South Asia Chat: Recent Episodes
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South Asia Chat podcast series will feature conversations with analysts, academics and thought leaders on topical issues impacting South Asia.
On 30 April 2025, Government of India has announced that the 2026 nationwide census will include caste data for the first time in over a century. This decision comes amid significant political shifts following the 2024 general elections, where caste-based mobilisation played a pivotal role. In this episode, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst at ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Rahul Verma, Academic Visitor at ISAS. They unpack the political, social, and legal implications of the caste census, discuss its role in the opposition parties’ evolving strategy, and explore the potential impact on electoral coalitions, sub-categorisation of quotas, and the future of reservations in India.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam in April 2025, the Government of India announced the immediate abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). Signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, the IWT was brokered by the World Bank, amidst rising post-Partition tensions and concerns regarding the sharing of water. In this episode, Muhammad Saad Ul Haque, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with David Gilmartin, Professor of History, North Carolina State University, to speak about the treaty’s colonial origins, post-Partition concerns, and the emerging dynamics putting its existence into question.
Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India and Pakistan witnessed the most intense conflict between the two countries since 1971. This marks a strategic recalibration in India and Pakistan's already dysfunctional relationship. In this episode, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Ambassador Jawed Ashraf, former Ambassador of India to France, to delve into the motivations of India's military response, Operation Sindoor, the conventional and nuclear thresholds in the region, and the abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty. The conversation also delves into India's messaging and outreach to the international community following the ceasefire.
Following the April 2025 terror attack in Kashmir, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated, marked by India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the launch of Operation Sindoor. As military and diplomatic exchanges continue, questions around escalation management, international responses, and long-term regional stability have come to the forefront. In this episode, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, to discuss recent developments in India-Pakistan relations, shifts in regional security dynamics, and the international community’s response.
There is a controversy brewing around the delimitation of constituencies in India’s lower house of parliament or Lok Sabha which is scheduled for 2026. The southern states of India in particular are fearing a loss of seats and political power if the redrawing of electoral seats is done based solely on population figures.The number of seats in Indian parliament has been increased thrice, based on the decennial census, since the country’s independence. The last time it happened was in 1972, following the 1971 Census, when the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was fixed at 543. Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance), is in conversation with Dr Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow and Director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the intricacies of the delimitation process.
The economic relationship between India and ASEAN holds significant potential, yet is layered with complexity—especially when it comes to trade, which remains a central pillar of their engagement. With the decision to revisit the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, concerns over trade imbalances, shifting global supply chains, and the impact of recent geopolitical tensions are taking center stage. In this episode, Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Dr Evelyn Devadason, Professor, Universiti of Malaya, to discuss what is driving trade negotiations, Malaysia's role as ASEAN Chair, and the impact of recent US trade policy disruptions.
In the wake of recent political transitions in Bangladesh and shifting regional equations, Dhaka’s foreign policy is undergoing a subtle yet significant recalibration. From a growing openness toward Pakistan to navigating its strategic relations with India, China, and beyond, Bangladesh is stepping into a more assertive regional role while grappling with long-standing challenges like the Rohingya crisis and climate vulnerability. In this episode, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst at ISAS, NUS, is in conversation with Ambassador Tariq Karim, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, NUS and Director of the Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies at Independent University, Bangladesh. Drawing on his extensive diplomatic career, Ambassador Karim unpacks the key drivers behind Bangladesh’s evolving foreign policy and explores how the country is positioning itself amid South Asia’s shifting geopolitical landscape.
In a historic declaration of economic independence on 2 April 2025, President Donald Trump announced a fresh wave of tariffs on its trading partners and adversaries. Despite a relatively successful meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, India was unable to dodge a bullet on tariffs. President Trump declared a 27 per cent ‘discounted reciprocal tariffs’ on India. The move was seen as a response to India’s trade surplus with the United States (US), which has nearly doubled since President Trump’s first term and is projected to widen further, given India’s strong manufacturing and service sectors. The tariffs aim to address trade imbalances and promote domestic manufacturing in the US by countering what President Trump described as "unfair trade practices." This announcement comes at an important juncture, as both leaders in February 2025 agreed to work on the first phase of a bilateral trade deal in the second half of 2025. In this episode, Mriganika Singh Tanwar, Research Analyst at ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) at ISAS-NUS, to discuss the implications of reciprocal tariffs on the competitiveness of Indian exports. The discussion draws on the long-standing geoeconomic relationship between India and the US, as well as the salient reliance of the Trump administration on using tariffs as a prominent tool to shape global trade dynamics.
Sri Lanka’s national budget for 2025 was presented last month by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This marks the inaugural budget of the National People’s Power (NPP) government, which came to power in November 2024. To provide an overview and analysis of the 2025 budget, ISAS Research Fellow Dr Rajni Gamage is joined by Mr Umesh Moramudali, a lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In the first 50 days of the Trump administration, President Trump has signed several executive orders, many of which focus on tariffs and trade issues. Tariffs have come to be used as instruments of foreign policy, and this has important implications for the global trading architecture. Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore in conversation with Mr Stephen Olson, Visiting Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute unpacks the chaos, unpredictability and pauses emerging from the US and its implications for global trade.
Six months into the administration led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh finds itself navigating troubled waters. The country is currently grappling with socioeconomic instability, political issues, and governance challenges. The coming months will be crucial as more reports from the interim government's appointed reform commissions emerge and the government responds to allegations of human rights violations committed by the previous regime. In this episode, Mr. Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, converses with Dr. Sayeed Ferdous, Professor of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University. The podcast discusses the progress of reforms, responses to human rights violation allegations, and the constitutional reform commission's report.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst at ISAS, speaks with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington D.C. and the new opportunities and challenges the meeting set out for US and India.
Populist leaders in South Asia leverage mass appeal, nationalism, and religious identity to consolidate power. In recent years, politicians such as Narendra Modi in India and Imran Khan in Pakistan, while often claiming to empower marginalised groups as part of their campaign rhetoric, frequently exploit religious cleavages as part of a strategy termed ‘piety politics’. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Afiya Zia, a researcher, writer and activist based in Karachi. She is the author of “Faith and Feminism in Pakistan”, having conducted extensive research on the role of religion in politics and the way it influences women and their voting behaviours.
On 1st February 2025, India’s Finance Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget. While last year’s budget was shadowed by coalition politics, this budget seems to be very different. It has focused on stimulating weak consumer expenditure while also prioritising capital expenditure to sustain the economy’s growth at 6 percent. In this episode of South Asia Chat , Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India to discuss the strengths, gambles and long-term measures of the Budget 2025.
In the upcoming Delhi elections, welfare promises and populist measures take centre stage. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst at ISAS, hosts Dr Neelanjan Sircar, Assistant Professor at Ahmedabad University, to delve into the dynamics shaping this high-stakes electoral contest. Dr Sircar discusses the escalating 'auction of votes,' the long-term economic implications of welfare politics, and the 'Kejriwal versus who' narrative. He also examines voter sentiment, anti-incumbency factors, and the prospects of major players such as the BJP and Congress in the Delhi Assembly elections.
