Topic
Opinion & Commentary
Indian Treasures at Home and Abroad
Historically significant sites, artefacts and papers in India and the UK should be made accessible to wider audiences.Monetisation of Government Assets
Leasing government-owned land would be easier and should be accorded higher priority.See Formal Sector at Pre-Covid Level by Year-end
The Indian economy has bottomed out and the formal sector is likely to get back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of ...India and US have certain congruence in maritime security through IPS
"I think India and the US have a certain congruence in maritime security through the Indo pacific in keeping those sea lanes ...Indian tech unicorns are gaining at China’s expense. Is this a blessing...
The last thing India can afford is a bubble that bursts and for capital, talent and technology to take flight and seek ...Strengthen Land Ports to Boost India-Bangladesh Economic Connectivity
It is pertinent to address several existing challenges at the land ports between India and Bangladesh that hinder seamless connectivity, says Riya ...Jet Airway, Indian Economy, and the Middle Class
The Indian economy is recovering. But can we settle into a long-term high-growth trajectory?How Fair is India’s Non-fuel Mine Auction Process?
Rajesh Chadha and Ganesh Sivamani discuss challenges to the mining sector and recommend a thorough relook at the auctions regime.Govt Should Let Fiscal Deficit Rise to 7.5% to Boost Consumption,...
The government must provide adequate income support, particularly for the poor, as a way of tackling the collapse in private consumption, says ...India’s Failure to Help Afghan Friends is a Strategic Liability
The Afghan crisis reflects the absence of systems and capability to protect India’s local partners in active conflict zones. More than a ...Challenges For Natural Gas to Become India’s Bridge Fuel
Rahul Tongia examines the relevance of natural gas both through the lens of competitive economic viability as well as other impacts.Is Monetising Public Assets a Good Idea?
In this podcast, Montek Singh Ahluwalia discusses the asset monetisation policy of the government.Reforming PSBs Most Important Task Ahead for Government
In this interview with Business Standard, Montek Singh Ahluwalia answers crucial questions on the economy.Former RBI Deputy Chief Warns of Rise in Bad Loans Due to the Pandemic
India’s expanded credit push to help small borrowers weather COVID-19’s impact risks fueling sour debt, says Rakesh Mohan.India’s 20.1% GDP Growth Encouraging: Rakesh Mohan
Former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Rakesh Mohan discusses the outlook for the Indian economy and policies amid ...One Nation One Ration Card will increase India’s food security
The One Nation One Ration Card scheme will create a central repository and help in the deduplication of ration cards, which in ...India’s New Consulates and Subnational Diplomacy in South Asia
Constantino Xavier and Nitikar Nayar discuss how New Delhi's engagement with diverse subnational groups both within and across its borders will help ...India is Failing its Afghan Friends
The absence of an asylum and evacuation system to protect partners in conflict zones is extracting costs, writes Constantino Xavier.Border Disputes? Let’s Make Boundaries Irrelevant Without Changing Them
Shivshankar Menon discusses the factors that make our boundaries contested.Higher Funding Alone Doesn’t Improve Urban Services
Adequate expenditure alone is not enough to improve public services and other outcomes, write Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva.A Time for Strategic Autonomy, Building Up National Strength
Shivshankar Menon writes about the need to strengthen India's autonomy while working with major powers and our neighbours.Should India Keep Quad Out of the Neighbourhood?
Constantino Xavier discusses policy consequences and the impact of India being perceived as a part of the "non-China" camp.India Can Grow and Cut Emissions at the Same Time
Montek Singh Ahluwalia unpacks the strategy policymakers could adopt for India's decarbonisation.Can we Offer a Credible Strategy for the Reduction of Emissions?
Let’s present CoP-26 a carbon-reduction strategy that includes adequate access to finance, writes Montek Singh Ahluwalia.How the US Created China’s Dominance
The US, more than other G7 countries, has called out the bristling hubris of a totalitarian China, writes Jaimini Bhagwati.Unpacking the Strategy Policymakers Could Adopt for India’s...
Montek Singh Ahluwalia unpacks the strategy policymakers could adopt for India's decarbonisation.Book Review | Betting on natural gas as a ‘clean’ fossil fuel
Bibek Bhattacharya reviews The Next Stop for Mint, focusing on natural gas' role in India's decarbonisation and its limitationsLessons on expenditure and performance on cleanliness on Indian cities
HT Insight features CSEP's recent study on mapping expenditure and outcomes for improved service delivery across Indian cities.Bringing Farming To Private Markets Is A Good Idea
Montek Singh Ahluwalia says he wishes the idea of agriculture reforms was communicated more effectively to farmers.The agenda for Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
Hardeep Singh Puri should not see his responsibility through the siloed prism of oil and natural gas, Vikram Singh Mehta writes.Integrated check posts are boosting connectivity but challenges remain
Riya Sinha looks at India's increasing trade and passenger movement with Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.Pegasus expose and need for trans-national treaties to stall surveillance
Nurtured by repressive governments, the global surveillance industry is booming, writes Bhaskar ChakravortiIndus Waters Treaty is worth preserving
Selective cooperation with Pakistan, not mindless confrontation is the way forward, writes Jaimini BhagwatiEurope from Portugal to the Indo-Pacific
The unprecedented EU-India summit deepened ties but was also a political signal that Europe wants more weight in the Indo-Pacific.Biden’s ‘Antitrust Revolution’ Overlooks AI—at Americans’ Peril
A handful of companies have outsize influence on the world’s artificial intelligence. Policymakers must act now.Revisiting the role of funding for improved urban services
Stable city leadership, effective PPP, and citizen engagement play a key role in providing better SWM servicesInterview: How the 1991 reforms were announced
30 years ago on July 24 1991, Dr Manmohan Singh presented his historic budget when India made a definite break with the ...We should be thankful for the economy’s liberation
We owe a great deal to 1991 for liberating the economy from the dead hand of bureaucratic control.Interview: Reforms, Protectionism, Trade, and Growth
"If we raise duties to make Indian industry competitive, we’ll end up close to 1991."Why Article 282 needs a rethink as Centre and states battle for money
The use of Article 282 to implement centrally sponsored schemes remains a source of tension.Women leaders, and women voters, matter
Increasing Indian women's political participation has significant impacts on social policy and development prioritiesThe US must play champion of open world trade again
Among the needed reforms is a trade agenda that removes US President Joe Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump’s protectionist measuresThe response of Reserve Bank of India to Covid-19: Do whatever it takes
RBI has succeeded in achieving its broad objective of keeping financial system functioning smoothly.A third-generation strategy for accelerated growth and development
Indian economy is in trouble once again and it is time to usher in a third generation of economic reforms.Challenges for natural gas to become India’s bridge fuel
Rahul Tongia examines the possibilities for natural gas in India’s energy mix.The great leap to clean energy
Vivek Rae reviews The Next Stop: Natural Gas and India's Journey to a Clean Energy Future.Borders: From zones of security to commerce via ICPs
The Integrated Check Posts along India’s borders show the capacity of the Indian Government to deliver on infrastructure projectsIndia’s civilian leadership must step up
Between the Indian Army’s ‘supremo syndrome’ and IAF’s ‘all is well’ syndrome, India’s military effectiveness is compromisedAmerica’s economic resurgence and the sting in its tail
The surprisingly strong recovery in the US, whose economic expansion is outpacing the world’s as well as that of emerging marketsCheck green damage: India needs to strengthen environmental assessments
Comprehensive Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) are essential to determine the project’s benefits and externalitiesCan natural gas be a ‘bridge’ fuel in India’s energy transition?
India’s focus for natural gas should be where it displaces coal, especially 'dirty', inefficient coalThere is still hope for a more compassionate, united world
There is still hope that binding commonalities of humanity – trust, compassion, friendship, conversation – can usher change.Book Review: The Absent Dialogue
There is a constant search for harmony among the three principal stakeholders of national security.Interview | India’s 1991 liberalisation leap and lessons for today
The reforms were hugely successful but a lot remains to be done, Montek Singh Ahluwalia tells The HinduThe lessons of India’s economic reforms of 1991
Rakesh Mohan and and Montek Singh Ahluwalia on 30 years of the economic reforms that marked a turning point for IndiaIndia needs a third generation of reforms
In India’s development journey, two major policy departures in its approach to growth stand out. It is time for a third departure.The 1991 reforms: The right people at a tight time
The reforms were a product of an objective economic crisis, bureaucratic talent in key positions, and a plan on how to proceedFrom 1991, the lessons for the India of 2021
As India grapples with a post-pandemic economic crisis, there are lessons from thirty years ago on what to reform and how.What will be the impact of scrappage policy on India’s EV market?
India’s vehicle scrappage policy introduced in the 2021 budget session aims at replacing end-of-life vehicles (ELV).Rajiv Gandhi opened the doors for 1991 reforms
Thirty years after he passed away, it is relevant to reflect on Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to India’s economic reforms.Why India shows the need for democracies to prioritise healthcare
The Covid-19 pandemic offers the opportunity to reimagine the political foundations of health in India.In the next big disruption post Covid, the world must act together
No single entity, whether government, corporate or civic society, has the tools to manage the fallout of a systemic disruption‘India needs one institutional mechanism for bringing all the bodies...
We also need reforms related to pricing, taxation, development of infrastructure, relationship between the Centre and state governments, and R&D, says Vikram ...Implications for income generated through crypto trading
Levying tax on cryptocurrency cannot be avoided solely because of the form of income in which it is collected.India, China, and the stalemate beyond Ladakh
Behind the ongoing military stalemate at the LAC lies a stifling political stalemate between India and China.India can’t yet claim to be vishwa guru: Shivshankar Menon
Menon’s new book, India and Asian Geopolitics, is a “plea” for India to engage with the world, especially Asia.Book Review | The Next Stop: Why gas is not just hot air
The Next Stop is a "rich and insightful" book where 38 industry insiders with experience in natural gas band together, says reviewInterview: Shivshankar Menon On His New Book ‘India And Asian...
