STUDENT MENTORING AND RESEARCH TRAINING (SMART) PROGRAM June-August 2022

Kautilya in contemporary Indian security policy

With China and Pakistan as the two major neighbors, India often has to promote its strategic and military posture from a largely continental perspective over the course of many decades since Independence. For India to benefit from the changing geopolitical situation, it must overcome its maritime challenges. A “return to history” in the Indo-Pacific and re-emerging multipolarity necessitate a shift in strategic thinking away from competition and toward the benefits of cooperation and coordination. To accomplish this, we have to incorporate and focus on the concepts from the ancient Indian books like Arthashastra which outlines strategies for India for maintaining security and economic prosperity that are recognizably Kautilyan strategy that promotes cooperation, strengthen partnerships, and reinforce domestic capability. Land served as the main source of Kautilya’s riches, with agricultural land constituting the largest and most significant economic zone. The ancient world exhibited trans-regional trade and what is now referred to as “globalization.”

By Pooja Lakshmi, BBA LLB Hons. Student, Bennett University

The Kautilyan phrase, which states that pacts and partnerships between a stronger and weaker power inevitably involve the latter surrendering control to the former, should be used with caution when selecting allies as it also serves as a reminder of the ancient roots of modern India’s emphasis on strategic autonomy. India’s drive for peace and prosperity cannot stop at its land borders with its two largest neighbors. The world’s third largest ocean should be the cornerstone of India’s Indo- Pacific strategy.

India-Australia ties: Intermingling sports and tourism

By Sreejoni Baruah, BA LLB student, Bennett University

India and Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tourism cooperation on 11th February 2022 in New Delhi. The MoU on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, was signed by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, and it was signed by The Hon Dan Tehan MP, on behalf of Government of Australia Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment. Cooperation between tourism stakeholders, especially hotels and tour operators, interest in major artistic, cultural and sporting events. During the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Australia saw 10,000 people travel to the country from India. For the 2022 edition, it is expected that around 18,000-20,000 Indians would travel. It’s because it coincides with the school holiday and Diwali period. Also because the country will be opening its borders for quarantine-free travel. Australian tourism is banking on the cricket clash between India and Australia at the ICC T20 World Cup in Melbourne to draw visitors from India. The World Cup will be played in the months of October and November in Australia. A sports travel firm owned by Dream11, called Dream Set Go said it aims to send about 5,000 Indians to Australia over the next 12 months to attend the T20 World Cup. India and Australia enjoy outstanding bilateral relations. There is a special partnership characterized by shared values of parliamentary democracies, commonwealth traditions, pluralistic, long-standing people-to-people ties, expanding economic engagement, and increasing high-level interaction. The relationship has now expanded to different spheres like tourism, with sports tourism being a very important one, and different tournaments being played there and enjoyed by Indians.

Bridging the digital gender divide through the G20

New digital tools can promote a new source of inclusive global economic growth and are empowering. Stepping up efforts to guarantee that the digital transformation represents a leapfrog opportunity for women and a chance to create a more inclusive digital world is crucial if we are to fully take advantage of this potential. The G20 initiatives represent a significant and timely move in the direction of better laws to address the gender gap in the digital sphere. More needs to be done in view of the numerous alarming signals of a developing digital gender disparity and the compounding effect that its various components may have in the future, even though the G20 economies have already implemented a number of significant steps aimed at closing the gender gap. Accessibility barriers, cost barriers, a lack of education, inborn biases, and sociocultural norms all prevent women and girls from taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the digital transformation. The cost of digital technology continues to be a major barrier to women's access to the Internet, therefore closing the digital gender gap requires both infrastructure investments and price reductions. In some low-income households, using the Internet necessitates forgoing essential items like food, medical treatment, and clothing.One of the most effective instruments that policymakers may use to address the gender gap in the digital world is education. In order to combat socio-cultural norms that discriminate against women and their use of digital tools, it is crucial to provide women and girls with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in and prosper in the digital transformation.

India-Australia invest in space and satellite tech

By Isha Raje, BBA LLB Hons. Student, Bennett University

To assist Australian companies and researchers in growing and creating jobs, the Morrison government is investing more than $42 million in several spaces, scientific, and technological projects with India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Scott Morisson discussed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India- Australia during their Virtual Annual Leaders’ Meeting. The International Space Investment (ISI) project’s expansion builds on the already-existing space cooperation between our two nations, including Australia’s support of India’s awe-inspiring Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. To work on projects with the Indian Space Research Organization and the greater Indian space sector, Australian firms, and research institutions will get funding from the ISI expansion. This will open up international opportunities for Australia’s domestic space sector.

The 20 innovations in the food system, waste reduction, and water security resilience will be scaled up thanks to the Australia-India Innovation and Technology Challenge, which the CSIRO will lead. It is Australia’s largest bilateral science cooperation fund, assisting in establishing relationships between Australia and India’s leading universities, research institutes, and end consumers of scientific innovation. It would provide further assurance to Australia’s and India’s research industries, allowing them to continue their critical work and cutting-edge research. Australia has benefited from the collaboration with India in the areas like space, science, and technology stated by Melissa Price, Australian Minster for Science and Technology “Collaborating with our Indian friends generates the incredible potential for our Australian firms and researchers, which will benefit all Australians,” Minister Price said. “India is already an important economic partner for Australia, and these investments will cement partnerships that will better the daily lives of people in our countries while also providing economic possibilities for us here at home.” “India is an essential regional partner, and this financing will help our countries to continue collaborating to advance rules and standards, especially via initiatives like the Quad.” Minister Price stated that Australia will profit enormously from collaboration with India in space, as well as in science and technology more broadly.

