COMMENTARIES
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India: COVID-19 and Women’s Reproductive and Sexual Health
Akanksha Khullar · 07 Aug, 2020 · #5711 · Commentary
Due to a wide range of factors, Indian women have historically faced multiple barriers to accessing
sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care products and services. The COVID-19
pandemic and consequent disruptions have exacerbated these barriers...
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East Asia Compass
‘Rotational’ Deployment of US Troops: Implications for Regional Security
Dr Sandip Kumar Mishra · 30 Jul, 2020 · #5710 · Commentary · Column
On 21 July 2020, US Defense Secretary
Mark Esper said that the Pentagon is considering “readjustments” to US’
military presence across the world. They are seeking a “rotational”
deployment of forces for “strategic flexibility,” an...
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Strategic Space
Kakrapar: Why Nuclear Power for Electricity Generation?
Manpreet Sethi · 27 Jul, 2020 · #5709 · Commentary · Column
On 22 July 2020, Unit 3 of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS)—India’s 23rd nuclear reactor—attained criticality. At 700 MWe capacity, it is a scaled-up version of earlier variants of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs).It is c...
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India-Indonesia: Expanding Cooperation to Include Defence Industry
Akash Sahu · 22 Jul, 2020 · #5708 · Commentary
India’s Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman Sea is barely 163 km
from the Sabang district of Indonesia’s Aceh province. The geographical
proximity of these two large democracies and their strategic locations in the
Indian Ocean make them na...
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Maritime Power and the Pandemic: US’ Loss; China’s Gain?
Jack Kai Yui Wong · 15 Jul, 2020 · #5707 · Commentary
Beginning April 2020, China has launched a series of offensive actions
in the South China Sea (SCS). They include the establishment of administrative districts in disputed islands, sinking a Vietnamese vessel, and deploying an aircraft carrier to...
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Conflicts and COVID-19: What Explains the Rise in Terror & Counter-Terror Ops in Southeast Asia?
Siddharth Anil Nair · 14 Jul, 2020 · #5706 · Commentary
The COVID-19
pandemic has helped induce ceasefires in a range of conflict zones
around the world. This is not true, however, for Southeast Asia, which has
witnessed an overall uptick in terror and counter-terror operations.
What this
uptick...
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Indian Nuclear Decision-Making and the Border Standoff with China
Tanvi Kulkarni. · 14 Jul, 2020 · #5705 · Commentary
The
2020 border standoff between India and China marks a tipping point in the bilateral
relationship. It brings to an end the Indian illusion that the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) with China is a ‘disputed but peaceful’ border. As Beijing c...
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India: Beyond the Binary of Whether to Talk to the Taliban
Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy · 10 Jul, 2020 · #5704 · Commentary
In the backdrop of a US-backed negotiated
settlement attempt in Afghanistan gaining momentum, the debate on talking to
the Taliban has resurfaced in India, particularly through May 2020. There may
be some potential advantages India could gain b...
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The India-Nepal Dispute: What, and Why Now?
Yash Vardhan Singh · 10 Jul, 2020 · #5703 · Commentary
The India-Nepal territorial
dispute around the Kalpani-Limpaidhura-Lipulekh trijunction area stems only in
part from the ambiguity around the original boundary settlement. The present
flare up is a result of a combination of factors: India’s ...
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In Context: COVID-19 and Iran
Majid Izadpanahi · 30 Jun, 2020 · #5702 · Commentary
After
China, Iran was the among the first countries that emerged as an epicentre of
COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. However, Iran’s response to the
pandemic was different from those of other countries, and consequently, its
imp...
