Iran’s Strategic Behaviour Against ISIS: Religio-Cultural Context of Shrines and Martyrdom The killing of Qassem Soleimani in 2020 again brought the religio-cultural significance of ‘martyrdom’ into limelight in Iran. He got recognized as the ‘Defender-Martyr of Holy Shrine’ given his role against ISIS in protecting the Shi’i holy shrines. This article analyses the relationship between ‘shrines and ‘martyrdom’ in Iran’s strategy against ISIS. Shafat Yousuf , Rafiullah Azmi | January-February 2023 | Strategic Analysis
China’s Bagamoyo Port Project: Geo-economic and Geo-political Imperatives for India Tanzania is a strategically located country on the eastern coast of Africa. It is an important node of China’s Maritime Silk Road project and constitutes a significant part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Under the BRI, China had envisaged that Bagamoyo would be the largest port in all of Africa, supplemented by a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and a trans-continental railway line, making Tanzania a hub of commerce in East Africa. Sibapada Rath | January-March 2023 | Journal of Defence Studies
Understanding China–Russia Cooperation in the Arctic The Ukraine crisis, shifting geopolitical alliances in the Indo-Pacific and Western-imposed economic sanctions on Russia have strengthened China–Russia cooperation in the Arctic. Bipandeep Sharma , Uttam Kumar Sinha | January 10, 2023 | Issue Brief
Concordia Discors: Deployment of Central Armed Forces in the Federal Units of India India is a classic case of a ‘quasi-federal’ country. There is a plethora of literature available separately on the Indian armed forces and Indian federalism. However, the deployment of India’s Central Armed Forces in its federal units (States) is one of the most understudied and unexplained areas of research. To avert any grave disorder in the country, the Centre constitutionally enjoys power regarding the deployment of its armed forces in the federal units. However, in practice, there are various factors that come into play during the deployment. N. Manoharan , Niharika Singh Rana | January-March 2023 | Journal of Defence Studies
Geo-economic Implications of the Conflict in Ukraine An unusual, multi-dimensional conflict is underway in Europe. One dimension of this conflict is that Ukraine and Russia are engaged in seemingly endless conventional military battles on the ground in Ukraine. The other dimension is that United States (US) led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance is arming and funding Ukraine for these battles. The alliance is also pursuing an all-out economic war against Russia through trade and financial sanctions against Russia, and Russians. Rajan Katoch | January-March 2023 | Journal of Defence Studies
Kautilya’s Arthashastra and Chanakya Niti Traditionally, Kautilya or Vishnugupta, is considered the author of Arthashastra. He is also known as Chanakya, the scholar and chief minister who ‘destroyed the power of the Nandas and placed Chandragupta Maurya on the throne of Magadha’ in the 4th century bc. By the name of Chanakya, he had also authored a text known as Chanakya Niti. However, there is no proper understanding in the general public about the seminal work authored by Kautilya such as the Arthashastra and Chanakya Niti. P. K. Gautam | January-March 2023 | Journal of Defence Studies
Two to Tango: Xi Jinping’s Visit to Riyadh Xi’s visit to Riyadh builds on the strong economic engagements between China and Saudi Arabia. Md. Muddassir Quamar | January 05, 2023 | Issue Brief
Wars and War-Tactics in Ancient India by Uma Prasad Thapliyal The history of mankind is replete with devastating wars since the beginning of civilisation. The Indian history also witnessed many wars. The earliest wars in India appear to have been fought by the people of the Indus Valley civilisation. Their expertise in building forts to defend themselves confirms this theory. Subsequently, the Aryans waged wars against the natives of the land (p. 18). The battles depicted in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata further provide valuable information about the warfare mechanism of the ancient period. Narender Yadav | January-March 2023 | Journal of Defence Studies
The Race for the Indian Naval Fighter Contract Dassault and Boeing have been aggressively pitching their excellent products to fulfil India’s naval fighter aircraft requirements. S. Samuel C. Rajiv | January 04, 2023 | IDSA Comments
BBIN Sub-Region: Perspectives on Climate-water-Energy Nexus Publisher: Pentagon Press Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) are home to 21 per cent of the world’s population. With projected economic growth in the BBIN countries, a consequent increase in the demand for electricity and heavy dependence on fossil fuels are expected despite the pitch for renewable energy. The region also faces unprecedented climate change, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, the cradle of major sub-continental rivers, and where melting glaciers, unpredictable weather conditions, and rainfall patterns are affecting the life of millions and instigating frequent natural disasters. Since 2014, India has tried to maximise sub-regional interaction with the aim of promoting cooperation in the economic, social, cultural and scientific fields. This has opened new thinking and opportunities, complementing the pace of globalisation and liberalisation. The fear, of course, is that this approach can easily dissipate in the face of security complexities and political difficulties. The climate-water-energy nexus is now a familiar concept in the resource management debate requiring long-sighted approaches that help avoid maladaptive pathways and, as a tool, to anticipate the tilt and balance of the nexus resources and the nature of their interactions. The nexus as a policy approach brings together the concept of ‘security and sustainability’. However, the framing of the nexus around a scarcity crisis narrative often pushes states towards control and possessiveness of the resources rather than driving them towards stability and durability solutions. Beyond this framework, a more nuanced political–economy understanding of the BBIN sub-region is essential. ISBN: 9788195189458 , Price: ₹ 995/- E-copy available Uttam Kumar Sinha | | Book