“It is anticipated to increase by US$43 billion by 2025, and we want Australian space companies to be a part of it, so they can develop and generate employment here.”

Australia-China trade war and its implications

By Maitreyi Upadhyay, BA LLB Hons. student, Bennett University

The current trade spat between China and Australia in reality, is just a verbal battle with trade restrictions. China is putting up hurdles, and Australia doesn't seem to be doing much about it. The rationale is that crossborder trade between the two countries is extremely important to Australia. Since Australia backed a call for an international investigation into China's handling of the coronavirus when the pandemic became a global problem, ties between the two nations have deteriorated. At the end of 2020, Australian news organizations claimed that the Chinese embassy had handed over a list of purported objections to Canberra and threatened the Australian government with further action. In the markets, the AUD remains well-supported as risk demand, long-term US dollar weakness, and commodity prices underpin AUD strength. After initial weakness caused by the tensions in early 2020 and, also by the global trade downturn caused by the pandemic, China has taken several selective measures that impede Australian trade, ranging from levying tariffs to imposing bans and restrictions. China's unilateral trade war has overshadowed its negative repercussions, but if it were to be settled, it would provide the Australian dollar (AUD) a boost.

Given that Australian-Chinese commerce is less significant to Australia than it is to China, Australia must surely exercise caution. They will therefore probably look for official, noninflammatory means to handle the ongoing argument, wishing to improve relations rather than acting in a Trump-like manner. Additionally, if current circumstances continue, they may disregard domestic unrest and call for more aggressive measures against China because Australia is doing well economically and in comparison to other countries. As a result, it has the time and resources to deploy diplomacy. China will be aware of this, although it will essentially be able to act as it pleases for domestic political goals without worrying about Australian intervention. Expect more disputes to rage on for a while, with little impact on economies and trade overall, unless other factors on a global scale make the trade issue more significant to both parties. However, any news to this effect would probably be very favourable for the AUD and the Australian economy if global conditions remained the same and trade frictions came to an end.

India-Australia G20 partnership

By Yuvraj Singh Varya, BA LLB Hons. student, Bennett University

The G20 was recognized as a one-of-a-kind meeting that brought together leading and advanced economies on the same forum. In the post-pandemic period, there is a greater expectation from multilateral organizations such as the G20 to mobilize collective action toward global recovery. The two countries can work together to emphasize the importance of reforming multilateral institutions like the UN, WHO, and WTO in order to support a global emergency action plan that ensures institutions have enough resources to provide immediate liquidity relief and social security nets, as well as increased quotas and shareholding arrangements. The two countries shared the goal of establishing a rules-based global framework that will allow them to collaborate closely at the G20. India and Australia should collaborate with the G20 Energy Group. Transitions Working Group to increase market viability favourable environment for the implementation of novel technologies and infrastructure Over the years, Australia has also acknowledged the need of leveling up and job development at various G20 conferences. The G20 collaboration can highlight the necessity of engaging in the education system to tackle the learning problem. The implementation of sustainable finance is a G20 priority for India. India and Australia can lobby G20 countries to convene central banks to integrate environmental sustainability goals into capital management. The G20 framework allows Australia and India to collaborate closely on urgent global concerns, where their approaches may differ but are fundamentally similar. As India assumes the G20 leadership in 2023, the India-Australia collaboration will be critical in driving development and economic growth strategy for not only India, but the entire Global South.

Illiteracy and population: The relation of the retrograde?

By Siddhant Nagar, BA LLB Hons. Student, Bennett University

India has a literacy rate of 77.7% (National Statistical Commission, Government of India) and a population of 1.4 billion (World Population Prospectus 2022 UN). India holds a higher population growth rate, and lower literacy rate as compared to other nations. There is a negative correlation between literacy and population. But are illiteracy and population-related?

According to studies, literacy rates among counties were highest for Finland (100%), followed by Norway (100%), Japan (99%) and Kuwait (96%), and these countries are sparsely populated. Literacy rates for highly populated countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh stood at 55% and 60%. Concluding, the natural population tends to increase in a country due to widespread illiteracy and viceversa. The literacy rate of the population inversely affects the fertility rate, as higher literacy rates advance for late marriages and this shortens the span of fertility and hence, resulting in a lower number of children. The literacy rate is directly proportional to the sex ratio. In places where the literacy rate is higher, there is a perfect balance of sex ratio between both genders. Not only this, but a higher literacy rate is also associated with the positive social and economic development of the nation. The government of India introduced several initiatives such as Family Welfare Planning, birth control measures (traditional & modern), promotion of family welfare through social media, female education, etc. However, on the ground reality of these initiatives is not as promising. Though female education was promoted, still there is a vast gap between the literacy rate of both genders which stands at 84.6% for males and 70.3% for females. The government should work on these issues on an advanced footing. The literacy rates between the genders should be reduced, family planning should be taught to people via the hospital or government departments on a regular basis, and educational institutions should be regularly inspected by the education ministry. Also, Education should be promoted on all levels i.e., elementary, secondary and graduation because only around 5% of India’s population is educated till the graduation level.

For any nation to prosper, develop and advance, be it in military, science, or technology, it should have a well-educated population. With education comes wisdom, knowledge, and the ability to make a better life. Education is the sole means by which one could control population growth and illiteracy as an increase in both, could be fatal for a nation.