TK ARUN What matters in a country’s international commercial transactions is the current account balance, not trade surpluses or deficits with individual countries. Tempers are running high in sections of the media over the rise in India’s trade deficit with…
After three postponements and the severe earthquake that shook Thailand and Myanmar, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) scheduled its sixth summit in Bangkok for April 4, 2025. The decision to proceed with the summit underscored not only the resilience of the host city but also the enduring relevance of this year’s agenda—BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open. Leaders of the seven member states—India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan—explored ways of infusing greater momentum into this regional organisation through various institutional and capacity-building measures. This was the first in-person gathering of the regional leaders after the fourth summit in Nepal in 2018.
Know India Programme (KIP) is an initiative by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, for the youth of India between the age group of 21-35 years. The main goal of this scheme is to build a closer connection between the youth of the country and their ancestral homeland by providing a deeper understanding of India. This programme provides a platform for the youth of Indian origin or the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) youth to familiarise themselves with contemporary India and its diverse aspects This consists of about three weeks ‘knowledge tourism programme providing them exposure to different sectors of growth and development of India. The programme is open to youth of Indian origin (excluding Non-Resident Indians) with preference given to PIOS from Girmitiya countries, which include Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa and Jamaica.
In an era of escalating global tensions, India’s diplomatic stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict stands out as a blend of restraint and pragmatism. While the world watches polarized powers clash, India has charted its own course, urging dialogue over division. This approach echoes an ancient Jain philosophy—Anekantavada, the doctrine of multiple perspectives or pluralism.
This article draws from both domestic and international policy documents and global analyses and explains how India is strategically positioning itself strategically between the two AI superpowers of the U.S. and China.
Sudden removal of longstanding autocrats has become increasingly common at least since the Arab Spring in 2010 when public furore and street anger and popular frustration — combined and engineered with regime change agendas of regional and global powers, led to Ben Ali, Gaddafi and Mubarak’s unceremonious departure from power.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point in global trade, economics, and geopolitics. The disruptions it caused in manufacturing value chains left industries struggling with backorders, supplier failures, and economic uncertainty. However, this crisis also accelerated the restructuring of supply chains, with strategies like ‘Friendshoring’ and ‘Nearshoring’ gaining prominence in Western political circles.