IDSA Comments - MP-IDSA

Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Bangladesh: A new beginning?

While the visit was proposed as a good will visit, some of the issues that have been bedeviling bilateral relations came up for discussion particularly, from the Bangladesh side, the...

Why Non-Alignment has greater relevance in Modi’s India

The global thrust on economic integration has certainly accrued greater space to India that the non-alignment actually stands for. It allows India to reach out to both the US and...

FDI in Defence – Revisiting the Conundrum

The proposal to relax the present cap on FDI in defence has expectedly drawn sharp reactions. Those who oppose argue that higher FDI is not required and, more importantly, it...

Amit Cowshish |
June 26, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

China’s Second Coast: Implications for Northeast India

Myanmar’s 2,276 km long coastline in the Bay of Bengal has the potential to provide the ‘second coast’ to China to reach the Indian Ocean and achieve strategic presence in...

Namrata Goswami |
June 19, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

India-Sri Lanka Fishermen Problem: Some Solutions

New Delhi should work out an arrangement with the Rajapakse government wherein the rights of both the countries’ fishermen are protected within the respective territorial jurisdiction. If this is not...

Gautam Sen |
June 18, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Modi’s Maiden Foreign Visit: Consolidating Bharat for Bhutan Relations

Modi’s visit to Bhutan is politically significant. After inviting SAARC leaders to his swearing in ceremony; his choice of Bhutan as the first country came as no surprise. Bhutan is...

Rescue Pakistan chorus is back again

Before India once again goes down the path of wondering how it can rescue Pakistan from itself, some home truths about Pakistan – the state and society – need to...

Sushant Sareen |
June 18, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Indian Mujahideen Arrests: Lessons Learnt and Future Directions

The arrests of the key Indian Mujahideen operatives has come as a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism; however, there are a few causes of concern - such as...

Restoring India-China Reciprocity on the Border

The principal opposition of the Chinese on the McMahon line is that it is illegal and a mere product of British imperialistic designs on China. Such assessments completely disregard the...

Implications of new rules in the US for India’s Defence Management

Despite “indigenisation” being an important policy objective in defence procurement it will be useful to observe the recent US regulatory developments on detection and avoidance of counterfeit components in defence...

Sandeep Verma |
June 05, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Russia and the unravelling of economic sanctions

The recent additional economic sanction on Russia is yet another severe jolt. But faced with a gripping economic problem, sanctions can just be the incentive that Russia needs to implement...

Rajorshi Roy |
May 30, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

The mirage of peace in Pakistan

Sharif’s does not have any manoeuvring space to cut any comprehensive deal with the Taliban. He may not be averse to conceding their demand to shariatise Pakistani structures, yet he...

P. K. Upadhyay |
May 29, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

The new Indian government and parleys with Pakistan

While Nawaz Sharif was careful not to publicly bring up the Kashmir issue, it does not necessarily portend any change in policy. It remains to be seen whether Sharif will...

Sumita Kumar |
May 28, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Reforming Defence Contracting Procedures

It may perhaps be useful to examine some features of India’s Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) for streamlining of the capital acquisition process for defence procurement. After all, the DPP may...

Sandeep Verma |
May 28, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Little Hope for Entry into the SCO

The prospects for new states becoming SCO members seem remote. The new clause that requires all heads of the member states to sign the membership document is the main obstacle...

P. Stobdan |
May 26, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Syria: A Grand Settlement?

It is painfully clear that no serious attempt is being made to resolve the Syrian crisis. There seems to be a certain fatigue in the international community combined with a...

K. P. Fabian |
May 26, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Indo-Pak relations: Fresh dawn or false start?

Invitation to the SAARC leader to attend Prime Minister-elect’s swearing in ceremony has electrified diplomatic atmosphere in South Asia. In this context Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit and his...

Obama’s visit to Japan: strategic significance

A Sino-Japanese conflict is not in the US interest and certainly not in Japan’s. Stability in the regional security landscape cannot be solely guaranteed by reaffirming the US-Japan security alliance,...

Titli Basu |
May 20, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Moving on with the Defence & Security of India

Ministry of Defence which accounts for 13-14 per cent of the central government expenditure, if one also takes into account the expenditure on defence pensions, could come under some pressure...

Amit Cowshish |
May 20, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Challenging Stereotypes: Reinventing the national discourse on the North East

If the larger goal is to understand the challenges of the North East, it would require a strong national narrative which reconciles its many identities and adds to the peace...

Shruti Pandalai |
May 16, 2014 |
IDSA Comments