Articles | Vivekananda International Foundation

Commentary: India Should Be Innovative in the Challenging Times Ahead

Prime Minister Modi has shown remarkable innovativeness in foreign policy arena recently. This shows that he is cognisant of the challenges for India that are looming ahead. The ‘informal summit’ with Xi Jinping in April 2018 was an attempt to....

May 21, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy , Indo-Pacific , Commentary , Indian foreign policy , India’s foreign policy challenges

Changing Political Landscape in the Middle East

Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

President Trump’s announcement of US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal comes at a time, when the political landscape in the Middle East is changing fast. Hizbullah won the majority in Lebanon elections in early May. The Iraqi election results ....

May 21, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy , West Asia , Commentary , Middle East politics , Elections in Iraq

Bangladesh: Quota Politics

Abhijit Chakravertty Commentary

What began as a small protest against quotas in government jobs in Dhaka University on 17 February 2018 soon spread to Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal, Mymensingh, Sylhet and some other parts of the country. It reached its peak on 8 April when students b....

May 18, 2018 Neighbourhood Studies , Bangladesh , Commentary , Bangladesh elections , Bangladesh student agitation , Reservation in jobs

Commentary: PM Modi’s Visit to Nepal - the Beginning of a New Chapter

Abhigya Langeh Commentary

Within a month of the first official foreign trip under taken by Nepal’s new Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to New Delhi (Apr 6-8, 2018) which came within two months of his assumption of office in February 2018, the Indian Prime Minister Modi paid a....

May 17, 2018 Neighbourhood Studies , Nepal , Commentary , Indian PM’s Nepal visit , Indo-Nepal relations

Commentary: India’s Lines of Credit Dilemma

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on his third visit to Nepal at the end of the week from May 11-12, closely on the heels of visit of Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. Speaking at the India Foundation function PM Oli appreciated India’s assist....

May 16, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy , Africa , Commentary , Economic diplomacy , Diplomatic Lines of Credit

Commentary: Will Japan Carry the Bastion of Constitution Amendment After Abe?

Prerna Gandhi, Associate Fellow, VIF Commentary

“角を矯めて牛を殺す” (Kill a bull by straightening its horns, meaning: Action taken to put something right is often more unpleasant or damaging than the original problem) The above quote succinctly ....

May 16, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy , Indo-Pacific , Commentary , Japanese Constitution , Japan’s Defence Policy

India’s Fifth Largest Military Spending Rank by SIPRI – A Reality Check

Brig (retd) Rahul Bhonsle Commentary

The latest report on global military spending published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on 02 May has placed India as the fifth largest defence spender in the World in 2017. SIPRI attributes increase in the global mili....

May 14, 2018 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Commentary , Indian defence budget , Military spending report

Chinese Economy in 2018: Changes and Challenges

Aayush Mohanty Commentary

Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Le Keqiang, while addressing the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress kept China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 6.5 percent for 2018, somewhat lower than th....

May 14, 2018 Economic Studies , Commentary , Chinese economy , China’s financial policy

ASEAN Summit at Singapore: Urgent Need for a Legally Binding Code of Conduct in South China Sea

Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF Commentary

The 32^nd edition of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit took place in Singapore in from 25-28 April where the central theme of the meeting was envisioned as ‘Resilient and Innovative ASEAN’. While the South East Asia....

May 11, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy , Indo-Pacific , Commentary , South China Sea Code of Conduct , China’s militarisation of SCS

Iran Nuclear Deal

Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

US President Trump’s decision to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal was partly expected in view of his campaign statements. It was nevertheless surprising. There were last minute attempts by the E-3 – France, Germany and the UK - to persuade Trump n....

May 10, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy , West Asia , Commentary , Iran nuclear deal , Sanctions on Iran