E-Book

The West Asian region is undergoing a phase of massive turbulence since the outbreak of the Arab Spring. This period has been marked by popular protests, internal conflicts, civil wars, military interventions and involvement of external players. The regional security situation remains fragile with a new terrorist entity, the Islamic State, emerging to challenge the existing geographical boundaries of the region. There has been an enormous increase in terrorism and extremism, and the non-state actors have gained significant influence in regional politics.

This book thoroughly probes the Indian Defence industry and the policies pertaining to it. Based on hard core evidence, it identifies the key shortcomings of this vital sector and provides a detailed roadmap for the Modi government’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ programme to succeed in defence production sector. Though written with a clear focus on influencing policy making, the book is presented in an accessible format to be easily understood by the wider strategic community.

Recent advances in technology have opened up vast new areas of communication, cooperation and even friction among nations in their pursuit of security, development and progress. Science and technology today transcend almost all areas of international affairs. The role of science and technology in international affairs is so intrinsic that it is rarely recognised as a separate entity and often taken for granted. The impact of modern dual-use technology on human society and national security has become so large that it would be necessary for foreign policy professionals to understand the finer nuances of technology to successfully negotiate international affairs in future. The book Role of Technology in International Affairs is aimed at bringing a clear appreciation of the various interconnections and interdependencies between technology, security, foreign policy and diplomacy that future diplomats must have for navigating towards international peace.

Under the US leadership, the international community has been fighting the war on global terrorism for the past decade and a half. Strategies and targets have undergone several changes in this war, but terrorism continues to show no signs of decline. It continues to pose a major security challenge to world order and stability. Concrete and chilling evidence for this was provided by the recent attacks in Paris, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kunduz, Kabul, Peshawar and Pathankot. The list is indeed long and extensive to be fully recorded here. During the first 15 days of 2016, one website records 17 terrorist attacks in different parts of the world.
E-Copy available

This volume looks at the evolving gas market and the various players who influence it -- both as producers and consumers. However, some of the players, such as Australia and the new African producers, as well as Japan and South Korea, the two largest LNG consumers, have not been included as their approach tends to be more commercial than geopolitical in nature.

The ten years of Maoist insurgency followed by the political vacuum after the abolition of the monarchy and the delay in the drafting of the Constitution has given credence to the role of external powers in shaping the domestic politics in that country. The book examines the nature of external powers’ role during the political transition in Nepal since 2006. It analyses Nepal’s relations with external powers’ in the framework of ‘small and major powers’.

This book is the product of a collaborative effort by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi; South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University; and Institute of South Asian Studies, National University Singapore. The volume contains papers exploring Kautilya’s Arthasastra in a transcultural perspective, comparing it with the thoughts of Sun-Zi, Nizam al-Mulk, Barani and Machiavelli.