International Relations

International Relations27 Jun 2026

How India's PM Foreign Visits Changed Journalist Access

Since 2014, no Indian journalists have been allowed to travel with the Prime Minister on foreign visits, a major break from decades of democratic tradition. Reporters now rely on WhatsApp groups and managed briefings instead of independent reporting.

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International Relations26 Jun 2026

BRICS expansion and the push to trade beyond the dollar

BRICS — the bloc of major emerging economies — has taken in new members and is exploring ways to settle more trade in national currencies rather than the US dollar. India backs cheaper local-currency trade but resists turning the group into an anti-Western front.

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International Relations25 Jun 2026

IMEC: India's answer to China's Belt and Road

The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a planned connectivity project, announced on the sidelines of the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, that links India to Europe through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Greece using a mix of shipping and rail. It aims to cut the time and cost of moving goods between India and Europe, offering an alternative to the Suez Canal route. Backed by the US and EU, IMEC is widely read as a democratic counterweight to China's Belt and Road Initiative. Progress slowed after the 2023 conflict in West Asia, but India, the EU and Gulf partners reaffirmed their commitment in 2026.

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