Policy Watch: India’s Place in the World – November 2024

This issue of Policy Watch focuses on the theme “India’s Place in the World” and opens with a tribute to Dr. Bibek Debroy, former Director of RGICS, who passed away on 1st November 2024. The issue features two obituary articles by economist Sajjid Chenoy and public intellectual Pratap Bhanu Mehta, highlighting Dr. Debroy’s scholarly contributions and personal warmth, alongside a graphic showcasing books he authored or edited during his tenure.

November 14 marked the 135th birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The issue begins with a Hindi article by Shri Dinesh Dube reflecting on Nehru’s foundational role in India’s foreign policy, particularly his advocacy for non-alignment during the Cold War and the Panchsheel principles promoting peace among newly independent Asian countries.

Two articles focus on the recent election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. Thiru P. Chidambaram discusses Trump’s mercantilist, protectionist, and climate-skeptic positions, while a conversation between Justin Vogt and Stanford’s Stephen Kotkin highlights Trump’s unpredictability but suggests a limited impact in his second term.

India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy is explored through two perspectives. Prof. Yogendra Yadav critiques the policy’s ambiguity, suggesting a shift toward “neighbourliness first” to prioritize genuine good neighbor relations. Prof. Somnath Ghosh offers a detailed analysis of India’s declining relations with its neighbors, particularly the four Islamic neighbors—Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives, and Bangladesh—attributing some deterioration to the religious stance of the current government. This article is part II of a series, with part I focusing on India-China relations and part III to cover other neighbors.

Finally, the issue covers the COP29 Climate Change conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan, attended by over 50 heads of state and 55,000 participants. Developing countries pushed for increasing climate finance from $100 billion to $1.3 trillion annually, but the agreement was a modest $300 billion by 2035. The issue includes official announcements and multiple articles analyzing the conference outcomes.