| Title: | Elections and Foreign Policy: India’s Pakistan Debate |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | India’s debate on Pakistan during the 2024 general elections reveals little about the record of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress Party governments on engaging Pakistan. Although the BJP finds Pakistan a valuable punching bag during the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hopefully ready to pick up the threads of engagement with Islamabad if he wins a third term. |
| Date: | 16 May 2024 |
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| Title: | Indian Election 2024: A Road Map for the New Government |
| Author/s: | Vinod Rai |
| Abstract: | India’s general election is coming to a close. Soon a new government will assume office. It is largely anticipated that the present National Democratic Alliance government led by Narendra Modi will get a third term. The Indian prime minister has already embarked on an agenda to prepare an action-oriented road map so that the newly inducted ministers will hit the ground running. Some of the priority sectors needing urgent attention will be health, education, employment and infrastructure. Clean energy and the environment will also top the agenda. |
| Date: | 10 May 2024 |
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| Title: | Nepal’s Third Investment Summit: Hope for Increased Investments |
| Author/s: | Puspa Sharma |
| Abstract: | Investment summits are important in expressing a country’s desire for investments, including foreign direct investment (FDI) and showcasing potential projects. However, they alone do not ensure FDI inflows. It is crucial for the country to address the genuine challenges that have obstructed the inflow of FDIs. |
| Date: | 8 May 2024 |
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| Title: | India-Indonesia Relations: Breaking Barriers in the Indo-Pacific |
| Author/s: | Karthik Nachiappan |
| Abstract: | India and Indonesia are two Asian powers whose economic futures look optimistic. Yet, opportunities for further cooperation between New Delhi and Jakarta have not been fully explored or realised for various reasons. |
| Date: | 8 May 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s Nimble AI Approach |
| Author/s: | Karthik Nachiappan |
| Abstract: | The Indian government’s issue and subsequent withdrawal of a startling Artificial Intelligence (AI) advisory testifies to the nimbleness and agility of the government’s AI approach and plans. |
| Date: | 7 May 2024 |
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| Title: | Parliamentary Elections in the Maldives |
| Author/s: | Amit Ranjan |
| Abstract: | The recent parliamentary election results in the Maldives show that a large number of the voters have unequivocally approved President Mohamed Muizzu’s policies and politics. This has strengthened his political position while weakening the divided opposition. |
| Date: | 26 April 2024 |
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| Title: | What are India’s Voters Thinking? |
| Author/s: | Ronojoy Sen |
| Abstract: | Polling for India’s seven-phase general elections began on 19 April 2024. A recently published survey provides clues to what the Indian electorate might be thinking. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi still remains very popular, voters have expressed serious concerns about economic distress. |
| Date: | 19 April 2024 |
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| Title: | India and the Ukraine Peace Conference |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | The official Swiss invitation to India to participate in the Ukraine peace summit in Geneva in June 2024 highlights the West’s recognition of the importance of drawing New Delhi into the diplomatic efforts to end the war in the heart of Europe that has entered the third year. It also offers India an opportunity to recalibrate its position on the war and take a fresh look at security engagement with Europe. |
| Date: | 18 April 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s Elections 2024: Impact on its Economic Rise |
| Author/s: | Amitendu Palit |
| Abstract: | India’s general elections are grabbing great attention for their scale and impact on the country’s future economic progress. Tipped to become the world’s third largest economy soon, the new government chosen by the people has to deliver on pending reforms amidst challenges. |
| Date: | 11 April 2024 |
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| Title: | Nepal-China Connectivity Endeavours |
| Author/s: | Puspa Sharma |
| Abstract: | In spite of Nepal signing a memorandum of understanding with China seven years ago to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an implementation plan awaits finalisation. The recent visit by Nepal’s foreign minister to China is expected to provide a fillip to move this plan forward. However, caution is warranted in choosing viable projects under the BRI for implementation in the Himalayan republic. |
| Date: | 9 April 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s Budding Labour Diplomacy |
| Author/s: | Karthik Nachiappan, Tanujja Dadlani |
| Abstract: | India is the world’s largest exporter of labour. Its recent labour migration agreements with countries like Israel and Taiwan raise questions between countries that receive Indian workers and how it might affect India in the future. |
| Date: | 4 April 2024 |
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| Title: | Modi’s Election Target: Can the BJP Achieve It? |
| Author/s: | Ronojoy Sen |
