Development prospects and economic growth in Pakistan, like in most other countries, will hinge on securing sustainable energy supplies. The Pakistan government has developed a strategy to enhance its energy production by 2030. This article explores the problems faced by the Pakistan government in optimising its use of indigenous energy resources and the implications that future plans to strengthen its energy security may have for its domestic and foreign policy.

• Sumita Kumar
• November 2010
• Strategic Analysis

The Bay of Bengal is the largest bay off the coast of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. With the exception of Bangladesh all the littoral states have reached agreements over their bilateral maritime boundaries. As signatories to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, India and Myanmar had to file their claims by June 29, 2009 and by May 21, 2009 respectively, and Bangladesh has to file its claim by July 27, 2011 to the Commission on the limits of the continental shelf.

• Sreeradha Datta
• September 2010
• Strategic Analysis

On April 12, 2010 the majority of citizens of the island of Sri Lanka's two main linguistic communities celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil new year and the categorical end of war and terrorism with considerable optimism, despite the lack of a clear political solution to the ‘ethnic conflict’. The new year celebrations, the first since the end of the state's 30 year war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were in the wake of recently concluded parliamentary elections that returned the ruling party to power.

• Darini Rajasingham Senanayake
• September 2010
• Strategic Analysis

By offering to augment its $1.3 billion assistance to Afghanistan, India has sent out a clear signal that it remains a player in the beleaguered nation's reconstruction process. India will not be deterred by the efforts of Pakistan and a section of the world community to isolate it. The offer was made during President Hamid Karzai's brief visit to New Delhi, on April 26–27, 2010. The timing was significant. Karzai was flying further east to Thimphu, Bhutan, to attend the 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The Indian prime minister, Dr.

• Mahendra Ved
• September 2010
• Strategic Analysis

The SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit is often described as being a mere photo opportunity for south Asian leaders who should actually be using the comatose organisation to reinvent regional cooperation in a globalised world. Such pessimism is inevitable if one takes stock of the progress that SAARC has made over the period of time. There exists a SAARC convention to deal with all issues that have a certain salience in the regional context.

• Smruti S. Pattanaik
• September 2010
• Strategic Analysis

The Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed between India and Nepal in 1950 has been a subject of debate within Nepal. The issue has been regularly featured in left parties' election manifestos in Nepal and become an agenda item in bilateral talks. India has agreed to review, adjust and update the treaty while giving due recognition to the special features of the bilateral relationship. Nepal's reservations to the treaty are based on the argument that the treaty compromises Nepal's ability to pursue an independent defence and foreign policy.

• Nihar R. Nayak
• July 2010
• Strategic Analysis

The peace process between India and Pakistan came to an abrupt halt with the Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008 (26/11). Ironically, the attacks were carried out by Pakistani terrorists minutes after the foreign ministers of both countries met in New Delhi and pledged to take the composite dialogue process forward. Ever since, Pakistan's unwillingness to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice has come in the way of resumption of the composite dialogue. There have been many false starts, but the process continues to be in a state of suspended animation.

• Ashok K. Behuria
• July 2010
• Strategic Analysis

The legal status of Gilgit-Baltistan, which is part of Jammu and Kashmir that is under Pakistani occupation, has remained undefined in successive Pakistani constitutions. Pakistan governs the region with ad hoc presidential ordinances, resulting in transitory political arrangements. It was Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto who first introduced the so-called Northern Areas Governance Order of 1994, after shelving the draconian and inhumane Frontier Crimes Regulation, with which Pakistan ruled the region like a colony.

• Senge H. Sering
• May 2010
• Strategic Analysis

The India–Bhutan relationship is perhaps the only bilateral engagement in South Asia, yielding high dividends to both parties. While Bhutan all through the years has appreciated India for its economic assistance, India, for its part, has been sensitive to Bhutan's developmental needs. The relationship has helped Bhutan shape a unique developmental trajectory based on gross national happiness. Bhutan's economy has grown substantially in recent years. However, the development cooperation between the two countries can be effectively divided into three significant waves.

• Medha Bisht
• May 2010
• Strategic Analysis

After a hiatus, relations between India and Bangladesh are back on track again. This period was ushered in with the Awami League government assuming power in Dhaka after the culmination of the much delayed ninth Jatiya Sangsad elections. The bilateral relations received a further boost with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's four-day visit to India on January 10, 2010. It was breakthrough visit for a number of reasons.

• Sreeradha Datta
• May 2010
• Strategic Analysis

• Medha Bisht
• January 2010
• Strategic Analysis

• Arvind Gupta , Ashok K. Behuria
• January 2010
• Strategic Analysis

A military-backed caretaker government supported by the international community assumed power in Bangladesh on January 11, 2007, promising a corruption-free and clean democratic environment to usher in a new era in politics. It has introduced a series of electoral reforms and has taken action against the 'corrupt'. As Bangladesh is poised for parliamentary elections by the end of December, doubts remain about whether politics in Bangladesh will change for the better, however.

• Smruti S. Pattanaik
• November 2008
• Strategic Analysis

• Darini Rajasingham Senanayake
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

This article deals with financing of Islamist terror in Bangladesh, which on occasions becomes jihadi in nature, especially when it is directed towards India. The exercise undertaken studies developments in the area of terrorist finance in Bangladesh post-9/11, but does not claim to fully estimate the volume of terror financing in that country. The attempt has been made to throw some light on an area where little research has been done. The article argues that the Government of Bangladesh has shown a half-hearted approach towards checking the finance of terrorism.

• Anand Kumar
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

For several decades, religion has been a visible and potent force in the domestic politics of Muslim countries. Within Asia, the issue has attracted considerable debate and a good case study of this is Malaysia. Issues of religious conversion, demolition of temples, apostasy, and Islamic state discourse have widened fault lines among different religious communities in Malaysia.

• Pankaj K Jha
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

In recent years India, along with China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has been following a policy of diplomatic engagement with Myanmar. India has also clarified its diplomatic stand that such a policy engagement will positively serve its national interests.

• Pradip Saikia
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

In order to construct an operational nuclear device, terrorists need to obtain the requisite fissile materials - Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) or plutonium. It has been proved that, generally, it is much simpler to devise a crude nuclear bomb with HEU than with plutonium. Hence, terrorists can have 'reasonable confidence' in the performance of weapons-grade HEU bombs. The magnitude of the threat of nuclear terrorism from Pakistan's HEU-based nuclear weapons programme is assuming alarming proportions. However, adequate preventive steps can be taken to minimize the danger.

• Reshmi Kazi
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

• Pradeep Jeganathan
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

• M. D. Nalapat
• November 2009
• Strategic Analysis

There is no documentary evidence to substantiate the Pakistani claim that Pakistan had entered into any voluntary safeguards agreement with the IAEA in respect of KANUPP.

• G. Balachandran
• June 21, 2016
• IDSA Comments

New Delhi is aware of Washington’s keenness to marshal India as the power that can tilt the strategic balance in Asia.

• Sarosh Bana
• May 31, 2016
• IDSA Comments

India should play a proactive role in assisting Sri Lanka in the fisheries sector and in creating conditions in the Palk Bay for the fishermen of both countries to exploit the respective fishing potential amicably.

• Gautam Sen
• May 20, 2016
• IDSA Comments

The coming to power of a democratic government in Myanmar has not only altered the political situation within but has also provided an opportunity to improve relations with Bangladesh.

• Anand Kumar
• May 18, 2016
• IDSA Comments

India needs to proactively buttress its broader position by affixing/prefixing the issue of Pakistan occupied Kashmir to the bilateral agenda every time the issue of Kashmir comes up for discussion.

• Priyanka Singh
• May 03, 2016
• IDSA Comments

Ceding PoK as part of a settlement does not comport with India’s national and strategic interests, especially in terms of dealing with the challenge posed by China-Pakistan collaboration.

• S. Kalyanaraman
• May 03, 2016
• IDSA Comments

Maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region continue to be an issue of concern and this effective regional mechanism needs to be strengthened to deal effectively with them.

• Aman Saberwal
• March 22, 2016
• IDSA Comments

While India may wait for full cooperation of other member countries to make SAARC a success, it must take the initiative for forging more agreements in matters concerning economic and social cooperation.

• Nihar R. Nayak
• March 22, 2016
• IDSA Comments

Gilgit Baltistan’s absorption may signal a paradigmatic shift in Pakistan’s Kashmir strategy. However, Pakistan would have to reset the contours of its position on Kashmir including an implied acceptance of the status quo.

• Priyanka Singh
• March 04, 2016
• IDSA Comments

Oli’s visit must set the derailed relationship back on track and set the agenda for future direction. India must show magnanimity and revive relations to the height witnessed during Modi’s maiden visit to Kathmandu.

• Akanshya Shah
• February 19, 2016
• IDSA Comments

Notwithstanding the relatively lower death toll, the January 14 attack has caused alarm in the region given that it came as proof of the claim made by the IS in 2014 about intensifying its activities across Southeast Asia.

• Sampa Kundu
• February 03, 2016
• IDSA Comments

Resuming talks with Pakistan sooner rather than later is important. These should now be part of a sustained effort of diplomatic outreach towards Pakistan rather than an on-and-off affair.

• Sumita Kumar
• January 19, 2016
• IDSA Comments

While China’s initial reluctance was attributed to the sheer scale of the project, costing tens of billions of dollars, in the changed CPEC-helmed geo-economic-strategic context, its re-calculations cannot be ruled out.

• Priyanka Singh
• January 18, 2016
• IDSA Comments

It is essential in the interest of economic development and smooth rehabilitation of the affected people that funds as part of a comprehensive financial package be devolved to the West Bengal Government at the earliest.

• Gautam Sen
• December 29, 2015
• IDSA Comments

Even faced with the improbability of making much headway on terrorism and Kashmir in the resumed dialogue, it is still important for India to engage with Pakistan.

• Sumita Kumar
• December 22, 2015
• IDSA Comments

The international community should strengthen the hands of the Sheikh Hasina government. It has a proven track record of working against extremists and terrorists.

• Anand Kumar
• November 30, 2015
• IDSA Comments

An India-China Silk Route Corridor could have multiple advantages for both countries without at the same time compromising their security concerns.

• P. Stobdan
• October 07, 2015
• Policy Brief

International oversight in the form of a panel of judges and the UNHRC mechanism in general are likely to help address the apprehensions of the Tamils about a domestic investigation mechanism.

• Smruti S. Pattanaik
• October 06, 2015
• IDSA Comments

The political imbroglio in Manipur has to be analysed through the prism of likely political gains and losses for the State`s major players, in juxtaposition to the scenario prevailing in adjoining States as well as inclinations of the Central Government.

• Gautam Sen
• September 29, 2015
• IDSA Comments

The issue of ‘consensus’ that has been at the core of writing a constitution has been eroded through majoritarianism to secure the entrenchment in power of the hill political elites.

• Smruti S. Pattanaik
• September 28, 2015
• IDSA Comments