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By:

Rajiv Shah

22 September 2025 at 8:32:23 pm

New Alliances, New Pressures, New Fault Lines

To its west, old relationships in the Gulf are acquiring new strategic and military dimensions. Across the Atlantic, Washington is increasingly using tariffs as an instrument of foreign policy. At the same time, India holds the BRICS presidency in 2026 and prepares to host its summit when the grouping is being watched in the West as a potential challenge to the American-dominated global financial order. Individually, these developments may appear unrelated. Put together, they reveal a larger...

New Alliances, New Pressures, New Fault Lines

To its west, old relationships in the Gulf are acquiring new strategic and military dimensions. Across the Atlantic, Washington is increasingly using tariffs as an instrument of foreign policy. At the same time, India holds the BRICS presidency in 2026 and prepares to host its summit when the grouping is being watched in the West as a potential challenge to the American-dominated global financial order. Individually, these developments may appear unrelated. Put together, they reveal a larger geopolitical churn in which alliances, energy, trade, currencies and economic coercion are becoming interconnected. India finds itself almost at its centre. The emerging Saudi Arabia–Türkiye–Pakistan security equation deserves particular attention. Saudi Arabia brings enormous financial and energy influence; Türkiye possesses considerable military strength, NATO experience and an expanding defence industry; Pakistan brings a large military establishment and nuclear capability with the open support of Washington. Any arrangement containing a collective-defence commitment naturally acquires significance beyond ordinary diplomatic cooperation. Alongside it, another strategic convergence has gradually developed among India, Israel and the UAE. It would be incorrect to describe this as a formal military alliance. Yet geopolitics does not operate through defence treaties alone. India's extensive defence and technology relationship with Israel, its rapidly expanding economic and strategic partnership with the UAE, and the UAE-Israel relationship following the Abraham Accords have created considerable common ground. I2U2—bringing together India, Israel, the UAE and the United States—added another institutional dimension. Thus, without necessarily becoming opposing military camps, two interesting strategic formations are visible across West Asia: Saudi Arabia–Türkiye–Pakistan and the looser India–UAE–Israel convergence. Balancing Challenge India faces a similar balancing challenge. The Gulf is not a distant geopolitical theatre for New Delhi. Nearly nine million Indians live and work there. India's energy security, investments, trade and remittance flows are closely connected with the region. The proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor also requires relative stability across this geography. Polarisation in West Asia can therefore rapidly become an Indian economic and strategic problem. There is another question Indian planners cannot ignore. If a future India-Pakistan confrontation escalates, how would any collective-defence commitment involving Pakistan be interpreted by Saudi Arabia and Türkiye? It would be alarmist to assume that either country would automatically enter a conflict against India. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has substantial economic and strategic interests in maintaining good relations with New Delhi. Nevertheless, defence planners are paid to examine possibilities before they become crises. While these equations develop in India's neighbourhood, economic pressure is emerging from Washington. The US Senate has voted 86–11 for legislation intended to increase pressure on Russia by targeting major purchasers of Russian energy. The measure could authorise tariffs reaching 100 per cent against goods from countries continuing large-scale purchases of Russian oil and gas, with India among those potentially exposed. China is powerful enough to shrug off similar challenges from the West." However this does not mean that America has already imposed a 100 per cent tariff on India. Further legislative steps remain necessary, and presidential waiver provisions are important. But the overwhelming Senate vote carries a political message that New Delhi cannot dismiss. Tariffs are no longer merely tools of trade protection; they have become instruments of geopolitical coercion. Washington's argument is understandable: revenues from Russian petroleum help sustain Moscow's economy during the Ukraine war, and reducing those revenues increases pressure on Russia. But in that case what about European countries who too were/are customers of Russian oil? India's question is equally legitimate: who should determine where India purchases the energy required by more than 1.4 billion people? If Russian crude remains commercially advantageous and helps contain domestic energy costs, New Delhi cannot reasonably be expected to make every energy decision according to another country's geopolitical priorities. Strategic partnership cannot become strategic obedience. This is where BRICS enters the larger picture. India holds the BRICS presidency in 2026 and will host its leaders at an unusually sensitive moment. BRICS is no longer merely the original grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Its expansion has considerably increased its demographic, energy and geopolitical weight. More importantly, discussions around BRICS increasingly touch a sensitive nerve in Washington: alternative payment mechanisms, local-currency trade, development finance and the possibility of gradually reducing dependence upon the dollar-dominated international financial system. The BRICS Summit this time is poised to take some decisive steps which may affect western interests especially US. (The writer is an advocate, legal, geopolitical and public policy analyst. Views personal.)

