawing on open-source intelligence and insights from cy

This brief examines the rapid growth of the global online gaming industry and the consequent increase in cyber threats. Issues such as microtransactions, money laundering, and predatory practices by developers can stymie the industry’s growth potential if not addressed. Many countries’ current gaming-focused regulatory frameworks do not cover these challenges and will need to be revised. India—a significant gaming market—must also conside

The US has become more proactive in engaging with the international community to address cyberSpace challenges ever since the policy shift in 2009. However, it still maintains its opposition to the need for an international treaty to govern cyberSpace.

The hydropower projects in Myanmar are riddled with challenges, therefore, a more holistic approach needs to be adopted, making sure all the stakehold

Rethinking the policy, design, and function of city crematoriums and cemeteries is critical to making the city liveable and die-able

India’s key energy problem is the inadequate effective demand for energy, especially from poor rural households in India and an underdeveloped marke

Content moderation practises increasingly rely on AI-powered automated moderation tools. There are a few exaggerated fears about the inefficacy of AI-

As an emerging power in the current multipolar global order, India can use the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to protect, promote, and project its geostrategic and geoeconomic interests. The SCO is also a platform for India to reaffirm its commitment to revive and deepen its centuries-old civilisational, spiritual, and cultural ties with other member countries. This paper explores India's priorities at the SCO, chiefly connectivity, coun

While Budget 2022 has made allocations to address the challenges faced by the economy, effective implementation of the Budget will be key to its succe

The emergence of Bangladesh as the new hub of international Islamist terrorism, insurgency in Nepal and Maoist militancy across several states, add new challenges to national security threats that India traditionally tackles. Despite these, India's defence expenditure continues to decrease in real terms and as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every year.

The long-term challenge for India is in ensuring deep and sustained investments in defence R&D and a defence industrial ecosystem that can, if not comprehensively, but for the most part, service the requirements of the Indian military.

With the Delhi Durbar at its weakest in decades and the national parties in a funk, India's ability to deal with externally induced challenges in the run-up to the elections and after is being undermined by an irresponsible domestic discourse.

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 progress and preliminary focus areas of the forthcoming plan, highlighting current challenges during preparation, as well as future ones expected in the implementation

Despite facing several challenges, Delhi’s mohalla clinics have been instrumental in providing healthcare services to the poor and underserved.

Despite the positive signs in India-Russia ties, one must be careful not to overestimate their significance when considered alongside some long-term trends in international affairs such as the relations of the US and its closest challengers China and Russia.

What is missing in most manifestos is a coherent and comprehensive vision backed by a workable strategy to address the challenges that India’s growi

Musk's vision aligns with India's Digital India initiative. Starlink’s success hinges on its ability to adapt to local challenges and understand Ind

India will assume the presidency of the G20 in 2023. One of the key policy challenges for India and other member states is how to regulate the global digital economy. Once a fringe policy issue, the global digital economy is now central to the G20 agenda, with significant implications for individuals, corporations, and governments. Bilateral cooperation within the G20 system can provide additional resources and capability to any presidency, which

Digital currency alone cannot be a magical remedy for a nation's economic challenges

The emergence of private digital currencies poses a potential challenge to central banks’ control, introducing new dynamics and possibilities that c

The use of digital twin technologies in renewable energy ecosystems will benefit producers, consumers, and governments alike

Now is time for India to rise to the challenge and be the leader in the opening up of the aviation sector.

This is the first time Indian forces have challenged Chinese claims on Bhutanese territory.

This double whammy will pose a challenge to those at the bottom of the income pyramid

Given the enormity of challenges, there is a need for all the space-faring powers to unite in this exercise. It is important for India and others to debate and decide on what it thinks the norms should be and what sort of future it wants to achieve in space.

The benefits of strengthening physical connectivity in a geographically contiguous region are increasingly being recognised. These links are expected to increase economic activity and people-to-people interaction, leading in turn to regional and sub-regional integration. In this backdrop, the Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) signed among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal is expected to facilitate cross-border movement of vehicles, thereby reducing

The challenges that are impeding the BIMSTEC transport connectivity projects need to be addressed to foster seamless connectivity among the member sta

Although stopping droughts completely remains a challenge, technological innovations and bolstering institutional and community-level capacities can s

The Indian industrial sector has slowed down and reviving it is an immense challenge, given problems in the availability of power. Many states across the country have been facing daily power cuts of upto six hours; the situation is only worsening despite measures being taken by the government such as sprucing up coal supplies.

The experience of Indian edtech between 2020 and 2023 appears to be a textbook case of a bubble burst. But there is hope yet, and there are new opport

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 this regard, as governments prioritise the provision of hardware without addressing the systemic issues that hamper the adoption of such technologies. Cu

OCEN can potentially change the playing field for India’s MSME sector, especially in the northeastern region, with women being the biggest beneficia

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already made inroads into healthcare. The increasing availability of healthcare data has allowed for the deployment of powerful AI techniques to assist drug development as well as clinical practice. These run the gamut from machine learning (ML) techniques that analyse structured data, to natural language processing (NLP) that can extract meaningful information from unstructured data, such as doctors’ notes. Thi

A rising population of elderly poses severe challenges to old age support and care in India as health policy has not placed ample emphasis on geriatri

After improving between 2000 and 2013, hunger levels have significantly worsened in Africa in the years since. While global food insecurity is currently at an all-time high, Africa's record in addressing undernutrition was not impressive even in the pre-pandemic era when growth rates were higher. There are several challenges to food security in Africa, including short-term external shocks such as the pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war, and long-

After improving between 2000 and 2013, hunger levels have significantly worsened in Africa in the years since. While global food insecurity is current

The eradication of AIDS by 2030 appears a formidable challenge as social barriers stand in the way of equitable access to healthcare

Distributed production and consumption of RE by households and industries, primarily using solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, is projected as a potential driver of RE generation and consumption but challenges remain