NIC-logo (final) Courtesy: National Informatics Centre
14 May 2020

Digitally combating COVID19

Compared to many countries India’s digital initiatives to monitor and control the impact of COVID19 have been surprisingly successful and swift. Creating and implementing the deep IT infrastructure necessary for this success is the National Informatics Centre (NIC) - the government’s pan-India, digital backbone.

shutterstock_1164513586 Courtesy: Shutterstock
12 May 2020

Artemis Accords propel India’s space ambitions

Under the ‘Artemis Accords’ the U.S. is planning an international coalition to extract natural resources from the Moon. China is concurrently planning an Earth-Moon Special Economic Zone. India’s antiquated endorsement of the 1979 Moon Agreement is shackling its true potential for economics-driven space exploration. India must immediately do away with Cold-War era, vintage whims of global commons.

A postcard by Clifton & Co., c. 1903, showing a ward with patients and two medical personnel taken in a Plague Hospital in Bombay. Courtesy: Burrough's Wellcome archive
7 May 2020

Lessons from the Bombay Plague

To tackle Covid19 the Indian government has invoked the colonial-era Epidemics Act of 1897, originally enacted to tackle the Bombay Plague of 1896. The plague wreaked havoc across Bombay and presented some of the same challenges the government faces today, including a migrant labour exodus. History teaches by examples - here is a glance in to the past

SanctionsCoverV2-04 Courtesy: Gateway House
30 April 2020

Can sanctions solve the Pakistan problem?

The shifting geopolitics of the COVID19 crisis might be an opportune time for India to consider new strategies for managing and curtailing Pakistan’s military aggression in the future. One policy tool used effectively by other countries is the imposition of economic sanctions. India needs to devise a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach.

india sanctions pak Courtesy: Gateway House
30 April 2020

Devising an Indian policy on Sanctions for Pakistan

India must consider new strategies that can be put in place to manage Pakistan's ongoing military aggression and security threat. One policy tool that has been used effectively by many countries but remains unexplored by India is the imposition of sanctions. This paper analyses the feasibility of imposing sanctions on Pakistan and the strategies India should consider to execute this effectively. It makes recommendations on how to establish a legal framework, amend existing laws, include Indian stakeholders with business interests in Pakistan, get government departments to collaborate on implementation, and considers diplomatic measures India can undertake.

Webcast 3 - website Courtesy: Gateway House
30 April 2020

Gateway House Webcast: Scrutinising Chinese FDI in India

Amit Bhandari, Energy & Environment Fellow, Gateway House; Blaise Fernandes, President, Indian Music Industry Association; Ambika Khanna, Senior Researcher, International Law Programme, Gateway House discuss the reaction to China’s increased investment in HDFC, the depth and motive for China's investments in India, and the new FDI rules put in place by the government to protect strategic investments in the country.

shutterstock_794528251 Courtesy: Shutterstock
29 April 2020

Satellite tech for India’s agriculture

The COVID19-caused migration of India’s large workforce to their rural roots holds immense promise for the country’s agriculture productivity and farmer incomes. Precision agritech and satellite-as-a-service (SAAS) can reduce the urban-rural skill, remuneration, and digital divide. Time to privatize space technology for agricultural benefit.

Webcast 2 - Website Courtesy: Gateway House
28 April 2020

Gateway House Webcast: Diversifying India’s Clean Transport

In this webcast, we discuss the transport energy options for India. The government of India intends to pursue Electric Vehicles with aggression, both to help India meet its Climate Change commitments, as also to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels in the post corona era. But is it what India needs? Are the necessary raw materials for batteries accessible in both the near and short term? Can India readily abandon oil, now cheap and from a region which gives jobs to our expatriate population?