Kurds sole ‘boots on ground’ against Islamic State Bitter last ditch battles are being fought by Kurdish men and women, including boys and girls barely out of their teens, against the Daesh. Some feel that to succeed, Washington must cooperate with the Syrian Kurds (YPG) as Kurdish fighters alone have proved willing and capable of taking on the Daesh. Sandhya Jain October 09, 2014 IDSA Comments
Making India a Defence Manufacturing Hub While the government is widely seen as investor-friendly, investment decisions, however, are made on more tangible considerations – ease of doing business, security of investment and intellectual property rights, and returns on investment. Amit Cowshish October 07, 2014 IDSA Comments
Reinventing India’s “Make” Procedures for Defence Acquisitions The Indian defence industry needs procedural clarity and simplification to be ingrained in the “Make” procedures, as the rules are presently silent on a number of important operational aspects. Sandeep Verma October 01, 2014 IDSA Comments
Need to revive Iran-India energy ties The possible lifting of the sanctions on Iran will lead to a rush for a share of the lucrative Iranian energy pie similar to Myanmar’s opening up last year. India cannot afford to be left behind. Shebonti Ray Dadwal September 30, 2014 IDSA Comments
Border Standoff: Understanding Chinese Motives The response from the Indian side during the recent border incident was much more robust. However, it is important to examine the likely motives that drive the Chinese to raise the ante before the high-level visits to India. Rumel Dahiya September 29, 2014 IDSA Comments
Saudis join war against Islamic State; many sceptical The participation by the Saudi royal family in the US-led bombing of Daesh positions in Syria indicates Riyadh’s implacable opposition to the mercenary group. Iran, however, has dismissed the air strikes as a “psychological operation”, not a military one. Sandhya Jain September 29, 2014 IDSA Comments
2014 General Elections in Kashmir Valley: Incidents of Violence and its Impact The background study looks at incidence of violence in the Kashmir Valley during the 2014 parliamentary elections and the correlation of violence to voter turnout. This study also lists out various actors responsible for violence and the trends in voting patterns from different regions of the Valley. Deepshikha Hooda September 25, 2014 Backgrounder
New Gambles in Ladakh It all appears that the Indian army this time got clear orders to hold the ground and undo what the previous UPA government did – dismantled huts, bunkers and observation posts in exchange of PLA moving back from the Indian territory. P. Stobdan September 25, 2014 IDSA Comments
XI’s visit and the boundary issues In the Chinese mind the settlement of the border issue with India cannot be divorced from regional, political and larger strategic issues. China has used the threat of intrusions across the LAC, as a part of its coercive diplomacy and it is too valuable an asset to give up. Mukul Sanwal September 24, 2014 IDSA Comments
A primer on the Indian Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 During PM Modi’s visit to US, one of the topics that is likely to be high on the agenda will be the still incomplete US-India nuclear cooperation by way of sales of nuclear reactors to India because of the Indian Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. G. Balachandran September 23, 2014 Backgrounder
