Compressing Politics in Counterinsurgency (COIN): Implications for COIN Theory from India’s Northeast Counterinsurgency (COIN) has long been recognised as a political phenomenon, but current theoretical understandings of politics in COIN reflect ideal types, overlooking the depth and complexity of the politics of insurgency and COIN. Drawing from India’s experience in its northeastern region, this article argues that COIN theory overlooks the political agency and multiplicity of actors, as well as overlooking the fundamentally political scope of interactions that take place between them. Alex Waterman | September 2017 | Strategic Analysis
Optimising India–US Maritime-Strategic Convergence The current trajectory of India–US relations is encouraging, but needs to be sustained by optimising their maritime-strategic convergence. In the maritime-configured Indo-Pacific region, the two countries could undertake substantive ‘transactions’ in the domain of geopolitics and military-strategic cooperation. G.S. Khurana | September 2017 | Strategic Analysis
India’s Membership in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: An Appraisal This Backgrounder evaluates the possible advantages and challenges stemming from India’s membership in SCO. Parth Sarthi Suhag | August 29, 2017 | Backgrounder
FATA’s Merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The idea of abolishing FATA as a distinct administrative entity and merging it with KP led to a country-wide debate, with some commentators pointing to the futility of the merger and others advocating its early implementation in the interest of peace and stability in the region. Zainab Akhter | August 29, 2017 | Backgrounder
US ups the ante in Cyberspace The US decision to elevate its Cyber Command to that of a Unified Combatant Command sends a strong signal to entities and countries inimical to its interests to recalibrate their security calculus. Munish Sharma | August 25, 2017 | IDSA Comments
A New Equilibrium with China: Near simultaneous rise of neighbours is not unprecedented in Asia Will the next meeting between PM Modi and President Xi at the Xiamen BRICS Summit lead to what Foreign Secretary Jaishankar has described as a new equilibrium? Mukul Sanwal | August 25, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Decoding Russia’s 2017 Naval Doctrine Russia’s new naval doctrine seeks to defend Russia’s core security interests in the neighbourhood and project power judiciously beyond its periphery. Rajorshi Roy | August 24, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Making the Right to Information (RTI) work in Defence Adhering to the RTI Act in letter and spirit will lead to more responsible decision-making, greater accountability, and more credibility to the actions of the MoD. Amit Cowshish | August 21, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Panchsheel Was Noble, But Did China Embrace it Ever? Before selectively invoking historical contexts and postulates such as Panchsheel, Chinese officials need to ask themselves “do we have the right to say this.” Rajeesh Kumar | August 18, 2017 | IDSA Comments
From Doklam Standoff to a Trade War? India initiates review of IT imports from China India’s decision to review the imports of IT products from China could turn out to be its Achilles Heel, given that they constitute a key constituent of Chinese exports to India. Munish Sharma | August 18, 2017 | IDSA Comments
