▁a ▁senior ▁Indian ▁anal yst ▁and ▁comment ator , ▁and ▁distinguished ▁fellow ▁at ▁the ▁Ob server ▁Research ▁Foundation , ▁one ▁of ▁India ’ s ▁leading ▁public ▁policy ▁think - t anks . ▁A ▁frequent ▁column ist , ▁he ▁wrote ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁publications . ▁His ▁areas ▁of ▁interest ▁covered ▁politics , ▁India ’ s ▁political ▁economy ▁and ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁Mal ik ▁studied ▁at ▁La ▁Mart ini ere ▁Cal cut ta ▁( K olk ata ), ▁and ▁graduated ▁from ▁Pres iden cy ▁College ▁( now ▁University ) ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁city . ▁He ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁Te legraph ▁newspaper ▁in ▁Cal cut ta ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁subsequently ▁worked ▁for ▁many ▁leading ▁publications , ▁including ▁The ▁Times ▁of ▁India , ▁India ▁Today ▁and ▁Indian ▁Express . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁self - emp loy ed ▁column ist . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Ob server ▁Research ▁Foundation . ▁Other ▁than ▁writing ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁publications ▁and ▁appearing ▁on ▁news ▁television ▁shows , ▁until ▁his ▁appointment ▁with ▁the ▁President ' s ▁office , ▁Mal ik ▁was ▁a ▁regular ▁particip ant ▁in ▁foreign ▁policy ▁con ferences . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Pad ma ▁Sh ri , ▁India ' s ▁fourth - high est ▁civil ian ▁honour . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁https ://