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The New Cold War in the IndoPacific: US-China Rivalry & the Race of Global Influence

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Authors : Shruti Agarwal, Harshika Pandla, Mokshadaa Gupta, Revanth Netha, Vanshika Kakkar

Citation :

Shruti Agarwal, Harshika Pandla, Mokshadaa Gupta, Revanth Netha& Vanshika Kakkar. (2026). The New Cold War in the IndoPacific: US-China Rivalry & the Race of Global Influence. Institute For Policy Research and Governance, 1(15). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21566535

Shruti Agarwal, Harshika Pandla, Mokshadaa Gupta, Revanth Netha& Vanshika Kakkar. (2026). The New Cold War in the IndoPacific: US-China Rivalry & the Race of Global Influence. Institute For Policy Research and Governance, 1(15). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21566535

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Abstract :

This paper explores how maritime rivalry, coalition-building, and regional governance in the Indo-Pacific region are being reshaped due to ongoing competition between the United States and China. Instead of framing this as a simple replay of Cold War bloc politics, the study treats the region as an arena where states adjust their positions through overlapping alliances, minilateral arrangements, and strategic narratives rather than direct military confrontation. Empirically, the analysis follows three main strands: the indirect influence of the RussiaUkraine war on the region’s maritime strategy, the shift in India-China rivalry from land borders to sea lanes, and the formation of AUKUS and the Quad as key coalitions in regional security politics. Drawing on policy reports and academic studies, the paper uses interpretative discourse analysis to read how governments and experts deploy ideas of stability, rules and order to justify changing maritime postures and new forms of strategic cooperation.

Key Words : Maritime Cooperation, Hegemony, Balance of power, Strategic Cooperation, QUAD, AUKUS, Freedom of Navigation (FON)

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Impact of the Smart Cities Mission on Household Cost of Living, Access to Urban Services, and Economic Well-Being: A Field Study of Selected Indian Cities

Authors : Anjana Tripathi ; Divya Natarajan ; Gautam Kumar Mishra ; Soumili Rakshit

Abstract

India’s Smart Cities Mission (SCM), launched in 2015, aims to improve urban livability through targeted investments in infrastructure, service delivery, and digital governance. However, empirical evidence on the household-level economic implications of these interventions remains limited. This study examines the impact of the Smart Cities Mission on household cost of living, access to urban services, and economic well-being in selected Indian cities using a comprehensive secondary data approach.

The analysis integrates unit-level data from the National Sample Survey (NSS) Consumer Expenditure and Housing Conditions rounds to assess changes in household consumption patterns, housing affordability, and expenditure on utilities and transportation. Employment outcomes and income-related proxies are examined using the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), while demographic characteristics, housing quality, and access to basic amenities are drawn from the Census of India. City-level information on project type, investment size, and sectoral focus is sourced from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Smart Cities Mission dashboards and official reports. A comparative framework is employed to analyze trends across Smart Cities and non-Smart Cities, as well as pre- and post-SCM implementation periods.

By triangulating multiple nationally representative datasets with administrative project data, the study evaluates whether Smart City investments have translated into measurable improvements in household welfare or have contributed to rising costs and uneven access to services. The findings aim to provide evidence-based insights for strengthening the inclusiveness, affordability, and effectiveness of urban development policies under the Smart Cities Mission.

Keywords :
Smart Cities Mission; Secondary Data Analysis; National Sample Survey; Periodic Labour Force Survey; Census of India; Urban Services Access; Household Cost of Living; Economic Well- Being; Urban Policy; Indian Cities

Shaping of Perceptions & Misperceptions Among Masses During War Escalations : A Comparative Analysis of Information Dynamics, Media Influence, and Perception Management

Authors : Hridoy Pran Sarma , Ashi Agrawal

Abstract :

In the modern-day world, war is not only about fighting on the battlefield but also
manipulating the belief of the opponent country using intelligence. During war escalation, people form opinions based not on their personal experience, but from news stories and government releases, along with other posts on social media. As a result, they become more susceptible to misperceptions; these are misconstrued situations employed to frighten, sow discord and garner the unthinking support of the public for the providing of military firepower. Due to an increase in the use of social media and modern means of communication, this task has become even easier as not everyone is well-equipped to measure what is happening during wars. Misconceived observations of the conflict can aggravate and harm the process of resolution. The paper seeks to ascertain the role of the government and media in distorting the public opinion during wars by analysing case studies such as Russia – Ukraine War and other major wars worldwide. Usage of management perceptions, misinformation, and the war in which does escalate.

Keywords:
Perception Management, Misinformation, War Escalation, Public Opinion, Media Literacy, Information Warfare.

Diaspora Kitchens and Diplomacy: Indian Restaurants as Informal Soft Power Sites Abroad

Authors: Prapti Das; Diya Jain; Aditi Shree

ABSTRACT

Indian diaspora restaurants increasingly serve as unrecognised informal venues of cultural diplomacy, mediating the world’s perceptions of India at the level of daily culinary practice. The existing literature has viewed these sites mostly through perspectives on soft power, identity formation, and cultural representation in terms of the symbolic and affective impacts they exert within host societies. Drawing from international relations, food studies, and diaspora scholarship, this paper places overseas Indian restaurants as decentralised informal soft power actors outside of any framework controlled by the state. While their cultural and representative roles have been copiously documented otherwise; it is rather inadequately theorised and even more poorly empirically demonstrated how economic dimensions underlie their diplomatic salience. This paper highlights the fact that there has been no systematic analysis of the economic impact of diaspora restaurants. It puts forth the argument that while discussing culinary soft power and attempting to foreground, or bring into consideration, the material conditions that sustain it, one must regard economic viability not as incidental but rather as integral to the endurance and reach of informal diplomacy. This paper is another addition to the debate around soft power in its call for bringing cultural influence back into an integrated political economy approach with economic structures as a way of providing a fuller account of how diaspora kitchens participate in global diplomatic processes.

