South Asia has an approximate population of 1.9 billion —about 23 percent of the world population — with a substantial number of slum dwellers and homeless, writes Nirupama Sekhri for South Asia Monitor
The New Economic-Military Architecture of India-Japan Ties
Amid concerns regarding U.S. reliability on trade and defence commitments under the current White House, both India and Japan are leaning on each other to build supply chain and economic resilience—acting as a pragmatic "middle power" buffer rather than purely relying on Washington.
The Changing Transatlantic Relationship: Why Europe is Reluctant to follow Donald Trump on Iran
For decades, Europe generally followed Washington when American and European strategic interests broadly coincided. Iran exposes what happens when they do not. Europe still needs the United States for security—but increasingly wants to retain the right to say: “We share your objective, but we do not necessarily accept your method.”
Downturn in India-Bangladesh Relations Needs Deft Handling: Dhaka's Alienation Has Security Fallouts for India
Rather than relying solely on high-level political rhetoric, India can employ a combination of economic diplomacy, institutional de-escalation, water-sharing agreements, and people-to-people engagement to rebuild trust and stabilize relations with Bangladesh.
Ghost Communities of the Wakhan: How an Imperial Buffer Zone Became China’s Next Frontier
The Wakhan Corridor has become a possible trade road for China's economic expansion. The corridor provides China with strategic advantages. First, it offers potential overland access to Afghanistan and on to Pakistan and the Arabian Sea
More on Geopolitics, Security and Strategic Affairs
South Asian neighbors can gain by following Bangladesh’s economic growth model
According to the Center for Economic and Business Research (CIBR), a British economic research institute, Bangladesh will be the 34th largest economy by 2025, 26th by 2030 and 25th by 2035 if its economy continues to grow and develop like it is now, writes Pathik Hasan for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh megaprojects can be economic game-changers, but cost and corruption are major challenges
Bangladesh is trying to utilize megaprojects as a lever to turn the country into a lucrative investment destination, writes Kazi Mohammad Jamshed for South Asia Monitor
A message for Pakistan that Islamabad fails to see
The world has moved on, but Pakistan - and its ideological fellow traveler, the Taliban - seem to be caught in a regressive time warp from which it is unable to extricate itself, writes Tarun Basu for South Asia Monitor
Can India China-proof its telecom sector?
India’s dependence on China in the telecom sector is unlikely to reduce in the foreseeable future, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
India should explore expanding scope of 'two plus two' dialogue by including more countries, ministries to meet global challenges
While forging these dialogues, India should not forget Bangladesh as the interests of the two neighbors are increasingly converging in recent times, writes Shubham for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan’s energy sector is going through a paradigm shift: A greener electricity production portfolio is a policy imperative
The Pakistan government has set a target of generating at least 20 percent renewable energy by 2025 and at least 30 percent in the next five years, writes Haris Mushtaq for South Asia Monitor
India must come out in support of the rights of women in Afghanistan
It is in India’s strategic interest to continue its engagement with the Taliban, but withhold any official recognition, and continue to wait and watch to see if the regime’s assurances are matched by its deeds, writes Nisha Sahai Achuthan for South Asia Monitor
Engagement with Taliban provides Pakistan strategic depth, opportunity to create pan-Islamic axis up to the Gulf
Engagement with the Taliban and the latter’s return to the driver’s seat in Afghanistan allows Pakistan to bring the Afghanistan issue to the forefront of the ‘South Asia regional security architecture’, writes Anuttama Banerji for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh needs to be supported in thwarting Beijing's hegemonic designs
China’s growing investment and expanding economic activities in Bangladesh do not necessarily enable it to influence Dhaka’s foreign policy decisions, or seize infrastructure if loans are not repaid, or even potentially secure its support in a regional conflict, writes Rupak Bhattacharjee for South Asia Monitor
US policy paralysis at critical moments in region working to China’s advantage
The bond between US intelligence agency CIA and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is well known and recently declassified British documents reveal MI-6 connived with Pakistan and Taliban in Afghanistan, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
South Asian government needs to relax fiscal austerity, promote high-skill, high value-added sectors
The most important challenge for South Asia is to revive livelihoods, which the crisis has devastated across the region, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Mahatma Gandhi and India@75: Fabricated news making a mockery of Gandhi's quest for truth
Paradoxically, but not surprisingly, over the last six decades, the collective commitment to truth as a principle to be adhered to with Gandhian conviction has been diluted progressively, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Mantra of development should be spirituality with high technology – the Gandhian way
Gandhi believed in all-inclusive growth and felt that India can only become a great nation when its teeming and impoverished rural masses become better off, writes Anil K. Rajvanshi for South Asia Monitor
Global efforts, moral discourses and educational awareness must for combating terrorism
Terrorists and extremists need discourses in the inculcation of eternal moral values and practicing of yoga and meditation that can contribute immensely to attaining a perfect and balanced personality as described in ancient Indian classical texts, writes Prof. Sudhanshu Tripathi for South Asia Monitor
