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‘Make in India’ a Work in progress
While the Indian government has rolled out policies to promote exports, trade policy is more inwardly oriented. The ‘Make in India’ initiative ignores the decades-long geographical fragmentation of the global production process, a reality that increases the import dependence of exports.We Need Wardens in Our Eco Parks
Take the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It is assigned the task of monitoring air and water quality, and to also check commercial or industrial units that may pollute them. It is also allocated the task of supporting State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), which carry out the monitoring, permitting and enforcing functions ...Ladakh’s Transformation from a Connecting Bridge to a Borderland
The Sambandh blog attempts to understand the complex history of Ladakh and its transformation from being a bridge between the plains of India and Central Asia, to becoming a deeply contested and heavily guarded territory between China and India.Union Budget 2022-23: Key Takeaways by CSEP Scholars
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2022-23 on February 1. CSEP scholars Rakesh Mohan, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Vikram Singh Mehta, and Jaimini Bhagwati analyse the Budget and reflect on some of the key takeaways.Between Binaries: The Coming Together of For-Profit and Not-for-Profit...
From being a malleable concept, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has come to be strictly defined by legislation. Somewhat corresponding to this, the conversations around impact and governance in the social sector have started changing.What is the Credibility of Government Accounting?
When the government presents the 2022-23 Budget, there will be relatively little attention spent on correlating the budget numbers with recent CAG reports or the deliberations of the PAC, says Jaimini Bhagwati.Jungle Passports: Navigating the India-Bangladesh Borderlands
The Sambandh blog explores the mobility and the equilibrium surrounding the lives of the Muslim and Garo Christian communities in the volatile India - Banladesh border zones.The ‘Whys’ Behind China’s Breathing-fire-24/7 Foreign Policy
The pattern of China’s internal politics and development has given a particular cast or shape to China’s external behaviour in the last decade.Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and Long-Term Bulk Lending in India
Jaimini Bhagwati examines the effectiveness of the 2016 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Act (IBC) as the most recent legislation to enable quicker resolution of disputes between borrowers and lenders thus encouraging higher volumes of long-term lending.From Insurgent Group to Interim Government: Taliban’s Legitimacy and...
India is surrounded by neighbours increasingly confronted by conflict and civil war. Understanding how rebel groups build legitimacy and come to govern large civilian populations is critical for New Delhi to craft suitable and innovative policy responses.Does India’s Development Model Need an Overhaul?
While the effects of the recent pandemic have indeed set India’s economy back several years, it is not clear if, prior to it, the development model that we were pursuing was the one best suited to ensuring that we realise our full potential as a country and as a people.Enough of the Old ‘Level Playing Field’ Argument. Reduce Trade...
Data from the IMF's October 2021 World Economic Outlook reveals that India's real exports growth moves in tandem with the growth in global real exports. Consequently, the steep decline in India's export growth since 2018 onwards is mirrored by a decline in global export growth in general.Internal Drivers of China’s External Behaviour
Shivshankar Menon suggests crucial domestic factors which have driven China’s path and examines some implications of the role in shaping China’s policy choices.Three Tech Industry Trends to Watch in 2022
Fringe players take on Big Tech, governments start regulating, and AI could finally prove its worth, writes Bhaskar Chakravorti.Can India Push China off its Dominant Perch?
"A compass to navigate the geopolitical churn with China." Vikram Singh Mehta reviews "Rising To The China Challenge" by Gautam Bambawale, Vijay Kelkar, Raghunath Mashelkar, Ganesh Natarajan, Ajit Ranade and Ajay Shah.District Mineral Foundation Funds: Evaluating the Performance
Rajesh Chadha and Ishita Kapoor analyse the collection, allocation, and expenditure patterns in India’s top 12 mining states through a DMF Utilisation Index (DMFUI).Preparing for a Green Energy Shift in 2022
The ‘irresistible force’ for clean energy has met the ‘immovable object’ of an embedded fossil fuel energy system. How can policies reconcile this paradox?India’s Hopes and Dynasties
The country needs greater social harmony to accelerate economic development, says Jaimini Bhagwati.50 Global Hubs for Top AI Talent
As AI expands into more and more facets of our lives, there is also more scrutiny on who is developing it. Building ethical AI that works for everyone will require a diverse workforce that brings a broad range of perspectives.Prospective Mining Conflicts: Adopt Sustainable Development
While the expansion of mining activities may benefit the affected local communities, it may harm them if their benefits do not offset the negative impact on their habitat and earnings.India’s Health Status and Emerging Priorities
The progress on several indicators since the 2014-15 survey points to the success of interventions on various fronts, although a cross-year comparison reveals that progress has slowed down for many states.The Good, Bad, and Sober News that the NFHS Data Presents
As always, national averages belie inter-state differentials. Of note is the change in such differentials over the 2005-20 period.Wanted: New leaders to tackle climate change challenge
COP 27 should be led by a collective of experts, who can accelerate the implementation of the action plan towards Net Zero, says Vikram Singh Mehta.Interpreting India at the Summit for Democracy
For the Indian government, the future of democracy is being played out in Asia and Africa, where states are experimenting with competing governance models amidst China’s growing autocratic influence.The Political Pathway to Health System Improvements in India
With a predominantly family health and infectious disease focus, India’s health system is not well geared to deal with the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases.‘The Fractured Himalaya: India, China, Tibet 1949-1962’ review: A...
The history of the critical initial years of a political relationship when India and China tried to manage issues such as the boundary question, and failed.Reforming Electricity Distribution in India: Understanding Delicensing and...
The changes being proposed by the government for delicensing distribution and allowing multiple discoms in the same geographical area are unlikely to solve the problems in the power sector, particularly regarding the poor financial health of discoms.From Democracy Summit to Global Democratic Agenda?
This policy brief focuses on one very specific element: the question of how a meaningful participation of Asian, African, and Latin American democracies can best be encouraged and ensured. The paper offers 5 ideas for maximizing their future involvement.Economic Heft and Foreign Policy Posturing
India's foreign policy options are circumscribed by its relatively inadequate economic size and technological capabilities, says Jaimini Bhagwati.Energy Flows through Production and Consumption Structure of India’s...
Results from this note may be used for partial and general equilibrium models (PE and GE) to analyse the impacts of climate-change mitigation policies on the economy, people, and environment.In Defence, The Twin Transformations
The country’s political leadership took a leap in reimagining the military. But it must pay attention to structural issues.India Needs a Coordinated Approach for Decarbonisation of Economy
Long-term planning process must be changed and an autonomous, credible agency must provide independent advice, monitor progress.The Kashmir Back Channel 2004 – 2007: Prospects for India-Pakistan...
