| Title: | 400: Urgency of Understanding Sanitation Drivers in ‘Smaller Cities’ in India: National and International Relevance |
| Author/s: | Shubhagato Dasgupta |
| Abstract: | The paper emphasises the fact that the fastest growth in India’s urban population is occurring in its smaller cities and towns. They have glaringly inadequate sewerage and public sanitation infrastructure. But there is still time, before they grow too large, to begin to provide some of the requirements for a healthy urban life. |
| Date: | 28 December 2015 |
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| Title: | 399: Caste and Gender: The Social Barriers to Solid Waste Management in India |
| Author/s: | Shibu Nair |
| Abstract: | The paper explains the indignities and deeply-held attitudes that stigmatise those who deal with waste, garbage and human excreta in India. It outlines how such attitudes make the goals of the 'Swachh Bharat' or 'Clean India' campaign difficult to achieve. It argues, however, that a zero-waste strategy, which improves public sanitation and the dignity of workers, has had some success. |
| Date: | 28 December 2015 |
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| Title: | 398: Malaise_in_Maldives |
| Author/s: | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury |
| Abstract: | The implications of recent events in Maldives go far beyond the pristine shores of that enchanting archipelago. The paper discusses the larger geopolitical implications of the suspension of democracy, and options for China and India - the major players in the region. |
| Date: | 6 November 2015 |
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| Title: | 397: The Judicial Appointments Debate in India |
| Author/s: | Vinod Rai , Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The latest ruling by the Supreme Court of India against the government's project of the National Judicial Appointments Commission has further stirred a public discourse on the best means to have the best judges. Seeing the polarised debate on the independence of judiciary versus the supremacy of parliament as a false dichotomy, the author suggests that the best touchstone is the transparency of each constitutional institution. |
| Date: | 20 October 2015 |
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| Title: | 396: Data-driven Planning for Solid Waste Management in Chennai |
| Author/s: | Harsha Anantharaman works at the Civic Action Group (CAG), Chennai |
| Abstract: | The paper reports the advantages of data-based planning for solid waste management in a major Indian city, which have been demonstrated through three steps undertaken as part of a pilot project in a Chennai ward. |
| Date: | 20 October 2015 |
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| Title: | 395: The Perils of Counting Caste |
| Author/s: | Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | While the unpublished findings of the 'Caste Census' in India might not receive serious attention if ever made public, some of the socio-economic data, made available by the same Census, can set the marketing managers and policy makers thinking. |
| Date: | 15 October 2015 |
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| Title: | 394: Trans-Pacific Partnership and India’s Emerging Challenges |
| Author/s: | Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economic Policy) at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations has major implications for India, which is aspiring for a larger role in the regional architecture of the Asia-Pacific. India will have to anticipate the TPP’s influence on ongoing regional trade negotiations involving India, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The TPP also entails a major diplomatic challenge for India by focusing on the need for closer alignment of New Delhi’s trade and foreign policies for deeper and meaningful interaction with the region. |
| Date: | 8 October 2015 |
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| Title: | 393: ‘China 2030: Building a Modern,Harmonious, and Creative Society’ |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki , Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | China is unique among developing countries in achieving sustained economic and social success. So, policymakers in South Asia will do well to factor a robust Chinese economic future into their thinking about their own future. |
| Date: | 2 October 2015 |
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| Title: | 392: The RMB’s Credentials for Global Currency Status |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The reforms that China has announced in September 2015, following the devaluation of its currency a month earlier, may strengthen the case for the inclusion of the Renminbi (RMB) in the basket of currencies that the International Monetary Fund uses for its calculation of Special Drawing Rights or ‘virtual currency’. |
| Date: | 2 October 2015 |
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| Title: | 391: Implications of Sino-Russian Ties for the Region |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | Instead of viewing the growing links between China and Russia through the prism of Sino-American sensitivities, South Asian countries like India and Pakistan can benefit from plugging into this emerging Sino-Russian equation. |
| Date: | 9 September 2015 |
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| Title: | 390: A Connectivity Stimulus for Mutual Benefit |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | While Beijing has conceptualised its 'One Belt One Road' Silk Route of the 21st Century in the scenario of a possible American attempt to blockade Chinese trade at the Strait of Malacca, some of these projects could have spin-off value for South Asia as well. |
| Date: | 2 September 2015 |
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| Title: | 389: A Changing Trade Landscape? |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The on-going restructuring of the Chinese economy has rung alarm bells across the global financial markets. However, South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan may stand a chance of capitalising on China's emerging trade pattern. |
| Date: | 2 September 2015 |
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| Title: | 388: India and the BRICS Partnership |
| Author/s: | Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, Research Associate at ISAS |
| Abstract: | India and its partners - Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa - in the BRICS forum have launched the New Development Bank. With the leaders of these countries, who recently met at Ufa in Russia, displaying a considerable degree of convergence on several issues, it became clear that a beginning was being made towards creating a new global economic architecture. |
| Date: | 2 September 2015 |
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| Title: | 387: A Fragmented Approach towards China |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | India, South Asia's major power, is showing no interest in evolving a collective regional policy towards China, while Pakistan as well as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are responding positively to Beijing's moves at weaving a string of strategic assets in the sub-continent. This leaves South Asia wide open to forays by both China and the US. |
| Date: | 20 August 2015 |
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| Title: | 386: Growing US-China Military Rivalry |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | With Pakistan now choosing to act in a manner that might give the Chinese submarines access to its shores, and with India appearing to abandon its old non-alignment policy, there is a risk of the current US-China confrontation affecting South Asia. |
| Date: | 20 August 2015 |
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| Title: | 385: How the Collapse of ‘Chimerica’ Will Affect South Asia |
| Author/s: | Shahid Javed Burki, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | India and Pakistan, the two large countries in South Asia, must work for the region’s collective good rather than moving closer to the United States and China, respectively, and promoting the interests of these two external powers, says the author. |
| Date: | 14 August 2015 |
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| Title: | 384: Politics of ‘Good Governance’ in Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Polls |
| Author/s: | Ayesha Kalpani Wijayalath, Research Assistant at ISAS |
| Abstract: | Sri Lanka’s latest parliamentary election, slated for 17 August 2015, is important not only for the political-comeback bid by former President Mahinda Rajapakse but also for the focus on issues of ‘good governance’ in a climate of higher prime ministerial stakes than before. |
| Date: | 14 August 2015 |
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| Title: | 383: AIIB – A Test for China-India Cooperation |
| Author/s: | Sajjad Ashraf, a Consultant at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The recent launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a Chinese initiative, showcases Beijing's rise as an economic powerhouse in the context of the perceived failure of the US-sponsored World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to meet the aspirations of the developing countries. Yet, the AIIB's success will depend on the equation between the bank's leading stakeholders, China and India, who are otherwise competitors. |
| Date: | 31 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 382: Political Risks in India-North Korea Ties |
| Author/s: | Sojin Shin, Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | North Korea's latest expression of interest in humanitarian help from India has brought into new focus the whole issue of economic engagement between the two countries. India may well have to weigh the political risks at stake, given Pyongyang's close strategic links with both China and Pakistan. |
| Date: | 31 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 381: Political Will is the Test of India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership |
| Author/s: | Sojin Shin, Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | India and South Korea upgraded their bilateral relationship to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership' when India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Seoul recently. The new partnership seeks to promote closer ties between various industries and between the defence sectors of the two countries. But the unanswered question is how and on what to build the special strategic partnership. |
| Date: | 31 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 380: Issues of South Asian Security, and the China Factor |
| Author/s: | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Principal Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | As the diverse countries of South Asia seek to manage changes at home, China, with its new links to the region, can play a significant role, as both sides are developing stakes in each other's aspirations. |
| Date: | 14 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 379: Blending Force and Consent |
| Author/s: | Laldinkima Sailo, Research Associate at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The internal and external reactions to the Indian Army's recent strike against suspected insurgents, in the wake of a deadly attack on soldiers in the state of Manipur, underscore the need for a harmonious blend of national security concerns and sensitivity towards the interests of the affected population. |
| Date: | 14 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 378: Modi’s Visit to Mongolia |
| Author/s: | Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, Research Associate at ISAS |
| Abstract: | India's soft-power and diplomatic outreach to China's neighbourhood were on display during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Mongolia. The strategic intent underpinning this visit needs careful consideration. |
| Date: | 14 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 377: New Trade Links: |
| Author/s: | Deeparghya Mukherjee, a Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The sheaf of trade- and investment-agreements that India and Bangladesh have now signed will open up opportunities for New Delhi to look at, and beyond, its near-East neighbour - towards the eastern arc of Asia. |
| Date: | 3 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 376: Modi -Acts- Near-East, and Hasina Responds |
| Author/s: | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Principal Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The display of political bonhomie, evident during the latest visit to Dhaka by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a sense of finality over the Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, have injected a new dynamic in the interactions between these two South Asian countries. However, other crucial issues, in particular, the sharing of river waters, remain to be solved. These will require the continuation of the good neighbourly spirit. |
| Date: | 3 July 2015 |
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| Title: | 375: A New Touch of Realism in Bilateral Talks |
| Author/s: | P S Suryanarayana, Editor (Current Affairs) at ISAS. |
| Abstract: | The complex and chequered Sino-Indian relationship is entering a new phase following India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in his hometown on 14 May 2015. While Mr Modi asked Beijing to "reconsider" its approach towards New Delhi, Mr Xi did not brush aside the India-story, as was evident from their agreement to regard both sides as "major powers". |
| Date: | 23 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 374: Dealing With Xi: Modi’s Foreign Policy Challenge |
| Author/s: | Sinderpal Singh, Senior Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | It is evident from India's Prime Minister's Narendra Modi's talks with the Chinese leadership in May 2015, and with other world leaders earlier, that New Delhi will be keen to forge economic links with Beijing while seeking increasingly closer strategic ties with Washington. |
| Date: | 23 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 373: Maintaining the Economic Momentum |
| Author/s: | Amitendu Palit , Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economic Policy) at ISAS. |
| Abstract: | India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China in mid-May 2015 helped maintain the economic momentum of recent years in Sino-Indian relations by expanding and deepening the collaboration between Chinese and Indian businesses and institutions. Mr Modi's announcement of e-visas for Chinese tourists was a major economic and strategic takeaway. |
| Date: | 23 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 372: Chinese Setting for Talks with India |
| Author/s: | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury , Principal Research Fellow at ISAS |
| Abstract: | The way China behaves in contemporary times has deep roots in its intellectual, philosophical and political past, and is shaped by them. This also applies to how China interacts with India. It provided the matrix for India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China in mid-May 2015. |
| Date: | 23 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 371: Enhancing Disaster Management Capacity in South Asia |
| Author/s: | Chandrani Sarma, Research Assistant, ISAS |
| Abstract: | As the Himalayan ecosystem is susceptible to natural disasters due to the global climate change patterns, the earthquake that struck Nepal recently might not be the last or the deadliest. An important outcome of the Nepal earthquake will be to draw on the event as a good opportunity to broaden the scope of coordination among the states of South Asia beyond the economic arena which currently dominates the discourse of regional cooperation in South Asia. |
| Date: | 11 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 370: India and Singapore: Partners in Innovation and Skills Development |
| Author/s: | Deeparghya Mukherjee, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS |
| Abstract: | A comparative analysis of India's and Singapore's technology readiness and innovation trajectories shows that there is much that the Indian entrepreneurs can tap into the City State's expertise in order to climb up the industry value-chains. |
| Date: | 11 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 369: Peace-making Challenges in Afghanistan |
| Author/s: | Sajjad Ashraf, Consultant, ISAS |
| Abstract: | The chances of crafting the much-elusive peace in Afghanistan still hang in the balance, but the Afghan President is known to carry no anti-Pakistan bias, and India seems to be keeping a low profile and letting Islamabad take its chances in a complex situation, says the author in a personal comment. |
