Violence Dont Play That Game Essays - Video Game Censorship

Violence: Don't Play That Game? Violence: Don't Play that Game? A while back a senator said that violence in computer games is completely outrageous and is amazingly influential on our youth. We'll just randomly choose a name by which to call him and randomly choose a state that he represents. We'll call him Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. Oops, that seems to be his real name and state..... Anyway, Joe believes that violence is simply appalling and that games should not have violence. Well, here are my reasons why violence is not bad in computer games: people are not persuaded to commit amazingly bloody crimes by them, there are ratings on games, and also, movies can have all the violence they please and the rating can justify it all. Let us examine these. Many people would say I am wrong about this one. I say violence does not affect people that much when they are playing a game. I hope that our species has evolved enough to tell the difference between a 15 screen full of pixels and the real world. I hope they realize that the violence on these screens is quite fake, and that in the real world this violence will not be put up with. What is that I hear? It desensitizes people to violence. Let us take a look at this. You've been playing violent computer games since you were five. Violence no longer affects you. Are you going to take a gun to someone's head just because violence is no big deal to you? You probably will not. I can hear Joe now. Mechwarrior 2 is violent and should not have all this violence. Now, if you are familiar with Mechwarrior 2 then you know it is a game that you play as a robot destroying other robots. Little Billy sees this and decides he'll get dad's robot out and do some damage. There is a reason for you right there why game violence is not that persuasive. A lot of it is not completely real. Furthermore, violence has been in movies for a lot longer and children have not been too influenced by it. Eighty-seven percent of violent crimes are committed by adults. Do you think all this violence is really getting the kids to become more violent? Now, people probably are not convinced yet. You are saying little Billy, 5 years old, in this state of complete malleability will play monkey see monkey do (I put this in quotation marks because of how demeaning it is calling people monkeys, but I lack a better saying so I used it) and take dad's shotgun to a buddy and blow him away a la Quake. This is why games have ratings. You know, those little rectangles that say T for Teen rating because of violence, gore, vulgarity or what-not? Yes, contrary to what you might have heard, that is a rating. It means that if parents are responsible they will not let Billy get Quake. If you happen to have games that are not appropriate for your kids you are not out of luck. Daggerfall has parental controls and password protection to keep your kids from seeing the violence. Many companies do this. It's another way moldable young children are protected from violent games. I have one last point to make. Sen. Lieberman finishes his press conference that bashes computer game violence. He then takes a walk to the local theater and purchases tickets to take his 10-year-old to see Saving Private Ryan . Do find anything wrong with this picture? He accepts violence in one form but completely denies it in another form. Movies have ratings to protect children from violent content. They can get away with anything and it has not really affected kids in the past. Then a new form of expression, computer games, pops up into the picture. Now people are saying the violence is overbearing when really they are ignoring the fact that the everyday news has more violence than your average computer game! Take into consideration movies and then the violence in computer games is greatly dwarfed. Well, Joe, did I miss anything? Computer game violence does not seem to affect people; games do have ratings, and there is already so much violence on TV and in society that the violence in computer games is not adding too much to the equation. I think that if you are

Free Essays on Dylan Thomas Analysis

such as dignity, honor, wisdom, and integrity were strived to achieve. Now these virtues seem to have been swept under the rug. Dylan Thomas saw that it took work, blood and sweat to become the man that his father had become. He believed his father deserved the up most respect for the things he had endured through his life, because no one knows a father quite like his son. Despite the hardships Thomas’ father trudged through from day one, death is too deep to fight. The fact that his father is not as full-bodied and strong willed as before angers Dylan Thomas and in ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night† he pleads his father not to pass away in this weakened state. It is as if his father has forfeited his life because the fight against death is too difficult. Since he has most likely never seen this side of his father is bothers him deeply and at least begs him to fight until the end. Before directly addressing his father, Dylan uses three different types of men as evidence that it is not hard to fight death and to stay strong through his last days. In the first stanza Thomas makes the initial plea to his father not to go gently into the good night. Then he personifies old age and says that it should â€Å"burn and rave at the close of day† which means to â€Å"bitch and whine† at the end of his life instead of giving up, according to Linda Sue Grimes a classic poetry aide. This poem is written in the form of a villanelle, and the purpose of this is to get a simple message across using repetition and few rhymes. Also, in the first stanza Thomas uses the light as a symbol for life, which is a universal symbol in poetry. In the second stanza, again trying to convince his father ... Free Essays on Dylan Thomas Analysis Free Essays on Dylan Thomas Analysis Dylan Thomas Analysis In the twentieth Century things were different from now. â€Å"Men† was not just a word referring to a male out of high school. One could go his whole life without ever really deserving the title of â€Å"man†. Also, other words such as dignity, honor, wisdom, and integrity were strived to achieve. Now these virtues seem to have been swept under the rug. Dylan Thomas saw that it took work, blood and sweat to become the man that his father had become. He believed his father deserved the up most respect for the things he had endured through his life, because no one knows a father quite like his son. Despite the hardships Thomas’ father trudged through from day one, death is too deep to fight. The fact that his father is not as full-bodied and strong willed as before angers Dylan Thomas and in ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night† he pleads his father not to pass away in this weakened state. It is as if his father has forfeited his life because the fight against death is too difficult. Since he has most likely never seen this side of his father is bothers him deeply and at least begs him to fight until the end. Before directly addressing his father, Dylan uses three different types of men as evidence that it is not hard to fight death and to stay strong through his last days. In the first stanza Thomas makes the initial plea to his father not to go gently into the good night. Then he personifies old age and says that it should â€Å"burn and rave at the close of day† which means to â€Å"bitch and whine† at the end of his life instead of giving up, according to Linda Sue Grimes a classic poetry aide. This poem is written in the form of a villanelle, and the purpose of this is to get a simple message across using repetition and few rhymes. Also, in the first stanza Thomas uses the light as a symbol for life, which is a universal symbol in poetry. In the second stanza, again trying to convince his father ...

Consolidation and Reflective Statement 350 words Coursework

Consolidation and Reflective Statement 350 words - Coursework Example My success formula is simply doing exhaustive research, privately going through the learning materials repeatedly, and later endorsing the read information through discussions. I comprehensively researched and answered all questions in the online library and career service quiz correctly. The discussion skills I perfected enabled me to work effectively on the workshop group blog. Additionally, the discussions equipped me with all-round information applicable in the evaluation process in a workshop group wiki. To complete the portfolio, I worked essentially by discussing with people, and deliberating many internet materials, journals, books and some materials that had been done by other students relating to the topic. Difficulties were imminent because I had not been involved in any research of such magnitude during my previous education, which was mostly based on question and answer. Time was a challenge because extensive researching needs relatively longer duration. To overcome the challenges, I sort help from a number of people who guided me on how to gather information perfectly. In the same way, I used various applications to create work schedules and manage time. In overall, this was a very educative experience. It offered an opportunity for practically experiencing working under different scenarios. I developed a number of skills and knowledge in the process. For instance, now I am a better timekeeper and a good portfolio manager. Above all, I established a critical mind, which will be of great assistance to me throughout my life and professional

Tombs for the Living, Tombs for the Dead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tombs for the Living, Tombs for the Dead - Essay Example Archeology, through  cultural-history archaeology, bioarcheaology, post-processual archaeology, mortuary archaeology, etc. presents various theories that aim for the â€Å"recovery, restoration† and surfacing of ancient cultures, and learning how they changed (Dannenfeldt 8). They also focus on learning about the ancient histories as well as studying their reflexivity. The research paper at hand focuses on addressing the question of whether the rituals of death are reflective of the living or the dead. Rituals of death, no matter which culture they belong to, are performed by the living for the dead; therefore, it can be construed that these rituals are reflective of both the living and the dead. The human thinking process and thoughts evolve as time goes by, thus new theories are developed, which seem to be able to fill the gap of disadvantages left by earlier theories. In the same way, there have been certain changes or movements in the train of thought of the archaeologic al theory, which have led to the discovery and development of different theories or disciplines of this study. These theories or disciplines, albeit differing in only some aspects from one another, have their own unique orientation and goals that further help in revealing mysteries regarding the people of the past. First among these comes the cultural-history archeological approach developed in the nineteenth century, which basically deals with elucidating why cultures were modified or adapted according to various beliefs, and it also aims to highlight historical particularism. During the 1960s, this approach was challenged through the approach called â€Å"New Archeology,† or processual archeology, and its focus was to make studies in a more scientific and anthropological manner, thus inculcating various scientific methods and statistical analysis such as hypothesis testing etc. However, two decades later, a new approach to archeological theory evolved and it questioned the impartiality and scientific positivism which were emphasized in the previous one. This was a post-modern movement and was known as post-processual archeology, and it believed in self-critical theories and reflexivity of various cultures. However, each approach has its own pitfalls and shortcomings and as of now, a perfect approach is yet to be discovered. Despite various shortcomings, it is these approaches and disciplines to archeology that enable one to understand the lifestyle, cultural beliefs, norms and traditions of his or her great ancestors. Such archeological disciplines include bioarcheology which aims to study about human cultures and their histories, and mortuary archeology which focuses on researching about funerary practices involved in various cultures, their beliefs about after life, etc. Thus, with the help of different aspects of archeology, man is able to know about ancient cultures, histories, traditions, ways of life, beliefs and practices of his great forefathe rs. Mortuary archeology presents a good question of whether the funerary rites, or the rituals of the dead, are actually for the living or for the dead. In a general context, every culture has its own funerary practices and rituals to honor the deceased, and some of them share similarities. Culture is one of the most important identities of man, and it is this culture that presents various values and traditions to be followed during the lifetime of the individual. In that sense, it is

India in the New World Order as Regional Power

India in the New World Order as Regional Power INTRODUCTION Background 1. Dramatic changes at the global level have initiated a process of reorientation of the power distribution in international politics. The changes initiated with the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR ), the unification of Europe in pursuit of an identity of its own ,a sharp decline of communism has set in a process of transition in world affairs, the sudden rise of asian countries mainly China, India ASEAN Bloc, emergence of resurgent Russia and establishment of new economic power blocs like the G20,BRIC RIC. The emergence of USA as the sole super power and its global war on terror have changed the security scenario for all and sundry. The existing obscurity has given rise to new opportunities, new speculations and new considerations regarding power distribution. A gradual shift from a geo-political world order to a geo-economical world order has come to stay. There is no doubt that any future order would have the considerations such as comprehensive na tional power to incl Economy and the power it wields albeit indirectly, at the centre of any international power game. 2. Global shifts happen rarely and are even less often peaceful. The transfer of power from west to east will dramatically change the context of dealing with international challenges. In the early 20th century the imperial order and the aspiring states of Germany and Japan failed to adjust to each other. That led to wars which devastated the better part of the world. The coming shift in power will have a greater impact globally and will require assimilation of diverse political and cultural systems. Todays rising powers seek redress of past grievances, are proudly nationalistic and want to claim their rightful place in the comity of nations. Asian rise in economic terms will translate into greater political and military power, thus increasing the potential damage from conflicts. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has noted that In the next two decades China and India will undergo industrialisation four times the size of the United States and at five times the speedFor the first time in many centuries, power is moving East. Blair added that In this new world, we must clear a path to partnership, not stand off against each other competing for power. The worldcannot afford a return to the 20th century struggles for hegemony.[1] 3. India being a part of this evolutionary and revolutionary economic process needs to apprise herself of these changes and redefine: if required, her goals and objectives to emerge as a reckonable force from the present mesh of contradictions and complexities. The term reckonable force can be redefined as regional power when one views Indias prospects vis-Ã  -vis her size, geo-strategic location, abundant natural resources, size of economy and military capability. The Indian nation is not just a nation, but a subcontinent. Being a subcontinent not only in size, but by its population which is in excess of One Billion, sets it apart in a World with a total population of a little above Five Billion means that in every Five Human being on Earth one is an Indian. It is on record that the Indian Armed Forces is the Fourth Largest in the World. India has since the past Twenty Eight years been exerting her influence in the South Asia sub-region. Thus India has functioned for over half her period of independence as a regional power. It is instructive that given the New World Order in which the US is about the only Super power, it is pertinent that in order to maintain the Balance of Power, that Nations like India with a long period of History devoid of expansionist propensity, should emerge as a Super power to enhance the balance of power in the South Asian sub-region, and the World in general. 4. The Indo-Pak conflict of 1971 leading to the emergence of Bangladesh, peace keeping operations in Srilanka, quick repression of an attempted coup in Maldives, deployment of Indian navy in Gulf of Aden and involvement of India in various fora both on strategic geopolitical stage provide ample evidence that India possesses many of the attributes of a regional power. The emergence as a knowledge economy and as a Human resource powerhouse, make India a force to reckon with today and strong vibrant economy in future. In the recent past, India enhanced role in plethora of world fora and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and subsequent ratification by Nuclear Suppliers Group IAEA. However, in some areas like all round economic development, poverty, population explosion, literacy rates and foreign policy to some extent, India is lacking at the moment. For India to emerge as a regional power, these unfavourable areas need critical attention and reappraisal. The Indian economy is growing at an av erage rate of 8 per cent a year. Most Indian and foreign observers are confident that India will sustain this tempo of growth in the near future, and will go on to become one of the worlds leading economies and a global political power in 2020. A few voices draw attention to the tremendous economic, political and social challenges facing India that the country must overcome before it can lay claim to being a world power [2]. Statement of the Argument 5. A countrys role in the international system is not a random occurrence or a result of an accident ; but is basically a function of its power position in the international hierarchy. To have a Subject Role in international politics is to be a part of the power structure that makes vital decisions about the fate and destiny of the international system and the nations within it. The Object Role nations are at the receiving end of the decisions made by the subject role nations. A third in-between category is that of an independent centre of power. These nations do not have the leverage to influence the course of the international system as a whole, but do possess enough capability to have, within a given configuration of power, a considerable degree of autonomy and the capability to resist the application of unwelcome decisions. While subject nations have global influence, independent centres of power are often dominant or pre-eminent in a certain region. They may, therefore may also be referred to as Regional Powers . Typically a subject nation resists the emergence of a regional power; for to accommodate others to a similar role is to diminish ones own power. The tendency is to extend ones own power and exercise domination over others so as to reduce the emerging regional powers to the status of a mere object nation.[3] 6. India gained pre-eminence in South Asia in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 but more recently with the steady economic growth and growing international stature have made it a power centre in South Asia. With the recent changes in the world politics and diffusion of power, countries with regional prominence have come to possess a great capacity for asserting their regional pre-eminence. In this context, India has the capability and the potential to be elevated to the status of a regional power. An analysis of various factors in the light of international power structure would facilitate the prognosis of the status India is likely to achieve by 2020 AD. Aim 7. To assess Indias potential in the new world order so as to forecast the prospects of India emerging as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Justification for the Study 8. Ever since gaining independence in 1947, India has moved slowly but steadily towards its role as a regional power . Historically India has been the seat of famous ancient civilisations. It invokes memories of past greatness, though episodic; and of epochs of creativity, not only in Philosophy and Literature but also in Science and Mathematics. The fact that the last several centuries saw India under alien rule only makes aspirations in the restoration of greatness all the more deeply felt[4]. Indias influence in South Asia in particular and the world in general, is beginning to emerge. A study of various factors that would aid Indias emergence, as well as various impediments that retard this process merit analysis. India is a fast steadily developing country and stands among the top few industrial nations in the world and has a rapidly growing industrial sector. Although poverty, illiteracy and health deficiencies are some of the vexing problems, yet only few nations have larger pools of trained professionals, scientific, technological and executive talents than that in India. 9. India, as a nation is about over half a century old. In this period of her independence, she has exhibited character and pedigree. She was instrumental to the creation of the Non Aligned Movement in the cold war era. She has on the issue of Nuclear Non proliferation taken a consistent stance even though this posture has met with the ire of the developed world has not deterred her. This attitude was demonstrated by her refusal to sign the CTBT. It is on record that it took her more than a quarter of a century to carry out a follow up nuclear test. This could be placed at the doorstep of the fact that her good neighbours China and Pakistan have continued to arm themselves with these offensive weapons. India in her nuclear policy states that she would abide with the principles of no-first strike, nuclear deterrence as the cornerstone of that policy. And to continue to advocate for a ban on nuclear weapons like the type achieved on Chemical and Biological warfare weapons and the ban o n use of land mines. These stated positions have recently been understood and appreciated by the entire world polity and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and its subsequent ratification at Nuclear Supplier Group International Atomic Energy Asssociation have largely vindicated Indian stance on these issues. The engagement involvement of India in G8, BRIC, RIC, ASEAN, IBSA in the geopolitical arena. The positions on WTO Climate change are also a case in point for growing stature of India on world stage. 10. The Information Technology IT propels the world of technology. In this field India has demonstrated outstanding abilities. In the Silicon Valley of American, it is reported that 60,000 Indians operating there could collectively boast of assets worth more five hundred billion dollars. This is no mean achievement. Its effect on India is the collateral development of the Asian Silicon Valley in Bangalore, Karnataka. In the field of IT, the Indian nation has arrived. For this simple reasons her Engineers and Technologists are being sought across the globe. This is not to talk of the influence of Indian businessmen, in other continents like Africa, where they command an imposing stature in the fields of Textile technology and Pharmaceuticals. Indias stature as an IT Knowledge base powerhouse is a major factor in its rise at the world stage. India is a single democratic political entity, though slightly marred by development problems and religious regional strifes varying from state to state. In view of the existing fluidity in the Asian region following the global paradigm, shift in the power distribution and the present status of India, an attempt to foresee Indias evolution as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 would be relevant. Scope 11. The scope of this paper would be limited to analysing various factors governing the emergence of India as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Indias performance as an independent state would be given a brief overview along with her present status in the region. Preview 12. To analyse the future, it is essential to critically evaluate Indias power potential as well as the impediments enroute. India has inherited a volatile, ethnic, religious and social mix that generates strong cross-currents of tension between the states of the region. Added to this are the domestic under-currents of religious fundamentalism, communal tensions, demand for autonomous/ independent states and inherent problems of a multi-lingual and multi-racial society. 13. Indias quest for the regional power status in this turbulent environment is underwritten by an increasingly open and vibrant economy and a Military Industrial complex that stretches deep into the bureaucratic structure of the nation. However, Indias attention has been focused more on the problems associated with its immediate neighbourhood and on nation building, than on the Indian Ocean region, let alone the world. Its ironic that while on one hand it is the problems of the neighbourhood that have largely driven Indias military build up, on the other hand it is these very problems that continue to limit its strategic reach. It is this combination of a drive for a great power status and intensifying regional and national problems that pose a number of questions about Indias future. This paper endeavours to answer some of these questions. Source of the Data 14. The source of the data are the various books in the college library, various magazines and articles written by various people from time to time. Internet was also used for collection of data and articles. Bibliography is attached at Appx A. BRIEF HISTORY 15. The colonial powers that ruled India for centuries, apparently visualised her potential and attempted to undermine it through a process of gradual disintegration. Formation of Pakistan is one vivid example of such designs. After independence, the citizens of India have displayed remarkable resilience to destructive forces. Despite impediments like poverty, corruption, ailing bureaucracy and population explosion, India has made significant progress in various fields to incl education, manufacturing, knowledge based industry, IT, space technology, pharmaceutical industry. Today India ranks among fastest growing economies of the world and IT Knowledge based industry powerhouse. 16. In the past sixty years after independence, India has acquired great maturity and realism in the management of its strategic environment albeit with considerable pain and sacrifice. Indias posture has been based on a realistic assessment of its capabilities. It projects a defensive, progress oriented stance rather than an expansionist or a hegemonistic stance. India has continued to follow and propagate the ideology of non-alignment and is now on the threshold of coming out of its shell to play an important role at the world stage as a Global player if not as atleast as a regional player. The nuclear agreement, which followed three weeks later, calling for the separation of Indias nuclear facilities into civilian and military, and bringing Indias civilian facilities under international safeguards in exchange for nuclear energy cooperation, demonstrated the growing strategic convergence between the US India. Domestic political considerations have come in the way of the Indian gov ernment operationalising the nuclear deal. That notwithstanding, the deal was widely welcomed in India because it opened the doors for India to participate in civilian nuclear commerce with members of the NSG while allowing it to retain its nuclear weapons programme despite being outside the NPT[5]. PRESENT STATUS 17. Contemporarily, India enjoys a leading status in South Asia. Militarily, she has displayed her potential either in a direct conflict, coercion or allaying any belligerence by its potential adversaries. Birth of Bangladesh, intervention in Sri Lanka Maldives, Indian Naval involvement in Gulf of Aden are a few indicators that India has acquired a great measure of regional hegemony. 18. Power status takes into account an ideological or political role and above all the economic health of a nation. Regional hegemony or dominance implies the existence of local military pre-ponderance and the availability of non-military instruments of pressure, including economic coercion. Studies of strategic power in the world politics commonly assign to India the status of a middle power of some regional significance, but little more[6]. A state such as India, by virtue of its size, resources and geographical location, finds herself a power in regional terms whether or not it seeks the label and despite the fact that all its capabilities for regional dominance are not yet fully exploited. Indias current pre-eminence over its neighbours, however, is so substantial that its position has been recognised by the entire world, and implicitly so by all South Asian states as well[7]. 19. Recent years have witnessed a steady growth in Indias power, based upon a strong economic performance. According to the World Bank, Indias per capita income is now higher than Chinas and some reports put its rate of economic growth above Chinas in real terms[9]. 20. Furthermore, with the prospect of a declining role for the superpowers in the region, Indias growth in military capability is likely to leave it stronger in relative as well as absolute terms. The erstwhile Soviet Union is no longer a major factor in the Indian Ocean and the peace dividend in the world politics may eventually lead to a reduced presence on the part of the United States [10]. 