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Title	Date	Author	Time	Event	Body	Research Area	Topics	File attachments	Image
Compressing politics on COIN: Implications for counterinsurgency theory with reference to India’s Northeast	October 19, 2016	Alex Walterman	1030 to 1300 hrs	Round Table	Chair: Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan Discussants: Brig. Narender Kumar, Col. Pradeep Singh Chhonkar, Col. Vikrant S. Deshpande Mr. Walterman elaborated on his paper about the theoretical debates of Counterinsurgency (COIN) and the growing complex challenges that have confronted the traditional theorization of COIN. The paper deals with the relationship between COIN and the complex aspects of latest insurgencies. Mr. Alex argued that the old theorization of COIN, which was conditioned by Cold War understanding and the traditional division of “duties into 80% political action and 20% military”, has almost become stagnant. He argued even the 21st century democracies have been adopting this mechanism for dealing with insurgencies. Mr Waterman noted there is a need to overcome this “conceptual inertia” in order to address the complexity of changed insurgencies and this paper is an attempt in that direction. Waterman argued that the continued theorisation and division of COIN into political and military are inadequate for dealing with insurgencies as these have evolved, grown complex and are sometimes thriving upon alternative political models. Defeating the political in the insurgencies remains challenge for any COIN rather than merely crushing its guerrilla tactics. That means in many ways that COIN has become 100% political. With regard to India, Waterman argued that in India the rebel groups were recognised from the beginning as “misguided citizens” by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the approach to deal with them has been overwhelmingly political with less use of military tactics. However, this approach has not paid off in the way the state would have liked it to. According to Waterman, the current notion of political embedded in COIN understanding fails to take into account the complexity of the political environment at the two levels: One is that counterinsurgents and insurgents are not the only actors that can have an overall political impact. There are other influential actors as well; strong local politicians, civil society or foreign intelligence agencies. Second is that the interactions within this environment may not reflect the traditional and complex political competition. Some elements of an insurgency may be seeking to carve out an ethnic exclusionary base to consolidate power while others may be seeking to control drug trafficking or likewise. Such vested interests are not uncommon in the latest insurgencies. Waterman argued that the Indian approach of a combination of political engagement and military coercion, has been successful in co-opting those groups who are willing to be part of the mainstream and empowering political actors to bring them to negotiations. Though this has been successful, for example, in Mizoram with the Mizo National Front (MNF), it, however, remains an exception. In other Northeast states like Nagaland, issues remains unsettled. In Bodoland, the Peace Accords of 1993 and 2003 created a new kind of identity politics within the Bodo society, fragmenting it, and creating new forms of violence that led to the emergence of “other armed groups” who are creating their own space. Insurgent groups tend to exploit vulnerable sections of a society and grey area to their interest. Many a times, insurgent groups react to a particular COIN approach differently based upon their political and social conditions. These different signals from different groups “produce complications” which the current political primacy in COIN fails to cover appropriately. Similarly, apart from the political, the force used in the COIN is meant to weaken the insurgent groups and bring them on the negotiating table. This, however, changes the political/power dynamics: apparently empowering one group and sidelining the others. Therefore, though the political primacy on COIN is rightly the main feature, but it is unable to capture increased complexity present in the latest insurgencies. For that we need to re-visit the old theory of COIN and attempt a new theorization for capturing the latest dynamics and actors involved. We need to revise the theory in order to successfully draw generalisations to cover diverse cases. Brig. Narender Kumar Brig. Kumar in his comments argued that there are indeed complications in the process of COIN, as the paper argues. But these arise also from the geography, demography and relationship between ethnic groups as well, whose understanding may differ from the mainstream. As a case in point, in the Northeast, there was no concept of state as it is understood now. The effort from the centre to compress the local structures and traditions has created problems. For example, Assam was one of the most developed regions in India. Attempted reform of its structure without taking into account the local traditions led to the problems it is faced with today. In other places like Manipur, conflicts exist between the ethnic groups themselves rather than with the centre or state. Overall, Brig. Kumar argued, given the complexity, where is the space for the political? The situation demands closer to an 80% military and 20% political approach. Therefore, at best, it was more likely that the political and military will go hand in hand. In Nagaland, insurgency is an industry which provides jobs to the unemployed youth. This is because there are no economic opportunities for them. It’s fortunate that the people are forcing the insurgent groups to maintain the cease fire. There is a requirement for the northeast to be first integrated with itself, then with the main land. Col. Pradeep Singh Chhonkar Col. Chhonkar argued that the paper presented aptly analyzes the concept of political in COIN and dynamics involved in insurgencies. This complexity has grown mainly because of the vast number of actors involved in these insurgencies. These actors control economic, social and political power and use them to pursue their interests. Many Northeast insurgencies are complex because these are not insurgencies of traditional understanding and features but are used for controlling the drug market, fake currency and for extortions. He suggested that Nagaland could also be included as a case study for a situation in which, when one group is talked to, the others feel being sidelined. Col. Vikrant S. Deshpande Col. Deshpande opined that the paper highlights two elements of COIN: political approach and utility of force. It argues that the existing theory doesn’t entail the complexity involved in insurgencies and for analyzing this Northeast is taken as case study. COIN practice precedes the theory and it is not that the practioners are not aware about the complications. The measures taken in Northeast were ineffective not because the design or intention were missing but because of the wrong execution. Col. Deshpande was of the opinion that the idea of utility of force in the paper can be further developed. Force is used to achieve tactical ends. It needs to be elaborated why the use of force should stop at getting a fighting group to the negotiating table. Prof. Rajesh Rajagopalan Commenting on the paper, Prof. Rajagopalan argued that three points need to be taken into consideration: i)academic theorizing has practice behind it; , i.e., a theory’s premise is empirical data or/experience which informs the theorist’s understanding of an issue which he/she then tries to give a theoretical explanation. ii), the binary division of the COIN theory debate into the political and military doesn’t cover all the dimensions involved. Besides, the perspective of a theorist or practioner has a significant impact on this; and iii) As a corollary to the second point, therefore, for better or worse, there is politics involved in this division of the COIN into the political and military itself,. An academician or a practioner after all has his subjectivity involved in this process which influences his/her understanding of the COIN. Prof. Rajagopalan further argued that the concept of political in COIN is not applicable at the global level. India is fighting insurgencies internally and the issues of human rights, citizenship rights, democratic values and excessive use of force are factors in play while taking on the insurgent groups,; unlike in international counterinsurgency enterprises, of the type found in Afghanistan and Iraq. In an attempt of theorization, we also need to open the black box from the both sides, i.e., from the state and from the insurgent side as well. Prof. Rajagopalan noted that a major challenge for the paper would be to draw generalizations from the application of the (reformed) COIN theory in cases where there are complexities involved, like in the Northeast region of India.
Talk by Shafick Osman on "Geopolitics of the Indian Ocean Region: An Overview"	November 11, 2016		1500 hrs	Other	Venue: Boardroom #104, First Floor, IDSA Dr Shafick Osman is Director of Research and Studies Ltd and Former Head and Founder of School of Geopolitics, Université des Mascareignes, Mauritius. Shri Anup Kumar Mudgal, Former High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, will chair the meeting.	Africa, Latin America, Caribbean & UN
International Conference on ‘Russia in Global Affairs: Indian and Russian Perspectives’	November 04, 2016		1030 to 1300 hrs	Conference	Venue: Seminar Hall 1 (2nd Floor), IDSA The conference is being organized in the backdrop of the special edition of IDSA journal ‘Strategic Analysis’, entitled ‘Russia in Global Affairs’. Several leading Russian policy experts have contributed to the special edition, offering a comprehensive view on the structure of the new international order, major international tendencies and problems, and Russia’s place in this system. The articles discuss Russia’s approaches to international security, new factors of influence in the modern world, Russia and the system of global governance, Russia and the new economic order, Russia’s role in Eurasian integration and its policy of pivot to Asia within the context of similar policies by other major international players. It is in this context that the conference aims at deliberating on above themes and exploring areas of future cooperation between India and Russia. Programme 10-1030h: Registration & Tea 1030-1100h: Inaugural Session Welcome Remarks by Shri Jayant Prasad, Director General, IDSA Inaugural address by Ambassador Alexander M. Kadakin [tbc] Address by Dr. Alexander Lukin, Director, Center for East Asian and Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Russian Foreign Ministry (MGIMO University) 1100-1300h: Session I: International Situation: Emerging Global Order Chair: Professor MadhavanPalat Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director, Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics. US–Russia Confrontation and a New Global Balance Andrei Skriba, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Associate Research Fellow at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at National Research University Higher School of Economics. Russian Strategy towards the Post-Soviet Space in Europe: Searching for Balance between Economy, Security, and Great Power Attractiveness Maxim Bratersky, Professor, Department of International Relations, National Research University Higher School of Economics. The Evolution of National Security Thinking in Post-Soviet Russia Nandan Unnikrishnan, Vice President and Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi. 1300-1400h: Lunch 1400-1545h: Session II: Regional Situation: Greater Eurasia Chair: Ambassador Ajai Malhotra Alexander Lukin, Director, Center for East Asian and Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Russian Foreign Ministry (MGIMO University) Russia’s Pivot to Asia: Myth or Reality? Mark Entin, Professor, Department of European Law at Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Russian Foreign Ministry (MGIMO University), former Russian Ambassador to Luxemburg. The New Role of Russia in the Greater Eurasia Meena Singh Roy, Research Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Analysing Connectivity Projects in Eurasia: “The New Integration Game” 1545-1600h: Tea 1600-1730h: Session III: India-Russia Relations: Strengthening the Economic Foundation Chair:Dr. Alexander Lukin Phunchok Stobdan, Senior Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Changing Nature of Indo-Russian Relations Leonid Grigoryev, Head, Department of World Economy, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Former Deputy Minister of Economics and Finances. Russia in the System of Global Economic Relations Arun Mohanty, Professor, Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Reflections on Indo-Russian Trade and Investment Press Release [+]	Eurasia & West Asia
19th Asian Security Conference - Combating Terrorism: Evolving an Asian Response	March 06, 2017 to March 08, 2017		1030 to 1300 hrs	Conference	Concept Note Asia, with close to sixty percent of the world’s population, has suffered disparate political, nationalist, religious, ideological, ethnic, sectarian, and state sponsored violence for decades, if not centuries. The world’s geo-economic pivot may have shifted to Asia, but the repercussions of every day violence and terrorism are becoming an impediment in the realisation of the Asian Century. Violent extremism comes in the way of socio-economic development and inclusive growth, amplifying and widening fissures caused by failures of governance. Historical roots of militancy (insurgencies, separatist movements, etc.) in many countries of Asia have provided the context for local grievances to be exploited by larger ideological frameworks of global extremist movements. The resurgence of violent extremist movements we are witnessing today has evolved in sophistica-tion with the advances in technology, communication, and the complicated web of terror finance. Threats that were earlier contained within national boundaries have now become transnational and ideational challenges, which respect neither state sovereignty nor existing governance structures. While the challenges confronting Asia and the global order have multiplied, a cohesive response to them has remained elusive. With countries in the region constructing frameworks of cooperation to combat terrorism, it is time to exchange ideas on countering violent extremism, which will define an Asian approach to this issue. A global regime built on a strong foundation of effective regional prac-tices is bound to find wider acceptability. Twenty years since it first submitted a proposal for the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), India has revived its efforts to secure a global consensus in the UN General Assembly in the fight against terrorism. India’s attempts have received traction as the world seems to be in a state of constant terror, with an increase in the footprint of global terrorist groups, especially in the West and South West Asia. Having been subjected to and resisted such acts against humanity, India is engaged in persuading responsible governments across the world to take a more united stand on the matter. There is a global consensus in principle that there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ terrorist. It is for this reason that India, has through the Convention, sought to identify an acceptable definition of terrorism that all 193-members of the UNGA would be able to adopt legally; to ban all terror groups and shut down terror camps regardless of their objectives; to prosecute all terrorists under special laws, and to make cross-border terrorism an extraditable offence worldwide. To build an Asian consensus on the issue, India has also repeatedly suggested that violent extremism needs to be delinked from religion, ethnicity or identity. Recognising the trans-national nature of terrorism today, India has been push-ing for a global regime on terrorism that enforces concepts of - assigning responsibility and ensuring accountability. The inconsistencies in the global war on terror have been exploited by extremist groups to advance their narratives and ideologies and ensured that ecosystems nurturing terror continue to flourish. Ironically, even countries which have been victims of frequent terror attacks have shied away from pushing for a more global response to the threat owing to geo-political pressures and rivalries. The embryo of building such response exists in frameworks like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that sets standards with respect to combating money laundering and terrorist financing, the Egmont Group, which is an informal network of Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) and through instruments such as the ‘United Nations Security Council committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL(da'esh) al-qaida and associated individuals groups, under-takings and entities’. These however, do not yet provide an effective global response for reasons of national expediency. Terrorist groups recruit globally and strike across national boundaries, yet nations have a fragmented approach in meeting this challenge India seeks a more coherent approach on the part of the entire international community. It with this direction in mind that IDSA aims to take the first step of comprehending the Asian re-sponse to “Combating Terrorism” in the region. In this context the 19th Asian Security Conference will focus on the theme, “Evolving an Asian Response” to this complex issue. We aim to focus on the following themes over multiple interactive sessions: I . Evaluating the norm building efforts in countering global terrorism, understanding the geo-political realities and defining the Asian and global response to terrorism. II - Identifying ideologies and drivers fuelling this transnational resurgence of extremist violence, with an eye on the role of terror finance in exacerbating conflict in the region III - Examining how technology is changing the nature of conflict and the rising challenges there-in to Asian security. IV - Assessing the threat of terrorism in Asia: From South West Asia, to the extended outposts in South Asia and South East Asia. V - Forecasting challenges that lie ahead, debating the absence of effective counter-narratives, and building upon a reservoir of best practices of counter terrorism efforts by countries in the re-gion. II) The conference will explore these subjects through the course of the following interactive sessions. Norms & The Global War on Terror : Challenges for Asia New Wave of Global Terror : Ideas, Resources and Trends The Age of ‘Instant Terror’: Technology, the Game Changer Regional Perspectives - The West Asia Conundrum : Unraveling geopolitics & global response Regional Perspectives - South and South East Asia : The Growing Spectre of Terror Constructing effective counter-narratives: The need for a global response The Asian Response to Combating Terror : The Way Forward Inaugural Session: Special Address III) Theme Elaboration 1. Norms & The Global War on Terror: Challenges for Asia It has taken the world decades of terrorism and insurgency to understand that escalation of vio-lence is linked in a large part to failed politics, governance, and economic development. The set-backs of the global war on terror and the rise in the number vulnerable and failing states since 9/11, have shown that the civil causes of violence are so deep that no defeat of extremist movements alone can hope to bring any lasting form of security and stability. It has been argued that if extrem-ist violence and its many manifestations are to be defeated then states need to be accountable to both their people and the global order. This lack of accountability, coupled with the absence of clarity, consistency, and enforcement in global norms to tackle terrorism have been impediments to an effective response. In addition, shifting goalposts and the pressures of geopolitics have proved to be counterproductive to efforts aimed at building a global counter-terrorism regime. Since September 11, international terrorism has emerged on the top of national and international security agendas necessitating international alignment and cooperation on an unprecedented level. Yet, the question that has plagued all counter-terrorism efforts since has been the viability of this cooperation in the absence of a basic agreement on the common denominator - the definition of terrorism. This inaugu-ral session seeks to address the following questions : What are the challenges that constrain the global response to counter terrorism? What are the im-plications for Asian Security? How is regional geopolitics shaping state responses? Why is global response to terrorism in some geographies different from others? What role does India see itself playing in the shaping of a global regime on counter-terrorism? What norms does it seek to build and to what end? Assessing support for the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism 2. The New Wave of Global Terror : Ideas, Resources, and Trends Terrorism is a dynamic phenomenon that develops over time, gradually changing its shape and man-ifestations. It is carried out by various organisations in the service of different ideologies. There is growing recognition now that the dominant form of transnational terror today is not motivated by nationalist grievances or separatist goals. Instead, the current threat confronting the world today is of terrorism motivated by political objectives that uses religion as an instrument to justify violent activities against civilians. These groups are motivated by what they perceive as a divine command and apocalyptic world view. Religious appropriation of the recent wave of attacks across the world, by the current poster child of extremist violence, the Islamic State or Da’esh and its many imitators globally is case in point. Fuelling this resurgence is the many reincarnations of the means of terror finance, taking refuge sometimes in the guise of state sponsored policy or enjoying the patronage of non-state actors .This session will take on these challenging questions and identify: Who are the actors driving the new wave of global terror and what are their motivations? What are new ideas/ideologues that make extremist violence so attractive to recruits? Is there is a shift in narrative? What is driving the increase in ‘Lone Wolf’ Attacks? What explains the constant supply of foreign fighters and women pursuing religious extremism? What are the future trends - threats- both home grown and international that will demand global attention? How effective is the fight against the financing of terror ? Can we enforce accountability? 3. The Age of ‘Instant Terror’: Technology, the Game Changer The most lethal weapon in the arsenal of extremist groups today is technology. The internet is the largest and most ungoverned space in the world. Its unprecedented reach, instant connectivity, ano-nymity, resourcefulness, and interactiveness along with low cost of access make it the most potent tool in extremist hands. Innovations in technology and the advent of social media have furthered the scope of instant dissemination of propaganda, strengthened informal networks of online recruitment and radicalisation and worryingly made brutal violence a fashionable tool to install fear in the hearts and minds of a global audience. Social media feed into 24x7 global news cycles, which amplify these messages further and inadvertently end up endorsing and branding these extremists groups as the face of global terror. This session will seek to address the questions on : The use of technology to ‘brand’ global terror Innovations in online radicalization , recruitment and mobilization Cyber security and Terrorism: Addressing evolving threats Social Media : Impact, challenges and opportunities for counter terrorism efforts Technology and Intelligence : Opportunities for global co-operation 4.Regional Perspectives - The West Asia Conundrum : Unraveling geopolitics & global response The rise of Da’esh has been an unprecedented event in the geopolitics of the West Asian region, de-spite the region being a being a burning cauldron for many terrorist movements for the last several decades. Having captured territories in Iraq and Syria, Da’esh has challenged the existing regional political order by trying to redraw boundaries in the volatile region. It has spread its tentacles far beyond its captured borders, subsuming terror groups across the world eager to bandwagon with its brand of terror. With the conflict spilling over to many countries, it has instigated an unparalleled refugee crisis that the world is still trying to grapple with. Regional actors have taken initiatives, but there is an absence of a collaborative action on the ground strong enough to defeat the terror group .The existing unease, competition, and rivalry among the countries of the region and the interests of extra regional powers have been a hindrance in building up a united front against Daesh. The activities of the United States and Russia have a critical bearing on the geopolitics in West Asia. This ses-sion will explore the West Asian conundrum in all its complexity and assess the impact on the global war on terror. 5.Regional Perspectives - South and South East Asia: The Growing Spectre of Terror The terrorist threat to South and South East Asia has never been as acute as it is today. South Asia - home to more than one-third of humanity, has more terrorist groups and terrorists, than any other part of the world. More lives have been lost in this region to terrorist attacks than anywhere else in the world. Meanwhile, South East Asia since the 1990s, is battling the residual challenge posed by sub-state militant extremism which has risen in reaction to both the force of modernization pursued by many Southeast Asian governments and the political influence of radical Islam. Some states in both these regions face a threat to their existence if terrorism is not contained. The developments in Afghanistan-Pakistan and West Asia will have complicated the situation further The story of coun-ter-terrorism efforts so far have been that of individual countries crafting distinct strategies to deal with a problem which has long ago gone trans-national. Attempts at crafting a regional approach have been few and ineffective. This session will examine national and international government responses to extremist movements in the region, expanding terrorist sanctuaries and homegrown ter-rorist networks, funding and support from international organisations and governments, military and policing strategies, and the success and failures of hearts-and-minds campaigns. 6. Constructing effective counter-narratives: The need for a global response The field of counter terrorism has expanded from the traditional focus on covert action to preventive measures that dissuade individuals from subscribing to arguments of violent extremists. To that end, states have developed tools to prevent radicalisation of vulnerable populations in an effort to win hearts and minds. These include promoting interfaith dialogue and breaking down cultural bar-riers between communities. Although attempts have been made by several governments to develop a credible narrative to prevent international terrorism, there has been a failure to thwart the appeal generated by violent extremist groups. This session will address the following questions: Does the current counter narrative account for the variances in the demographic and socio-economic composition of its audience? Would producing tailor-made narratives result in greater outreach? Is the negative perception of governments amplifying this challenge? Are there other actors who would be more successful in propagating a counter narrative? Does the narrative address different aspects of the radicalisation process? Has the international community been able to shift gears from producing defensive to preventive propaganda? What are the shortcomings of the dissemination strategy being em-ployed? Have there been cases of success even if limited that can be studied to further our under-standing? Valedictory Session 7.The Asian Response to Combating Terror : The Way Forward (Panel Discussion and Scenario Forecasting) Programme Schedule Day 1: 6 March 2017 09:15– 09:45 - Registration 09:45– 10:30 - Inauguration Welcome Address by DG, IDSA, Shri Jayant Prasad Inaugural Address by Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri Manohar Parrikar Vote of Thanks by DDG, IDSA, Maj Gen Alok Deb, SM, VSM (Retired) 10:30-10:45 - Tea/Coffee Break 10:45-11:15 - Keynote Address H.E. Mhd. Hanif Atmar, National Security Advisor, Afghanistan 11:15-13:00 - Panel 1 Norms and the Global War on Terror: Challenges for Asia Chairperson – Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi Maj. Gen. Mahmud Ali Durrani, Former National Security Advisor, Pakistan Subject: Developing a Common Denominator to Fight Terrorism in Asia Mr. Abdel Bari Atwan, Editor-in-chief, Rai al-Youm, an Arab world digital news and opinion website Subject: Geopolitics of Islamic Jihad Mr. Praveen Swami, National Editor (Strategic and International Affairs), The Indian Express Subject: Invisible Jihad: Challenges for India and Asia Mr. Ehsan Monawar, Counter Terrorism Expert, Afghanistan Subject: Countering Terrorism in the AfPak: Past, present and the road ahead 13:00-14:00 - Lunch Break 14:00-15:30 - Panel 2 The New Wave of Global Terror: Ideas, Resources and Trends Chairperson – Shri G.K Pillai, Former Home Secretary, Government of India Mr. Baker Atyani, Veteran journalist from Jordan, covering conflict zones in Asia Subject: Hostage taking as a Tool of Terrorism and Methodology of Negotiations Dr. Waiel Awwad, Writer and South Asia Political Analyst Subject: The Terrorism Industry and its Global Expansion Ms. Lamya Haji Bashar Taha, Public advocate of the Yazidi community, Iraq Subject: Women and Da’esh Mr. P.K. Dash, Director Enforcement Directorate, Government of India Subject: Economics of Terror: The Indian Experience Mr. Atul Goel, SP, NIA Subject: Terror Finance in Kashmir Dr. Christine Fair, Associate Professor, Peace and Security Studies Program Georgetown University, USA Subject: Women in the Lashkar -e- Taiba: When Terrorism is a Family Affair 15:30-15:45 - Theme Address Shri Gulshan Rai, Chief of Cybersecurity, Government of India 15:45 - 17:15 - Panel 3 Age of ‘Instant Terror’: Technology, the Game Changer Chairperson – Dr. Arvind Gupta, Deputy NSA, Government of India Dr. Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE), USA Subject: Breaking the ISIS Brand: Trajectories into and out of Terrorism & the Social Media Recruitment of ISIS Mr. Madan Oberoi (IPS), Former Director of Cyber-Crime, Interpol, Singapore Subject : Darknet and Cryptocurrencies - Technology as enabler for Terrorism Mr. Saikat Datta, Director, Centre for Internet & Society, India Subject: Technology and Intelligence in Counter Terrorism Mr. Sanjeev Singh, Addl DG (anti-Naxal Operations), Madhya Pradesh Police Subject: Online Radicalisation and India’s CT efforts Ms. Manjula Sridhar, Founder ArgByte - a cybercrime analytics software Subject: Tackling Malicious Profiling Online: The Indian Experience 17:15 - 17:30 Tea/Coffee Day 2: 7 March 2017 09:45 - 10:00 Tea/Coffee 10:00 - 12:30 - Panel 4 Regional Perspectives - The West Asia Conundrum: Unraveling Geopolitics and Global Response Chairperson – Shri Sanjay Singh, Former Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India Ambassador Hossein Sheikholeslam, Advisor to Foreign Minister, Iran. Subject: The Threat of Extremism in West Asia: The Iranian Experience Dr. Vladimir I. Sotnikov, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Eastern Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences Subject: Russia’s views on Radical Islam threat in Central Asia Mr. Mustafa El Sagezli, General Manager of The Libyan Program for Reintegration & Development Subject: Countering Terrorism in the Maghreb: Implications for Global Security Ms Prabha Rao, Senior Fellow, IDSA, New Delhi Subject: al-Qaeda and the Arab Peninsular Dr. Frank Ledwidge (UK), Former Military Intelligence Officer who served in Iraq, Afghanistan And Libya Subject: A brief survey of total strategic failure: NATO in Western Asia Dr. Eitan Shamir, Senior Research Fellow, Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Israel Subject: What after counter-insurgency? Raiding in zones of turmoil 12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break 13:30: - 16:00 - Panel 5 Regional Perspectives - South and South East Asia: The Growing Spectre of Terror Chairperson – Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Distinguished Fellow, USI, New Delhi Lt. Gen. Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy, Commandant, National Defence College, Mirpur, Bangladesh Subject: Countering Terrorism : Perspectives from Bangladesh Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, Former bureaucrat and Political commentator, Pakistan Subject: A 9/11 for South Asia? Dr. Ma Xiangwu, Functionary, Communist Party of China Subject: China’s Experience in Countering Terrorism/Violent Extremism: Policy, Achievements and Challenges Gen. Daya Ratnayake, Former Commander of Army, Sri Lanka Subject: The Sri Lankan defeat of Terrorism: Lessons for evolving a regional response for combatting Terrorism Dr. Kumar Ramakrishna, Head of Policy Studies and Coordinator of National Security Studies Programme in the Office of the executive deputy chairman, RSIS, Singapore Subject: The Evolving ISIS Threat to Southeast Asia 16:00 - 16:15 Tea / Coffee Break 16:15 - 18:15 - Panel 6 Constructing Effective Counter-narratives: The Need for A Global Response Chairperson – Mr. Syed Asif Ibrahim, Indian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on “Countering Terrorism and Extremism Lt. General S A Hasnain, Former GOC 15 Corps, Srinagar, Fellow at Vivekanand International Foundation and Member of Governing Council of Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) Subject: Crafting a Narrative for Kashmir H.E. Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, Grand Mufti, Syria Subject: Effective Counter narratives for Deradcalisation Dr. Adil Rasheed, Research Fellow, IDSA Subject: The Deconstruction of the Jihadist Narrative Mr. SM Sahai, IPS Subject: Understanding Sufism to influence extremism in Kashmir Dr. A.R. Anjaria, President, Islamic Defence Cyber Cell of India and Member, Advisory Council, Jama Masjid, Delhi. Subject: Use of Quran and Fatwas to enable change Dr. Kalbe Sadiq, Founder, Tauheedul Muslimeen Trust Subject: Narratives for Countering Jihad Day 3: 8 March 2017 10:00 - 10:15 Tea/ Coffee 10:15 - 13:00 Valedictory Session - The Asian Response to Combatting Terror: The Way Forward Chairperson – Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar, Director, Society for Policy Studies (SPS) Panellists: tbc Round up comments - DG, IDSA, Shri Jayant Prasad 13:00 Lunch (End of Conference) Conference Booklet Click here to Download Photogallery Click here to Photographs Rapporteurs Report Click here to Download Contact us Shruti Pandalai Co-ordinator 19th Asian Security Conference Associate Fellow, Military Centre Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses New Delhi-110010 (Office) +91 11-26717983 Extn 7202 Email: shrutipandalai [at] gmail.com	Terrorism & Internal Security
Cyber Warfare	October 21, 2016	Sanjeev Gupta	1030 to 1300 hrs	Fellows' Seminar		North America & Strategic Technologies
Book Discussion titled, "India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971"	February 15, 2017		1500 -1630 hours	Book Discussion Forum	Venue: IDSA Seminar Hall I (Second Floor) IDSA will hold a discussion of Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam's book India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971 on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 from 1500 and 1630 hours. Programme Opening Remarks by the Chair, Director General Jayant Prasad Overview of the Book by AVM Arjun Subramaniam Discussant 1: Maj. Gen. Alok Deb (Retd.) Discussant 2: Dr. S. Kalyanaraman Q&A Concluding Remarks by Chair	Military Affairs
Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Scientific Thinking	October 21, 2016	P. K. Gautam	1030 to 1300 hrs	Fellows' Seminar
Talk by Alex Vines on 'Africa to 2025: Threats and Opportunities'	September 27, 2016		1130 - 1230 hr	Other	The ALCUN Centre of IDSA, is organising an interaction with Dr. Alex Vines, Head, Africa Programme and Research Director, Area Studies and International Law, Chatham House, London, on Tuesday, September 27, 2016, from 1130 - 1230 hours in Room No. 105 (First Floor). Speaker's Bio	Africa, Latin America, Caribbean & UN
Book Discussion titled, "India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia"	September 20, 2016			Book Discussion Forum	IDSA is hosted a discussion on Dr Srinath Raghavan's book titled, "India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia", at Seminar Hall I (Second Floor) on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 from 1030 to 1200 hours. Programme Chair: DG Shri Jayant Prasad – Opening Remarks Book Overview: Dr Srinath Raghavan Discussant 1: Sqn Ldr RTS Chhina Discussant 2: Prof Anirudh Deshpande	Military Affairs
Book discussion on "Even if It Ain't Broke Yet Do Fix It: Enhancing Effectiveness Through Military Change"	August 31, 2016			Book Discussion Forum	IDSA hosted a discussion on Col Vivek Chadha's book titled, "Even if It Ain't Broke Yet Do Fix It: Enhancing Effectiveness Through Military Change". Programme Chair: DDG Brig. Rumel Dahiya – Opening Remarks Book Overview: Col. Vivek Chadha (Retd), Research Fellow, IDSA Discussants: Lt. Gen. GS Katoch (Retd.), former head of PP Directorate, Army HQ Dr. Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, ORF Dr. Sanjay Badri-Maharaj, Visiting Fellow, IDSA Col. Pradeep Singh Chhonkar, Research Fellow, IDSA Questions and Answer Brief Summary of the Book Bringing about change in any setup, especially major shifts, is a challenge. This challenge is accentuated further in a strictly hierarchical organisation like the army, presenting an unenviable contradiction to both senior military practitioners and the governing elite, wherein, change is inevitable, yet, it is most likely to be resisted. Military change is a relatively nascent area of study, especially in the Indian scenario. This book attempts to analyse this subject through an examination of existing literature, thereby co-relating some of its primary conclusions in the context of the Indian Army. This is done in relation to both conventional and sub-conventional threats and challenges, with a number of case studies as illustrative examples. The book concludes that given the wide spectrum of threats faced by the Indian Army, as also most major armies across the world, attempts at understanding military change only through the prism of conventional wars could be misleading. It suggests that change need not only be revolutionary to enhance effectiveness. It could be both revolutionary and evolutionary, top-down and bottom-up. While effective change is primarily major in conventional conditions, it could well be tactical and yet make a substantial impact in sub-conventional scenarios. The book reinforces the importance of operational changes in the sub-conventional domain, even as an assessment of strategic and organisational changes is undertaken. It attempts to answer important questions related to the drivers, shapers, facilitating conditions and limitations related to effective change. It also relates military change with organisational changes in the corporate world to provide an interesting comparative analysis. Finally, the book reinforces its conclusions through a survey of officers from the Indian Army, to highlight existing limitations that need to be corrected in order to better innovate and adapt in pursuit of effective military change. Access e-copy of the book Event Photographs [+]	Military Affairs

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