scs Courtesy: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency/Wikimedia Commons
4 April 2014

South China Sea: a new war brewing

China is reportedly taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine to further its claims in the South China Sea. Its aggressive stance has pushed the Philippines to approach The Hague for arbitration. There are concerns that the tensions could lead to a breakdown of trade routes in the Western Pacific

Operation Mountain Fire Courtesy: Staff Sgt. Christopher Allison/Wikimedia Commons
30 March 2014

Afghanistan: At a turning point

The presidential election is vital not only for Afghanistan’s future but also for the stability of the region. The ensuing race has thrown up candidates from various ethnicities and they face an uphill task with a resurgent Taliban and a former President who still hopes to be a force in the political arena

southasiafinal Courtesy: User:Deepak/Wikimedia Commons
27 March 2014

‘Ties with neighbours is priority’

Historically, foreign policy has rarely played a decisive role in the Indian elections although issues like the nuclear deal with the U.S. have led to domestic storms. In this interview Neelam Deo, Director, Gateway House, explains why foreign policy has only occasionally been a key factor in the elections

warmemorial Courtesy: Rajkumar1220/Wikimedia Commons
21 March 2014

Lessons from the 1962 war report

The classified Henderson Brooks report on the India-China War is still relevant for India, considering China’s renewed aggression at the Line of Actual Control. The findings highlight the need to re-think our muddled China policy and coordination among the political, bureaucratic and military establishments

boeing777_2 Courtesy: Aero Icarus/Wikimedia Commons
21 March 2014

MH370: India’s intelligence challenge

The talk about the missing Malaysian airlines being hijacked for an attack on an Indian city has necessitated an assessment of India’s counter-terrorism preparedness. India has strengthened its air defences on the tactical front but lags behind in intelligence sharing in aerial, land and maritime terror attacks

Credit Rating Agencies Courtesy: Jeremy Edmunds/Flickr
20 March 2014

A new house for sovereign ratings

Efforts to reform credit rating agencies after the 2008 financial crisis have failed to address concerns about their ability to assess a nation’s financial status. Issues like private interests and a disregard for the diversity of development models have made it imperative to think of a new multilateral agency

Federal_Reserve_Board_Building Courtesy: Agnostic Preachers Kid/Wikimedia Commons
13 March 2014

Multi-polar world, unilateral Fed

To navigate the U.S. away from the huge monetary stimulus, the Federal Reserve has initiated tapering. But in an integrating world, the emerging economies, especially India, China and Brazil, will see collateral liquidity damage. How will the Fed enforce its mandate? How will central banks in emerging markets react?