Donald Trump’s recent re-election marks a pivotal moment for India-US relations, with his administration set to shape trade, immigration, and global power dynamics in ways that could significantly impact India. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Kanika Kaur, Research Analyst at ISAS, is joined by Ambassador Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary of India to discuss the implications of Trump’s second term. They delve into the potential for heightened tariffs on Indian exports, the challenges posed by Trump’s hawkish immigration policies on skilled Indian professionals, and the evolving power balance between China and the US.
With global and regional economies still stabilising from the various events of the first half of the decade, in this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) at ISAS-NUS shares the strategic economic outlook for the region in the year 2025. He is in conversation with Ms Divya Murali, Research Associate, ISAS. They discuss the year that was for South Asia economically, the region's economic outlook for 2025, debt stress of the states in the region, graduating LDCs prospects and risks that the region has to deal with while in pursuit of its growth agendas during 2025.
The year 2024 was marked by human conflicts, political shifts and intensification of transnational challenges. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS discusses with Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst at ISAS, the impact of these crises on South Asia. They also discuss the challenges and opportunities for the region in 2025.
President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office as the 47th President of the United States of America in January 2025. Donald Trump’s second term in office is poised to be a continuation of his first term where US’s pre-2017 free trade principles and approach to economic policies is expected to undergo vast changes. As the world waits to see the real effects take root, in today’s episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Divya Murali, Research Associate at ISAS chats with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS-NUS to unpack the implications of Trump 2.0 trade and economic policies that could impact the world and the region.
The recent COP29 conference brought climate finance to the forefront of international climate diplomacy, with key outcomes such as the adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance and the new $300 billion target. However, these developments have sparked contention, particularly highlighting the diverging perspectives between developed and developing countries. Additionally, the re-election of Donald Trump, whose rhetoric has historically opposed climate action, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions on climate action and finance. To unpack these recent developments in climate finance, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Gautam Jain, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University.
This episode of South Asia Chat delves into the political polarisation in Pakistan which has emerged since the incarceration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The discussion focuses on the ongoing protests led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which culminated in violent clashes with security forces on 24 November 2024. Mr Muhammad Saad Ul Haque, Research Analyst, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, in conversation with Dr Zahid Ahmed, Associate Professor, National Defence College, Abu Dhabi, explores the broader implications of these events, highlighting issues of governance, accountability, and the role of public dissent in Pakistan's evolving democracy.
In April 2024, India delivered three BrahMos missile batteries to the Philippines as part of a US$375 (S$510 million) million deal, making the Philippines the first export customer of the India-Russia joint venture. This highlights India’s growing role in defence technology exports, with BrahMos embodying the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision. The deal strengthens India-Philippines ties amid rising tensions with China, especially after the 2020 border clashes and South China Sea disputes and reflects increasing India-ASEAN defence cooperation. As India aims to be a key defence exporter, challenges remain in maintaining BrahMos’ competitive edge in the regional arms market. Mriganika Singh Tanwar, Research Analyst, ISAS, speaks with Dr Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Resident Senior Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra, Australia, on India’s defence diplomacy in Southeast Asia, the BrahMos deal, and its regional security impact.
India-China relations have recently seen a positive change as the two countries have successfully disengaged in Depsang and Demchok areas. To further discuss what these developments mean for both countries, Dr Sidharth Raimedhi, Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and Defence Research (CSDR), New Delhi speaks with Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst at ISAS.
Donald Trump’s recent re-election marks a pivotal moment for India-US relations, with his administration likely to influence trade, immigration, and great power dynamics in ways that will have lasting impacts on India. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Kanika Kaur, Research Analyst at ISAS, is joined by Professor C. Rajamohan, Visiting Research Professor and leading commentator on Indian foreign policy, to discuss what Trump’s second term means for India. They explore the prospects of heightened tariffs on Indian exports, Trump’s stringent immigration policies affecting skilled Indian professionals, and the shifting power balance with China and Russia.
India-Canada relations have taken a sharp turn in recent months, following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 2023 allegations of Indian government involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This led to Canada’s request in October 2024 for the removal of diplomatic immunity for six Indian diplomats, sparking a diplomatic standoff. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst at ISAS, speaks with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS and renowned foreign policy expert. They discuss the unfolding tensions, the impact on bilateral relations, and the broader implications for India’s international diplomacy and domestic politics.
In this episode, Mriganika Singh Tanwar, Research Analyst at ISAS-NUS, speaks with Dr Athaulla Rasheed, former diplomat and foreign service officer with the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They discuss the key dynamics of India-Maldives relations, focusing on President Muizzu's official visit to India (6-10 October 2024) aimed at mending bilateral ties and resolving diplomatic misunderstandings. The conversation explores the evolving relationship between the two South Asian nations and what the future may hold.
The power sector in Pakistan has remained a priority for each successive government and yet it remains in a state of crisis. It continues to be plagued by issues such as frequent power outages, transmission and distribution losses, high subsidies and limited infrastructure. In this episode Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Dr Ijlal Naqvi, Associate Professor of Sociology, Singapore Management University, to discuss these challenges and the emerging landscape of the sector. The discussion draws on issues such as governance challenges, the tensions between the federal state and provinces, the emerging green transition, and the recent growth of solar power.
Haryana's assembly polls are scheduled for 5 October 2024, marking the first direct political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, since the Lok Sabha election earlier this year. In this episode of South Asia Chat, ISAS Research Analyst Raghaw Khattri is in conversation with Dr Satendra Kumar, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich, to delve into the complexities of the election campaign. They discuss the BJP's setbacks in Haryana's 2024 General Elections, the intriguing alliances shaping up, key election issues like the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and unemployment, and how the entrance of athletes like Vinesh Phogat might influence voter dynamics. Dr Kumar offers his expert analysis on these topics, including the role of caste and rebel MLAs in shaping the political landscape ahead.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow at ISAS, talks to Nusrat Chowdhury, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Amherst College, to unpack the July uprising in Bangladesh. They explore the student-led protest movement, its role in reshaping popular culture, and how national memory is evolving in the wake of Sheikh Hasina's fall.
Sri Lanka’s presidential election was held on Saturday the 21 September 2024. The presidential campaign was dominated by three main candidates, the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe running on an independent platform, the main opposition party’s (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) leader Sajith Premadasa, and the National People’s Power candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In this episode, ISAS Research Fellow Dr Rajni Gamage talks to Dr Pradeep Pieris, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Colombo, about the politics behind the presidential campaigns and challenges ahead.
India and China have long been locked in border disputes along the Himalayas, with tensions particularly high following a deadly clash in 2020. However, recent negotiations after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election have sparked cautious optimism for resolution. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Kanika Kaur, Research Analyst at ISAS, is joined by Professor Kanti Bajpai, Vice Dean of Research and Development at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, to discuss the significance of the ongoing talks, domestic political pressures in India, China’s evolving stance, and how these developments may reshape India's foreign policy.
The past week has been an exciting time here in Singapore with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit. Modi’s fifth visit to Singapore marked a momentous occasion in Singapore-India relations as the two countries upgraded their strategic partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that essentially means deeper bilateral cooperation over wider and newer sectors. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research lead for the trade and economics division at ISAS, to discuss the significance of the visit, India-Singapore’s deepening ties and their cooperation over different sectors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to Russia and Ukraine one after the other brings to India’s dynamic foreign policy that is enabling it to walk this tightrope. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, to discuss the significance of the visits, India’s increasing attention on Central Europe and its larger geopolitical ambitions.
The recent Indian economic survey and budget brought to the forefront the challenge of unemployment and skill gap and mismatch in India. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor Bornali Bhandari, Professor at the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi, India, to discuss the correlation between unemployment and skilling, how the budget addresses these issues and initiatives introduced by the Central and state governments to address these challenges.
Bangladesh has seen major political developments in the last few months. Student-led protests against the quota system, made widespread by Sheikh Hasina's irresponsible remarks and violent clampdown, led to the end of her 15 year rule as prime minister. Since then, a new interim government has taken shape, led by Muhammad Yunus. As things begin to settle down, conversation around the future of Bangladesh have emerged. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Dr Sohela Nazneen, Senior Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, United Kingdom. They discuss the formation of the new government, the immediate challenges it faces and the process of building trust between the state and its citizens.
Sri Lanka’s presidential election is scheduled to be held on the 21st of September 2024. This is the first election after the 2022 economic crisis and mass street protests which ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. To understand the complexities surrounding the upcoming election, ISAS Research Fellow Dr Rajni Gamage, is joined by Mr Ameer Faaiz, a senior lawyer, Chair of One Text Initiative, and a member of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.
On 30 June 2024, Taliban officials representing Afghanistan joined the United Nations (UN) and other stakeholders in Doha for the third set of UN-led talks on the Afghanistan peace process. Since 2021, Afghanistan has been rife with economic regression, political instability, and humanitarian crises. Furthermore, the Taliban regime has been criticised internationally for their human rights record. To discuss some of these issues, Mr Muhammad Saad Ul Haque, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS is in conversation with Dr Shantie D’Souza, Visiting Faculty at the Naval War College, Goa.
On 23 July 2024, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. Presented as the first budget in the newly elected National Democratic Alliance government, this budget brought to the forefront the dynamics of coalition politics and shed light on new schemes for employment and more- in short- providing a statement by the newly-elected government on its way forward for the next year. To help deconstruct the Indian budget, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS, to discuss various social, political and geo-economic aspects of the budget along with delving into the announcements made in it.
Pakistan and its regional security landscape remains a critical issue for its leaders. The country continues to grapple with Islamist militancy and this is impacted by various internal and external factors. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow at ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Abdul Basit, Senior Associate Fellow at Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University, to discuss extremism in Pakistan and its neighbourhood. They delve into the impact of the Taliban's return to Afghanistan, the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism, and unpack the specifics of Pakistan's recent counterterrorism operation, Azm-i-Istekham (Resolve for Stability).
Food systems, which encompass networks needed to produce and transform food, and ensure it reaches consumers, are facing increasing pressures globally from volatile climate, geopolitics and rising costs. With persistent challenges around food security, undernourishment, soil degradation and food losses and wastage in the supply chain, there is a need to transform these systems. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS is in conversation with Dr Puspa Sharma, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISAS-NUS to discuss issues around food systems transformation in South Asia. The conversation draws on insights from food sovereignty in Nepal and the recent farm laws in India to understand policymaking around food in the subcontinent.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Raghaw Khattri is in conversation with Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at ISAS, and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, to discuss the recent cabinet formation following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in on 10 June 2024. The new coalition government includes 71 ministers, with 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 holding independent charge, and 36 Ministers of State, featuring 9 new faces. Mr Rai provides insights on the representation of the National Democratic Alliance allies, the balance of regions, castes, and seniority in the cabinet, including the potential impact on governance and upcoming elections. The discussion further explores significant appointments, such as Shivraj Singh Chouhan as Minister for Agriculture, and the notable absence of Muslim ministers in the council.
In June 2024, Sri Lanka has secured the third tranche of a US$2.9 billion IMF bailout programme and is expected to finalise its debt bilateral restructuring agreements with key creditors this month. To understand the state of Sri Lanka’s economy, its progress and challenges, ISAS Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Rajni Gamage is joined by Dr Ganeshan Wignaraja, Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the ISAS, NUS, Visiting Senior Fellow at ODI in London, and Professorial Fellow in Economics and Trade at Gateway House in Mumbai.
The escalating conflict between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed organisations (EAO) is a matter of concern for both India and Bangladesh as both countries share borders with Myanmar. In the early months of 2024, civil servants and military personnel from bordering areas in Myanmar escaped fighting and crossed the border into Bangladesh. The conflict in Myanmar has escalated since last October when a coalition of the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army launched a joint attack on the Myanmar military units, which subsequently led to the Arakan Army capturing the commercially significant Paletwa town near the India and Bangladesh borders. Ms Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, Genocide Department, Dhaka University, to discuss the conflict in Myanmar.
In this episode, we delve into the foreign policy outlook of India in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term. Unlike previous terms, PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured 240 seats, falling 32 seats short of the majority mark of 272. This shift means Mr Modi will need to navigate coalition politics for the first time in his career. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with our distinguished guest, Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS and Non-Resident Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi, to explore the implications of this new political dynamic on India's foreign policy. Professor Mohan, a prominent commentator on India's foreign policy, will provide insights into the potential continuities and changes in the coalition government's approach to international relations, engagement with major powers like China and the United States and strategies towards neighbouring countries and the Middle East.
In this special episode, we are joined by three distinguished experts - Dr Iqbal Sevea, Dr Ronojoy Sen, and Dr Neelanjan Sircar on the outcomes of the 2024 Indian elections. The conversation explores the major factors that influenced voter decisions, such as economic conditions and social dynamics. It examines the distinct strategies employed by the BJP and Congress, focusing on their campaign methodologies and key issues addressed. The discussion also highlights the significant role of regional parties and their influence on the overall election results. Finally, the episode considers the future political landscape of India, emphasising the importance of addressing economic and social issues comprehensively, the rise of regional parties, and the increasing role of digital media in political campaigns.
In this episode, Professor Tan Tai Yong reflects on the 20th anniversary of the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and shares his vision for its future. Emphasising the critical role of South Asia on the global stage, he discusses its profound impact on regional dynamics, including the intricate relations between Singapore, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Professor Tan underscores ISAS's pivotal role in fostering deeper understanding and collaboration, highlighting the region's socio-economic potential and cultural richness as pivotal factors in shaping global affairs. He is in conversation with ISAS Director, Iqbal Singh Sevea.
As five phases of polling have concluded in the 2024 General Elections in India, we have seen a plethora of issues being talked about. From welfare and development to accusations of minority appeasement, debates on caste census, wealth redistribution, inheritance tax, unemployment, and Hindutva, this election seems to lack a pan-India narrative, unlike the ones in 2014 and 2019. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor Sudha Pai, former Professor of Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University to discuss the nature of the election campaign and to look ahead.
India’s relations with its Himalayan neighbour Nepal have seen intense diplomatic engagement under Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he initiated in August 2014 the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. What have been the outcomes of this policy? What are the issues that strain mutual ties? What are Nepal’s domestic constraints which affect bilateral relations? What have been the effects of China’s attempts to expand its strategic footprint through its Belt and Road initiative? In this episode, Dr Gyanesh Kudaisya, Associate Professor at ISAS, is joined by ISAS Honorary Fellow Professor S D Muni, who draws upon his recently published book, Dabbling in Diplomacy – Authorised & Otherwise: Recollections of a Non-Career Diplomat, to offer insights into these questions.
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events in India, a country amongst the most vulnerable to climate change, should send the alarm bells ringing. Natural disasters induced and aggravated by anthropogenic activities have significantly impacted lives and livelihoods across the country. How have political parties responded to this threat? Is climate change moving beyond the periphery of electoral interests? To answer some of these important questions, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is joined by Dr Navroz Dubash, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS.
Infrastructure and connectivity have emerged as critical domains of cooperation between China and Nepal. China is engaged in several infrastructure projects in Nepal including the development of hydropower projects, construction of roadways and the recently inaugurated international airport at Pokhra. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shreshtha recently visited China and infrastructure and connectivity featured significantly on the agenda. To discuss the important developments of this meeting and the broader landscape of Nepal-China ties, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Puspa Sharma, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISAS.
The Himalayas, the world’s so called “third pole” are critical for life within and around the cold, mountainous region. They serve as a home for numerous communities and as the source of several water bodies that support large populations. The impact of climate change is very evident in the Himalayas. Melting glaciers are creating new lakes, rivers are flooding more frequently and more violently, urbanisation and deforestation are impacting the soil, and we are witnessing events like glacial-lake outbursts, which are likely to grow in frequency in the coming years. These problems are exacerbated with increasing economic development and infrastructure in the region. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses with Ambassador Tariq Karim, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS, the tensions between the preservation of ecosystems and development policies in the Himalayan region.
The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has stated that a presidential election is likely to be held between September and October 2024. If held, these will be the first elections held since the 2022 mass people’s protests which caused the political leadership at the time to step down from power. There are multiple political groups and factions that are taking form in the lead up to elections. In addition, the government faces the uphill task of managing prevailing economic crisis conditions. In this episode, ISAS Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Rajni Gamage talks to Ms Bhavani Fonseka, researcher and Attorney at Law in the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Sri Lanka, in an assessment of the state of democracy and levels of public trust in democratic institutions and processes in Sri Lanka.
Earlier this month, the Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar in one of his interactions in London stated that the Pakistani government is seriously examining resuming trade ties with India. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Prof C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, dwell on the history of Indo-Pak trade ties, domestic factors playing a role and critical actors driving the relationship.
The World Trade Organization's (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) was concluded on 2 March 2024. While progress was made on certain commitments by member states, consensus has not been achieved on certain key long-standing issues. In this episode, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS, is in conversation with Stephen Olson, Senior Adjunct Fellow, Pacific Forum and Visiting Lecturer and Non-Resident Fellow at the Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance. They discuss the implications of the WTO MC13 from a global perspective, including the ongoing diversification of trade, the carbon border tax by the European Union, and the upcoming elections in the United States.
In this episode, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director of ISAS, engages Dr S Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs, on India’s priorities in its relations with the major powers such as the United States, China and Russia. Globally, while Dr Jaishankar advocates reforms in multilateralism and highlights the value of minilateralism and regionalism, he also reflects on India's efforts to ensure inclusivity in global agendas, particularly during its presidency of the G20, emphasising the importance of sustaining focus on the needs of the developing countries and the Global South.
Farmer groups in India have been protesting in New Delhi to demand a legally backed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. The government and farm leaders have gone through several rounds of discussions and negotiations but there has been no breakthrough. On 13 February farmer groups launched the “Delhi Chalo” march and for several weeks protesters in trucks and tractors were blocked from entering New Delhi by heavy security deployments within and outside the city. These protest have important economic and political implications and to unpack these Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Harish Damodaran, National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor, Indian Express. They discuss the demands of the protests, the political economy of the farming sector in India and what drives the government’s response to the protests.
Social media plays an increasingly important role in elections globally and is expected to be a key feature of the 2024 Indian elections. Campaigns on social media involve utilising the volatile nature of the medium and capitalising on communicating directly with voters. Dr Joyojeet Pal takes us through potential strategies that each party may use to connect with voters. He also explains the psyche behind certain posts and trends that may take shape over the election. Ms. Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Joyojeet Pal, Associate Professor, University of Michigan, to discuss the role of social media in the upcoming Indian elections.
World Trade Organization's (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) concluded on 2 March 2024 in Abu Dhabi. The declaration shows progress and commitment of the member states on issues like dispute reform and special and differential treatment (S&DT) provisions for developing and least developed countries (LDCs). However, consensus on long standing key issues continue to remain evasive. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Divya Murali, Research Associate, ISAS-NUS is in conversation with Ms R.V. Anuradha, Partner, Clarus Law Associates, New Delhi to understand the developments from MC13 and what it means for India and the developing countries.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, and Research Lead of the Politics, Society and Governance cluster at ISAS, to discuss the political landscape in India ahead of the general elections. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion of the BJP winning 370 seats, the discussion probes the party's anticipated gains in specific regions and its challenges in South India. Analysis extends to the Congress' seat-sharing alliances in North India, exploring the potential impact of collaborations with the Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and others. The discussion also analyses the trend of opposition leaders joining the BJP and the risk of complacency in BJP’s bid for a third term.
Bhutan graduated from the United Nation’s List of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in December 2023, making it only the seventh country in the world to be able to do so. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Dil Bahadur Rahut, Vice-Chair of Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Asian Development Bank Institute. They discuss various aspects related to Bhutan’s developmental journey and given its recent LDC graduation, the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Pakistan recently held its long awaited parliamentary elections which saw 44 political parties compete for 266 seats in the National Assembly. Over the course of the days following the elections, result have been flowing in and revealing a complicated political landscape in the country. To discuss the elections, its emerging results and the evolving political landscape, Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Honorary Fellow, Deakin University and Non-resident Fellow, ISAS.
On 1 February 2024, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her sixth union budget. This interim budget, preceding India’s upcoming general elections, has continued focus on fiscal consolidation while lowering capital expenditure growth and drawing focus on women and youth-centric issues. To unpack the budget and understand its continuities and discontinuities, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Coordinator, Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity. They discuss how this budget stands different from past interim budgets, the significance of the fiscal deficit number and what the post-election budget may look like among other things.
In 2024, South Asian countries faced elections and numerous economic stressors. In this context, cities, which have been subject to rapid transformations over decades of development and political projects are an important site of observation in how these developments play out. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Professor Nihal Perera, Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning at Ball State University, US, speaks to Dr Rajni Gamage, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, on the transformation of cities in South Asia and the politics of space in Sri Lanka.
The year 2024 brings with it more developments in strategic technologies, a key issue for countries across South Asia. From artificial intelligence to 5G data networks, states in the subcontinent, especially India, are strategising through multilateral and bilateral cooperation on initiatives like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, to increase their imprint in the geopolitical technology arena. In this episode, Ms Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, ISAS. They discuss India’s developments in Digital Public Infrastructure, its Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and how it is adapting to and countering the rise of other key players in the region such as China.
South Asia is expected to grow between 5.2 and 5.6 per cent in 2024. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS discusses the trade and economic outlook for South Asia this year with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS. They cover a range of economic issues, including the drivers of growth, size and type of investments, trade and connectivity, remittance flows and ways in which countries in the region can ensure their economic security going ahead.
The year 2024 is a major election year in South Asia with countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India going to polls. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, and Research Lead of the Politics, Society and Governance cluster at ISAS, to discuss South Asia’s strategic outlook for 2024. Dr Sen discusses the upcoming elections in South Asia and focuses on various domestic nuances in India, such as the impact of Ram Mandir on the election campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party in India, the Modi factor, and the challenges of the INDIA alliance.
The year 2023 brought about significant geopolitical developments such as the onset of the Israel-Palestine conflict, continuation of Russia-Ukraine war and intensification of the Sino-US rivalry, all of which have had a significant impact on the international order and on South Asia. These geopolitical developments are likely to continue to drive foreign policies. Simultaneously, domestic developments such as India’s landing on the moon, hosting of the G20 and elections in Bhutan, Bangladesh and India will influence South Asia’s foreign policy outlook. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, to discuss South Asia’s strategic outlook for 2024.
Food insecurity has remained amongst the gravest concerns in the world wherein post-pandemic the global food insecurity rose to 11.9%, with instances of undernutrition, malnutrition remaining higher in certain parts of the world like Africa, South Asia etc. Although 2023 has witnessed certain incremental improvement and steps taken by the United Nations creating a roadmap for countries to ensure food security. However, recent COP 28 negotiations depict that there is a long way to go. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Puspa Sharma, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISAS, to discuss the state of food security in South Asia and the challenges and opportunities emerging from policy-actions around it.
Sri Lanka’s foreign relations are influenced significantly by attempts to recover from the national economic crisis in 2022. Its economic situation remains precarious, with a foreign reserve of US$3.6 billion reported in August this year and with foreign debt restructuring still in progress. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Mr A. L. A. Azeez, former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva and Vienna speaks to Dr Rajni Gamage, Postdoctoral Fellow, ISAS, on Sri Lanka's geopolitical engagement with regional and global powers, and in multilateral institutions and fora.
The Assembly election results in five Indian states, which were announced on 3 December 2023, had a few surprises. The set of elections was also the last before the 2024 general elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed back to power in Madhya Pradesh, where the election was expected to be close. In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP defeated the incumbent Congress. In Rajasthan, where ruling parties are usually shown the door every election, the result was somewhat expected. However, in Chhattisgarh, where many had predicted that the Congress would retain power, the BJP won comfortably. The southern state of Telangana was the only bright spot for the Congress where it dislodged the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which had been in power in the state for two successive terms. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, ISAS, discusses the individual state election results and their impact on the 2024 general elections with Dr Neelanjan Sircar, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, Professor Sreeradha Datta, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, ISAS, speaks to Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS, on the intricate terrain of Bangladesh’s political scene. They examine historical milestones, electoral intricacies, and the geopolitical dynamics influencing Bangladesh’s future. Join us as they unravel the complexities that define the political landscape of this vibrant South Asian nation.
The 2023 COP28 in the UAE, Dubai, from 30 November to 12 December 2023 comes at a critical time to assess the progress that has been made towards building a more sustainable future. Delegates from nearly 200 countries will engage in critical conversations on funding and financing for climate action, the global stocktake exercise, energy transitions and making climate policies inclusive. To discuss the COP28 and the expected negotiations, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi, Research Fellow, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.
Recently, the United States (US) International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced its investment of US$553 million in the Adani Port Project (Sri Lanka). This comes as a surprise to many, given that it is a rarity for a US government agency to be making such investments. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Coordinator for Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity, Policy Advisory Arm for Ministry of Shipping, Government of India, to discuss the rapidly growing US interests in South Asia and the Indian Ocean mean for India and South Asia.
Climate action is inextricably linked with international cooperation and India has been an active player in this domain. However, navigating this landscape is increasingly complex with rising geopolitical tensions, the proliferation of international forums and the Global North - Global South divide. This episode of South Asia Chat looks at India’s climate diplomacy, maps its journey in this domain and reflects on the strategic debates on furthering climate action. To discuss this, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and Dr Constantino Xavier, Fellow, Foreign Policy and Security Studies, Centre for Social and Economic Progress. Dr Nachiappan and Dr Xavier are also co-editors of a recently published report titled Tracks to Transition: India’s Global Climate Strategy.
Despite traditional fault lines between Israel and the Arab nations, India has obtained a fine balance in the Middle East. However, the recent Israel-Palestine crisis challenges India's partnerships in the Middle East. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, to discuss the challenges India's ties face in the Middle East, the possibility of peace in the Middle East and India's future role in the region.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Rajni Gamage, ISAS, chats with Dr Nishan De Mel, Executive Director, Verite Research, on the key dynamics of Sri Lanka’s ‘crisis recovery’ since the 2022 national economic crisis. This includes identifying key governance-related challenges faced by the Sri Lankan government in carrying out political and economic reforms, the state of the government's political legitimacy and its impact on the country's democracy, and what measures the government is pursuing to cushion the impact of the crisis on the affected communities in Sri Lanka.
Maldives’ incumbent leader Mohamed Solih has conceded defeat, paving way for Mohamed Muizzu to take over the presidency in the island nation. Mohamed Muizzu won 54 percent of the votes in an election campaign that ran on issues like corruption, sovereignty and the India-China balance. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS discusses the election and its consequences with Dr Rasheeda Didi, Senior Research Fellow for South Asia Focus Network, Maldives and Member of the Higher Education Council of Maldives.
The Indian Parliament, during a special session from 18 to 22 September 2023, passed the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2023 to mandate one-third reservation for women in India’s lower house of parliament as well as state assemblies. The bill, which was cleared with near unanimity, also extends the quota to the seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor Krishna Menon, Professor of Gender Studies in the School of Human Studies at Dr B R Ambedkar University Delhi. They discuss the content, journey of the bill and broader implications of women's reservation in India.
Green hydrogen is likely to play an important role in the global efforts against climate change. It is also an important element in India’s ambitious plans such as the goal to be energy independent by 2047 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2070. For that, India has launched several projects and policy measures to push the production of green hydrogen in the country as it aims to become a global hub of green hydrogen production. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Guncha Munjal, Program Manager – Hydrogen, WRI India and Mr Anuraag Nallapaneni, Senior Program Associate – Hydrogen, WRI India. They discuss the current and future trajectory of green hydrogen in India.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism or CBAM has emerged as the latest development within the intersection of environmental sustainability and trade. Its phased implementation will begin on 1st October 2023. CBAM is geared at preventing carbon leakage and encouraging decarbonisation in sectors including electricity, cement, iron and steel, fertiliser, aluminium, and hydrogen. This policy will have important implications for India and other developing countries. In this episode Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS to delve into this policy and its implications for India and global trade.
India's G20 Summit brought to the forefront a new global governance agenda. In this episode, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS, Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS, and Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS, to discuss significant outcomes of the G20 summit and the future of its agenda.
The G20 summit held under India's presidency in New Delhi, on 9 and 10 September 2023, brought with it significant geopolitical changes and new opportunities for Indian foreign policy. In this episode, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS. They discuss what the G20 summit has meant for India's relations with the world, especially Europe, Middle-East and the United States, and Delhi's influence in the Global South. They also reflect on India's historical journey and the evolution of its position in the world order.
The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 22-24 August 2023 where a major announcement was made regarding an expansion in the grouping’s membership. The current BRICS members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa while the new entrants who will become full members from 1 January 2024 are Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses the economic and strategic potential of the BRICS with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS.
The Maldives is preparing for its upcoming Presidential elections on 9 September 2023, a significant event that will shape the country's leadership going forward. This election stands out due to the unusually large number of candidates participating, the highest since the 2008 Maldivian Presidential Election. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Rasheeda Didi discusses potential election results, the challenges the current President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih faces, and the implications for the Maldives' relations with other countries. She is in conversation with Ms Wini Fred Gurung, Research Analyst, ISAS.
It has now been two years since Taliban took over control in Afghanistan, following the US withdrawal and the fall of the Afghan government. Afghanistan has since seen significant changes in most aspects of social, political and economic life. In this episode, Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS is in conversation with Dr Haroun Rahimi, Assistant Professor of Law, American University of Afghanistan. They discuss how Taliban came to power, how Afghanistan has evolved in the last two years, and how Afghanistan features in the global security landscape.
Globally, cities contribute to over 70 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, cities are also very prone to the effects of climate change and the extreme weather events emanating from it. This makes climate resilience and environmental sustainability a foremost issue in urban policy. In this role, cities emerge as spaces of innovation, and across the world we are witnessing newer ideas, policies, technologies and systems being deployed. To discuss these themes in the Indian context, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Ms Anumita Rouchowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment.
Sri Lanka faced an unprecedented economic crisis in 2022, which culminated in the country declaring bankruptcy and long power cuts and fuel shortages. These led to mass street protests and the incumbent president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, being ousted from power. To discuss the 2023 economic and political situation in Sri Lanka, Dr Rajni Gamage, Postdoctoral Fellow, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Tilak Abeysinghe, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ISAS. The podcast also discusses visits by the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India, Singapore, and Japan, and what future trends can be expected with elections scheduled for 2024.
Nearly six years after the Indian Supreme Court declared that privacy was a constitutional right for all citizens, the government is now close to passing the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (2022). The bill was cleared by the Indian Cabinet on 5 July 2023 and will be tabled in the parliament during the ongoing monsoon session. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses data issues and cybersecurity in India with Dr Anuradha Rao, Founder, CyberCognizanz, Singapore. Dr Rao is also Non-Resident Fellow, ISAS and Associate Faculty, Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Feminist and Colonial discourses are key in understanding India’s socio-political landscape. Studying the contemporary operationalisation of these discourses draws from historical contexts, personal experiences and comparative analysis. To discuss these factors on this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Suruchi Thapar-Bjorkert, Associate Professor, Department of Government, University of Uppsala. They discuss feminism and colonial thought and how they operate in politics and policy in India.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France celebrated 25 years of strategic partnership between India and France. This occasion was marked by the release of a roadmap – Horizon Communique 2047- which emphasised on the key areas of cooperation between the two states. Partnership in Security for Sovereignty, Protection of Planet and People-to-People Connect were critical themes under discussion during the bilateral talks. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Jean-Loup Samaan, Senior Fellow at Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore to discuss India and France’s multidimensional partnership, and what the recent bilateral talks and roadmap of future relations mean for the two countries and geopolitics in Europe and Indo-Pacific.
In July 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), for which India holds the rotating presidency this year. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, India. They discuss issues pertaining to the SCO and the Quad, the composition of the SCO, Russia-China relations and India's strategic identity.
In June 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an official state visit to Washington, marking the third official to be hosted by United States (US) President Joe Biden during his term. The visit has been hailed as a demonstration by both sides to take their bilateral cooperation to the next level. While there have been significant developments over the past years, a number of challenges remain. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses Modi's recent visit and its implications on India-US ties with Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow at ISAS.
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a group of 14 countries led by the United States, was launched in May last year. As a non-traditional economic arrangement that does not offer market access concessions and tariff liberalisation to its members, the IPEF presents a blueprint for a new but untested kind of economic engagement in the region. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Kaewkamol "Karen" Pitakdumrongkit, Assistant Professor and Head of the Centre for Multilateralism Studies, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, and Ms Priyanka Kishore, Economic and Forum Director, IMA Asia, Singapore. They discuss the decisions delivered by the IPEF till now and examine the prospects of its further progress.
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a group of 14 countries led by the United States, was launched in May last year. As a non-traditional economic arrangement that does not offer market access concessions and tariff liberalisation to members, the IPEF presents a blueprint for a new but untested kind of economic engagement in the region. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Ms R V Anuradha, Partner, Clarus Law Associates. They discuss the decisions delivered by the IPEF till now and examine the prospects of its further progress.
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a group of 14 countries led by the United States, was launched in May last year. As a non-traditional economic arrangement that does not offer market access concessions and tariff liberalisation to members, the IPEF presents a blueprint for a new but untested kind of economic engagement in the region. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor Peter Draper, Professor and Executive Director, Institute for International Trade, School of Economics and Public Policy, University of Adelaide, Australia. They discuss the decisions delivered by the IPEF till now and examine the prospects of its further progress.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to India between 31 May and 3 June 2023 marked his first foreign visit since he took office in December last year. During the visit, India and Nepal announced several projects on trade and energy. The Prime Ministers expressed their desire to take the partnership between the two countries to “Himalayan heights”. The unique relationship shared by India and Nepal has seen its share of highs and lows and this visit is being hailed as a success for the bilateral relationship. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Amish Mulmi, Author, All Roads Lead North. They discuss the outcomes of the visit in the context of broader India-Nepal relations.
The inaugural ASEAN-India maritime exercise (AIME) took place at Changi naval base in Singapore from 2 to 8 May 2023. This exercise holds immense importance for the region and signifies a turning point in the relationship between India and ASEAN. While India has previously engaged in bilateral exercises with individual ASEAN member states and even conducted a trilateral exercise with Singapore and Thailand, this is the first joint exercise between India and ASEAN as a collective entity. In this episode, Shavinyaa Vijaykumarr, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Rajeshwari Pillai Rajagopalan, Director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology, ORF, to discuss the implications of the ASEAN-India maritime exercise and delve into the evolving landscape of this vital regional partnership.
The European Union (EU) and India are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to strengthen their economic and strategic partnership. After the failure of talks in 2013, both sides resumed negotiations in 2022 for an agreement on trade, investment protection and Geographical Indication (GI). In the run-up to the fifth round of negotiations between the two sides, this episode looks at the background, issues and implications of the India-EU FTA. Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Ms Pallavi Bajaj, International Trade Policy Advisor and Partner at TCube Consulting, India.
On 13 May 2023, the results of the Karnataka state elections were announced. The Congress party won a comfortable majority with 135 seats while the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won only 66 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) party was reduced to 19 seats. The Congress party not only won a clear mandate but also increased its vote share to 43 per cent. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics and Governance), ISAS discusses the election results and the implications with Dr Chandan Gowda, Ramakrishna Hegde Chair Professor of Decentralization and Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru.
The recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign minister’s meeting in May 2023 seems to have complicated the aims of the SCO and interests of the individual countries that are part of it. While it has shed light on new areas of cooperation among its members – ranging from defence cooperation to economic and cultural cooperation, it has also shown the deeply fragmented relations amongst its member countries. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Ambassador Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary of India, to discuss what the SCO’s presidency holds for India, its bilateral relations with the region and most importantly, the future of the intergovernmental forum itself.
2023 will go-down as one of the most action-packed years for India, as it assumes the presidency of not one but two inter-governmental forum, the G20 or group of 20 economies and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Both the presidencies would require India to do heavy-lifting on significant geo-political issues such as the Ukraine-Russia Conflict, US-China competition, post-conflict stabilisation in Afghanistan, and severe energy and food security crisis; however, the true challenge for India would be to bring all stakeholders on one table. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Happymon Jacob, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ISAS to discuss what the Indian presidency means for the international order, the Global South and most importantly, India’s foreign policy.
The recent Indo-Japanese initiatives in South Asia, including the initiative to promote sub-regional connectivity with Bangladesh and the joint effort by Delhi and Tokyo to support Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring, marks a major structural change unfolding in the subcontinent. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS. They discuss India's recalibration in its regional policies, China's role in South Asia, the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war on the subcontinent, the increasing importance of the Indo-Pacific Region, and the benefits of rising regional competition for small countries.
On 31 March 2023, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal announced the country’s latest Foreign Trade Policy (FTP 2023). This policy replaces the previous FTP (2015-2020), which was extended several times due to the pandemic and geopolitical developments. In the episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses the new policy and its implications with Ms R V Anuradha, Partner, Clarus Law Associates, New Delhi. They cover the key features of the FTP, its new aspects as well as the implications on India's overall economic outlook.
Since President Xi launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in September 2013, the global infrastructure development strategy has been a focus of many contemporary studies on China. Many academics and professionals have investigated several issues surrounding the sources of funding, project viability, accusations of tricking countries into ‘debt traps’ and implications of elite capture under the BRI. Despite the occasional criticisms, the BRI remains attractive to many countries in need of infrastructure development and investment. As of January 2023, 151 countries have signed up. In this podcast episode, Claudia Chia, Research Analyst, ISAS, discussed with Ammar Malik, Senior Research Scientist, AidData, on how the evolution of the BRI and its success and falters in Pakistan.
Pakistan is in the midst of major instability and polarisation in the political and economic spheres. Former Prime minister, Imran Khan, is leading a popular opposition movement across Pakistan. This contention and conflict continues in courts and on the streets. Simultaneously, the economic situation in the country has been on the brink of default. Foreign reserves dropped to dangerously low levels, an energy crisis ensued, and Pakistan was back in conversation with foreign lenders for bailouts. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Imran Ahmed, Research Fellow, ISAS. They discuss the structural aspects of the Pakistan polity that have led to the emergence of today’s situation.
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is an economic initiative launched by United States President Joe Biden in May 2022. Comprising 14 member countries, the framework is considered to have formidable potential to further regional economic integration. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Bipul Chattopadhyay, Executive Director, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS International). They discuss the four pillars of the IPEF, India's negotiating objectives, the response of the business communities and the likely next steps in the negotiation rounds.
The Bay of Bengal region is marked by abysmal levels of connectivity, missed economic opportunities, and rising security risks. In February 2023, the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), New Delhi, released a report titled, ‘Connectivity and Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal Region’, which addresses nine areas of growing interdependence and proposes solutions to reduce the connectivity-cooperation gap. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with the editors of the report - Dr Constantino Xavier, Fellow, Foreign Policy and Security Studies, CSEP, and Non-resident Fellow, Brookings Institution; and Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS.
Three Northeast states of India –Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya – went to polls in February 2023. In Tripura, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its regional ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, won 33 seats. In Nagaland, the BJP and its ally, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, secured 37 seats. In Meghalaya, the BJP has formed a coalition government with the ruling National People's Party. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Wini Fred Gurung, Research Analyst at ISAS, interviews Professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing, Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Hyderabad, India. They discuss the electoral success of the BJP and the position of opposition parties in these states.
With the world’s energy system transitioning from a fuel-intensive to a mineral-intensive one, countries across the world are racing to access critical minerals like cobalt, lithium and rare earths. As a result, exploration for these minerals has grown in manifolds. Their use in manufacturing green technologies, in semiconductors and in defence and telecommunication equipment explain their appeal. India’s recent findings of inferred lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir, India, raise India’s potential in critical minerals. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Rajesh Chadha, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), India. They discuss India’s critical mineral supply chain and its vulnerabilities and opportunities.
It is now widely known that parts of Northern India are amongst the most polluted in the world. As the winter months approach, the region extending from Punjab up till West Bengal experiences a rapid decline in air quality. This exposes people living in this densely populated region to deadly illnesses. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Siddharth Singh, Author of the book 'The Great Smog of India'. They discuss the recurring issue of air pollution, its effects on large parts of Northern India and approaches to address it.
In recent years, the discussion on the political, economic, and environmental crisis in the Himalayan region has gained significant prominence. These crises have implications not only on the ecosystem of the region but also spillover effects on aspects like border and human security, among others. In this episode, Ms Wini Fred Gurung, Research Analyst, ISAS, interviews Professor Mahendra P Lama, Senior Professor in the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of Sikkim. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of sustainability in the Himalayan region.
There is optimism around green hydrogen globally given its potential in aiding the drive towards decarbonisation and at the same time helping developing countries like India become energy independent countries. In January 2023, the Indian government launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which outlines an action plan to create a green hydrogen ecosystem in the country. In this episode, Mr Saeeduddin Faridi, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Mr Hemant Mallya, Fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi. They discuss the opportunities and challenges green hydrogen presents for India.
On 1 February 2023, the Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24. Presented as the first Amrit Kaal budget, it gains importance as it comes at a time when the world faces a gloomy economic prospect. It is also the last full budget of the current Modi administration before India heads to polls in 2024. To unpack the budget in detail, in this edition of South Asia Chat, Ms DIvya Murali, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with two experts – Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS and Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS. They discuss announcements pertaining to direct taxes, indirect taxes, growth, and the political implications of the budget.
The year 2023 presents several geopolitical opportunities and challenges for the South Asian subcontinent. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS interviews Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor, ISAS. They cover important foreign policy issues and considerations for South Asia, including the geopolitical impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, India-Pakistan relations, Sino-Indian ties, the role of the smaller South Asian nations, India's G20 presidency, and the growing interest of Western countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
In 2022, South Asia was impacted severely on account of global developments, such as the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions due to the Russia-Ukraine war, and an impending global recession. South Asian states also faced issues due to their internal economic and political crises. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics). They discuss the economic prospects and challenges for the subcontinent in 2023.
In this episode, associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea talks to Dr Imran Ahmed on the year that has passed and the enduring sources and causes of political and geopolitical tension and contestation in the region. Professor Sevea touches on the political economy driving social upheaval within South Asian states, major power competition between India and China and its impact on the region, upcoming elections as well as significant turning points and future challenges for the region including inflation and food and energy security.
Climate change is developing into a terrifying truth that the world needs to address immediately. The COP27, a global summit on the climate change held by the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the biggest and most important climate-related conference in the world. Recently held in Egypt, this year’s vision focused on 4 goals: mitigation of climate change, adaptation to face the challenges of a changing climate, financing efforts to address climate change and collaboration between member nations to achieve results in a balanced way. Ms Harpreet Kaur, Editor at ISAS, speaks to Ms Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, (CSE), in New Delhi, on the key outcomes of the summit.
