Dear reader,

In our field of work, concerned primarily with the security of states, societies, and individuals, we are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Indeed, cooperation—across disciplines, sectors, and fellow think-tanks—has long been a pillar of IPCS’ own work.

To those of us in the strategic community, this pandemic is the clearest indication yet of the importance of learning from each other, and working together towards our common goal of innovative, impactful policy research.

In the spirit of this cooperation, therefore, IPCS will run a series of special edition newsletters, curated to feature resources authored by colleagues in think-tanks across India. They will showcase different analytical approaches, but all lead to the same objective: overcoming this crisis, and the cross-sectoral implications going forward.

Team IPCS

Note: Data analysis and visualisation by IndiaSpend, a data-driven public-interest journalism non-profit. Follow IndiaSpend's COVID-19 coverage here.

INDIA

Politics and Public Policy

Carnegie India
Intrusive pandemic monitoring is the same old surveillance state, not a new one, 7 May
Anirudh Burman argues that surveillance measures during pandemics are required, and current levels of surveillance are not necessarily an attack on individual privacy.

Centre for Science and Environment
COVID-19: what did India gain in nationwide lockdown?, 6 May, Down To Earth
Banjot Kaur examines the Union Health Ministry’s claim that India has “flattened the curve” and asks whether the country is ready for a second wave of infections in July.

The Takshashila Institution
States must be given more ownership of India’s COVID-19 containment strategy, 30 April, The Wire
Lt Gen (Dr) Prakash Menon suggests that states should be given greater control in mitigating the virus, and that the country’s size and diversity will allow for containment and tailored responses.

Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
COVID-19: how the Indian Army is assisting the government in battling the coronavirus, 24 April
In this podcast, Dr Harsh Pant and Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla discuss the Indian Army’s anti-COVID-19 effort, ‘Operation Namaste’, its impact on operational capabilities, and the efficacy of inter-departmental coordination.

Centre for Policy Research (CPR)
A blueprint for a testing strategy, 22 April, Hindustan Times
With a rise in testing kits at the ICMR’s disposal, Dr Jishnu Das, Dr Neelanjan Sircar, and Dr Partha Mukhopadyay outline three ways to increase the efficiency of India’s testing strategy.

India: Daily Increase In COVID-19 Cases

Economy

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)
COVID-19: How has it disrupted the Indian economy?, 4 May
In this podcast, Professor Arun Kumar discusses the economic crisis that India faces in light of the pandemic, arguing that the situation is worse than its current portrayal.

Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)
Inward remittances and the upcoming crisis, 2 May
Nila Nair points to the economic impact of falling remittances, as the COVID-19 crisis forces a reversal of Indian migration from West Asia.

The Takshashila Institution
When the second wave of infections comes, here’s how India can keep supply chains intact, 1 May
To protect the integrity of supply-chains in the second wave of infections and subsequent lockdowns, Anirudh Kanisetti suggests the use of a ‘relay system’ that employs logistic-hubs and segmented deliveries.

Centre for Science and Environment
COVID-19 and the curious case of development sector un-partnerships, 27 April, Down To Earth
Pradeep Narayanan and Sowmyaa Bharadwaj highlight the need to ensure equity, transparency, and inclusion within the non-profit sector during this pandemic.

Brookings India
Battling COVID-19: Rakesh Mohan on curbing Chinese FDI and whether RBI, govt. are doing too much or too little, 22 April, CNBC TV18
In this interview, Dr Rakesh Mohan discusses a range of issues pertaining to India's central bank and foreign investment policies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

Recoveries and cases in India with a 14-day lag

International Relations

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)
COVID-19 and the Rationale for Stronger Indian Links with Southeast Asia, 13 May
Angshuman Choudhury and Ashutosh Nagda identify the immediate, short, and long-term motivations for an Indian diplomatic push to its east, and make a series of recommendations.

Delhi Policy Group (DPG)
COVID-19 response: Beijing consensus versus New Delhi model, 21 April
Mohit Mussadi and Brig. (Retd) Arun Sahgal compare the Indian and Chinese responses to the pandemic at home and abroad.

World: COVID-19 Tests Per Million People

SECURITY

The Takshashila Institution
Impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese Armed Forces, 30 April
Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai counter the PLA’s claim of zero infections, and analyse the effect of the outbreak.

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)
COVID-19: Calling an Olympic Truce on Global Conflict, 29 April
Tanvi Kulkarni explores the logic, feasibility, and viability of a global ceasefire on conflict.

Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS)
International Solidarity for Nuclear Security: Lessons from a Pandemic, 27 April, IPCS
Dr Manpreet Sethi recommends accepting the shared sense of vulnerability, and acknowledging the importance of a collective commitment to responsible action.

Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)
Pandemic as a ‘window of opportunity’ for terrorists, 23 April
Anashwara Ashok discusses the possibility of amplified recruitment and mobilisation by extremist groups, and points out the specific threats that India faces.

India: Rise in New Cases Against Total Confirmed Caseload

WORLD

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)
Does COVID-19 Enable the Acceleration of Negative Global Trends?, 11 May
Yash Vardhan Singh examines the pandemic’s influence on the evolution of three pre-existing global trends: geopolitical rivalries, authoritarianism, and normalisation of surveillance.

Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)
The WHO’s failures are a red herring. A 2005 pact is the real problem, 2 May, The Wire Science
Nithin Ramakrishnan links WHO’s weak response to the crisis with the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), which, he argues, must be revamped.

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS)
Strange Bedfellows: COVID-19 and the New Japan-China Camaraderie, 30 April
Dr Sandip Kumar Mishra considers the unusual bilateral amity between Tokyo and Beijing during the pandemic against their shared history of vying for geopolitical space and influence.

Centre for Policy Research (CPR)
The Chinese Health Organisation?, 22 April, Project Syndicate
Dr Brahma Chellaney recommends organisational reforms aimed at broadening the WHO's jurisdiction and authority, in an effort to increase efficacy and strengthen credibility.

World: Confirmed Cases Per 100 Tests

EMERGING TRENDS

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