South Asia

About Centre

South Asia is one of the main areas of research focus at IDSA. The region has been going through a period of turmoil over the last few years. Definitive steps have been taken in the recent past towards the establishment of democratic governments in the region. Given the importance of developments in the region for Indian security, experts at IDSA keenly watch and analyse unfolding developments in each South Asian country.

Two projects that are currently under progress are ‘Developments in Pakistan’ and ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’. In addition, individual scholars are engaged in researching various security related aspects pertaining to South Asian countries. The Centre has established bilateral institutional relations with leading think tanks in the region and proposes to undertake joint studies.

Minutes of South Asia Centre Meetings

Maldives: Beleaguered Democracy

Multi-party democracy in Maldives is facing a major crisis in the wake of a bitter political struggle between the president and the opposition-dominated national parliament.

Anand Kumar
July 27, 2010
IDSA Comments

India-Pakistan Talks-Need for a Grand Negotiating Strategy

India should now focus on handling internal differences, balancing issues across sectors and forging a domestic consensus in order to enhance its negotiating posture vis-a-vis Pakistan

Medha Bisht
July 27, 2010
IDSA Comments

JMB Remains the Fountainhead of Terror in Bangladesh

Recent arrests prove the close relationship between Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and extremist groups that have vowed to turn Bangladesh into an Islamic state.

Anand Kumar
July 22, 2010
IDSA Comments

India needs to engage with the real decision makers in Pakistan

India should try and broaden its engagement with all sections of Pakistani society which is getting differentiated due to the simultaneous multiple crises in that country.

Arvind Gupta
July 19, 2010
IDSA Comments

Strategic Stalemate in Afghanistan

Since the US and its allies have no additional troops to contribute for the fight against the radical extremist forces in Afghanistan, the net must be enlarged to include military contributions from Afghanistan’s regional neighbours, perhaps under a UN flag.

Restructuring the Dialogue Process with Pakistan

The India-Pakistan dialogue could be restructured in a way that allows them to engage each other in a formal but unstructured strategic political dialogue which focuses beyond immediate disputes and problems.

Jammu and Kashmir: Governance is the key

The survey in J&K and ‘Azad Kashmir’ indicates that people consider unemployment as a major problem, followed by corruption, poor economic development and human rights abuses.

An additional dish for the India-Pakistan platter

A strategic dialogue mechanism with Pakistan at the level of NSAs, assisted by representatives of the national security establishment including the military on both sides, needs to be initiated to address core questions like the strategic balance and reconciling strategic doctrines.

Ali Ahmed
July 05, 2010
IDSA Comments

India-Pakistan Relations: Need to proceed with caution

Because the Pakistan Army appears to be gearing itself up for large-scale counter-terrorism operations in Punjab and parts of Sindh, India is being engaged diplomatically even as attempts are afoot to bring the situation in Kashmir to a boil.

Indo Pak Rapprochement: Unexplored Option of Military to Military Engagement

A military to military engagement between India and Pakistan could help pave the way for greater understanding and opening up in the troubled relationship.