India and Pakistan have, in the past, entered a dialogue process in the wake of intensely violent periods. The Kashmir talks that began in 2004 are an example.Does the Glasgow Pact Make Climate Finance Available to Us?
We must push hard for funds at next year’s CoP and do what’s possible at home to enhance flows of capital into green projects.The Glasgow Summit on Climate Change: What Has it Achieved?
A promising start on emissions reduction, but big emitters must do more and India needs to work out a detailed plan of action.Why India needs a Ministry of Energy
It would not alter the existing roles and responsibilities of the various ministries that oversee petroleum, coal, renewables and power, but would identify and handle all of the issues that currently fall between the cracks created by the existing structure.Interview | Did UPA Fall Back on Loosening Government’s Grip on...
In the Q&A with Business Standard, Montek Singh Ahluwalia dwells on the areas where he feels UPA did not meet up to the challenges and the progress made by the BJP on certain fronts.For Meaningful Financial Inclusion, We Need Clear Metrics
The purpose of any data or index is to offer us pointers on moving ahead. For meaningful financial inclusion, we must have meaningful metrics in the public domain.Net Zero: Pledges Are Not Enough
There are several problems with the so-called 'carbon neutrality' pledges. These can only be understood properly if they are accompanied by details and given tight accounting norms.How India’s Gati Shakti Plan Can Have an Impact Beyond Its Borders
India's Gati Shakti plan can generate positive spillover effects, strengthen India’s economic ties with its neighbours.The Saviour Complex of Facebook’s Critics
Whistleblowers and the Western media have exposed how the social media platform allows dangerous social media manipulation in developing countries. But why have they locked those very countries out of this conversation?Long-Term Goal-Setting and Planning for Decarbonising the Indian Power...
It is important that the approach used in India for setting and implementation of targets pays attention to, not only environmental impacts, but also the affordability of electricity, and reliability of the power system.1971 War Tilted Balance in India’s Favour
Bangladesh today is a development success story as that country overtook India and Pakistan in terms of per capita income and human development indicators.Net Zero Carbon Pledges Have Good Intentions. But They are Not Enough.
Reaching zero is important, but there is no universal consensus on when the date of net zero should be. The “sooner the better” remains a common refrain.Ahead of CoP 26 Meet: A Negotiation Strategy
The right approach is for each country to focus not on the net zero date but to indicate its emissions reduction trajectory consistent with its development imperatives.India’s Next Decade: Some Predictions, Some Speculations
India of 2030 will look very different from an institutional setting and that will perhaps be the core driver of all the surface changes that we will encounter.The Inside Story of India’s Coal and Power Crises
Simple arithmetic will show that power plants consumed more coal than they received, but given that generation wasn’t exceptionally high, does this mean the problem was supply?Ethnic Rebellion: Armed Struggle in Myanmar’s Borderlands
Riya Sinha interviews David Brenner on the dynamics of conflict and explores how to engage with EAOs (Ethnic Armed Organisations) in constructive ways in the Myanmar borderland.Waste Management and Cleanliness in Cities: Linking Expenditure with...
Our results indicate that while SWM expenditure per capita is positive and statistically significant at 1% level, waste generation is completely insignificant, argues Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva.Power balance has shifted against us: Shivshankar Menon on India-China...
We have to rely on ourselves to deal with China. We have started military reforms but it is too early to say we have been successful, says Shivshankar Menon.Quota share of BRIC countries in IMF should increase: Rakesh Mohan to...
Rakesh Mohan suggests the need to review the role of IMF due to changing economic weight of emerging countries, stressing on completing quota reforms and maintaining data integrity amid the World Bank discontinuing its Ease of Doing Business reports.RBI’s Growth Estimate ‘Exaggerated’ As It Fails To Reflect State of...
There are concerns on whether the 64.4 percent export growth will continue into the rest of the year as shortages of containers have led to a sharp rise in transport costs which could weaken performance.Low Private Investment Is a Weak Spot In The Economy
After the recovery of the economy next year, will we only get back to the growth rate of 4 to 5 percent which prevailed immediately before the pandemic, or to the much higher growth of earlier years?Paradiplomacy in Northeast India: Assam Acts East
Hazarika’s Paradigms of Paradiplomacy in the Northeast is pioneering in shedding light on the paradiplomatic efforts made by these North-eastern states, with a particular focus on Assam.A Strategy For India In a World That is Adrift
The country’s path to power will be affected by the geopolitical and economic centres of gravity now shifting to Asia.Recognising The Role of Health in India’s Social and Economic Growth
When we focus on health, there has been progress, but India remains well below peer countries — and where it needs to be — in terms of the well being of citizens. This stems from multiple reasons.Cross-Border Terror Not Over-Arching Threat, SAARC Policy Needs Review
India must rethink its attitude to cross-border terrorism which is “not an over-arching threat” and also urgently review its SAARC policy or run the risk of China being admitted as a member in India’s absence, says Shivshankar Menon.A Green Response to Natural Gas Price Shock
The price surge must be leveraged to improve energy efficiency, intensify demand conservation and intervene to prevent the switch to coal, among other measures.National Monetisation Pipeline Betrays Narrow Outlook
Private-public investment structures make sense, but they must be modeled to also generate social value. In today’s world, there are no shortcuts to sustainable development.Can Property Rights Improve Access to Toilets for the Urban Poor? Evidence...
Shaonlee Patranabis and Sahil Gandhi analyse slum laws from three states, studying two approaches to improvement of slums—redevelopment, and provision of property rights.Neighbourhood’s First Responder: India’s Approach to Humanitarian...
Saneet Chakradeo maps India’s Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and its many dimensions – bilateral, multilateral, and civil society contributions.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.Getting to Net Zero: An Approach for India at CoP-26
The best short-term target India could offer would be a planned phasing out of coal based power generation.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 this year.The Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka’s Emerging Maritime Identity
The blog explores Sri Lanka’s non-aligned strategy over the years, and the country’s multipronged approach to secure its interests.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 open, safe, free but I don’t think either side has linked that to whether India has a permanent seat in the UN security council or not."Assessing the Criticality of Non-fuel Minerals in India
India needs to undertake serious research and build a policy framework of being self-reliant in clean energy and high-tech equipment by acting fast on exploring and excavating critical minerals and setting up investments in the downstream value chain of requisite manufacturing equipment at home.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 refuge elsewhere.Flatten-the-curve: Why total carbon emissions matter much more than...