Beyond the Bag: Labelling, Sealing, and Storing Waste Right

Segregation is not just about coloured bags—it’s about protecting people, reducing costs, and preserving the planet.

In my last article, I described the colour-coding system that was used for the segregation of biomedical waste. Let us explore this aspect a little further.


Segregation is not just about putting waste in different coloured bags—it’s about ensuring that each step, from labelling to sealing and storage, is handled with care and clarity. This section explains how healthcare facilities can implement segregation practically and the many advantages of doing it right, from safety to sustainability.


Occupiers can procure coloured bags or bins required for segregation directly from the operator of a common facility. These colour-coded bags and containers should be printed with the biohazard symbol and labelled with details such as date, type of waste, waste quantity, sender's name, and receiver's details, as well as barcode labels so that they can be tracked till final disposal.


These bags and sharps containers should be sealed and kept ready for collection once they are filled up to three-quarters of their capacity. These plastic bags should never be stapled but may be tied or sealed with a plastic tag or tie. Replacement bags or containers should be available at each waste-collection location so that once a bag is filled to its desired capacity, it can be readily replaced by a new one. In healthcare establishments, the segregation process is handled mostly by the housekeeping staff. Many of these waste handlers are uneducated and may not be able to read the instructions regarding segregation. For this, the CPCB has published a pictorial guide in which there are interactive, colourful posters displaying the process of segregation.


Advantages of segregation: Implementing a robust segregation programme is crucial for any healthcare facility aiming to manage its waste responsibly and effectively. Mixing the waste at the source of generation can have an adverse effect on the treatment process.


1. Enhanced Safety:

Reduces Occupational Hazards: Segregation minimises the risk of injury to healthcare workers and waste handlers from sharps (needles, etc.) and infectious materials.


Prevents Cross-Contamination: Proper segregation prevents the mixing of infectious waste with general waste, reducing the risk of disease transmission.


Improved Infection Control: By separating waste streams, healthcare facilities can implement more effective infection control measures, protecting patients, staff, and visitors from ‘nosocomial’ or ‘hospital-acquired’ infections.


1. Reduced Treatment Costs:

Each of the four categories of biomedical waste requires specific treatment because of its varied composition before disposal. Segregation ensures that only truly hazardous and infectious waste will be treated with specialised and often costly methods, reducing overall treatment costs.


Optimises Resource Allocation: By streamlining waste management processes, segregation allows for more efficient use of resources and potentially reduces waste disposal expenses.


2. Environmental Protection:

Prevents Environmental Pollution: Proper segregation prevents hazardous materials from contaminating soil and water sources, protecting the environment.


Promotes Recycling: Segregation enables the recycling of certain materials, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserving natural resources.


Reduces Landfill Volume: By segregating non-hazardous waste for recycling and composting, the volume of waste going to landfills is reduced.


3. Legal Compliance:

Adherence to Regulations: Effective segregation is often a requirement of national and international regulations for biomedical waste management, helping healthcare facilities avoid legal penalties.


Improved Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to proper waste management through segregation can enhance a healthcare facility's reputation.


4. Promoting Sustainability:

Resource Conservation: Segregation facilitates the recycling and reuse of materials, promoting resource conservation and reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare facilities.


Reduced Carbon Footprint: By optimising waste management processes and promoting recycling, segregation contributes to a more sustainable healthcare system.


Proper segregation is the foundation of safe and sustainable biomedical waste management. It protects people, reduces treatment costs, and helps safeguard the environment, making it an essential practice for every healthcare facility.


(The author is an environmentalist.)

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