Bin_Salman__Reuters_ Courtesy:
9 November 2017

Saudi purge: Arab Spring 2.0?

The removal of 11 top ministers in the Riyadh government last week by the young crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, is a geopolitical upheaval, the implications are serious. Domestically, the kingdom is seeking to liberalise its conservative society and move away from oil-dependency – evident from the expected listing of its crown jewel Aramco. For India, which imports oil largely from West Asia, instability could cause a spike in prices, leaving less for its ambitious reforms. Globally, there is now space for new alignments – in the Great Power plays, in the Shia-Sunni rivalry, and in the war on terrorism.

2223080434_38c7f3dee1 Courtesy: Flickr
1 November 2017

Indian Chinese diaspora: from Calcutta to Toronto

The 200-year-old history of the Indian Chinese population – currently 3,000 – in Calcutta and Bombay shows how the two civilisations were deeply connected. Buddhism and trade forged the link in the ancient past, but a forgotten aspect is the more recent, once vibrant Chinese presence in India. The bustling China Towns of yore fell silent after the 1962 India-China war that impelled the migration of the Indian Chinese to Canada, Hong Kong and Australia. Revisiting this period can offer many lessons in cultural assimilation and diplomacy in the more fractious present

International Monetary Fund Manging Director Christine Lagarde (L), Jeremy Johnson(2ndL), Sara Horowitz;(3rd L), Deborah Greenfield (3rd R), Jim Clifton (2nd R) and James Manyika (R) participate in a Seminar "The New Economy Forum:Future of Work" at the IMF Headquarters during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings October 11, 2017. IMF Staff Photo/Stephen Jaffe Courtesy: IMF/ Flickr
12 October 2017

IMF, WB Annual Meetings 2017: growth outlook

The IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, being held on October 12-15 will take place amidst news that the growth momentum of the global economy is being sustained, and the outlook looks better than it did during the Spring Meetings. How can a global consensus be developed to better address the growth fundamentals now that the global economy is strengthening?

feature picture Courtesy:
12 October 2017

Discussing river preservation

Rivers bestow blessings and those thus blessed are duty-bound to nurture them in return – or face the catastrophes that climate change will bring