On 20 December 2021, the Gateway House-FLAME Policy Lab organised a webcast on geopolitical contestations in cyberspace. Gateway House’s Sameer Patil moderated the discussion with former deputy National Security Advisor Latha Reddy, National Law University’s Gunjan Chawla and cybersecurity expert Atul Khatavkar.
Courtesy: Times of India
In 2021, India expedited budgetary clearances to activate its Deep Ocean Mission. Most mission projects are currently confined to the network of institutions operating under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. To truly shine, they must follow the model of developed economies where ocean innovation clusters are public-private partnerships, to focus on attaining India’s strategic objectives.
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Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is on a crucial visit to Nyapitaw, meeting with the military government and opposition for the first time since the military coup this year. This is part of New Delhi's diplomatic agenda for Myanmar, which includes border management and striking a balance between strengthening democracy and supporting the military, amid dynamic regional geopolitics.
Courtesy: Penguin Random House India
In six concise case studies, Vijay Gokhale, former Foreign Secretary of India, demystifies the Chinese style of diplomacy. The reviewer says the book makes a compelling case for how the lack of diplomatic experience of newly independent India’s leaders enabled the Chinese Communist leadership to outmatch and outmaneuver them in the early years, despite the latter playing a relatively weak hand.
Courtesy: OpIndia
India’s ban on the separatist group Sikhs for Justice helps to conceal what they really mean by “justice”. SFJ's continuing firehose of publicity shows no interest in the human rights of the thousands of innocents who died in Khalistani terrorist attacks during the 1980s and '90s. Quite the contrary.
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The India-Russia leaders’ summit and ministerial meetings in New Delhi on Dec. 6, scored big. Differences were set aside to make transformative progress in defence, fintech and connectivity among other sectors, commencing a new era of India-Russia relations fit for the 21st century.
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The two nations should take a clear-eyed review of the current state of their ties with an emphasis on intensifying dialogue in the new sectors.
Courtesy: Gazprom
India and Russia are natural partners for energy collaboration. India imports 85% of its oil while Russia is one of the largest exporters. An expanded bilateral investment strategy, especially in liquefied natural gas can help Russia access new markets and India meet its energy requirements. This mutually beneficial collaboration can re-affirm trust between the two countries, amidst complex geopolitical realities.
Courtesy: BBC
The upcoming Summit for Democracy hosted by U.S. President Biden, has high expectations from him. With trust in the U.S. having suffered badly, it remains to be seen how much confidence the democracies at the summit will have in American efforts at restoration of world leadership.
Courtesy: Government of Uttar Pradesh
On November 26, the first flight took off from Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh, set up to help Buddhist pilgrims reach the Mahaparinirvana Temple, where Lord Buddha attained nirvana. Promoting India's Buddhist legacy can lead New Delhi's effort to revive diplomacy between the SCO's eight member nations.