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South Africa, the Indian Ocean and the IBSA-BRICS equation Reflections on Geopolitical and Strategic Dimension
Dec 25, 2011

South Africa, the Indian Ocean and the IBSA-BRICS equation Reflections on Geopolitical and Strategic Dimension

This Paper analyses South Africa's position as a member of both BRICS and IBSA, especially the broader strategic implications arising out of its membership of the two organisations.

South Asia South Asia Weekly 20
May 19, 2008

South Asia South Asia Weekly 20

Ending the month-long political stalemate and uncertainty, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala invited the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Chairman Prachanda, also the leader of the single largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA), to form a new government.

South Asia South Asia Weekly 8
Mar 02, 2008

South Asia South Asia Weekly 8

In Sri Lanka, everybody is uncertain about the future. Nobody knows what happens next. Take for instance, the victory march of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) which was once again bogged down by the LTTE's resurgence. Though the week started with the forward march of the Sri Lanka defence forces after the killing of the three senior female LTTE leaders at sea including Lt. Colonel Kalai Arasi,

Sovereignty Vs. Sovereign Rights: De-escalating Tensions in the South China Sea
Aug 14, 2023

Sovereignty Vs. Sovereign Rights: De-escalating Tensions in the South China Sea

Competing maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea resulting in frequent provocations and standoffs are well-documented. China’s increasingly assertive stance over its claims has led to increased militarisation of the region, making it a potential flashpoint. To better understand the complex SCS question vis-a-vis the extent of, and jurisdiction over this maritime space, this brief explores the distinction between the principl

Sri Lanka’s Lessons for Economies in Debt Distress
Mar 27, 2023

Sri Lanka’s Lessons for Economies in Debt Distress

In April 2022, Sri Lanka’s sovereign debt default —with China being the largest bilateral creditor—trained the spotlight on the impact of Beijing’s lending on Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Yet, Sri Lanka’s debacle is a result of far more complex, interrelated factors than indebtedness to China. At the same time, there has been a significant rise in servicing of loans from China over the years, and Beijing is indeed an important

Stability in the time of change
Mar 10, 2017

Stability in the time of change

As the liberal order yields to an age of uncertainty, a new initiative is needed if the nuclear taboo has to hold.

Strategies for a Two-Front Dilemma: Lessons from History
Feb 18, 2021

Strategies for a Two-Front Dilemma: Lessons from History

This paper examines India’s ‘two-front’ dilemma in view of its conflicts with China and Pakistan, and the possibility that these two adversaries could join forces. The author studies historical events that could help outline the strategies that have been undertaken by certain countries to combat the combined power of multiple adversaries, usually exceeding their own. These include the Napoleonic strategy and the Israeli experience. In analy

Swaraj's Beijing visit creates right atmosphere for Modi's visit
Feb 13, 2015

Swaraj's Beijing visit creates right atmosphere for Modi's visit

After Sushma Swaraj's successful visit to Beijing, which managed to create a certain degree of 'warmth' in China's attitude towards India, now all eyes will be on Mr Modi's visit to China in May. But before that the border talks that are going to be held soon will play a key role in determining the course of events.

Syrian Chemical Weapons:The Danger Within
May 11, 2023

Syrian Chemical Weapons:The Danger Within

The Syrian case is a unique one. A country with a WMD-armed country has never witnessed civil strife before. The active involvement of terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaeda in Iraq coupled with the weakening hold of the Assad regime over large swathes of the country makes the situation grim.

Taiwan’s Battle for Diplomatic Space
Sep 22, 2022

Taiwan’s Battle for Diplomatic Space

Taiwan is facing an existential identity crisis, one whose consequences can go well beyond the region. The island exists between two sovereignties: it has domestic sovereignty and is secure in its identity as a democracy and an economic powerhouse; at the same time, it has an uncertain international sovereignty and is insecure in a larger battle with China about that identity. From a traditional international-relations perspective, Taiwan meets e

Takeaways for India from IPCC’s Assessment of Global Mitigation Efforts
Aug 14, 2023

Takeaways for India from IPCC’s Assessment of Global Mitigation Efforts

The findings of Working Group-III (WG-III) of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly highlight the global failure to scale-up mitigation actions to achieve the Paris Climate targets. Immediate and unprecedented action will now be needed to avoid catastrophic global warming in this century. The WG-III report details some of the policy actions needed at the global level to enable a sustai

Taliban 2.0: Stronger or Moving Towards Fragmentation?
Sep 07, 2023

Taliban 2.0: Stronger or Moving Towards Fragmentation?

Two years after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, the debates around whether the group remains intact or has become divided have surfaced once again. In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Kabul in August 2021, there were speculations that the country could be going into a civil war or the Taliban would eventually come to a split. This brief analyses the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s resurgence in Kabul and weighs in o

Taliban’s Afghanistan: An Emerging Security Challenge for India and Central Asia
Aug 16, 2023

Taliban’s Afghanistan: An Emerging Security Challenge for India and Central Asia

Relations between India and the Central Asia Republics (CARs) have matured over the past three decades, primarily in the areas of military technology, defence, counterterrorism, and economy, and culture. Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan and the resultant security, geostrategic, and geoeconomic challenges, India and the CARs must aim to strengthen their ties. This brief assesses the evolving situation in Afghanistan

Talks of US leaving Afghanistan Premature
Oct 10, 2011

Talks of US leaving Afghanistan Premature

The Indo-Afghanistan strategic partnership is also an important backup for the region because of uncertainties on account of the run upto the US Presidential elections in November 2012.

Tech in Pandemic Response, But Many Left Behind: Lessons from Africa
Feb 02, 2023

Tech in Pandemic Response, But Many Left Behind: Lessons from Africa

As industries slowed to a near halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital economy received a boost—especially from consumers forced to rely on virtual means to meet their needs. Businesses turned to the virtual workspace, adopting new productivity tools to retain their workforce. This brief studies the case of Africa, where tech played a role in pandemic response, and e-commerce players reported increases in orders and custo

The 5th National Family Health Survey of India: A Sub-National Analysis of Child Nutrition
May 18, 2021

The 5th National Family Health Survey of India: A Sub-National Analysis of Child Nutrition

In December 2020, the government released the results of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 5 for 2019-20, covering 22 states and Union Territories (UTs). Contrary to expectations, NFHS5 found an increase in the percentage of stunted children in 13 states and UTs, compared to the results of NFHS4. This paper analyses such reversal of the three-decadal progress that India had previously made in reducing stunting in children. It analy

The African Continental Free Trade Area: Opportunities for India
Feb 07, 2022

The African Continental Free Trade Area: Opportunities for India

Unlike in other regions of the world, the value of intra-Africa trade has remained low over the years. Moreover, Africa accounts for just 2 percent of global trade. In 2021, African countries launched the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single African market for the free movement of goods, services, labour, and capital, and increase intra-African trade. AfCFTA may be able to provide Indian firms and in

The Article 370 Amendments on Jammu and Kashmir: Explaining the Global Silence
May 27, 2021

The Article 370 Amendments on Jammu and Kashmir: Explaining the Global Silence

The amendment of Article 370 in August 2019, which effectively nullified the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, was a watershed moment in the history of the region that went largely uncontested by the international community. Besides China and Pakistan, most countries were unwilling to openly criticise India’s actions in Kashmir. The limited international response to India’s actions largely focused on the humanitarian situation in t

The Bangladesh Army: Documenting its Corporate Interests
Nov 24, 2010

The Bangladesh Army: Documenting its Corporate Interests

Little is known and even less understood about the 2,00,000-strong Bangladesh Army's corporate interests. The importance of the subject owes itself to the fact that the army has been a veritable power of stability in a country that has been dogged by decades of unending political turmoil. The fact that the Army had to step in to keep the country from slipping into a political abyss in 2006 underlines the criticality of its role in providing stabi

The battle for States' rights in India
Feb 24, 2012

The battle for States' rights in India

Though it will be difficult for the Central Government and the States to agree upon certain foreign policy issues, they should work together on issues of national importance-such as terrorism and foreign policy-in order to enact policies that benefit its citizens.

