Since becoming India's prime minister in 2014, Narendra Modi has been a tour de force in foreign policymaking. A vastly experienced administrator who has held key public positions as chief minister of an Indian state for more than a decade, and now as prime minister, he has always seen value in foreign affairs and devoted special attention to it with his unique entrepreneurial flair and coherent set of ideas. Every realm of Indian foreign policy- commercial diplomacy, defence diplomacy, diaspora outreach, cultural diplomacy, geostrategy and soft power- has been transformed by him with a sense of destiny not witnessed in recent memory. Indians and people the world over have noticed his star presence and are asking questions like 'Why is he investing so much time and energy into promoting India's international relations and global image'?; 'What are his vision and goals for India's role in the world'?' 'What kind of distinct techniques define his approach to foreign policy?'; 'How is he changing India's self-understanding and preparing it for world affairs?'. This book provides the answers by delving into the mind and method behind Narendra Modi's avatar as India's diplomat-in-chief. It argues that under his able watch, India is heading toward great power status in the international order.

In this illuminating memoir Javid Chowdhury shares his varied experiences over four decades in the IAS: the years in training when he imbibed the service’s ethos and values; his initiation into the rural universe as the District Development Officer and the District Magistrate; and further on, to his handling of the infamous Bank Securities and Jain Hawala scams as Director of Enforcement and Union Revenue Secretary. With a light pen, Chowdhury describes the changing social profile and attitudes of entrants to the higher civil services; the nepotism, in many garbs, that he encountered as Establishment Officer; and the stranger-than-fiction tortuous investigations of crimes. He also offers his nuanced reflections on the dubious legacy Gujarat acquired as a result of the communal carnage in 2002. Chowdhury further examines how policymaking within government came to be whittled away under the neo-liberal theology, with key scrutiny being left to external expert think tanks and ad hoc groups. As a consequence, he perceives that public accountability came to be inordinately diffused, resulting in the roller-coaster governance that we witness today. Sharp and insightful, replete with telling anecdotes and amusing sketches of icons, colleagues and ministers, The Insider’s View is a compelling portrait of the author, a self-confessed welfare socialist, besides being an X-ray of the innards of the bureaucracy.

Spanning from 1946 during British colonization to 2023's era of 'economic colonization,' 'Backlash to Today' is a unique historical anthology interwoven with the author's life. It intricately portrays nine decades, capturing the essence of each era through lifestyles, fashion, dance, and music while chronicling significant global and Indian occurrences—disasters, terrorism, assassinations, crimes, deaths, wars, and civil disturbances. Beyond a mere reflection, the book offers a broader philosophical perspective. The author foresees humanity's imminent demise due to irreparable climate change, power-hungry leaders, terrorism causing global instability with economic collapse, the looming specter of nuclear annihilation, and the dread of an untreatable pandemic. It aspires to impart a glimpse of these nine decades to future inheritors of the Earth, whether human or alien. This ambitious work aims to serve as a time capsule akin to the profound significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, providing a visceral understanding of the times lived and the looming challenges facing humanity.

This book offers a comprehensive look at the transformative decade of Narendra Modi's leadership as India's 14th Prime Minister. It distills the essence of Modi's governance philosophy and vision for India into 100 key mantras that have shaped his tenure from 2014 to 2024. Drawing from Modi's journey from Chief Minister of Gujarat to Prime Minister, the book explores how his personality and policies have reshaped India's political landscape, economy and global standing. It highlights the significant growth of the Bharatiya Janata Party under his leadership and examines the sweeping changes that have occurred in India's economy, international relations and domestic policies. The book serves as both a chronicle of a pivotal era in Indian politics and a guide to understanding the principles that have driven one of India's most influential leaders. Whether you're a political enthusiast, a student of history or simply curious about India's rapid transformation, this book provides a unique perspective on the man often hailed as India's "Vishwa Guru" and the mantras that have defined his governance.

Narendra Modi’s energetic personal diplomacy and promise to make India a ‘leading power’ surprised many analysts. Most had predicted that his government would concentrate on domestic issues, on the growth and development demanded by Indian voters, and that he lacked necessary experience in international relations. Instead, Modi’s first term saw a concerted attempt to reinvent Indian foreign policy by replacing inherited understandings of its place in the world with one drawn largely from Hindu nationalist ideology. Following Modi’s re-election in 2019, this book explores the drivers of this reinvention, arguing it arose from a combination of elite conviction and electoral calculation, and the impact it has had on India’s international relations.

This book describes famous geosites and historical localities in national parks and conservation areas from North America, East Africa, and Europe. The geosites include iconic landforms associated with active volcanoes, canyons, glaciated landscapes, natural rock monoliths, and rifts. The potential for geotourism in historical localities such as the famous Greco-Roman antiquities of Greece, Italy, and Turkey, is emphasised. Some of the geosites and historical localities provide evidence that previous civilizations coped with active geology and major climatic cycles, whilst others reveal evidence of famous geological events recognized in history and ancient mythology that helped shape our current civilization. The book assists tour guides and visitors (both geologists and non-specialists) interested in geotourism by providing an understanding of geological processes in the national parks and historical locations with the assistance of photographs and simplified geological maps.