china flag Courtesy: Daderot/WikimediaCommons
14 November 2013

Introduction to China’s Plenary Sessions and the CPC Central Committee

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is being held in Beijing from November 9-12. What are the Plenary Sessions of the CPC’s Central Committee? What are the general functions of each Plenary Session? Why is the Third Plenum this year so significant?

neelam pirate party Courtesy: Delhiiterock/WikimediaCommons
13 November 2013

The rise of the anti-party party

The debut of the Aam Aadmi Party must not cloud the reality that even after a movement transitions into a party, it still has to play the game of hard politics. Anti-party parties such as the AAP make coalition-building more difficult, as was recently evident in Germany and Italy, and is now the scenario in Delhi

himani Courtesy: counting chest bullets/Flickr
13 November 2013

The new energy price economics

In recent years, U.S. oil and gas imports have declined due to the development of shale resources in the country. How will the production of shale oil, increase in oil production by non-OPEC countries, supply disruptions in West Asia and economic growth in India and China impact global crude oil prices?

mehsud Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
11 November 2013

What Mehsud’s death means

Earlier in November, U.S. drone strikes killed Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant outfit in Pakistan. What does this mean for the U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relationship, and more importantly, what are its implications for Pakistan’s domestic security situation?

indiachina2 Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
8 November 2013

Women’s voices in India-China talks

At various meetings, Indian and Chinese women researchers are using a gendered lens to discuss the changes in their economies. Making these exchanges a part of bilateral dialogues and India-China summits can be a way to rethink economic policies and change the terms of trade

food sedurity Courtesy: Rigues/Flickr
8 November 2013

Food security and WTO

A recent UN report praises governments for promoting the right to food. At the same time, India’s Food Security Act will encounter resistance at the WTO meeting in Bali in December. Can India play an exemplary role in the global power struggle over food security?

ind jap Courtesy: generalising/Flickr
6 November 2013

The new Indo-Pacific core

The India-Japan alliance needs to be viewed through a prism broader than that of "containing" China, and by treating the Indian and Pacific oceans as a single entity. Such an alliance has the potential to strengthen the geopolitical security of India and Japan, along with that of all their allies and associates

Mars Lander Courtesy: NASA/Wikimedia Commons
6 November 2013

New Delhi: Myopic beyond Mars

At a time when China has invested substantially in its space projects and Russia is invigorating its space exploration, India too must develop a strategically-designed programme. The successful launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission should give New Delhi enough reason to increase India’s space footprint