While peace in Afghanistan seems a long way off, and the two issues are not connected, the Pearl/Sheikh issue has emerged as a diplomatic hot potato, writes Mahendra Ved for South Asia Monitor
Between the Melody Moment and the Hard Work Ahead: Modi's Europe Tour Outcome Will Depend on Delivery in Coming Years
India's MSME sector, the backbone of its export economy, remains largely unequipped to navigate European standards and certification requirements. As ABC Live noted, the next stage will be tougher than negotiation: India must now prove that its exporters, MSMEs, regulators, ports, testing labs, and state governments can actually use the agreement. A framework signed in Gothenburg means nothing to a textile exporter in Tiruppur who cannot get a product certified to EU standards.
Why India and Pakistan Must Move From Rivalry to Responsibility: In Fragmenting Global Order, South Asia Cannot Afford Internal Paralysis
The central lesson is simple: unresolved India-Pakistan hostility weakens South Asia from within. It prevents trade, blocks institutions, raises nuclear risk, politicizes water, militarizes borders, and diverts attention from human development. Both countries will continue to disagree on major issues. But disagreement does not require permanent hostility. Strategic maturity means building rules to manage conflict before conflict manages the region.
The Race for Strategic Minerals: South Asia's Geopolitical Moment
The Quad's Critical Minerals Initiative provides an important platform for achieving these objectives. Through coordinated investments, technology sharing and supply-chain diversification, the initiative seeks to create resilient and transparent mineral supply networks. Australia contributes abundant mineral reserves, Japan offers advanced processing technologies, the United States brings investment and innovation capabilities, while India provides a rapidly expanding market and growing manufacturing base.
Ganga Water Treaty Renewal: A National Priority for Bangladesh, a Strategic Opportunity for India
Renewing the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty could also serve as an important confidence-building measure between Bangladesh and India. A renewed agreement would help restore mutual trust and strengthen regional cooperation over shared water resources. It would further reinforce the role of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), which remains a key institutional mechanism for addressing transboundary river issues.
More on Geopolitics and Strategic Affairs
For India’s national security, time for civil and military synergy
The time has come for holistic civil-military integration and synergy in India to meet the challenges of a multi-polar, multi-domain world especially with a belligerent and hegemonistic China and its ally Pakistan in our immediate neighbourhood, writes Lt Gen PR Kumar (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Indian government and farmers: Is a prolonged deadlock on the cards?
The government might have been more accommodating if it is wasn’t jittery about the political impact of a retreat at a time when the BJP faces four crucial elections where its chances are not foolproof, writes Amulya Ganguli for South Asia Monitor
Nepal’s proposed international airport poses a threat to the environment
Nijgadh is planned to be the largest airport in South Asia in terms of area, covering 8,045.79 hectares. While a new international airport is needed, the Nijgadh dream comes with an environmental nightmare, write Harsh Mahaseth and Pranjal Risal for South Asia Monitor
Sino-Indian ties likely to remain a 'cold peace' in 2021: But keep communication lines open
Although it is unrealistic to have too high expectations for Sino-Indian relations in 2021, it is certain that the two sides would not want to make bilateral relations further worse, writes Siwei Liu for South Asia Monitor
Return of jackboots in Myanmar: Major implications for region
The army is upset with the NLD government for agreeing to take back from Bangladesh the Rohingya Muslim refugees in phases after a Chinese-mediated dialogue. Nearly 40,000 Rohingyas are expected to return in the first phase, writes Subir Bhaumik for South Asia Monitor
Afghanistan should not be turned into a nest of terrorism again
Biden needs to go through all the wrong decisions made by Trump and come out with valuable and healthy steps to maintain democracy in Afghanistan and to respect the blood its soldiers had shed, and end the war, writes Majidullah Rasooli for South Asia Monitor
Gandhi’s 73rd death anniversary: Remembering the apostle of peace in today's context
Gandhiji had a presence. That is a mark of a great soul and a very much evolved spiritual being. To Gandhiji spirituality came first; other things like politics, public life, etc. were by-products of his spirituality, writes Anil K Rajvanshi for South Asia Monitor
Growing Indo-Saudi Arabia ties will amaze the world
The contributions made by the Indian community in the development of Saudi Arabia have always been appreciated by the Saudi government. Keeping in view the contribution of expat Indians, the Saudi government, irrespective of their religion, treats every expat Indian equally like its own citizen, writes Asif Rameez Daudi for South Asia Monitor
Billionaire raj: Can India address its growing wealth disparity?
The massive and growing concentration of incomes is not good news for India's fragile social fabric as it can trigger a political backlash, writes N. Chandra Mohan for South Asia Monitor
Digitalisation as a policy priority: How South Asia compares with Southeast Asia
In South Asia, while digitalisation is of a high priority intervention, the other more basic issues such as enabling access to livelihood, health and education would need to be addressed and given a much higher priority so that inequalities in per capita consumption expenditure that prevail among households are addressed immediately, writes Partha Pratim Mitra for South Asia Monitor
Health Diplomacy: India-made vaccine at centre stage of pandemic management
India has a longer track record of supplying medicines and vaccines to the rest of the world, than any other country, including China, writes Rajendra Shende for South Asia Monitor
US reviving military ties with Pakistan for Afghan peace amounts to chasing a chimera
The US under Biden is all set to revive military ties with Islamabad hoping that Pakistan will help bring peace in Afghanistan. America has obviously not learned any lessons over the decades, writes Lt Gen Prakash Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Pakistan's slow assimilation of Gilgit-Baltistan: A strategic challenge for India
Pakistan so far has given limited autonomy to the local population after having wrested G-B after the accession. But it now wants to declare it as a provisional province of the country, writes Pushp Saraf for South Asia Monitor
Bangladesh economy showed resilience during COVID; but prosperity should reach all
By 2025, Bangladesh is forecast to be the 34th largest economy in the world and will continue at second place in South Asia after India, writes Mohammad Rubel for South Asia Monitor
