john kerry seema piece Courtesy: Officer/WikimediaCommons
3 January 2013

John Kerry: To the job born

U.S. Senator John Kerry will officially take office as the Secretary of State, later this month, replacing Hillary Clinton. Given his background of foreign policy, and his proven competency in related matters, what can India and South Asia look forward to, during his term in his new office?

obama second term_0 Courtesy: U.S. Navy
10 November 2012

The second term

U.S. President Barack Obama will certainly have the benefit of continuity in his second term, but he has a range of impending crises to address immediately - be it to avert the so-called fiscal cliff before the end of the year when automatic cuts kick in or plan for the military drawdown from Afghanistan.

Pakistan: Supreme Court vs. Democracy Courtesy: Kashiff/Flickr
6 September 2012

Pakistan: Supreme Court vs. Democracy

The ongoing political chaos in Pakistan indicates that the Supreme Court is bent on weakening civilian authority and strengthening Army control in the country – which is unfavourable for Pakistan and its neighbours alike.

democracy in motion neelam Courtesy: Mission Against Corruption/Wikimedia Commons
10 August 2012

Regenerating our democracy

The promise of an egalitarian democratic system in India and abroad, has been tarnished by the entrenchment of dynastic leadership and by an inordinate concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few. It is imperative to find ways to confront the shortcomings that have crept into our cherished democracies.

morsi_0 Courtesy: gr33ndata/Flickr
9 August 2012

Islamism and democracy

The involvement of Islamists in democratic movements is usually dismissed as a mere ruse to attain political power. However, evidence suggests that people in Muslim-majority democracies support Islamist groups which challenge a dishonest government, rather than those who seek to establish Islamic autocracy.

Global Stability Map Courtesy: Gateway House
1 August 2012

Global Stability Map 2012

Gateway House prepared a Global Stability Map, using 20 differing indicators, to analyze the stability of 60 countries around the world. Using criteria that are important to the emerging economies of the world, the map provides an Indian perspective of the world today.

kp fabian 2 Courtesy: Gateway House
25 July 2012

“India’s diplomacy is textual, not contextual”

Understanding the rationale behind India’s diplomatic decisions is essential for policymakers and citizens alike, so as to take better decisions in the future. Gateway House interviews former Ambassador to Italy, K. P. Fabian, to discuss how India's assessment of policy values the spoken word over context.

gilani photo Courtesy: IIP State/Flickr
20 January 2012

Can Pakistan sustain its Democracy?

The current standoff between the Pakistani Government and the Supreme Court is yet another sign of Pakistan’s instable democracy. Will this lead to another transition to military rule? Or will the pillars of the media and the judiciary be able to bring about a balance?