As Pakistan may play dirty with Indian aid to Afghanistan transiting its territory, India could consider the Iran route, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (Retd) for South Asia Monitor
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
More on Spotlight
The unprecedented rise of the Indian-American CEO in corporate America
There’s no doubt we will see a growing number of Indians leading companies in America and around the world. And we hope that more of these leaders will be women, writes Raj L Gupta for South Asia Monitor
CPEC: A harbinger of utopia or misery for the people of Gwadar?
The success of the CPEC project, which is dubbed as a “game-changer” for the region, will be in question if the concerns of the people of Gwadar are not dealt with practically by the Pakistani establishment, writes Nizam Hassan for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan exploiting Gwadar in the garb of CPEC
Disregarding Gwadar in particular and forsaking Balochistan in general is causing a sense of alienation among the people, writes Mannan Samad for South Asia Monitor
Why Ghani failed Afghanistan: Culture of corruption, mismanagement and disrespect
Many competent and high qualified individuals refused to work in Ghani's administration and quit their jobs in frustration, writes Qudratullah Karimi for South Asia Monitor
Work-life conflict in Covid era: Is ICT a boon or a curse?
Technological domination by developed nations emerges as a new form of colonization as developing countries are the markets, writes Dr Mohammad Rezaul Karim for South Asia Monitor
Omicron and vaccine inequity: How to fix a broken system
Covid-19 led to disconnected efforts of governments, severely damaging global supply chain linkages, now leading to Omicron strain, writes Akshat Singh for South Asia Monitor
Ending global fishery subsidies: India leads the fight
Overfishing by highly subsidized distant water fishing fleets threaten the low-income countries that depend on fish for food sovereignty, hurting livelihoods of fisherfolk of this region like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Why no Bangladesh leader as chief guest at India's Republic Day yet?
It remains unclear why no leader from India’s closest neighbour Bangladesh has ever been a chief guest at the Republic Day parade, writes Nilova Roy Chaudhury for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan's headaches multiplying: Afghan spillover, Chinese pressure compounding economic woes
Pakistan seems headed to greater instability with Taliban cadres joining ISIS-K against China for genocide against Muslims in Xinjiang, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor
Post-Glasgow, India should become a leader in the green energy drive
By becoming a leader in the green energy movement now, India can reap economic and climate change benefits for the nation and its citizens in the future, writes Frank F Islam for South Asia Monitor
Playing with fire: Communal flames in India pose a national threat
It is a sad picture of India of the 21st century that communal fires have erupted in states as far apart as Tripura and Maharashtra, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor
Why Sri Lanka and Bangladesh need a FTA
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh must sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and, if needed, a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to boost trade and connectivity, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Why a strategic turnaround by Modi on the farm laws
The Modi government in India has repealed farm laws as it does not want to pay a political price in coming state elections, writes Jagdish Rattanani for South Asia Monitor
How bad is Afghanistan’s economy? Recipe for a failed state
Extractive institutions ensured that the limited gains of growth in Afghanistan were cornered by political elites like warlords, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
