Vipaasana

       As we tread along a new path towards medical healthcare, there is a need to re-establish diplomatic ties towards the nations around the world which portrays our empathy and leadership qualities. One such step taken by the government is Vaccine diplomacy.      Two vaccines related to COVID have been approved in India after confirming their safety and efficacy. India has formulated a rational vaccine distribution programme targeting and prioritising the frontline workers, the older population, vulnerable population with lifestyle disease and then to the general population. However, it would have been much better to release the vaccine in phases so that people are absolutely sure about the efficacy of the vaccine. With vaccination kicking in, everything is expected to go back to pre-COVID levels including the economy. But the V shape economic recovery is theoretical and it is difficult to expect such a recovery in a practical scenario.      India has approved the supply of vaccine

     In the world of diplomacy, soft power and hard power are two tools used to maintain relationship between two countries. Both of them are used together in a combined manner by each and every country. Only the ratio varies from one country to another.      Hard power includes the use of force either military or economical while soft power refers to the use of a shared culture, diaspora and a common belief system. When there is much less in common between the nations, then hard power comes to play. China, over a period of time has systematically destroyed its ancient culture and mainly rely today on hard power. As we saw in the article "Chinas path of hegemony"  https://sriroopbk.blogspot.com/2020/06/chinas-path-of-hegemony.html , China is using its hard power(economical) to control the South Asian nations using a debt trap in the name of development, trade and connectivity. It has been using hard power(military) to claim islands in South China Sea like Parcel islands, Spra