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India's engagement with the African Union has been one of its important partnership agreements with Africa. The India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) kickstarted the engagement with African countries through the African Union overtaking bilateral relations and partnerships with regional organisations. India has since then remained a unique, request and need-based partner of the African Union. The various capacity-building initiatives taken up through IAFS have shown that India has shown serious commitment to India–Africa partnership. The first three IAFS shows that India committed substantial amounts of funds through IAFS. However, in reality, it could only deliver a very small portion due to the slow implementation of projects. Only 4% of Indian grants in 2017–18 were committed to Africa which improved slightly after 2019. Subsequently, over 40% of funds were committed but implementation had been very slow. There is never a third independent party evaluation of these projects for impact assessment or to suggest a solution for implementation issues. Presently, there is an urgent need to hold the next IAFS which has been delayed for a long time now. There is a need to organise review meetings with AU on a regular basis. India made extra-ordinary efforts to get the African Union admitted in G20 at the New Delhi meeting. However, the Indian expansion of Banjul Formula for IAFS, India's renewed focus on Global South, bureaucracy-driven implementation of partnership projects and insufficient political-level communications with AU leadership throw new challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India and the Republic of Korea signed the India–Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2009 and have been actively engaged in upgrading this agreement since 2015. This article analyses the India–Korea CEPA from a services trade perspective. It compares the services commitments undertaken by the two countries under the India–Korea CEPA and the WTO. It further assesses the gains for India from the CEPA by comparing services exports and imports before and after the CEPA came into operation. The study finds that India's services exports to Korea have increased more than its imports from Korea, resulting in an increase in India's services trade surplus with Korea after the CEPA. The study recommends exploring bilateral labour agreements with Korea to facilitate the movement of natural persons in specific sectors and further liberalisation commitments from Korea in services of India's interests during the CEPA upgradation. JEL Classification: F13, F14, F15 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates South Korea's evolving state practice of international law and explores the growing strategic partnership between South Korea and India. It highlights Korea's constitutional approach to international law, direct application of treaties, and active engagement in global issues, including human rights, environment, and security. The analysis emphasizes the impact of Korea's "New Southern Policy" and India's "Act East Policy," which have facilitated greater diplomatic, economic, and defense collaboration between the two nations. With strategic agreements like the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and Special Strategic Partnership, the bilateral relationship now encompasses defense, economic development, and regional stability within the Indo-Pacific framework. This convergence not only enhances bilateral ties but also aligns with broader regional dynamics, potentially strengthening the Quad's security framework in the Indo-Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the effects of tariff liberalization under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) using a partial equilibrium tool, the WITS-SMART model, to analyse the potential trade effects, specifically trade creation, trade diversion, welfare and revenue effects. Trade effects are assessed at two stages of classification, i.e., the UNCTAD stages of processing classification of goods and the HS 6-digit level of classification. The study examines the potential trade effects of a 100-percent tariff reduction by India and UAE on imports from each other, at the UNCTAD-SOP classification and HS 6-digit level using the SMART Model. The simulation results reveal that the India-UAE CEPA will result in approximately 70% trade creation and 30% trade diversion. The study argues that the India-UAE CEPA will result in trade diversion from many developed countries and other GCC member states, among others. It is pertinent for other GCC countries to negotiate an India-GCC FTA or CEPA to avoid possible trade diversion as a result of the India-UAE CEPA. The results also reveal positive consumer surplus gains for India and the UAE through the CEPA. The study argues that tariff reduction on imports from each other will result in losses in budget revenue, more so for India. Despite all advantages and disadvantages, the results show that overall, trade relations between India and the UAE have improved over time, but there is a lot of untapped potential in order to achieve welfare gains for both trading partners. Finally, the study cautions about the implications of a sensitive list for trade effects and protection from misuse of the rules of origin in the CEPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a numerical multi‐country and multi‐sector general equilibrium model with endogenous trade imbalance and trade cost to simulate the effects of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans‐Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and its future member expansion. Simulation results show that most member countries will benefit from trade integration and that most non‐member countries will lose due to the exclusion effects of the regional trade agreement, but effects for specific countries differ. The entry of the US, China, India and the EU to the CPTPP will significantly increase member countries' benefits, and their entry will decrease the losses of non‐member countries. The US withdrawal from the CPTPP has a negative effect on the US, which will increase as more countries join. The world as a whole will gain from the trade deal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement (RCEP) with a focus on the intellectual property norms which it seeks to develop in the context of India. It specifically analyses the key provisions of the leaked IP chapter and its implications for India's IP regime. The paper posits that India should not oppose the draft IP chapter merely on grounds of its TRIPS‐plus nature in order to adhere to the "minimum standards treaty" principle of the TRIPS Agreement. The conclusion allays the concerns of the civil society which has opposed the draft IP chapter merely on grounds of its TRIPS‐plus nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views on the positive impact of the partnership agreement signed between the U.S. and Afghanistan. He states that the agreement aims at removing terrorist group Al Qaeda by training 10,000 people of Afghanistan which will indirectly benefit India because it will reduce Pakistan's attacks on India. He further informs about the upcoming elections of India in which Narendra Modi is considered as the best candidate for the position of Prime Minister of India.