India-China relations will be reset and there’s no going back to the status quo, Shivshankar Menon tells Youth ki Awaaz.The great churning: Modi’s transformation of the Indian military
India’s current military transformation requires greater civilian participation and expertise in defense matters.India’s road to clean energy goes via natural gas
Decarbonisation is the endgame, but India must first ‘green’ its fossil fuel energy basket by increasing the share of natural gasChina tore up the modus vivendi in 2020, the LAC is now live: Shivshankar...
We are still in the middle of a negotiating a crisis... the crisis is nowhere near over until Depsang, Gogra [are resolved], ...India should not risk leaning too much on one side of global politics,...
Shivshankar Menon, author of ‘Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy’ and ‘India and Asian Geopolitics : The Past, Present.’ tells ...Mineral auctions: How fair is the game?
India has a great mineral potential yet to be explored and large mineral-bearing land available for mining. However, the allocation of national ...A low-carbon future through sector-led change
In India, a sector-led, action-based approach could provide the framework to drive low-carbon transformation.Why is China aggressively turning to the sea now?
What is new for China is that it now must think as a maritime power, something it has never done for any ...Modi’s India plans to be ‘vishwaguru’ but forgets soft power is...
In ‘India and Asian Geopolitics’, Shivshankar Menon writes that being a vishwaguru plays well with Modi’s Hindu constituency but is hardly a ...Ramping up vaccinations should be accorded top priority by India
The command-and-control structure has let us down and we must soon let markets and the private sector play a larger role.Watch | Understanding ‘India and Asian Geopolitics’
Shivshankar Menon's new book offers a sweeping survey of India’s strategic history as part of the larger Asian geopolitical narrative.India-China ties set for ‘hard times’ over next 5-10 years:...
India and China have been working to ease tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since the Galwan ...The Next Stop | How is natural gas pricing done in India?
A new book edited by Vikram Singh Mehta looks at different aspects of natural gas use in India, including policy changes and ...The 1991 moment was 18 months in the making: Rakesh Mohan
In a conversation with Puja Mehra, Rakesh Mohan discussed the Indian economic control system in-depth, the command-and-control economy, and how much of ...New electricity consumer rules: Reading the impact on ‘rooftop solar’...
The older regime benefited just a handful. The new rules should spur a conversation on equitable and sustainable pricing frameworksIs natural gas India’s best choice for moving away from coal and fossil...
An excerpt from ‘The Next Stop: Natural Gas and India’s Journey to a Clean Energy Future’, edited by Vikram Singh Mehta.Why India needs a plan for climate talks
Irrespective of the direction in which climate talks move, India must announce a national target for phasing down coal-based generation of electricity. ...GV Ramakrishna: A steward of petroleum
The former petroleum secretary, who passed away two weeks ago, placed oil and gas exploration in India on a sure footing, writes ...Interview | MSS bonds must be part of the standard monetary policy...
During the interview, Dr Mohan said he fails to understand why the current Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was not given the powers ...Need for caution in delicensing distribution
It would be better to focus on developing effective wholesale electricity markets, which, in turn, require well-functioning fuel markets.Interview | Expect K-shaped, not V-shaped, recovery: Part 1
In a 3-part interview, Rakesh Mohan analyses the Indian economy, banking reforms, the RBI's role, etc.Bolstering the ongoing mining reforms
Transparency apart, the auctions must provide enough revenues for the exchequer and incentives to industry.Road to decarbonisation: Govts must remove obstacles of poorly designed...
Decarbonisation has become a buzzword. To ensure it does not remain just that but translates into effective action on the ground, policymakers ...Who gets to decide what is legitimate free speech — Big government or...
We now live in a new era of global diplomacy. It isn’t just states butting heads with other states; there are gigantic ...New electricity consumer rules: Reading the impact on ‘rooftop solar’...
The older regime benefited just a handful. The new rules should spur a conversation on equitable and sustainable pricing frameworksHas Trump permanently altered U.S. foreign policy?
"Trump has changed U.S. foreign policy because the world now sees the United States differently and because the world has gotten used ...Upgrading India’s regional disaster relief strategy
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new dimensions to the India–China competition in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.A decentralised approach and strong local governments can enhance...
Leveraging the true potential of our multi-level federal system represents the best way forward towards developing human capital.Chinese social media debates who is in control of Ladakh as India, China...
The February 11 agreement for disengagement on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso and the PLA Daily, for the first ...Enhancing competition in India’s power sector
Fixing Discoms is a pressing need, but it’s worth investing time in figuring out the details, including expected winners and losers, and ...India must manage public finances better
The ministry of finance could launch the process of stakeholder consultations and prepare a time-bound plan for the implementation of comprehensive public ...Meenakshi Ahamed’s book shows why Indo-US ties have progressed despite...
The pace of the further development of relations will depend crucially on the quality, knowledge and influence of the people that President ...Use the Ladakh crisis as an opportunity
Civilians need to focus, laser-like, perhaps by creating a Defence Reforms Unit nested within the National Security Council, to push the military ...India’s fiscal architecture needs changes
The fiscal rules that have evolved over time in many advanced countries are now being tested during the COVID-19 crisis.India’s long game with the Generals
New Delhi will say what it can and do what it must. Expect public support for democracy and private engagement with the ...A moment 30 years ago that had been a year and a half in the making:...
Rakesh Mohan narrates how the logic-defying system of industrial controls was dismantled, and discusses policies required to deal with the emerging challenges ...There is a need for high taxes uniformly across all tobacco products
Higher taxes will work in tandem with greater controls, and will help GoI pay for all the direct and indirect costs it ...1991 reforms aimed at more than just BoP crisis: Montek Singh Ahluwalia
The balance of payments (BOP) crisis was the immediate trigger but the other challenge was problem of slow growth, says Montek Singh ...The Chinese chatter on Jack Ma and his mysterious disappearance
The world wants to know where is China’s most charismatic business leader Jack Ma, but the issue remains shrouded in secrecy and ...Book review: The Historian’s Eye
Romila Thapar provides a nonjudgmental cultural perspective on China.Connect East: Explaining India’s BIMSTEC focus
India’s growing interest in BIMSTEC reflects a geo-economic priority to correct the exceptional connectivity gap that continues to divide the Bay of ...Pandemic exposed the existing societal framework as unsustainable
We must ask what from 2020 should we reinforce, what must we rebuild and what should we tear down and build again?India-China ties: The future holds ‘antagonistic cooperation’,...
The crisis has made it clear that India’s China policy cannot optimise for both security and prosperity.What China hopes to gain from the present border standoff with India
China's actions have brought about what it should be trying to deter, i.e. closer India-US coordination.A name upon a grave: India needs a proper account of the army’s war dead
If we are unable to reconcile the numbers of war dead, then naming and properly honouring every single one, and looking after ...Their ties go back in time but India, China were absent from each...
While exchanging goods, people, and ideas for centuries, India and China did not deal with other as states or impact each other’s ...Which economies showed the most digital progress in 2020?
Now more than ever, digital capabilities are essential to ensure a country’s growth and economic resilience. But how do different economies compare ...Ownership and governance of private sector banks – Part III
Going beyond its recommendations on ownership of private sector banks, there are some other internal working group (IWG) recommendations that bear scrutiny. ...Ownership and governance of private sector banks: Part II
Among the key problems that arise from the ownership of banks by nonfinancial companies are those of conflict of interest.Why private banks, their ownership structures need to be strictly...
Basic principles and international practice suggest that opening the door to the ownership of banks in India by large corporate/industrial houses should ...Interview | Should corporates be allowed to own banks?
Rakesh Mohan talks about the proposal to allow corporates to own banks and the state of the economy.A new map for the end of Oil Age: Technology is answer to energy...
How should India, an economy dependent on fossil fuels, navigate future energy transitions? A new book has some pointers.Coal power plants need an integrated approach
The three issues — retirement, pollution control, and making plants flexible — are inter-related. They need to be addressed in an integrated ...Joe Biden will need healing superpowers to get through his first hundred...
Joe Biden inherits a divided nation, government, party. Economy, foreign relations also need immediate healing.Make way for connectivity projects
Nepal and India should focus more on the strategic objective of developing infrastructure.How India can take the lead in reviving tourism in South Asia
The pandemic provides an opportunity for India to take the lead in promoting regional tourism, an important metric of soft power.Post-COVID, lack of social security has made many migrants consider...
A stark manifestation of the two-track development of our socio-economic polity is the ubiquitous spread of digital technology.India’s DisCom stress is more than the sum of its past
There must be an overhaul of the regulation of electricity firms and their deliverables using common sense metricsLeague of nationalists
How Trump and Modi refashioned the U.S.-Indian relationship.The war over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy may overtake all other...
Battle over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy, her Supreme Court seat, may overtake all other issues — pandemic, economic collapse, fires and ...Antitrust isn’t the solution to America’s biggest tech problem
The pandemic has revealed the most fundamental of our digital vulnerabilities.Make surveillance capitalists pay their dues
The world is now facing many technology crises: limited choices of search engines, social media platforms, and e-commerce sites; digital misinformation, concern ...India needs to invest in regional disaster relief mechanisms
Building capacities through training and joint exercises and coordinating comparative advantages for collective action will help India leverage goodwill among its neighbours ...Domestic concerns still shape India’s foreign policy
It is a truism that foreign policy begins at home. But how does this work in India’s case? Five forces are at ...Why Jagat Mehta would have seen Xi in the Mao mould, not Deng
I know my father would have advocated India find a diplomatic solution to the current imbroglio. But given his experience of Maoist ...South Asia must now build resilient supply chains
Facilitate cross-border flow of goods and services by reducing tariffs; improving logistics, infra and digitisation.How COVID-19 might impact India’s renewable energy transition
India, like other countries, had an ongoing energy transition, but the question becomes will COVID-19 create a pause or a shift in ...Indian Economy is in Structural Slowdown Since 2012
Cutting of rates won't have as much of a response. One does not know what in some sense ought to be the ...India’s biggest challenge: The future of farming
India has enough food; does it have too many people working in agriculture? The country needs a different set of solutions for ...Is Modi’s balancing act a reworking of India’s classic...
