The book China in and Beyond the Headlines is a collection of 16 contributions written by scholars and experts on various aspects of Chinese politics, society and economy. Considering that China has undergone a major transformation over the past decades since it opened its economy, this book provides a much-needed insight into the contours and extent of these changes and their impact. The most promising aspect of the book is that it provides information and analysis on almost all the aspects of changes within China.

• Gunjan Singh |
• September 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

Analysing peace journalism is a difficult task, especially within the context of an ongoing conflict. This study looks at peace journalism as it relates to the Balochistan/Pakistan conflict. Balochistan is a Pakistani province that makes up a large part of the country and is rich in natural resources. The Pakistani government has employed a policy of resource exploitation in the province, withholding any due share of profit from the Baloch.

• Aarushi Prakash |
• September 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

There have been many studies on US foreign policy towards China dwelling specifically on the efficacy of the US strategy of containment. Donald Gross’s book is an addition to this genre. It basically challenges the wisdom of the current US policy of containing China and offers a ‘new paradigm’ for ‘stable peace’ as an alternative approach for dealing with China and yet keeping US dominance in the Asia-Pacific intact. This new paradigm provides for greater cooperation, co-existence and accommodation with the rising dragon to ensure long-term peace in the international system.

• Abanti Bhattacharya |
• September 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

This article discusses the utility and limitations of existing space surveillance networks to address the issue of spaceflight safety and proposes a way forward. Specifically, it begins with a brief explanation of why space situational awareness (SSA) is important and draws attention to the existing major SSA networks followed by a brief summary of the major limitations of the US, Russian and Chinese networks. These limitations highlight why we collectively need to craft a better and more efficient mechanism. Finally, it concludes with a techno-political elucidation for the future.

• Ajey Lele |
• September 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

Filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick’s The Untold History of the United States is an uncompromising and riveting account of the uncomfortable aspects of American history. The book studies the period from the beginning of the 20th century right up to the present regime of Obama and highlights the extent to which democratic ideas have been abandoned by the world’s largest democracy.

• Atul K. Thakur |
• September 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

This volume on the Look East Policy (LEP) is well timed. India hosted, on December 20, 2012, a Commemorative Summit to mark the two decades of partnership between India and the ASEAN and the completion of the first decade of their summit-level dialogue. A veritable practitioners' account, the volume has contributions from distinguished diplomats, journalists and academicians who have been either participants or ringside observers of a highly successful foreign policy initiative.

• Yogendra Kumar |
• July 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

The problem confronting the Hindu minority in Bangladesh is analysed in this article within the framework of a majoritarian state, which embodies the socio-cultural ethos of the majority community in its effort to establish itself as a nation state with a unique history. Such a state by its very nature marginalises the minorities, who are considered unequal in the construction of the ‘nation state’ narrative even though constitutionally they enjoy equality as citizens.

• Smruti S. Pattanaik |
• July 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

As Asia rises and the centre of gravity of strategic affairs shifts to the Asia Pacific, the Australian government is getting ready to exploit new opportunities and gear up to face new risks to its security. Until the beginning of this century, Australia's approach was to insulate itself from Asia and have minimal interaction with it. Asia was seen as a poor, troublesome and problematic region. Australia was firmly anchored in the Western alliance system.

• Arvind Gupta |
• July 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

Nepal's King Prithvi Narayan Shah's famous ‘Yam between two boulders’ quote reflects the great understanding of Nepal's security dilemma, even as far back as the 18th century. 1 This has remained a cornerstone of Nepal's foreign policy to date, primarily driven by Nepal's geographic location. 2 Shah understood well that Nepal would always remain insecure vis-à-vis its powerful neighbours, that is, China and India, and urged the need to keep refining, adapting and adjusting Nepal's foreign policy in order to deal with its powerful regional neighbours.

• Rohit Karki |
• July 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis

While oil and gas industries are already well established in Siberia and Alaska, the melting of the Arctic ice cap is opening up new areas of the High North to hydrocarbon exploration. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Arctic is expected to hold about 22 per cent of the world's undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil and natural gas resources (about 13 per cent of undiscovered oil reserves, 30 per cent of natural gas, and 20 per cent of natural gas liquids).

• Åshild Kolås |
• July 2013 |
• Strategic Analysis