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The Race for Strategic Minerals: South Asia's Geopolitical Moment

The Quad's Critical Minerals Initiative provides an important platform for achieving these objectives. Through coordinated investments, technology sharing and supply-chain diversification, the initiative seeks to create resilient and transparent mineral supply networks. Australia contributes abundant mineral reserves, Japan offers advanced processing technologies, the United States brings investment and innovation capabilities, while India provides a rapidly expanding market and growing manufacturing base.

Ganga Water Treaty Renewal: A National Priority for Bangladesh, a Strategic Opportunity for India

Renewing the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty could also serve as an important confidence-building measure between Bangladesh and India. A renewed agreement would help restore mutual trust and strengthen regional cooperation over shared water resources. It would further reinforce the role of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), which remains a key institutional mechanism for addressing transboundary river issues.

Top EU Diplomatic Visit Signals Reassessment of Pakistan's Strategic Value

By recognising Pakistan’s role in the Iran crisis, Brussels is signalling that influence in today's international system is increasingly distributed across multiple actors, not concentrated solely in Washington, Beijing, or Moscow. This fits with the EU’s broader effort to develop a more autonomous and flexible foreign policy in a more multipolar world.

Regional Geopolitical Powerplay a Challenge for Improved India-Myanmar Relations

China is a major defence exporter for Myanmar, but it has been arming both the Tatmadaw and the rebel forces. China’s aim is to secure its strategic highway through Myanmar to the Bay of Bengal and counter American and Indian influence in the region, including Myanmar and Bangladesh.

More on Geopolitics and Strategic Affairs

India’s tactics against China: A game theory perspective

While there is a common belief that the tit-for-tat game that India is playing with China is petty and self-destructive, this strategy has been proven to be pretty useful in the  current  faceoff, writes Akshat MIttal for South Asia Monitor

Japan-Bangladesh joint project brings paradigm shift in public delivery services

The Cabinet Division of Bangladesh, the executive office of the Prime Minister, has included kaizen in the annual performance agreement (APA) with the allocation of some weightage, writes Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Karim for South Asia Monitor 

Determinants in Nepal-India affiliation: Time for redefining special relationship

What is needed between the two countries is close cooperation and not a competition – this is obligatory in the Nepal-India relationship – and of course, no confrontation both at political and people-to-people relations, as this will lead to a catastrophic, writes Maj. Gen. Binoj Basnyat (retd) for South Asia Monitor

South Asia: An assessment for a post-COVID economic recovery

The dilemma of growing COVID-19 cases and reviving economic activity is crucial at this juncture which the leadership in the South Asia region will have to resolve and, herein, lies the challenge for it, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

Does revival of Pak cinema depend upon India?

Pakistani cinema industry, even as it fears being swamped by Bollywood, realises the need for films from India that, given the common culture, resonate well with the cinegoers, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

Corporatisation of ordnance factory board: A strategic necessity for India

In view of the unprecedented tension between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army on the Line of Actual Control since early May 2020, it is vitally important for ordnance factories to be able to meet large requirements of arms, ammunition, vehicles, and various equipment, writes Col Anil Bhat (retd) for South Asia Monitor

South Asia and its COVID-related maritime crisis in the Indian Ocean Region (World Maritime Day September 24)

The scourge of the COVID pandemic has radically altered the nature of the challenge cum dangers lurking in the maritime sector for South Asia as related to the Indian Ocean and the surrounding seas, writes C Uday Bhaskar for South Asia Monitor

Addressing Muslim developmental needs in India is a hand-up, not a hand-out

Although madrasas educate only between 2-4% of Muslim children and youth, they need to modernize their curriculum and move away from Islamic centric or Islamic-only education to a holistic approach that enables these students to integrate fully into Indian society, writes Frank Islam for South Asia Monitor

Is a ‘boycott’ of Indian pharma products in the EU market justifiable?

The global healthcare has benefited hugely from the Indian pharmaceutical industry, and from generic drugs that the Indian pharmaceutical industry produces for the world,  writes Sunil Prasad for South Asia Monitor 

IPL evolves to suit the pandemic times: Platform for young and talented cricketers

Now it became possible for young and talented cricketers with abilities to shoot into the top rung via the IPL. With cricket now being played increasingly across South Asia, one sees rising stars from Afghanistan and Nepal also in the IPL mix, writes Col Ravi Rajan (retd) for South Asia Monitor  

Rise of sub-conventional threat from Pakistan and Afghanistan should worry Iran

Having a porous border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, Iran should focus more on institutionalized Shia killings in these countries, not Gulf states normalizing relations with Israel, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Needed - a cycling revolution in India

COVID-19 has ushered in a global movement for cycling and India is slowly catching up to that trend with cycling to work, cycling for leisure and fitness becoming more acceptable than ever before, writes Pankaj M Munjal for South Asia Monitor

Giving preventive healthcare its due: Importance of naturopathy and yoga in disease prevention and management

Integrating complementary approaches into the primary care setting will help widen its reach and efficacy and help India promote a healthcare service delivery model that will be unique in its approach and act as an example for developing countries across the world, writes K R Raghunath for South Asia Monitor

On Nepal’s Constitution Day: Time to celebrate its unique, progressive features

The ambitious provisions of fundamental rights mentioned in Nepal’s Constitution would lose its charm if the state turns a deaf ear in giving effect to its provisions in a true and material sense, writes Jivesh Jha  for South Asia Monitor

India’s onion export ban leaves South Asia teary-eyed

Onions may just be a singular example but if unwritten undertakings are violated, the saga of bans exemplify a larger story of how a trust deficit ensures that trade within South Asia remains perhaps the lowest in the world, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor