News
The Islamic State exploiting cyber-terrorism
It has been assumed that the currents of global politics consist of state-to-state relations. But such a clustered definition of world politics as merely the interactions of states has been challenged in the post-Cold War period. The concept of territoriality and the defining feature of the ‘1648 state’ has been steadily diminishing with the rise of non-state (non-territorial) actors. The phenomenal growth in technology for both military and civilian applications has provided more brokering power to the violent-non-state-actors like Islamic State (IS). Cyber terrorism and radicalization of cyberspace have also emerged as a new phenomenon both in global and regional levels.
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Modi government’s economic challenges ahead
The Index of Industrial Production shrank by 3.4 per cent in November last year. It had risen to 9.4 per cent in October. This could be a temporary phenomenon. But still it makes one wonder what is going to happen to ‘Make in India’ dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when manufacturing growth is so erratic. There is a changed global environment today from when Mr. Modi made his promises. Commodity prices are falling and the steepest fall has been in the price of oil which has declined by 70 per cent since 2014.
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2016 economic outlook: Not much cause for cheer
At the beginning of this year most people will be hoping for better times ahead for the economy. All reports say that India will be better off than most countries in 2016 and unlike China is not facing a slowdown. According to the government, India is going to continue growing at a relatively high rate of 7.5 percent. Mr. Jaitley is pleased with last year’s economic performance and according to him, it is reflected in the rise in indirect revenue receipts.
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A Clinically Executed Anti-Terror Operation
As more details emerge on the Pathankot terror strike and India's response, it is becoming increasingly clear that the quick decision-making at the highest levels of the country's security apparatus saved a repeat of a Mumbai-like carnage at the frontline airbase.
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Let billionaires save the world
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's pledge to give away 99 per cent of his shares in the company, assessed at $45 billion, is the most recent in a series of over 138 billionaires who have signed the "giving pledge" to donate 50 per cent of their fortunes to charity.
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From Buddhism to Bollywood - The Investment in Soft Power
As a gross generalisation, three factors shape the foreign policy of most countries: history, geography and capability. And each of these has decisively influenced Indian foreign policy, in different ways at different times. India’s power of attraction, the foundation of any country’s “soft power”, derives from each. India’s newly recognised global economic significance and potential greatly lends weight to the country’s international profile.
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Modi vs terror
What's with Prime Minister Narendra Modi? In the past two weeks, in various speeches, he has raised the standard of combating terrorism. True, this is the period in which horrific attacks were carried out in Paris, Bamako and Beirut, but nothing unusual has happened in India. Indeed, there has been no major development on the terrorism front in India since 2008, which saw the Mumbai attacks and the bombing campaign of the so-called Indian Mujahideen.
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Paris Attack is Nothing but a Message
The brutal serial attack in Paris resulting in death of 129 civilians besides injuring scores of others should not come as a surprise to anyone. The possibility of such a well-executed attack on in Europe have been doing the rounds ever since the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) established its caliphate in July 2014. - See more at: http://www.vifindia.org/article/2015/november/16/paris-attack-is-nothing-but-a-message#sthash.VXARwo2a.dpuf
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G20 Ministerial: Should focus on global and Asian economy
In the run up to the G20 Leaders' Summit-to be held in Antalya, Turkey, on November 15-16-there have been several meetings between the finance ministers and Sherpas of G20 member countries on the agenda set out by Turkey, the chair this year. The priority areas include investment, inclusiveness and implementation, among others.
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Balancing innovation and employment
What has Make in India got going for it? The primary facilitative factor for the Narendra Modi Government's flagship initiative to convert India into some sort of a manufacturing power - and raise the share of manufacturing from the current 17 per cent of GDP to 25 per cent of (a much bigger) GDP by 2025 - is the large Indian market.
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