RECENT PUBLICATIONS

US-Iran spar on nuclear deal; India to play balancing act?

As the United States and Israel continue to pressure Iran and its pursuit of nuclear weapons, India might consider its options as one of the few countries who is friendly with both sides of this issue. All eyes turned on President Trump as he addressed the UN General Assembly earlier this week. It was almost […]

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Creating an Indicator of K–12 Classroom Coverage of STEM Content and Practices

Research questions: How can exposure to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content and practices be measured? How can existing measures of instructional practice be used to measure students’ exposure to STEM content and practices? What new technology-based approaches could be adapted to create measures of STEM content and practices? In 2013, the National Research […]

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Highlights and Analysis from Modi and Trump meet

Washington – President Trump and Prime Minister Modi delivered a joint-statement in the Rose Garden on the future of Indo-US relations on Monday evening. As Modi tried to establish a personal equation and a working relationship with the newly elected President, the Prime Minister seemed to have enjoyed this ‘perfect meeting of minds’ as the […]

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Spending Cuts in President Trump’s 2018 Budget

The Trump administration has released its 2018 budget plan, which includes spending and revenue projections for the 2018 to 2027 period. The plan would increase spending on defense, infrastructure, paid leave, and a few other items, but would reduce overall spending substantially compared to the baseline. The plan would cut numerous programs, and it would […]

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Twenty-Five Years of Indian Economic Reform

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Economic reforms that began 25 years ago have transformed India. What used to be a poor, slow-growing country now has the third-largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world with regard to purchasing power parity and is projected to be the fastest-growing major economy in the world in 2016 (with 7.6 percent growth […]

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Would More Government Infrastructure Spending Boost the U.S. Economy?

President Donald J. Trump has promised to induce $1 trillion of new public and private investment in infrastructure over the next decade. He believes that strategy will be beneficial both for short-run, macroeconomic reasons (it will stimulate the economy) and for long-run, microeconomic reasons (it will improve productivity). This paper assesses both sets of reasoning, […]

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A New U.S. Approach to Pakistan: Enforcing Aid Conditions without Cutting Ties

The new Trump Administration must review its policies toward Pakistan in order to more effectively contain, and eventually eliminate, the terrorist threats that continue to emanate from the country. The activities and operations of diverse terror groups on and from Pakistani soil, and the government’s failure to rein them in, threaten vital U.S. national security […]

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Preparing a Smooth Transition for the Repeal of Obamacare

It is vital that the new Administration, Congress, and state officials orchestrate a smooth and methodical transition for the repeal of Obamacare. For this smooth transition to take place, Congress should act immediately to initiate repeal and the Administration should take aggressive administrative actions to stabilize the private market for the upcoming 2018 plan cycle. […]

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After Attack on Indian Army, U.S. Response to Crisis Must Focus on Pakistani Support of Terror

On Sunday [September 18th], four militants attacked an Indian army post in Uri near the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Pakistani and Indian Kashmir, killing 18 Indian soldiers and provoking a crisis between the two nuclear-armed states. The U.S. must pressure Pakistan to take concrete steps to rein in terrorist groups, such as the […]

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Legacy of Obama’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Legacy of Obama’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East As the second innings of Barack Obama draws to a close, the American foreign policy is facing a critical test of legitimacy. The belief in US exceptionalism– American indispensability for ensuring stability of its trusted allies and its preponderance to prevent the outbreak of conflicts and […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – Reforming Intelligence: A Proposal for Reorganizing the Intelligence Community and Improving Analysis

Despite significant post-9/11 reforms, the U.S. intelligence community (IC) is still not as effective as it could—and should—be. As soon as the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act passed, security experts warned that the act had not fully dealt with the challenges facing the IC. The critics pointed to lack of strategic analysis, politicization […]

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HRW – Stifling Dissent: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in India

When it comes to democracy, liberty of thought and expression is a cardinal value that is of paramount significance under our constitutional scheme. —Supreme Court of India, Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, March 24, 2015. Summary Freedom of expression is protected under the Indian constitution and international treaties to which India is a party. […]

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CPPR – India’s Failed NSG Bid: Unlearn, Learn, and Proceed

India was denied entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) at the Seoul Plenary session held on 23 and 24 June 2016 at South Korea. The NSG is a 48 – member body formed to ensure that the transfer of nuclear material and technology for peaceful purposes between nations does not lead to the proliferation of […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – Raising Minimum Starting Wages to $15 per Hour Would Eliminate Seven Million Jobs

