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The Arctic region refers to the polar region north of the Arctic Circle. This region has assumed significance in light of the increasingly visible impact of global warming and its increasing geo-strategic significance.  Salience of the Arctic region for India :  • Potential Natural Resource : The region is said to posess large reserves of oil and natural gas which can solve the problem of energy security for India, especially with West Asia in turmoil. It is also an abundant source for fisheries.  • Newer Shipping Routes : As global climate warms up and polar ice recedes, new paths between Asia, Europe and North America open up, which can reduce time and costs for India’s imports and exports.  • Strategic Importance : China’s assertiveness and its ability to navigate the Northern Sea Route needs to be factored in while formulating India’s military strategy for the region.  • Research on Environmental Issues : Joint research may be conducted in the following s...

The various challenges currently emanating from across the India-Myanmar border are the following: • Disputed areas: The tri-junction of India-MyanmarChina  • Difficult terrain, resulting in lack of infrastructure: As a result, the border area remains sparsely populated with depressed economic development. It also affects policing as they hamper the easy and rapid mobilisation of the border guarding forces along the border.  • Trafficking of drugs, humans, smuggling of gold, weapons, ammunitions etc.  • Golden Triangle– Thailand, Myanmar, Laos drugs are smuggled overland through the India-Myanmar border with the help of China and Arakanese insurgents. •Nexus between terrorism and organised crime  • Refugee influx through insecure borders E.g.: Rohingya migrants’ influx from Myanmar.  • Separatist movements and terrorism: National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K) and Meitei insurgent groups enter Myanmar from Indian north-east, then they rest, re...

India’s GDP is estimated to have increased 7.2 per cent in 2017-18 and 7 per cent in 2018-19. Its performance has been quite stable in last 6-7 years after recovery from impact of global financial recession. Similarly, the Indian economy has witnessed a gradual transition from a period of high and variable inflation to a more stable and low level of inflation in the past five years, according to the Economic Survey. The current phase of low inflation is marked by a reduction in both urban and rural inflation. Based on this the survey argued that amidst the gloomy landscape of unusual volatility in the international economic environment, India stands as a haven of stability and an outpost of opportunity.  Importance of Macro-economic stability  •Investors like macro-economic stability. If the economy is not well-managed, financial markets react negatively, at times even disproportionately, making economic management a lot more difficult, which can lead to a full-blown crisis....

GST is an indirect tax which has replaced many extant indirect taxes in India. The Goods and Service Tax Act was passed in the Parliament on 29th March, 2017. The Act came into effect on 1st July, 2017; Goods & Services Tax Law in India is a comprehensive, multistage, destination-based tax that is levied on every value addition.  Under the GST regime, the tax is levied at every point of sale. In the case of intrastate sales, Central GST and State GST are charged. Inter-state sales are chargeable to Integrated GST. In the earlier indirect tax regime, there were many indirect taxes levied by both state and centre. States mainly collected taxes in the form of Value Added Tax (VAT). Every state had a different set of rules and regulations. Inter-state sale of goods was taxed by the Centre. CST (Central State Tax) was applicable in case of inter-state sale of goods. Other than above, there were many indirect taxes like entertainment tax, octroi and local tax that was levied by state...

Secularism is the constitutional principle of separation of the state from religious institutions. Secularism forms the core element of the basic structure of the Indian constitution. And even France is an indivisible, secular democratic social Republic guaranteeing that all their citizens regardless of their origin, race or religion are treated as equals before the law and respecting all religious beliefs.  The ideal of secularism envisaged in India is different from that of France:  • The paradigms of republicanism , as practiced in France, or multiculturalism as implemented in a number of Western democracies, such as the UK and the US, or indeed employment-based integration models of Sweden or Germany, are all in crisis.  • This can be seen in the banning of Islamic clothing, kosher or halal meals and “burkinis” in France .  • France was a largely homogeneous Catholic country, where the clergy had an unduly high degree of influence over the state’s apparatus....

In today's transnational world, a sustainable national security policy cannot be achieved through national capabilities alone. Sustainable national security instead rests on three pillars: 1. A multi-sum security principle based on justice at all levels, multilateralism and multidimensionality (including human, environmental, national, transnational and trans cultural/transcivilizational security); 2. Symbiotic realism in international relations, whereby mutual cooperation among states results in non-conflictual absolute gains that is peace. 3. Transcivilizational synergy which results from mutual respect, multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism and cross-fertilization, and will lead to global justice, security and prosperity. This is essential reading for anyone interested in an innovative approach to the complex yet central subject of sustainable strength. Strength: • Economic Strength. • Military • Infrastructure • Diplomacy • Able Leadership (Ex: Putin) • Science & Technology • T...