As India celebrated its 66th Republic Day with much fanfare in the presence of US President Barack Obama, it has diligently, over the years, turned the parade that was initially envisaged as a platform to demonstrate military might into one that exhibits its soft power to the world.

With budgets so squeezed, neither party cares to tout its gilt-edged record on foreign aid. But they should be proud of what we give, and have the courage to say so.

The BBC has warned the government that its global news presence will end up marginalised by overseas rivals such as Russia Today and al-Jazeera unless multimillion-pound cuts are reversed.

A day after sending out a clear message to the world about India’s prime place in the United State’s vision for the Asia-Pacific and beyond, its President Barack Obama was today witnessed as chief guest on the country’s Republic Day Parade, a display of India’s both military might and its soft power.

In the Japanese government’s new budget, one small item stands out: a $5 million grant to Columbia University in New York to fund a position for a professor of Japanese politics and foreign policy.