21. While Indias emerging role is well acknowledged in the world, there are clear limitations both upon the current extent of Indias power and upon the rate at which that power will accrue. With India, it has been very much the question of WATCH THIS SPACE [11]. INDIA S POWER POTENTIAL Geo-Strategic Location. 22. India shares its borders with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. It has close proximity to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Therefore, in South Asia, it has to directly interact with many neighbours. Strategically, India lies astride the Indian ocean, flanking the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Malacca. It lies across the routes from West Asia to South-East and East Asia. Therefore, the dominating position of India and its island territories would enable it to control the sea lines of communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Natural Resources. 23. India has abundant natural resources. Its soil varies greatly from region to region. It is alluvial in the northern plains, sandy in the western desert, black in the Deccan Plateau and coarse in the hilly terrain. Each type is suitable for a particular group of crops. There are areas where trees grow on their own. They form the source of timber, pulp, resin, lac, gum and cane[12]. 24. Indias hydro-electric and coal reserves are massive. Oil exploration is limited but off shore potentials suggest a great amount of self reliance. Indias Thorium reserves are large. Its known reserves of Iron ore, which represent 10% of the worlds total and those of a wide range of other minerals suggest that India has the potential for a relatively independent economy[13]. Human Resources. 25. Human resources are of paramount importance in any economy. A human being comes not only with a mouth and a belly for consumption, but also with two hands to work. The adverse effects of unchecked population growth cannot be ignored; however, given the right direction and awakening, the population can be utilised constructively. A large young population helps to boost demand by providing an extensive and growing market for industrial products. It can lower wages, increase profits and output, encourage industrial development and open employment avenues. This is borne out by the fact that numerous MNCs are investing huge sums of money to tap the cheap Indian labour and the immense ready market. Economic Base. 26. Till recently, multiple restrictions on private business co-operation and the goal of achieving economic self reliance had shackled the Indian economy by hindering unprejudiced co-operation from industrial nations. With the adoption of a liberalised economic policy, an extensive economic relation is now growing. The new economic policy lays greater emphasis on private enterprise and intensified competition for dynamic industrial progress and mordenisation. Prospects for a substantial upswing of economic growth seem to be favourable now. 27. India has huge reserves of important raw material and a large domestic market. It also has a large group of entrepenures and managers experienced in organising and managing industrial enterprises under difficult circumstances. Given the improved setting for entrepreneurial activities, the large number of scientists and engineers, some of them highly qualified professionals, trained overseas or with practical foreign experience, could be of immense benefit to the country[14]. 28. The expectations of economic development are based on an economic policy that is yet in its infancy. For long term stability the creation of a congenial atmosphere for foreign investment is necessary. Our focus would have to shift from development of industrial sector to the improvement of institutional framework for long term development. Greater efforts to improve social security are needed to cushion the effects of intensified industrial competition and to open up new possibilities for the impoverished classes to take a share in the economic development. Science and Technology. 29. India began to develop its capabilities in science and technology soon after independence. However, the overall programme while impressive compared to that of other poor countries is inadequate and poorly organised in relation to the countrys potential and requirements[15]. Of the total research and development in the country, only 25% is used to promote innovation in industry and agriculture, while the major chunk contributes to development in areas like atomic energy, space programme and defence equipment. 30. The latest thrust to uplift the economy has renewed the vigour in the sphere of science and technology also. The private sector has shown great promise to measure upto the national requirements and a healthy competition with other nations can be seen specially in areas like computer software and electronics. Numerous institutions are doing some original and promising research in various fields. Political System 31. Indias political system was initially dominated by the small urban elite comprising leaders of the nationalist movement and an elitist civil service. At the state level, elected representatives wielded impressive influence in directing benefits to their constituencies and acting as channels of complaint and pressure within the bureaucracy. The system moved rapidly to broaden its base of support by bringing the bulk of peasantry into the system and also by including small business and trading interests. The evolution of such a system from the authoritarian colonial rule was accompanied by tension and uneven progress. 32. India had managed to operate a complex ; constitutional, federal, parliamentary and party dominated political system with remarkable effectiveness. Indias manifold diversity and communal problems often raise the spectre of disintegration; these are common to a nation state building process that the developed countries experienced a century ago. In the Indian democratic set-up, its people have displayed a great amount of maturity in preserving their rights. Any display of authoritarianism by a democratically elected government has met with stiff opposition. A vivid example is the imposition of emergency in 1975 by Mrs Gandhi and her subsequent electoral defeat in 1977. The emergency and the general elections of 1977 were a test of democracy, equivalent in significance to a social revolution[16]. 33. A seemingly large section of illiterate electorate is well aware of its might and is critical of the people who represent them in higher offices. India has managed to solve or at least contain major disputes on language policy and regional autonomy. At the same time religious, caste based and even communist organisations have been brought in and operate in a largely peaceful democratic institution. Indias political leaders have shown a firm resolution in making of both foreign and defence policies. The military also operates under political direction. Inherent stability is provided to the system by the presence of well established institutions like judiciary, banking and stock exchange. 34. Future political crisis no doubt loom large, but this can only be expected considering the countrys social and economic metamorphosis. The durability and resilience of the Indian democratic system indicates that not only would it continue in the coming years but would also gain more strength and experience. Military Capability. 35. Since their debacle in the 1962 Sino- Indian conflict, the Indian Armed Forces have come a long way. Today India possesses adequate defence capability to look after her interests. India is able to produce diverse military items such as small arms, field and anti-aircraft recoilless guns, howitzers, support electronic items, anti-tank, anti-aircraft and naval missiles, armoured vehicles, supersonic aircraft, helicopters, anti-submarine frigates, fast patrol boats and missile boats[17]. It has also demonstrated Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) technology. In space science, India is amongst the world leaders. All this has been achieved at a moderate expenditure of 3% of GNP per annum. Nuclear Potential. 36. Having successfully exploded its first nuclear device on 18 May 1974; India has continued to maintain a stance of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes alone. However, the potential of India to develop a nuclear bomb cannot be denied. Indias nuclear structure is quite diversified. Beginning with the construction of Asias (outside erstwhile USSR ) first nuclear reactor in 1956, India has acquired the following major facilities[18]:- (a) Half a dozen nuclear research reactors, all but one built without foreign assistance or participation. (b) The ability to design and construct from equipment manufactured indigenously one 500 MW nuclear power station every second year. (c) The competence to fabricate all sensitive nuclear instruments, fuelling assemblies, special alloys and materials, fissile plutonium and thorium from its own processes and plants. (d) Asias first indigenously constructed variable energy cyclotron. (e) Numerous other nuclear activities and support facilities, isotope production, mines, medicines, seismic arrays, fissile U-223, extraction processes, fusion, uranium enrichment research and so on. Openness and Resilience. 37. Except for the brief period of emergency, India has had an open society with an active press and an intellectual community. Indian political and economic affairs are subject to constant criticism. Critics find information on India more readily available than for China, Pakistan and several developing countries. In addition, there is a constant flow of constructive criticism from internal sources. Viewed and used correctly, this criticism provides important inputs for betterment. Indian resilience is a widely recognised phenomenon. Many hostile designs to covertly disintegrate India became ineffective owing to the conciliatory approach of the polity. Factional and religio ethnic conflicts can only be expected in a country comprising of people with widely diversified religious faith. The phenomenon of sporadic flare ups is likely to continue in the coming decades too. At the same time, India would be able to absorb such irritants and continue its march forward into the 21st centur y. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES South Asian Strategic Environment. 