Center for Advanced Study of India

raised the issue of widespread disappointment with banking reform in most African and transition economies, suggesting something was amiss in the reform model. He argued that it is not just having any regulatory framework, but rather one both attuned to the institutions and structure of the economy and that encourages prudent behavior, which is important to the overall success of reforms. This paper argues regulatory reform alone cannot deliver results unless the banks are restructured simultaneously. Regulatory reform introduces a new set of incentives. Unless banks are equipped with the necessary coping mechanisms, they will fail to work the new incentives into a viable and efficient business model. Lack of adequate bank restructuring is the second part of Caprio's missing model. Failure to attend to restructuring issues inherently amounts to a perverse sequencing of reforms. The Indian banking reform experience (1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000) is discussed in detail to illustrate (i) why focus on regulatory reform often misses the restructuring issues and (ii) the consequences thereof.

In the last decade there has been an increase of interest and concern for the lives and well being of honeybees. With the onset of colony collapse disorder (CCD) in 2006 where we saw the disappearance of millions of bees from North America and Europe for seemingly unknown reasons, people began to realize just how important honeybees are, not only to advanced methods of agricultural production, but also our ecological futures. This article brings to light the varied relationships that have materialized between humans and honeybees, from mid 20th century scientific discoveries, to contemporary urban beekeeping projects that seek to bring ‘nature’ into the city in order to help “save the honeybee.” It aims to articulate moments of enchantment that occur in the presence of honeybees, moments that inspire a deeper understanding of the ecological processes and spiritual dispositions that configure our place on Earth amongst the family of things. While drawing primarily from recent articles and books that sit within the emerging field of multispecies ethnography, this article also draws from, and is inspired by, recent work in philosophy, environmental sciences, and human ecology.

Two current global trends are set to make life rather uncomfortable for cities: climate change and the unprecedented rate of urbanisation. This combination of extreme weather – often involving sudden deluges of water – and high population density will test even the best sewage infrastructure we have today. In the face of such pressures, how adaptable are our sewage systems? Colonial heritage in our sewage systems Sewage systems worldwide commonly consist of flush toilets and pipes that rely on a steady supply of water to transport and deposit bodily waste, either to a wastewater treatment plant or, failing that, simply downstream in the nearest river or straight into the ocean. Many urbanites around the globe are using sewage systems based on a colonial-era template. Initially implemented to cure London's " Great Stink " of 1858, when a hot summer combined with the excrement-filled River Thames to create an unbearable stench, sewer systems were public health interventions designed to remove pathogens and " miasmatic " offences associated with bodily waste. They were first transplanted off Britain's shores in the reconstruction of Paris from 1850–70, and since then have become embedded culture-specific notions of hygiene and sanitation around the globe. Such colonial infrastructure is now proving increasingly problematic in the face of human-driven global trends (broadly referred to as the Anthropocene).

Since 1945 the urban spaces of Berlin have grown alongside a diverse range of botanical species, what might be thought of as remnants of a world war. Through this innovative and poetic documentary, geographer Matthew Gandy encourages us to think about nature in a different light, as integral to the development and enjoyment of public space. He does by investigating the botanical history of Berlin’s often neglected yet vital public spaces.

The (post)colonial logics of speed and convenience are manifest in many of today's infrastructural projects, creating what we consider to be 'fast infrastructures'. These infrastructures create ease for some and harm for others while exacerbating social and environmental crises around the world. Addressing these crises requires, we argue, a slowing down. Enter the role of 'slow infrastructures'. In this paper, we highlight two forms of slow infrastructure that provide possibilities for rearranging our infrastructural orientations: composting and rainwater harvesting. Drawing on fieldwork conducted throughout 2018 and 2019 in Kochi, Kerala, this research asserts that in order to do infrastructure differently, an unworking of convenience and speed is required. This unworking can be achieved through an attunement to multi-species and more-than-human relations, matched with a distributed ethic of maintenance and care. Our ethnographic examples, one from a hospital and another from a hotel, suggest that slow infrastructures can meaningfully offset the threat of disfunction and 'urban failure' that confronts cities increasingly marked by turbulence and uncertainty. While these examples draw from the tropics of urban South India, they offer lessons helpful to unworking the harm caused by fast infrastructures in other parts of the globe.

The appointment of the Naresh Chandra Committee is an opportunity for India’s strategic community to engage in a long-overdue debate on our approach to national security. In
this brief, the authors dwell on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) controversy by discussing a little-known letter written by India’s first Governor-General Mountbatten. In this letter, which is published along with this brief, Mountbatten claimed that Prime Minister Nehru was “no longer opposed to the idea of the CDS.” After discussing the historical relevance of this letter the authors discuss the current debate on the issue. Among other
recommendations they urge current stakeholders, mainly the three Service Chiefs, to clearly articulate their views on this issue. The authors further, argue that the Naresh Chandra Committee must also ascertain the views of major political parties on the issue of the CDS. Ultimately, this is an opportunity to usher in the next generation of defence reforms.

In July 2011, India appointed the Naresh Chandra Committee to re-visit the issue of defence reform. Addressing such fundamental problems as poor institutional knowledge, confused civil-military relations and a lack of inter-service and interagency co-ordination will help India to realise its ambitions on the world stage. However, the committee may find it difficult to define reforms that are acceptable to all of the principal actors: the military, politicians and civilian bureaucracy.

This article analyses US-India strategic relations and the potential role of defence trade. First, it argues that cooperative relations between the two countries are hindered by “competing exceptionalisms” and the lack of a pre-existing model for the relationship. At the same time, bilateral relations are being strengthened by a convergence of interests and increasing societal linkages. Even on issues that have historically divided New Delhi and Washington—such as relations with third countries—there is a more nuanced understanding of differing perspectives in both capitals. Second, the article analyses the role of defence trade in the bilateral relationship. While describing
recent trends, it also examines existing problems and peculiarities. The authors make two recommendations and argue that US-India relations, despite their differences, have fundamentally transformed and are set irrevocably on an
upward trajectory

This monograph examines higher defence management and defence reforms in India. It deliberately coincides with Cabinet discussing the Report of Naresh Chandra Committee on defence reforms and aims to initiate a debate on higher defence management and civil-military relations. It includes papers by Air Marshal BD Jayal, General VP Malik and Admiral Arun Prakash. Their argument is two fold. First, the current system of higher defence management is dysfunctional and needs major reforms. Second, such reforms are only possible through political intervention and may be even legislative action. Anit Mukherjee introduces these papers and in conclusion suggests a roadmap to usher in the next generation of defence reforms.

India’s economic growth and prosperity are increasingly being shaped by circumstances outside its borders. Most prominently, trade and access to energy are now critical components of the Indian economy. In addition, the Indian diaspora, which is a source of significant remittances, also needs protection and evacuation. Thus, India’s economic and national interests are gradually spreading outwards from its borders. Also, at times, the Indian military has been deployed for security operations – for instance, in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in overseas humanitarian and disaster relief operations. In light of its capabilities and possible overseas role, the Indian military has been called a ‘net security provider’ in the region. This report, therefore, focuses on examining the Indian military’s Out-of-Area Contingency (OOAC) operations.  In examining this topic, the report analyses previous deployments of the Indian military outside its borders, including in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO), evacuation of Indian citizens from conflict zones and in active operations like Sri Lanka from 1987–90 and the Maldives in 1988. It then examines the current capacity and trends for executing such operations.