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Bhutan Under China’s Doklam Shadow: Delhi Needs to Move Away From Protector-Protected Dynamic With Thimpu

A key consideration for Delhi is Bhutan’s occasional denial or downplay of any Chinese encroachment on its territory, even when satellite data suggests otherwise. This is coupled with a growing perception within Bhutan that India is preventing it from completing its border negotiations with China. Although Thimphu remains closely aligned with Delhi, there is growing interest in expanding its engagement with China.

AI in Elder Care: Potential for Broader Social Transformation

For India, the opportunity is significant as its robust digital infrastructure and large demographic dividend can create a significant opportunity for adoption and deployment of Artificial Intelligence across sectors, particularly in the care economy. There is an ample room for the development of age-friendly products and services using AI innovation which are of scalable commercial value.

South Asia's EdTech Moment: Centre of Gravity of Global Education is Shifting

South Asia's higher education ecosystem — with over 1,500 universities and 60 million enrolled learners — is uniquely positioned to absorb and scale new models: work-integrated degrees, on-demand micro-credentials, lifelong learning. The Global South — Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East — shares the same structural challenges. The solutions that work at scale in India, Bangladesh or Nepal will travel naturally to these geographies.

Sri Lanka’s 'Survival Balancing' is a Test of its Foreign Policy in This Gulf War

For three decades, Sri Lanka successfully navigated the India-China rivalry, turning great-power competition into economic opportunity. Today, the country faces a far narrower and more dangerous corridor. Balancing between India and China was a game of leverage. But, balancing between the United States-Israel axis and Iran is a test of survival.

More on Spotlight

The Nightingale has fallen silent: Lata Mangeshkar's music had universal appeal

Numbers have defied easy recording, whether Lata sang 25,000 songs or 30,000, for an estimated 1,000 films, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor

India must not politically or economically appease China

The fact remains that as long as India, Nepal and Bhutan do not protest Chinese aggressive moves because of political compulsions China will keep having its way, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd.) for South Asia Monitor

Sri Lanka will come out of its present crisis stronger

With heightened external geopolitical fissures in the region, balancing infrastructure diplomacy between China, India and the US is indeed a daunting challenge for Sri Lanka, writes Sugeeswara Senadhira for South Asia Monitor

Why does Pakistan lag far behind Bangladesh?

Although Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan, it has already surpassed Pakistan in almost all socio-cultural and economic indicators, writes Jebeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor

Appropriating Subhas Chandra Bose: He was equally critical of both Muslim and Hindu communal streams

Bose was very clear that in independent India equal opportunities should be thrown open to all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, writes Ram Puniyani for South Asia Monitor 

Can Air India become world class again? Can Tatas live up to expectations?

What is the future of civil aviation and Air India? The immediate outlook is that it will take beyond 2022-23 to return to any semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

For a more harmonious and cooperative South Asia, India must lead by example

India with its huge numbers and relative political stability can play an influential role in the South Asian region, writes Nirupama Sekhri for South Asia Monitor 

Debt management crucial for pandemic-hit economic recovery in India and South Asian nations

The pandemic is estimated to have caused 48-59 million people to become or remain poor in 2021 in South Asia, writes V.K. Varadarajan for South Asia Monitor

India, Bangladesh must settle Teesta issue in mutual interest

India should act quickly to reach an amicable solution to the Teesta dispute before Bangladesh embraces Chinese cooperation on the issue, writes Anup Sinha for South Asia Monitor

New supply chain dynamics post-Covid: Advantage India or Vietnam?

Even though Vietnam is reckoned as having an edge over India in the global supply chain, India’s demographic advantages override Vietnam, writes S. Majumder for South Asia Monitor

Can India and France work to shape a new world order?

With a French Presidency, the strategic partnership between India and the EU could finally bloom to its full potential, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd.) for South Asia Monitor

Deepening Indo-Saudi ties will see major investments, strategic energy partnership

During a visit to India in 2019, the Saudi Crown Prince announced that the kingdom would be investing $100 billion in diversified sectors in India, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor

Pakistan’s National Security Policy: Old thoughts in new packaging

The NSP tosses a heads-I-win-tail-you-lose option for India; it announces its intent of seeking peace but leaves the onus on India, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor 

Bringing peace to India's Northeast: Greater engagement with Bangladesh and Myanmar holds the key

Using the Army to control insurgency in the Northeast has failed as a model, writes B.L. Vohra for South Asia Monitor

Bangladesh has a key role in combating maritime threats in Bay of Bengal

The US, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives and others can work together with Bangladesh to deal with regional maritime problems, writes Jubeda Chowdhury for South Asia Monitor