shutterstock_1246200670 Courtesy: Shutterstock
13 February 2020

India’s billion-dollar quantum push

India's Budget 2020 has just allocated Rs 8,000 crore to the Department of Science and Technology for the development of quantum technology, i.e. the use of quantum physics for computation. This opens up a wealth of possibilities and cybersecurity vulnerabilities too, but it is a sign of the Indian government’s seriousness in protecting the nation’s cyber infrastructure

shutterstock2_1027256470 Courtesy: Shutterstock
13 February 2020

Pakistan under FATF’s critical review

The upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary session 16-21 February will be crucial for both Pakistan and Iran as the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing measures undertaken by the two countries will be reviewed by the 39 member states of the FATF. Decisions will be taken on their retention or removal from the grey list and black list respectively

Modidiplomacy cover Courtesy: Konark Publications
7 February 2020

Modiplomacy: Through a Shakespearean Prism

This is a generally positive analysis of the Prime Minister’s foreign policy in his first five-year term, but, like Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, he too has his flaws. This is not a research treatise, but more an overview of contemporary events that will interest students of international affairs

Capture d’écran 2020-02-04 à 16.00.17 Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
4 February 2020

The Unwanted Wars

Countries in the Middle East, such as Iran, Israel or Saudi Arabia, do not want a military confrontation. Yet, current circumstances conduce to the breaking out of just such a war

shutterstock_752563282 Courtesy: Shutterstock
31 January 2020

Brexit, finally?

Britain left the European Union on 31 January 2020. There will be no immediate outcome, but the intention of all the European leaders is to make it an amicable departure over the course of the year. Ambassador Neelam Deo, Director and Co-founder of Gateway House, discusses Brexit’s geopolitical implications and its impact on India’s relations with the EU and UK

The dashing Actor Prithviraj Kapoor as the Greek King Alexander in Sikander (1941). Prithviraj is spoken of by Hindi movie industry insiders as being a Hindu Pathan, as he spoke fluent Pushto and hailed from Peshawar. Courtesy: Sifra Lentin
30 January 2020

The Khans of Bombay’s Hindi film industry

Bombay’s Hindi film industry has welcomed Pathan talent – venerated actor Dilip Kumar, scriptwriter Salim Khan and musician Adnan Sami Khan are some prominent examples. Many of them originally came from undivided India’s Pathan homelands in what is today’s Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, entering the industry at an opportune time. Today, their descendants wear the Khan name with pride

shutterstock_201055439 Courtesy: Shutterstock
30 January 2020

China’s energy challenges: lessons for India

China’s clean-up of its cities and its success in improving urban air quality hold important lessons for India. But the outbreak of the corona virus and reports that news about it was initially suppressed tell a different story. While physical infrastructure is important, equally vital are a free media and an open society, where people are not afraid to speak