Al thani Courtesy: Chuck Hagel/Wikimedia Commons
31 March 2015

An upsurge of Wahabbis confront the “Sabahis”

Currently, it appears that the Wahabbis have the upper hand over the "Sabahis" in the middle east. But the war for the hearts and minds of a people as gifted as the Arabs, is far from over.

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.

66A Courtesy: Wikimedia
25 March 2015

Beyond 66A

India’s Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act as unconstitutional because it infringes on freedom of expression. India's future depends on a social and cultural movement in favor of greater tolerance in public life so that diverse, even offensive, opinions can be freely expressed

NIgeria elections Courtesy: Flickr/Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
25 March 2015

Nigeria: a precarious election

The upcoming Nigerian elections is set to be a defining one for the country. Rampant corruption and the terrorist threat from Boko Haram have dampened the economic and social climate. The world is watching keenly as for the first time in a decade it is unclear which party will emerge victorious

picstitch (5) Courtesy: Wikimedia commons
19 March 2015

Assessing India’s infrastructure aid diplomacy

With the Modi government’s focus on improving neighbourhood relations, India cannot afford delays in its aid projects in the region—especially because aid is an effective foreign policy instrument. Why are these projects getting delayed? Is the government taking remedial steps to improve India’s aid programme?

Lagarde 2 Courtesy: IMF
19 March 2015

IMF, RBI and interest rates

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?

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?