Publication - MP-IDSA

Hydropower as an Energy Source: Need to Find the Right Balance

While hydropower projects are critical for economic growth and development, it is equally important to fully assess their potential social and environmental impact in the long-term. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between the need for development and the necessity of protecting the environment.

Opangmeren Jamir |
May 12, 2017 |
IDSA Comments

Ways And Means to Choke Maoist Finances

It is difficult, if not impossible, to completely clamp down on Maoist finances. However, it is possible to restrict the flow of money into their coffers.

P. V. Ramana |
May 11, 2017 |
IDSA Comments

A Defining Moment for France and Europe

Two clashing visions of France were before the French voters. They chose, with many reservations, Macron and rejected Le Pen, but not wholly, for, her opposition to the EU, in some measure, enjoys the support of a sizeable section of French society.

Raising Defence Budget to Three Per Cent of GDP

Speaking at the United Service Institution on May 4, 2017, the Chief of the Army Staff said that India needs to spend much more on military modernisation to ensure that economic growth continues unhindered.

Amit Cowshish |
May 08, 2017 |
IDSA Comments

India-Cyprus Relations: Need for Consistency and Diversity

New Delhi should leverage the prospective post-Brexit scenario as well as the enormous goodwill India has enjoyed consistently since Cyprus`s independence, to boost and deepen bilateral trade and investment relations with Nicosia.

Gautam Sen |
May 08, 2017 |
IDSA Comments

FDI in Defence: Need for Liberalisation and Simplification

The government should set up a task force to engage with potential investors and investees and evolve a simplified FDI policy, which has different slabs for different kinds of activities and is free from terms and conditions that are difficult to understand and implement.

Amit Cowshish |
May 04, 2017 |
IDSA Comments

The North Korean Nuclear Conundrum

A rational decision maker in the White House does not have all options on the table and cannot start a war without South Korea’s consent. Diplomacy is the only option and this is as obvious as obvious can be.

K. P. Fabian |
May 03, 2017 |
IDSA Comments

Conflicts in Sunni Political Islam and Their Implications

Traditionally, the Shi’a–Sunni divide and the associated dynamics of the geopolitical struggle for power and dominance, between the minority Shi’as and the majority Sunnis, have defined intra-Islamic relations. Often sidelined were the political differences between and among groups and movements within Shi’a as well as Sunni Islam.

State-Building in the Steppe: Challenges to Kazakhstan’s Modernizing Aspirations

The Republic of Kazakhstan seeks to undergo modernization over the course of the next several decades and transform into one of the world’s top 30 economies. To fulfil this aim, the Kazakhstani government has designed a programme known as the ‘100 Steps’. If faithfully implemented, this package of reforms will gradually revolutionize the nature of Kazakhstani state–society relations, by remaking Kazakhstan into a more economically dynamic and politically pluralistic country.

India’s Stance and Renewed Commitment to UN Peacekeeping

The United Nations (UN) adopted UN Peacekeeping, during its initial years, to restore international peace and security. As the world body celebrated 70 years of its existence in 2015, UN Peacekeeping continues to play an important role in maintaining peace and security, by protecting civilians and preventing human rights violations arising from violence and conflict. India has emerged as one of the frontrunners in the shared responsibility of ushering in peace and stability in the world, under the umbrella of the UN.