COMMENTARIES
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Dialogue between North and South Korea: Dawn of Peace?
Rajaram Panda · 10 Jun, 2013 · #3989 · Commentary
After months of bellicose war rhetoric, nuclear and missile tests, there seemed to be a change of heart in Pyongyang, marking a significant thaw of the chill on the peninsula when it proposed to South Korea a date and venue for talks. Officials ...
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Nuclear Energy: Infeasibility and Unimportance
M.V. Ramana · 10 Jun, 2013 · #3988 · Commentary
In January 2013, speaking at a function to honour nuclear scientists, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted, “Nuclear energy will remain an essential and increasingly important element of our energy mix.” The PM did not specify what...
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India and Singapore: Defence Cooperation on the Upswing
Prof. V. Suryanarayan · 10 Jun, 2013 · #3987 · Commentary
Defence Minister AK Anthony’s recent visit to Singapore marks an important milestone in India-Singapore defence cooperation. The two governments signed an agreement to extend the use of training and exercise facilities for the Singapore ar...
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Naxal Violence: Profile of Katakam Sudarshan
Deepak Kumar Nayak · 10 Jun, 2013 · #3986 · Commentary
The recent Chhattisgarh massacre in which 29 persons got killed, including Mahendra Karma, the controversial founder of the Salwa Judum, anti-Maoist 'people's movement' in the State, and Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Nand Kumar P...
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Malaysia Elections 2013: Vote for Change?
Aparupa Bhattacharjee · 10 Jun, 2013 · #3985 · Commentary
The outcome of the 13th General Election (GE) of Malaysia has not turned out to be a happy one. The news of the opposition coalition party, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) cadres being arrested on the charge of sedition has raised many eyebrows. The q...
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Kachin State in Myanmar: China’s Objectives and Strategies
Asma Masood · 10 Jun, 2013 · #3984 · Commentary
China’s mediation in the Kachin-Myanmar conflict is harvesting results, as the parties reached a tentative truce on 31 May. Although no ceasefire has been declared, a breakthrough is evident in deciding Myitkyina as the venue of peace talk...
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India and Australia: Expanding the Partnership
Rajaram Panda · 07 Jun, 2013 · #3983 · Commentary
The year 2013 is witnessing a flurry of diplomatic activities with heads of state, defence, and foreign ministers, as well as defence officials making visits to state capitals across Asia and the Pacific. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s vi...
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Bangladesh Elections: Would the Shahbagh Upsurge Bring the Awami League Back?
Suvolaxmi Dutta Choudhury · 06 Jun, 2013 · #3982 · Commentary
According to Article 123 of the Bangladeshi Constitution, it is mandatory that general elections should be held within ninety days of the dissolution of the National Assembly. This implies that the nation is set to go to polls no later than 24 J...
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Pakistan’s Power Crisis: A Bridge Too Far?
Somya Chhabra · 06 Jun, 2013 · #3981 · Commentary
The acute power crisis in Pakistan, which has accelerated in the last five years under the PPP government, is indicative of the institutional failure of the state. In the light of the massive load-shedding, varying from 6-20 hours a day, the pub...
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IPCS Discussion: Pakistan Elections 2013
Portia B. Conrad · 06 Jun, 2013 · #3980 · Commentary
Theme I: Election Results - An Introduction and Performance of Political Parties
D. Suba Chandran
Whether the Pakistan elections 2013 were free and fair is questionable. The victory of the PML-N signifies the return of the Sharifs into the ...