Becoming zero is important, but “date of net-zero” is incomplete, lacking any measure of what the date should be. “Sooner is better” remains a motherhood statement.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 Sinha.Jet Airway, Indian Economy, and the Middle Class
The Indian economy is recovering. But can we settle into a long-term high-growth trajectory?Balancing India’s electricity grid in 2030: A detailed, granular...
India has some of the most aggressive RE targets in the world. How can we offer solutions to balance the electricity grid and osupply and demand?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 Montek Singh Ahluwalia.India’s Human Capital: The Regulatory Context for Leveraging Federalism
Anoop Singh and Kevin James and others discuss ways to improve India's human capital indicators.One Year of CSEP: Essential Reading on Economic Growth and Finance
On the one-year anniversary of CSEP, we bring you eight essential readings on the Indian economy.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 moral issue, this failure is also a strategic liability.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.Leveraging India’s Northeast Region for Regional Connectivity
Riya Sinha interviews Sanjay Kathuria and Priya Mathur on the changing scenario of the Northeast Region (NER) of India.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 the Covid-19 pandemic.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 turn help in removing leakages from the system.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 define the future course of connectivity in South Asia.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.Non-fuel Mineral Auctions: How Fair is the Game, and For Whom?
The 2015 MMDR amendment introduced the auctions regime, ending first come, first serve allocations, but the system needs a reviewCan 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.Fault Lines: Reflections on South Asian Frontiers
Is the experience of borders and boundaries in South Asia different from other regions of the world?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.Still Non-Aligned? Sri Lankan Politics and Foreign Policy
How Sri Lanka's internal politics and socio-economic changes under the Rajapaksas-led government inform Colombo's foreign policyIntegrated 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 servicesNepal’s Turn to China: Opportunities and Challenges
Amish Raj Mulmi on his new book, All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s Turn to China, and how Nepal views its northern neighbourInterview: 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 past.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 projectsPartition and Pragmatism in India-Pakistan Relations
In Pallavi Raghavan's new book, we find out how a history of India-Pakistan cooperation 70 years ago matters to foreign policy nowIndia’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 proceedLinking Land Borders: India’s Integrated Check Posts
How India’s Integrated Check Posts at its borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan facilitate regional connectivityFrom 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.The Response of the Reserve Bank of India to Covid-19: Do Whatever it...
Rakesh Mohan discusses the role of Reserve Bank of India in fighting the economic impact of Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown.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.In India-Bhutan Borderlands, An Informal Exchange Rate System Thrives
In this edition, Saneet Chakradeo interviews Ankur Sharma on the parallel currency market in India-Bhutan borderlandsWhy 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 Singh Mehta.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.Partitions and the Periphery: India, Burma, and Patkai borderlands
In this edition, Nitika Nayar interviews Bérénice Guyot-Réchard on her recent work on India and Burma's 'unfinished partition'.India’s fiscal architecture: Lessons from the world and a way forward
This discussion note argues that India needs to benchmark its fiscal architecture to 21st century international standards.Upstream-downstream politics: South Asia’s water discourse
In this edition, we interview Sunil Amrith on his book Unruly Waters: How Mountain Rivers and Monsoons Have Shaped South Asia’s History.Deconstructing China’s infrastructure investments in Nepal
In this edition, we interview Galen Murton, and Austin Lord, on their article, ‘Trans-Himalayan power corridors: Infrastructural politics and China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Nepal’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], says Menon.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 ThePrint’s Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta at ‘Off The Cuff’.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 resources has been a challenging exercise.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 extended period of time, if at all, writes Menon.CSEP sustainable mining attractiveness index: District-level study of...
This paper introduces the concept of a Sustainable Mining Attractiveness Index to evaluate the mining sustainability in the districts of the Indian state of Jharkhand.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 realistic goal when India is a net importer of knowledge.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.Revisiting the role of funding: Lessons from expenditure and performance...
As large parts of Bengaluru remain under water, we revisit a paper by Shishir Gupta and Rishita Sachdeva on the role of funding in delivering better urban services. Using SWM as an example, the authors argue that service delivery levels can increase significantly without spending (much) more.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 border clash in June 2020.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 reforms in pricing.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 this system was dismantled after 1991.India-Pakistan relations and Indian think tanks
In this edition, we interview Stuti Bhatnagar on her book “India's Pakistan Policy: How Think Tanks Are Shaping Foreign Relations.”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 Vikram Singh Mehta.Challenges for natural gas to become India’s bridge fuel: Economics,...
This paper examines the possibilities for natural gas in India’s energy mix, both through the lens of competitive economic viability as well as the impact its use might have, notably, on carbon emissions.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 to take a call on the reverse repo rate.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.Do property rights explain health outcomes of adolescent girls in India?
The study reveals the state of property rights in India and presents an analyses of issues pertaining to security of tenure.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 will have to build structures that reflect the woven, multidimensional, interdependent and interconnected nature of the energy ecosystem.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 tech companies that have thrown their hats into the geopolitical ring.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 to a less predictable and engaged United States of America."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 time, publicly claiming four Chinese casualties from the Galwan clash on February 19 have once again made China-India border standoff a major talking point in China.India’s housing paradox: Empty houses and housing shortages
The Model Tenancy Act can improve rent control legislation and contract enforcement to bring vacant houses into the market.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 possibilities for gaming.A third-generation strategy for accelerated growth and development in...
The third generation of economic reforms must direct attention to improving the government’s own competence, at all levels.Sustaining trade routes in the Himalayan borderlands
In this edition, Riya Sinha interviews Dr. Tina Harris, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, on her book chapter, “The Mobile and Material in Himalayan Borderlands.”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 financial management reforms at all levels of government.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 Biden appoints to his India desk.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 to adopt necessarily painful organisational reforms.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 regime.Regional Connectivity and India’s BIMSTEC Policy
This paper reviews how regionalism is making a comeback in the Bay of Bengal, the challenges of connectivity, and the opportunities and limitations of India’s new approach to BIMSTEC.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 of redeploying labour.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 incurs due to tobacco consumption.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 AhluwaliaThe 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 mystery.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 Bengal region.Need for an integrated approach for coal power plants
This discussion note suggests an integrated approach to addressing the retirement of older coal plants, installation of ECS, etc,.Infrastructure across the India-Nepal borderlands: A photo-essay
This visual essay covers fieldwork and findings on how land acquisition and related challenges have delayed strategic infrastructure projects.India’s Housing Vacancy Paradox: How rent control and weak contract...
How rent control and weak contract enforcement produce unoccupied units and a housing shortage at the same time.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?2020 reading list: Scholars at CSEP recommend
We have curated a list of non-fiction must-reads, handpicked by our scholars, here at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress. Happy reading!Beyond binaries: The coming together of Indian non-profit and for-profit...