The Bike-Taxi Alternative to Enhancing Urban Mobility in India
Aug 14, 2023

The Bike-Taxi Alternative to Enhancing Urban Mobility in India

Despite concerted efforts to improve urban public transport, the use of personal vehicles has increased across India. City administrations must consider promoting the use of paratransit vehicles, such as bike-taxis, that can provide ridership to more commuters than a private vehicle. While bike-taxis are prevalent in some Indian cities, their use is curtailed elsewhere in the country by state policy and statutes. Amid growing city congest

The Case for Agnipath
Aug 16, 2023

The Case for Agnipath

The Union Cabinet announced in June this year the Agnipath scheme, designed to recruit youths into the Other Ranks (ORs) of the Indian armed forces. The scheme, which came into effect immediately, will enable new recruits, or Agniveers, to serve in the military for four years. While the stated aim is to turn the Indian military into a younger and more tech-savvy force, this brief argues that there is also a strong financial imperative beh

The Case for Nurturing Military Scientists in the Indian Army
Jun 24, 2021

The Case for Nurturing Military Scientists in the Indian Army

Many countries across the world are harnessing disruptive technology to maintain technological superiority over their adversaries. Research and development (R&D) organisations are key to this task. In the defence sector, focused R&D drives critical innovations and product development. India continues to lag in defence technology and remains dependent on imports. A crucial impediment is long product development cycles. Under the cu

The Case for Waiving Intellectual Property Protection for Covid-19 Vaccines
Apr 06, 2021

The Case for Waiving Intellectual Property Protection for Covid-19 Vaccines

The arrival of vaccines against Covid-19 gives hope in ending the pandemic that has claimed close to 2.84 million lives so far. However, inoculating millions of people all over the world would require the massive production of vaccines, followed by their equitable distribution. An impediment to production and distribution of vaccines is the intellectual property (IP) rights that their developers enjoy. India and South Africa have together propo

The Changing Contours of Bhutan’s Foreign Policy and the Implications for China and India
Jun 01, 2022

The Changing Contours of Bhutan’s Foreign Policy and the Implications for China and India

Bhutan has historically maintained a neutral relationship with China, to its north, and a more special relationship with India, whose states border its west, east, and south. Over the past two decades, however, many factors are forcing Bhutan to settle its longstanding territorial disputes with China and diversify its relations. These factors include its own changing economy and transition from an absolute monarchy to a democracy, a gener

The Changing Global Trade Regime and Emergence of Mega FTAs: Strategy for India’s External Sector Sustainability
Jan 12, 2015

The Changing Global Trade Regime and Emergence of Mega FTAs: Strategy for India’s External Sector Sustainability

This study discusses three major mega free trade agreements (the TPP, TTIP and the RCEP) and attempts to develop a strategy for India to navigate the repercussions engendered by these groupings and thereby safeguard India?s trade and sustain its economic growth.

The Chinese interest in Special Drawing Rights
Apr 26, 2011

The Chinese interest in Special Drawing Rights

The fall in the value of the dollar would be worrying the central bankers in China because the value of their reserves also declines simultaneously. The promotion of the SDR agenda by the Chinese is certainly no coincidence given the position of the dollar today.

The complex battlefields of Iraq
Oct 10, 2005

The complex battlefields of Iraq

Yemen is the cradle to the Arabs, Iraq their grave. So goes an Arab proverb. Since March 2003 Iraq has certainly been the grave of a great many Arabs ¿ men, women, and children caught in the crossfire of a conflict wantonly unleashed to sustain a misbegotten thesis.

The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: The Promise and Perils of Sino-Indian Relations
May 18, 2015

The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: The Promise and Perils of Sino-Indian Relations

Why is it that despite sharing significant commonalities, India and China remain trapped in a relationship that projects them as inevitable rivals? This paper examines the promise of these bilateral relations and attempts to sound the death knell to the old narrative.

The Dynamics of LTTE’S Commercial Maritime Infrastructure
Jun 04, 2005

The Dynamics of LTTE’S Commercial Maritime Infrastructure

This paper examines the maritime infrastructure of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)--tracing the history of the development of its maritime organisation, infrastructure and strategy. The paper focuses on the salience of sea power as perceived by a violent non-state actor and provides a perspective on how non-state actors employ sea power in asymmetric conflicts

The Emerging Domains of Conflict in the 21st Century
Aug 14, 2023

The Emerging Domains of Conflict in the 21st Century

Human civilisation is at a new moment of transition across social norms, economics, governance, and the environment, and is facing the dawn of a new era of inter-planetary human migration (to Mars). In the future, historians will look to the first half of the 21st century to tell the story of how these changes started and unfolded through five domains of conflict. These domains touch on the unravelling of governance structures in need of

