Connectivity and infrastructural development with Bangladesh will also open up new routes to India's Northeast, Bhutan and Nepal, writes Benedict B. George for South Asia Monitor
Three days of dialogue, debate, and engagement in Dhaka reinforced a sobering reality: despite ongoing discussions about multipolarity, middle powers, and strategic autonomy, great powers continue to shape the choices available to smaller states.
It would be simplistic to assume that every retired general appointed as an ambassador is an instrument of Asim Munir's influence. It would be equally complacent to dismiss the wider institutional implications of placing so many former military officers in diplomatic positions across several regions.
Arunachal Pradesh presents a particularly important dimension of the problem. China claims the northeast Indian state, refers to it as Zangnan, or South Tibet, and periodically challenges India's sovereignty through statements and the assignment of Chinese names to places within the state.
India and Japan should conduct regular stress tests involving scenarios such as disruption to an energy route, a cyberattack on logistics infrastructure, loss of an undersea cable or the unavailability of a specialized defense component.
Connectivity and infrastructural development with Bangladesh will also open up new routes to India's Northeast, Bhutan and Nepal, writes Benedict B. George for South Asia Monitor
Such recognition by UNESCO, whether of Durga Puja or Srinagar as a Creative City, helps to underline that India’s culture is a living culture, writes Amb Bhaswati Mukherjee (retd) for South Asia Monitor
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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