All posts tagged: UPSC Polity and Governance Current Affairs 2025

Beyond Trending: What is coercive diplomacy? 

Beyond Trending: What is coercive diplomacy? 

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 5, 2026 05:13 PM IST US President Donald Trump’s effort to forge a peace deal with Iran does not seem to yield a desired result, as Israeli attacks continued across Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced after talks in Washington, DC.  Iran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon a condition for any peace deal with the US. At the same time, the two sides traded attacks in the Gulf on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) in one of the most intense bouts of fighting since early April, when a ceasefire halted large-scale hostilities, reported Reuters. What explains the prevailing situation in the US-Israel war on Iran, where a combination of military pressure and diplomatic negotiations fails to yield a desired result? The concept of coercive diplomacy, in part, helps understand this.  Coercive diplomacy The notion of coercive diplomacy, which became popular during the Cold War era, denotes the calculated use of threats and force to influence an opponent’s decision. Thomas Schelling and Alexander George, two noted scholars of international relations, are …

Beyond Trending: What is hegemonic stability? 

Beyond Trending: What is hegemonic stability? 

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiMay 22, 2026 04:51 PM IST Calling for an immediate end to hostilities in West Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping also warned of “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the world, as he held talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The talks, held during Putin’s two-day visit to Beijing (19-20 May), came less than a week after US President Donald Trump concluded his three-day visit. These visits are seen as underlining China’s emergence not just as a central hub of global diplomacy but also for regional and global stability. The US has long been viewed as the guarantor of global order, but the speculation regarding China’s emergence as an alternative has triggered a debate around the idea of hegemonic stability.  What is hegemony  The word hegemony comes from classical  Greek history, which means supreme command or supremacy. In edited volume Two Hegemonies: Britain 1846-1914 and the United States 1941-2001 (2002), S Ryan Johansson notes that the word hegemony was originally used to describe the relationship of Athens to the other Greek …

The science behind modern medicine

The science behind modern medicine

Published by Parlour News

The Delhi High Court permitted the extraction and cryopreservation of the sperm of an Indian Army soldier who is in a persistent vegetative state. His wife had sought permission for the extraction of her husband’s sperm, so that she could proceed with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. In this context, the union budget 2026-27 announced a significant push for the biopharma and pharmaceutical sector. The “Biopharma SHAKTI” programme, announced with a total outlay of 10,000 crores over a period of 5 years, is an example.  The programme envisions transforming India into a global biomanufacturing hub through strengthened research programmes by establishing three new National Institutes for Pharmaceuticals Education and Research (NIPERs). It also seeks to strengthen the existing infrastructure, and create a network of 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites.  Hence, the programme signals a shift towards strengthening domestic production of biologics and biosimilars with the already existing strength in small molecule production.  Also, in January 2026, Biologics X 3DCC Summit –  a landmark unified summit that merges two of India’s most influential scientific conferences: the 6th …

Beyond Trending: What is mediation?

Beyond Trending: What is mediation?

Published by Parlour News

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 3, 2026 04:20 PM IST As the US-Israel war on Iran enters its second month with no signs of de-escalation, attention appears to be shifting towards diplomacy. On March 31, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar released a five-point peace plan.   The plan calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, peace talks at the earliest opportunity, protection of civilian and critical infrastructure, the restoration of normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and respect for the UN Charter and national sovereignty. But does this plan have the essential elements of mediation in international conflicts? How does mediation work?  Mediation in international conflicts Mediation in international conflict resolution plays a critical role in averting escalation, encouraging diplomacy and finding peaceful solutions. It is generally defined as a voluntary, non-coercive approach to conflict management, in which neutral third parties – called mediators – assist conflicting sides to negotiate an acceptable resolution of issues. Mediators can be individuals, countries, and regional or international organisations that are not …

How to position sports as a pillar of India’s multipolar diplomacy

How to position sports as a pillar of India’s multipolar diplomacy

Published by Parlour News

After Bangladesh’s newly appointed State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque signalled a desire to rebuild bilateral relations through dialogue and cooperation, a potential reset in ties between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could be on the horizon.  In an era marked by simmering geopolitical tensions, such incidents emphasise the crucial role sports can play in building bilateral relations. Alongside sports, music and arts often emerge as a universal language that transcends national borders and battlelines. Sports, for instance, stand out for their human appeal and manifold societal, regional and global impacts. It serves as an important tool of soft power – a term coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye.  Soft power refers to a state’s ability to influence people without using coercion or force to achieve its goals. Unlike hard power, which is often projected through military strength and economic sanctions, soft power relies on the appeal of culture, values, and policies and goes a long way in developing people-to-people ties.  What …

Why split verdict on corruption law’s prior approval clause raises rule of law debate

Why split verdict on corruption law’s prior approval clause raises rule of law debate

Published by Parlour News

Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PCA) came under the spotlight after a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court last month delivered a split verdict in a petition challenging its constitutionality.  Justice K V Viswanathan upheld the provision and quoted Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s reference to civil servants as the “Steel Frame of India”, underlining that without a basic assurance of protection, “public servants will resort to a play it safe syndrome”. Justice B V Nagarathna, on the other hand,  struck it down entirely as unconstitutional. Section 17A, which was inserted through the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, says that “no police officer shall conduct any enquiry or inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under this Act, where the alleged offence is relatable to any recommendation made or decision taken by such public servant in discharge of his official functions or duties, without the previous approval” of the centre or state as the case may be. The divergence in views between Justice Nagarathna …

How India managed tariffs, conflicts, and diplomatic wins

How India managed tariffs, conflicts, and diplomatic wins

Published by Parlour News

With the US tariff shocker, unprecedented geopolitical upheavals both on its eastern and western fronts, and tectonic shifts in its extended neighbourhood of West Asia, 2025 was a year of turbulence for India. It prompted a recalibration of foreign policy in New Delhi to tackle multiple shocks and assert strategic autonomy.  The year draws to a close with India intensifying its bid to consolidate its strategic footprint in West Asia and the Horn of Africa, evident in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation tour to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman in December. Strategic outreach to Afghanistan and the reset in ties with Canada are among other diplomatic gains.    At the same time, prospects for an India-US trade pact appeared strong, while New Delhi also pressed ahead with other regional or free trade agreements with the UK (July 2025), the European Free Trade Association or EFTA (came into effect in October 2025), Oman, and concluded talks with New Zealand (both in December 2025). Beyond trade and tariffs, the year saw strain in India-US ties and further dip in …