38. The strategic environment in South Asia has been remarkably conflict laden; characterised by wars or hostile relations between neighbours, especially between India and her neighbours. Despite this history of war, nations do engage each other in peaceful competition as well as in a large amount of outright co-operation. The changes in the Indian foreign and security policy since the end of the Cold War have been rapid and radical. They have taken place as a reaction to the perceived rather far reaching changes in the global and regional security environments. The growing problem with terrorism, in terms of domestic, Kashmiri and international terrorism, manifested itself in attacks in major Indian cities, the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight and the attack against the Indian parliament. Moreover, the exponentially growing power of China, its strategic assistance to Pakistan and the sudden disappearance of the Soviet backing to balance Chinas growing global and regional powe r resulted in a feeling of encirclement and relative isolation. India felt it had to become a normal nation by placing considerations of national security above its traditional focus on liberal internationalism and the nonalignment/ third world cause. Indias regional policy has been in clear contrast to its global preference of multilateralism and rejection of the ideas of balance of power and exclusive spheres of influence. In the region, India has preferred to handle unresolved issues with neighbours bilaterally and uphold regional security on the premise of its own hegemony and by keeping great powers out of the region. In terms of European security interests in South Asia, the opportunities for EU security policy are limited to soft measures aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region, and in Kashmir in particular. Hence, in order to promote a lasting peace in the region, the EU should utilize preventive diplomacy aimed at promoting a peaceful solution in Kashmir throug h all available venues and prepare to provide technical and financial assistance if a peace agreement is reached. Whilst the EU should actively promote the peaceful resolution of Kashmir, its own experiences show that economic interdependence can have significant positive effects in creating facilitating conditions for peace and stability. Hence, EU policies towards India and Pakistan, as well as South Asia in general, should be aimed at advocating and supporting increasing regional economic interdependence and cooperation. The EU should also nurture and further develop its strategic partnership with India, but without neglecting Pakistan.[19] 39. Those enable regional powers to influence their neighbors and to protect themselves from disagreeable outside interference (Waltz 1979: 191/192). In contrast to this, liberal institutional approaches have emphasized soft power aspects with cultural attraction, ideology, and international institutions as the main resources (Nye 1990: 167). Neo-realism and liberal-institutionalism have different understandings of the concept of power. Neo-realism emphasises the capacity of states to influence others to behave as it wants them to behave whereas the cooptive power of liberal-institutionalism aims at getting others to want what you want (ibid.).Concepts of hard and soft power can be regarded as two poles on a continuum of power. They also imply different ideas, interactions and institutions for foreign policy when looking at the fields of politics, security, and economy. Ideally hard power strategies focus on military intervention, coercive diplomacy, and economic sanctions in order to enforce national interests resulting in confrontational policies vis-Ã  -vis neighbouring countries. In contrast to this soft power strategies emphasise common political values, peaceful means for conflict management, and economic co-operation in order to achieve common solutions[20]. 40. A reassessment of changed of the changed geopolitical and geostrategic realities of South Asia, has to be undertaken by India. If it wishes to enlarge its option in the global regional pulls and pushes it has to tread a course which enables it to safeguard its national interests without treading on controversy.[21] India relations with its neighbours will be the most important fact India in the New World Order as Regional Power India in the New World Order as Regional Power INTRODUCTION Background 1. Dramatic changes at the global level have initiated a process of reorientation of the power distribution in international politics. The changes initiated with the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR ), the unification of Europe in pursuit of an identity of its own ,a sharp decline of communism has set in a process of transition in world affairs, the sudden rise of asian countries mainly China, India ASEAN Bloc, emergence of resurgent Russia and establishment of new economic power blocs like the G20,BRIC RIC. The emergence of USA as the sole super power and its global war on terror have changed the security scenario for all and sundry. The existing obscurity has given rise to new opportunities, new speculations and new considerations regarding power distribution. A gradual shift from a geo-political world order to a geo-economical world order has come to stay. There is no doubt that any future order would have the considerations such as comprehensive na tional power to incl Economy and the power it wields albeit indirectly, at the centre of any international power game. 2. Global shifts happen rarely and are even less often peaceful. The transfer of power from west to east will dramatically change the context of dealing with international challenges. In the early 20th century the imperial order and the aspiring states of Germany and Japan failed to adjust to each other. That led to wars which devastated the better part of the world. The coming shift in power will have a greater impact globally and will require assimilation of diverse political and cultural systems. Todays rising powers seek redress of past grievances, are proudly nationalistic and want to claim their rightful place in the comity of nations. Asian rise in economic terms will translate into greater political and military power, thus increasing the potential damage from conflicts. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has noted that In the next two decades China and India will undergo industrialisation four times the size of the United States and at five times the speedFor the first time in many centuries, power is moving East. Blair added that In this new world, we must clear a path to partnership, not stand off against each other competing for power. The worldcannot afford a return to the 20th century struggles for hegemony.[1] 3. India being a part of this evolutionary and revolutionary economic process needs to apprise herself of these changes and redefine: if required, her goals and objectives to emerge as a reckonable force from the present mesh of contradictions and complexities. The term reckonable force can be redefined as regional power when one views Indias prospects vis-Ã  -vis her size, geo-strategic location, abundant natural resources, size of economy and military capability. The Indian nation is not just a nation, but a subcontinent. Being a subcontinent not only in size, but by its population which is in excess of One Billion, sets it apart in a World with a total population of a little above Five Billion means that in every Five Human being on Earth one is an Indian. It is on record that the Indian Armed Forces is the Fourth Largest in the World. India has since the past Twenty Eight years been exerting her influence in the South Asia sub-region. Thus India has functioned for over half her period of independence as a regional power. It is instructive that given the New World Order in which the US is about the only Super power, it is pertinent that in order to maintain the Balance of Power, that Nations like India with a long period of History devoid of expansionist propensity, should emerge as a Super power to enhance the balance of power in the South Asian sub-region, and the World in general. 4. The Indo-Pak conflict of 1971 leading to the emergence of Bangladesh, peace keeping operations in Srilanka, quick repression of an attempted coup in Maldives, deployment of Indian navy in Gulf of Aden and involvement of India in various fora both on strategic geopolitical stage provide ample evidence that India possesses many of the attributes of a regional power. The emergence as a knowledge economy and as a Human resource powerhouse, make India a force to reckon with today and strong vibrant economy in future. In the recent past, India enhanced role in plethora of world fora and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and subsequent ratification by Nuclear Suppliers Group IAEA. However, in some areas like all round economic development, poverty, population explosion, literacy rates and foreign policy to some extent, India is lacking at the moment. For India to emerge as a regional power, these unfavourable areas need critical attention and reappraisal. The Indian economy is growing at an av erage rate of 8 per cent a year. Most Indian and foreign observers are confident that India will sustain this tempo of growth in the near future, and will go on to become one of the worlds leading economies and a global political power in 2020. A few voices draw attention to the tremendous economic, political and social challenges facing India that the country must overcome before it can lay claim to being a world power [2]. Statement of the Argument 5. A countrys role in the international system is not a random occurrence or a result of an accident ; but is basically a function of its power position in the international hierarchy. To have a Subject Role in international politics is to be a part of the power structure that makes vital decisions about the fate and destiny of the international system and the nations within it. The Object Role nations are at the receiving end of the decisions made by the subject role nations. A third in-between category is that of an independent centre of power. These nations do not have the leverage to influence the course of the international system as a whole, but do possess enough capability to have, within a given configuration of power, a considerable degree of autonomy and the capability to resist the application of unwelcome decisions. While subject nations have global influence, independent centres of power are often dominant or pre-eminent in a certain region. They may, therefore may also be referred to as Regional Powers . Typically a subject nation resists the emergence of a regional power; for to accommodate others to a similar role is to diminish ones own power. The tendency is to extend ones own power and exercise domination over others so as to reduce the emerging regional powers to the status of a mere object nation.