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India- Nepal and the issue of Lipulekh
June 22 , 2020 Sangeeta Thapliyal
Article Views: 1870
Who owns Lipulekh pass and Kalapani? From where does the river Mahakali originate? What is the strategic importance of Kalapani? These are certain questions that have come to the forefront since Nepal raised objections to India’s inauguration of metalled road to Lipulekh pass in April 2020. Why did Nepal raise such a shrill response to a road that is inside India’s territory?
Tags : India Nepal border , Lipulekh pass , Mahakaliriver , Nepal , Neighbourhood Studies
India-China Standoff and Stability in the Indo-Pacific
June 22 , 2020 Vice Admiral Girish Luthra (retd.)
Article Views: 2074
Recent violent clashes near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Indian and Chinese army units, resulting in large number of casualties in the Galwan region, has caused significant alarm in the wider Indo-Pacific region. While the nature of the clashes has added a new dimension to the growing fragility of the environment, the Chinese approach and aggressive actions can be seen as continuation of a trend that has been evident during the last few years.
Tags : COC , Galwan , Indian Navy , Indo-Pacific , IOR , PLA Navy , South China Sea , China , Indo-Pacific , International Relations and Diplomacy , Neighbourhood Studies
Hydroxychloroquine: Pandemic, Parasites and Politics
June 22 , 2020 Radhika Daga, Research Assistant, VIF
Commentary Views: 1597
In this six month long mercurial quest for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, winners are far from declared. Among the various antiviral treatments tested or deployed to inhibit the viral growth, hydroxychloroquine has had an unparalleled head-turning effect across countries. The confidence of its propagators has remained undeterred despite the overriding focus on the adverse effects of this treatment on patients. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are the two synthetic derivatives of the first ever anti-malarial agent quinine -recognized 100 years ago.
Tags : artificial intelligence , Coronavirus , COVID-19 , Donald Trump , Hydroxychloroquine , ICMR , Science , Vaccines , Technological and Scientific Studies
The Islamic Reception of Yoga
June 20 , 2020 Dr. Arpita Mitra, Research Fellow, VIF
Article Views: 1566
The history of the Muslim world’s engagement with Yoga spans at least about a millennium. The purpose of this essay is to briefly recount some high points in this history, which will help put in perspective the historical interactions between Islam and Hinduism, especially its branch called Yoga.
Tags : Abul Fazl , Ain-i-Akbari , Alberuni , Amritakunda , Arab World , Arabic & Persian translation , cultural translation , Hatha Yoga , India , Islam , Patanjali , Sufism , Tahqiq-i-Hind , Yoga , Yogasutra , Historical and Civilisational Studies
FDI in Defence: Some Thoughts
June 20 , 2020 Lt. Gen P R Shankar (Retd.)
Article Views: 1502
When our Finance Minister announced the raising of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the defence sector under the automatic route from 49% to 74%1 it was reported as a ‘big push’ for Make in India. It was simultaneously reported that it will encourage multinationals to set up manufacturing bases in India or acquire local companies but will hit hard the local companies who do not have any access to technology or government orders. Almost one month has passed and the only sound is of silence on this front. Even defence experts have not discussed this issue.
Tags : National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence sector , FDI , Make in India , ROI , technologies , Defence
An Assessment of China’s 13th National People’s Congress – May 2020’
June 20 , 2020 Jayadeva Ranade
Article Views: 1471
Summary The 3rd Plenum of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) was held in Beijing from May 22 to 28, 2020, in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic with restrictions on expenditure and social interaction. The state-owned CCTV sought to refurbish the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s image that had been dented by months of criticism by the people. It said (May 21) CCP members had donated 8.36 billion RMB (US$ 1.18 billion) for the fight against the coronavirus in the past three months.
Tags : 13th CPC , China , CPPCC , criticism , economy , Hongkong , military Deputies , Pandemic , Tsinghua University , Two Centenary goals , Two Sessions , US-China relations , Xi Jinping , China , International Relations and Diplomacy , Neighbourhood Studies
India gets Elected as a Non-permanent Member of the UNSC: A Busy Agenda Ahead
June 20 , 2020 Amb Anil Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow, VIF
Article Views: 1876
On 17 June, India wascomfortably elected to the non- permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period of two years starting January 2021, receiving the endorsement from 184 out of the 192 countries who voted. In its last bid for the UNSC seat in 2010, India has secured 187 votes. Each year the General Assembly elects five non – permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a two-year term.
Tags : India , Multilateralism , Non-permanent member , permanent seat , UNSC , International Relations and Diplomacy
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The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) is a New Delhi-based think tank set up with the collaborative efforts of India's leading security experts, diplomats, industrialists and philanthropists under the aegis of the Vivekananda Kendra. The VIF’s objective is to become a centre of excellence to kick start innovative ideas and thoughts that can lead to a stronger, secure and prosperous India playing its destined role in global affairs.

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