| Date: | 3 June 2015 |
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| Title: | 368: Pakistan’s Widening Sectarian Divide |
| Author/s: | Sajjad Ashraf, Consultant, ISAS |
| Abstract: | The latest targeted killings in Pakistan have not only exacerbated its sectarian tensions but also exposed the failings of the civil administration in a country where the Army, despite its historic role, cannot be the sole guardian of internal peace. |
| Date: | 26 May 2015 |
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| Title: | 367: Nepal after the Mega Earthquake |
| Author/s: | Nischal N Pandey, Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu, and Honorary Fellow of ISAS |
| Abstract: | In Nepal the inability of the state to cope with the recent devastating earthquake was mitigated by help from India, China, and the United States. This points towards the urgency of enhancing the disaster management capacity in Nepal and a coordinated disaster management structure for South Asia. |
| Date: | 26 May 2015 |
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| Title: | 366: From ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’: PM Modi’s Visit to China, S. Korea and Mongolia |
| Author/s: | Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS |
| Abstract: | While India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming talks with Chinese leaders will grab the most attention, his visit to not only China but also South Korea and Mongolia is likely to redefine his ‘Act East’ policy. |
| Date: | 17 May 2015 |
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| Title: | 365: Yemen, Pakistan and Arab Monarchies: Widening Gulf? |
| Author/s: | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Principal Research Fellow, ISAS |
| Abstract: | Sunni - dominated Saudi Arabia might have miscalculated when it went into Yemen , not with boots on the ground but with bombs from the air, to try and deter the advance of the Shiite Houthi rebels. R i yadh and its Gulf allies, somewhat grandiosely called their intervention ' Op eration Decisive Storm', obviously bor rowing the jargon from the West. When it began the airstrikes, which appeared to be in imitation of a number of similar W estern actions in the M iddl e E ast and North Africa, the Saudis and their co - bombers might have assumed it would be a cake - walk. It wasn't. Notwith standing mounting civilian casualties, the Houthis fo u ght back with resilience that took the Gulf monarchies by surprise. In their consternation , the monarchies turned to the militarily most powerful Muslim State, the nuclear - armed Pakistan , asking for military support . The Pakistani response was a greater shock to them than even the t rail of Houthi successes. The government in Islamabad demurred, and then turned the ball over to the Parliament, which after a long and arduous debate, declined. |
| Date: | 17 May 2015 |
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| Title: | 364: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor |
| Author/s: | Sajjad Ashraf, Consultant at ISAS |
| Abstract: | Pakistan's National Assembly, the Lower House of Parliament, has given post - facto approval for a major project that has come to be known as China - Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The addition of CPEC to the China - Pakistan agenda blends with Beijing's Sil k Road initiative that is designed to connect China, through a series of infrastructure projects, with Central and South Asia and even the eastern edges of the Persian Gulf region |
| Date: | 9 April 2015 |
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| Title: | 363: Nitish Kumar and Bihar’s Lost Political Ground |
| Author/s: | Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, Research Associate, ISAS & Atul K Thakur, New Delhi-based journalist |
| Abstract: | Nitish Kumar ’s return to the helm as Chief Minister of Bihar is a remarkable political comeback in the sense that he succeeded in bringing odd allies under a single umbrella, and in doing so without compromising his development agenda. In all probability, he will make it big this time – with a perfect sense of the situation that arose from the blunder he committed when relinquishing the posi tion of chief minister. Kumar had resigned as Bihar C hief M inister a day after Narendra Modi led his party to a historic win in the national general election last year – with Kumar’s party suffering a humiliating defeat in Bihar in that election . Notably, Kumar’s decision then, which turned out to be a lapse in realpolitik , has turned Bihar into a playground for unhealthy politics |
| Date: | 9 April 2015 |
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| Title: | 362: A Brief Intertwining of the Two Bengals |
| Author/s: | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Principal Research Fellow, ISAS |
| Abstract: | Not too many Grecian analogies can be drawn with regard to the tumultuous on - going turmoil in Bangladesh which passes for politics. However, one expression, borrowed from the ancient classics, could be apt while describing the 'battle of the two Begums' ( Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister who heads the Awami League, and Khaleda Zia, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is the principal political opposition, operating not within but outside the Parliament having boycotted the elections of 5 Janu ary 2014). It is: "When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war". In the seemingly irresolvable tugging of the rope between the two leaders, neither appears inclined to give in an inch. Holed up in her city office in Dhaka, Khaleda is bent on bringing the government down from the streets with agitation that grows more violent by the day. The government is equally unrelenting, using force to the maximum, and incarcerating innumerable activists, with or without due process. It is a feud that does not mak e the blindest bit of sense to any observer, domestic or foreign, except to confirm the received wisdom that politics is all about the acquisition of power, by means both fair and foul |