The EU After the Ukraine Crisis: Juxtaposing Issues of Convergence and Divergence
Apr 21, 2023

The EU After the Ukraine Crisis: Juxtaposing Issues of Convergence and Divergence

The crisis in Ukraine has resulted in an unprecedented level of unity in the often-fractured European Union (EU). The member states have provided Ukraine with economic and military aid, imposed far-reaching sanctions on Russia, strengthened their own defences, and accepted millions of Ukrainian refugees. At the same time, nuanced divergences have also emerged, particularly on how the countries view relations with Russia and calculate thei

The European Union as a security actor: View from India
Jan 15, 2015

The European Union as a security actor: View from India

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.

The Fintech Landscape in India and Africa: A Primer
Aug 16, 2023

The Fintech Landscape in India and Africa: A Primer

The adoption of digital payments has risen exponentially over the past decade in many countries including India and those in the African continent. In India, the growth has run parallel to rapid mobile penetration, aided by initiatives like Aadhaar, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and IndiaStack, as well as the unintended push factor created by demonetisation in November 2016. This brief discusses the landscape of fintech—‘finan

The Future of Care Work Post-COVID-19
Sep 08, 2021

The Future of Care Work Post-COVID-19

Care work, both paid and unpaid, is at the heart of most economies. The care sector comprises formal healthcare, childcare services, early childhood education, disability and long-term care, and eldercare. Two-thirds of care workers globally are women, and women and girls perform more than three-quarters of all unpaid care work. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the vulnerability of care workers and deepened the gender gap. This paper a

The Future of Cyber Warfare in the Indo-Pacific
Jan 13, 2023

The Future of Cyber Warfare in the Indo-Pacific

The rapid growth in military cyber capabilities of the countries in the Indo-Pacific combined with the use of assets from the cyberwarfare toolbox—in domestic and interstate contexts—is adding uncertainty to already competitive political, military, and economic relations. This issue brief assesses the cyberwarfare context in the Indo-Pacific, and reviews the military cyber capabilities of the region’s countries and their commitment to inter

The Future of Cyberwarfare in the Indo-Pacific
Jan 13, 2023

The Future of Cyberwarfare in the Indo-Pacific

The rapid growth in military cyber capabilities of the countries in the Indo-Pacific combined with the use of assets from the cyberwarfare toolbox—in domestic and interstate contexts—is adding uncertainty to already competitive political, military, and economic relations. This issue brief assesses the cyberwarfare context in the Indo-Pacific, and reviews the military cyber capabilities of the region’s countries and their commitment to inter

The future of the Indian workforce: A new approach for the new economy
Mar 21, 2018

The future of the Indian workforce: A new approach for the new economy

India is at a crossroads. It has the largest young workforce anywhere in the world, and is the fastest growing economy today. At the same time, the economy is not creating enough jobs, and therefore not fully harnessing its “demographic dividend” in preparation for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”. To create more and better jobs, certain fundamental realities need to be recognised – the untapped opportunities in the services sector, t

The Geopolitical Imperative for Reorganising Global Supply Chains
Aug 14, 2023

The Geopolitical Imperative for Reorganising Global Supply Chains

Global supply chains are being restructured to achieve distinct geopolitical goals, given the strategic vulnerability of such networks due to being controlled by a few nations. Countries that are prominent sourcing hubs for some supply chains could potentially ‘weaponise’ their economic influence for larger geopolitical gains. This brief argues that although multiple global efforts have been initiated to address such threats, efforts

The global space race, 2.0
Feb 14, 2018

The global space race, 2.0

Asia’s growing space race is indicative of the larger geopolitical competition in the region. China’s rise and the strategic uncertainties it has created are particularly worrying to India and Japan, leading to surprisingly fast-growing India-Japan strategic cooperation.

