manmohan li Courtesy: Flickr/CreativeCommons
17 May 2013

On the borderline with Beijing

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to India next week is unlikely to fast-track a resolution of the Sino-Indian territorial dispute. Li may suggest confidence-building mechanisms on the border, but these proposals need scrutiny. China’s border agreements with other neighbours are indicators of what India can expect

iran election wikimedia commons Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
17 May 2013

Iran: Contentious election, uncertain outcomes

The 11th Presidential election of Iran will be held on June 14, 2013. Why will this election be a test for the Islamic Republic’s stability? What are the factors at play that make this election critical; and more importantly, why must India monitor it closely?

Bahrain protest1 Courtesy: Al Jazeera English/Flickr
16 May 2013

Policy and Prejudice: Shia Divisionism in Bahrain

Two years ago, during the Arab Spring uprisings in several West Asian nations, youth and pro-democracy movements flared up on the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain. In light of these events, this paper assesses how Bahrain’s policies toward its Shia constituency have affected relations between Sunni and Shia groups.

nawaz pic final_210x140 Courtesy: Martin H./WikimediaCommons
13 May 2013

‘Naya’ Nawaz Sharif?

Will former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif prove to be his country’s saviour, one that can make Pakistan the ambitious transit economy it can be? However, the most needed and least controversial angle from which India and Pakistan’s new government can begin to engage is through business and trade.

wagah border 2 rwoan flickr Courtesy: rwoan/Flickr
10 May 2013

Pakistan’s potential as trade and transit partner

Pakistan’s national elections will take place in the backdrop of a troubled economy, severe energy crisis, and frequent terrorist attacks. Can these problems be solved if the next leadership agrees to open its territories for trade and transit purposes between India and Afghanistan?

immigration image Courtesy: Xavier de Jauréguiberry/flickr
3 May 2013

U.S. immigration bill targets Indian IT companies

The proposed immigration reform bill, currently being debated in the U.S. Congress, contains provisions to penalize Indian IT companies for allegedly misusing the H1-B and L1 visas. How can New Delhi tackle this rising U.S. sentiment against Indian companies?

china army Courtesy: Steve Webel/Flickr
26 April 2013

The new, sharper sabre from Beijing

The Chinese army’s trespassing of the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control near Ladakh has fuelled serious security concerns in India. This signals a sharper policy from Beijing towards India; it is also why its response must be firm, and the Chinese must be seen to back off.

India-Pakistan Business first Courtesy: WikimediaCommons/Flickr
5 April 2013

India-Pakistan: Business first

The road to reconciliation between India and Pakistan is likely to be a long and treacherous one. But perhaps economic compulsions can overtake political ones. That is the hope in Karachi, whose business community has started to make its journey across the border to India.