India elderly (Representational Photo)

A silent struggle of India’s ageing population: Can entrepreneurs see an opportunity in the elderly?

A growing concept in India, known as silver economics, aims to empower elderly individuals to become entrepreneurs, enabling them to take control of their own solutions and challenging the notion that entrepreneurship is reserved exclusively for the younger generation.

Jaishankar's visit to Colombo: Will it signal continuity or change in bilateral ties under Dissanayake government?

Analysts believe that Jaishanakar's visit will be a significant opportunity for India to reinforce its commitment to providing development support for its strategically situated Indian Ocean neighbor amid worries about a shift in its foreign policy under the new president.  

Pakistan seeking to reshape regional dynamics through stronger Central Asia, Azerbaijan ties

Pakistan’s pivot to geo-economics has gained significant momentum, particularly in the context of its deepening ties with Central Asian Republics and Azerbaijan, aligning with the country's goal of becoming a regional trade hub

Can Pakistan and Bangladesh overcome historical grievances to redefine relations?

For India, Pakistan and Bangladesh's defence cooperation is reason for concern. The long, porous border between India and Bangladesh, along with New Delhi's historical position as a vital supporter of Dhaka, make any reconciliation between Islamabad and Dhaka a sensitive matter. The weapons agreement, in particular, has fuelled suspicion in India about a potential shift in Bangladesh's outlook, particularly in light of the anti-India rhetoric that surrounded the protests that led to Hasina's removal.

More on Spotlight

The Afghan deadlock: Was it a Trump subterfuge or a secret understanding?

Trump realized that the draft deal, if signed, would be labeled a surrender to the Taliban, which would be politically damaging for him. Another reason could be that he never really wanted to meet the Taliban, but wanted to showcase the peace efforts made, and place indirect pressure on them through the subterfuge writes Lt Gen PC Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Quietly, India crafts a new strategic partnership with Africa

With India's growing political and strategic interest in the continent, and inclination to leverage its diaspora as an instrument of soft power, it’s natural for New Delhi to establish a beachhead in Somalia, that straddles the Horn of Africa,  the source of the Nile and a gate to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through which tens of thousands of vessels pass through Somali waters every year in what is one of the world’s busiest sea-trading lanes, writes Tarun Basu for South Asia Monitor

Trump cancelling Taliban pact brings relief to world capitals, including Delhi

Delhi has not yet made an official statement, but legitimizing the Taliban at a Camp David ceremony would  have had an adverse impact on India’s strategic interests in the region, writes C Uday Bhaskar for South Asia Monitor

Putting NRC in perspective: Assam is not communal, has never been

For an outsider, the NRC process has come to be perceived as anti-Muslim. This is drawing the line along religious identity—a factor to which the indigenous Assamese Muslim community does not agree, but whose voice has been largely ignored in this massive debate, writes Azera Parveen Rahman for South Asia Monitor

Af-Pak region can become another Syria after US withdrawal

Trump ordering withdrawal of some troops is very much on the cards. The situation in Afghanistan over the next few months is unpredictable, with the internal turmoil and economic situation in Pakistan also deteriorating, writes Lt Gen Prakash Chand Katoch  (retd) for South Asia Monitor

Vatican diplomacy can help Sri Lanka leverage its strengths

Sri Lanka, being an Indian Ocean island nation strategically located at the international maritime crossroads, has significant diplomatic influence in the West due its Christian community, write Srimal Fernando and Mizly Nizar for South Asia Monitor

Credible deterrence must remain leitmotif of India’s security policies

The creation of a CDS cannot (and must not) be an isolated action because it carries with it a whole new ecosystem that can transform India’s national security paradigm. writes Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) for South Asia Monitor

India must rethink its Balochistan policy

Why can’t India begin by addressing the Balochistan problem at international forums, especially the heavy-handed suppression and continuing human rights abuses the people of that province face?, writes Nilova Roy Chaudhury for South Asia Monitor

India needs to watch out for Pakistan's diabolical moves to stir conflict

Pakistan's only real option is to provoke large scale communal conflict simultaneously in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Kashmir, which can spread to other regions. That can be blamed on the ruling dispensation's 'anti-Muslim' policies, against which many voices have been raised in India, writes Subir Bhaumik for South Asia Monitor

To craft peace in Kashmir its youth must be given confidence

Showing political will at the highest level is of little help unless it works at ground level. The government must take Kashmiri people, particularly the youth, into confidence to instill buoyancy into every faith-filled Kashmiri's heart, writes Debasish Bhattacharyya for South Asia Monitor

Has dengue become a security threat to Bangladesh?

Hundreds of dengue-affected patients are receiving treatment in different public and private hospitals in Dhaka, but hospitals are full to the brim and facing challenges to handle the crisis due to lack of sufficient equipment and manpower, writes Akmal Hossain for South Asia Monitor

Nepal-India relations must overcome the trust deficit

There is a clear sense that something is missing in the present relationship between the Indian and Nepali governments. Both should work to develop harmony and trust and mitigate the trust deficit, writes Gaurab Shumsher Thapa for South Asia Monitor

India should guard against terror, communal violence over Kashmir

Pakistan will try to enhance terrorist activities not only in J&K but in all of India. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence may activate and instruct its sleeper cells to carry out terrorist activities in communally sensitive places so that communal riots erupt in the country, writes J K Verma for South Asia Monitor

Some deft 'Modiplomacy' at G7, but Kashmir handling a challenge

The Kashmir issue may have been handled deftly at the global politico-diplomatic level, but the abiding challenge for India remains domestic, writes C Uday Bhaskar for South Asia Monitor

A strategic partnership at stake: UK needs to correct Kashmir policy

PM Modi has made it clear that it cannot be business as usual. The UK would need to carefully consider whether its pre-1947 agenda of promoting an autonomous Muslim state at the intersection of South and Central Asia is a desirable objective for the West, wrties Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor