In The News

India’s Education Deficit

Nayan Chanda May 30, 2016
Education, acquiring an ability to combine and apply knowledge and skills, is a driving economic force for the 21st century, suggests India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The country must do more to prepare and employ its citizens, with more than half under the age of 30. “To employ its emerging young population, the country needs to create nearly a million jobs a month,” writes Nayan Chanda,...

US Airstrike Against Taliban Leader Crossed a Pakistani “Red Line”

Tim Craig and Greg Miller May 25, 2016
US President Barack Obama ordered a drone strike that killed Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in Baluchistan – defying Pakistan’s request to limit such strikes to the northwestern tribal belt. Afghan leaders are frustrated by terrorists waging attacks against their country, then crossing the border for shelter in Pakistan. “Now, some Pakistani leaders are rattled, saying they fear the...

American Apathy: Voters’ Aversion to Foreign Entanglements Bodes Ill for Stability in Asia

Nayan Chanda May 18, 2016
During the US presidential primary season, voters have signaled a preference for candidates who will refrain from costly military interventions and instead focus on domestic policies to improve the employment outlook and lift stagnant wages. “The political churning during the primaries will do more than just force the next administration to reconsider established policies,” notes Nayan Chanda,...

Bangladesh Accommodates Extremism, Spelling Danger for the Region

Sumit Ganguly May 17, 2016
The Islamic State extremists have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Bangladesh on journalists, educators, atheists and religious minorities. Unfortunately, “the present regime, in denial about religious extremism, finds this trend to be politically expedient,” writes Sumit Ganguly, a professor at Indiana University and also a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute...

Philippines’ Next President: Implications for ASEAN

Mely Caballero-Anthony May 11, 2016
Voters in the Philippines fell in line with global trends of frustration over bureaucratic processes, by selecting a maverick leader who promises to shake up government, end corruption and bring rapid improvement. Rodrigo Duterte was elected president. “Standing on a platform of eradicating crime and corruption that have plagued the country, Duterte has shocked his countrymen’s sensibilities with...

"My Name Is Sadiq Khan and I'm the Mayor of London"

Nabanita Sircar May 10, 2016
Cities and nations inspire, not when their citizens fear and denigrate immigrants, but instead welcome the newcomers’ skills and ideas and celebrate their rising influence. “In a world where terrorism and Islamophobia is spreading rapidly, London showed its inherent multicultural, diverse character when it elected the first Muslim Mayor, Sadiq Khan,” explains Nabanita Sircar for Outlook magazine...

India Is Suffering One of Its Worst Droughts in Decades

Archana Chaudhary May 4, 2016
Lingering drought in India is prompting a wave of migrations from rural areas to cities like Mumbai. “The upcoming monsoon is expected to bring some relief, but a longer term challenge looms from competition for scarce groundwater and surface supplies among farmers, industries and cities,” writes Archana Chaudhary for Bloomberg. She adds that major dams in India are near 80 percent empty. “...