The granting of exemptions from US sanctions on Iran: An analysis of its implications
Nov 22, 2018

The granting of exemptions from US sanctions on Iran: An analysis of its implications

In an effort to financially hobble Iran, the United States mandated nations to halt their imports of crude from the country by early November, or else risk attracting sanctions themselves from Washington. Not long after, the US announced that eight nations will be exempted from these sanctions, supposedly in recognition of their effort to cut down on their imports of Iranian oil. This brief argues that while it is true that certain countries did

The great Indian exam debacle
Jul 21, 2017

The great Indian exam debacle

The “marks moderation” debate, which made headlines this summer, [1] resulted in a frenzied, but incomplete, media coverage. There has been litigation as well, stalling the declaration of high-school results of students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and various state boards. This brief aims to demonstrate how the reliance on a simplistic metric—of a 101-

The Great Power Game still continues
Feb 02, 2012

The Great Power Game still continues

Closer home, the Great Power Game will be played in the unstable fields of Ayatollahs' Iran, a Talibanised Afghanistan, whose leaders have their own world view, and a Sunni radicalised nuclearised Pakistan. The main contestants will be China and the US and our strategic planners may have to start planning for an uncertain future.

The Greening Imperative: How Indian States Are Promoting Sustainable Industry
May 25, 2021

The Greening Imperative: How Indian States Are Promoting Sustainable Industry

With natural resources being exploited beyond scope of regeneration, excessive pollutants accumulating in the biosphere, and ecosystems and biodiversity undergoing life-threatening degradation, industrial policies that steer investment towards a greener economy have become an imperative. This paper examines the green component of the industrial policies of 14 Indian states which have been found to be responsible for more than 80 percent o

The I2U2: Where Geography and Economics Meet
Feb 27, 2023

The I2U2: Where Geography and Economics Meet

Minilateral organisations have increased in number in recent years, reflecting a new paradigm in international relations. The I2U2 (India, Israel, United States and UAE), launched in July this year, is one such minilateral. With its priorities set on a geoeconomic agenda, the I2U2 is being driven by both, the member countries’ own motivations and their shared interests. This brief gives an overview of the grouping and its objectives. It

The Impact of COVID-19 on Children and Adolescents: Early Evidence in India
Mar 04, 2021

The Impact of COVID-19 on Children and Adolescents: Early Evidence in India

This brief collects and analyses current evidence in India regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of children (5-9 years) and adolescents (10-19). Using the ‘snowball retrieval’ strategy, the authors identified peer-reviewed studies, reports and government articles published between January 2020 and February 2021 that were relevant to the research question. The brief finds that not only are children and adolescent

The Imperatives of India’s Climate Response
Oct 25, 2021

The Imperatives of India’s Climate Response

As the global climate crisis intensifies, nations are becoming more hard-pressed to formulate responses that will be acceptable to all stakeholders. In an effort to understand India’s approach to addressing the challenges of climate change, this paper describes the natural circumstances that have historically shaped its responses. The paper also discusses the most crucial imperatives that have guided such actions and suggests that these

The Implications of India’s Revised Roadmap for Biofuels: A Lifecycle Perspective
Aug 14, 2023

The Implications of India’s Revised Roadmap for Biofuels: A Lifecycle Perspective

Transport activity in India has increased more than sevenfold over the last two decades, its gasoline-fuelled pathway leading to a rapid rise in negative environmental externalities. To decouple the sector’s growth from high emissions, policymakers are scaling up efforts to deploy cleaner fuels for the sector; in particular, liquid biofuels have received a significant push. However, while biofuels help lower emissions at the point of us

The Jihadi Factor in India-Pakistan Peace Process
May 01, 2006

The Jihadi Factor in India-Pakistan Peace Process

The India-Pakistan peace process, punctuated with -uctuating waves of optimism and anxiety, has completed three years, and it is appropriate, and timely, to review whether the primary On April 22, 2003 the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told the Indian Parliament that India was unilaterally opening “the doors for talks” with Pakistan. The offer was based on two simple premises: one, that Pakistan would stop cross-border in

The Kashmir that India Lost: An Analysis of India’s Post-1980s Policy on Gilgit Baltistan
Apr 25, 2022

The Kashmir that India Lost: An Analysis of India’s Post-1980s Policy on Gilgit Baltistan

This paper dissects the history and politics of Gilgit-Baltistan, a part of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), from the 1980s to the present day. It analyses the policies implemented by Pakistani leaders in the region and how successive political parties have attempted to justify Pakistan’s administrative control of it while disregarding any democratic, secular or moral principles in the ruling of its supposed subjects. The pap