Foreign Policy Blogs

India

The Indian Rupee gets its unique symbol

The Indian Rupee gets its unique symbol

The Indian Rupee now has its unique symbol – a confluence of the Roman ‘R’ and Indian (Devanagari script) ‘Ra’. The symbol was finalized yesterday by an Union Cabinet Committee. Uday Kumar, the designer of the symbol explains the symbol, “My design is based on the Tricolour with two lines at the top and white […]

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Dilemmas in Jammu and Kashmir

The street protests in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are de javu for many locals. It is claimed that a new generation of youth in the state are turning to confrontational tactics as the state continues to define security in strictly militaristic terms. For the Indian side peace in J&K implies ensuring that separatists and militants […]

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A Shiny New Airport but Infrastructure Challenges Abound (and May Even Be Worsening)

A Shiny New Airport but Infrastructure Challenges Abound (and May Even Be Worsening)

India faces daunting challenges in overcoming its infrastructure deficit.

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A mindset change to stop honor killings

A mindset change to stop honor killings

Over the last couple of months, news has been in pouring in about ‘honor killings’ in the northern States of Punjab and Haryana. Numerous couples have been killed mostly by family members on the orders of the ‘khap panchyats’ because they eloped, married outside their caste or within the same ‘gotra’. The problem is not […]

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Tensions Rising in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir

Tensions Rising in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir

Tensions have mounted in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) during the past month. The people’s protests became unmanageable for the state government and the Army was called in to flag march in the state on July 7th. The recent round of anti-India protests were triggered by the killing of 15 people by […]

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Fueling Drama on the Streets

Fueling Drama on the Streets

The Indian government’s decision to raise fuel prices last month resulted in some opposition-led large scale protests on Monday.

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Learning to Love the Spice

Learning to Love the Spice

Journalist Joel Stein gets into some hot water for his column on Indian Americans in Time Magazine.

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UPA Government's era of Group of Ministers (GoMs)

The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in India seems to believe in the slogan of ‘the more the merrier’. It appears that Cabinets in the era of coalition governments were not enough trouble for the UPA. It has added another dimension of complexity by frequently constituting Group of Ministers (GoMs) to decide on official policies. […]

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Indian-Americans and Bilateral Relations

Indian-Americans and Bilateral Relations

The growing prominence of Indian-Americans has been an important but under-noticed factor in bilateral relations.

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A Naxal threat to India's nuclear arsenal?

A Naxal threat to India's nuclear arsenal?

Someone recently asked me if the Naxalites could be considered a threat to India’s nuclear arsenal. My answer was a potential threat, but a highly remote one. The Naxalite problem in India has grown exponentially over the last few years, and they have become one of India’s biggest security risks. The recent attacks on security […]

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India Moves to Deregulate Fuel Prices

In a move that signals a huge departure from standard practice, the Indian government announced plans to move closer to market-driven fuel prices.

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An Interesting Snapshot of Indian Public Opinion

The annual Global Attitudes Survey released last week offers a fascinating snapshot of how Indians presently see their place in the world and their dealings with other leading countries.

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Finding the Silver Lining in the Bhopal Verdict

Can anything as shameful as the recent Bhopal verdict have a silver lining?

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ISI and Afghan Insurgency: Implications for India-Pakistan Relations

ISI and Afghan Insurgency: Implications for India-Pakistan Relations

Matt Waldman in a recently published Paper, “The Sun is in the Sky: the Relationship between Pakistan’s ISI and Afghan Insurgents” explores the extent of the ISI’s links and support to the problem of Afghan insurgency. Though Matt accepts that several endogenous factors are responsible for the emergence and sustenance of the Taliban, his interviews with […]

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The Outsourcing Issue Returns

India’s rise will generate contradictory pressures on U.S. policymakers. Those in Washington who warily eye the expansion of Chinese power in Asia will welcome the strategic counterweight of a stronger India. But officials will also have to contend with a growing number of Americans who view the country as an economic rival. How Washington handles these cross-currents will be a fascinating balancing act.

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