In this episode we are trying to dissect official speculation that has now become a part of Indian diplomacy- on an alleged foreign hand at work to run down India’s development- So while in previous episodes we have spoken about Disaster diplomacy, Diaspora diplomacy, Neighbourhood diplomacy etc, this week we will focus on Defensive diplomacy, which is a big part of what the MEA and Indian diplomats in Embassies worldwide have to do.

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A global rescue effort is underway for Quake hit Turkiye and Syria- where the deathtoll is in the thousands already- Will India’s assistance be a diplomatic gamechanger?

On February 6, an earthquake measuring a massive 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Southern Turkiye or Turkey and parts of Syria, followed by a second quake of the same magnitude a few hours later.

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India issues a notice to renegotiate the 62-year-old Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan- could this mean another flank opened in already tense India-Pakistan ties, as well as trouble in India’s cooperation with the World Bank?

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India begins the year with an outreach in the neighbourhood- with visits to Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan, and even an invitation to Pakistan- what lies ahead for 2023 in South Asia?

This is going to be a particularly interesting year for India as President of G20 and it is significant that the year began with a newly powered push in the neighbourhood.

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As we end this season of WorldView, we do a review of the top ten stories of 2022 that we discussed here, with a view to what will make the headlines and what Indian diplomacy will be watching out for in 2023. This is significant as India hosts the G20 in September and hopes to have the entire global leadership visiting. 

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This week on WorldView- is the Taliban running out of time to keep its promises on inclusive government and women’s rights? Or is the world going to continue to engage with the Taliban without conditions? And where does India stand with the Taliban and with non-Taliban leadership today? We will hear from the chief of the National Resistance Force- Ahmed Shah Massoud’s son Ahmed Massoud.

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Just weeks after what seemed to be a grand celebration of the Chinese Communist party’s achievements, came protests in several Chinese cities and many college campuses, calling for an end to the government’s Zero- Covid restrictions, to brutal lockdowns and crackdowns, and even some calling for Xi Jinping to step down. Finally, in what seemed to be a softening of tone, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan chaired a meeting where she indicated covid protocols could now be reviewed.

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Another climate change summit has ended- COP27 in Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh nearly ended last weekend without a deal. But on Sunday, it came out with progress on a long-pending agreement to set up a loss and damages fund to help the world’s most vulnerable countries hit by climate change.

India takes charge of the G20 process after a summit in Indonesia marked by crises and sudden consensus for a joint communique- how hard will hosting the summit next year in Delhi be?

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Two months after the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, protests against the regime continue, and grow in other parts of the world- are the anti-Hijab protests at a tipping point, or will they peter out as others have?

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