Why the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Keeps Burning

Why the Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Keeps Burning: Keys to Peace Lies With Group Whose Loyalties Answer to No One

The borderland TTP now exploits is the same terrain that Pakistan's own security establishment worked for decades to create as "strategic depth."  The world of proxy-war infrastructure seldom remains directed towards where its architects have aimed.

India and Australia Enhance Strategic Relationship, Prioritise Maritime Domain Awareness to Secure Indo-Pacific

A significant factor that emerged after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May 2025 was the strain in the India-US relationship under the Trump administration, driven by aggressive tariff disputes and policy friction. This indirectly accelerated India’s push to diversify partnerships, prompting New Delhi to lean more pragmatically into closer economic and strategic ties with middle powers such as Australia.

The Reopening of Nathu La and a Pragmatic India-China Compact: Opportunity for Both Countries to Move Beyond Symbolism

India and China need not share identical geopolitical visions to agree that a stable border, prosperous border communities and transparent rules are preferable to uncertainty. The most useful measure of Nathu La’s success may therefore be not how many tonnes cross the pass, but how routinely two neighbouring systems learn to work together.

Hasina’s December Gamble: Will it Become a Moment of Confrontation or Reconciliation?

December could therefore become much more than Victory Month. It could become a test of whether Bangladesh's next chapter will be written through democratic accommodation or another round of political vengeance. The danger is that a leader returning to face her past could inadvertently reopen the country's deepest wounds. 

More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs

Aftermath of COVID-19: Rise of a new social class in Nepal

After the pandemic, migrant workers, including the semi-skilled and skilled labour and small-scale business people, and private job holders, who are returning from abroad, will form the neo-lower class - a new working class - that will constitute a significant population in Nepal, writes Roshan Chirag for South Asia Monitor 

ICDS can become a model for South Asia to improve lives of children

South Asian countries can use ICDS as a blueprint and further formulate their respective policies following a tailored and local approach depending on the domestic factors pertaining to their region, writes Vishwajeet Singh Raghav for South Asia Monitor

Nepal needs a comprehensive pandemic law to battle coronavirus

It is advisable for the governments - of both Nepal and possibly India - to take a leaf from the UK Coronavirus Act, 2020 which was enacted for defeating COVID-19, writes Jivesh Jha  for South Asia Monitor

Why biodiversity conservation is necessary for dealing with the pandemic

On this Environment Day, let us commit ourselves to protect the biodiversity, for our own existence, writes Pradeep S. Mehta, George Cheriyan & Simi T. B.for South Asia Monitor

Are we observing World Environment Day or World Emergency Day on June 5?

State of the environment today is certainly in a state of emergency. Many would call June 5, 2020, as World Emergency Day. In reality, today environment and emergency have indeed become synonyms, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor

Nations should not discriminate against refugees, migrants during pandemic

This outbreak and the requirements of precautionary measures have emerged as an extra health threat to migrants who work abroad to keep their families well and also to asylum seekers. These people play a crucial role both in the economy of the countries they live in and in their countries of origin too,  writes Abdul Alim for South Asia Monitor

India's COVID-19 stimulus package: Will it revive the economy?

There seems to be a strong argument that the singular focus of the stimulus package should have been a fiscal stimulus, which would have increased public spending in physical or human capital, raised money in the hands of residents by direct cash transfers and subsidies and provided safety nets like job guarantee and unemployment benefits, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor

As corona rages in Bangladesh, opposition eyes opportunity

Leaders of the BNP and Jamat-E-Islami are thinking that the corona pandemic will totally change the political situation in the country and will help them seize power once again, writes Swadesh Roy for South Asia Monitor 

Will Gilgit-Baltistan become a new regional flashpoint?

With India–China military tensions already high in parts of eastern Ladakh, the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam will add to new security challenges for India, writes Nilova Roy Chaudhury for South Asia Monitor

India-Bangladesh waterway project will herald a new chapter in bilateral cooperation

This inland waterway route looks all set to ensure efficient and effective cargo movement between the two neighbours and herald a new chapter in bilateral cooperation in South Asia, writes Sreeradha Datta for south Asia Monitor

With the world in turmoil can India seize the historic moment?

India has a pool of talented diplomats but their skills will be expended on putting lipstick on a pig if the government at home promotes narrow, sectarian ideologies that are at variance with accepted international norms, writes  E. D. Mathew for South Asia Monitor

Modi @ 6: Popular and committed but is there a need to review statecraft?

Modi may not be getting the kind of feedback and reality check that is vital for effective and empathetic governance and this is where, apart from Chanakya, the Canute principle acquires relevance, writes C Uday Bhaskar for South Asia Monitor

Relocation of global supply chain: Bangladesh should seize the opportunity

From the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, India is emerging as one of the top alternative manufacturing destinations, writes Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Karim for South Asia Monitor

China understands and respects only the language of power

China is sure that India would initiate back-room talks and negotiate some face-saving device to disengage. But, there lies the danger, writes Brigadier Deepak Sethi (retd) for South Asia Monitor

International community should recognize Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state

Pakistan has used its Centres of Excellence to promote and share best practices in nuclear security through three affiliated institutes: the Pakistan Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Security (PCENS), the National Institute of Safety and Security (NISAS), and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), writes Rabia Javed for South Asia Monitor