How many acronyms can one invent to signal a country’s foreign policy interests? Many, if you are Narendra Modi. The Indian prime ...The debate over jobs in India is missing the point
As nearly a billion Indians go to the polls this month and next, no one doubts jobs will be central to their vote. We ...100% electrification: Assessing ground reality
The past five years have seen a significant flux in India’s electricity sector. A number of policies have been adopted that have ...Some steps towards escalating the ambition on Universal Electricity Access
Whether full household electrification is achieved by March 2019 or later, India’s efforts at electrifying its rural population since the turn of ...India needs to change the thermal power story to survival of the fittest,...
The proposals for solving the current stranded capacity crisis should start a process of big picture thinking to achieve better collective outcomes ...India’s role as a democracy in the liberal international order
Since its independence from Britain in 1947, India has evolved into a strong electoral democracy the largest in the world and one ...Can natural gas be a catalyst to build a lower-carbon world?
The short answer to the question is yes; natural gas can be and has already become a catalyst in some countries, which ...Preserving the independence of the RBI
If proposals to set up an appellate body to review RBI’s regulatory and supervisory decisions were to be implemented, the whole supervisory ...Here’s why Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia are trying to...
Asia is in a state of flux. China’s Belt and Road Initiative is reshaping the region’s geography, with roads and railways traversing ...How India and China are reshaping their neighborhood
In this episode, Dhruva Jaishankar, fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings India, and Rush Doshi, post-doctoral fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, ...India rising: Soft power and the world’s largest democracy
Arguably, few phrases are as misused in international relations as “soft power.” When he coined the term, Joseph Nye captured the important ...India attempts to empower BIMSTEC after realising its limitations
Diplomats and foreign policy experts are puzzled by the absence of a “big announcement” or a major breakthrough from the fourth summit ...Here’s why central and eastern Europe may become an area of promise...
In a rare high-level engagement by India in an increasingly pivotal region, President Ram Nath Kovind is on a visit to Bulgaria ...Why health doesn’t get the media attention it deserves
Shamika Ravi spoke at The Media Rumble about making health political and democratised. “No country can develop on the back of poor human capital.”“Ball is in U.S. court for tariffs”
Dhruva Jaishankar spoke at a panel discussion on BloombergQuint on how US President Donald Trump’s raising of tariffs was not necessarily directed ...New bankruptcy laws a giant leap for financial markets
Senior Fellow and Brookings India Research Director Shamika Ravi speaks at a panel discussion on the new bankruptcy laws (IBC) reform that ...Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping Meet: What’s On The Agenda
Are India and China ready to start afresh? Brookings India’s Dhruva Jaishankar discusses in a TV discussion on BloombergQuint.‘Confident on the future of the think tank community in India’
Dr. Shamika Ravi is the director of research at Brookings India and a senior fellow of governance studies program, at Brookings India ...What India can do to build, bridge and bolster digital trust
There are more mobile phones than people on this planet, Facebook now has 2 billion monthly users, and over 93 per cent ...What can be expected from a Trump-Kim meeting?
In keeping with his reputation as the global disrupter-in-chief, US President Donald Trump’s unprecedented acceptance of a face-to-face meeting with North Korea’s ...Is the National Health Protection Scheme good public policy?
India recently announced an ambitious plan called the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) to provide government-sponsored insurance to roughly 500 million people ...Donald Trump’s trade war: A disruptive approach to trade policy
US President Donald Trump has changed the whole landscape of political discourse, especially with respect to trade policy. This began with the ...Why is the Justin Trudeau visit to India turning into a diplomatic...
Dhruva Jaishankar spoke to BloombergQuint on Canadian Prime Minister’s visit to India and what a diplomatic nightmare it was turning out to ...Budget 2018: Does the absence of energy from the finance minister’s...
I did not participate in the post-budget reflections on TV. I declined all invitations, in part, because it was not a novelty ...With the incursion of fake news, here’s what Facebook could do to...
Facebook has a world of problems. Beyond charges of Russian manipulation and promoting fake news, the company’s signature social media platform is ...Three un-Davos men: How the culture of contradiction infused the speeches...
The Harvard political scientist, Samuel Huntington, is most well-known for the idea of a clash of civilisations: Post-Cold War conflicts, he anticipated, ...India does not have the luxury to develop now and “clean up”...
New Year’s Day is an opportune occasion for reflection and re-emphasis. I summarise below 10 energy-related suggestions that I made last year, ...The year of being in denial
The act of denial is a psychological defence used by humans to reduce anxiety when they feel particularly disturbed by events. Nowadays, ...WTO and food stock holding row: Why India must strengthen world body
WTO’s 11th Ministerial Meeting ended on December 13 in Argentina, without any negotiated agreement on substantive issues. The Ministerial Decisions taken are ...Here’s how opening up the gender gap in internet usage would create...
We have all heard about a gap when it comes to participation of women in the tech industry. Facebook, Google, and Apple ...Why Donald Trump must grab the opportunity to get US trade policy right
US president Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) on his first day in office left the TPP highly uncertain. ...China’s Frankenstein: ‘Rocket Man’
The successful test of the Hwasong-15 missile by North Korea has triggered several consequences, intended and unintended: First, Kim Jong Un has ...An uncertain energy future
The government faces a renewable energy trilemma. It has set itself a target of quadrupling the generation capacity of solar energy by ...World Bank’s league table: India makes it to the top 100 nation for...
Pop the champagne and pass the mithai for it is, indeed, the epoch of belief, the season of light in the world’s ...The emerging Indo-Pacific architecture
The term “Indo-Pacific” has long been in vogue among marine biologists and ichthyologists to define the stretch of water from the tropical ...Demonetisation: A year after India killed cash, here’s what we can...
Almost a year ago, the Indian government rolled out an unprecedented policy move. Arguably, it was a time when the country was ...What’s changed in the Trump administration’s approach to Asia?
Let us give credit where credit is due. For all the talk of dysfunction and policy incoherence in Washington under President Donald ...Warring over disarmament in the UN
For most people the UN is the venue of an annual kabuki theatre where world leaders come to make sonorous speeches and ...Can the Saubhagya scheme work?
The government’s recently announced 100 per cent household electrification scheme, Saubhagya, aims to tackle the next link for electrification, where until now ...‘H-1B is an important but small issue in India-US trade’
It is unfortunate that the entire focus of India-US bilateral trade has come down to discussing the H-1B visa issue, said Harsha ...Tillerson’s visit opens a window of opportunity that India must...
In 2000, in the midst of a US election, George W Bush’s top foreign policy adviser Condoleezza Rice wrote an essay in ...The rise and rise of Xi Jinping: At 19th Party Congress, he consolidates...
The National Congress of the Communist Party, held every five years, is the closest thing authoritarian China has to an election. The ...Putting industrial policy experience to use
The department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) has released a substantive discussion paper on industrial policy which identifies several key policy ...Donald Trump’s Iran folly and India’s dilemma
On 13 October, US President Donald Trump, in a much-anticipated move, declared Iran a “rogue regime”, a sponsor of terrorism, and an ...Even Nobel economists make ignoble mistakes
I try to teach people to make fewer mistakes,” said the newly-minted economics Nobel laureate, Richard Thaler, in an interview earlier this ...Can insecurity in Asia be managed?
Since the end of World War II, Asia-Pacific has been the locale of direct and indirect military confrontation (in Korea and Indo-China, ...Saubhagya programme: The next bold step for electrification – necessary...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a new scheme called Saubhagya to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as ...Challenges ahead for clean energy
Who doesn’t want clean or ‘green’ energy? But what if this costs a bit more? We might quickly find many people’s appetite ...Enhancing the India-Japan partnership
There has been much ado about the advance in India-Japan relations following the recent summit between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo ...India reforms health: A compendium of writings
Restructuring the Medical Council of India to eliminate corruption By Shamika Ravi NITI Aayog has proposed replacing the compromised Medical Council of ...The need for reforms in healthcare finance
The Centre and state governments are experimenting with several new and exciting ideas in healthcare reforms. What is missing, however, is a ...Who knew healthcare was so complex
The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.” ...What Uttar Pradesh tells us about health infrastructure
The death of children in the recent Gorakhpur tragedy has drawn significant attention towards the state of public health institutions in Uttar ...Restructuring the Medical Council of India to eliminate corruption
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has been repeatedly criticized for providing opaque accreditation to aspiring medical colleges in India. Many of ...Can Pakistan force a shift in US’ South Asia policy?
Dhruva Jaishankar participates in a panel discussion on Rajya Sabha TV on whether Pakistan can force a shift in US’ South Asia ...BRICS: From a big bang to a whimper
The 9th Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Xiamen began dramatically with a big bang, but it was ...China miscalculated how to handle India, allowed face-saving exit
To the considerable relief of all parties involved, India and China agreed yesterday to end a 74-day stand-off by their security forces ...Afghanistan and a new hyphenation
US President Donald Trump’s much anticipated speech outlining his administration’s approach to the quagmire in Afghanistan was uncharacteristic. It was cogent, coherent, ...Beware the Trump effect
This is a tale of two septuagenarians; I hope they never meet. One is the country of India as an independent democratic ...Is the draft national energy policy for India actionable?
One cannot envy the task given to the NITI Aayog to produce a National Energy Policy (NEP). Almost all projections for future ...Why are China and India in a border standoff?
The standoff between Chinese and Indian forces near the trijunction with Bhutan is a live, and sensitive, issue for all three countries. ...A patchy green – energy policy in India
Arvind Panagariya did not list the “draft national energy policy”, prepared by the Niti Aayog and circulated for comment on June 27, ...For a greater global role, here’s why India should take SDGs...
On 19 July, India presented its first voluntary national report on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the UN. Although ...The birth of the new Nuclear Prohibition Treaty
The 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is based on three myths: first, that nuclear weapons are an entitlement bestowed upon only a ...TPPs for success: Here is how India can use this gamechanger agreement
Three years ago, when the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was seen as a game-changer in the evolving international trade regulatory regime, there ...Even as India attempts to ‘Act East’, it is ‘Thinking...
