As the Israel-Palestine conflict persists, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), announced in the backdrop of the G20 summit held in Delhi in September, 2023, remains a non-starter. The resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict is nowhere in sight. As opposed to delaying the implementation of IMEC until the crisis is resolved, the participating nations could look at additional routes that would connect India to Europe bypassing Israel. One such route can connect India to Europe via Oman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, while the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries can be connected to the corridor via branch routes.
Category: Analysis
Maldives’ Growing Proximity with China: Gain or Loss for India?
Since Mohamed Muizu became the elected president of the Maldives in September 2023, a series of anti-India sentiments has been sweeping the country. Evidently, the allegiance of President Muizzu’s clearly lies in China. President Muizzu has earlier given the deadline for withdrawing Indian troops from the country, which will be an eventual move, accepted by India. A few days earlier, the two maritime neighbourhood countries got into a spat after a reference from a Maldivian minister to call India a ‘bully’ of the smaller countries of the region. New Delhi reacted by reminding the amount of aid, $4.5 billion, that the Maldives accepts from India.
Can the Rise of Technosexualism Endanger Dating Apps?
In today’s world, AI is making its way into our romantic lives, as well as dominating our search engines and careers. With the belief that human relationships are overrated, AI girlfriends have gained significant popularity among more than 10 million individuals. With the rise of online dating, these partners are causing quite a buzz and could potentially revolutionise the way people approach dating. There is one individual who is willing to spend a whopping $10,000 every month on these chatbots. Greg Isenberg envisions a market worth one billion dollars, drawing inspiration from Match Group’s remarkable success. However, privacy concerns arise when it comes to virtual companions such as Cupid.ai and Candy.ai. Artificial intelligence companions, engineered to understand and offer a customised experience, could soon become the frontrunners, overshadowing dating app subscriptions.
BRICS is the Cure for Bitterness between India and China
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is one of the major platforms of the five emerging economies, aiming at promoting peace, security, inclusive development and cooperation. The platform represents 43% of the world’s total population and 30% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Since its establishment against the backdrop of the 2008 global financial crisis, as a potential alternative to G7 platform. The BRICS has grown substantially as an effective platform to articulate views of countries in the Global South as at least one country is present from every different continent across the region. Economy, being in focus point of the grouping, the initial decade of BRICS has advanced coordinated policy initiatives in the field of global economic governance.
Hong Kong’s National Security Law and its Potential Impact on Foreign Entities
The new national security law a legislation under Article 23 has been passed in Hong Kong Parliament. This is the second in a row of national security laws since 2020. The legal personnel has feared that the new law shall broaden the scope of defining sedition and state secrets, with tougher penalties for anyone under conviction. The new law encompasses treason, espionage and external interference is being closely watched by foreign businesses. Notably, the most serious offences are sometimes punishable with life imprisonment, convicted of involvement with ‘external forces’.
India’s Arunachal Pradesh or China’s Zangnan?
For a substantial period of time, the border conflicts between India and China have centred around the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China and administered by India. Reflecting the severity of the conflict, following the Sino-Indian War of 1962, both nations have been constantly in conflict with one another. Since then, Beijing has primarily concentrated on using covert warfare techniques to sabotage India’s sovereignty, renaming Indian land, intensifying military buildups in border regions and defying signed pacts, norms & procedures, while the dragon has never faltered in its will to put mounting pressure on New Delhi.
To what extent has North Korea achieved Economic Liberalisation?
North Korea has a communist style of governance, and the role of market allocation schemes is limited. Basically, the country has a centrally planned economy with a total GDP of nearly 20 billion USD. It was expected to reach 21.24 USD billion by the end of 2023 and 25.06 USD billion in 2024. Comparably, North Korea’s GDP is 57 times smaller than that of South Korea’s GDP. The Gross Value Added (GVA) of the country is dominated by agriculture, followed by the manufacturing and construction sectors. North Korea had a similar GDP to its neighbour from the time of the Korean War until of mid-1970s. However, estimating the isolated nation’s GDP is actually a difficult task because of the lack of availability of data.
Is the United States facing a Third World Future?
The United States has long been considered a global superpower and a symbol of prosperity and democracy. However, recent developments and global power shifts towards Asia have raised questions about the country’s standing. As the world’s largest economy, the United States has traditionally been at the forefront of global leadership, championing democratic values and capitalist ideals. However, a closer examination of the country’s current situation reveals a complex picture that warrants analysis.
How Fast Food Chains fuel Food Insecurity?
Today, almost half (44%) of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. In the past few decades, the crop yield has also significantly increased due to various factors like improved farming techniques and better seeds. While there is abundance of food production to feed everyone, the problem of food insecurity still persists. Figures estimate that access to healthy food is unaffordable for almost 3.1 billion people worldwide. UN’s FAO defines food insecurity as a situation where “a person is considered food insecure when they lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life”. The fast-food chains that offer cheap, convenient, calorie-dense meals are one of the key contributors to the food insecurity problem across the globe.
West Papua Conflict: Silent Struggle in Indonesia’s Easternmost Province
The conflict between Indonesia and West Papua has its roots in the decolonisation of Indonesia from the Netherlands and the disputed referendum called the Act of Free Choice in 1969. The referendum, which was widely criticised, resulted in West Papua becoming part of Indonesia. However, the process was perceived as fraudulent by many Papuans, who believe that their civil and political rights were violated during the decolonisation process. The conflict has persisted, with core grievances remaining unresolved. The Indonesian government views the Act of Free Choice as the final stage of a decolonisation process, while many Papuans see it as a fraudulent process backed by state violence and international acquiescence. The Indonesian government has been sensitive to perceived foreign intervention and has restricted efforts by journalists, diplomats and non-governmental organisations wanting to report on the conflict.