Whether the Taliban will accept Karzai, a man with considerable charisma, distinctive and much written about capes and lambskin hat, is still not clear. But he has struck a highly conciliatory note, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Post-uprising Bangladesh grapples with power, inclusion, and hope; rethink of ties with India
The aspirations of Gen-Z are on the walls, calling for a more tolerant and pluralistic society, with a sense of justice. "All political parties have heard that and understand that the newer generation are the most important voting bank at this moment. They don’t believe in the binary we have lived in for such a long time."
The changing state of Pakistani politics, for better or for worse
Today in Pakistan universities have proliferated and where in 2000 there were about 1 million post secondary students, in 2020 there were nearly 5 million and they have expectations, and they are also more political. But it is also the 30 and 40 year olds, generations of Pakistanis who are frustrated with the lifestyle of the rich and corrupt, and of a military they increasingly see in a similar light.
Pollution blows with the wind: South Asia's public health challenge needs harmonized regional action
In the larger South Asia context, air pollution does not follow national boundaries and therefore the solutions for all the airsheds cannot come from any one city or a country. The countries in South Asia – India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan - that share a common airshed are impacted by the transboundary pollution. More than half of the air pollution across major cities in South Asia is not local but transboundary in nature.
South Asia's climate crisis needs a regional response
Regional bodies like the SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, have the potential to foster cooperation on climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and trans-border pollution control. However, geopolitical tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan, hinder progress.
More on Spotlight
The Covid 19 impact: Mixed economic impact on South Asian countries
While South Asia has to grapple with deep-seated inequalities and vulnerabilities, the pandemic also provides an opportunity to find a path towards a more equitable and robust recovery, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Lessons from tragic barge sinking off Bombay High: Glaring omissions and inadequacies
The P 305 tragedy ought to be the catalyst for radical reforms in India's offshore support sector, writes Commander Anand B Kulkarni (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Climate change: South Asia in danger of extreme events
The implications are straightforward: With rising levels of carbon dioxide in the future, there will be stronger rains with potentially destructive outcomes in the South Asian region, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
A year after Galwan clash: India's stress on military modernization, strategic partnerships to counter China
India needs to deter China through a combination of its military prowess, discerning diplomatic action, and devising ways to become economically self-reliant with investment partnerships and collaborations with like-minded nations, writes Indu Saxena for South Asia Monitor
Multiple state actors' clashing interests may throw Afghanistan's future into uncertainty
China is also keen to extend the coverage of CPEC and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Afghanistan. This expansion of China’s footprint would be a matter of huge concern for both the US and India, writes Amb Ashok Sajjanhar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
South Asian nations must formulate holistic strategies to deal with remittance fall
In 2021, there could thus actually be a drop in remittances - more so after the second wave of Covid 19, and the recent travel restrictions imposed by many countries including those in the Gulf on travelers from South Asia, write Tridivesh Singh Maini and Karan Bidani for South Asia Monitor
As SAARC falters, BIMSTEC's seamless transport connectivity project a big step in regional economic integration
BIMSTEC gained importance and traction after progress in SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) got stalled following heightened frosty ties between India and Pakistan, writes Ranjana Narayan for South Asia Monitor
Latest on India, Pakistan – a battle over Basmati
Although India controls two-thirds of the global Basmati market, competition between the nations has grown in recent years as Pakistan increases sales to Europe, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Beyond oil and gas: India must look to West Asia with a new vision and mission
India must augment science and technology transfer and research cooperation in space with nations like Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, writes Aneek Chatterjee for South Asia Monitor
Growth, jobs and IMF conditionalities: Pakistan’s daunting budgetary challenges
As there are 110 million youth in the country, there is a need for generating two million jobs every year to absorb them, the finance minister said, adding that “if we do not go into growth mode, we will have a major crisis on the streets”, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Multi-track cooperation a must to tackle non-traditional security issues in Himalayan region
Although current Sino-Indian relations are still in a state of relative tension, Beijing is encouraging Chinese companies to meet India’s procurement demands for oxygen concentrators and other anti-pandemic supplies, writes Siwei Liu for South Asia Monitor
G7 meeting: Unique opportunity for Indian PM Modi to remind the developed world of climate finance
The invitation to Narendra Modi for G7, where China is not invited, also reaffirms a stark reality that there is no alternative on the horizon to Modi’s bold and decisive role in the global play and India's strategic geopolitical position that hedges against China’s hegemony, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor
World Environment Day: Concerted effort crucial for restoring ecosystem in South Asia
The inherently low EPI scores of the South Asian countries underline the need for more sustainable efforts within the region to address concerns relating to air and water quality, climate change and biodiversity, write George Cheriyan and Simi T.B for South Asia Monitor
China’s strategic foothold in Sri Lanka: tough choices for India
As Sri Lanka has clasped China’s strategic hands a la Pakistan, India will have to carefully calibrate its moves, writes M.R. Narayan Swamy for South Asia Monitor
