...To what extent are China and India a threat to the USA’s current position as the world’s only true superpower? A superpower refers to a nation which holds and exerts, power (economic, military, and political) and influence (culture, religion) over a county. Over time the “true” superpower has changed. The term first applied to Britain where the British Empire had power over one fifth of the world’s population in 1922 (britishempire.co.uk) creating a bipolar world, following World War II and the Suez Crisis in 1956, the United Kingdom's status as a superpower was greatly diminished and shifted over to the United States and the Soviet Union for the duration of the Cold War period. At the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, only the United States appeared to fulfill the criteria of being a world superpower leaving it as the only true superpower. However with the increase in emerging superpowers such as china and India could they be a threat to the US? Which will be answered in this essay. Over the last decade China’s economy has bloomed, with their GDP increasing by 7.7% (World Bank, 2013), suggests that they have the potential to take over the US in terms of trade. In addition to a shift in trade ideologies, moving from communism to capitalism, adopting trade liberalisation and freeing up their market access and the introduction to china’s private sector, china has changed major policies to welcome Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Export Processing...
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...Superpowers geography How is power exercised and maintained? Direct power in the most obvious way of exercising and maintaining power. Exercise of direct power • British imperialism – wholesale conquest of countries. Insurgency put down by force. • Military power – US navy has 12 aircraft carriers and 70 submarines. It is the most powerful military machine on Earth. It established a ring of bases to surround the USSR in the Cold War era, as part of its policy of containment. The Iraq war saw the USA effectively “go it alone.” • Some economic power is direct. The USA plays a major role in world trade, much of which is conducted in $. The US $ is the world’s reserve currency. • A key area of US international prestige since the 1960s has been the exploration of space. 1969 saw men on the moon. The USA aims to build a moon base by 2020 and visit Mars by 2037. Exercise of indirect power • Neo-colonialism (term coined by Kwame Nkrumah, first president of Ghana) is a form of indirect control over developing counties, most of them former colonies. Has neo-colonialism prevented any real development progress in the 40 years since colonies gained their independence? Africa could lead us to say yes. India could lead us to say no. • Some people say the IGOs were set up by superpowers for superpowers. The IMF was set up in 1944. It has its headquarters in Washington. Counties wishing to have their debt relieved have to apply Western...
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...HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF INDIA M.L. Ranga1, Dinesh K. Gupta2 and Roshan Lal3 1 2 Vice Chancellor; Corresponding Author’s; Guru Jambeshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar-125001, India Associate Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136119, India 3 Professor of Business Management, M.M. University, Mullana (Ambala)-133203, India ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to examine the role of ICT (Information Communication Technology) in enhancing the quality of teaching at higher education level. Although the concept of higher education has been progressing well in India and ICT is being used in all spheres of education, this article aspires to study the current status of ICT implementation and its role in improving the quality of higher education. KEYWORDS Quality Education, Information Communication Technology, Digital Communication, Higher Education. 1. INTRODUCTION India keenly aspires for international recognition as a “knowledge superpower,” and globe trotting Indian executives and policymakers are always eager to tout the country’s much-vaunted IT companies, and a fastgrowing pharmaceutical industry, not to mention its pools of engineering, legal, and research talent. The scenario considered most promising in the future envisages the country to become the global leader in IT innovation by the end of the next decade. India can well become the 'software superpower' of the world by 2020, but all...
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...Poverty Amidst Plenty “India happens to be a rich country inhabited by very poor people”- Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister For the past few decades, India has been categorized as a developing country. In spite of significant landmarks and rapid advancements in various sectors, India has failed to become a developed country. While the nation has been making headlines for economic boom, multitudes of billionaires, construction of skyscrapers, million dollar investments and achievements in technology; the death rates, malnutrition, illiteracy and poverty is multiplying manifold. India is a country which has prosperity on one side of the coin and poverty on the other. It is the stark impact of poverty that hinders the growth of the country. Gone are the days when India used to be a famine land and had to rely on the Americas for the supply of PL wheat. With the advent of the Green revolution, India, not only eliminated famine but also increased its food production and became self-sufficient in food grains. Operation Flood, initiated by National Dairy Development Board in 1970 introduced a National Milk Grid that was effective in reducing the poverty and famine levels. It has also made India the largest producer of milk and dairy products in the world. Agriculture has been the base of India’s economic development with its existence dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization. Today, India is one of the major agricultural economies in the world, in terms of area of cultivation...
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... It becomes necessary to comprehend how democracy works to be able to effectively understand the principles and assumptions behind it. Majority of the countries in the world relate to a democratic system with differing variations depending on the resident country’s constitution. However the basic premise is that people in a country vote for their preferred candidate and the one with the most votes becomes the leader of the particular country. It is the same when applied to simpler elections such as class president or the chairman of a group. There are certain assumptions that are made with regards to the democratic system and it is important to view them in depth. This is so as to be able to come up with a concrete understanding of the way in which democracy works. For instance the main belief is that the majority know best. It is the foundation in that if most of the people are happy then that is the best route to take. It does not necessarily mean that the majority will actually elect the best candidate. In most cases it is usually based on the candidate they feel most comfortable or in extreme cases where they may have no preference, the one they dislike least. In such scenarios it certainly seems that democracy can be an illusion of sorts when the prevailing circumstances do not necessarily favor logical conclusions. Another assumption is that the candidates elected will serve in positions to the benefit of the people who have elected them. Since not everybody can lead...
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...Chapter 5 Contemporary South Asia 65 Chapter 6 International Organisations 81 Chapter 7 Security in the Contemporary World 99 Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources 117 Chapter 9 Globalisation 135 Chapter 1 The Cold War Era OVERVIEW This chapter provides a backdrop to the entire book. The end of the Cold War is usually seen as the beginning of the contemporary era in world politics which is the subject matter of this book. It is, therefore, appropriate that we begin the story with a discussion of the Cold War. The chapter shows how the dominance of two superpowers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union, was central to the Cold War. It tracks the various arenas of the Cold War in different parts of the world. The chapter views the NonAligned Movement (NAM) as a challenge to the dominance of the two superpowers and describes the attempts by the non-aligned countries to establish a New International Economic Order (NIEO) as a means of attaining economic development and political independence. It concludes with an assessment of India’s role in NAM and asks how successful the policy of nonalignment has been in protecting India’s interests. The end of the Second World War led to the rise of two major centres of power. The two pictures above symbolise the victory of the US and the USSR in the Second World War. 1. American soldiers raising the US flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japan, on 23 February...
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...Advantages of India in macro business environment Innovating for Emerging Markets A few decades ago, India was seen as a producer of finished goods for the international market, or if we put it bluntly, we were seen as a dumping ground for products from the developed countries. A pretty sad scenario as we used to import more and our exports were frugal. Barring agriculture and spices, we did not have much to rave about. However, a change in mindset of the authorities has paved the path towards progress. India’s economic growth has prospered over the years, thanks largely to the opening of markets to foreign companies and investors, which has ushered a very healthy and competitive environment. This trend started way back in the early 90s, where liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation policy of 1991 opened up new horizons of opportunities for Indian business to take shape firmly and be equally competent in the world market. As a result, India has progressed quite well in terms of technological innovation and has managed to produce high-tech products and services. In a way, we are world leaders, when it comes to providing solutions, as more or less, every software product or service that comes out has a “made in India” tag to it. It definitely makes us feel proud as we are one of the top contributors to the global economy. But, somewhere in this melee, we are underperforming to our true innovation potential—this somehow has affected our industrial competitiveness...
