Emelyanova Natalya Nikolaevna

This article focuses on the strategy of Indian “soft power” in the South Asian subregion as a key component of the modern geopolitics of New Delhi. The author addressed the understanding of “soft power” from the “rising powers” of Asia, then examines Indian-Chinese relations in the fi eld of “soft power” through the concept of “Chindia.” This neologism signifi es not only the competition between the two powers, but also the development of adjacent zones of Indian and Chinese civilizations, where as a result of intercultural dialogue and exchange there are peculiar geocultural hybrid spaces equally susceptible both to Indian and Chinese infl uence. The author concludes that although India’s “soft power” expansion was a response to China’s successful attempts to involve the countries of South Asia in its orbit of infl uence, India has now begun to apply the updated models of “soft power” on a systematic basis.

The article provides a general overview of the current state of the leading scientifi c journals in political science published in the post-Soviet countries (classifi ed by country), the United States of America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Special attention is paid to German-language political science journals. The characteristics of individual periodicals that play an important role in the development of political science and the dissemination of political science knowledge on a national, regional and global scale (in terms of the themes of publications, the circle of authors, publishers and target audience) are given. It contains information about regional databases (systems) that take into account the citation of scientific publications in periodicals.

Based on empirical quantitative data, the article examines the relationship between the severity of the epidemiological situation in a particular country (1), the stringency of protective and restrictive measures imposed by the government (2), and the institutional characteristics of the country (including the quality of healthcare, management, the level of public confidence in the government, value orientations, etc.), which determine the specifics of the application of measures and their effectiveness (3). As a result, with the help of the index of the severity of the epidemiological situation, institutional characteristics were identified that most affect the effectiveness of the measures applied and, if possible, allow combining the relatively easy passage of the pandemic with relatively lax measures. Based on statistical indicators, practical recommendations have been developed aimed at reducing the severity of the epidemiological situation and reducing the severity of measures.

The article focuses on the main meanings of India’s modern foreign policy, which form the basis of the country’s soft power messages and appeal to its civilizational identity. It highlights the significance of India’s foreign policy vision, which is rooted in the idea of development and heritage, appealing to the harmonization of the past and the future.
Therefore, along with the government’s ambitious Viksit Bharat (Developed India) concept facing the future, the main foreign policy semantic guidelines and substantive elements of the soft power campaigns of modern India are formulated with references to the historical and cultural heritage, demonstrating not only the connection of times, but also the relevance of ancient messages to all humanity for the modern world.
8 experts specializing in various aspects of New Delhi’s foreign policy were interviewed in 2024. The article provides an overview of expert interviews on topics related to the perception of the concept of ‘soft power,’ as well as the semantic foundations and attitudes of Indian soft power, including opinions on the influence of the Hindutva ideology on the content and formats of Indian soft power campaigns after 2014.