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Pakistan’s Democratic Opening?
October 23 , 2020 Dr Yatharth Kachiar, Research Associate, VIF
Commentary Views: 186
Pakistan’s opposition parties under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have unleashed a direct attack on Imran Khan Government and its military backers. After two rallies in Gujranwala and Karachi by PDM, Pakistan’s hybrid regime is feeling the heat of pro-democratic protests in the country. The recent humiliation meted out to Karachi IG Mushtaq Mahar by Sindh Rangers- a federal institution answerable to Interior Ministry- indicates the recklessness with which the Imran Khan government is undermining the institutions within the country.
Tags : Army , democracy , Human Rights , Imran Khan , Karachi , Nawaz Sharif , Opposition , Pakistan , PTI , Pakistan , Neighbourhood Studies
The Frozen Conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh Flares up again
October 23 , 2020 Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF
Article Views: 270
Nagorno Karabakh is one of the frozen conflicts in Eurasia for over a quarter century. However, on September 27 the two contenders and neighbours Azerbaijan and Armenia fired up the conflict yet again resulting in hundreds of casualties and attacks on civilian areas. This time the battle is overtly to the finish as Azerbaijan wants to take back its territory which has been inhabited and controlled by the ethnic separatist Armenians and managed by Yerevan at least since 1994. This is clearly one of the typical legacies left either by the dying British Empire or the disintegrating Soviet Union.
Tags : Armenia , Azerbaijan , CSTO , Erdogan , India , Iran , Oil , OSCE Minsk group , Pakistan , Putin , Russia , Turkey , Russia , International Relations and Diplomacy
How the Sabah Dispute Challenges ASEAN’s Regional Security Vision
October 22 , 2020 Amb Gurjit Singh
Article Views: 435
The issue of Sabah or North Borneo, as it was known till 19631, was brushed under a legal carpet of convenience ever since the Malaysian Federation was formed. Sabah lies on the island of Borneo, the world’s third largest island astride the maritime routes of ASEAN. 73% of the island is the territory of five Indonesian provinces. It proposes to have its new capital in the resource rich island which it calls Kalimantan.2 The small country of Brunei is located on Borneo and the remainder is the territory of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia.
Tags : ASEAN , Borneo , ICJ , Malaysia , PCA , Philippines , Sabah , South China Sea , Sulu Islands , Treaty of Amity and Cooperation , International Relations and Diplomacy
India favours gradual evolution of the Quad
October 22 , 2020 Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF
Commentary Views: 303
The 2nd ministerial meeting of the Quad group of countries hosted by Japan in Tokyo on 6th October 2020 was significant. The Foreign Ministers of India, Australia and the US Secretary of State flew specially to Tokyo for a face-to-face meeting, ignoring the covid crisis. Unlike the earlier meeting which was held in November 2019, this meeting was a stand-alone meeting and not a meeting held on the margins of a larger meeting.
Tags : 2+2 Dialogue , China , Japan , LAC , NATO , QUAD , International Relations and Diplomacy
Why the Revival of CPEC now?
October 21 , 2020 Prerna Gandhi, Associate Fellow, VIF
Article Views: 521
In international rhetoric, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is often referred to as the crown jewel or the colossal blunder of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. These diametrically opposite assessments reflect the ambiguity and irrationality associated with the project. From reducing China’s Malacca Dilemma and building new connectivity routes into Eurasia and beyond, to developing Pakistan into a mini China crisscrossed with power plants, transport infrastructure and special economic zones; a number of reasons have been peddled to outline the CPEC vision.
Tags : Afghanistan , CCCC , Chinese Military Base , CPEC , External Debt , Gilgit-Baltistan , Hydel Power Projects , Imran Khan , Ladakh , Wakhan Corridor , Xinjiang , China , Pakistan , International Relations and Diplomacy
Need for a Vigorous Africa Strategy
October 20 , 2020 Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF
Commentary Views: 426
Africa enchants most people. But our relations and contacts with Africa have been umbilical to say the least. Africa is close to us and very important too is a given. Has it acquired salience remained debatable for quite some time despite the best intent of the successive post-independence Indian governments? Until recently the high-level exchanges and visits from Indian leadership have been few and far between leading to a perennial retort from the African leaders, who on their own made umpteen efforts to galvanise the momentum of the respective bilateral relationship.
Tags : AfCFTA , Asia Africa Growth Corridor , China , Covid 19 , debt traps , East Africa , IAFS , India , PM Modi , Africa , International Relations and Diplomacy
नेपाल में संघवाद कितना टिकाऊ
October 20 , 2020 Prof Hari Bansh Jha
Article Views: 487
संघवाद सरकार के कामकाज की एक प्रणाली है, जिसमें शक्तियां केंद्र और राज्यों में विभाजित होती हैं।1 आज दुनिया के अधिकतर देश ने भी संघवाद शासन प्रणाली को स्वीकार किए हुए हैं, जिससे एक तरफ तो अपनी जनता और सरकार के बीच बने फासलों को पाटने मैं मदद मिलती है, और दूसरी तरफ यह प्रणाली लोकतंत्र को भी सहारा देती है। चूंकि संघीय ढांचे में केंद्र और क्षेत्रीय ताकतों के बीच सत्ता को एक विशेष तरीके से विभाजित किया जाता है, इसके चलते इसकी घटक इकाइयों के लिए शासन और विकासात्मक गतिविधियों से जुड़े अपने मामलों में खुद से फैसले लेना आसान हो जाता है।
Tags : Hindi , नेपाल। संघवाद। बजटीय आवंटन। सीपीएन माओवादी। जनजातियों। मधेशिया। , Nepal , Neighbourhood Studies
VIF News Digests
Global Developments And Analysis: Weekly Monitor
October 19, 2020
Global Developments and Analysis: Weekly Monitor, 12 October- 18 October

Economic US considers adding China's Ant Group to trade blacklist The U.S. State Department has submitted a proposal for the...

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Science and Technology
September 15, 2020
Science and Technology News Digest 26 Aug – 13 Sep 2020

Indian physicist discovers bacterium-sized deformity in neutron star 4,500 light years away August 27, 2020 A tiny change...

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China Daily Digest
October 23, 2020
China: Daily Scan, 23 October, 2020

Xi Focus: Xi chairs leadership meeting on 13th Five-Year Plan implementation: Xinhuanet October 23, 2020 The Standing...

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Neighbourhood News
October 23, 2020
VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: October 23, 2020

PAKISTAN Justice Isa, wife release income tax, assets details: DAWN Justice Qazi Faez Isa and his wife Sarina Isa came...

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International Development
October 20, 2020
VIF News Digest: International Developments (US, Europe and Russia), 1-15 October 2020

I. United States Politics and Society US silence on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict reflects international disengagement, 4...

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Defense, National Security and Terrorism, VIF Alerts
October 20, 2020
VIF News Digest: National Security - Defence Studies & Terrorism, 01-15 October 2020

DEFENCE Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) Phase IV of the Indian Army to be established. Flight Testing...

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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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