News
Smart Cities to Enrich Urban Life
In a landmark decision, the Indian Government has given a green signal to the ambitious project of turning 100 urban centres spread across the country into smart cities ,the need for which has been vigorously espoused by the tech savy Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi .The “Smart Cities Mission” that will attract an investment of Rs.480,000-million has as its objective, “recasting the urban landscape of the country by making cities more liveable and inclusive, besides driving economic growth”.
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Why India should join China's MSR
The growth of China has been remarkable ever since it undertook reforms in 1978 and China is currently the second largest economy in the world, even having overtaken Japan. In order to sustain this development, the concept of the Silk Road was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jingping during his visit to Indonesia in October 2013.
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The State of the Economy
One year on, Modi government is being judged and assessed for its performance in various fields. Of all the things that have happened on the economic front, Prime Minister Modi's moves on the social sector insurance policy for the poor stand out as an outstanding achievement. The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Paradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana have given hope to the poor because they can now be insured against accident, old age and death.
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The Modi govt's economic story
In politics, depending on your point of view, one year can be a long, or a short time. The Narendra Modi government has hit that anniversary and while critics charge that he has failed to deliver, his supporters argue that a year is simply too short a time to judge the government of a country as huge as India, and one with legacy issues ranging from corruption to misgovernance.
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China Reinforces its Maritime Claims in South China Sea
While last year China created an avoidable controversy by sending its giant drilling rig HD-981 for drilling for oil within the EEZ of Vietnam to bolster its claims in South China Sea, of late Beijing has adopted innovative strategy of building islands of sand for supporting its maritime claims.
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Walking Away or Ignoring Afghanistan is not an Option for India
The policy shift being attempted by Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in which he sought to relegate India to the fourth circle of priority and appease Pakistan has had mixed reception in the Indian strategic community. It ranges from disappointment over side-lining of India to a resigned acceptance of an emerging situation in which India's space may get constricted.
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The importance of Modi's Paris visit
There is quite an air of anticipation around the Indian Prime Minister's visit to France. The government's foreign policy pace has been enviable, and Narendra Modi has demonstrated a remarkable aptitude in gauging the mood and the space to manoeuvre with various partners. He has revitalised old relationships and lent them his energy. He has also achieved some real strategic gains,such as the one in Seychelles.
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New foreign trade policy: Going for the big push
After a long delay, the government has finally announced the much awaited new foreign trade policy (FTP) 2015-2020. The thrust of the new policy is on export promotion, reducing trade transactions costs, e-commerce, services exports and ease of doing business. This policy is in sync with the government's key initiatives of Make in India and other big ideas like Digital India.
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Border paradox
As it looks at the southwestern frontiers with India and its neighbours in the subcontinent, China stares at a paradox. China has ambitious plans to develop mega trans-border projects with Myanmar in the east and Pakistan in the west. China has already built a twin pipeline system running from Myanmar’s Bay of Bengal coast to the Yunnan province.
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Modi's Sagar Mala*
As he swings across the Indian Ocean this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's biggest challenge is not about countering China. After all, Beijing is far away and India is right in the middle of the Indian Ocean. In the near term, the tyranny of geography will limit the scope and intensity of Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. Modi's real problem is in Delhi, afflicted by a condition called continentalism, which has proved rather difficult to overcome.
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