The study looks at the evolving dynamics of the civil society/non-profit sector and examines variations in governance, changes in funding etc. which influence positive outcomes, while also looking at what constitutes positive outcomes.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 next of kin, is not possible.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 politics or security until the 19th century.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 as far as the current state and ongoing momentum of their digital development?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 be done, if at all, with utmost caution.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 fashion by distribution companies.Wage Trickle Down vs. Rent Trickle Down: How does an increase in college...
The study confirms that high‐skilled workers gain greater benefits from living in cities with a rising college share, as the increase in their wage premiums outweighs their rent growth.Buddhism and the India-China rivalry in the Himalayas
Himalayan geopolitics is defined by a complex web of political and cultural ties among the diverse sects of Buddhism.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.India-Bhutan hydropower cooperation: Perceptions and politics
There is growing public concern in Bhutan regarding India’s increasing development cooperation in the country over the last few years.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 metricsIMF Quota reforms and global economic governance: What does the future...
The world is on the cusp of an epochal change in global economic power, not seen since the start of the Industrial Revolution.League 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 floods — in US presidential polls.Antitrust isn’t the solution to America’s biggest tech problem
The pandemic has revealed the most fundamental of our digital vulnerabilities.Input-output transactions table: Odisha 2015-16
The Odisha Input-Output Transactions Table for 2015-16 depicts intersectoral intermediate transactions across 76 sectors of the state’s economy, the final demand for consumption and investment, and trade flows.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 about which is heightened this year.Breaking down Silos to improve the health of older adults: The case for...
The leading cause of injury for older Americans is falls in the home, resulting in more deaths than any other injury, as well as a significant portion of Medicare spending.Reforms in the mining sector: Comments and recommendations
The Ministry of Mines issued a notice on proposed reforms in the mining sector under nine different categories. This blog piece gives recommendations and suggestions in response to these reforms as well as additional comments on making the mining sector a catalyst for economic growth and development.Reconciling DisCom ‘stimulus’ and dues: We must look beyond the tip of...
DisComs needs support in the coming months, exacerbated by COVID-19, which has hurt revenues more than the reduction in demand.Minerals royalty rates in India: Comparison with other countries
The mining royalty rates in India are among the highest in the world. This discussion note takes a view of the various systems of mineral royalty and their implementation for different minerals in India over time and compares it with the systems implemented on other mining jurisdictions.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 through its disaster relief programmes.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 play — economic development, geographic reality, ideological positioning, transactional necessities and its place in the international order.India needs to strengthen, not dilute, environmental assessments
The Indian government’s proposed EIA draft has been criticised for diluting the environment assessment process. What are good international precedents that India can follow?India’s energy transition: Coal is down but not out
The coal transition is already underway. There may be a lot of uncertainty, but what is even more certain is that the future will not look like the past – and it shouldn’t. The future should be cleaner, more inclusive, more efficient, and more secure, not to mention cost-effective.Reviving energy cooperation in South Asia
Mirza Sadaqat Huda’s book offers unique insights into addressing the underlying problems in regional energy cooperation.Neighbourhood first responder: India’s humanitarian aid and relief
India must improve collaboration with neighbours and leverage regional institutions for disaster management.When land comes in the way: India’s connectivity infrastructure in Nepal
Land acquisition and lack of coordination has delayed India's development cooperation projects in neighbouring countriesTravel South Asia: India’s tourism connectivity with the region
Introduction Tourism is an important metric of a country’s soft power potential, marked by an increase in movement of people and enabling people-to-people connectivity. Over the last two decades, South Asia has emerged as an attractive tourist destination due to its natural and cultural diversity, and price competitiveness.[2] The region is home ...Why India’s push for private-sector coal mining won’t raise carbon...
After decades of public-sector dominance, and controls that relegated the private sector to minority status in coal mining, India recently launched commercial coal mining via coal mine auctions. Proponents argue this will help bring in not just more capital and improved technology, but also improve the quality of production and output; critics worry this will lock ...Bhutan’s democratic transition and ties to India
In this edition, Dr. Constantino Xavier interviews Dr. Sonam Kinga on his book “Democratic Transition in Bhutan: Political Contests as Moral Battles” published in October 2019 by Routledge India. The Himalayan kingdoms of Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan offer comparative insights on how traditional Hindu and Buddhist monarchies have witnessed different political fates. ...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 China, he would have also urged that our velvet glove of diplomacy must now cover an iron fist of resolve.Mughal empire and the making of a region: Locating South Asia in early...
In this edition, Sofia Shehana Basheer interviews Dr. Manjeet S. Pardesi on his recent work on South Asian international history. The paper titled “Mughal Hegemony and the Emergence of South Asia as a “Region” for Regional Order-building” was published in the European Journal of International Relations, Vol. 25(1) in 2019. Regions have ...Mining and Jurisprudence: Observations for India’s mining sector to...
Over the past decade, India's mining sector, including the non-fuel mineral sector, has been marred by countless controversies.Conflict, conservation, and cooperation across the India-Bhutan border
In this edition of our blog series, Umika Chanana interviews Dr. Anwesha Dutta on her article “Forest becomes frontline: Conservation and counter-insurgency in a space of violent conflict in Assam, Northeast India” published in Political Geography Vol. 77, 2020. In the article [1], Dr. Anwesha Dutta construes the evolution of separatist movements that stimulates ...COVID-19 is an opportunity to clean up India’s coal power plants
The arrival of COVID-19 in India led to a lockdown requiring 1.3 billion people to stay at home. Economic activity, at least in the first two versions of the lockdown, almost came to a standstill. By many standards, this was the world’s strictest lockdown. Total demand of grid electricity between March 25 ...Interpreting the India-Nepal border dispute
On May 8, India’s defence minister virtually inaugurated a new 80 km-long road in the Himalayas, connecting to the border with China, at the Lipulekh pass. The Nepali government protested immediately, contending that the road crosses territory that it claims and accusing India of changing the status quo without diplomatic consultations. Among ...Skewed critical minerals global supply chains post COVID-19
Introduction While there is rich extant literature on India’s dependence on and its long-term need for natural gas and coal, there is not a similar understanding of non-fuel minerals, particularly the critical minerals. A study by the Department of Science and Technology and the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (DST-CEEW, 2016) ...South Asia must now build resilient supply chains
Facilitate cross-border flow of goods and services by reducing tariffs; improving logistics, infra and digitisation.Comments and analysis of Draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020
Few would dispute that change is required in the legislative and regulatory framework of the power sector in India.Interview: On India’s neighbourhood, regional institutions and...
Q. Given your expertise in South Asia, by making use of the framework established within comparative politics how do you make sense of India’s South Asian policies in recent times? To what extent does it differ for various regional settings such as BIMSTEC, BBIN, and SAARC? Constantino Xavier: The big puzzle that ...Linking border-making and sovereignty in postcolonial South Asia
In this edition of the Sambandh blog, Riya Sinha interviews Dr. Elisabeth Leake and Dr. Daniel Haines on their article, Lines of (In)Convenience: Sovereignty and Border-Making in Postcolonial South Asia, 1947-1965, published in the Journal of Asian Studies. The article combines archival history methodology with conceptual insights from political geography and critical ...Impact of temperature on electricity demand: Evidence from Delhi and...
This study measures the change in electricity demand in response to weather shocks at the household level in Delhi, and at various aggregate levels in India.India’s limited trade connectivity with South Asia
Introduction Despite geographical proximity and the existence of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs), South Asia is one of the least economically integrated regions in the world. Owing to protectionist policies, high logistics cost, lack of political will and a broader trust deficit, intra-regional trade in South Asia remains well below ...An analysis of non-fuel mineral blocks auctions in India
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957 regulates the mining sector in India, including specifying the rules for the allocation of mining leases. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 introduced, amongst other changes, the system of auctions to be used by state governments when granting ...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 the trajectories? Or, will it induce radical change? No one can know for sure, in part because we don’t know what the “new normal” will be, but also because timeframes ...DisComs post-COVID-19: Untangling the historical challenges, needs, and...
COVID has unleashed a relatively unique global pandemic with economic, human, and institutional upheavals that haven’t been seen in generations. Economies are in a tailspin, and employment has been one of the biggest casualties beyond direct human health. The collapse of both liquidity and economic activity hits DisComs harder than many other ...India and Bangladesh: Border enclaves and ‘acts of belonging’
For decades, India-Bangladesh relations were marred by the question of a comprehensive settlement of the land boundary between both countries, an important aspect of which included facilitating the belated exchange of border enclaves. These were pockets of land embedded entirely in the foreign territory of its neighbour complicating the state’s administrative control ...Fractured Global Value Chains post COVID-19: Can India gain its missed...
I. Economic Growth and Trade Covid-19 has hit the world hard. As on May 11, 2020, there have been a total of 4,215,274 positive cases across the world with 284,672 reported deaths. The U.S. has suffered the highest number of 80,800 deaths. India has reported 67,724 Covid-19 positive cases and 2,215 deaths.[1] ...District Mineral Foundation funds can help COVID-19 hit mining areas
The Prime Minister of India held a meeting on April 30, 2020 to consider reforms in the mines and coal sector to jump-start the Indian economy in the backdrop of COVID-19. The mining sector, which is a primary supplier of raw materials to the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, is being considered to ...India’s foreign affairs strategy
India finds itself in an increasingly dangerous world, one that is fragmenting and slowing down economically.How India-China rivalry affects secondary state behaviour in South Asia
Saneet Chakradeo interviews Rohan Mukherjee and Darren Lim on their article “Hedging in South Asia: balancing economic and security interests amid Sino-Indian competition” published in International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, 2019. Q. In your article [1], you write on the concept of hedging, which describes the behaviour of secondary states amidst competition ...Enhancing mineral exploration in India
These steps can make India's mineral asset allocation process more transparent and create a competitive exploration environment.Are slums more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Mumbai
India has been highly susceptible to the spread of pandemics. The 1918 pandemic caused devastation across the country, with an excess mortality of 4.5%. While a century has passed since then, the present conditions of dense living and a weak public healthcare system makes the possibility of the rapid spread of the ...The road from India to Nepal: Development assistance and connectivity...
Regional connectivity in South Asia faces challenges that are unique to the region. According to a recent Policy Brief under our regional connectivity initiative, Sambandh, South Asia is arguably the least connected region in the world. Nepal is unique owing to various factors ranging from its terrain, its strategic location as the common ...Regulatory reform for non-fuel minerals: Improving the post-leasing...
In March 2020, the Government of India passed the Mineral Laws Amendment Bill 2020, which amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act), alongside the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP Act). For the non-coal mining sector, a key reason for this move is to ensure ‘ease ...India and Myanmar: The role of domestic calculations in the boundary...
In this edition of our blog series on issues related to India’s neighborhood connectivity, Nidhi Varma interviews Avinash Paliwal, on his recent work “A Cat’s Paw of Indian Reactionaries”? Strategic Rivalry and Domestic Politics at the India–China–Myanmar Tri-Junction published in Asian Security, 2020. Avinash is the Deputy Director of the South Asia Institute and Lecturer ...Utilising District Mineral Foundation funds to fight the COVID-19 crisis...
In wake the of the growing COVID-19 crisis and the strain on healthcare resources, India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26 announced that District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds can be used by state governments to augment healthcare. This includes supplementing healthcare facilities, screening and testing requirements, and any other support that ...The early days of a global pandemic: A timeline of COVID-19 spread and...
The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shockwaves throughout the global economy. Some economies have been affected more severely than others. It started with a few deaths in Wuhan, China, with the earliest reported case on November 17, 2019. By December 31, 2019, when the Chinese authorities first reported it to the World Health ...Following the money: China Inc’s growing stake in India-China ties
China's total investment in India exceeds an estimated US$26 billion, exceeding official estimates by 25%.Impact of temperature on electricity demand: Evidence from Delhi and...
Impact of temperature on electricity demand: Evidence from Delhi and Indian statesCOVID-19 | Does India have enough doctors? An analysis of growing COVID-19...
Coronavirus cases are quickly increasing across the globe, with just 580 reported cases (on January 22, 2020), in the span of a few weeks, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases have increased to over half a million across the world. The surge in coronavirus cases has crippled health systems in many ...COVID-19 | Is India’s health infrastructure equipped to handle an...
With growing number of coronavirus cases in India (and worldwide), policymakers have sprung into action – more information is being disseminated about preventive measures such as hand washing and not touching the face. Social distancing has been suggested as a tool to “flatten the curve”, or in other words, prevent the health ...Fuzzy frames: Mobile borders versus rigid boundaries in India’s...
In the first of our blog series on issues related to India’s neighbourhood connectivity, Nidhi Varma interviews Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman, Visiting Research Associate, Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi on his recent work in antiAtlas Journal “Informal Markets and Fuzzy Flows in Fragile Border Zones.” Q: In your article,[1] you examine the differences ...Mobility and tenure choice in urban India
This paper considers the impact that the shrinking rental sector has had on the opportunities for Indians to migrate.Is India still the neighbourhood’s education hub?
