Dynamics of ‘Civil-Military’ Relations in India The burgeoning scholarship on the army’s role in nation building, or the lack of it, is unsurprising. In the modern political order, a nation without its own army is hardly imaginable. A crucial relationship exists between the two, which is also a reason for the uneasiness about the army’s pro-active involvement in the nation-making process. Political sociologists have been uncovering striking causal relationships that demonstrate the crucial role of the army and its internal ‘organisation’, ‘control’ and ‘function’ for the subsisting units of the modern world system: nation-states. Nazir Ahmad Mir | January 2016 | Strategic Analysis
Applying Human Security in the Indian Context This article explores the concept of human security and examines the scope for its adoption as a normative and policy framework in India. Human security prioritises non-military methods as a means of achieving security without compromising the priorities accorded to traditional security threats. It requires the fulfilment of people’s basic needs and rights. D. Padma Kumar Pillay | January 2016 | Strategic Analysis
The Arab Spring that was and wasn’t When each dictator fell, there was hope that the country might move towards democracy even if the route might prove to be long and difficult. That hope has proved to be a mirage, except in Tunisia. K. P. Fabian | December 31, 2015 | IDSA Comments
2015: A Year of Work-in-Progress for Defence The issues confronting the defence establishment at the beginning of the year broadly related to defence policy, human resource management and operational preparedness. Amit Cowshish | December 29, 2015 | IDSA Comments
For Successful Implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh 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
Make in India and the Expanding Scope for India-Japan Defence Cooperation India’s defence modernisation presents enormous opportunities for the Japanese defence industry, which until recently concentrated exclusively on the domestic market in order to demonstrate Japan’s commitment to peace. Titli Basu | December 29, 2015 | IDSA Comments
Flexibility from Participating Nations – Key to TAPI’s Success The sustenance of the TAPI project would be contingent upon each side’s ability to accommodate the concerns of different stakeholders in the project. Only time will tell if the projects’ stakeholders can demonstrate such an attitude. Sanket Sudhir Kulkarni | December 23, 2015 | IDSA Comments
What to Expect from Modi’s Moscow Visit Modi and Putin are all set not only to straighten the loose ends of existing projects but also bring new big items on the table. P. Stobdan | December 23, 2015 | Issue Brief
India’s Defence Trade with Russia It will take just a few deals to be sealed, especially of the co-development/co-production variety, for the present drift in relations being arrested and brought back on an even keel. Amit Cowshish | December 22, 2015 | IDSA Comments
PSLV-C29: Demonstrating India’s Growing Space Capabilities On December 16, ISRO demonstrated its growing capabilities with multiple burn fuel stage/rocket engine. In few years, ISRO is expected to put big primary payloads into different orbits by using a single rocket launcher. Ajey Lele | December 22, 2015 | IDSA Comments