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...surveyed, a majority of respondents said China is already, or will soon become, the “world’s leading superpower.” Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT. Even in America, just 47 percent told Pew they believe the United States will remain in that role, and the survey was conducted before Washington’s recent shutdown hardened opinions about America’s political dysfunction. But although China’s economic influence is growing — it is now the lead trade partner for 124 countries, compared to just 76 for the United States — its power to influence other nations is slight. It has achieved little of what policymakers call “capture,” a condition in which economic or security dependence of one country on another allows the more powerful to drive the other’s policy making. Only in countries like North Korea, Cambodia and Laos does China have that kind of heft; in North Korea, for example, China provides 90 percent of the country’s energy and 80 percent of its consumer goods. But these are not the sorts of allies that help an emerging power extend its influence. Based on the size of their commercial relationships with China as a share of their overall economies, the governments next closest to “China capture” are Pakistan and Myanmar. But Beijing’s reluctance to undermine improving relations with India or to become more deeply implicated in Pakistan’s chaotic domestic politics will prevent...
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...Eye on Asia Can soaring population give India an edge over China? Posted by: Bruce Einhorn on September 19, 2006 India’s population is exploding and is likely to surpass China as the world’s biggest within a few decades. In a country where more than 25% of the people live in poverty, is that a good thing? One of the top executives at India’s premier pharma company seems to think so. Last week Brian Tempest, the former CEO and current “chief mentor” at Ranbaxy Laboratories, told an industry gathering that the growth of India’s below-25 population “is going to act as a secret weapon in the future,” according to this report in the Hindu. Tempest went on to take a jab at China, saying that slower Chinese population growth would put the Middle Kingdom at a disadvantage. Says Tempest, “the one-child policy in China will play a spoilsport.” The logic is simple. Fast population growth equals more young people, and more young people equals a more dynamic work force. According to the Indian Express, citing India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment, India already has an advantage over more advanced economies. The median age in India in 2000 was 24, compared to 30 in China, 38 in Europe and 41 in creaky old Japan. However, most of those Indians live in the countryside, and it’s no secret that India’s rural population is not sharing in the boom enjoyed by people in other parts of the country. In the past, Asiatech blog readers have written in to debate the merits of India’s development...
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...India & China’s war with The West India and China have two major belongings in common that has contributed to them separately becoming a Superpower in today’s sphere, each consumes a mammoth amount of land, and enormous population. When comparing and contrasting how each arose, viewing back to a post-World War 2 era, where both countries earned their independence in essential in understanding 3 components that shaped their country. The first is how the varying countries leaders at the time gained their independence. The second is the post-independence struggle that each country faced after. The last is how these countries came from the previous changes to develop into the countries they are today. Looking at a back story of these two countries show us their roles in today’s politics and how their reception is viewed by other counties. Great leaders facilitated the uniting of China, and India’s population into ‘fighting’ for independence, but using fighting not as a literal word to show they each had a cause and needed to combat to overcome it. India’s leader is very famous for his non-violence approach to overcoming the British imperialist. Mahatma Gandhi was born very privileged and studied in England to become a lawyer. He came back to India and wanted to see people free of economic and social change in his country. Gandhi’s method preached of nonviolence, and more of a civil disobedience to the British. In one quote he says “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you...
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...Dependency theory According to dependency theory, countries become more dependent upon more powerful, frequently colonial powers, as a result of interaction and ‘development’. As the more powerful country exploits the resources of its weaker colony, the colony becomes dependent upon the stronger power. Goods fl ow from the colony to support consumers in the overseas country. Andre Frank (1971) described the effect of capitalist development on many countries as ‘the development of underdevelopment’. The problem of poor countries is not that they lack the resources, technical know-how, modern institutions or cultural developments that lead to development, but that they are being exploited by capitalist countries. Dependency theory has a very different approach from most models of development. • It incorporates politics and economics in its explanation. • It takes into account the historical processes of how underdevelopment came about, that is how capitalist development began in one part of the world and then expanded into other areas. • It sees development as a revolutionary break, a clash of interests between ruling classes and the working classes. • It believes that modernisation does not necessarily mean Westernisation and that underdeveloped countries must set goals of their own, which are appropriate to their own resources, needs and values. However, it is a largely economic theory (from a Western perspective) seeing the outcome as a form of economic...
