US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.

New Civilisational Thesis of Western Renewal Risks Reviving Spectres of Colonialism and Racism

After Munich, Rubio travelled to Budapest and aligned himself warmly with Orbán’s government, praising Hungary’s trajectory. For European leaders committed to participatory democracy and the rule of law, the signal must have been disquieting. It suggested that Washington’s conception of Western solidarity may prioritise cultural homogeneity over liberal pluralism.

Trump’s Tariff Shock and India’s Export Reset: A Tech-Led Turn in the Making

The structural transformation of India’s export basket is no longer incremental—it is systemic. Technology-driven industries with higher value addition are steadily outpacing traditional sectors. If managed strategically, external tariff pressures could accelerate this transition. Rather than viewing tariff hikes solely as a threat, India can leverage them as a catalyst for deeper integration into global supply chains and stronger positioning in high-technology manufacturing. The reshaping of India’s export architecture is already underway. The tariff shock may simply fast-forward the process.

AI Encounters in Indian Higher Education: In Search of Humans in the Loop

Considering the potential of AI in solving complex questions and generating contents in individual writing styles, institutions need to ask a few fundamental questions - what is the role of academia in ensuring that the learners are not being slaves to AI, but masters who are aware of the potential bias and hallucinations that has a huge impact on knowledge acquisition and dissemination?  Should it be a social responsibility of higher educational institutions to ensure meaningful curriculum and assessment practices which make learners future ready in such a rapidly changing AI era?

Cryptocurrency and the Emergence of a Parallel Financial Architecture in South Asia

Recent global adoption indices confirms that South Asia has become one of the most dynamic regions for cryptocurrency engagement, with implications for remittance use. According to the 2025 crypto adoption index by Chainalysis, India secured the top position worldwide in overall crypto adoption across retail usage, reflecting pervasive grassroots digital activity. Pakistan and Bangladesh also feature prominently, with Pakistan ranking among top three in Asia and Bangladesh within top 20

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Bengaluru Cricket Stampede: A Mirror To Our Misplaced Priorities

Cricket—especially the IPL—is a multi-billion-rupee industry. In 2023 alone, IPL revenue touched Rs.11,770 crores, with the BCCI posting a surplus of Rs.5,120 crores. Over three years, its cumulative profits crossed ₹15,000 crores. And yet, the world’s richest sports body pays no tax—shielded by a “charitable” status. In stark contrast, research labs and educational institutions are taxed.

When Hate Overpowers Reason: Managing The Complex India-Pakistan Relationship

India’s Pakistan Conundrum is a comprehensive and somewhat concrete account of the dynamics of the power and politics in Pakistan. Though one can differ with various minor details, one must remember that the author is a diplomat, a civil servant from India, so the burden of resolving theoretical riddles is not his to carry. However, what he must be applauded for is acknowledging Pakistan's problems

Unprecedented Global Tensions in 2025: Credibility Of Global Order At Stake

The twin crises of South Asia and the Middle East in 2025 reflect a dangerous transformation of global order from a managed, rules-based system to an increasingly fragmented and militarized world. The absence of consistent international norms, selective diplomacy, and double standards by great powers are undermining peace efforts and pushing humanity closer to irreversible confrontation.

The Kananaskis Declaration That the G7 Will Never Write: A Summit of Ironies Amidst Burning Forests

But this declaration will never be signed. The actual G7 communiqué will likely promise "managed decline" disguised as "leadership"—words drafted in servitude to the oil beneath Alberta’s soil, not in the spirit of its majestic mountains.

Middle East On The Brink: What India Must Do to Shield Its Economy

The Middle East’s volatility is not an outlier—it’s a feature of the emerging global order. India’s challenge is to anticipate these tectonic shifts and act with strategic foresight, not just tactical response. Energy security, export competitiveness, and supply chain resilience must now be treated as interlinked pillars of national power. Failing to adapt could make India a casualty of distant wars.

Op Sindoor: Were India's Strategic Objectives Fulfilled?

The absence of any form of engagement with Pakistan other than military has narrowed India’s options substantially. As a sovereign state, Pakistan cannot be seen to nor will it bow to coercive tactics. The current Indian establishment’s perennially punitive approach to Pakistan and efforts to humiliate it as an object of domestic ridicule has not yielded any dividends.

50 years of G7: Multilateralism in need of renewal

For India, this summit offers a dual opportunity. First, to shape a more inclusive multilateralism; one that amplifies the Global South’s priorities on energy, security, and digital equity. Second, to rebuild strained ties with Canada, a relationship marred by recent tensions but too strategically important to neglect. 

A Month After Op Sindoor: More Questions Than Answers

So if another terror attack happens, will India launch another deep-strike operation with all the attendant risks of escalation? And how long can the tit-for-tat actions continue with the loss of soldiers and civilian lives and homes and attendant costs of military armoury and infrastructure destruction at a time when economic growth and dwindling jobs need all the attention?

Drones Over the Subcontinent: India’s New Strategic Edge

The broader picture is clear: drones have dramatically shifted the cost calculus of modern warfare. As analysts have noted, $10,000 drones are now routinely met with $2 million missiles. Only a country capable of producing its own unmanned systems, and adjusting its tactics in real time, can maintain strategic credibility under such conditions. 

Is Bangladesh slipping toward a praetorian state?

Bangladesh’s 2024 crisis has significantly strained civil-military relations. The military’s instrumental role in ousting Hasina and installing the interim government has amplified concerns of a deepening praetorian drift. As Yunus’s control weakens amid economic turmoil, law-and-order issues, and geopolitical friction, the military appears increasingly assertive—opposing civilian initiatives and resisting reforms.

Pakistan’s Dwindling Foothold In Afghanistan Market: Need To Restore Trust Between Islamabad And Kabul

The recent clash between Pakistan and India after the Pahalgam attack on April 22 has created concerns in Kabul over  Afghanistan’s trade flow. Abdul Latif Nazari, a Taliban deputy minister of economy, emphasized, “Tensions in India-Pakistan relations negatively impact Afghanistan’s economic situation". 

Eco-Theater in South Asia: The Real Cost of Greenwashing

The climate crisis isn’t waiting. In South Asia, it’s already arrived — in the form of droughts, deadly heat waves, and flash floods. These are not future risks. They’re happening now. And for communities facing those impacts, a corporation’s sustainability page doesn’t count for much. This region deserves better than slogans. It deserves action that doesn’t just sound good but does good — for the air, for the water, and for the people whose lives are tied to both.

Cyber Violence Is Silencing Women in Bangladesh

One high-profile case involving a Bangladeshi actress made this painfully clear. When private videos of her were leaked by a former fiance, the fallout was swift—but not for the man who betrayed her. The scrutiny, the mockery, the moral judgment—it all landed squarely on her shoulders. The technology was modern; the public reaction was anything but.

Bangladesh Not Sliding Into Radicalism: Indian Media Peddling False Narratives, Will Harm Ties

Indian media’s portrayal of Bangladesh as sliding into extremism also threatens to derail valuable regional cooperation initiatives. South Asia is one of the least integrated regions in the world, despite shared histories and cultural ties. Any attempt to isolate Bangladesh or provoke fear-mongering narratives does not serve the interests of the region’s people. India and Bangladesh have enjoyed largely cordial relations in recent years; however such baseless media narratives risk fraying this relationship

A Looming Water Crisis for Bangladesh: Will Dhaka-Delhi Renegotiate Ganga Water Treaty?

Amid reported Indian reluctance, Dhaka has turned to Beijing for a 50-year master plan on river management. This has raised alarms in Delhi, especially as the proposed infrastructure is near the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor, a 22-kilometer-wide stretch connecting India to its northeastern states. Dhaka's pivot towards Beijing may ultimately disrupt the regional balance of power.