Not that long ago, the words ‘Not valid for travel to South Africa or Israel’ used to be clearly written on all ...Assessing Indo-US ties
Dhruva Jaishankar on BBC assessing Indo-US ties.Rethinking the budget in a post-GST India
The goods and services tax (GST) is finally here, so perhaps now is the time to reflect on how the budget can ...An energy warning and lessons
There is clarity and purpose in the management of our energy policy. Oil policy has been well defined and while it is ...When Narendra Modi played the Trump card
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first meeting with US President Donald Trump was, by most accounts of Raisina Hill and Washington, DC beltway ...Making a smart energy grid work for India
Newspapers are showcasing the dramatically lower costs of solar power, reportedly cheaper than coal power now, and we are told that smart ...On China, Modi Won Unexpected Support From Trump
There is a lot to analyse, and possibly over-analyse, about the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald ...Important lessons for the Smart Cities Mission
With the 26th UN-Habitat governing council conference (GC26) held last month, the new urban agenda (NUA) has once again come to the ...Better data needed on job scenario
“There are lies, damned lies, and statistics,” the 19th century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli famously said. Today, his description of questionable ...Book Review: Man on the Run
BRITISH INVESTIGATIVE journalists Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy have established themselves as specialists in fast-paced, densely-researched, narrative non-fiction books about the shadowy ...Realizing the India-US trade potential
There is significant scope to develop a cooperative India-US trade relationship that expands bilateral economic ties. This is something for US President ...Modi Trump Summit
Dhruva Jaishankar speaks to FirstPost on the June 26 Modi Trump Summit.If Trump, Modi talk climate
As is now well known, President Donald Trump has fulfilled his promise to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement. ...Advancing cooperation in higher education
It is that time of the year when India struggles to meet the educational expectations of its youth. An increasing number of ...Clean energy can cement Indo-US ties
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington, US President Donald Trump and he will find numerous areas of disagreement. High on ...Moving forward on defence and security
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Donald Trump for the first time, the focus will be on establishing a good ...Narendra Modi goes to Washington, again
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans for his fifth visit to the US in just four years and his first face-to-face meeting ...Democracy eroding
Dhruva Jaishankar participates in an interview panel on “democracy eroding”, on ‘Reality Check’, NDTV 24×7Brace Yourself, South Asia’s Geopolitics Is Becoming More Complex,...
As in other parts of the world, the geopolitics of southern Asia is a result of its geography and history – and ...Donald Trump’s friends and foes: a role reversal
Since the US took to the global stage during World War I, two categories of countries have mattered to its world view: ...Donald Trump’s friends and foes: a role reversal
Since the US took to the global stage during World War I, two categories of countries have mattered to its world view: ...Over The Barrel: A note to the class of 2017
I was in the US last week for Commencement Week when students receive their degrees. The tradition is to surround this occasion ...‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ for the 21st century
From Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi, India’s leaders have often evoked the phrase vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family), taken from ...India doesn’t have a lot to lose by boycotting OBOR. Read why
What does India want from the world? It’s quite clear, really: international partnerships to accelerate its domestic development, a stable and conducive ...New Delhi’s efforts at ICJ may just have won Kulbhushan Jadhav a...
On May 18, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the principal judicial arm of the United Nations – ruled on the ...The art of curry diplomacy
Infosys plans to curry favour with the Donald Trump administration with a promise of creating 10,000 new American jobs. We should note ...Joint Doctrine for Armed Forces: the single-service syndrome
Last month the three service chiefs released the latest iteration of the Joint Doctrine for the Indian Armed Forces. In the foreword ...Should India Inc. bid for Westinghouse?
George Westinghouse and the company he founded in 1886 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pioneered the commercial production and transmission of a scientific marvel ...Coming up Trumps
As Donald Trump completes 100 days as US President, what has it meant for India? The short answer is, nobody knows, not ...Why is today’s oil market, a ‘no mans’ land?
The oil market has never been easy to call but these days it appears to be in “no man’s” land. Why is ...Donald Trump’s tumultuous 100 days
As Donald Trump lunges towards 100 days of his presidency with the elegance of a raging bull in a china shop strewn ...Delhi’s inefficient electricity subsidies
Who doesn’t like discounts or freebies, especially from the government? Subsidies aren’t inherently wrong they can help keep goods and services affordable, ...Can unarmed states prohibit nuclear weapons?
Guess what terrifies nations armed with the most powerful weapons ever invented? Believe it or not a mere UN conference to ban ...Can unarmed states prohibit nuclear weapons?
Guess what terrifies nations armed with the most powerful weapons ever invented? Believe it or not a mere UN conference to ban ...View from India: Pak may want to think twice about US mediation
Donald Trump, deal-maker. That’s how the president of the United States has long branded himself. But his tenure as deal-maker-in-chief has not ...Over The Barrel: Democrat’s dilemma
Thomas Jefferson wrote, “a government big enough to give you everything you want is also strong enough to take away everything you ...China benefits from nuclear disorder
The rise in global nuclear disorder and its increasing disconnect from world order is epitomized in the nuclear weapon programmes of ...Why EVMs are win-win
Free and fair elections to choose political representatives are a cornerstone of a democracy, and a fundamental human right of people. Voting ...How Companies Can Champion Sustainable Development
Given political climates around the world and a new wariness around international cooperation, the private sector could find itself in the hot ...North-East Asia goes dangerously ballistic
If there was any doubt that North-East Asia has become the most dangerous place on earth, with the prospect of a nuclear ...A sentinel’s censure
The latest collection of P. Chidambaram’s articles is an indictment of India’s evolution as a liberal democracy I was a panelist ...Indo-US naval cooperation: steady as she goes?
