If asset monetization is undertaken with strict oversight, it can be the most effective remedy to dispel the pervading gloom of an ailing economy, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Lessons from Trump-Iran Deal: Strategic Autonomy is not a Luxury for India
India's rise as a major global power will depend not on the promises of allies or the intentions of adversaries but on its capacity to build economic strength, military capability, technological innovation, and strategic resilience. Partnerships will remain important. Cooperation will remain valuable. Engagement with the United States and other powers will continue to serve Indian interests. But the foundation of India's security cannot rest in Washington, Moscow, Beijing, or any other foreign capital.
Whither Disarmament? Nuclear Weapons Remain Deeply Embedded in National Security Doctrines
However, evolving regional dynamics, particularly China’s expansion and Pakistan’s tactical nuclear developments, continue to test the durability and interpretation of this doctrine. While India has officially reiterated its commitment to No First Use, debates persist within strategic circles about its future applicability under extreme scenarios.
With a New-Gen Government in Kathmandu, are India–Nepal Relations Headed for a Reset?
The significance of Shisir Khanal’s visit therefore lies not only in the agreements reached but in the broader message it conveyed. Both Kathmandu and New Delhi are signalling a willingness to move beyond the grievances and suspicions that have periodically defined their interactions. If the emphasis on development diplomacy, economic integration, and pragmatic cooperation is sustained, the current moment could indeed mark the beginning of a new chapter in India–Nepal relations.
Why is Trump Betting Big on Pakistan? New Oil and Gas Finds Stir Regional Geopolitics
This is also the terrain through which the US 62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traverses, facing security threats from north to south, losing men and material in attacks by militants. That being the case, the US entry brings in another global player, ready to guard its interests against China’s looming presence. Is the South Asian region headed for a proxy war?
More on Geopolitics and Strategic Affairs
Will Afghanistan provide the strategic depth that Pakistan has long been seeking against India?
Beijing will quickly establish a ruthlessly transactional and pragmatic relationship to exploit Afghanistan’s rich mineral resources as well expand its much-cherished Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from Pakistan, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor
The blind men of Capitol Hill: Kabul bombings are America’s self-inflicted wound
Finally, the US has given the biggest boost to global terrorism - and will eventually have to face the consequences. A coupling between the ISIS and Taliban should not be considered an impossibility, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Biden risks further Afghan entanglement in a who-is-fighting-who in Afghanistan
Biden's speech had an eerie echo of former President George Bush's September 20, 2001, address to Congress when he set the course for what became the 20-year war, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor
Growing Bangladesh-Sri Lanka trade and investment ties have positive implications for the region
If a free trade agreement is signed, then only the sky would be the limit for Bangladesh-Sri Lanka business relations, writes MD Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Equitable vaccine distribution a must for South Asia's economic recovery
The Asian Development Bank has stated that in South Asia the new wave of Covid-19 between March and June 2021 has somewhat dampened the economic outlook of the region, writes Partha Pratim Mitra, for South Asia Monitor
The Taliban’s return in Afghanistan will reinforce the Al Qaeda threat
Al Qaeda is leading a scattered existence along the Afghan-Pakistan border and its leadership is undergoing a constant shift, writes Anuttama Banerji for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan's grim future and its huge regional implications
India won’t let the developments in Afghanistan affect its interests, more so because Pakistan and China are rubbing their hands in glee, waiting to move in to fill the vacuum in Afghanistan left by the United States, writes Mehraj udin Bhat for South Asia Monitor
The American debacle in Afghanistan: Did US negotiators know early in 2020 that the Taliban could take over easily?
It is hardly surprising that in a mockery of the so-called US intelligence projection that Kabul could fall in 30 to 60 days, the capital caved in within 48 hours, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor
India needs labor-intensive manufacturing employment to stall reverse migration
Indian industry must have a conducive environment to invest and employ more workers from farms, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Taliban needs to reform ideology, cut terror links for ruling Afghanistan
The Taliban are aware that if they shelter foreign militants with transnational agenda. It could turn neighboring powers like China, Russia, Iran, India, or Pakistan against them, writes Ainur Khan for South Asia Monitor
Monk and the prime minister: Did a Sri Lankan scholar help to ignite interest in Buddhist studies in Israel?
Today many Israeli universities have departments of Buddhist studies and South Asian philosophies as interest among Jewish scholars on Buddhist meditation continues to grow, writes Punsara Amarasinghe for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan, its sectarian divisions, and international stakeholders
Pakistan has checkmated India to some extent, though the Taliban has recognized India’s role in the reconstruction projects and Salma Dam, writes Brig Dinesh Mathur (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Will Taliban 2.0 signal a radical policy change?
To the extent that the Taliban keeps its word both on not letting it soil be used as a terrorist launch pad and keeping off Kashmir, there is a possible window for the Modi government in India to engage with it, writes Mayank Chhaya for South Asia Monitor
A prudent India should consider Bangladesh as its most suitable investment destination
India's poor record of implementing infrastructure projects in neighboring countries has pushed them even more towards China, writes Anup Sinha for South Asia Monitor
