Both MBS and Putin have initiated measures that will have the eventual effect of ending the 1971 link between petroleum and the US dollar. Unlike in India, where Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi has diplomatically adopted a cautious approach in practice towards the Lutyens Zone, US President Donald John Trump sought from the very …
Narrowing Agenda for the Trump-Modi Summit
Ever since the visit of President Donald Trump to India was announced, the goal posts have been shifting from minute to minute. Initially it appeared as if the primary purpose of the visit was to reach an agreement on a trade deal even if it was a preliminary agreement. Both sides felt that such an …
India’s Solar Energy Strategy at the International Level: Solar Alliance as a Case in Point
The 21st century is witnessing a considerableincrease in the efforts by countries to shift towards renewable sources of energy for their development needs.In recent times, by virtue of emphasising the importance of solar energy, India too has been playing a pioneering role in these transition efforts.Major strides in its own domestic policies and its founding …
India’s Energy Transition and Soft Power Potential
The debates and discussions on climate change in India have mainly focused on the energy sector. This sector is a vital element in the developmental strategy of all countries, especially developing ones such as India.While the mainstream debates on the linkages between energy security and climate change have mostly emphasised the undesirable consequences of the …
The Diplomatic Dimensions of India’s Space Capabilities
India has made several strides in outer space over the decades. From simple sounding rockets to an upcoming crewed space mission, India has achieved success in various ways in outer space.India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is a civil space agency with a focus on the use of outer space for achieving …
Xi Jinping Bets China’s Future on Slaying the Devil Virus
Before Xi Jinping took personal charge of measures to battle the novel coronavirus, official response to the crisis took nearly five weeks to evolve from initial puzzlement to the hypersonic action initiated during January. The onset of the 2019 n-CoV coronavirus is proving to be the most rigorous test of the leadership capabilities of …
Consolidating Climate Services in South Asia
Climate services constitute a critical part of climate action, especially climate change adaptation and resilience-building. As the effects of climate change worsen, the need for effectively communicating the most credible climate information to the concerned sectors and actors has assumed greater significance. Climate services are best characterised by “easily accessible, timely, and decision-relevant scientific information” …
The Hidden Hand of Harmonisation
Even as a stalemate continues to dog the Naga peace process with no headway in sight, the development that has stolen the show is the coming over ground of a goodly group of insurgents from the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Saoraigwra) (NDFB(S). Billeted until recently in Myanmar’s Taga area abutting the Chindwin River, the …
Will Internal Protests hurt India’s Foreign Policy Interests?
The current protests against citizenship issues are serious and the Government has to find a way to reassure the minorities that citizenship will not be made contingent upon belonging to a particular religion. The perception that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is the first step towards turning India into a “Hindu Rashtra” has given the …
Time to Choose Sides in Indo-Pacific Cold War
It is imperative for India to choose either the US or Chinese side in matters military. The Atlantic Alliance became the cornerstone of US foreign policy since 1945, with the consequence that Russia (then the USSR) once again displaced Germany as the prime threat. As a consequence, numerous technology control regimes began to get …