Articles | Vivekananda International Foundation

Year Review: Pakistan in 2019

Dr Yatharth Kachiar, Research Associate, VIF Commentary

The year 2019 brought optimism as well as trials for Pakistan in equal measure. In 2019, Pakistan under Prime Minister Imran Khan was occupied in confronting numerable challenges at the domestic as well as international levels. At the domestic front,....

January 22, 2020 Pakistan , economy , Army , foreign policy , US , Afghanistan , Saudi , India , Commentary , Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan

Constitutional Changes in Russia! What is Cooking?

Rajesh Soami Commentary

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his entire government resigned on January 15th after a televised speech by President Putin to the federal assembly wherein he proposed sweeping changes to the constitution. These changes will modify the equation of ....

January 21, 2020 Russia , International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , Yeltsin , Putin , Medvedev , democracy

Taiwan Elections 2020: Landslide Victory for Tsai Ing-wen

Dr Teshu Singh, Research Fellow, VIF Commentary

In the just concluded 15th Presidential Election in Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Tsai Ing-wen has swept the polls with 8, 170, 231 votes (57.1 per cent). She secured the highest number of votes for any candidate since Taiwan....

January 17, 2020 China , Neighbourhood Studies , Commentary , Tsai Ing-wen , Taiwan Elections 2020 , One Country Two Systems , India-Taiwan , Cross-Strait

Some Thoughts on the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019

Dr Dilip K. Chakrabarti, Editor, VIF History Volumes Commentary

As far as I can understand, this act ties up a loose end of the chaos and confusion caused by the Partition of the sub-continent. I clearly remember the day when my parents bundled their children and a widowed mother into an over-crowded railway c....

January 16, 2020 Governance and Political Studies , Commentary , Refugee camps , Partition , Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 , CAA

India`s Chief of Defence Staff: Some Issues to be Resolved

Gautam Sen Commentary

Government of India has created the institution of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single point adviser to Raksha Mantri (RM) on all matters concerning the Defence Services of the country and as Secretary of a newly created Department of Military A....

January 16, 2020 DMA , Revenue budget , Capital budget , DOD , Principal Advisor , Acquisition Plans , CDS , Commentary , National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence

Sabrimala Issue and the Law

Rajesh Singh Commentary

All eyes are on the pronouncement of the nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on the Sabarimala issue. The matter is to be heard soon and it is likely that the court will engage itself with the case in a manner that the dispute ends at the earliest.....

January 16, 2020 Governance and Political Studies , Commentary , Supreme Court , Sabrimala Issue , Articles 14 , 25 & 26

US and Iran in an Uneasy Calm

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

President Trump has the uncanny habit of surprising the world by his unique and often contentious tweets on foreign policy issues. But this time it pleased many. “All is Well” tweeted President Trump after 20 odd Iranian missiles apparently targe....

January 10, 2020 US , West Asia , International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , unconditional talks , Trump , Soleimani , missiles attack , JCPOA , Javad Jarief , Arab Spring

Practical Patriotism: Remembering Swami Vivekananda on his 157th birth anniversary

Dr. Arpita Mitra, Research Fellow, VIF Commentary

In December 1892, Swami Vivekananda was visiting Trivandrum, the capital of the then Princely State of Travancore. This was right before his visit to Kanyakumari, where, during the Christmas of 1892, sitting on “the last bit of Indian rock” ^....

January 10, 2020 Historical and Civilisational Studies , Commentary , Swami Vivekananda , serving the poor , service to the nation , patriotism , National Youth Day , call to the youth , birth anniversary; 12 January

All Quiet in Kashmir?

Bashir Assad Commentary

Kashmir is relatively calm since the last couple of months. No street protests, no encounters between the militants and the security forces. Last encounter was reported on November 26 between the militants and the forces in Pulwama district of South ....

January 09, 2020 Article 370 , Pakistan , FATF , Intelligence , infiltration , ISI , Communications , Commentary , National Security and Strategic Studies , Jammu & Kashmir

Chinese President Xi Jinping Faces Difficult Times Ahead

Jayadeva Ranade Commentary

There are clear indications that popular dissatisfaction and discontent with Chinese President Xi Jinping inside China continues to simmer just below the surface. The economic slowdown, unemployment and rising cost of living have contributed to the d....

January 08, 2020 BRI , Protests , China's universities , surveillance , leaks , Commentary , Neighbourhood Studies , China