Prominent Members of Congress have proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, more than doubling the federal minimum wage. States with lower costs of living would see an even greater real increase. At the state level, the minimum wage would cover one-third of wage and salary workers. The new minimum-wage legislation, including payroll […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – The Threat of Islamist Terrorism in Europe and How the U.S. Should Respond

As recent events in Nice and Ansbach demonstrate, Europe faces an ongoing threat from Islamist terrorism. The United States also remains a key target for ISIS, al-Qaeda, and their supporters. The U.S. and Europe have a shared enemy and must assist each other in the defense of liberal and democratic values. For its part, the […]

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BREXIT: A Climate of Political Uncertainties

The referendum in Britain to exit from the European Union revealed how an extended caveat of global warming – Syrian refugee crisis has indebted to the death knell for European Union’s stability as a united bloc. The refugee crisis in Syria was aggravated by the prolonged droughts in the region, devastating the core sector of […]

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Foreign Affairs – Bridges to Nowhere

As countries grow economically, they often invest in huge public works projects. Grand infrastructure undertakings, such as Germany’s Autobahn, Japan’s bullet trains, and the United States’ Hoover Dam, showcase a country’s mastery of technology; they become a symbol of a country’s ascendance as a world power. Over the past ten years, the BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – “Free” Community College Is a Bad Deal for Taxpayers and Students

In response to a growing student debt problem, some policymakers have proposed making community college free at the point of delivery, financed entirely by taxpayers. President Obama has suggested making “two years of college…as free and universal in America as high school is today.” Yet such proposals are problematic for a number of reasons, not […]

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Awaiting the ruling on South China Sea

The contending states in the South China Sea disputes are awaiting the verdict of the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration this month. The case was brought by the Philippines primarily concerning the legality of China’s “Nine-dash line”, a map inherited from the Nationalist period that claims almost 90% of the South China Sea. The Spratly […]

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CFR – U.S. Relations With India

In testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on May 24, 2016, Alyssa Ayres discussed areas of progress and the importance of managing expectations in U.S.-India relations. Drawing on recommendations made by the 2015 CFR Independent Task Force on U.S.-India Relations, Ayres recommended reframing the bilateral relationship as a joint venture instead of as […]

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CFR – Armed Confrontation Between China and India

The China-India relationship is remarkably stable in many ways. Bilateral summits and new multilateral groupings often bring the two Asian giants together in common cause. Both sides clearly appreciate the value of peace as a way to expand their trade and investment ties and to enable a continued focus on economic development at home. Yet […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – How To Prevent Another Domestic Terror Attack

The Orlando attack was the 86th instance of Islamist terror in the U.S. since 9/11. In the aftermath of such a horrific attack, America can learn vital lessons on how to stop the next attack. The U.S. must first commit to proactively combatting terrorism at home and abroad. Of the 22 plots or attacks since […]

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CFR – Economics of Influence: China and India in South Asia

India has enjoyed substantial regional influence across South Asia due to its size, comparative economic might, and historical and cultural relevance to the region. China’s history of involvement in South Asia is limited in comparison, though its long-standing ties to Pakistan are a notable exception. But over the past decade, China has become a significant […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – How to Get Welfare Spending Under Control

Since the beginning of the War on Poverty, government has spent nearly $20 trillion (adjusted for inflation) on means-tested welfare assistance for the poor. Means-tested programs provide cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor and low-income Americans. Another name for these programs is assistance to the poor or anti-poverty spending. Currently, total […]

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BROOKINGS – Spectrum policy in India

In a new paper, Shamika Ravi and Darrell West examine mobile technology in India, particularly the crucial role spectrum policy plays in facilitating wireless growth. The availability of devices, high telecommunications costs, and taxes on mobile usage make it difficult for consumers and businesses to take full advantage of the mobile revolution. India has enormous […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – What Unions Do: How Labor Unions Affect Jobs and the Economy

KEY POINTS Unions function as labor cartels, restricting the number of workers in a company or industry to drive up the remaining workers’ wages just as OPEC attempts to cut the supply of oil to raise its price. Unions benefit their members but hurt consumers generally, and especially workers who are denied job opportunities. Unions […]

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HRW – “Treated Worse than Animals”

Summary and Key Recommendations The nurses would make us have the medications in front of them. If I complained that there were too many tablets, the nurse would sometimes forcefully put the pills in my mouth and stroke my throat to send them down, the way I feed my dogs…I woke up one night and […]