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...telecommunication. Everyday new technology and inventions are being made in the area of information, processing and travelling. There is hardly any area which had not been affected by this. Due to all this, the word distance sounds ironical in present day context. The whole world has become a small place today. Any information can be exchanged by people in few seconds and that, too, in proper and effective way without any loss of data while it is being processed. On the one hand, all these different ways of tele-communication and information exchage have highlighted the necessity for multipurpose development and growth of information technology and on the other, the easy access and use of it has boosted the network of information exchange. All this has been possible through information technology like telephone, fax, telex, computers, internet, e-mail, photocopier, printer, scanner, cellular phones, pagers, videophone, digital camera, multimedia, etc. These technologies are becoming a part and parcel of our lives and are transforming lifestyles and habits of people all over the world. The use of computers has increased by leaps and bounds worldwide. Internet and multimedia have now become playthings for children. The internet has revolutionized every field of the world. The government has allowed private companies to provide internet services to people in order to boost up information technology. The internet has put an unprecedented amount of buying and selling power...
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...THE NEXT DECADE The Next Decade is a book written by George Friedman, and emphasizes The United States’ relationships with other nations. The book addresses some technological and economic problems and well as explaining empires and republics on the rise during the following decade. The Next Decade is a comprehensive and remarkable analysis that encompasses the issues and benefits for being a super power. The United States has unintentionally become a global empire, and the role of the United States President is to serve as the world’s most important political diplomat. It is noted that the President must be able to at least promote the quintessential virtues, ethics, and tradition of the one of the greatest countries in the world. The greatest battle of the decade is predicted to be how the United States will react to leadership that will be interested in the economic dealings rather than serving the American people. Friedman made a bold and unshakable declaration: America is an imperial empire. He gives the overview of what America will be facing in the upcoming years which includes balance of power. Also America could lose itself as a Republic. The book starts with a summarized historical background and explains current political situations that are happening globally. It then analyzes each geographical region and assessment plans. The Next Decade is a comprehensive and remarkable analysis that encompasses the issues and benefits for being a super power. A main theme of the...
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...December 21, 2012 India: How Spirituality Can Affect Democracy India is often referred to as the "Land of Spirituality". There is no major religion that they hold and this is one of the reasons that it is so diverse. However, this spiritual land is a well formed constitutional democracy. Could there be some correlation between the two? If we explore the major religions in India, we can see that perhaps the reason democracy is holding so well is because of these spiritual people. The six major religions in India are Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Sikhism. These religions, all very different, have played a crucial part in forming India and keeping it so culturally diverse. These religions all promote equality and freedom of man and they contributed not only to India being a democracy, but they also helped India to be the superpower it is today. Hinduism is a religion that supports those that want to join. They do not convert others into Hinduism, nor do they have religious wars. "Hinduism offers lots of freedom to operate. An individual decides his Guru, and follows him or her. When many devotees come together a sect is formed. Like democracy, the people select a leader." (Prlog.org) These sects often are made and unmade, relating to the constant changes in democracy. People would argue that Hinduism is a confused religion because there is a certain lack of structure to those that do not follow. Even those that are not democratic would argue that democracy...
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...India currently is second largest populous nation in the world, second largest educational system in the world and five years down the line shall be the single largest populous nation leaving behind China. Demographically too India is a nation of young persons with two thirds of population below 35 years of age and should leverage from this to emerge as a superpower and get into the comity of developed nations. Presently as on 2015 no Indian Institution is in top 100 world Class University ranking as most of the institutions are only engaged in teaching. There is no much quality research, consultancy and industry interaction and majority of private institutes clamor for more branches and more seats. Government of India has been giving focus...
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