aseanindia Courtesy: Prime Minister's Office
31 January 2014

India-ASEAN’s elusive services FTA

The India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in services and trade will allow India to leverage its competitive offerings in IT, finance, among other fields. But the pact has proved elusive so far due to the open squabbling between ministries. The deal now looks set to come through only after the new government takes over

kejriwal-1 Courtesy: vm2827 / Flickr
28 January 2014

Decoding anarchism and swaraj

By calling himself an anarchist, Arvind Kejriwal has started a debate among supporters who equate anarchy with a potential breakdown of law and order. But anarchist philosophers believe that the basis of society is self-governing individuals and not a dominating ruler – an idea similar to Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘swaraj’

ddglobal2 Courtesy: Prasar Bharati
24 January 2014

Taking Doordarshan global

News channels like China’s CCTV, Russia Today and Al-Jazeera have become definitive voices for their nations and for international views. It is the right time for Doordarshan, a late entrant to electronic media-driven influence, to showcase India’s growing global ties and the success of its democracy to the world

indjap2 Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
24 January 2014

India-Japan: Alignment assured

Japan’s reaching out to India, as demonstrated by the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, reflects the urgency with which Japan sees the threat of a rising China. India too has experienced Chinese aggression and must work with other democracies towards creating a multi-polar Asia

tpp Courtesy: Gobierno de Chile/Wikimedia Commons
24 January 2014

India and the TPP: Wait and watch?

Can India integrate more fully into the global economy and energise its trade by joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership? Or will negotiating an entry require significant concessions, not necessarily in India’s interests? These outcomes will depend on how TPP framework itself develops – inclusively or exclusively

hasinamanmohan Courtesy: The Prime Minister's Office/Flickr
16 January 2014

Bangladesh elections: was India right?

The return of the Awami League to power has generated protests and violence in Bangladesh. India’s support to the January 5 election was aimed at keeping at bay anti-India forces in Bangladesh, but anti-India sentiment in the country is high and fresh elections may throw up a result that does not suit New Delhi

securityrisks Courtesy: Press Information Bureau/Wikimedia Commons
16 January 2014

India’s top security risks in 2014

What are the implications for India of the scaling down of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the continuing tension with China at the border, and the political turmoil in Bangladesh? How should India address these and other upheavals in its neighbourhood, which are potential challenges to the country’s security?

ambkatju2 Courtesy: Prachi Bidaye/Gateway House
16 January 2014

‘It is premature to make such attempts’

Vivek Katju, former Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, says about India’s attempts to reintegrate the Afghan economy into the region. In an interview to Gateway House he also talks about why it will take time for Afghanistan to become a bridge for the flow of trade, and how the U.S.-Pakistan equation impacts India