Raisana Dialogue: India an aligned state based on issues, says Vijay Gokhale

India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Thursday opined that India is an aligned state based on issues.

Speaking at a panel on the last day of the Raisana Dialogue, Gokhale stated, "India has moved on from its non-aligned past. India is today an aligned state - but based on issues."

Furthermore, he asserted that India, as a country, is the most diverse in the world. "As the most diverse country on Earth, India will set an example to the world on the aspect of democracy," he added.

Emphasising on the importance of humanities, Gokhale stated that a partnership between science and technology is important.

"The couple of partnerships I am looking at, include the G20, the Indo-Pacific partnership, and - on a philosophical level - a partnership between science and technology. The humanities must return," added Gokhale.

Gokhale also stressed the importance of India to join the bandwagon of rule makers. "It is time India became part of the rulemaking process. In the rules-based order, India would have a stronger position in multilateral institutions," he added.

The Raisina Dialogue 2019, which was inaugurated by Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, included 600 delegates from 92 countries participating in around 50 hours of debates and discussions.