Strategic Analysis

Forgotten Kashmir: The Other Side of the Line of Control

The political dispute over the territory of Kashmir is an intricate problem confronting the modern South Asian leadership. The intricacies of the conflict have led to voluminous writings on the...

China Risen? Studying Chinese Global Power

It would be an understatement to say that there has been a significant rise in the number of academic and media writings on China in the past decade or so....

China and the WTO: Why Multilateralism Still Matters

After rounds of marathon negotiations, China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 was a win-win for both China and the architects of the liberal market economy. For...

The Chinese Shadow on India’s Eastward Engagement: The Energy Security Dimension

Securing energy supplies is vital for India, the world’s second most populous country, home to 1.38 billion people having a median age of 28.1 and where some seven million youth...

Procuring S-400: Changing Dynamics of Foreign Relations

Despite looming threats of US sanctions, India has received the first of five S-400 air defence weapon systems from Russia. It will be interesting to see how this deal will...

The Mekong Is Flowing Ahead of the Brahmaputra: An Analysis of the Hydro-Political Behaviour of China and India

This article analyses the hydro-political behaviour of riparian countries in the Mekong River Basin (MRB) vis-à-vis India’s attitude towards the Brahmaputra and upstream China. It analyses transboundary water cooperation in...

Taliban and Al-Qaeda: The Unbreakable Relationship

After the Taliban successfully took control of Kabul through diplomatic and intimidatory means, which included using force and striking deals with warlords and local military commanders, it has reached out...

The Myanmar Coup: Evolving Ethnic Rebel Politics and Civil Resistance

Myanmar has been in a turmoil since the Tatmadaw (country’s military) ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and seized power in February 2021.1 The coup took place hours before the...

Counterterrorism between the Wars: An International History, 1919–1937

The 11 September 2001 attacks in the US changed the course of world history and made Al-Qaeda a state-like actor in international affairs, thereby confounding a core Realist idea. The...

A Russian Revisionist Strategy on the Rise?

This article deals with the Russian Revisionist Strategy, the redistribution of power and the changes that this policy might bring. Accordingly, it examines whether this hypothesis is correct. NATO’s policy...

Republic of Korea, Indo-Pacific and the Emerging Regional Order:Engaging without Endorsing

Despite being a key stakeholder in the emerging regional order, South Korea’s approach to the Indo-Pacific has been a policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’. It entails a cautious engagement with Indo-Pacific...

Strategic Universality in the Axial Age: The Doctrine of Prudence in Political Leadership

The debate on the epistemological significance of leadership versus domestic politics or strategic culture remains fervent in modern International Relations. We suggest that there is a consensus found in classical...

Indo-Bangladesh Talks on Sharing of the Ganga Waters

A major irritant in Indo-Bangladesh relations has been the question of sharing Ganga waters between the two countries. Though negotiations for the settlement of the problem have been going on...

Bangla Desh and Our Policy Options

It is necessary to have a detached and realistic assessment of the military situation in Bangla Desh. During the last one week, our press reports were over-optimistic and these reports...

India Versus China: Why They Are Not Friends

‘We have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow’, thus spoke Lord Palmerston...

Conundrum of an Island: Sri Lanka’s Geopolitical Challenges

Sri Lanka, one of the most strategic islands in the Indian Ocean, is mired in several domestic political, security and strategic challenges since the end of the armed ethnic conflict...

EU-Turkey Relations: A New Direction for EU Foreign Policy?

Turkey’s desire to be part of the European state system goes back to the Ottoman era. The Ottoman elites began to recognize the need for military, technological and administrative modernization...

Irrawaddy Imperatives: Reviewing India’s Myanmar Strategy

Irrawaddy Imperatives has hit the stands at a time when one needs to remind Indian policy planners—now wholly focused west on Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover—that Myanmar is an equally,...

The South Caucasus: Transition from Subjugation to Independence (Tracing India’s Footprints)

The South Caucasus region consists primarily of three countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The region finds scant attention in International Relations deliberations in India. It also lags behind in...

India Rising: A Multilayered Analysis of Ideas, Interests, and Institutions

For many years now, India’s position as a rising power has been a topic of discussion revolving around questions such as what are the factors that shape India’s conduct at...