Introduction India has long been an education hub for students from its neighbourhood.[2] Besides economic benefits, India’s capacity to attract students from neighbouring countries has helped it to form closer political ties and spread its cultural influence and values to the surrounding region. India’s ability to provide quality higher education is a ...Medicines in India: Accessibility, affordability and quality
Healthcare expenditure is financed through various sources in a country. It can be financed by the government (state or union), insurance schemes (public or private) or borne by households directly in the form of out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE). More financing by the government implies less financial burden on households in the form of ...How to hasten the energy transition in the developing world
Emerging economies are expected to experience the highest growth in energy demand in the coming decades, mostly because they are starting from a low or modest base. This means their future energy trajectories must be at an intersection of inclusive, affordable, and sustainable growth. However, for all the potential that advanced energy technologies ...Input-output transactions table: India 2015-16
The India Input-Output Transactions Table for 2015-16 depicts intersectoral intermediate transactions across 131 sectors of the economy as well as the final demand for consumption and investment, and international trade flows.Sambandh as Strategy: India’s new approach to regional connectivity
Marked by a history of political divisions, economic differences, and geostrategic divergences, the Indian subcontinent remains deeply divided, with exceptionally low levels of integration. No other regional power is as disconnected from its immediate neighbourhood as India. Recognising this disconnect as a challenge to India’s economic and security interests, Prime Minister Narendra ...Non-fuel minerals and mining in India: Background and the way forward
India's mining sector can be a catalyst for the growth and development of the manufacturing sector and the economy as a whole.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 resting point for the rates, says Rakesh Mohan.Reviving Higher Education in India
This paper examines enrolment trends, graduation and employment patterns and the quality of Higher Education Institutions in India.Sustainable and inclusive growth in South Asia
On November 4, 2019, Brookings India hosted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a panel discussion around reforms based on inclusive and sustainable growth in South Asia with a particular focus on India. The IMF paper, titled “Is South Asia Ready for Take Off? A Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Agenda“, was presented ...Acting East: India in the Indo-Pacific
On January 26, 2018, the 68th anniversary of India becoming a republic, New Delhi hosted the leaders of all 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – from the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte to Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi to Thailand’s Prayuth Chan-ocha. For India, Republic ...Performance of the Supreme Court and tenure of Chief Justices of India: An...
This is a tentative and an exploratory analysis to assess the productivity of the Supreme Court of India (SC) under different Chief Justices of India (CJI) in terms of accomplished adjudications, which is its core function. In particular, we study the number of judgements passed by the apex court per day during ...India’s power distribution sector: An assesment of financial and...
The Indian power sector value chain can be broadly segmented into generation, transmission, and distribution sectors. At an all-India level, the total installed generation capacity was 3,56,100.19 MW as on March 31, 2019 (provisional). The peak load demand of 1,75,528 MW during FY 2018-19 was largely met, considering that the peak load supply shortfall ...Women’s Reservation Bill: What can India learn from other countries?
Globally, women remain vastly underrepresented in local and national politics. As of 2018, according to the Inter Parliamentary Union, only 24%[i] of parliamentarians are women. Can public policy, in general, and affirmative action, in particular, result in political inclusion of women? Data from the International Institute for Democratic and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm ...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 agriculture and for those working the land.The persistence of memory: The burden of Alzheimer’s disease in...
Between 2001 and 2011, India’s elderly population increased from 70 million to 104 million (Census estimates). In 2011, the population over 60 years of age comprised 8.6% of the total population. With falling population growth rates this share is only expected to increase further in the coming decades. As the population ages, ...Insights from the Brookings India Electricity and Carbon Tracker
Brookings India launched the Electricity and Carbon Tracker, a first-of-its-kind near real-time tracker of electricity generation by type of source as well as electricity carbon emissions at an all-India level. With high resolution data, we can now do a Time of Day (ToD) level analysis of India’s power generation system. The tracker ...Women’s Political Participation and Development
On July 29th, 2019, Brookings India hosted Sonia Bhalotra for a Development Seminar on Women’s Political Participation and Development. She presented two co-authored papers, “Women Legislators and Economic Performance” (2018)[1] and “Maternal Mortality and Women’s Political Participation” (2018)[2]. The two discussants for the event were Atishi, leader of Aam Aadmi Party and a ...Assessing gender in the North East
On July 19, 2019, Brookings India hosted a Development Seminar on gender in the North East, under its Property Rights Initiative and Gender Secretariat Initiative, which is a platform for developing and discussing research that fuels impact on policy related to gender in India. Patricia Mukhim, veteran journalist and editor of Shillong ...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 minister recently spoke about an India-France “In-Fra” alliance. Last year he reportedly coined or popularized the JAI (Japan, America, India) and RIC (Russia, India, China) trilaterals. There’s also his SAGAR ...Understanding India’s Power Capacity: Surplus or not, and for how...
Abstract For the first time, India has sufficient or even surplus electricity generation capacity. Headline numbers show India’s gross installed electricity capacity is over 350 GW, but the maximum load met has been approximately 180 GW. Does this mean we have sufficient buffer for years to come? A significant fraction of this ...The indigenisation of India’s defence industry
An indigenous defence industry is a vital objective for India given its security environment and strategic objectives. India has a large and growing defence budget and a long history of defence industrial production. However, the country remains heavily reliant on defence imports, particularly for major platforms, while its own exports are extremely ...Will breaking up Coal India Limited lead to efficiency and competition?
