What is Durand Line?
The Durand Line, a 2,670-kilometer border drawn in 1893 between Afghanistan and British India, remains one of South Asia’s many contentious frontiers. Rejected by every Afghan government but recognized internationally, it symbolizes the region’s colonial legacy and ongoing power struggles. This backgrounder explores its origins in the Great Game, the legal and political controversies surrounding it, and its lasting impact on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and regional security.
Revising the Agnipath Scheme: Preserving the Gorkha Legacy in India-Nepal Relations
The introduction of India’s Agnipath scheme has stalled the historic Gorkha recruitment process, challenging a 200-year-old tradition and Nepal’s economic stability. This paper argues for a Hybrid Gorkha Model, a reformative structure extending service terms to 7–10 years with pension guarantees and skill development. Such a model not only preserves the Gorkha legacy but also strengthens India–Nepal bilateral ties amid evolving regional geopolitics.
India’s Deepening Socioeconomic Crisis: Inequality, Unemployment, and the Erosion of Livelihoods
India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.
The Indian Muslim: Living Between Faith and Fear
In September 2025, a simple expression of faith became a crime. When a devotional social media trend, the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign, went viral, it was deliberately framed as a provocation by authorities. The state’s response was swift and brutal: mass arrests and punitive demolitions that turned a peaceful act of devotion into a national flashpoint, revealing a clear intent to police and punish Muslim identity itself.
After Sheikh Hasina’s Exit, Can India Rebuild Its Strategic Ties with Bangladesh by Pushing Dhaka Towards the Quad?
Sheikh Hasina’s resignation ended India’s golden era of ties with Bangladesh, leaving New Delhi scrambling to counter China’s growing influence. Can Quad engagement offer India a path to rebuild trust and secure the Bay of Bengal?
Colonial Legacies of Bombay and Calcutta
Bombay and Calcutta were more than colonial capitals, they embodied imperial urban planning, economic integration, and cultural hybridity. From segregated ‘white’ and ‘black’ towns to thriving ports, industries, and nationalist thought, these cities reveal how British rule reshaped India’s urban life while leaving enduring legacies still visible today.
Pakistan’s Defence Modernization: Between Sovereignty and Strategic Synergy
Pakistan’s defence modernization reflects a shift from dependence on foreign suppliers to indigenous innovation, marked by platforms like the JF-17 Thunder, Al-Khalid tank, and indigenous UAVs. While partnerships with China and Turkey remain vital, the future hinges on balancing sovereignty, economic constraints, and strategic sustainability. The challenge is not only to build power but to wield it wisely.
Trump’s H1B Policy: Consequences for India
A new Trump executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H1B visas marks more than a shift in U.S. immigration policy, it is a geopolitical act with lasting consequences. While American firms may adapt, India faces structural damage.
Framing the Enemy: Modi, Bollywood and the Battle of Narratives
Bollywood has become a powerful weapon in India’s information warfare, reshaping narratives on Pakistan, Kashmir, and Islam through propaganda-driven blockbusters. Under Modi’s BJP, cinema is being used to rewrite history, fuel nationalism, and normalize Islamophobia, raising serious concerns for regional peace and stability.
Pakistan at the SCO Summit: Strategic Messaging and Diplomatic Wins
Pakistan’s active engagement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit reflected a strategic balancing act between security concerns, economic connectivity, and regional diplomacy. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif not only internationalized India’s Indus Waters Treaty move but also secured explicit SCO condemnation of terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Coupled with key bilateral meetings with China, Russia, Turkiye, Iran, and Azerbaijan, Islamabad emerged from the summit with both narrative and diplomatic gains, reinforcing its role as a pivotal regional actor.