South Asia

About Centre

South Asia is one of the main areas of research focus at IDSA. The region has been going through a period of turmoil over the last few years. Definitive steps have been taken in the recent past towards the establishment of democratic governments in the region. Given the importance of developments in the region for Indian security, experts at IDSA keenly watch and analyse unfolding developments in each South Asian country.

Two projects that are currently under progress are ‘Developments in Pakistan’ and ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’. In addition, individual scholars are engaged in researching various security related aspects pertaining to South Asian countries. The Centre has established bilateral institutional relations with leading think tanks in the region and proposes to undertake joint studies.

Minutes of South Asia Centre Meetings

Bangladesh Beats Global Recession Through Exports

The tremendous growth in Bangladesh’s exports has been due to three factors – the global recession, new markets and China’s spectacular economic growth.

Anand Kumar
September 27, 2010
IDSA Comments

Chumbi Valley: Economic Rationale but Strategic Resonance

Shaping responses towards the issue of Chumbi Valley would perhaps require a penetrating understanding of the “reality” that defines China’s political trajectory in South Asia in coming years.

Medha Bisht
September 23, 2010
IDSA Comments

India-China Power Game in Nepal and the Consequences

The win-win situation for India and China lies in respecting the ‘buffer-status of Nepal’ which will also ensure political stability in Nepal.

Pramod Jaiswal
September 16, 2010
IDSA Comments

Chinese Activities in PoK: High Time for India to Put its Act Together

A recent New York Times report that 11,000 soldiers of the Peoples’ Liberation Army have been stationed in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of the PoK, carries important implications for India. For India to put forth its legitimate claim to the whole of Kashmir, the time is now or else, never.

Priyanka Singh
September 09, 2010
IDSA Comments

Political Culture in Bhutan: A Lost Narrative

Creating levers of influence and pursuing a pro-active engagement with Bhutan’s decision-makers is the most effective way of shaping political will to engage the Bhutanese establishment over the issue of refugee repatriation.

Medha Bisht
September 07, 2010
IDSA Comments

Time to Redeem SAARC

While the world community is trying its best to provide help to flood affected Pakistan in spite of aid fatigue, SAARC is conspicuous by its absence.

Pakistan Floods: Causes and Consequences

Apart from alleviating the material plight of the people, transforming the feudal mindset and operationalising reforms to induce fair play and social justice should be one of the long term priority areas for the civilian government in Pakistan.

Medha Bisht
August 19, 2010
IDSA Comments

India needs a new paradigm in its Nepal policy

India needs to chalk out a new paradigm of engagement with the emerging Nepal in which economic and border management issues are prioritised over political issues.

Arvind Gupta
August 18, 2010
IDSA Comments

The Need for India to Engage in ‘Disaster Diplomacy’ with Pakistan

In international conflict resolution, there is a term called ‘disaster diplomacy’, which explains how a disaster in one country may open new ways of interaction and how it brings a new perspective to persisting issues.

Mehmet Ozkan
August 18, 2010
IDSA Comments

Killing fields of Karachi

A clean-up operation by the Pakistan Army could actually end up sharpening the ethnic polarisation in the city, which in turn could lead to the conflagration that everyone in Karachi fears.