Inherent and structural differences mean simply breaking up CIL will not unleash meaningful competition, not unless the system is willing to bear a high spread in coal prices. Location matters enormously, and coal ends up being a not very liquid commodity (no pun intended). Newspaper reports have spoken about breaking up Coal ...Missing women patients: Gender discrimination in access to healthcare
Gender discrimination in access to healthcare has not been systematically studied in India or many other developing countries. This is primarily due to a lack of reliable data. In this paper, we use extensive data collected on clinical appointments from a large public-funded tertiary care hospital with a robust hospital information system ...From the iPhone to Huawei: The new geopolitics of technology
In meetings in various international capitals this summer from a gathering of defense ministers in Singapore to a meeting of economic policy heavyweights and CEOs in Paris discussions frequently revolved around the impact of technology. Of course, technological developments have long had implications for the global economy and international security, whether the ...The promise of impact investing in India
Achieving the ambitious sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 will take an estimated $5 to $7 trillion per year, with a financing gap of $2.5 trillion in developing countries.In India alone, the outsize challenge has been translated into a financing gap of $565 billion. While the country has seen huge progress ...Moving India to a new growth trajectory: Need for a comprehensive big push
The paper discusses the need to focus attention on the primacy of growth as a policy objective, to eliminate poverty and achieve upper-middle income status.The future of Indian electricity supply: Scenarios of coal use by 2030
India is expected to be among the top growth markets in the world for electricity in the coming decade. At the same time, electricity supply mixes are changing worldwide, in large part due to the rise of renewable energy (RE). Apart from RE, the elements of the Indian electricity sector transition today ...India 2024: Policy priorities for the new government
A changing global order, energy transitions and climate change and rapid technological advancement – India’s next government has the difficult task of steering the country through an interesting and crucial time. India 2024: Policy Priorities for the New Government, edited by Dhruva Jaishankar and Zehra Kazmi, is a compendium of policy briefs ...India 2024: A green India
India faces a variety of challenges related to energy and the environment. Here are several initiatives that the next government could contemplate early on in its term. Integrate Energy and Environmental Policy The various ministries currently engaged with energy and the environment should be collapsed into one omnibus Ministry of Energy and ...India 2024: An interdependent China and India
China today looms large in India’s consciousness, with implications for India’s neighbourhood and connectivity initiatives, trade policy, and incoming investment. The next government will need to focus on certain priorities. Improve Aid Delivery Offering a credible alternative to the deepening Chinese economic presence in the neighbourhood remains a pressing challenge. While India ...India 2024: A neighbourly India
The South Asian neighbourhood has become a new foreign policy priority in recent years, mostly in reaction to China’s expanding footprint. In 2014, New Delhi shifted gears with its “Neighbourhood First” policy and focused more on the region than most preceding governments. However, these efforts were far too late and too little ...India 2024: A global India
The next Indian government faces a world that looks very different from the way it did five – and certainly 10 or 20 – years ago. The global economy is facing headwinds: stagnant trade, disruptive technologies, and growing protectionism concerning agricultural and manufactured goods, key services, technology transfers, and labour mobility. U.S. ...India 2024: A secure India
If we wish to secure the continued transformation of India, we must be prepared for the new situation and threats that we face. At a minimum, that requires urgent defence reform, foreign policy reform, and the reform of our security structures and practices. Update National Security Structures We have had twenty years ...India 2024: An informed India
For years, governments, policymakers, and philanthropists have contributed funds for the delivery of social programs to achieve specific goals and development outcomes. These funds have been used to tackle poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and other critical policy issues. But while necessary, they have met varying degrees of success. Each year the government spends ...India 2024: An urban India
It is now widely recognised that India’s future will be urban. According to estimates by the United Nations’ World Urbanisation Prospects, India will see the highest increase in urban population in absolute numbers of any country. By 2050, it will add more people to its cities than are currently residing in them. ...India 2024: A highly educated India
India has seen a rapid expansion in the higher education sector since 2001. There has been a dramatic rise in the number of higher education institutions (HEI) and enrolment has increased four-fold. The Indian higher education system is now one of the largest in the world with 49,964 institutions. Despite the increased ...India 2024: An energised India
Providing affordable and accessible energy to every citizen while ensuring energy security has been the cornerstone of India’s energy policy. Over the years, this policy has been shaped by numerous socio-economic and political factors including the dichotomy between a nationalised Indian energy sector (upstream and downstream) and a more ‘liberated’ economy; centre-state ...India 2024: A sustainable India
How things change in five years. We have seen many positive steps, some with effort, some part of broader global trends. Nearly all homes in India today have an electricity connection, and the prices of solar power have crashed to a level where newspapers talk of “grid parity.” Carbon is a universal ...India 2024: A productive India
India’s policy default in the energy sector has been a focus on infrastructure addition with the goal of sufficiency. This made sense based on the deficits it was facing after Independence, especially in the electricity sector. Reliable and assured energy is also a prerequisite for robust industrial and manufacturing growth. But now, ...India 2024: A clean India
India continues to suffer from a number of systemic challenges, many dating back decades, when it comes to governance, the delivery of services, and financial sustainability. The next government should focus its efforts on a few areas. Cut Out Middlemen Today, a major scourge on governance in India – including in the ...India 2024: A healthy India
India’s economy has grown at an impressive pace over the last few years, but overall, it still witnesses poor health outcomes. The wealth of a nation is its human capital and with poor health outcomes, India’s human capital will suffer. This has a direct consequence on the economic well-being of the nation. ...Why women candidates are more likely to run as independents
In a democratic polity, political representation is an inherent aspect of political participation. In this view, whether or not women are able to exercise political participation depends, to a large extent, on the terms of their inclusion and the extent to which the rules of the game enable or allow for their ...What India’s 65 million ‘missing women’ mean for the...
As the largest democracy in the world, India has boasted a consistent record of free and fair elections. A democratic government derives its legitimacy and power to implement policy from the “consent of the governed”. But if a significant chunk of the population is “missing”, does it reflect the true consent of ...The four “I”s undermining democracy
It will be an important year for democracy around the world. In April and May, India heads to the polls in what will be the largest organized political activity in history. Israel, Indonesia, and Ukraine just held very contentious elections while Spain, Australia, Canada, Tunisia, Argentina, Sri Lanka, and the European Parliament ...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 just can’t agree on whether the employment picture is rosy or dark. While the government cites payroll data to claim significant job creation, the opposition holds up a leaked preliminary ...Teenage girls in India: Aspirations and reality
There are 80 million teenage girls in India. A clear understanding of their current realities and their aspirations is essential in order to design effective policies for them. However, a key impediment for data-driven policy design, in order to address the needs of teenage girls in India, is the absence of any ...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 fundamentally transformed the sector. On the upstream side, renewable energy is not a pipe-dream with the sector seeing the fastest growth amongst all other competing energy sources, auction-based processes 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 the millennium have received universal recognition. However, several observers have noted that the presence of requisite infrastructure in a village to officially deem it ‘electrified’, or even wire to households ...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 on multiple long-term objectives. Doing so requires some decisive changes to the status-quo. How we got here: The chronic factors behind recent woes Contrast the following energy and peak deficits ...Early life exposure to outdoor air pollution: Effect on child health in...
Pollution in any form, whether it be air or water, poses an environmental risk to the health of the exposed population. Literature from both developing and developed nations indicates the adverse health effects that air (Soo and Pattnayak, 2019 & Chay and Greenstone, 2003) and water pollution (Brainerd and Menon, 2014) have ...Coal in India
Executive summary Coal provides about half of India’s commercial primary energy supply today and is the dominant fuel for power production in India. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi established ambitious goals for renewable energy (RE) development, aiming to quadruple its capacity by 2022. Despite expected growth in RE, we project that ...Difficult Dialogues: A compendium of contemporary essays on gender...