| Date: | 24 February 2015 |
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| Title: | 361: Obama’s Visit to India: Review of Defence Relationship |
| Author/s: | Jayant Singh, Research Assistant, ISAS |
| Abstract: | US President Barack Obama’s second coming to India , from 25 to 27 January 2015, was a visit of many firsts. In the days and weeks leading up to his visit media chatter ha d predominantly focused on rude and intrusive secret service agents and the heightened security measures around the capital, New Delhi. B ut as the President’s Air Force One took off from Andrews Air Force base in Washington DC , policy wonks and media pundits got down to business , and the chatter turned towards the bilateral agenda |
| Date: | 5 February 2015 |
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| Title: | 360: India-US Relations: Modi and Obama Begin a New Chapter |
| Author/s: | Chilamkuri Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS |
| Abstract: | There have been many false dawns before in the uncertain evolution of the relations hip between India and the United States. If India and America were estranged democracies during the Cold War, they certainly became more engaged republics since the 1990s. Y et, repeated attempts at elevating it into a genuine strategic partnership seemed to end up nowhere. |
| Date: | 29 January 2015 |
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| Title: | 359: Sri Lankan Presidential Election at a Glance |
| Author/s: | Saman Kelegama, Executive Director at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Colombo |
| Abstract: | The Sri Lankan election result was a stunner to many. An incumbent president has never been defeated before and this was the first time that it happened with the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election held on 8 January 2015. Although the margin of the incoming President Maithripala Sirisena's victory was thin, he managed to make substantial inroads in the majority Sinhala - Buddhist vote base (70% of the population) of Rajapaksa. This, capped by overwhelming support from the minority communi ties in Sri Lanka (Tamils and Muslims) enabled Sirisena to romp home. |
| Date: | 15 January 2015 |
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| Title: | 358: Elusive Peace in Afghanistan |
| Author/s: | Sajjad Ashraf, Consultant, ISAS |
| Abstract: | The Afghan government of national unity set up under an agreement brokered by the US Secretary of State John Kerry could only announce its first cabinet nominations on 12 January 2014, after 107 days of hard bargaining between two rival camps. The nominations will now be presented to the parliament for confirmation. The agreement made Ashraf Ghani the President and Abdullah Abdullah the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a post akin to a prime minister, with effective powers. |
| Date: | 13 January 2015 |
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| Title: | 357: Presidential Stakes and Sri Lanka’s Future |
| Author/s: | Chandrani Sarma, Research Assistant, ISAS |
| Abstract: | With the Sri Lankan presidential election set for 8 January 2015, pressure is building up against the incumbent , Mahinda Rajapaksa . In the 2010 presidential election, R ajapaksa, as the candidate of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) , won re - election, in a landslide , in the backdrop of the Sri Lankan military’s conquest over the Tamil separatists. Rajapaksa called another presidential election, two years before schedule, hoping to further consolidate his position 2 With a divided opposition, this would probably have been a very easy win , had Maithripala Sirisena not resigned from the party to oppose him for the presidency. Sirisena was the general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Rajapaksa’s party , and Minister of H ealth . This led to a domino effect , with several ruling party luminaries defecting from the government. In a historic and important turn, the opposition United Nationalist Party (UNP) , along with several SLFP loyalists, as well as former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, chose Sirisena as the common candidate to run a gainst Rajapaksa. |
| Date: | 7 January 2015 |
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| Title: | 356: Dreams and a Desperate Terrain! |
| Author/s: | Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, Research Associate, ISAS |
| Abstract: | Excellent electoral strategising , coupled with the political charisma of India 's Prime Minister Narendra Modi , has produced an electoral majority for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) , in coalition with its ally the All Jharkhand Students- Union (AJSU ), in the Indian state of Jharkhand . After winning that majority, BJP has formed a government, naming Raghubar Das, a five - time le gislator from East Jamshedpur, as the first non - tribal C hief M inister . The state, which has seen nine governments and three interludes of President's rule in 14 years, has given a decisive mandate this time. This is clearly a vote against political instabi lity and a vote for better governance |
| Date: | 7 January 2015 |
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