The days of “benign neglect” of our exchange rate policy are over. Nepal’s macroeconomic fundamentals — record reserves, stable remittance inflows, a gradually diversifying trade base — have quietly put in place the foundation for reform. What is missing is the political will to act on it.
The major bilateral issue is border security and management. While India claims that millions of Bangladeshis enter India illegally, reside and work here, Bangladesh dismisses that contention outright, saying that as their per capita income was higher than India’s, there was no reason for economic migration from Bangladesh to India.
The Indus and the Ganges are dying slowly, and with them disappear species that evolved over thousands of years within these waters. If current patterns continue, future generations may inherit rivers that exist geographically but are biologically empty. South Asia still has an opportunity to reverse this trajectory, but only if environmental protection becomes a shared regional priority rather than an afterthought.
Nearly 80% of Asia’s energy imports and a large portion of global container traffic move through the Indian Ocean. With conflicts in the Middle East, disruptions in the Red Sea, and increasing great-power competition, freight security has become a strategic economic issue. Sri Lanka is positioning itself not merely as a recipient of investment, but as a regional connector between South Asia, Southeast Asia, and island maritime states.
The Chamoli disaster should serve as an eye-opener for nations, government and individuals alike. In order to decrease the magnitude of such environmental disasters that occur or can occur in the coming future, it is necessary for the governments of India, Nepal, and Bhutan to collaborate in order to come up with sustainable solutions, writes Shushant V C for South Asia Monitor
An international body to be provided with an opportunity to directly interfere in an internal affair of a member of the world community, especially a country in South Asia, will definitely dent the position of India as the regional power, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor
Hence, in the span of only one and a half-century, a mighty river like the Indus has been imprisoned in dams, bridges, and barrages, which has severely disturbed the river’s flow, writes Muhammad Abbas Khaskheli for South Asia Monitor
By prioritizing green stimulus through clean-energy investment and sustainability-oriented policies in its pandemic response, South Asia can play an important role in making the development process more sustainable, both for the region and for the world, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
The growing political and economic influence of India in Afghanistan has been factored by the Biden administration and the inclusion of India in the peace talks are proof of that, writes Shushant VC for South Asia Monitor
The broader agenda signals the Quad's move towards multifaceted cooperation to broaden their footprint, while also keeping the facade -- important to India -- that it is not directed against China, writes Arul Louis for South Asia Monitor
Gratitude has been expressed to India from the highest political levels of the 57-odd countries that have received 56 million doses through outright grants, commercially or through COVAX, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
There are countries in South Asia, for example, India and Pakistan, where we have judgments from apex courts declaring self-determination of gender identity by trans people as fundamental to gender recognition, writes Sai Bourothu for South Asia Monitor
Sahir's birth centenary, on March 8, 2021, is an occasion for all to revisit his lifetime work and legacy that has tremendous relevance even in our own troubled, testing times, writes Venkat Parsa for South Asia Monitor
This is an ironic and familiar pattern wherein every March 8, the collective global attention briefly dwells on the status of women and while well-meaning statements are repeated – the substantive improvement in the welfare and safety of women remains a work in slow progress and an area of grave concern, writes Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
The Indian Foreign Service has come a long way in changing gender stereotypes. In the early years, women diplomats were forced to resign if they got married, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Sahir Ludhianvi’s relevance becomes greater and urgent in the present times for promoting an inclusive society and religious harmony, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Modi’s address on the floor of the lower house on February 10 went much further in stating that the days are long gone when only the government was responsible for national development, writes N Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Unlike Pakistan, India is an emerging regional power both from a political and economic point of view, and India, since the last two decades, has built a friendly image in the minds of many Afghans – many consider India as the second home for the Afghans, write Hamayun Khan & S. Nasrat for South Asia Monitor
The Indian government’s explanation for the crackdown on these presentations is comprehensive enough to nip all literary, cinematic, and journalistic ventures in the bud, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
