India’s Space Policy is a Work-in-Progress
Shooting for Space
In his autobiography, Wings of Fire, former president of India and scientist par excellence, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, argued that:
“Here are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with economically advanced nations in the exploration of the Moon or the planets or manned space-flights. But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to address the real problems of man and society.”
At Takshashila, we avowedly concur with this statement. Through our space power project, we have been deeply committed to the study of outer space affairs. Over the years, our scholars have provided timely and effective recommendations on how India can advance its interests in the orbits and beyond.
Ashwin Prasad’s latest publication on space reforms in India is a step further in that endeavour. In it, Ashwin argues for establishing necessary policy frameworks in the space sector to advance India’s capabilities. Among other things, he calls for a rethink of the role and function of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe):
“IN-SPACe has promotional functions in its mandate that conflict with its primary role as the space regulator. Further, IN-SPACe cannot remain an autonomous body under the Department of Space. It needs independence and separation. It should be provided with statutory backing.”
As Ashwin puts it, when the entity is in charge of nurturing the emerging private space ecosystem in India, it is incongruous to have it also scrutinise and disallow certain private companies that it was trying to enable and encourage as a promoter.
Read the document here.
New Expert Capsule Course on Space Power
If you are interested in a deeper dive into the space policy domain, check out our latest expert capsule course. The four-week Space Power course provides an introduction to emerging issues related to space and their impact on India’s interests. The course will also provide participants a meaningful understanding of the public and commercial space sectors, strategic affairs, and international governance issues.
What Does China Think of India-Taiwan Ties?
It’s no secret that the India-China relationship is currently experiencing significant volatility. At the same time, India’s relationship with Taiwan has continued to deepen. But what does China’s strategic affairs community think of this emerging bonhomie between Delhi and Taipei?
In a new Issue Brief, Anushka Saxena distils Chinese analysts’ assessments of the theoretical underpinning of the India-Taiwan ties, their economic foundation, and the challenge they pose for China.
Read the Issue Brief here.
India’s ‘Swing Power’
In his latest article for The Print, Lt General Prakash Menon argues that amid the shifting geopolitical sands, middle powers like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey are gaining heft not only because of their growth potential but also because of their ability to act as “swing states.” Discussing India’s swing power, he writes:
“India’s position as a swing state has been significantly strengthened by its growing ties with the USA and its allies, while simultaneously preserving, to a considerable extent, its historically close relations with Russia. However, this position has been complicated by China’s aggression in the Northern Border region since 2020.”
General Menon views India’s membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as one of the instruments in India’s toolkit as a swing state. And in this context, he argues:
“In the context of Indo-Russian relations, India’s presence in the SCO could provide some counterweight to China. Whatever might have been the rationale for Modi not attending the SCO meeting, it does not bolster India’s status as a swing state.”
Read the Full Article here.
Also on the topic, do check out this recent All Things Policy episode, featuring a discussion between Manoj Kewalramani, Anushka Saxena, and Amit Kumar.
Missed Opportunities in India’s Reform Story
Next is Anupam Manur’s riveting interview for the 1991 Project by the Mercatus Center. This is part of a series of fascinating conversations with India’s most eminent thinkers and practitioners about the economic reforms initiated in 1991.
When asked about the one reform that India overlooked in 1991, Anupam decided to go with what tends to keep most economists up at night: fiscal deficit. Now, it might not be the sexiest of them all, but it is critical. Anupam says that it was not until 2003 that the government started looking at fiscal consolidation, and even then, the version of fiscal consolidation that was put in place was far from perfect.
Data Credibility Matters
In his article for Mint, Narayan Ramachandran gives essential recommendations for the government to re-examine and update a fundamental building block for its fast-developing economy: its data and statistical system.
Narayan contends that a transparent, robust and credible data system is important for any country because it provides critical inputs to policymakers, investors, political parties, researchers and the media in conducting and critically evaluating progress.
Read the Full Article here.
Cold War Redux in Asia?
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea in late June has largely gone unnoticed by the Indian strategic affairs community. The big outcome of the visit was the inking of a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement” between the two sides. The deal commits both to provide “mutual assistance” in case of a “direct threat of armed invasion” and “provide military and other assistance with all means” to each other in case of war.
This sounds a lot like a Cold War-style mutual defence agreement. So, what does this mean for India’s strategic interests? In a recent article, Anushka Saxena argues:
“In the very preamble of the Treaty, Russia and North Korea affirm that their joint goal is to build a “new, fair and equal international order,” and in doing so, aspire for “global stability.” Contemporary geopolitics is increasingly witnessing the emergence of a Russia-China axis founded on a sentiment of anti-Westernism, and important partners of the two countries, such as Iran and North Korea, are being co-opted into the axis. Given that India often positions itself as a bridge and a balancer between Russia and the US-led West, such an axis portends to create a power dynamic that would be simply unacceptable to India’s strategic goals.”
She goes on to say that the Treaty also doesn’t bode well for India’s regional security goals:
“With the Treaty in place, increased NATO involvement in Indo-Pacific affairs is imminent. From both the Indian and Russian perspectives, such an environment will augur enhanced securitisation of regional geopolitics and significantly reduce room for strategic manoeuvre.”
Read the Full Article here.
In a snap analysis for our short-video property Attention Span, Manoj Kewalramani agrees with Anushka’s assessment, while adding that in a strange confluence of events, India and China have a rather shared perspective on this deal.
Watch the video here on Instagram.
Organise For Change: Journalism for change
At 19:00 IST today, we are hosting the next edition of conversations in our Organise for Change series. Manoj Kewalramani will be in conversation with Samar Halarnkar and Betwa Sharma from Article-14, an online news portal, discussing how journalism can power social and political change.
RSVP here to attend.
Puliyabaazi Wins Big!
Drum roll, please! We are incredibly proud to announce that Pranay Kotasthane, Saurabh Chandra and Khyati Pathak’s Puliyabaazi has won the 'Best Regional Language Podcast - Hindi' award at Toyow Podmasters 2024.
Subscribe to Puliyabaazi:
Building a Sporting Nation
Finally, do check out this new course on sports policy being offered on OpenTakshashila. The course is co-created by OpenTakshashila & Sports and Society Accelerator. The curriculum is tailored for anyone who wants to understand the nuts and bolts of India’s sports ecosystem. From a look at India’s sports policy journey to conversations with experts and former players, the course will explore governance issues, the role of markets and the importance of social attitudes towards sports. This course attempts to rethink the importance of sports at all levels: cultural, economic and well-being.
Apply Here.
That’s all, folks! See you next week.