India’s Nuclear Situation: Where to? India’s Nuclear Policy has undergone a gradual but noticeable change following the underground test of a nuclear device at Pokharan in May 1974. Since early 1970, Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s government had attempted to use peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) as a political ploy for bargaining at international forums on disarmament. R.R. Subramanian | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
India–Africa: Perspectives on Development in Africa—Trade and Investment The realisation that trade and investment are key to development is backed up by development theories and empirical studies. This article identifies existing patterns of trade and investments between India and Africa, whereby Africa has a trade surplus through exports of mostly unprocessed commodities and importing processed merchandise from India. Hoseana Bohela Lunogelo | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Why Bangla Desh? On 26 March 1971 the usual news broadcast from the Chittagong Station of Radio Pakistan was interrupted at 2.05 p.m. Dacca Betar Kendra till then under the control of the staff who owed their allegiance to Mujibur Rahman had already been taken over by the Pakistan army in the morning. At 2 p.m. the Chittagong Radio station was relaying a news broadcast from Karachi, when suddenly, it was interrupted and Abdul Hannan, Secretary of the Chittagong District Awami League, made the first public declaration of independence of Bangla Desh. He did it in the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Mahbubul Hok | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Implementing the Peace, Security and Development Nexus in Africa Peace, security and development are inextricably linked. Peaceful, democratic and well-governed societies are believed to promote levels of growth, employment and prosperity. This article first defines the terms peace, security and development and then situates this within a current debate—that of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. It looks at the African Union Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (AU PCRD) framework and how it addresses issues of peace, security and development. Amanda Lucey | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Academic Contribution to National Security Policy Formulation in India Members of Parliament, press correspondents, interested University men and the attentive newspaper reading public in India, all agree that not enough information is available in easily assimilable form to enable a meaningful debate on matters pertaining to national security. It is one of the strange ironies of the situation that in spite of this criticism being voiced for well over a decade, and the country having gone through two major wars and a border skirmish, there has been no effort to study the reasons underlying this state of affairs, and to suggest concrete remedial steps. K. Subrahmanyam | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Global Governance and the Need for ‘Pragmatic Activism’ in India’s Multilateralism While global governance is all about creating an international order that addresses the interests of the big and small nations and people, non-government and corporate entities, the foreign policy of a state, including its multilateralism, aims at achieving its national interest. Tension between the two therefore is only natural. Often this is depicted as a hiatus between the greater good associated with idealism and self-interest associated with pragmatism. Arpita Anant | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
India-Egypt Relationship: Looking for a new Momentum Egypt under President Gamal Abdel Nasser and India under the leadership of its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were the torchbearers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Their commitment to socialism also kept both the leaders and countries drawn towards each other. Prasanta Kumar Pradhan | September 01, 2015 | IDSA Comments
Governmental Machinery for the Evolution of National Defence Policy and the Higher Direction of war Under the Constitution of India, the President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He is required to act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. Thus the ultimate authority with regard to all Defence matters rests with the Defence Minister, subject to the overall direction of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues. The Defence Minister is assisted by the Defence Secretary on the civil side, and by the Chiefs of the three armed forces—the Chief of Array Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff. P.V.R. Rao | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
India’s Economic Opportunities and Energy Security: Analysing Prospects Within SAARC and Beyond It has been extensively debated whether India should prioritise relations with its immediate or extended neighbourhood. Put into the framework of energy security and competition with China, it will be argued that the recently signed South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) framework agreement can provide the basis and open up new opportunities for inter- and sub-regional energy co-operation in Asia. Anna Juhos | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Editorial Note 2015 is a very special year for the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, marking 50 years since it was established on November 11, 1965. Celebrating the landmark, the current issue of Strategic Analysis carries a section on ‘Fifty Years of IDSA and Strategic Thinking in India’. This section comprises reminiscences by authors who either headed the Institute or served as part of its faculty, about the Institute’s role in shaping strategic thinking and contributing to policy planning in the country over five decades. Editorial Board | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