[3] 6. India gained pre-eminence in South Asia in the aftermath of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 but more recently with the steady economic growth and growing international stature have made it a power centre in South Asia. With the recent changes in the world politics and diffusion of power, countries with regional prominence have come to possess a great capacity for asserting their regional pre-eminence. In this context, India has the capability and the potential to be elevated to the status of a regional power. An analysis of various factors in the light of international power structure would facilitate the prognosis of the status India is likely to achieve by 2020 AD. Aim 7. To assess Indias potential in the new world order so as to forecast the prospects of India emerging as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Justification for the Study 8. Ever since gaining independence in 1947, India has moved slowly but steadily towards its role as a regional power . Historically India has been the seat of famous ancient civilisations. It invokes memories of past greatness, though episodic; and of epochs of creativity, not only in Philosophy and Literature but also in Science and Mathematics. The fact that the last several centuries saw India under alien rule only makes aspirations in the restoration of greatness all the more deeply felt[4]. Indias influence in South Asia in particular and the world in general, is beginning to emerge. A study of various factors that would aid Indias emergence, as well as various impediments that retard this process merit analysis. India is a fast steadily developing country and stands among the top few industrial nations in the world and has a rapidly growing industrial sector. Although poverty, illiteracy and health deficiencies are some of the vexing problems, yet only few nations have larger pools of trained professionals, scientific, technological and executive talents than that in India. 9. India, as a nation is about over half a century old. In this period of her independence, she has exhibited character and pedigree. She was instrumental to the creation of the Non Aligned Movement in the cold war era. She has on the issue of Nuclear Non proliferation taken a consistent stance even though this posture has met with the ire of the developed world has not deterred her. This attitude was demonstrated by her refusal to sign the CTBT. It is on record that it took her more than a quarter of a century to carry out a follow up nuclear test. This could be placed at the doorstep of the fact that her good neighbours China and Pakistan have continued to arm themselves with these offensive weapons. India in her nuclear policy states that she would abide with the principles of no-first strike, nuclear deterrence as the cornerstone of that policy. And to continue to advocate for a ban on nuclear weapons like the type achieved on Chemical and Biological warfare weapons and the ban o n use of land mines. These stated positions have recently been understood and appreciated by the entire world polity and the Indo-US Nuclear deal and its subsequent ratification at Nuclear Supplier Group International Atomic Energy Asssociation have largely vindicated Indian stance on these issues. The engagement involvement of India in G8, BRIC, RIC, ASEAN, IBSA in the geopolitical arena. The positions on WTO Climate change are also a case in point for growing stature of India on world stage. 10. The Information Technology IT propels the world of technology. In this field India has demonstrated outstanding abilities. In the Silicon Valley of American, it is reported that 60,000 Indians operating there could collectively boast of assets worth more five hundred billion dollars. This is no mean achievement. Its effect on India is the collateral development of the Asian Silicon Valley in Bangalore, Karnataka. In the field of IT, the Indian nation has arrived. For this simple reasons her Engineers and Technologists are being sought across the globe. This is not to talk of the influence of Indian businessmen, in other continents like Africa, where they command an imposing stature in the fields of Textile technology and Pharmaceuticals. Indias stature as an IT Knowledge base powerhouse is a major factor in its rise at the world stage. India is a single democratic political entity, though slightly marred by development problems and religious regional strifes varying from state to state. In view of the existing fluidity in the Asian region following the global paradigm, shift in the power distribution and the present status of India, an attempt to foresee Indias evolution as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 would be relevant. Scope 11. The scope of this paper would be limited to analysing various factors governing the emergence of India as a regional power in South Asia by 2020 AD. Indias performance as an independent state would be given a brief overview along with her present status in the region. Preview 12. To analyse the future, it is essential to critically evaluate Indias power potential as well as the impediments enroute. India has inherited a volatile, ethnic, religious and social mix that generates strong cross-currents of tension between the states of the region. Added to this are the domestic under-currents of religious fundamentalism, communal tensions, demand for autonomous/ independent states and inherent problems of a multi-lingual and multi-racial society. 13. Indias quest for the regional power status in this turbulent environment is underwritten by an increasingly open and vibrant economy and a Military Industrial complex that stretches deep into the bureaucratic structure of the nation. However, Indias attention has been focused more on the problems associated with its immediate neighbourhood and on nation building, than on the Indian Ocean region, let alone the world. Its ironic that while on one hand it is the problems of the neighbourhood that have largely driven Indias military build up, on the other hand it is these very problems that continue to limit its strategic reach. It is this combination of a drive for a great power status and intensifying regional and national problems that pose a number of questions about Indias future. This paper endeavours to answer some of these questions. Source of the Data 14. The source of the data are the various books in the college library, various magazines and articles written by various people from time to time. Internet was also used for collection of data and articles. Bibliography is attached at Appx A. BRIEF HISTORY 15. The colonial powers that ruled India for centuries, apparently visualised her potential and attempted to undermine it through a process of gradual disintegration. Formation of Pakistan is one vivid example of such designs. After independence, the citizens of India have displayed remarkable resilience to destructive forces. Despite impediments like poverty, corruption, ailing bureaucracy and population explosion, India has made significant progress in various fields to incl education, manufacturing, knowledge based industry, IT, space technology, pharmaceutical industry. Today India ranks among fastest growing economies of the world and IT Knowledge based industry powerhouse. 16. In the past sixty years after independence, India has acquired great maturity and realism in the management of its strategic environment albeit with considerable pain and sacrifice. Indias posture has been based on a realistic assessment of its capabilities. It projects a defensive, progress oriented stance rather than an expansionist or a hegemonistic stance. India has continued to follow and propagate the ideology of non-alignment and is now on the threshold of coming out of its shell to play an important role at the world stage as a Global player if not as atleast as a regional player. The nuclear agreement, which followed three weeks later, calling for the separation of Indias nuclear facilities into civilian and military, and bringing Indias civilian facilities under international safeguards in exchange for nuclear energy cooperation, demonstrated the growing strategic convergence between the US India. Domestic political considerations have come in the way of the Indian gov ernment operationalising the nuclear deal. That notwithstanding, the deal was widely welcomed in India because it opened the doors for India to participate in civilian nuclear commerce with members of the NSG while allowing it to retain its nuclear weapons programme despite being outside the NPT[5]. PRESENT STATUS 17. Contemporarily, India enjoys a leading status in South Asia. Militarily, she has displayed her potential either in a direct conflict, coercion or allaying any belligerence by its potential adversaries. Birth of Bangladesh, intervention in Sri Lanka Maldives, Indian Naval involvement in Gulf of Aden are a few indicators that India has acquired a great measure of regional hegemony. 18. Power status takes into account an ideological or political role and above all the economic health of a nation. Regional hegemony or dominance implies the existence of local military pre-ponderance and the availability of non-military instruments of pressure, including economic coercion. Studies of strategic power in the world politics commonly assign to India the status of a middle power of some regional significance, but little more[6]. A state such as India, by virtue of its size, resources and geographical location, finds herself a power in regional terms whether or not it seeks the label and despite the fact that all its capabilities for regional dominance are not yet fully exploited. Indias current pre-eminence over its neighbours, however, is so substantial that its position has been recognised by the entire world, and implicitly so by all South Asian states as well[7]. 19. Recent years have witnessed a steady growth in Indias power, based upon a strong economic performance. According to the World Bank, Indias per capita income is now higher than Chinas and some reports put its rate of economic growth above Chinas in real terms[9]. 20. Furthermore, with the prospect of a declining role for the superpowers in the region, Indias growth in military capability is likely to leave it stronger in relative as well as absolute terms. The erstwhile Soviet Union is no longer a major factor in the Indian Ocean and the peace dividend in the world politics may eventually lead to a reduced presence on the part of the United States [10]. 21. While Indias emerging role is well acknowledged in the world, there are clear limitations both upon the current extent of Indias power and upon the rate at which that power will accrue. With India, it has been very much the question of WATCH THIS SPACE [11]. INDIA S POWER POTENTIAL Geo-Strategic Location. 22. India shares its borders with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. It has close proximity to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Therefore, in South Asia, it has to directly interact with many neighbours. Strategically, India lies astride the Indian ocean, flanking the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Malacca. It lies across the routes from West Asia to South-East and East Asia. Therefore, the dominating position of India and its island territories would enable it to control the sea lines of communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Natural Resources. 23. India has abundant natural resources. Its soil varies greatly from region to region. It is alluvial in the northern plains, sandy in the western desert, black in the Deccan Plateau and coarse in the hilly terrain. Each type is suitable for a particular group of crops. There are areas where trees grow on their own. They form the source of timber, pulp, resin, lac, gum and cane[12]. 24. Indias hydro-electric and coal reserves are massive. Oil exploration is limited but off shore potentials suggest a great amount of self reliance. Indias Thorium reserves are large. Its known reserves of Iron ore, which represent 10% of the worlds total and those of a wide range of other minerals suggest that India has the potential for a relatively independent economy[13]. Human Resources. 25. Human resources are of paramount importance in any economy. A human being comes not only with a mouth and a belly for consumption, but also with two hands to work. The adverse effects of unchecked population growth cannot be ignored; however, given the right direction and awakening, the population can be utilised constructively. A large young population helps to boost demand by providing an extensive and growing market for industrial products. It can lower wages, increase profits and output, encourage industrial development and open employment avenues. This is borne out by the fact that numerous MNCs are investing huge sums of money to tap the cheap Indian labour and the immense ready market. Economic Base. 26. Till recently, multiple restrictions on private business co-operation and the goal of achieving economic self reliance had shackled the Indian economy by hindering unprejudiced co-operation from industrial nations. With the adoption of a liberalised economic policy, an extensive economic relation is now growing. The new economic policy lays greater emphasis on private enterprise and intensified competition for dynamic industrial progress and mordenisation. Prospects for a substantial upswing of economic growth seem to be favourable now. 27. India has huge reserves of important raw material and a large domestic market. It also has a large group of entrepenures and managers experienced in organising and managing industrial enterprises under difficult circumstances. Given the improved setting for entrepreneurial activities, the large number of scientists and engineers, some of them highly qualified professionals, trained overseas or with practical foreign experience, could be of immense benefit to the country[14]. 28. The expectations of economic development are based on an economic policy that is yet in its infancy. For long term stability the creation of a congenial atmosphere for foreign investment is necessary. Our focus would have to shift from development of industrial sector to the improvement of institutional framework for long term development. Greater efforts to improve social security are needed to cushion the effects of intensified industrial competition and to open up new possibilities for the impoverished classes to take a share in the economic development. Science and Technology. 29. India began to develop its capabilities in science and technology soon after independence. However, the overall programme while impressive compared to that of other poor countries is inadequate and poorly organised in relation to the countrys potential and requirements[15]. Of the total research and development in the country, only 25% is used to promote innovation in industry and agriculture, while the major chunk contributes to development in areas like atomic energy, space programme and defence equipment. 30. The latest thrust to uplift the economy has renewed the vigour in the sphere of science and technology also. The private sector has shown great promise to measure upto the national requirements and a healthy competition with other nations can be seen specially in areas like computer software and electronics. Numerous institutions are doing some original and promising research in various fields. Political System 31. Indias political system was initially dominated by the small urban elite comprising leaders of the nationalist movement and an elitist civil service. At the state level, elected representatives wielded impressive influence in directing benefits to their constituencies and acting as channels of complaint and pressure within the bureaucracy. The system moved rapidly to broaden its base of support by bringing the bulk of peasantry into the system and also by including small business and trading interests. The evolution of such a system from the authoritarian colonial rule was accompanied by tension and uneven progress. 32. India had managed to operate a complex ; constitutional, federal, parliamentary and party dominated political system with remarkable effectiveness. Indias manifold diversity and communal problems often raise the spectre of disintegration; these are common to a nation state building process that the developed countries experienced a century ago. In the Indian democratic set-up, its people have displayed a great amount of maturity in preserving their rights. Any display of authoritarianism by a democratically elected government has met with stiff opposition. A vivid example is the imposition of emergency in 1975 by Mrs Gandhi and her subsequent electoral defeat in 1977. The emergency and the general elections of 1977 were a test of democracy, equivalent in significance to a social revolution[16]. 33. A seemingly large section of illiterate electorate is well aware of its might and is critical of the people who represent them in higher offices. India has managed to solve or at least contain major disputes on language policy and regional autonomy. At the same time religious, caste based and even communist organisations have been brought in and operate in a largely peaceful democratic institution. Indias political leaders have shown a firm resolution in making of both foreign and defence policies. The military also operates under political direction. Inherent stability is provided to the system by the presence of well established institutions like judiciary, banking and stock exchange. 34. Future political crisis no doubt loom large, but this can only be expected considering the countrys social and economic metamorphosis. The durability and resilience of the Indian democratic system indicates that not only would it continue in the coming years but would also gain more strength and experience. Military Capability. 35. Since their debacle in the 1962 Sino- Indian conflict, the Indian Armed Forces have come a long way. Today India possesses adequate defence capability to look after her interests. India is able to produce diverse military items such as small arms, field and anti-aircraft recoilless guns, howitzers, support electronic items, anti-tank, anti-aircraft and naval missiles, armoured vehicles, supersonic aircraft, helicopters, anti-submarine frigates, fast patrol boats and missile boats[17]. It has also demonstrated Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) technology. In space science, India is amongst the world leaders. All this has been achieved at a moderate expenditure of 3% of GNP per annum. Nuclear Potential. 36. Having successfully exploded its first nuclear device on 18 May 1974; India has continued to maintain a stance of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes alone. However, the potential of India to develop a nuclear bomb cannot be denied. Indias nuclear structure is quite diversified. Beginning with the construction of Asias (outside erstwhile USSR ) first nuclear reactor in 1956, India has acquired the following major facilities[18]:- (a) Half a dozen nuclear research reactors, all but one built without foreign assistance or participation. (b) The ability to design and construct from equipment manufactured indigenously one 500 MW nuclear power station every second year. (c) The competence to fabricate all sensitive nuclear instruments, fuelling assemblies, special alloys and materials, fissile plutonium and thorium from its own processes and plants. (d) Asias first indigenously constructed variable energy cyclotron. (e) Numerous other nuclear activities and support facilities, isotope production, mines, medicines, seismic arrays, fissile U-223, extraction processes, fusion, uranium enrichment research and so on. Openness and Resilience. 37. Except for the brief period of emergency, India has had an open society with an active press and an intellectual community. Indian political and economic affairs are subject to constant criticism. Critics find information on India more readily available than for China, Pakistan and several developing countries. In addition, there is a constant flow of constructive criticism from internal sources. Viewed and used correctly, this criticism provides important inputs for betterment. Indian resilience is a widely recognised phenomenon. Many hostile designs to covertly disintegrate India became ineffective owing to the conciliatory approach of the polity. Factional and religio ethnic conflicts can only be expected in a country comprising of people with widely diversified religious faith. The phenomenon of sporadic flare ups is likely to continue in the coming decades too. At the same time, India would be able to absorb such irritants and continue its march forward into the 21st centur y. RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES South Asian Strategic Environment. 38. The strategic environment in South Asia has been remarkably conflict laden; characterised by wars or hostile relations between neighbours, especially between India and her neighbours. Despite this history of war, nations do engage each other in peaceful competition as well as in a large amount of outright co-operation. The changes in the Indian foreign and security policy since the end of the Cold War have been rapid and radical. They have taken place as a reaction to the perceived rather far reaching changes in the global and regional security environments. The growing problem with terrorism, in terms of domestic, Kashmiri and international terrorism, manifested itself in attacks in major Indian cities, the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight and the attack against the Indian parliament. Moreover, the exponentially growing power of China, its strategic assistance to Pakistan and the sudden disappearance of the Soviet backing to balance Chinas growing global and regional powe r resulted in a feeling of encirclement and relative isolation. India felt it had to become a normal nation by placing considerations of national security above its traditional focus on liberal internationalism and the nonalignment/ third world cause. Indias regional policy has been in clear contrast to its global preference of multilateralism and rejection of the ideas of balance of power and exclusive spheres of influence. In the region, India has preferred to handle unresolved issues with neighbours bilaterally and uphold regional security on the premise of its own hegemony and by keeping great powers out of the region. In terms of European security interests in South Asia, the opportunities for EU security policy are limited to soft measures aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region, and in Kashmir in particular. Hence, in order to promote a lasting peace in the region, the EU should utilize preventive diplomacy aimed at promoting a peaceful solution in Kashmir throug h all available venues and prepare to provide technical and financial assistance if a peace agreement is reached. Whilst the EU should actively promote the peaceful resolution of Kashmir, its own experiences show that economic interdependence can have significant positive effects in creating facilitating conditions for peace and stability. Hence, EU policies towards India and Pakistan, as well as South Asia in general, should be aimed at advocating and supporting increasing regional economic interdependence and cooperation. The EU should also nurture and further develop its strategic partnership with India, but without neglecting Pakistan.[19] 39. Those enable regional powers to influence their neighbors and to protect themselves from disagreeable outside interference (Waltz 1979: 191/192). In contrast to this, liberal institutional approaches have emphasized soft power aspects with cultural attraction, ideology, and international institutions as the main resources (Nye 1990: 167). Neo-realism and liberal-institutionalism have different understandings of the concept of power. Neo-realism emphasises the capacity of states to influence others to behave as it wants them to behave whereas the cooptive power of liberal-institutionalism aims at getting others to want what you want (ibid.).Concepts of hard and soft power can be regarded as two poles on a continuum of power. They also imply different ideas, interactions and institutions for foreign policy when looking at the fields of politics, security, and economy. Ideally hard power strategies focus on military intervention, coercive diplomacy, and economic sanctions in order to enforce national interests resulting in confrontational policies vis-Ã  -vis neighbouring countries. In contrast to this soft power strategies emphasise common political values, peaceful means for conflict management, and economic co-operation in order to achieve common solutions[20]. 40. A reassessment of changed of the changed geopolitical and geostrategic realities of South Asia, has to be undertaken by India. If it wishes to enlarge its option in the global regional pulls and pushes it has to tread a course which enables it to safeguard its national interests without treading on controversy.[21] India relations with its neighbours will be the most important fact

Korean Economic Crisis Essay -- Korea Asia Economy Papers

Korean Economic Crisis problems with format The Korean economy did an important role in the remarkable economic growth, which was so called  ¡Ã‚ °East Asia ¡Ã‚ ¯s miracle ¡Ã‚ ±. At the end of 1997, however, the Korean economy fell into a crisis of default and finally received IMF ¡Ã‚ ¯s relief aid. After that, Korea has been struggling not only to reform its monetary system but also to promote drastic reforms in its economic structure in order to improve the productivity of the Korean industry. Given this context, understanding what truly caused the Korean economic crisis is very important. Without identifying and remedying the fundamental problems, nobody can be sure that Korea will not have the similar kind of economic crisis never again. So, we need to identify what caused the crisis in 1997 and what the Korean government has to do. Therefore, this paper will examine the root cause of Korea's economic crisis in 1997 and present solutions for the stable growth of the Korean economy in the future. 2. Causes of the Korean economic crisis On November 21, 1997, the Korean government formally asked the International Monetary Fund for stand-by loans. With this request, the Korean government admitted its inability to meet international debt payments with its own means. The followings are three popular views about the cause of the Korean economic crisis in 1997(Cho, 1999): First, the currency crisis in Southeast Asian countries mainly Thailand and Indonesia in the summer of 1997 made Korea vulnerable to the attacks of currency speculators. So, the currency speculators turned their attention to Korea after having devoured the Southeast Asian countries. Second, the root cause of the... ...1998. Press Release IV.  ¡Ã‚ °Economic Crisis and Restructuring in Korea, ¡Ã‚ ± International Conference, Dec.3, 1999, Seoul, Korea .(http://www.idep.org/conference12/default_eng.htm) Underwood, Peter(1998), Korea ¡Ã‚ ¯s Current Economic Crisis, Industrial Research & Consulting, Affiliate of Fry Consultants Atlanta, (http://www.fryconsultants.com/new.html) Yang , Woo Jin(2002),  ¡Ã‚ °Roots of the Economic Crisis in Post-Democratization Korea ¡Ã‚ ±. By Eileen Sir, UCLA International Institute, (http://www.isop.ucla.edu/research.asp) http://www.nira.go.jp/newse/research/a151.html http://www.res.org.uk/media/annconf99/demet.htm http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/homepage/Books/koreareform.html http://www.hankooki.com/kt_op/200011/t20001129171159481174.htm http://www.nira.go.jp/newse/research/a151.html http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55a/index-g.html

Counter-Argument Essay

The recent increase of violence at schools has proved the inconsistence of previous preventive measures. There is a persistent need to find a new solution for the existing problem of school shooting. The number of school shooting victims increases with each day, this is why the newly designed preventive measures should be fast, effective, and should not cause any side effects to those who study and work at schools. In this situation metal detectors at schools remain the only promising perspective which will minimize the incidence of violence against teenagers and their teachers.Metal detectors should be installed at schools because they would detect weapons that could be used to commit violent crimes, even though many people think that this would not stop crimes. Metal detectors at schools There is no official statistics as for the number of victims and incidents of school violence through the period between 2005 and 2008. However, it is not difficult to create the timeline of the ma jor school shootings in the U. S. for the last three years.â€Å"March 21, 2005 (Red Lake, Minnesota): Jeff Weise, 16, killed grandfather and companion, then arrived at school where he killed a teacher, a security guard, 5 students, and finally himself. November 58, 2005 (Jacksboro, Tennessee): One 15-year-old shot and killed an assistant principal at Campbell County High School and seriously wounded two other administrators. September 26, 2006 (Bailey, Colorado): adult male held six students hostage at Platte Canyon High School and then shot and killed Emily Keyes, 16, and himself† (Infoplease).This list can be further expanded, and there is no visible tendency towards the decrease of school crimes. The problem is aggravated by the fact that only few schools use metal detectors as a security measure: â€Å"in 2005, nearly all (99 percent) students ages 12-18 observed the use of at least one of the selected security measures at their school. [†¦] Metal detectors were th e least observed of the selected safety and security measures: 11 percent of students reported the use of metal detectors in their school. † (Indicator 21)Of course, it is difficult to argue that metal detectors are expensive, but is it ethical to speak about financial costs when it comes to protecting lives and health of children? For example, the Cleveland City Council had to invest $2. 5 million of state money into equipping its schools with metal detector (Wagner). For many people this sum sounds as viable justification of why metal detectors should not be installed at schools. Simultaneously, this sum becomes meaningless against the value of students and teachers’ safety.Moreover, metal detectors are presented in several different forms, and each school may choose the product to suit its needs and budget. When parents feel that their children are not safe, they start looking for other alternatives which would secure their children from being involved into tragic ac cidents at school. This is why metal detectors should be installed at schools to detect the weapons, and ultimately, to keep children from leaving to another school. Despite the high price of metal detectors, they have already proved to be an efficient instrument in decreasing violence and preventing shooting and other related accidents at schools.Five public schools of New York were participating in the experiment, which was aimed at determining the effectiveness of metal detectors. â€Å"In a report to the Board of Education, the Chancellor said that 820 weapons had been found on students or near the search areas at five schools. Only five weapons were firearms† (Gootman A3). It is possible to state that the experiment was successful: metal detectors not only helped find weapons, but discouraged pupils and students from bringing weapons to school.The discussion of metal detectors’ benefits will be incomplete if we do not analyze the successes of certain schools which already use metal detectors. The example of John F. Kennedy High School in Bronx is very illustrative due to the fact that it was traditionally one of the most problematic educational entities in Bronx area. After one of the students was stabbed to death by a school companion, the principal directed significant resources at reviving school safety. The metal detector has helped detect numerous box-cutters before they were carried inside the school building; the fights in the hallway have remained in the past.This is what the students and teachers said about the new metal detecting guard: â€Å"In terms of security, it’s been a blessing. [†¦] I feel a lot safer. I was very afraid† (Gootman, A3). To be honest, it is not very clear why so many people vote against the use of metal detectors at schools. It seems that the high price of these useful devices is the only justification for those who refuse to recognize the benefits of metal detectors. For some reason, paren ts think that THIS will never happen to THEIR children.Simultaneously, metal detectors are extremely effective in preventing the incidence of violence at schools. Childhood is the period of extreme emotions and unreasonable actions. Metal detectors may actually prevent the child from committing a crime which he might be later regretting for the rest of his life. Metal detectors may save thousands of children’s lives. They are expensive, but these expenses are reasonable when we want to feel safe during our lessons. Conclusion Evidently, there are not so many reasons against installing metal detectors at schools.For those who vote against such measures, the price of metal detectors is the basic argument. However, the life of a child is priceless. Our parents have to understand that they can protect our lives when we are at school, and metal detectors have proved to be a success in this safety campaign. Each school should have a metal detector not only to detect weapons, but to discourage students from bringing weapons to school. Works Cited Gootman, E. â€Å"Metal Detectors and Pep Rallies: Revival of a Bronx High School. † The New York Times, February 4, 2004, p. A3. Indicator 21.â€Å"Students’ Reports of Safety and Security Measures Observed at School. † 2007. National Center for Educational Statistics. 22 February 2008. http://nces. ed. gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/ind_21. asp Infoplease. â€Å"A Timeline of Recent Worldwide School Shootings. † 2008. Infoplease. com. 22 February 2008. http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0777958. html Wagner, J. L. â€Å"Metal Detectors Approved for Cleveland Schools, Will Cost $3. 3 million. † 2007. Cleveland. com. 22 February 2008. http://blog. cleveland. com/metro/2007/10/metal_detectors_approved_for_c. html