| Abstract: | Weeks ahead of India’s general election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win at least 370 of the 543 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats on offer, and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance will cross 400 seats. Does this target make sense? If so, where are the additional seats likely to come from? |
| Date: | 27 March 2024 |
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| Title: | India Commits to Labour Standards in FTAs |
| Author/s: | Amitendu Palit |
| Abstract: | India is shedding its traditional inhibition of incorporating labour standards in its free trade agreements (FTAs). This is evident from the latest FTA it has signed with the European Free Trade Association and the supply chain agreement of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that it has ratified. |
| Date: | 22 March 2024 |
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| Title: | India and the Biden-Trump Rematch |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | As the United States (US) prepares for a Joe Biden-Donald Trump ‘rematch’ for the White House at the end of 2024, India, arguably, is among the least apprehensive about the outcome of the elections. Unlike the US’ allies in Europe and Asia, who are deeply anxious about the return of Trump to the White House, New Delhi is confident about the familiar bipartisan continuity in the US’ engagement with India. Yet, New Delhi should pay close attention to the potential volatility in the US’ engagement with the world under Trump and its consequences for India. |
| Date: | 18 March 2024 |
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| Title: | Sri Lanka-India Relations in 2024 |
| Author/s: | Rajni Gamage |
| Abstract: | Sri Lanka’s relations with India are expected to deepen in 2024. Following crucial assistance provided by India during Sri Lanka’s 2022 crisis, there is greater engagement in investment and tourism. With the upcoming presidential elections, all key political actors in Colombo recognise the importance of maintaining close relations with its largest neighbour. |
| Date: | 1 March 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s Opposition on the Back Foot |
| Author/s: | Ronojoy Sen |
| Abstract: | With the general elections in India expected to be announced soon, the opposition faces an uphill task in preventing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent prediction of an overwhelming majority for the Bharatiya Janata Party from coming true. |
| Date: | 22 February 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s New Alignment: “Non-West” but Not “Anti-West” |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | In a new and productive framing of India’s current relationship with the West, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has broken out of India’s prolonged post-colonial corner that it had boxed itself into. By affirming that India is not “anti-West” but “non-West”, Jaishankar has expanded the domestic room for manoeuvre on great powers relations. The new framing allows Delhi to seek deeper ties with the United States and Europe without being branded as pro-West at home. |
| Date: | 19 February 2024 |
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| Title: | Bhutan’s Graduation from the LDC List: Navigating Future Challenges |
| Author/s: | Amit Ranjan |
| Abstract: | On 13 December 2023, Bhutan officially exited the list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The graduation from the LDC status is a monumental achievement for Bhutan. However, it will result in several challenges for the Himalayan kingdom. |
| Date: | 19 February 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s Electoral Bond Scheme: Declared Unconstitutional by the Court |
| Author/s: | Vinod Rai |
| Abstract: | The Supreme Court struck down, as unconstitutional, the electoral bond scheme introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in 2018. The Court upheld the voter’s right to transparency and felt that the source of corporate funding through electoral bonds could not be opaque. It restrained the State Bank of India from issuing more bonds and directed it to reveal the details of past funding to the Election Commission of India which would be placed on its website. |
| Date: | 19 February 2024 |
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| Title: | Five Years of Balakot: A New Nuclear South Asia |
| Author/s: | Yogesh Joshi |
| Abstract: | How has South Asia’s nuclear dynamics shifted after five years of India’s air strikes against terrorist safe havens in Pakistan’s Balakot? This paper argues that India’s punitive military action not only imposed direct costs on the Pakistani Army but also called into question Pakistan’s nuclear redlines. Balakot has allowed India to overcome from the stranglehold of self-deterrence obtained in the aftermath of the 1998 tests and nuclear tests by the two South Asian rivals. |
| Date: | 16 February 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s Vote on Account 2024: A Signal of its Long-term Intents |
| Author/s: | Vinod Rai |
| Abstract: | This being an election year for India, the government presented only a vote on account in early February 2024. This will permit it to incur routine expenditures over the next four months. The vote on account has been conservative on its tax buoyancy, it attempts very ambitious fiscal deficit targets, abjures populist freebies and continues its increased spending on the development of infrastructure. The government has taken a long-term view and decided to abjure short-term measures. |
| Date: | 7 February 2024 |
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| Title: | Pakistan’s February 2024 Elections: A Sense of Uncertainty Prevails |
| Author/s: | Imran Ahmed, Muhammad Saad Ul Haque |
| Abstract: | The elections in Pakistan on 8 February 2024 carry significant implications for the nation’s political and economic future. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, returning from exile, is predicted to become the next prime minister, despite a historically tumultuous relationship with the army. Since Imran Khan’s 2022 ouster, Sharif has faced legal challenges, electoral hurdles and a media blackout. Despite political campaigns, a sense of uncertainty prevails among Pakistanis leading up to the polls. |
| Date: | 6 February 2024 |
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| Title: | Kashmir’s Uncertain Future: Reactions to the Supreme Court’s Article 370 Verdict |
| Author/s: | Imran Ahmed, Muhammad Saad Ul Haque |
| Abstract: | In August 2019, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah announced the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, triggering a range of reactions. Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party’s promises to stabilise the region, the move intensified tensions, leading to protests, unrest and curfews. The December 2023 Supreme Court verdict heightened uncertainty in Kashmir. Reactions from Kashmiris mirror the fear and anger following the 2019 decision, with concerns about the erosion of democratic trust and further centralisation. The upcoming elections in April/Mau 2024 and continued tensions exacerbate an already complex situation, compounded by rising unemployment, environmental challenges and fears of discrimination against the locals. |
| Date: | 1 February 2024 |
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| Title: | The Many Shades of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple |
| Author/s: | Ronojoy Sen |
| Abstract: | The opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in India on 22 January 2024 was a landmark event. Welcomed by many and decried by some, it takes the Indian republic into unfamiliar territory. |
| Date: | 1 February 2024 |
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| Title: | Decoding the Vote on Account in 2024 |
| Author/s: | Vinod Rai |
| Abstract: | India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her sixth budget on 1 February 2024. However, since the general election is due in a couple of months, this will not be a full budget. As per tradition, only a Vote on Account will be presented. It is to be seen whether this Vote on Account will merely seek permission to draw from the consolidated fund or also include some political messaging. |
| Date: | 23 January 2024 |
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| Title: | Reimagining South Asia |
| Author/s: | Sujeev Shakya |
| Abstract: | South Asia is evolving. Old structures are giving way to new ones. It is time to make sub-regional co-operation platforms like BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) work. Can East South Asia lead the way? |
| Date: | 22 January 2024 |
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| Title: | India’s AI Future(s) |
| Author/s: | Karthik Nachiappan |
| Abstract: | India’s artificial intelligence approach must adapt to new geoeconomic realities that have seen power concentrated among a few companies and countries. |
| Date: | 22 January 2024 |
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| Title: | India and the Maldives: The Perils of Hyper-nationalism |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | New Delhi and Male will need much prudence in dealing with a difficult moment in bilateral relations. The ability of the two governments to reset the relationship is being complicated by the hyper-nationalists on both sides that have turned a delicate situation into a crisis. |
| Date: | 20 January 2024 |
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| Title: | Abrogation of Article 370: An Analysis of the Supreme Court Verdict |
| Author/s: | Imran Ahmed, Muhammad Saad Ul Haque |
| Abstract: | Despite the anticipation of a reversal, the Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of the abrogation of Article 370, leading to a continued divide in public opinion. This paper discusses the court’s recent verdict and covers the historical context, challenges to constitutional changes, the Supreme Court’s rationale and the ongoing repercussions of the abrogation, including media crackdowns, human rights concerns and political developments. |
| Date: | 13 January 2024 |
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| Title: | Long-term Power Purchase Agreement: A Win-win Deal for Nepal and India |
| Author/s: | Puspa Sharma |
| Abstract: | Nepal and India recently signed an agreement that guarantees 10,000 megawatts of hydroelectricity exports from Nepal to India over the long term. The success of this agreement depends on several factors. It is in the interest of Kathmandu and New Delhi to consider these factors to ensure a win-win situation for both of them. |
| Date: | 10 January 2024 |
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| Title: | Russia in India’s Great Power Diplomacy |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | Reassuring Russia has been a major objective of Indian diplomacy in the last few years, even as India built a strong strategic partnership with the United States. Moscow’s deteriorating ties with the West, its growing strategic partnership with Beijing and the deterioration of India’s relations with China provide the complex background in which Delhi is managing its ties with Moscow. |
| Date: | 8 January 2024 |
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