Bombing of Tehran

The Iran Conundrum, Trumpian Dilemma and the Shifting Sands of West Asia

Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the CFR believes that the West could have got much better dividends without this war. He says that Araghchi had tabled proposals that called for the suspension of uranium enrichment for several years before allowing it to then resume at low levels. Linda Robinson, CFR’s senior fellow, also feels that there will be mass American casualties if special forces are deployed. Already Arab States are upset with these joint operations with Israel. The consensus among CFR experts is that Trump’s ambitious objectives cannot be achieved merely with joint assaults by air or sea. 

Custodial Killings with no Judicial Remedies: A Sad Tale Across Two Punjabs

Was this the legacy that the great freedom fighters from Punjab – or extend that logic to rest of India and Pakistan where custodial deaths are common – would have wanted their land and its future generations to inherit? As if the breakdown of the country and its gory partition with a divided Punjab were not enough to torment them in their graves, wouldn’t this thought leave them completely shattered and desolate: this divided land is united in its conviction to perpetuate the very colonial mindset they fought. 

Bangladesh's Recent Election was Neither Free nor Fair

The Interim Government arranged extensive state protocol and privileges to the government-sponsored party, National Citizen Party (NCP), parties close to IG like Jamaat e Islami (JI) and their alliances, almost as if they were the government themselves. Similar privileges were given to the BNP and its allies. But no such facility was extended to the JP.

Competitive Populism vs Economic Development: When Forests are Monetised to Fund Revenue Expenditure

A democracy that is cutting down forests for votes risks mortgaging its ecological future for an electoral present. Welfare is essential; appeasement is corrosive. The difference lies in fiscal discipline, transparency and respect for citizens, who are not beneficiaries, but are owners of the republic. If we do not draw that line now, next year’s burden will demand another forest.

More on Perspective

Has the RSS reshaped its agenda for the upcoming elections?

Why has the language of the RSS chief seemingly changed from his 2018 speeches at Vigyan Bhavan? There may be many reasons for Bhagwat to be more forthright than sugarcoating his agenda earlier. Many state elections are due in 2023 and general elections are due in 2024. The polarization around identity issues seems to be the main instrument in its hands.

Why has India's national census been delayed

The present delay in conducting the national census, when even some of our South Asian neighbours have conducted theirs, despite covid difficulties, is cause for concern.

Wildlife at risk in Bangladesh as infrastructure development disrupts protected forests

Bangladesh has two laws on forest protection, only one of which, the 2019 revision of the 1927 Forest Act, makes even a glancing mention of infrastructure projects inside forests. It prohibits making any changes to a restricted forest, and threatens violators with up to five years in prison and up to 50,000 taka ($490) in fines. That hasn’t stopped the state from building multiple-lane roads through protected forests.

‘Third World’ or ‘Global South’? Its time to redefine

‘Third World’ and ‘Developed Nation’  are terms that are derogatory and ethnocentric in concept. The terns 'Global North' and the 'Global South' can offer researchers, columnists, as well as development partners a politically balanced perspective. 

In Covid wake, India caught off-guard over measles outbreak; exposes fragility of health system

Interestingly, strategies employed during the Covid pandemic are being replicated. Much like the Cowin app was used to track and monitor Covid vaccinations, the Indian government plans an app to monitor every eligible child to ensure that they are up to date with their vaccination schedules

Bangladesh's Matarbari Deep Sea Port offers new prospects for maritime connectivity in South Asia

The port can grow to be one of the key hubs of trade and business in South Asia as a result of its geographic advantages and deep-sea port capabilities.

Bangladesh is integral to the development of India's Northeast

If India focuses on improving bilateral economic and connectivity initiatives with Bangladesh, the economic development of this region is inevitable.

The bulldozing of the 'idea of India'

The manner in which bulldozers as tools of retaliatory State violence and punishment are being normalised now is akin to illegal 'encounter' (extra-judicial) killings which have now been normalised by police forces across the country.

Why I'm boycotting the World Cup in Qatar: FIFA stadiums built on the blood, sweat, and lives of migrant workers

I learned, too, that on average, the Gulf countries send half a dozen coffins a week to Nepal with the remains of somebody’s beloved family member. This didn’t just apply to Nepal — workers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and African countries faced a similar fate. 

Sri Lanka's dire food insecurity: Need for a well-planned policy framework

The root causes behind the food insecurity status of Sri Lanka are two-fold. Short-sighted policies such as the chemical fertilizer ban imposed by the Rajapaksa government generated a domino effect on agricultural production. Additionally, foreign exchange constraints severely limited food imports.

The hypocrisy of COP meetings: Be the change you want to see

As Mahatma Gandhi said we should be the change that we want to see or in other words we should practice what we preach. That is never the case.  So we heard pontification on how we should reduce the carbon footprint to make this world sustainable by people who never practice sustainable living in their personal life. 

Greater Bangladesh-Northeast India engagement will be a win-win for both countries

If trade and cultural relations between Bangladesh and Northeast India improve, the picture of the entire region will change.

Teachers across borders: Connecting people, learning from each other

Writers of the three winning entries, one from Pakistan and two from India, read their works out online at the Spelt conference to a full auditorium. The meritorious list included four stories from Pakistan, three from India, two from Nepal and one from the Philippines.

India’s higher education on a neoliberal path: Rankings should not sideline dissent and diversity

The ranking process is a vicious circle wherein higher-ranking institutions can mobilize more resources and vice versa. Unfortunately, those institutions which are not part of this frenzy competition will eventually be excluded from the higher education space dominated by the current neoliberal discourse.

India Space Congress 2022: Space as the fourth frontier

The space industry is keenly looking forward to the Indian government's new space policy and hoping for ease of doing business to take a practical shape.