Publication

This paper examines the make-up and history of India's official humanitarian aid program as the number and diversity of state donors of humanitarian aid increases. The author finds that three principles imbue India's attitude toward foreign aid. First, assistance given for political or economic purposes can be a highly effective means of improving relations. Second, the wrong type of assistance can be counterproductive. And third, conditional or tied bilateral aid, in particular, can be degrading for the recipient.