[A graphic illustration of an obscene notion of and lust for "power".
Capturing a permanent seat in the UNSC with veto-wielding power within an abjectly inequitous order is the ultimate ambition! This fabricated ranking appears to be the latest element in that Mission (Not So) Impossible. India has really traversed a long way since the days of Gandhi and Nehru.] I/II. http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/04/13/is-india-really-the-worlds-fifth-most-powerful-country/ <http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/04/13/is-india-really-the-worlds-fifth-most-powerful-country/>Is India really the world’s fifth most powerful country? APR 13, 2011 02:57 EDT India is the world’s fifth most powerful country, according to a New Delhi-authored national security document, the Times of India reported<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-5th-most-powerful-nation-says-govt-index/articleshow/7967651.cms> on Wednesday, as Indian analysts placed the emerging nation above major European powers. Outranking traditional global powers such as the UK, France and Germany, India’s ballooning population, defense capabilities and economic clout were cited as reasons for its position behind only the U.S., China, Japan and Russia in India’s National Security Annual Review 2010, which will be officially released by the country’s foreign ministry next week. Its statistical foundations in terms of population numbers and GDP aside — in terms of purchasing power parity, it should be noted — India’s experience of wielding power on the global stage of late, boosted by its temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council, has been less encouraging. India has failed to cultivate a wholly reciprocal relationship<http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/03/21/with-friends-like-these-wikileaks-underlines-fragile-u-s-india-ties/> with the United States, despite warm rhetoric in recent years between New Delhi and Washington and a number of big-ticket diplomatic and industrial agreements. New Delhi appears to struggle to assert itself in the face of growing Chinese influence in south Asia, has dithered on formulating a firm approach to states such as Iran<http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/03/26/indias-iran-double-speak-could-shed-light-on-its-libya-muddle/>, and risked appearing naive and out of its depth<http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/03/21/with-libya-is-india-confused-or-just-too-clever-by-half/> during the lead-up to international efforts to protect civilians in Libya. Indeed, an apparent united front<http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/idINIndia-55774120110322> from Beijing, Moscow and New Delhi, representing three of the top five most powerful nations according to the report, against the no-fly zone in the North African country has had no discernible effect on the ongoing military action against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. Furthermore, India still appears more concerned and engaged with, and distracted by,<http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2011/03/28/will-singh-add-pakistan-to-his-list-of-triumphs/> its long-standing rival Pakistan than wider geopolitical issues. A booming economy and a soaring population are undeniably a source of power for the emerging power, but a nominal GDP to challenge the major European powerhouses, at least, will require a number of years of shrewd policymaking and careful economic management. Recent troubles such as falling FDI inflows<http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/25/india-survey-idINL3E7DP12M20110225> , rampant corruption<http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/03/14/idINIndia-55569720110314> and high inflation must be curbed, and the millions of young people reaching working age each year need to be provided jobs if the demographic dividend is not to become a demographic disaster. Military imports by New Delhi recently became the world’s largest,<http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1534452.ece> and a strong military presence was cited in the report as a factor in India’s high overall position, but it remains to be seen how long a reliance on American, British, Russian and French firepower can last. India still receives billions of dollars of aid from countries deemed less powerful by New Delhi than itself, and praise from David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, the premiers of Britain and France during high-profile visits last year, was met with an outpouring of thanks from Indian policymakers. India is certainly a emerging power with huge potential, but could New Delhi’s economic and political analysts be patting themselves on the back a little prematurely? II. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-5th-most-powerful-nation-says-govt-index/articleshow/7967651.cms India 5th most powerful nation, says govt indexSachin Parashar, TNN | Apr 13, 2011, 01.35am IST NEW DELHI: India <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/India> is the fifth most powerful country in the world, says the latest national security index (NSI) designed by the country's foremost security and economic experts. A part of India's National Security Annual Review 2010<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=National%20Security%20Annual%20Review%202010>, which will be officially released by foreign ministerSM Krishna<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=SM%20Krishna> on April 19, the NSI 2010 placed India fifth in the hierarchy of top 50 nations identified on the basis of their GDP. According to Foundation for National Security Research<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Foundation%20for%20National%20Security%20Research> director Satish Kumar, who edited the national security review, the NSI is based on an assessment of defence capability, economic strength, effective population, technological capability and energy security of the top 50 countries. The US is at the top of the list on the basis of these criteria followed by China, Japan and Russia. South Korea emerged as the sixth most powerful nation followed by Norway<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Norway>, Germany, France and UK. While India ranked third in the case of population and fourth in terms of defence capabilities, it was at the 34th position in technology and 33rd in energy security. Only US, China<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/China> and Russia <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Russia> are ranked higher than India in defence capability. In economic strength, India ranked seventh. Out of the five criteria, maximum weightage was given to defence capabilities at 30%. Economic strength, technology and effective population had weightage of 20% each. Energy security had the remaining 10%. The national security annual review governing body, which comprises a host of experts, is headed by former foreign secretary M K Rasgotra<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=M%20K%20Rasgotra> . On the likelihood of people raising eyebrows over India's extremely high rank, the NSI report said the strategic community in India will still take time to get used to India being such a powerful country. "Of course, the variable that helps India most is the size of its skilled working population. But that variable helps China to a great deal,'' it said. China ranked first in the assessment of effective population which was calculated on the basis of three variables -- size of population between 15 and 64, size of population educated up to secondary level and above and human development index based on UNDP<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=UNDP> reports. The US is at the second position in effective population category. Norway's high position was attributed to its number one position in the field of energy security. The NSI said some of the most powerful countries in the world were not necessarily energy self-reliant. The weight given to various indicators in arriving at the above conclusions was based on judgment. According to the annual security review, a group of experts went over the indicators and their opinions were collated to arrive at the relative weightage given to indicators. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
