With increased urbanisation and intensification of climate risks, Indian cities face an unprecedented challenge: how to finance the massive infrastructure investments needed to build climate-resilient futures.
Opinions on the success of the Climate Conference of the Parties (COP30) range from extreme disappointment to good progress, with the truth lying somewhere in between. But COP30 provides an opportunity learn about the rapidly changing geopolitical world.
A storm is brewing around a race for leadership in Asia, with China rising further as a global force, at the Centre of it. The immediate trigger was Japan’s “iron lady” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent statement in Parliament that China’s military invasion of Taiwan would be an “existential crisis” to Japan. This is possible as any invasion of Taiwan could disturb the Indo-Pacific sea lanes of communications that now converge on Taiwan. Japan, in the 1930s, assiduously protected these trade routes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to India next week (December 4-5) at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the annual summit – which was institutionalised over two decades ago – is timely as well as futuristic. It is a given that this time-tested and trusted special and privileged strategic partnership has been a ‘constant’ (as stated by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar) amidst the global chaos, unilateralism and polarisation.
Inaugurating the ‘Orbeli Forum’ (November 4-5, 2025), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan convincingly flagged his Peace for Prosperity initiative, urging for prevalence of the Corridors for Peace platforms for regional development.
Women’s active participation in Bihar’s electoral process is a crucial indicator of a deepening democracy. This engagement disrupts traditional gender hierarchies by promoting a fairer distribution of political power and symbolising the expansion of substantive citizenship for women.