Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Afghanistan: What Lies Ahead in 2021?

January 05, 2021 Dr Yatharth Kachiar Commentary

After a violence-ridden 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Afghanistan is looking ahead at a more turbulent new year as the United States plans for a full troop withdrawal from the country by May 2021. The intra-Afghan dialogue that began in Doha in Se....

Keywords : Neighbourhood Studies , Afghanistan , Commentary , Taliban , Intra-Afghan dialogue , troop withdrawal , Violence , the Afghan government , President Biden , counterterrorism , US-Taliban agreement

EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment

January 05, 2021 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

The EU and China announced a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment on 30th December. The announcement comes less than a month before the inauguration of the Biden Presidency. The development shows a rift opening up between EU and US positions even be....

Keywords : International Relations and Diplomacy , Europe , China , Commentary , China , EU , FDI , Forced Labour , Jake Sullivan , Comprehensive Agreement on Investment , Paris Agreement on Climate

COVID-19 has not Affected the EV Push in India

January 02, 2021 Aayush Mohanty Commentary

The lockdown period to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in India saw pollution levels dropping to the lowest levels since 2018. No economic activity from March 15-April 30 led to a reduction of 15 per cent in Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels compared to 2....

Keywords : Energy Security , Technological and Scientific Studies , Commentary , India , Climate Change , Policy , Manufacturing , EV , FAME , Battery

Expectations from India in the UN Security Council

January 01, 2021 Amb Asoke Mukerji, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

India starts her eighth two-year elected term in the UN Security Council from 1 January 2021. Three priorities have been identified by India when campaigning for elections to the Security Council. These are the countering of terrorism by enforcing Se....

Keywords : International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , UNSC , Countering Terrorism , Af-Pak region , P-5 , PM Modii , reformed multilateralism

US Takes First Step towards Recognising Tibetan Government-in-Exile: the Myth of Historic Chinese Suzerainty over Tibet

December 29, 2020 Anubhav Shankar Commentary

On 22nd of December, the United States finally decided to dust off its ‘Tibet inertia’ by passing the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA), acknowledging the exclusive right of Tibetans only to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama. The a....

Keywords : International Relations and Diplomacy , Neighbourhood Studies , US , China , Tibet , Commentary , Dalai Lama , United States , Central Tibetan Administration , Tibetan Policy Support Act 2020

Britain’s Trade Deal with the EU

December 28, 2020 Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Christmas eve the culmination of negotiations with the EU over a trade deal with the EU. The deal was finalized just before the expiry of one year transition period since Brexit last year. This set to rest sp....

Keywords : International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , India , EU , Brexit deal , Boris Johnson , fishing rights , Ursula von der Leyen

कोविड-19 में नेपाली अर्थव्यवस्था को पटरी पर लाना

December 22, 2020 Prof Hari Bansh Jha Commentary

दुनिया में शायद ही ऐसा कोर्ई देश हो, जो कोवि़ड-19 जैसी वैश्विक महामारी से पीड़ित न हुआ हो। हालांकि....

Keywords : Neighbourhood Studies , Nepal , Hindi , Commentary , भारत। अर्थव्यवस्था। रोजगार। कोविड-19। करों। काठमांडू घाटी।

The New National Security Directive will Strengthen Telecom Security

December 20, 2020 Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF Commentary

In a landmark decision, the Cabinet Committee on Security has taken steps to strengthen the security of telecom networks in India.¹ Henceforth, it will be mandatory for the telecom network providers to use only ‘trusted products’ from....

Keywords : National Security and Strategic Studies , Cyber Security , Commentary , National Security Council Secretariat , cybersecurity , Digital Authority , Deputy NSA , National Security Directive

India Vietnam Relations on an Even Keel but Need a Push

December 18, 2020 Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF Commentary

On the eve of forthcoming virtual summit between Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Narendra Modi it would be useful to reflect on the current status of bilateral relationship and look for ways and means to impart further momentum to the same. Over....

Keywords : International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , India , ASEAN , PM Modi , Vietnam , defence cooperation , hydrography , PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc