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Kunduz has a large ethnic mix of Pashtun, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others - all of whom wish to hold the province. The recent move to capture Kunduz by the Taliban is significant in many ways. It is the first major engagement by the Taliban after Mullah Akhtar Mansour succeeded Mullah Omar.

Despite denials from the Chinese authorities, there is strong speculation that plans for a 1000 km-long tunnel is being tested in order to transfer water from the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet to Xinjiang. Given this mix of Chinese denial and Indian apprehension, how should Indian strategists react?

Located at the centre of the Indian Ocean, the Chagos Archipelago is a group of 55 tiny islands that, since 1965, has been administered by the United Kingdom as a British Indian Ocean Territory. Its biggest island, Diego Garcia, is host to a highly important US military air base. Sovereignty over the archipelago has recently emerged as an issue of contestation between Mauritius and the UK, and the presence of American military troops has only ser

India needs to create a balance between the pursuit of its narrow national interest and its responsibility as a rising power

There is an urgent need for standard operating procedures and open communication, especially when it comes to technology and space.

The Indian government’s “Smart Cities Mission” aims to drive economic growth and improve quality of life through “smart” solutions for the delivery of infrastructure and services. This is expected to transform living spaces, enhance quality of life, and provide employment opportunities, in turn helping reduce crime rates and promoting law and order. Among the challenges to the “Smart Cities” programme is terrorism—especially in ur

Fifty-six years after the ceasefire line was drawn between the Indian and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the underlying seismic fault lines have made a mockery of this line. This map delineation, which was renamed as Line of Control after the 1971 Indo Pak war, has gone out of control, at least temporarily, by the fury of the nature when the earthquake struck this area on 8 October.

As the EMEs grow and mature, they can no longer rely on export-driven, credit-fuelled growth and must look inward to initiate deep seated structural reforms and modify their path to economic prosperity. There is a need for effective governance and strong leadership to restore the lost pride of emerging markets.

The economic consequences of the ongoing pandemic have pushed millions of people into hunger and poverty. Yet, in some parts of the world, critical levels of widespread hunger, or famine, had already made a resurgence long before the outbreak of COVID-19. This brief studies the famine-like situation in four countries in two continents—Yemen, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and North Korea—to demonstrate the direct link between conflicts and modern fam

What is a security actor and how is it different from being a great or major power? In many ways, this question is central to understanding the lack of appreciation of the European Union as an actor in the security arena in India and certainly in some other parts of Asia.

Once considered the best idea in global politics, today’s Europe is a pale shadow of its glorious past

What are the gains that diplomacy on counter-terrorism, resolutions of the UN Security Council and other such multilateral instruments bring to the table?

The success of the Indian covert actions in 1971 that led to the liberation of Bangladesh has a legendary place in India’s security consciousness. This paper retells the story of India’s covert actions in East Pakistan between January and December 1971. It lays down some essential rules and principles for successful covert actions that remain applicable even today. These include the need for a culture of covert action that guides the developm

While the use of biometrics has its advantages, countries are only beginning to wrestle with the underlying challenges it poses.

Economic growth has historically been dependent on fossil fuels. Climate change mitigation, therefore, is often an obstacle for developing countries. Although efficiency in the use of energy sources has increased dramatically over the last decades, GHG emissions remain at steep levels. This brief argues that developed countries should increase pressures on the Global North for more robust emission cuts and greater provision of aid related to clim

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, often hailed as a diplomatic triumph, aims to limit temperature increases to below 2 degrees Celsius (C), preferably to 1.5 degrees C, compared to pre-industrial levels. However, with the United Nations (UN) having failed to establish a method for putting a price on carbon, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise, and global temperatures increased by more than 1.2 degrees C in 2020. Already, experts warn

How Delhi can make the most of its ties with Dhaka

While New Delhi is getting more diplomatic support for its position, it is doing little to change the threat Pakistan poses.

A large mass of uneducated and undereducated would become part of the labour force over the next decade, adding to the potential of the mid-career education market. Neither the government nor the private sector seems to be gearing up for this opportunity.

The post-GST Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Budget of 2018–19 was the first to contend with the abolition of octroi, which was previously its largest and most robust source of revenue. One year after the introduction of the General Services Tax (GST) by the central government, the MCGM has been forced to find new financing sources. While the state government of Maharashtra has assured that the loss of octroi will be compensated,

A closer look at the context behind a significant development for the country.

The two nations have had a history of cooperation, support, and mutual growth.

As China rises, racing ahead in emerging technologies, there are implications for both Washington and Delhi.

The current Just Energy Transition Partnerships framework does not work for India because it prioritises G7’s agenda and overlooks our specific energy transition needs and challenges

King Gyanendra of Nepal has dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba government and taken power into his own hands. This was not an altogether unexpected development, however unwelcome it might be to the democratic forces in Nepal or to the well-wishers of Nepali people in the rest of the world. By whatever name one may call it, it was a royal coup.

Thailand appears to be heading for a royal change of guard at the very top. The widely revered and ailing 87-year-old king, Bhumibol Adulyadej or Rama IX of the Chakri dynasty, has not been seen in public for quite some time. Bhumibol is the world's longest serving monarch, having ascended the throne in 1946.

The United Nations Security Council, the UN's most powerful body tasked to maintain international peace and security, is failing in its mandate. Its rigid institutional setting, the privileged status of core UN members, and the continuing lack of voice of many countries, have increased the risk of dramatic and systemic failures and shaken the legitimacy and centrality of the UN in the international system. This paper proposes a new solution in th

The economic and social problems of the European Union (EU) have not been fully resolved since the euro zone crisis. This issue brief walks the reader through the genesis of the crisis, the reforms and the bailout packages implemented; discusses the adverse consequences of austerity and proposes alternatives; and ends with implications for India.

COP29 announced the full operationalisation of the Loss and Damage (L&D) Fund, a long-awaited step for developing countries, including small island states, least-developed countries, and African nations. This milestone marks persistent advocacy for climate justice. However, the fund’s current framework has notable gaps. This paper highlights key concerns in the existing framework, including the lack of a clear and comprehensive definition,

China is likely to mount a major effort to protect its strategic investments and ongoing projects in Maldives

Thankfully the accidental firing of an Indian missile into Pakistani territory did not lead to escalation, but many questions remain unanswered about what happened.

The anger of White Britain is a reality and Brexit in more ways than one was a response to this fury but things have continued to grow worse for this demography

The use of oral history of Partition days was critical in learning about the compassionate stories of how innocent people were saved by both the religious communities, because they are individual experiences. Such individual experiences have not been sufficiently documented in written scholarship.