This article reports that the Media Lab Asia endeavored to be the world's largest university research laboratory for ICTs and international development. With it routinely described as a "billion dollar" facility in pollyannaish anticipation of huge fundraising successes, the optimism of the Lab was staggering. And it certainly was the highest profile, and perhaps most interesting, South/North university collaboration in the ICT for development arena, bringing together two of the globe's biggest academic heavyweights: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Media Lab and the Indian Institutes of Technology. The vision of the Lab was for a unique public-private-academic partnership focused on innovation and world-class research, a sort of organization never before seen. But after twelve months of operation under a formal relationship between MIT and the Government of India (GoI), the connection to MIT was severed, the Lab's expectations were downsized, and now it continues on as a strictly GoI operation, primarily working as a funding agency with a domestic constituency.

The article focuses on the partnership agreement of Reuters Inc. and Press Trust India (PTI) which was signed on September 1948 and will last for four years. It states that the agreement allows the transfer of Reuters Indian subsidiary, Associated Press of India (API), into PTI. It mentions several test that affected the partnership, one of it was the accusation of Pakistan Newspaper regarding the bias coverage of PTI. Furthermore the appointment of British correspondent also created disagreement with speculations that the actions were out of the 1948 agreement.

Background: Community organisations and community members are increasingly being involved in health research projects worldwide as part of the engagement movement. Achieving deeper forms of community engagement like partnership demands that decision-making power be shared with community partners. However, how can community partners assess if meaningful engagement and shared decision-making will be possible when approached by prospective research partners? In this paper, we explore how community organisations decide to join health research projects when approached by health researchers.Methods: Case study research was undertaken on a health systems research project in Karnataka, India called Participation for Local Action, which was carried out by local researchers in partnership with the Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivrudhhi Sangha, a community development organisation. In-depth interviews were conducted with the researchers, Sangha leaders and field investigators from their community.Results: Thematic analysis identified two main themes - 'context' and 'deciding to engage'. The Sangha's experience offers lessons to other community organisations that can help them when deciding to engage with researchers in terms of what features to look for in research partners and in proposed research projects, what requests to make of prospective research partners, and what sorts of outcomes or partnership agreements to accept. These lessons may be especially applicable in contexts where relationships of trust already exist between partners and where they have the skills to lead data collection and analysis.Conclusions: We hope that this guidance will help empower community organisations to select good research partners and promote more equitable partnerships between community partners and academic researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the decision by a committee appointed by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) to collaborate with SAGE Publications, which has managing arrangements with many large academic journals in India. Topics include the changes that have occurred in the academic journal publishing industry which led to the decision, such as technological innovations, and how the changes will impact operations at "Indian Historical Review (IHR)." Also discussed are plans by the IHR to continue to serve a broad range of research interests in Indian History and a continuation of efforts to address interests which encourages research to move forward in Indian history.

The article discusses developments in the Indian Institute of Welding (IIW). Topics discussed include the success of the seminar on welding management, IIW's partnership with IL & FS Inspection, and Knowledge Partner agreement. Also cited is the International Congress to be held in New Delhi, India on April 9-11, 2014.

The article reports on the business agreement between Marzoli SpA and Trützschler GmbH & Co. KG for building of lap winders and combing machines, and their development. The companies have agreed on this cooperation in order to meet the global demand for a universal comber line. It is reported that the new combers will provide Trützschler GmbH a product that is optimally harmonized with the cards and draw frames up to 500 nips/mm. The article also informs about installation of new ring spinning plant in India by Fertichem Cotspin Ltd.