Let’s Partition SAARC The time has perhaps come to restructure, even partition, SAARC to make it more effective. This is something that might also be required to be done in the likely event that Pakistan fosters the Taliban in Afghanistan. Sushant Sareen | November 28, 2014 | IDSA Comments
Artillery modernisation: needed for firepower Despite the lessons learnt during the Kargil conflict, where artillery firepower paved the way for victory, modernisation of the artillery continued to be neglected. The recent acquisition of 814 truck-mounted 155 mm/52-calibre guns is a step in the right direction. Gurmeet Kanwal | November 27, 2014 | IDSA Comments
Why Marine Police remains the weakest link in India’s coastal security system? Given that marine police has been exclusively created for coastal security, it is imperative that the force is adequately strengthened and for this to happen, it is incumbent upon the respective state governments to recognize the severity of sea-borne threats. Pushpita Das | November 26, 2014 | IDSA Comments
Avro-replacement programme hits air pocket Replacement of the Avro is an approved requirement. Scrapping the on-going process could delay acquisition of the transport aircraft by at least a year or two as it would inevitably involve revisiting the qualitative requirements (QRs) before restarting the tendering process. Amit Cowshish | November 25, 2014 | IDSA Comments
Macchil Verdict: Reading Between the Lines The incident raises important issues. First, the role of honours and awards in such crimes, second, the impact of punishment on the morale of troops who undertake a challenging responsibility and last, its impact on the population of the disturbed area at large. Vivek Chadha | November 25, 2014 | IDSA Comments
Xi-Abe handshake, not yet an embrace Escalation of tension has scarred relations between Japan and China. The fallout of this has been reflected in the trade and economic ties between the two. Stabilizing China-Japan bilateral relations is critical for peace in the East Asia and it has to be seen how this four-point agreement will translate into action. Titli Basu | November 24, 2014 | IDSA Comments
President Obama’s Policy on Syria This is the right time to raise a fundamental question about Obama’s policy towards Syria: Is there a coherent, consistent policy, based on a reasonably accurate assessment of the ground realities in Syria? The answer is a definite no. K. P. Fabian | November 18, 2014 | IDSA Comments
Asian Strategic Review 2014: US Pivot and Asian Security Publisher: Pentagon Press The “Pivot to Asia” strategy qualifies to be called Obama Doctrine: a part of Obama’s “grand strategy”. This policy may radically redefine not only the US engagement with Asia but also the Asian strategic dynamics. This book looks at various facets of the pivot strategy, to include US, Chinese, regional and country specific perspectives with an aim of providing greater clarity and understanding. ISBN 978-81-8274-769-2, Price: ₹ 995/- E-copy available S. D. Muni , Vivek Chadha | | Book
Cooperative Security Framework for South Asia Publisher: Pentagon Press2013 This volume brings together views of some of the most eminent scholars and security analysts from South Asia on the challenges and prospects of a cooperative security framework (CSF) in the region. The objective of the volume is to generate debate on CSF and forge a consensus on the issue at the Track-II level. The contributions critically analyse such frameworks in different regions and explore whether it is possible and practicable in the South Asian region. ISBN 978-81-8274-705-0, Price: ₹ 995/- E-copy available Nihar R. Nayak | | Book
The Unfinished War in Afghanistan: 2001-2014 Publisher: Pentagon Press This book makes a modest attempt to contribute to the ongoing debate on future challenges for Afghanistan as the largest ever coalition of Western forces prepares to withdraw. It seeks to examine key political developments within Afghanistan over the last one decade in response to the US-led Western military and political intervention. ISBN 978-81-8274-762-3, Price: ₹ 1495/- E-copy available Vishal Chandra | | Book
