The chess match between China and the U.S. is far from over, and India should be perceived as a rook in the middle of the board, undecided on its allegiance. Maybe the answer does not lie in picking a side and falling into the depths of this zero-sum game, but in building a stable economy that allows India to reclaim as much independence as possible from this chess game.

Boston College’s Global Observatory on Public Health has begun its first project, which will focus on the burden of disease caused by air pollution in India and will be completed in conjunction with 20-25 other scientists from around the world.