14452 results found
Regardless of the stasis in India’s OND, the technological changes in India’s delivery capabilities are outpacing doctrinal change
While Israel-Saudi normalisation will bring a long-standing divide to an end on paper, in practice, a full gambit of regional situations will need to
The Smart Cities Mission in India, launched in 2015, is a unique experiment undertaken with the aim of improving people’s quality of life in cities. It bypasses traditional institutional approaches and employs innovative methods to achieve its targets. This brief provides an overview of the work initiated under the mission since its inception and explores the gains so far. It documents sectoral reforms and conducts a critical appraisal of the m
The Indian government’s “Smart Cities Mission” aims to drive economic growth and improve quality of life through “smart” solutions for the delivery of infrastructure and services. This is expected to transform living spaces, enhance quality of life, and provide employment opportunities, in turn helping reduce crime rates and promoting law and order. Among the challenges to the “Smart Cities” programme is terrorism—especially in ur
In different parts of the world, the federal system of government is facing some of its biggest trials yet, from the COVID-19 pandemic. Federalism—which believes in shared sovereignty and territoriality between multiple constituent units of governance—was anticipated to fail against a massive pandemic that needed swift, and presumably centralised, response. This paper examines federal India’s own experience in the past 18 months. The aim is
In the last two decades, the world has witnessed disease outbreaks that have resulted in massive loss of lives and economic disruptions.[1] The current pandemic of the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, might still not be the last of the pandemics that the world will suffer in the years to come—as long as human activities that use natural resources beyond their capacities, resulting in the spread of viruses, continue unab
The big question, deepened by the Covid19 response, is whether NATO has the capacity and will to defend each and every one of its members.
The Centre has chipped in by banning the export of beef and cows, thereby minimising the incentive for cow slaughter.
Libya, in the throes of a civil war, now represents the ugly facet of the much-hyped Arab Spring.
Eleven million people in Afghanistan are experiencing food insecurity, and 97 percent of the country’s population are on the brink of universal poverty by mid-2022. Every year, about 250,000 people suffer the devastating impacts of environmental disasters such as floods, droughts, avalanches, landslides, and earthquakes. The circumstances are climacteric, as agriculture is the biggest livelihood provider in the country and influential in its ec
ऐसा लगता है कि लगातार बढ़ती भरोसे की कमी संकटों के दौर के �
India and China, the two pillars of the dawning Asian century, are still prisoners to their perceived insecurities and imagined magnificence. They seem condemned to "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity," as one wise man had once remarked. And Mr Manmohan Singh's China visit has added yet another chapter to this narrative.
The tragic loss of life aboard a Chinese nuclear attack submarine should be a moment of reflection for the PLAN and other nuclear submarine operating
India is increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks that range from intrusions that affect the integrity of data to large-scale attacks aimed at bringing down critical infrastructure. This vulnerability is largely a function of India's digital economy, which is a "net information exporter" that relies heavily on devices manufactured outside the country. Another complicating factor is the density of India's cyberspace, which does not permit a unifor
Beijing’s behavior, while unsurprising, is only likely to further antagonize its neighbors.
The dark web and terrorism have become closely intertwined, presenting new challenges to existing security frameworks globally. This brief examines the role of the dark web in enabling terrorist activities, from communication and recruitment to radicalisation and propaganda dissemination. It reviews current literature to highlight the ecosystem of the dark web and its ramifications on national security. The analysis describes the strategies adopt
The global nuclear order is witnessing a revival of overt animosities among key nuclear powers. There is a serious gap in global dialogue between nucl
The façade of federalism is apparent as none of the government levels want to part with their authority
The decline has gone unnoticed because of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War
Cooperation in various areas ranging from technology to defence has led to the opening up of a new potential partnership between the two-tech savvy de
It is hoped that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India not only heightens bilateral relations between the two countries but also benefits the entire region
The three synchronised Delhi blasts of October 29,2005, have proved¿¿if further proof was needed¿¿that the motivation and the morale of the pan-Islamic jihadi terrorists belonging to the International Islamic Front (IIF) formed by Osama bin Laden in 1998 continue to remain undamaged, despite the successes scored by our security agencies in neutralising many of their sleeper cells.
Myanmar's path to a disciplined democratic government is paved with obstacles set by the 2008 Constitution.
For reasons to do with history and strategy, India will not abandon Russia.
In every case a measure of balance is essential. However, while considering America, structural difference must be kept in mind. Russia, unlike the US
This brief sketches the growing interest of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Indian diaspora. Over the last three years, the prime minister has repeatedly called attention to the role that the diaspora will play in India’s development process and in the promotion of its foreign policy goals. The brief gives an overview of the policies that the present government has rolled out and examines the benefits from, and pitf
The new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) is market-friendly but is lacking in attention to privacy requirements for sensitive personal data. This report highlights three types of sensitive personal data—i.e., biometric, financial, and health—and emphasises the need for transparent consent mechanisms that will safeguard an individual’s data. It underscores the role of data fiduciaries, urging the formulation of clear operational
Indian designers seem to be gaining in importance both in India and abroad because they are using a lot of embellished textiles in which intricate embroidery, zari, beads and semi precious stones are sown into the fabric. Unlike the western designers who use the cut of the dress or suit as the unique selling point,
Women’s participation in spaces of power is the need of the hour to solve the current climate crisis
In a perceptive essay written some years ago, Joseph Nye had observed that "national interest is a slippery concept used to describe as well as prescribe policy." Decades earlier, the philosopher Gilbert Ryle had cautioned against "systematically misleading expressions" couched in a syntactical form improper to the facts recorded.
Until recently, Nepal had maintained silence on the Doklam standoff.
What does the growing instability in the oil-rich Central Asian country mean for India and the world?
Any appearance of weakness in Xi on the world stage could imperil his grip on power within China
The Democratic Party of Japan ( DPJ ) has been in power for about a year and a half. Despite scoring a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election in August 2009, the ruling party has failed to cash in on this great opportunity.
The dichotomy in India-China relations — on the one hand troops engaged in a two-month long stare-down, and on the other agreeing to change various
India has indeed sounded the trumpet of defence diplomacy as part of its engagement with the ASEAN over the last two decades. If Delhi does not help promote a stable balance of power in Southeast Asia now, India's own security challenges in the future could get a lot more daunting.
It took a long time for the West to recognize the need for an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and that it has already stolen a march on it in this domain
Ensuring national security is an important attribute of a modern nation-state. But as the erstwhile Soviet Union realised, the threats to the state these days do not come from orthodox sources. And looking at India with its nuclear weapons and huge armies, it is even more difficult to believe that any combination of external and internal threats can actually pose an existential challenge to the nation.
Countries like India that have relied on the extant order for furthering their economic and security agendas will have to rethink their own roles and priorities
This paper examines the maritime infrastructure of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)--tracing the history of the development of its maritime organisation, infrastructure and strategy. The paper focuses on the salience of sea power as perceived by a violent non-state actor and provides a perspective on how non-state actors employ sea power in asymmetric conflicts
Fifty-six years after the ceasefire line was drawn between the Indian and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the underlying seismic fault lines have made a mockery of this line. This map delineation, which was renamed as Line of Control after the 1971 Indo Pak war, has gone out of control, at least temporarily, by the fury of the nature when the earthquake struck this area on 8 October.
The shocking Easter Day terror attacks in Sri Lanka underscore a regional problem.
The Eastern Corridor is a crucial highway for global trade flows, where any disruption could severely affect the global economy. The route comprises some of the world’s most vulnerable Sea Lanes of Communication (SCLOs), with potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea. For years, these SLOCs have been characterised by tensions in South Asia and Southeast Asia; the more recent years are seeing a heightening of both intent and capacity for
The situation in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is getting messier by the moment with twists and turns in the script has made it that much more difficult for all the actors in the ¿peace process¿.
Before the situation worsens, those in power must take urgent pragmatic measures to revamp the ailing economy
Russia is now the world’s most heavily sanctioned country, with unprecedented punitive action targeting its energy exports, central bank, and other sectors. Given Russia’s economic resilience amid such economic restrictions and India’s dependence on Russia for its defence and energy requirements, this issue brief highlights the economic rationale for New Delhi to maintain existing trade ties with Moscow despite continued geopolitical pressu
The definition of international relations in the next decade remains an important aspect feeding uncertainty about how the value chains reshuffling wi
