Elections are meant to be a suitable recourse in democracies if citizens feel that the government does not represent them. However, the recent protests in Brazil, Turkey and India show that people feel political classes are too far removed from their every day realities to address their grievances

U. S. President Barack Obama has strongly indicated a move away from the ‘Global War on Terrorism,’ – a term famously coined by his predecessor George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Given that a common definition of a ‘terrorist’ hasn’t yet been found, was the war on terrorism ever practical?

The fifth BRICS summit will take place from 26-27 March with South Africa - a late entrant to the grouping - playing host. Although sceptics have questioned the salience of this bloc, the group is essentially a work in progress. Expectations, therefore, must be modest and pragmatic.

The enigmatic former president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (or simply Lula), will visit India to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. Though India and Brazil share many commonalities, a belief in inclusive growth amidst huge social challenges is perhaps most significant.

In one of the biggest gatherings of its kind, world leaders will attend the Rio+20 summit to discuss sustainable development. The summit will take the environmental debate a step forward by helping create viable partnerships between countries to address issues of energy, water and other essential resources.

Brazil and India’s commonalities are truly striking – multi-party coalitions, strong regional powers, and pressures between the executive, legislative and judicial pillars – and bilateral ties have recently acquired greater content. Can Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff’s visit give bilateral ties a further boost?