India’s Skill Development: a German solution
7 May 2015

India’s Skill Development: a German solution

If India is to harness its demographic dividend and the 'Make in India' campaign is to succeed it is important that the growing working force is equipped with the necessary skills. India's current system is lacking in both quality and size, the German model holds a number of solutions for India

Unity gov Courtesy: CentralMaine
27 April 2015

Afghanistan must make rights a reality

Huge threats to human rights continue in Afghanistan. President Ghani has pledged to end official tolerance for torture, and his government must also protect the freedom of the media, ensure that more women participate in peace talks, and bring transparency to negotiations with the Taliban. These correctives are overdue

Hillary 2016 Courtesy: Hillary Clinton/Flickr
13 April 2015

Hillary’s candidacy and India

Hillary Clinton finally announced her second bid to be the democratic candidate for the November 2016 presidential election on April 12. Despite her landmark achievements, there are a number of controversial issues from her time as senator, the first lady and as Secretary of State, that will be raised in the coming months

BJP-PDP Courtesy: South Asia Media
26 March 2015

Coalitions of opposites

Representative democracy has resulted in coalition governments, comprising parties with opposing agendas, gradually being formed across the world. The Afghan unity government and the BJP-PDP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir are two such coalitions that share numerous similarities, not least of which is the role of Pakistan.

m Courtesy: Reuters/Soe Zeya Tun
19 March 2015

Will Myanmar return to its violent past?

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?

mexico bollywood Courtesy: NPR
26 February 2015

Mexican inspiration for Bollywood

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

India voting finger Courtesy: electiontrends.in
24 February 2015

The quiet decline of anti-incumbency

The last 25 years of Indian democracy have shown that anti-incumbency in state elections is on the decline. This is a positive trend because continuous terms will allow political parties to look beyond single-term policies and focus on long-term development