The IMF’s 2014 review has some good GDP news but its reservations on interest rates bears closer attention. It can take 32 months for the effects of a an interest rate cut to be felt. What does this mean for the Indian economy?
The Thein Sein government’s initial successes in Myanmar have eroded, as it vacillates between reform and a return to an authoritarian past. The violent suppression of student protestors this month will further impact the president’s re-election later this year. But will a new government continue the reforms and honour peace agreements with ethnic groups?
Making land acquisition for industry compatible with the fairness and equity expected in democratic societies is a challenge that may have creative solutions. Amendments to India’s land acquisition law need to be viewed in this global context
Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'alon’s recent offer of defence technology for Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India initiative may signal expanding bilateral relations, and it is an opportune moment for the two countries to consolidate long-term common ground in areas such as counter-intelligence and naval cooperation
In the past week two documentaries that went viral in China and India were banned. In China, a documentary about pollution. In India, a documentary about the Nirbhaya rape incident in 2012. India's decision to ban the film suggests that the government's approach to censorship is starting to look more like China's
The cybersecurity threat is global and appears at all levels—government, industry and individual. The global dilemma and challenge at hand is creating a framework of how to regulate it, at both national and international levels
Recently signed sub-regional agreements will help India's 'Act East' by furthering trade and connectivity linkages as well as build strategic relations with important powers in Asia. China's regional integration growth in the past decade should be the benchmark for India.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley’s 2015-16 Budget resonates only partially with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arc of economic diplomacy; it lacks strategic intent that could invest India with some geo-strategic heft in the years to come
Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar’s visit to SAARC countries from March 1 is an opportunity to examine the political trajectories in the region. While democracy in some countries like Sri Lanka is on an upswing, in others, like Bangladesh, it is in decline. With China’s growing economic influence in South Asia, can Indian democracy be an effective counterpoint?
Mexican director Alejendra Inarritu’s Oscar for his work on Birdman comes after his compatriot won the same category award in 2014. This is a matter of pride for the Mexican film industry which is undergoing a renaissance in the last fifteen years. Although Indian cinema dwarfs the Mexican film industry, Mexico’s success in Hollywood should hold as inspiration for Bollywood