Uzbek Elections 2016: Personal observations of an itinerant traveller The voting booth was a good metre high with glass on one side, so that one can see that the voting papers are not tampered with. Shriniwas Kelkar | December 28, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Leadership Change in Uzbekistan: An Election Observer’s Impressions While it was difficult to delve into the depth of the country’s internal dynamics, the overall impression one got was that the democratic process is making marked progress, albeit as per Uzbekistan’s own political ethos and traditions. P. Stobdan | December 26, 2016 | IDSA Comments
China’s First Cyber Security Law China has justified the passage of the new law as an ‘objective need’ for national security considering its large cyber infrastructure and its vulnerabilities. Abhishek Pratap Singh | December 23, 2016 | Backgrounder
The Creation of New Districts in Manipur: Administrative Necessity versus Naga Territorial Aspirations While the Manipur government’s decision to create seven new districts has come in the wake of popular demands for improved administrative efficiency, there has been fierce opposition from Naga bodies which view it as an attempt to divide the Naga people Pradeep Singh Chhonkar | December 23, 2016 | IDSA Comments
The State of the Smaller Latin American Air Forces While the larger air forces are capable of sustaining their existing and future inventories for some time to come, the combat assets available to the region’s smaller air forces are facing a problem of pending obsolescence. Sanjay Badri-Maharaj | December 22, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Japan’s Trump Dilemma In the wake of Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president, Japan is weighing the geopolitical and geo-economic implications of the new economic and security policies that his administration may adopt. Titli Basu | December 20, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Political Fallout of the Creation of New Districts in Manipur While the creation of seven new smaller districts has led to agitations by the United Naga Council, efficiencies in administrative tasks should be obtainable with district headquarters closer to the respective inhabitants. Gautam Sen | December 16, 2016 | IDSA Comments
South Sudan: From Conflict to Peace and Back One of the primary reason for recurrence of violence is the failure of peace agreements to address the real issues of conflict. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) and Addis Ababa Agreement of August 2015 have many fault lines which potentially contribute to protracted conflict. Rajeesh Kumar | October-December 2016 | Africa Trends
Blue Economy: Towards India-Africa Cooperation The existence of vast natural resources, both living and non- living, in the marine ecosystem, has led to a concern about sustainability of harnessing these resources. The increasing emphasis on the blue economy by policy makers in the African countries and India, presents an opportunity for cooperation in this crucial area. Ruchita Beri | October-December 2016 | Africa Trends
Countering Fidayeen Attacks The antidote to fidayeen attacks is a well-trained and informed soldier, who is clinical in his task of neutralising the threat as and when it arises. Vivek Chadha | December 15, 2016 | Policy Brief
