The warm reception given to Pakistan's Army Chief in Washington is more than symbolic. It indicates Washington's strategic calculation—that India, despite its rhetoric, is becoming a more problematic partner. Washington, while not forsaking India, is hedging its bets. Its embrace of Pakistan is a backup plan.
India’s states play an outsized role in public spending accounting for nearly +/- 60% of total government expenditure. However, their fiscal health varies greatly across pan India. As someone closely observing both macroeconomic trends and grassroots governance models, I notice a growing divide between states that follow prudent fiscal practices and those still trapped in populist spending cycles.
When democracies embrace the traits of war economies and view peace as a sign of weakness, we need to question not about those who benefit from war, but rather about those who continue to engage in it. Not only does it include safety, but it also includes power, contracts, careers, and control.
The age of overt, high-visibility strikes is diminishing in returns. Covert operations, cyber infiltration, and disrupting terror logistics silently deliver greater impact at a lower political cost. India needs to establish a dedicated Psychological and Information Warfare Command, rather than relying solely on MEA press briefings or tweets from leaders.
What sets these protests apart was their apolitical nature, illustrating that regardless of how firmly a government may seem entrenched in power, movements grounded in just causes can expose the vulnerability of even the most resilient regimes, as recent events have clearly shown.
Cross-border arms and drug trafficking has always been there in the region, with recent reports suggesting large quantities of guns being shipped to Manipur from an illicit market located close to the border between China and Myanmar. Drugs are being used by the insurgent group to finance their procurement of arms and fund other illicit activities.
The Brussels-based think tank Egmont Institute, in a policy brief in April, said individual EU member States attach a lot of importance to their bilateral relationship with New Delhi and are interacting with the Indian government at the highest level. “However, visits of the leaders of the EU institutions to India are rare. One fails to see a real political interest in India from the Commission President and from the President of the European Council.”
China, Pakistan and Russia have clearly and unequivocally declared that they will exercise ‘FIRST USE OF NUKES’ option under certain circumstances. For China and Pakistan, India is the target. Yet our Chief of Defence Staff and premier think tank viz Centre for Air Power Studies, IDSA, USI and many others continue to ‘sing’ the outdated NFU policy.
The recurrent border killings have been a source of tension between India and Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has consistently urged India to implement non-lethal measures and exercise restraint in border management. In response, India has underscored the challenge of securing a frontier that is both expansive and permeable while also committing to reducing the use of lethal force.
Is it not time for India to set up a committee like the one in the UK to ensure the implementation of norms which combat misconceptions about other religions? In India many misconceptions are prevailing and no impactful effort has been undertaken to counter these. These misconceptions have spread very dangerously in society.
Afghanistan has turned into fertile ground for terrorist groups from around the world. If the flow of terrorism continues unchecked in Afghanistan, there is little doubt that the world could face another incident similar to 9/11, or perhaps something even worse. Today, Afghanistan has become a security black hole for the regional countries and the world overall.
The irony is that Manipur is where the Chinese and American interests coincide against India. But the need is to look at ourselves in the mirror. If we provide a readymade asymmetric battlefield to overt or covert inimical forces, why would they not exploit it?
The combative rise of China has challenged US hegemony in global relations. In such a world, the crafting of a foreign policy that ensures national security requires vigilance, patience, caution, economic and military clout, and more importantly, constant risk management that enables India to maintain its strategic autonomy.
Many fear that the Balochistan situation could lead to a 1971-like crisis that split the country due to centralised power, military operations against civilians, and foreign overreach. Why, then, have these lessons not been learned?
The ethnic cleansing under Biren Singh’s watch broke all records – Kuki-Zo women paraded naked and subjected to mass rape publicly, with some token FIRs. This is also viewed as the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has avoided visiting violence-stricken Manipur in the past 16 months.
The Kolkata case is a stark reminder of the persistent failures of India's criminal justice system in addressing sexual violence against women. To truly address the issue of rape in India, there must be a holistic approach that includes legal reforms
South Asia’s quest for gold medals at the 2028 Olympics requires a strategic and collaborative effort. By learning from the successes of sports legends like Michael Phelps and Caeleb Dressel, and addressing key areas such as infrastructure, coaching, and talent development, South Asia can enhance its Olympic performance.
The lesson from the Bangladesh protests reaffirm the fact that governments and their agencies should handle grievances of citizens promptly, with sincerity and fairness, or retributive justice will follow that is unhealthy for democracy. Currently, it is imperative for internal peace along with cultural safety to be restored in Bangladesh, or the nation will drift miles away from democracy.
There is a strong case to develop MVI for all countries of South Asia based on climate and other vulnerability indicators so that these countries could access and channelise green finance to fulfil their SDG goals.
