Danielle Rajendram is a Research Associate in the Lowy Institute's International Security Program whose work focuses on India and China-India relations.
- Rahul Gandhi's speech last week to the Confederation of Indian Industry has been dominating media coverage in India. My picks for insightful reading on the subject:
- M J Akbar argues the speech failed to inspire India's youth.
- Shekhar Gupta reflects on Rahul Gandhi's 10 years in politics.
- Ananth Krishnan says Gandhi should have stayed away from comparisons with China.
- The Indian middle class has reportedly developed an unprecedented interest in politics.
- Milan Vaishnav in Foreign Affairs: 'Although India is often accused of having too much democracy (a billion and a quarter clamoring voices makes policymaking difficult), it could actually use more: a more engaged citizenry, more institution building, and a better-staffed bureaucracy.'
- Margaret Thatcher advocated for limited government in India in her Rajiv Gandhi Golden Jubilee Memorial Lecture, delivered in Bangalore in 1995.
- Will the creation of new states bring better governance in India?
- In order to bypass Pakistan, is India attempting to consolidate its influence in Afghanistan through Iran?
- Michael Krepon on the state of nuclear competition between India and Pakistan.
- Karan Thapar interviews historian Ramachandra Guha, who argues that there are better candidates for prime minister than either Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi (h/t Rommel Varghese):