Existing literature has documented a significant gender gap in various sectors including health, labour market opportunities, education and political representation in India. The objective of this compendium is to move the gender policy focus towards the underlying trends and causes of these gender gaps. In particular, we highlight three areas of interaction ...Accelerating financial inclusion in India
By making financial services accessible at affordable costs to all individuals and businesses, irrespective of net worth and size, financial inclusion strives to address and offer solutions to the constraints that exclude people from participating in the financial sector. Research shows thatcountries with deeper levels of financial inclusion defined as access to ...Survey of India’s Strategic Community
Like every major country, India has a strategic community: a relatively small group of professionals who, in different ways, direct or influence India’s foreign and security policy. This strategic community includes career diplomats, bureaucrats, military commanders, and intelligence officers, as well as political leaders from the ruling party/coalition and the opposition. ...Deepening democracy through diversity: Improving cooperation with India...
Executive Summary The policy literature on democracy often overlooks a number of factors that have important implications for democracy’s future. First, it frequently exaggerates the decline of democracy globally, often by conflating reverses in liberalism with reversals in democracy. Second, it continues to imply ownership of democracy by the Western world when ...Studying international relations in India
Thank you for asking me to the All India International and Area Studies Convention 2019. You have chosen an ambitious topic: “Ascending India: Reflections on Global and Regional Dimensions” and have a packed agenda in the next three days. I must confess to being a bit surprised at being asked to speak ...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 are transitioning to a low-carbon economy. The more important question though is can this model be replicated in other countries with gas as a catalyst? Several factors have been responsible ...Too slow for the urban march: Litigations and real estate market in...
India is urbanising and putting increasing pressure on urban land and there is growing impetus to convert land from agriculture to non-agriculture use. According to the United Nations (2015), India will see the largest increase of all countries in urban population by 2050. Efficient functioning of urban land markets will be critical ...Maritime connectivity and security in the Indo-Pacific
Thank you for the kind invitation to address this august gathering in Bhubaneshwar today, and my Congratulations to Ambassador Lalit Mansingh and his colleagues at the Kalinga International Foundation on this wonderful new initiative. There are perhaps few better places than Odisha to discuss India’s growing role in world affairs. After all ...Around the halls: Brookings experts on what to watch at the COP 24 climate...
The 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) begins Monday, December 3, in Katowice, Poland. Normally the host plays a big leadership role. This is the third time Poland has physically hosted the COP more than any other country, except Germany (which hosts the ...Amendments to the Electricity Act 2003: A summary, analysis and public...
The year 2018 has brought about a new set of draft/proposed Amendments to the Electricity Act 2003 (EA2003), which are an extension to the draft amendments introduced in Lok Sabha in 2014 but did not pass. EA2003 is the central act governing the power sector structure and policy in India, and any ...Complexities of integrating Renewable Energy into India’s grid
In 2014, India unilaterally announced plans to quadruple Renewable Energy (RE) to 175 GW by 2022, an ambitious target that required an annual growth (CAGR) of over 25 percent. Since then, growth has exploded, especially for grid-scale solar power, which is meant to be 100 of the 175 GW RE targeted. Until ...The future of Indian electricity demand: How much, by whom and under what...
Despite the thrust on transforming electricity supply, India’s per capita electricity consumption remains amongst the lowest in the world, with vast latent demand and high room for efficiency. More recently, electricity demand has witnessed unprecedented slowdown, which is likely a cyclical than a long-term phenomenon. This study aims to deep dive into ...Connecting India: How roads, teledensity and electricity have improved...
Connectivity is a prime factor in determining livability, employment and growth in a country. In this view, a well-connected India provides the prospect of a better India from better access to services to better livelihoods and opportunities. Setting out to understand how connectivity in India had improved over time, we decided to ...Renewable Energy “versus” coal in India – A false framing as...
Comparing Renewable Energy and Coal A number of publications proclaim Renewable Energy (RE) is cheaper than coal. A newspaper will often show two cost curves, a rising one for coal, and a falling one for RE, especially solar (Figure 1). At some point they cross-over, an intersection dubbed “grid parity”. It’s a ...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 process would get mired in constant litigation. The last decade has witnessed an almost constant attack on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), emanating sometimes from within the government, sometimes ...Increasing private practitioner engagement with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is most prevalent in South Asia. It is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis and primarily affects the lungs. A small fraction of infected individuals develop symptoms and the capability of transmission. In 2015, India accounted for 2.2 million of the 9 million tuberculosis cases in ...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 Eurasia and new ports dotting the Indian Ocean basin. Beijing’s militarisation of the South China Sea continues, despite negotiations towards a code of conduct. Japan has found itself in an ...India’s strategic landscape: An assessment
In trying to assess the strategic environment in which India finds itself in 2018, it may be useful to make eight broad observations. One, the Indian economy is growing. In 2018, according to the International Monetary Fund, India surpassed France to have the world’s sixth largest gross domestic product (GDP). In the ...Energy sector data: Suggestions for improving data quality and usability
More energy and power sector data is available in India than ever before, especially through a combination of websites and portals. We propose that issues in locating, procuring and acquiring data be ironed out for researchers and practitioners to conduct more evidence-based policy research and contribute to the national discourse. Researchers use ...What about India, Indonesia, Australia: The new trilateral?Â
Among the growing network of trilateral discussions involving India and other countries, one that has received relatively little attention is the dialogue involving India, Indonesia, and Australia. The three countries held their first senior officials’ trilateral dialogue in November 2017 in Indonesia. To discuss this new trilateral, Brookings India and the Perth ...Understanding India, its energy needs and ambitions, and the global...
At least one newspaper headline this year declared that renewable energy in India is now cheaper than coal and that coal is surely on its way out. However, recent research from my Brookings colleague Samantha Gross and me shows that the transition will not be nearly as smooth as some imagine. Renewable ...Working to turn ambition into reality
Executive Summary Even before signing the Paris climate agreement, the Indian government announced extremely ambitious renewable energy (RE) targets that would quadruple the country’s RE capacity between late 2014 and 2022, to 175 gigawatts (GW).1 From India’s relatively small RE base, this target implies annual growth of 25 percent a targeted buildout ...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 and (at the time) poorly studied phenomenon in international affairs of “getting others to want the outcomes that you want,” predicated on the attractiveness of one’s culture, political values and ...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 of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). How will Prime Minister Narendra Modi claim victory from a bland declaration? Sometimes, no news is good ...