Centre for Strategic Studies

June 2, 2015

Do we need UN anymore?

A terrible death seems to have befallen the United Nations in recent times, an entity which was born out of the horrors of the great wars and was instituted as a collective to serve mankind in the times to come. […]
April 22, 2015

What Solar Scam reveals for Kerala society- The Entrepreneurial argument!!

By Dr D. Dhanuraj* In the recent times, the most sensational topic in Kerala politics has been that Solar Scam and how it has talked about Sarita Nair (said to be the chief culprit) in the whole scam. As the […]
April 17, 2015

Will markets bring social responsibility? Lessons from Fabindia Incident

By D Dhanuraj and Rahul V Kumar* Among the top garment retailers in India, Fabindia outlet in Goa was in the limelight when an alleged instance of voyeurism was exposed by the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani. At least four […]
April 13, 2015

How Wayanad and Palakkad shows the different side of Kerala’s School education

Among State of Kerala’s many achievements, education at the school level has been emphasised as a major one. This in turn was reflected as having contributed much to the literacy rate as well as related achievements in the social indicators […]
March 30, 2015

Setting the Right Retirement Age!

In the years to come, retirement age will play an increasingly important role in the framing of public policies of governments across the world. Retirement age has direct and indirect implications on the economic and social conditions in a society. […]
December 19, 2014

A perspective on the Impact of FDI on the Retail Sector

By Sibin Sabu* Any investment made by a company or entity based in one country, into a company or entity based in another country may be called Foreign Direct Investment. As per OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), the […]
November 5, 2014

Can I grow a forest- No says the state!!

By Rahul.V.Kumar*   Owning Forest Covers, Engaging Individuals and Communities Evidence of the State’s Handling of Forest All innovative measures introduced by the state to tame the rapid degradation of forests in India has not been able to generate positive […]
October 3, 2014

India’s Middle East policy is due for an overhaul

  By Eli Bernstein* It is no secret India is about to turn a corner and enter the world stage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well positioned to steer India from a developing nation to a nation developed. However, this […]
August 26, 2014

“It is not your fault consumers!”- Understanding Kerala state’s historical mismanagement of the liquor market.

* Rahul V. Kumar The liquor policy of the government of Kerala announced last week, takes into account the dramatic rise in consumption in the state. However, it smacks trouble for the years to come. Although much time has passed […]
August 11, 2014

Constraint to long-term strategy: Understaffing in the Indian Foreign Service

By Padmini Gopal* India’s GDP of US$1.8 trillion and an expected growth rate of 6.4 per cent in the year 2015 is a testament to India’s present status as a rising world power. Moreover, India’s present nuclear competence and clout, with almost […]
July 21, 2014

Critical understanding of the Indian budget 2014-15: The Case of Excise on Cigarettes

Does a tax on cigarettes serve any purpose? For a layman seeing the budget figures of a very high excise rate on cigarettes would mean that it indeed makes the stick costlier and would lead to a reduction in its […]
July 9, 2014

The Mexican liberalization: some notes for India

About 50 years ago, it appeared that Mexico had found the recipe for economic growth that it needed. The import substitution model generated an average GDP growth of 6.8% annually between 1960 and 1981 (World Bank 2014). However, that model […]
July 2, 2014

What should be the State’s stand vis-à-vis the alcohol industry in India?

The growing debate around liquor consumption in Kerala following the delay in issuing the Abkari policy statement in 2014 provides suitable grounds to discuss several important issues surrounding liquor production and consumption in India. A discussion is essential as liquor […]
June 24, 2014

A Model for helping India’s Sports Sector

Introduction International events come and go but India has never been able to pose significant competition to sportsmen and women from across the globe. We have had a competitive hockey team which consistently won Olympic medals until the late 1970s […]