'We should not have waited for the political crisis in Nepal to erupt before being galvanised into action,' says Shyam Saran. 'We should have seen what was coming and not accepted assurances from the leaders of the political parties at their face value.'

If we value India, we must not only 'Make in India', but defend the idea of India, too.

As Afghanistan gradually realises that there can be no long-term stability in the country as long as Pakistan is involved, the time has come for India to register its solidarity when it would be most appreciated, says former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.

India must formulate a new growth path to become a top Asian economy.

Chinese leaders may well respond to challenges with heightened rhetoric.

President Xi Jinping's visit may put relations between India and China on a new trajectory

Humanitarian intervention has little meaning unless the international community is willing to engage in the aftermath, says Shyam Saran.

The choice before the next government is not between being a soft State and a tough State; it is between being a smart State and a dumb State, says former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.

We should be prepared for a phase of increased tensions in India-Pakistan relationship thanks to the evolving situation in Afghanistan, says Shyam Saran.

A disparate global network of violent fundamentalist Islamic groups threatens India's eastern flank as much as the north and west with a real possibility of these spilling over into our borders, says Shyam Saran.