The US and Indian navies could carry out ‘benign naval and maritime activity’ during periods of diplomatic strain. In the ever-expanding universe ...Trump’s new trade tax in uncharted territory
The proposed border tax adjustment policy deviates from the conventional WTO-consistent regime. US President Donald Trump is expected to announce his new ...No such thing as a perfect renewable energy contract
India’s 175 GW renewable energy (RE) targets by 2022 are ambitious, to say the least. Compared to RE targets in Europe, China, ...India is an average low-tariff economy, there are misconceptions otherwise
India is widely known as a country with high import tariffs. This view, however, is incorrect. Changing this view is important for ...Can Trump really value a strong, independent India?
The US capital is a strange place these days. The District of Columbia’s coffee shops are running a brisk business, attending to ...A disrupter’s guide to India’s defence budget
While India’s defence budget is now the fourth largest in the world, it is not providing adequate bang for the buck The ...2016, the year of inflexion for the oil industry?
India hasn’t yet joined the global move towards clean energy. But for how long can it hold out? A large part of ...India and China
Dhruva Jaishankar spoke to the Australian Information Industry Association on the historical conflicts between China and India, the sub-continent’s economic potential and ...“Finance Minister is looking to present a budget against the...
Brookings India Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta speaks to journalist Karan Thapar on whether the Finance Minister should be cautious or bold in ...What Trump’s TPP withdrawal means for India
In one of his first acts upon assuming office, Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum confirming the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific ...Demonetisation – thereafter proposing a new abnormal
Now let’s try demonetisation without denouement, perpetually preserve the uncertainty A little over two months has passed since the Narendra Modi government’s ...Passing the baton: what to watch in the Donald Trump regime
With Donald Trump taking over as US President from Barack Obama, what legacy does he inherit? How could the change in administration ...A tradeoff between growth and social objectives exists for microfinance...
Senior Fellow Shamika Ravi was a panellist at the 5th Plenary of Day 2 at the Inclusive Finance India Summit 2016, held ...Global trends: discontinuity and disruption – risks and challenges...
Key global trends include rising income, climate change, growing cyber dependency, ageing population, artificial intelligence, and the changing nature of conflict Last ...Barack Obama leaves a mixed legacy: impressive handling of the US economy...
Eight years ago, on a freezing January morning, I stood with over a million people on the National Mall in Washington DC ...The fight against hidden hunger: targeting the first 1000 days of a...
India faces an invisible public health crisis in the form of widespread maternal and child undernutrition. One-third of Indian women (of reproductive ...Data management: India needs agency for energy data
India has no central body for maintaining and disseminating energy data, let alone analysing it. We propose the creation of a national ...Finding the sync: connecting the fragmented liberal and democratic...
Last year raised questions over relevance of liberal democratic processes, called for a review. 2016 has been a dramatic year. I am ...How India can meet its ambitious renewable energy targets
A systemic approach that focuses on enabling the environment for more renewable energy will help India to meet its target of generating ...Demonetisation push to labour reforms: molding the future of the markets
Demonetisation has the potential to facilitate an environment that will develop a formal culture in India’s labour markets Among the loudest critics ...The government’s ‘little mistakes’ can have a high cost
A relative passed away recently… or should I say in the future? See the official government death certificate issued, which shows a ...How Donald Trump may re-negotiate the TPP
In a recent video message, US president-elect Donald Trump announced certain actions he would take on the first day of his administration. ...Trump’s decision on Trans-Pacific Partnership gives India some...
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a landmark trade deal driven by US which spanned 12 Pacific Rim countries, excluding China. It was viewed ...How to tame a dragon: To deal with Chinese muscle in a post-American...
The election of Donald Trump as US president has unleashed further uncertainty on a world already in considerable flux. Trump has promised ...‘India should be less worried about trade with US than others’
Dhruva Jaishankar, Fellow, Foreign Policy, Brookings India, tells Aditi Phadnis of the Business Standard that India should take advantage of Donald Trump’s ...Demonetisation: Effect on interest rates, inflation and policy action
Dr. Shamika Ravi (Senior Fellow, Brookings India) and Dr. Eswar Prasad (Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution) participated in a debate about the demonetisation ...India, meet President Trump
For India, there are naturally opportunities in Trump’s election, but concerns over his Asian policy cannot be brushed aside With the election of ...Uncertainty and unpredictability about Trump’s presidency
Dhruva Jaishankar spoke to Quint and BloombergQuint on what having Donald Trump as the next U.S. President means for India. The election of ...
The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) is an independent, public policy think tank with a mandate to conduct research and analysis on critical issues facing India and the world and help shape policies that advance sustainable growth and development.