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India–Iran Camaraderie

Indian foreign diplomacy is leaving no stone unturned in the turbulent Middle East. The bilateral treaties forged and the visits by India to the Arab kingdoms (U.A.E, Saudi Arabia) were charting a novel picture about the increasing engagements with West Asia. An upbeat Iran, fresh from the lifting of sanctions was waiting for the opportune […]

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BROOKINGS – The Final Countdown: Prospects for Ending Extreme Poverty by 2030 (Report)

Over a billion people worldwide live on less than $1.25 a day. But that number is falling. This has given credence to the idea that extreme poverty can be eliminated in a generation. A new study by Brookings researchers examines the prospects for ending extreme poverty by 2030 and the factors that will determine progress […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – What Congress and States Can Do to Reform Transportation Policy

Ensuring that America’s transportation system gets back on track will require federal and state action to achieve reforms in a number of areas, including surface transportation policy. A high-quality, safe, and reliable transportation system is vital to the nation’s economic health; Americans depend on it daily. Yet the current approach to surface transportation is Washington-centric […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – Six Hidden Taxes

Thousands of federal regulations raise the prices of goods and services that Americans buy. Just six of these regulations raise prices enough to cost the average American household $1,005 per year.[1] Consumers pay hidden taxes when they buy a new or used car, fill their gas tank, and pay for their groceries. According to most […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – Principles for Revising the Criminal Code

The following is a Testimony, authored and delivered by Edwin Meese III (Chairman, Center for Legal & Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation), before the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, on December 13, 2011. Mr. Chairman, Vice-Chairman Gohmert, Ranking Member Scott, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the […]

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BROOKINGS – What does cutting rates on student loans do?

Are lower interest rates the best route to a fairer, more effective student loan program? From the rhetoric heard in Congress and on the campaign trail, the answer appears to be “yes.” But both empirical evidence and economic theory show that lowering interest rates is a blunt, ineffective, and expensive tool for increasing schooling and […]

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BROOKINGS – Why is India’s Modi visiting Saudi Arabia?

A number of policymakers and analysts in the United States have called for countries like China and India to “do more” in the Middle East. Arguably, both Beijing and Delhi are doing more—though perhaps not in the way these advocates of greater Asian engagement in the Middle East might have wanted. President Xi Jinping recently […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – Year Six of the Affordable Care Act: Obamacare’s Mounting Problems

The Affordable Care Act (ACA, popularly known as Obamacare) is ripe for repeal. For the American public, there are ample reasons for dissatisfaction: higher costs; arbitrary and sometimes absurd rulemaking; bureaucratization of an already overly bureaucratized sector of the economy; incompatibility with personal freedom and religious liberty; enormous spending and heavy taxation; and widely acknowledged […]

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION – Ten-Step Checklist for Revitalizing America’s Immigration System: How the Administration Can Fulfill Its Responsibilities

The U.S. immigration and border security system is often called broken and failed, prompting calls for comprehensive, complex legislation that provides amnesty to millions of unlawful immigrants and would supposedly fix the problem. Exhibit one is the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744). The act ignores most of the major effective […]

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BROOKINGS: Iraq Situation Report, Part III: Kurdistan

Kurdish military fortunes improving Developments within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are every bit as complicated as those in Baghdad. In the military realm, the Peshmerga are enjoying a similar improvement to the Iraqis in their fortunes. Da’esh attacks are now regularly beaten back with heavy losses and the Kurds are very comfortable holding their […]

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BROOKINGS – Iraq Situation Report, Part I: The military campaign against ISIS

The military campaign is gathering steam The U.S.-led coalition’s military campaign to “defeat” Da’esh (the Arabic acronym for ISIS) appears to be going better than is widely realized. The media has begun to pick up on this, but so far, the accounts do not seem to do it justice. The coalition has trained (or retrained) […]

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NATIONAL REVIEW: Saudi Arabia Needs to Change Course

The House of Saud cannot simply continue with business as usual. The Middle East today is once more on the edge of implosion. The humanitarian catastrophe in Syria continues unabated, the Islamic State is on the march, and Russia remains the only great power with a serious presence in the region. Another state that is […]

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BROOKINGS: Iraq Situation Report, Part II: Political and economic developments

Persistent political paralysis As has too often been the case in Iraq, progress in the military sphere is not being matched by equivalent (or even commensurate) political progress. I continue to see Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as a decent, intelligent man who wants to take Iraq in what I consider to be the right direction: […]

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