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

Quad a forceful idea: EU must have a more strategic China policy

The EU, part of the western alliance, can no longer remain a balancing power between America, the Quad and China, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Instability in Nepal fuelling Terai autonomy movement

The Terai autonomy movement has been going on since 2007 and has recently gained traction with the armed outfit renewing its political vows at a time when Nepal is facing a host of internal issues, writes Shushant VC for South Asia Monitor

Modi’s catch-the-rain awareness campaign will help India conserve scarce water (World Water Day is on March 22)

Prime Minister Modi clearly laid out the importance of collective responsibility towards water conservation in February. He called for a 100-day campaign to clean up water bodies and prepare them for rainwater harvesting before the monsoon of 2021, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor

Modi visit: Bangladeshi radicals cant derail the dynamism of growing India-Bangladesh ties

Regardless of the fundamentalist rhetoric on both sides of the border, the governments of Modi and Hasina are focused on improving connectivity, trade, and people-to-people relations, writes Subir Bhaumik for South Asia Monitor

Biden presidency will see a more collaborative Indo-US relationship

Biden has more India expertise than any previous president, which will only be a good thing for bilateral relations, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor  

Himalayan disasters: Urgent need for collaboration between India, Nepal and Bhutan

The Chamoli disaster should serve as an eye-opener for nations, government and individuals alike. In order to decrease the magnitude of such environmental disasters that occur or can occur in the coming future, it is necessary for the governments of India, Nepal, and Bhutan to collaborate in order to come up with sustainable solutions, writes Shushant V C for South Asia Monitor

UNHRC vote on Sri Lanka opens door for international intervention: Will India abandon role of regional power?

An international body to be provided with an opportunity to directly interfere in an internal affair of a member of the world community, especially a country in South Asia, will definitely dent the position of India as the regional power, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan's once-mighty Indus, a lifeline for millions, is dying slowly

Hence, in the span of only one and a half-century, a mighty river like the Indus has been imprisoned in dams, bridges, and barrages, which has severely disturbed the river’s flow, writes Muhammad Abbas Khaskheli for South Asia Monitor

Seamless connectivity, clean-energy investment can herald new era of South Asian cooperation

By prioritizing green stimulus through clean-energy investment and sustainability-oriented policies in its pandemic response, South Asia can play an important role in making the development process more sustainable, both for the region and for the world, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

For a peaceful South Asia, US acknowledges India's strategic importance to Afghanistan

The growing political and economic influence of India in Afghanistan has been factored by the Biden administration and the inclusion of India in the peace talks are proof of that, writes Shushant VC for South Asia Monitor

From security dialogue to leading the world: Quad summit Friday to discuss larger global role

The broader agenda signals the Quad's move towards multifaceted cooperation to broaden their footprint, while also keeping the facade -- important to India -- that it is not directed against China, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor

India's new soft power: Pharmacy of the world

Gratitude has been expressed to India from the highest political levels of the 57-odd countries that have received 56 million doses through outright grants, commercially or through COVAX, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Manifold challenges faced by imprisoned transgender persons in South Asia

There are countries in South Asia, for example, India and Pakistan, where we have judgments from apex courts declaring self-determination of gender identity by trans people as fundamental to gender recognition, writes Sai Bourothu for South Asia Monitor

An icon of South Asia: Sahir Ludhianvi’s lifetime work and legacy still relevant

Sahir's birth centenary, on March 8, 2021, is an occasion for all to revisit his lifetime work and legacy that has tremendous relevance even in our own troubled, testing times, writes Venkat Parsa for South Asia Monitor 

Justice for India's women: Against a bleak backdrop, some encouraging developments too

This is an ironic and familiar pattern wherein  every March 8, the collective global attention briefly dwells on the status of women and while well-meaning statements are repeated – the substantive improvement in the welfare and safety of women  remains a work in slow  progress and an  area of grave concern, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor