russia pak military exercises Courtesy: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
29 September 2016

Russia’s zero sum games in Asia

Russia's decision to go ahead with joint military exercises with Pakistan is the latest move in Putin's flexible and pragmatic Asian foreign policy playbook. However, whether it will be worth having provoked Indian ire remains to be seen.

IMG_20160811_160515-01 Courtesy: A Salute to the Sword Arm
11 August 2016

Partition 1947: the navy we didn’t see

15 August 1947 saw the division of more than a country. There were other spoils that were split: the Royal Indian Navy was one of them. This included not just a division of assets, but also of staff, whom the British Royal Navy had trained. This led to a piquant situation

Wah_Umngot_River_Dawki_Meghalaya_Border_Crossing_Bangladesh_India Courtesy:
27 July 2016

Listening to the Rivers

India's North Eastern States are part of one of the largest fluvial regions, they share this region with five other nations. At a recent conference, held on the sidelines of the the Nadi Festival in Shillong, the message of 'Listen to the dignity of the river' struck a chord with all present, and is a message which should be carried across the region.

1042327973 Courtesy: Sputnik News
6 July 2016

Terrorism in Bangladesh

The recent terror attacks in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, turned the spotlight on the country’s increasingly violent and volatile political situation. The interplay of deep political divisions, the rise of radicalised student politics, religious extremism, which the government has failed to rein in, and the spread of trans-national terror networks has created a toxic cocktail in Bangladesh with dangerous implications for India.

Asia_topic_image_Satellite_image Courtesy: Wikipedia
26 May 2016

Bioregions: India’s strategic imperative

Prime Minister Modi’s term has been marked by a resolve to improve cooperation among South Asian nations. These proactive efforts can bear rich fruit if the Modi government promotes the concept of geoeconomic and geopolitical equations being seen through the lens of bioregions. There are significant precedents which the Modi government can build upon

Andaman Courtesy: Wikipedia
26 May 2016

Andaman & Nicobar: an underutilised asset

Does India plan to remodel its Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a launching pad for future security operations to check growing Chinese inroads in the Indian Ocean Region? Development of the islands has long been ignored to India’s detriment, and their strategic position in the Indian Ocean, underutilised.

Shahbag_Projonmo_Square_Uprising_Demanding_Death_Penalty_of_the_War_Criminals_of_1971_in_Bangladesh_09 Courtesy: Wikipedia
13 May 2016

Nizami hangs: Bangladesh on a new edge?

With the possibility of the Jamaat-e-Islami being officially banned through a resolution in the Bangladesh parliament, what will happen to its followers and activists? Will it cease to exist as a political and ideological force or, in the absence of a political platform, will its ideological followers strive to find alternate ways to make their existence felt?

US India Navy Courtesy: Ash Carter / Flickr
16 April 2016

India-U.S.: convergence and divergence

The success of the U.S. Defense Secretary's recent visit to India is indicative of the deepening India-U.S. defence relationship. It has become clear that Indo-U.S. maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean is steaming ahead; while other geopolitical differences, like the sale of aircraft to Pakistan, seem unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

Happiness Index Courtesy: Buisness Insider
14 April 2016

Measuring happiness

The World Happiness Report 2016 has listed India at 118th place – the lowest rank among BRICS. While there is a strong case for holistic metrics that map actual well-being, research in happiness needs to be taken with a pinch of scepticism.