Venu Naturopathy

 

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India’s Fiscal Scorecard 2.0: Can It Turn Potential Into Performance In Decade's Second Innings?

India’s states play an outsized role in public spending accounting for nearly +/- 60% of total government expenditure. However, their fiscal health varies greatly across pan India. As someone closely observing both macroeconomic trends and grassroots governance models, I notice a growing divide between states that follow prudent fiscal practices and those still trapped in populist spending cycles.

Guns, Governments and Greed: The Global Nexus of War and Power

When democracies embrace the traits of war economies and view peace as a sign of weakness, we need to question not about those who benefit from war, but rather about those who continue to engage in it. Not only does it include safety, but it also includes power, contracts, careers, and control. 

Op Sindoor: Did India Win Militarily But Lose The Narrative War?

The age of overt, high-visibility strikes is diminishing in returns. Covert operations, cyber infiltration, and disrupting terror logistics silently deliver greater impact at a lower political cost. India needs to establish a dedicated Psychological and Information Warfare Command, rather than relying solely on MEA press briefings or tweets from leaders.

Can BRICS Build to Break the Climate Blockade?

BRICS has the potential—and perhaps the will. Ahead of COP30, it should convene a high-level “Redefining Climate Summit” with other like-minded nations invited to the BRICS table. Let the world know: BRICS can indeed build the force to break the climate blockade. The clock is not ticking anymore. It’s screaming.

More on Spotlight

Whither Afghan peace? Taliban throws the gauntlet to Washington

Walking out from the US-proposed intra-Afghan talks in Turkey, Taliban has cocked a snook at Capitol Hill indicating it will commence attacking foreign troops next month, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (Retd) for South Asia Monitor

Pandemic's devastating impact on education in South Asia: Need for intra-regional cooperation

The digital economy gives a strong option for all countries of South Asia to connect not only within themselves but also globally, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Dark clouds over India-Pakistan trade: Will politics continue to mar prospects?

The upshot is that there is only one direction that bilateral trade between India and Pakistan can now go due to politics. This entails a huge loss in potential opportunities, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Bangladesh facing an increasingly violent Islamist ecosystem

Hasina, now basking in the glory of having led Bangladesh to phenomenal economic and human development progress in the golden decade of development, has her task cut out, writes Subir Bhaumik for South Asia Monitor

La Perouse: Quad emerges as strategic fulcrum of like-minded nations

Over the last year, both UK and Germany have also indicated that they propose to send their naval units to the IOR periodically for joint exercises, given the salience now accorded to the Indo-Pacific as a region, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Is India turning its back on its benevolent past to shut doors on immigrants?

This is another aspect of the ‘Idea of India' on which the ruling party differs from the views of its opponents who swear by India’s multicultural society against the “one nation, one people, one culture” concept of the Hindu right, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor

The overseas Indian and the false notion of Indianness

It is simplistically assumed that no matter what, the overseas Indian considers himself/herself to be, first and foremost, Indian. When the person does not conform to such expectation, there is a sense of betrayal and of feeling let down, writes Amb Amit Dasgupta (retd) for South Asia Monitor 

Pakistan’s 1971 war debacle: A Bengali judge's report lies buried with little accountabilty

The five-year effort of Justice Rehman and two high court chief justices, and their damning indictment, seem to have made no impact either on the political class or the military in Pakistan in the long run, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor 

Can the UAE bring India and Pakistan back on dialogue path?

Had the Pakistan government had the moxie to act on recent thawing developments on the trade front, it could have given a golden opportunity for both nations to start discussions and dialogue, opening new doors to enhance bilateral, social, political, and economic relations, writes Asif Rameez Daudi for South Asia Monitor

South Asia needs strategic integration for closer economic cooperation

The COVID-19 pandemic which has brought about a common set of challenges to all countries of the South Asia region necessitates the need for developing and strengthening a common agenda for trade and economic cooperation, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Kathmandu’s deteriorating air quality: Nepal should seek compensation from China, India

Nepal has all the right to claim compensation from its two neighbouring countries – China and India - two of the world’s biggest polluters, write Jivesh Jha & Alok Kumar Yadav  for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan a responsible nuclear state: Uses nuclear energy for economic progress, social prosperity

Pakistan is in a position not only to use nuclear energy for its national programmes for development and progress, but also can provide assistance to other countries of the region in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, writes Rabia Javed for South Asia Monitor

China will dominate Persian Gulf through strategic pact with Iran; major implications for region

The PLA presence in Iran, which may rise, should be seen in conjunction with PLA presence in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and in the garb of civilians in development projects around the world, the Middle East and Oman included, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

India’s vaccine gift to UN peacekeepers: Helping humanity fight pandemic

India’s initiative in supplying vaccines to UN peacekeeping forces and also to a large number of poor countries is a masterstroke of Narendra Modi’s government in vaccine diplomacy, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor 

Modi visit to Bangladesh: Much to celebrate amid hard political realities

The Modi visit, as well as previous high-level visits on both sides, have without any shadow of doubt made these two neighbours secure a bilateral partnership that can potentially lead to a larger regional role with greater possibilities, writes Sreeradha Datta for South Asia Monitor