Opinion

Assam, its citizens and their never-ending search for 'citizenship'

As India revises its electoral rolls, Assam stands apart, still trapped between paperwork and belonging

American sanctions on Russian oil: India’s balancing act in new global geopolitics

New Delhi can now comfortably frame its diversification as a response to global sanctions rather than depicting it as a realignment away from Moscow

Between Trump and Xi: India’s strategic balancing in an uncertain global order

The erosion of global trust is forcing India to move from cautious optimism to strategic clarity in its foreign policy

For India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor to succeed, Delhi must invest more in Greece and Cyprus

If IMEEC is truly going to counter the Belt and Road Initiative, it must respond to the maritime advantages China has built over the last decade. Greece and Cyprus do that

L’affaire Francesca Orsini: Indians apparently still cannot speak without the helping hand of a Western scholar

There ought not to be a debate over Orsini’s deportation; that there was tells us how structures of knowledge production still perpetuate colonial power relations.

Eighty years on, the United Nations faces a test of its soul

From Gaza to Ukraine, Sudan to Myanmar, the UN’s inability to prevent or even effectively respond to humanitarian crises has exposed its deepest vulnerabilities

China’s vanishing generals: Inside the PLA’s crisis of command

Where are the generals? And more importantly, if China wants to fight battles — in Taiwan or elsewhere — can revolving generals, who have a constant sword hanging over their heads, lead their troops?

Trump treads dangerously as he walks back on Maga isolationist commitments

The pursuit of great power status remains incompatible with true isolationism, and managing this contradiction will shape the trajectory of American foreign policy and domestic politics in the years ahead

India’s pragmatic balancing: Navigating US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil

A phased, compliance-driven reduction of Russian crude—paired with accelerated diversification into Middle Eastern and Atlantic Basin grades—minimises legal and financial risk while positioning India to convert progress into tariff relief and a trade deal with the United States

Two men, two museums, one passion: Preserving heritage through private collections

Two Indian museums showcase the private collections of remarkable individuals—one a Maratha scholar from Pune, the other a wealthy Malayali businessman from Kerala. Their collections, amassed over years of exploration, reflect distinct worldviews

No longer a geopolitical blind spot: Rising significance of Western Indian Ocean

The Western Indian Ocean is where security, trade, and diplomacy intersect. India’s sustained engagement, naval exercises, and partnerships with African littoral states demonstrate a forward-looking maritime strategy

Trump’s top-down Gaza peace plan has all ingredients for disaster

The proposed Gaza transitional government, to be headed by the former war-mongering British PM Tony Blair, doesn’t represent Palestinians

How Trump-Xi Apec meeting is final chance to prevent a renewed trade war

The Apec Gyeongju Summit offers a platform for direct, face-to-face dialogue between the two leaders, enabling them to move past lower-level disputes and engage in personal diplomacy

India needs a whole-of-nation approach to reduce import dependency on China

A multi-sector analysis of India’s import dependency highlights reliance on China in several critical sectors, including manufacturing, lithium, APIs, and electronics. While India has notable success stories, it requires a focused strategy on import substitution to achieve self-reliant growth