Pushpita Das

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Dr. Pushpita Das is Research Fellow and the Coordinator of the Internal Security Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. Her areas of interest include border security and management, coastal security, drug trafficking, migration and India’s Northeast. At MP-IDSA she has been primarily studying India’s approach towards the management of its international borders. She has been co-opted as an Expert by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on projects on Coastal Security. She has also contributed significantly in projects sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the North Eastern Council (NEC).

Dr. Das has been a Member of the Committee of Studies of the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Milia Islamia; Member of Studies for revising the syllabus of (M.A. Political Administration), Rashtriya Raksha University; and Member for inputs on syllabus of Fundamentals of Border Security (Core), Sardar Patel University Security and Criminal Justice, Jodhpur. She was a visiting faculty at the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS), Bhutan. Dr. Das has also been invited as an Expert for Committee on Reviewing Study Material on Borders by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT); the Madhukar Gupta Committee for Border Management, and the Madhukar Gupta Committee for Restructuring the MHA.

Dr. Das has written extensively on her areas of research including two books titled, Role of State Governments in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building (2024) and India’s Approach towards Border ManagementFrom Barriers to Bridges (2021); two monographs titled Illegal Migration from Bangladesh: Deportation, Fences, Work Permit (2016) and Coastal Security: the Indian Approach (2013); three occasional papers titled Status of India’s Border Trade (2014), Drug Trafficking in India (2012) and Coastal Security along Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts (2009); two edited books titled India’s Border Management: Select Documents (2010) and India’s North East: New Vistas for Peace (2008); and a number of articles and commentaries in journals and books. She has delivered lectures at several training institutes apart from participating in national and international seminars. Dr. Pushpita holds a Doctorate degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru University.


Research Fellow (SS)

Publication

India has to be wary of Chinese Intrusions

China's demand for the removal of two Indian Army bunkers from its outpost at Batang La near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction in August 2007 can be seen from two angles. Firstly, the entire episode can be dismissed as a case of highhandedness of a few Chinese border officials who entered Indian territory inadvertently and came face to face with these Indian bunkers. Oblivious of where their actual position on the ground is, these officials then raised objections about the bunkers.

Dealing with ULFA’s Terror

The recent orgy of violence perpetrated by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has brought the issue of security of the common citizen in Assam to the fore again. The scale of violence was highest in Tinsukia with 34 killed, while nine were killed in Sibsagar, eight in Dibrugarh and six in Dhemaji districts. Attacks were also carried out in Golaghat and Guwahati. The orgy of violence started on January 5, 2007, and is likely to continue as indicated by intelligence reports.

The India-Bangladesh Border : “A Problem Area for Tomorrow”

Statistics reveal that the Border Security Force (BSF) has so far, this year, apprehended 8,196 persons who were trying enter India illegally from Bangladesh. The numbers that successfully manage to evade the security forces on the border, is of course, much larger. Apart from the usual suspects, the militants and economic migrants, the recent political turmoil in Bangladesh has also resulted in many Bangladeshi political dissidents and people from the religious minorities attempting to sneak into India to avoid political and religious persecution.

Nathu La: Pass To Prosperity But Also A Challenge

Nathu La, identified as the third mountain pass for border trade between India and China, is officially slated to open on July 6, 2006 after a gap of 44 years. Previous attempts to open the border pass had to be postponed due to lack of proper infrastructure. This time around, the infrastructure from the Indian side is complete. A field visit to Nathu La on June 25, 2006 revealed that the approach road has been constructed. And the warehouses, customs and administrative offices, banks etc. at Sherathang, the designated trade mart situated 5 km from Nathu La, have been completed.

India’s Approach to Border Management: From Barriers to Bridges

  • Publisher: KW Publishers
This book attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances which have shaped India’s approach towards its international borders and the framework it has developed to better manage its borders. The book argues that persistence of various cross-border threats and challenges and an absence of robust intra-regional trade among its neighbouring countries forced India to employ a security-centric and unilateral approach to border management with emphasis on hardening the borders to cross-border trade and travel and keeping the border areas underdeveloped to act as a buffer against external conventional threats. However, as India’s economy grew and the country gained more confidence and resources, India started perceiving the borders as bridges rather than barriers. Consequently, greater emphasis was being laid on development of border areas and restoring severed lines of communication with its neighbours through increased investments in building transportation networks both within the border as well as beyond. It also started constructively engaging its neighbours to effectively manage its international borders. Besides discussing the threats and challenges that India faces along the borders, the book aims to develop an understanding of India’s border management practices by analysing various programmes and initiatives such as the raising of border guarding forces; building of physical and electronic fences; the establishment of modern facilities for smoothening legitimate cross-border travel; the development of the border areas through special programmes; and increasing trade and connectivity as well as other cooperative bilateral mechanisms.
  • ISBN: 9789391490003 ,
  • Price: ?. 1088/-
  • E-copy available

  • Published: 2021