Know Thy Neighbour: Growth of India and China—Socio-Cultural Precepts and Propositions* It is very important for large and populous neighbours such as India and China to have a better understanding of one another’s history, culture and value systems. Perhaps no two peoples in the world are as similar as Indians and Chinese in terms of the agrarian foundations of our societies and many of our traditions with roots in Hindu-Buddhist rituals and philosophy, and even the undue importance attached in the past to the male child. Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy March 2019 Strategic Analysis
The Rise of Kim Yo-Jong in the North Korean Regime The state narrative of North Korea, the story that keeps the Kims in power and the population uncomplaining, is built as much around international politics as it is domestic. In the mid-1990s, soon after the first transition of power from Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-il, the country and the regime was in crisis. Always looking at themselves through the lens of South Korea and the need for reunification, official propaganda had been building an idea that their Southern brothers and sisters were impoverished in comparison and desperate to join with the North once again. Jed Lea-Henry March 2019 Strategic Analysis
US-Taliban Talks for Afghan Peace: Complexities Galore The ongoing dialogue between the US and the Taliban has generated lot of interest among strategic analysts in the region and beyond. There are indications that the Taliban are hardening their position as the US appears to be in a haste to pull off an agreement. Ashok K. Behuria , Yaqoob-ul-Hassan , Sanya Saroha March 2019 Strategic Analysis
Critical Analysis of India’s Safeguards Agreement INFCIRC/754 with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) India concluded a fresh safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/754) with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2009. All aspects of safeguards measures including the items to be safeguarded were deliberated upon, to ensure that India’s safeguards agreement does not result in giving any flexibility to India to use safeguarded items for unsafeguarded activities. The safeguards agreement INFCIRC/754 came with many additional features. Some of them are a result of the IAEA’s efforts to bring uniformity to subsidiary arrangements and structure and format for reporting requirements. K. L. Ramakumar March 2019 Strategic Analysis
Decimating Democracy in 140 Characters or Less: Pakistan Army’s Subjugation of State Institutions through Twitter The Directorate General of Inter Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR), or the Pakistan Army’s media wing has perfected the form of subverting democracy and showcasing the dominant position of the Army in the entire Pakistani polity. This article sets out to prove the same in a quantified manner. By analysing almost 25 tweets from the official account of DG-ISPR in the period 2016 −18, the article tries to quantify, using the Merkel-Croissant model of embedded democracy, the priorities of the Pakistan Army. Akshat Upadhyay March 2019 Strategic Analysis
Mohammed bin Salman walks the India-Pakistan tightrope Visiting ‘brother’ Pakistan and ‘friend’ India at a time when tensions are running high both in West Asia and South Asia, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walked the India-Pakistan tightrope with extreme caution. Prasanta Kumar Pradhan February 25, 2019 IDSA Comments
Why Creating an Indigenous LTE Chipset is Such a Big Deal India, the second largest smartphone market in the world, needs to encourage and incentivise its ICT industry to not only boost ‘Skill India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives but also provide cyber autonomy to its critical cyber assets. Ashish Chhibbar February 25, 2019 IDSA Comments
A no-deal Brexit and its implications The implications of a no-deal Brexit, particularly on EU-UK trade relations, security and the rights of the citizens, would be grave and irreparable. Rajeesh Kumar February 22, 2019 Issue Brief
MMRCA Mess and the Need for Professionalism in the Defence Acquisition Process The CAG report relating to the Indian Air Force has highlighted various anomalies and the unprofessional manner in which defence acquisitions are handled. Vinay Kaushal February 22, 2019 Issue Brief
Pulwama Attack: Time to Get the Messaging Right Pakistan’s hybrid war is a reality. India’s efforts need to be oriented towards countering such a war. Vivek Chadha February 20, 2019 Policy Brief