Publication

Voices of the Unvoiced: Women’s Struggle for Education in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Voices of the Unvoiced is a deeply moving and painstakingly researched book,Footnote1 which explores the various challenges faced by PakhtunFootnote2 women as they seek education in the culturally complex and war-torn province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. An academic treatise and personal testament, this book is the result of five years of intense research, including a doctoral dissertation and postdoctoral study. It combines feminist theory, socio-historical analysis, and ethnographic storytelling to highlight the tenacity and resilience of (Pakhtun) women in a patriarchal society. It offers a timely reflection on gender, education, and empowerment in a region grappling with the legacies of armed conflict and cultural conservatism.

Ashok K. Behuria |
March-April 2025 |
Strategic Analysis

Kashmir Under 370: A Personal History by J&K’s Former Director General of Police

Soon after acceding to India in October 1947, the princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) became synonymous with what was to be known as ‘the Kashmir issue’, ‘the Kashmir conflict’, ‘the Kashmir problem’ or ‘the Kashmir dispute’. From India’s standpoint, Kashmir’s embroilment was mainly due to Pakistan’s invasion of the state, the geopolitically-motivated mess at the UN (when India registered its complaint on the Pakistani aggression) and the retention of territory by Pakistan it illegally occupied during the invasion. Within India and outside, the span of 78 years post Pakistan’s invasion has produced an ocean of literature on multiple issues concerning the former state. Comparatively, there are fewer books that have come out after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Obviously, the rescinding of the special status from Jammu & Kashmir is still fresh andmore importantly, the new reality is still to sink in completely.

Priyanka Singh |
March-April 2025 |
Strategic Analysis

Strategic Currents: China and US Competition for Influence

In the aftermath of the Cold War, the resurgence of Russia and the swift ascent of China have reignited an era of intense great power competition. The United States’ National Security Strategy 2017, which formally identified Russia and China as strategic competitors, marked a pivotal moment in the crystallization of this moment. The pursuit of technological supremacy is at the heart of the competition, with the US and China moving beyond bilateral disputes to exert global influence through alliance formation, setting technological standards, and competing for control in key regions like the Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Korean Peninsula, and South Asia. Bernard F. W. Loo and James Char’s Strategic Currents: China and US Competition for Influence presents a timely and empirically grounded analysis of the US–China strategic rivalry, with a particular emphasis on Southeast Asia’s adaptive responses within an increasingly contested international order.

Decision Making for Defence

The aim of this article is to examine in comparison with some other modern parliamentary democracies, India’s decision making process and organizational structure in the overall realm of national security,* and to suggest where appropriate, how our system might be improved. This comparative study will encompass the relevant national security machinery in the US, France, Britain and India.