Monograph - MP-IDSA

Arthasastra: Lesson for the Contemporary Security Environment with South Asia as a Case Study

In this monograph, the Arthasastra framework is used for examination of dynamics of fragility in South Asia, with a case study of Pakistan. The insights into human policy choices which can be gleaned from the treatise have a timeless quality that can offer a fresh perspective to today’s policy makers. It can be open to further academic investigation and debate for developing and enriching an indigenous strategic vocabulary.

Revenue Procurement Practices in the Indian Army

This monograph examines some aspects of the Indian Army’s revenue procurement practices. It discusses the peculiarities of these practices in the Indian defence and security setup, relating it to the contemporary risk scenario. This study draws attention to the corresponding trends in the private or commercial sector.

United Nations Security Council Reform: Perspectives and Prospects

Over the years, the world has changed in fundamental ways. We are witnessing a resurgence of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Growth and development have not only made the countries more interdependent, but new and increasingly complex challenges have also arisen. For multilateralism to remain relevant and effective in today's world, multilateral institutions must adapt and reform to reflect contemporary geo-political realities. It is in this context that the expansion of the UN Security Council is of significance.

Synergising Quality Assurance for Speedy Defence Procurement and Ensuring Quality

The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is the organisation that is responsible for ensuring the quality of a wide range of military hardware at the time of their procurement. This is a very old organisation and has evolved over a period of time to meet the aspirations of its customers. However, since the introduction of Defence Procurement Procedure it has invited lot of criticism from its users due to the delays caused in procurements and attributable to Quality Assurance (QA), as also the introduction of sub-standard equipment in service.

Religion as the Foundation of a Nation: The Making and Unmaking of Pakistan

Pakistan owes its origin to the ‘Two Nation Theory’ in the sub-continent’s polity. Leaders of the Pakistan Movement were convinced that Muslims were a separate nation from the Hindu nation and the two could not live together.

Nanotechnology: The Emerging Field for Future Military Applications

This monograph traces the R&D initiatives being undertaken in nanotechnology, followed by specific applications which are relevant for the Indian defence forces. It also attempts to foresee how nanotechnology-enabled applications are likely to impact the future battlefield.

Kautilya’s Arthashastra: Contemporary Issues and Comparison

In order to make a work relevant, scholarly attempts to study the text such as Kautilya’s Arthashastra, and then critically apply it to explain, compare and understand contemporary issues is necessary. This monograph intends to fulfil this aim in a small way.

The US Factor in Sino-Indian Relations: India’s Fine Balancing

The monograph seeks to determine the extent to which the US is a factor as an intervening variable in the complex relationship between the two countries. The study attempts to probe the research question as to how China perceives U.S policy towards India in particular, and whether growing Indo-US ties can affect China's security interest negatively.

R N Das |
2015 |
Monograph

Defence Offsets: International Best Practices and Lessons for India

The Monograph provides a comprehensive roadmap for reforming India’s defence offset policy which despite having gone through several rounds of revisions in past decade or so, still lacks effectiveness. The roadmap is based on extensive study of offset practices followed by six countries: Canada, Israel, Malaysia, South Korea, Turkey and the UAE.

Central Asia: India’s Northern Exposure

It is time for India to reconnect with a rapidly-changing Central Asia—increasingly the focus of world attention, and rivalry among the great powers over security and energy stakes. India too has high stakes in Central Asia, and a cogent policy outlook is long overdue.

Illegal Migration From Bangladesh: Deportation, Border Fences and Work Permits

This monograph examines the Indian government’s perspective on the issue of infiltration/illegal from Bangladesh. It analyses the socio-economic and political impact of the presence of a large number of illegal Bangladeshi migrants on the receiving societies within India.

Human Resource Management in the Armed Forces

Human Resource Management (HRM) in the Armed Forces is a vital issue because its strength has always been the soldier. This monograph analyses the challenges of HRM in the Armed Forces with specific focus on transition of soldiers to a second career, as service personal retire at a comparatively young age when their personal responsibilities are at the peak.

Understanding Dharma and Artha in Statecraft through Kautilya’s Arthashastra

This monograph engages with and explores the concepts of dharma and artha in Kautilya's Arthashastra and also the Mahabharata, and provides a few contemporary examples.

Status Of Jointness In Indian Security Apparatus

Jointness and integration of the military is an inevitable requirement for the modern-day battlefield. The principles underlying these features are inter-service cooperation and economy of effort, both of which are crucial to war fighting. The lack of jointness and integration in the Indian armed forces received an impetus post Kargil. The Kargil Review Committee and Group of Ministers on National Security highlighted the pitfalls in the existing system and made a number of recommendations.

Turmoil in West Asia: The Sectarian Divide Shapes Regional Competitions

Five years after the Arab Spring, West Asia is witnessing two major military conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Several states are deeply polarised and at the edge of breakdown, and there is proliferation of jihadis across the region, engaged in extraordinary brutality against enemy states and “heretic” communities.

Securing Critical Information Infrastructure: Global Perspectives and Practices

This monograph delves into the various aspects of definitions and understandings of critical information infrastructure and explores the threat actors, perspectives and trends in the emerging practice of critical information infrastructure protection.

Post-Nuclear Security Summit Process: Continuing Challenges and Emerging Prospects

The Nuclear Security Summit process was an unprecedented event that achieved phenomenal success in drawing global attention to the danger of nuclear terrorism.

Events leading to the Sino-Indian Conflict of 1962

This monograph presents an objective account of a very crucial six-year period (1956-1962) in the histories of India and China (and Tibet) -- the countries directly involved in the conflict.

Culture, Context and Capability: American and Indian Counterinsurgency Approaches

This monograph is an attempt to examine American and Indian counterinsurgency experiences through the lens of historical context, organizational culture, and military capability.

The Nitisara by Kamandaka: Continuity and Change from Kautilya’s Arthashastra

This study compares Indian traditions of statecraft in Kamandaka’s Nitisara, or the Elements of Polity, with the earlier foundational root text of Kautilya’s Arthashastra. There are commonalities, dissimilarities and uniqueness in the texts. However, key values and concepts across time do not seem to have changed and remain relevant even today.