Election ‘09: General elections will be held early in the year, which might well change the way we think about our politics. Will a stable coalition led by one of the major parties come to power? Or will the mandate be fractured enough that it opens up space for rent-seeking, competing little players? And how will that affect state elections — such as Maharashtra’s?

The international economy: The G-20 meet in April, and there’s every chance that there are going to be major changes in how international regulators work, and a chance for India to bargain for more clout in the system. That’s something that happens a few times a century, and it’ll definitely be worth watching.

The vacuum in Pakistan: In 2005, Musharraf was in charge. In 2006, his rule began to totter. In 2007, he was ousted — and suddenly nobody seems in charge. As Pakistan continues to struggle and export its problems to its neighbours, one question will be answered over the year: who’s in charge? President Zardari? The Army chief, Kayani? Or — scariest thought of all — nobody?

3G: After months of stalling, India — the world’s fastest growing mobile market — will finally grow up to 3G as bandwidth auction will held early this year.  Telecom network operators and subscribers with fancy phones have been long awaiting this third generation of tele-standards and mobile networking technology.

The other 3G: Jammu and Kashmir has just given India its youngest chief minister, a third-generation Abdullah. What will the general elections throw up? Will the average age of the Cabinet decrease? And will the younger MPs — Sachin Pilot, Manvendra Singh — finally move into position of real power?

... contd.