Author: Viswapramod C

Pakistan’s “new” National Security Policy – Old product in a new packaging
Analysis, Featured

Pakistan’s “new” National Security Policy – Old product in a new packaging

The document does not have any clear vision beyond the traditional paradigm of military security, as there is no further policy strategy or indication to be considered on a serious note.If we look at the building blocks of the policy, based on the unrealistic claims that are made, it looks like a shallow swamp on a slippery slope.there is no evidence of any real changes in the handling of security and military affairs especially on terrorism and Islamic extremism, where its deep state continues to foster its roots quite firmly.Pakistan is utterly silent on the terror camps and training infrastructure that it nurtures, which originates in its soil but has a devastating impact on other countries.Despite the reality of a status quo, India must observe, engage, and be involved with P...
Understanding the Emerging Geopolitical and strategic significance of Qatar
Analysis, Featured, Middle East, World

Understanding the Emerging Geopolitical and strategic significance of Qatar

Designation of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally by the United States has clearly paved the way for greater security co-operation and investments at a time when President Joe Biden is seeking help boosting the natural gas supplies in Europe.Qatar’s geostrategic location and its massive oil and natural gas reserves are the biggest strategic assets that have uplifted its global significance.Qatar's investments have also been aimed at creating strategic alliances by gradually earning global friendships in the western, liberal, intellectual communities.It is quite recognizable that Qatar is resurgent through its foreign policy and has a sense of hyper geopolitical aspirations, but conveying any assumptions about its Islamist ideological commitments would have a devastating impact on it....
In Pursuit of a Resolution of the Kashmir Conundrum
Books, National, Reviews

In Pursuit of a Resolution of the Kashmir Conundrum

Former Chief of the Army Staff, General N C  Vij’s book on Kashmir 'The Kashmir Conundrum - The quest for peace in a troubled land' is a seminal work that would dominate India’s strategic community for a very long time. The excellent comprehensiveness of the book visualises Kashmir from strategic, military, political, diplomatic, social, psychological angles, and would certainly become a standard reference point in academia. Gen. Vij had served as Director-General of Military Operations during the Kargil War. Following his retirement as the Army chief in 2005, he has served as founder-vice chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority and the Director of think tank Vivekananda India Foundation. In this book, he traverses centuries to detail how the region has ...
Tracing the development of a new minilateral: India – Israel – UAE – the USA
Featured, World

Tracing the development of a new minilateral: India – Israel – UAE – the USA

The USA has always encouraged smaller grouping of countries with economic and strategic interests to pose a direct or indirect challenge to the emerging Chinese hegemony. The American establishment has serious concerns and perhaps apprehensions about the aggressive nature of Chinese expansionism. India, by joining this network would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of this Synergy process. As India already enjoys a close relationship with UAE and Israel, this alliance is bound to take off further than just limiting itself into an economic alliance. Ever since the Abraham Accord came into being in 2020 and normalised the relations between UAE and Israel, a lot of geostrategic developments are taking place in the middle eastern region. New alliances, partnerships and m...
UN Reforms agenda – Global strategic implications and concerns for India
Featured, World

UN Reforms agenda – Global strategic implications and concerns for India

The prime International institution of the world, The United Nations Organisation, which was established in 1945 post world war 2, to promote international peace and collective security, after seven decades is thinking seriously about a structural and comprehensive reform agenda. The “10 point declaration”, recently proposed by the UN has already received support from over 120 countries across all the continents. We would analyse the concerns and prospects around this ‘hopefully promising but yet sceptical action plan’ endorsed by the UN. Theoretical and historical background Well-known sociologist Daniel Bell says “nation-states are too big for small problems and too small for big problems”. This necessitates the establishment of global institutions or Inter-Governmental Organi...
30 years of the end of Cold War – Analysing the Past and Present contours of Global Power
Analysis, Featured, World

30 years of the end of Cold War – Analysing the Past and Present contours of Global Power

On the 26th of December 1991, the Soviet Union was officially disintegrated by then President of USSR, Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, marking an official end to the cold war and the mighty Soviet Union, which was perceived as a dreamland of communism.  From a hardcore Communist-Stalinist era to a disruptive era of the scrambling reformer Gorbachev, the USSR witnessed a series of power dynamics, transformative landmarks, historical milestones and lousy geopolitical pitfalls. The principal confrontation was between the ideological, philosophical and intellectual themes of Soviet socialism versus American Capitalism, where socialism embarked upon an enigmatic state of equality and social justice that appealed to the poorer classes, the capitalist system promised economic freedoms, liberty a...
Analysing the contours of the refugee crisis in the Indian Subcontinent
Analysis, Asia, Featured

Analysing the contours of the refugee crisis in the Indian Subcontinent

Throughout the ages, wars, internal armed conflicts and large scale persecution has forced people to flee to places offering them safety. As India is not a signatory to the 1951 convention nor its 1967 protocol, it lacks a national refugee protection framework. The Assam accord promised to deport the illegal immigrants who had become an economic burden and were posing a challenge to the social fabric of Assamese society.India needs to adopt a comprehensive national policy for the refugees to provide safety and protection, legal safeguards, aid and funding from the state, welfare programmes for the refugees.As the circumstances in the contemporary Indian subcontinent have changed giving rise to two Islamic nations in India’s neighbourhood and the troubled historical baggage that confro...
Decoding the India-Russia strategic Ties – An Evaluation of Strengths and Shortcomings
Analysis, Asia, Featured

Decoding the India-Russia strategic Ties – An Evaluation of Strengths and Shortcomings

India’s foreign policy towards Russia has been of sustained continuity, irrespective of the change in Governments and their ideological backgrounds. The introduction of 2+2 dialogue between the defence and external affairs counterparts at the ministerial level further strengthens the relationship. The Russian support to India has also taken cognizance of the growing hostilities between India and China on the border dispute. Russia fears that the USA would encircle it in the Indian Ocean by using its naval assets and would create trouble during a potential conflict. India being the strategic partner of both Russia and the USA has failed to address this issue constructively. Russia continues to hold a strong rapport with India despite the institutional paradigm shifts that have taken...
Repealing Farm Laws and the National Security Enigma – A Critical Assessment
Analysis, Featured

Repealing Farm Laws and the National Security Enigma – A Critical Assessment

It is perceived through several top sources in the Indian Intelligence that the Khalistani elements had been systematically interjected through moles and sleeper cells in the anti farm laws agitation The Union government to its credit defended and strongly stood by these bold reform measures that were path breaking in India’s agricultural economy. Interestingly, a huge number of farm labourers in the peak of these protest movements, were found to be actively working on the agricultural fields. Any reason citing a national security threat can’t be taken at face value, because if the political class makes up it’s mind it can certainly bring any situation under control. It is quite clear that this is a miserable failure of the government's strategic communication to defend these laws an...
Schism in Saudi-Pak relations – Diverging interests and Opportunistic alliances
Asia, Featured, Middle East

Schism in Saudi-Pak relations – Diverging interests and Opportunistic alliances

Pakistan's relationship with Saudi Arabia is under a heavy stress due a series of strategic blunders committed by Pakistan.The cultural ties have gone under severe strain due to the duplicity and radical tendencies the Pakistani Deep State and the ISI has developed. Pakistan is also having problems in terms of its religious clerics creating trouble in the Saudi territory with the promotion of their jihadi extremism In contemporary geopolitics, it has become an open secret that Pakistan is not a trustworthy partner to sustain a stable and strategic relationship with most of the countries. But it's most important partner in the Islamic world, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has become highly sceptical of Pakistan's establishment in the recent past. Pakistan's economy is in shambles, as...