Editorial: What Foreign Policy to Expect from Modi 3.0?
India’s 2024 parliamentary election has reaffirmed strength and vibrancy of the country’s democratic process, showcasing electorate’s power to shape their government. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), secured an electoral victory and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is back in office for third term, leading a coalition government. Being a coalition government, he will need to rely on partners, who agreed to back him. But could Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s success in foreign policy arena perish at altar of coalition politics? Collective wisdom suggests that despite a reduced mandate, India's foreign policy pursuit under Modi 3.0 is unlikely to be affected. With BJP’s coalition partners rendering full support, there is unanimity among politicians and pundits that present government's mantra of 'strategic consensus' and pursuit of multilateralism will continue to drive India towards becoming a global force as well as world's third-largest economy by 2027. Read More
Maritime Cyber Security in Law Enforcement from the Coast Guard Perspective
Maritime cyber security involves action plans for national governments for governing the terrain of cyber space with necessary tools, policies, agencies, threat and risk management plans, technologies, intelligence, and everything else that a government deems fit and advocates to protect the ocean property regime of the nation to maximise the yield towards integrated national security. The government will need specific agencies for it. This paper briefly examines the subject and advocates capable coast guards to be entrusted with the task based on their charter for maritime law enforcement and services in addition to other tasks in the national interests. In this attempt the paper begins with a few imaginary scenarios to highlight the seriousness of the problem at international and national level. It concludes with an affirmation recommending coast guards as the prime agencies for integrated maritime cyber security for consideration by national governments unless there are other competent agencies identified according to strategic national security. Read More
The BrahMos and Philippines' Maritime Defense: An Indo-Strategic Overview
India's delivery of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems to the Philippines signifies a substantial enhancement of the Southeast Asian nation's maritime defense capabilities. This strategic acquisition underscores the Philippines' commitment to addressing regional security challenges in the South China Sea. This policy piece examines the implications of the BrahMos deal, its strategic importance, potential challenges, and the broader geopolitical impact on the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the context of India's interests and efforts to contain China's regional influence. Read More
India’s Air Power Horizon: Leveraging Bright Spots Amidst Darkening Clouds
The advent of air power significantly changed the use of force bringing a wide range of options for deterrence and imposing punitive measures. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the primary and most potent repository of Indian air power. It remains our principal deterrent against a combative China. However, in the Indian national security discourse, air power has been generally downplayed and not understood well by the strategic community. China, India’s primary threat, has methodically built its air power, causing a serious disparity in force levels, upsetting the India-China air power balance and eroding our deterrence. This article examines the present state of Indian and Chinese air power and a decade hence. The emerging pattern is not an optimistic one for India unless serious and strong steps are taken in a ‘mission mode.’ The article suggests steps to reverse the precipitous decline in Indian air power as well as enhance its awareness, understanding and stature in the national security calculus, strategic community and academia. Read More
China’s Palestine Policy and the Emerging Great Power Competition in West Asia
West Asia is a very strategic space at the junction of Asia, Europe and Africa. The region has been a sphere of competition among great powers throughout the history. The redrawing of map of modern West Asia after World War I by the victorious powers with their own strategic and geopolitical interests has made the region more unstable and susceptible to competing geopolitical interests and rivalry of the external powers. The region also witnessed the intense Cold War competition and rivalry of the US and USSR. The United has been the dominant power in the region in the second half of the 20th century which assumed hegemonic proportion in the post-Cold War period. For last one century, issue of Palestine has been most intractable factor at the center of the geopolitics in the region with global ramifications. The position of powers on Palestine has been a determining factor of their influence in the region. The rise of China and its growing influence in the region with its numerous policies and initiatives is spurring its power stature with its assertive Palestine policy in the wake of Gaza war underway. Read More
Legal and Socio-Economic Issues of Refugees in India
Since Independence, India has hosted a huge influx of refugees and asylum seekers from various countries across the world. However, with such influx, India is still lacking a common legal framework to deal with issues of refugees and asylum seekers in India. The main objective of the paper is to examine the current status of refugees coming from the neighbouring countries and circumstances that caused the issue. Primarily this paper focuses on the legal status, issues and challenges faced by the refugees. Read More
Service beyond war- non-conventional outreach of the Indian Navy in the neighbourhood
The Indian navy has a glorious modern history of over 300 years. It has participated in many naval campaigns and wars, earning widespread fame and recognition for its tactical wins and professionalism. However, there is another, sidelined role played by the navy- during peacetime. The Indian Navy website addresses these services as the ‘benign role’ – Search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, etc. Read More
Deciphering the Complexities of the Catholic Church
Throughout history, few institutions have wielded as much influence, power, and controversy as the Catholic Church and its spiritual epicenter, the Vatican. For centuries, the Church has been a central force in shaping the course of Western civilization, guiding the faithful, inspiring devotion, and embroiling itself in scandal and intrigue. In this comprehensive exploration, we embark on a journey through the tumultuous history, enduring controversies, and evolving relevance of the Catholic Church and the Vatican in the modern world. Read More
Proactive Disaster Management Strategies for Mass Gatherings, Stampedes
Stampede refers to sudden rush of crowd of people, usually resulting in manyinjuries and death from suffocation and trampling. In stampede, term crowd refers to congregated, active, polarized aggregate of people, which is basically heterogeneousand complex. Incidents of stampedes can occur in numerous socio-cultural situations. Most crowd disasters are man-made, which can be completely prevented with proactive and holistic planning and flawless execution. Majority of crowd disasters in India and developing countries have occurred at religious places while stadia, venues of music concerts, night clubs and shopping malls have been typical places of disasters in developed countries. This paper discusses crowding, stampedes, crowd management techniques to prevent stampedes. Read More
Book: Internal Security in India: Violence, Order and the State
Internal Security in India: Violence, Order, and the State, edited by Amit Ahuja and Devesh Kapur, is a compilation of 15 essays on India’s internal security management by well-known writers, which were originally presented at a virtual workshop in September 2020. Read More
