Editorial: India as Vishwaguru
Rising India wants a seat at table of global powers. India is ready to set its own terms on everything from defence to climate to trade. The main reason for its greater importance is its phenomenal economic growth, which averaged over 7 per cent annually since end of 2000s. With 8.7 per cent growth in 2021, India is fifth largest economic power. India’s influence has increased significantly in recent years, having ambitions to be a global player and Vishwaguru. Global power politics is a serious game requiring countries that matter to think and act big. Read More
ASEAN and South China Sea Dispute
The South China Sea, an indispensable part of the Southeast Asian region and China, has become a hot cauldron of maritime claims. China has been pursuing its aggressive claims on the South China Sea on the grounds of its 'nine-dash line map'. The activities of 2017 and 2018, in which China forcibly stopped Vietnam's oil exploration and installed anti-ship cruise missiles along with the artificial renovation of islands of the South China Sea, are encroachments on maritime rights of the affected regional states. ASEAN’s role in maintaining a regional equilibrium by diplomatically pursuing China to abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea has mixed results. ASEAN's institutional balancing strategy to involve extra-regional powers like the United States and the latter's critical approach towards China regarding South China Sea dispute has encouraged a situation of power projection in the region. Hence, the focus of the paper will be on the origin of the dispute, ASEAN’s role, regional dynamics and international responses. Read More
Energy Cooperation In Eastern South Asia To Strengthen Energy Security
Regional Cooperation in South Asia has been a slow-moving process due to numerous reasons, the most prominent of which is the India- Pakistan conflict. This has led scholars to explore new ways of cooperation. One such concept is the concept of sub-regional cooperation excluding either of the two conflicting countries. This paper reviews the existing energy sector of the BBIN countries on an individual basis and then intends to explore the prospects and benefits of sub-regional cooperation in the energy sector in a multilateral arrangement among the four countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. Read More
Bilateral Cooperation between India and Japan within the ambit of the FOIP
The Indo-Pacific region is one of the most economically vibrant regions in the world. It contains 65 percent of the world’s oceans and 25 percent of its land. Additionally, it also makes up around 60 percent of the global GDP and has important trade routes. Notably, Japan, China, South Korea, India, and some Southeast Asian countries are key economic players in the region. The region witnesses around 80 percent of global trade by volume and 60 percent of maritime trade. There are two major trade agreements, the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). From an economic perspective, the region is also strategically important. The presence of maritime chokepoints such as Bal al Mandeb and the Malacca Strait are key strategic locations (Nicolas 2021). Read More
Unquiet Manipur 2023 - Violent Ethnic Strife
India’s Northeast is a region rooted more in accident of geography than in shared bonds of history, culture and tradition. The region has over the centuries seen an extraordinary mixing of different races, cultures, languages and religions, leading to a diversity rarely seen elsewhere in India. With an area of about 2.6 lakh sq. kms., and population of little over 39 million, seven states of Northeast comprising of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim is a conglomeration of around 475 ethnic groups and sub-groups speaking over 400 languages / dialects. The region accounts for around 8 per cent of India’s total geographical area and little less than 4 per cent of India’s total population. Of 635 communities listed in India as Tribal, more than 200 are in Northeast. Of 325 languages listed by ‘People of India’ project, 175 belonging to Tibeto – Burman group are spoken in Northeast (Bhaumik, 2009). Read More
Soft Power: The Vital Element of Indian Foreign Policy
It is believed that global politics is everchanging; and is run by everchanging objectives. Nations connect and disconnect with each other at bilateral as well as multilateral levels depending on the concurrent international situations. We live in a complex world indeed where complex interdependence keeps altering the priorities of nations and vice versa. However, in this changing world, if something remains constant, it is the national interest of a nation. It not only decides and devises its foreign policy, it also works as north star in the everchanging global situations. Read More
Terrorism and Piracy on High Seas with Help of Data-driven Cyber Technology
Piracy on high seas is a serious issue that has been around for centuries. If you think Blackbeard was a nightmare, today’s pirates are just as innovative in the tactics and technologies they use as they were in historic times Where once the likes of Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd and Blackbeard boarded ships and stole cargo, the modern-day pirate relies not on a cutlass but on hacking skills to obtain more ill-gotten gains than Blackbeard could ever have dreamed of. Modern pirates operate now mostly in a closed room rather sailing for months for bounty. Unlike olden times today’s pirates choose their targets, organize their attack plan and execute. All these are possible of the modern-day tech, which helps these pirates to have a much-targeted approach on a very large scale of area. Modern piracy is an organised and very well connected and targets cargoes and shipment of very high economic, political and geopolitical value, thus posing a huge threat to the world’s largest trade and commerce. These have a very over whelming high price on black market and these black-market trades funds the organisations other agendas, such as funding for spreading violence and terror internationally. All of these only conclude that piracy is a huge part and parcel of terrorism, if not yet it will be in the near future. Read More
Geopolitical Shifts: The Balance of Power Amidst the Global Tensions
In our current times, the global geopolitical landscape is a dynamic arena where the balance of power is constantly evolving. In the past year alone, the Russia-Ukraine war and mounting tensions between China and the USA have led to a reconfiguration of power dynamics. Today, we will explore the current state of affairs between Western countries, Middle Eastern countries, and Asia, with a focus on China and India, as these regions navigate the complexities of international relations. Read More
Book Review: The War that made R&AW
The book The War That Made R&AW published by Westland in collaboration with Golden Pen, is written by filmmakers and writers Anushka Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket. The book traces the origins of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) and gives insights in the integral role played by its founder legendary spymaster R.N. Kao in helping India liberate Bangladesh in 1971. Read More
