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The US has long grappled with the Taiwan issue. So far, its policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ has deterred the use of force by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is a moot question if this policy can be sustained to counter the PRC’s assertive military posture in the Taiwan Strait. The question before the US is whether it can deter an invasion and avoid a war with the PRC, simultaneously. The PRC is determined to seek reunification an

The deal will be packaged as a historic triumph of Islamist groups and jihadist outfits for decades to come.

Politicians and diplomats usually move on when an infinitely sad event eventually settles in the private domain. But that should not happen in the case of the tragic death of Maniappan Raman Kutty near Kandahar in Afghanistan last week at the hands of the Taliban.

The technology revolution of the 20th century minimised the importance of geographical, economic, social and political barriers and reduced transaction and information costs thus boosting productivity and growth, making governance more transparent and empowering the citizen. It propelled not only democracy, but also the market economy. Its impact on social relations, especially on gender relations, was significant, with the commodification of lab

With newer forms of identities taking over the older ones and parochialism and regional chauvinism becoming the new lingo of identity in the age of Twitter and Facebook, time is now ripe for a serious debate on reorganisation of States in India. The country can no longer afford to postpone this serious public policy issue.

In the short term, it appears Libya will be divided between East and West. The world, including the Arab public and 20 million Muslims in Europe, will see the partitioning of the country for what it is: not to stop the "slaughter" of the innocents but for Libya's light crude for which European refineries are specially geared.

Beijing's 'illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive' strategy will test New Delhi

Sustaining democracy and faith in democratic institutions is an everyday task and arduous one at that.

Trump phenomenon will play out in the world with uncertaintyonly going to grow in years to come as democracies take recourse to rising tides of nationalism

More than ever before, the United States needs the continued support of the European Union (EU) in defence and security matters, especially in the war against terrorism. A draft security strategy prepared in June 2003 by Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Security and Foreign Policy (CFSP) delineated the threats to security in Europe; international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and failed states.

Six geopolitical lines will define the contours of the emerging global order

In Lima and Paris, the global community must ensure that obsession with the legal nature of the post-Kyoto agreement does not detract from achieving what is eminently possible. The next year will in any case determine whether or not climate multilateralism will work.

Past debates on waiving certain sections of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) have centred on issues such as development and technology transfers. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more urgency to such discussions, prompting India and South Africa to table a waiver proposal in October 2020. This brief discusses the evolution of the TRIPS Agreement and the link between the a

China has been making massive investments to create a huge pool of AI experts. The Chinese government wants to overtake the United States and be the global leader in the field by 2030.

New Delhi’s record on this score is more mixed than some of the headlines seem to suggest.

Much of the Indian budget is focused on the army, with the air force being a distant second and the navy a poor third.

The Narendra Modi government has shown signs that it doesn’t mean to let Trump’s stance on Iran derail the oil trade with it

A breakdown of the deal and tension in the Persian Gulf has implications for India

They’ve infused US politics with an isolationist streak. It’s a warning to a world that depends heavily on America for security

Sri Lanka has suffered the most human fatalities (30,000 plus) and infrastructure and other property damage after Indonesia in the catastrophic Tsunami disaster of December, 26, 2004.

Iranians take their soccer seriously. Iran's victory over Bahrain last week in the World Cup qualifier resulted in an outburst of rejoicing rarely seen in Teheran. Men and women (some without head scarves) danced on the streets and tore up posters of candidates in the June 17 presidential elections. The police did not interfere. Credible foreign observers have not confirmed reports of police brutality carried by some opposition news channels in t

In order to achieve the SDGs, it is time to re-evaluate the global patents regime. India and other developing countries need to explore policies and practices for creating a culture and system that encourages innovation.

Global geopolitics is in a state of intense flux. China’s rise has led to greater competition in the international system, with the United States and the post-War global order coming under increasing challenge. China’s high economic growth rate in the past several decades has meant bigger military budgets. In turn, its military rise threatens security in the Indo-Pacific region where China seeks to dominate, from the Himalayas to South China

Realpolitik may have trumped the Biden administration’s rather vocal positions on principles in the region

Washington and New Delhi must overcome some key differences for the group to succeed.

To ensure sustained growth levels, the country requires a strong and healthy workforce – possible only when citizens are protected against health-related financial risks and can access quality health services.

Now in its twelfth month, the Ukraine crisis is caught in a protracted winter of war rather than one of frozen hostility or attempted peace. Most prognoses point towards continuing military action instead of dialogue in the near term. This is primarily because Russia and Ukraine have made their maximalist positions clear. But is the door to dialogue completely shut, or is there room for ‘strategic accommodation’ through creative peace diploma

Sharpened global polarization has made it harder for India to pursue multi-alignment effectively

The claims and counterclaims are less about the two protagonists in this war than it is about moulding the world’s opinion.

While the opposition and his coalition partners will keep Imran Khan in check, Pakistan’s Army will call the shots

Until the early 1990s, India’s urban local bodies (ULBs) were under the complete control of the states, having little functional, financial and administrative autonomy. The 74th Amendment Act of 1992 sought to make ULBs self-governing institutions. Many salutary provisions were made in the Act and there have been certain positive outcomes since it came into effect in April 1993. However, many key issues have remained unresolved and at present,

India’s desire to play a more significant role in global governance should not cause anxiety in the United States. While India won’t promote every U.S. priority, it won’t jeopardize U.S. core interests.

Afghanistan has eroded US power and credibility. A transactional America will now encounter transactional friends

In 2011, the government set up a task force to examine the processes and procedures related to national security in India and come up with recommendations to fix the problems and plug any gaps that emerged. The panel, chaired by former Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra, submitted its report to the Prime Minister. Now the bureaucratic grapevine suggests that the report may soon meet the fate of other similar endeavours: getting shelved.

Speaking recently in New Delhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the Government was committed to modernise the armed forces, but "that there is a need to exercise financial prudence and optimise all available resources".

Trump’s rise symbolises the US’s polarised polity, but he is only the manifestation of the disease, not its cause.

Post-India's surgical strikes in aftermath of Uri attack more questions than answers for Pakistan's ruling establishment?