KEYWORDS

Gastrodiplomacy, Indian Diaspora, Soft Power, Informal Diplomacy, Culinary Political Economy, Diaspora Restaurants, Cultural Diplomacy, Everyday Diplomacy

The Impact of Geopolitical Conflicts on the Global Economy:A Comparative Analysis of the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel Conflicts

Authors : Umrah Fatima, Manya Saraf

Abstract :

This research paper seeks to examine the serious economic implications of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Iran conflict in comparison, concentrating particularly on their disruptive consequences for global economic activities. However, while most of the extant literature studies the above mentioned geopolitical situations separately, the current paper attempts to bridge a major research gap by comparing them in one single frame of reference. Using the qualitative approach based on the thematic analysis of secondary data
from international sources, the paper reveals that regional tensions result in extensive economic instability in our highly interconnected world. Notable observations suggest that both the disputes have caused serious fluctuations in energy prices, congestion of the seas atnkey strategic chokepoints, and inflationary pressure across the globe. Moreover, it is important to note that the analysis highlights the significant vulnerability of the Global South, where dependency on food, fuel, and raw materials from other countries has made their
currencies devalue and made them vulnerable to food shortages and debt repayment burdens.

Keywords:
Geopolitical Conflicts, Global Economy, Russia-Ukraine War, Israel-Iran Conflict, Energy Market, Supply Chain Disruptions, Inflationary Pressures, International Trade Global South, Interdependence.

Dynamics of Youth Unemployment: Case Studies on Public Policy Frameworks and the Gig Economy in India, South Africa and Nigeria A country-specific investigation into institutional frameworks and critical research gaps surrounding the digital gig economy.

Authors : Ritu Sundrani, Sneha Shukla, Aviya Chauhan, Karabo Ralethohlane

Abstract :

The country-specific investigation dives into the structural challenges of youth unemployment across India, South Africa and Nigeria. It undertakes critical analysis of policies like PMKVY, PYEI and N-Power of respective nations to highlight the implementation gaps, structural mismatches and post- program “transitional cliff”. Further, the gig economy despite offering alternate livelihood opportunities creates a regulatory safety vacuum which requires structural policy actions. The study emphasizes on reorientation of policy architecture towards demanddriven ecosystem, private sector participation and digitally inclusive policies to tackle youth unemployment problem in the Global South.

KEYWORDS :
Youth unemployment, Active Labour Market Programs (ALMPs), structural mismatches, Global South, Skill development

ENHANCING RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE TO SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS CENTRAL AFRICA

Authors : Adeleye Joshua Adeyemi, Nontobeko Zakhona Andiswa Ngubane, Mushe Khomola

Abstract :

Climate change remains to cripple food security across Central Africa, where a large proportion of the population depends on rain-fed agriculture survival. This study evaluated the environmental, economic, energy and agricultural factors shaping climate resilience and food security in vulnerable communities, using secondary time-series data spanning 2000 to 2025 across 14 variables, including 2 climate resilience variables (mean annual temperature and annual rainfall). Descriptive statistics, pre- and post-2013 period comparisons, Pearson correlation analysis, detrended correlation and multiple regression analysis were applied using SPSS. Findings show that undernourishment averaged 30% over the period, with persistently low cereal yields and minimal electricity access. Rising mean annual temperature (r = -0.610, p = 0.002) was significantly correlated with declining cereal yields (r = -0.880, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression model (R² = 0.907), electricity access and GDP per capita are the two strongest independent predictors of undernourishment, while political stability remained a significant bivariate correlate. These results suggest that energy infrastructure and governance, above agricultural land use or GDP, are central to food security outcomes defining how resilience-building efforts should be concentrated. Keywords:
Climate resilience, Food security, Agricultural productivity, Governance, Policy, Central Africa.

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The New Cold War in the IndoPacific: US-China Rivalry & the Race of Global Influence

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Impact of the Smart Cities Mission on Household Cost of Living, Access to Urban Services, and Economic Well-Being: A Field Study of Selected Indian Cities

Shaping of Perceptions & Misperceptions Among Masses During War Escalations : A Comparative Analysis of Information Dynamics, Media Influence, and Perception Management

Diaspora Kitchens and Diplomacy: Indian Restaurants as Informal Soft Power Sites Abroad

The Impact of Geopolitical Conflicts on the Global Economy:A Comparative Analysis of the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-Israel Conflicts

Dynamics of Youth Unemployment: Case Studies on Public Policy Frameworks and the Gig Economy in India, South Africa and Nigeria A country-specific investigation into institutional frameworks and critical research gaps surrounding the digital gig economy.

ENHANCING RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE TO SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS CENTRAL AFRICA