rupees-435450_1280 Courtesy: Pixabay
21 January 2016

Silver lining to India’s trade blues

India’s merchandise exports have now contracted for 13 months in a row, reflecting the global slowdown and impact of China’s economic recalibration. But, therein lay new opportunities and challenges for India’s economic diplomacy

Soldiers in a Niger army unit stand in formation while a dignitary visits their outpost during Operation Desert Shield.  The men are armed with M-14 rifles. Courtesy:
20 January 2016

A new fault line in Nigeria

A recent confrontation between the Nigerian army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has rekindled the state’s tensions with its Shia citizenry. However, Nigeria should pay heed to its own contemporary history of the armed crackdown on an obscure religion sect that led to the birth of Boko Haram, and exercise caution while dealing with minority groups.

DSC_0211[1] Courtesy: Gateway House
14 January 2016

U.S.-Iran: overcoming brief setbacks?

Former United States Ambassador Frank Wisner talks to Gateway House about the progress of U.S.-Iran relations in the aftermath of the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, including the U.S. response to Iran’s testing of a missile. He also discusses the U.S. perspective on India’s prospective APEC membership.

syriawar Courtesy: Flickr / Foreign and Commonwealth Office
13 January 2016

Ramifications of Saudi mass execution

By executing an influential Shia cleric among 47 other prisoners, Saudi Arabia has increased the possibility of prolonging conflict in West Asia. The country’s actions have stirred up its differences with Iran, thereby diminishing the possibility of finding political solutions to the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Courtesy: Wikipedia
13 January 2016

Minigrids: the next energy access beacon

Village-scale solar powered minigrids are the most promising path for India to meet its linked aims of GDP growth and access to electricity for all. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is already active on this front, but a comprehensive and standardised national minigrid policy that facilitates private sector involvement and eases financing, will allow this model to flourish

modi sharif Courtesy: Flickr/ MEAPhotogallery
7 January 2016

New approach to security emergencies

The Pathankot attack reflects a new template of terrorism and is a reminder that India needs a well-coordinated approach to security emergencies. This is particularly necessary as the country has embarked on a bold foreign policy path, daring to tread where we have not gone before, intensifying existing and new engagements and trying to functionalize dysfunctional bilaterals like Pakistan

Swaraj Ghani Courtesy: MEA / Flickr
5 January 2016

India+APTTA = regional prosperity

If India enters the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement, as external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said at conference in Islamabad in December, it will boost regional trade and connectivity—both priorities of the Modi government. But Pakistan stridently opposes India’s entry into the agreement. What are the alternatives?

Trafficjamdelhi Courtesy: Wikipedia
5 January 2016

Beyond Odd-Even: a plan for Delhi

The odd-even formula has the advantage of having involved leaders as well as common citizens. The Government must now improve air quality by urgent measures across a wide front in Delhi, and then in the entire NCR.