Climate change is developing into a terrifying truth that the world needs to address immediately. The COP27, a global summit on the climate change held by the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the biggest and most important climate-related conference in the world. Recently held in Egypt, this year’s vision focused on 4 goals: mitigation of climate change, adaptation to face the challenges of a changing climate, financing efforts to address climate change and collaboration between member nations to achieve results in a balanced way. Ms Harpreet Kaur, Editor at ISAS, speaks to Ms Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, (CSE), in New Delhi, on the key outcomes of the summit.
It has been a tough year for South Asia. From changes in governments and terrorist traumas to climatic vicissitudes and pandemic challenges, the region is likely to continue facing several severe challenges, moving forward. In recent times, Bangladesh has been one of the more positive stories coming out of South Asia, in terms of political stability and economic growth. However, it too seems to have fallen prey to this South Asian ‘curse’. Ms Harpreet Kaur, Editor at ISAS, speaks with Dr Masudur Rahman, Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, as he assesses the volatile situation in Bangladesh and its repercussions.
In the recently held Indian state elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power in Gujarat for the seventh consecutive time, seeing a jump in its vote share to 52.5 per cent. On its part, the Aam Aadmi Party’s entry into Gujarat dramatically changed political equations in the state. In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress returned to power, continuing the state's tradition of anti-incumbency. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance), spoke to Professor Sanjay Kumar, Professor and Co-Director of Lokniti, a Research Programme at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, India. They discussed the recent election results, the performance of the various parties, and its implications in the coming days.
Russia is one of India's strongest strategic partners and its principal defence supplier. However, Russia's war in Ukraine has catapulted this relationship to public scrutiny like never before. Despite harsh criticism from the Western countries, New Delhi has defended its public position which remains averse to openly criticising Russia. India has also used the current situation to fulfil its national interests, particularly through the import of national resources from a heavily sanctioned Russian economy. In this episode, Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, discusses the contemporary developments and its implications with Mr Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, India.
The Quad members – Australia, India, Japan and the United States – recently announced their joint efforts to combat cyber-attacks with an added focus on ransomware. Their aim is to create a safer and concrete cyber-world, primarily in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad members are very focussed on their vision and amongst their six verticals, cyber-security appears to take precedence. Ms Harpreet Kaur, Editor, at ISAS, speaks to Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, ISAS, to understand the motivation behind the Quad’s focus on ransomware and how this cooperation will benefit the Quad alliance.
In November 2022, the G20 leaders met for a two-day summit in Bali, Indonesia. Under the theme of this year, 'Recover Together, Recover Stronger’, the leaders, in a joint common declaration, raised important issues such as food and energy security, climate and biodiversity, health and digital transformation. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, speaks to Ms Sharon Koshy, Research Associate, Centre for Public Policy Research in Kochi, India. They discuss the G20 summit and related developments.
In October 1962, India and China fought their only war. Sixty years later, the border dispute remains unresolved with Delhi and Beijing confronting multiple crises over the past decade. The rivalry is not only underlined by the United States-China contestation but also by an increasing competition between India and China. In this episode, Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, speaks to Dr Jabin Jacob, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University, India, and Adjunct Research Fellow, National Maritime Foundation, India. They discuss the implications of the 1962 India-China war and its shadow on the developments in contemporary bilateral relations.
Pakistan currently faces gargantuan political, economic, and social challenges. The ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in April 2022 continues to produce ongoing political turmoil, uncertainties, and violence across the country. A fragile economy, recent devastating floods and mounting cost of living have compounded social distress and unrest. In this episode, Dr Imran Ahmed, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS, discusses recent developments in Pakistan with Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS, and unpacks the causes and consequences of Pakistan’s current political and economic crises.
The G20 summit will take place in Bali, Indonesia on 15 and 16 November 2022. The G20, an intergovernmental forum to maintain economic stability and foster economic growth, represents more than 80 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product, 75 per cent of international trade and 60 per cent of the world population. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS speaks to Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS. They discuss potential issues that are likely to be raised at the summit, prospects of economic recovery post-COVID, challenges posed by the Russia-Ukraine war and the role of developing market economies, including India.
A report released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis noted record levels of investment in India’s renewable energy sector, with a total of US$14.5 billion (S$20.6 billion) invested in FY2021-2022. These figures reflect a 125 per cent growth compared to FY2020-2021 and are 72 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic levels of FY2019-2020. In this episode, Ms Disha Agarwal, Senior Programme Lead, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, India, speaks on the growth of the renewable energy sector in India, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. She is in conversation with Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS.
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Global food prices have risen sharply after the COVID19 pandemic and Ukraine conflict. Food shortages have also exacerbated due to crop failures arising from extreme weather events. More shortages have arisen due to restrictions on cross-country movements of food. In this episode, we join Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade & Economics) at ISAS-NUS and Dr Bornali Bhandari, Senior Fellow, NCAER, as they discuss and analyse policies for tackling food inflation, the challenges arising for affordable food distribution through public distribution systems, consequences of extreme weather events on food supplies and the role of technological solutions in addressing the food supply issues.
Bangladesh’s economy, like many countries around the world, is challenged by multiple macro-economic issues induced due to the aftermath of the pandemic and the continuing geo-political conflicts. While the country tries to deal with the economic issues by actively forging economic partnerships in and around the region, it is noticeable that the Chinese investments in the country has steadily risen. In this episode we talk to Dr Mohammad Masudur Rahman to understand this growing nexus between Bangladesh’s economy and the rising Chinese investments.
The year 2022 marks 75 years of Indian independence and foreign policy making where much has changed and remained unchanged both domestically and internationally. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses India’s strategic choices in a seemingly shifting world order with Professor C Raja Mohan, Senior Fellow, Asia Society Policy Institute, New Delhi and Visiting Research Professor, ISAS. They cover issues pertaining to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the growing interest in Central Asia, India's relations with Russia, the United States and its South Asian neighbours, and the country's minilateral endeavours.
Pakistan is experiencing devastating floods. The catastrophic losses Pakistan has incurred due to the floods are evident. However, there is still much to enquire on the topic surrounding disaster management and humanitarian aid in Pakistan, and potentially, in South Asia. In this episode, Dr Ayesha Siddiqi, Assistant Professor, University of Cambridge, analyses the cause and impact of the floods, and what this means for Pakistan’s climate crisis management. She is in conversation with Ms Kunthavi Kalachelvam, Research Analyst, ISAS.
The Indian National Congress has been on a freefall since the 2014 general elections when the Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power. So far, no meaningful efforts have been made for the revival of the grand old party. Since 2014, several leaders at all levels have exited the party and questions have been raised on Rahul Gandhi's leadership. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance), ISAS discusses the future of the Congress Party with Dr Rahul Verma, Fellow, Centre of Policy Research and Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ashoka University.
On 2 September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the country’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. The 45,000 tonne warship is the largest one to be built by India and has now successfully completed one year of sea trials. With the US$3 billion (S$4.2 billion) worth Vikrant, India has now joined an elite league of the world’s naval powers. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS about INS Vikrant, and India’s defence capabilities and naval strategy.
The 15th of August marks a year since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Associate Professor Avinash Paliwal speaks to Dr Imran Ahmed, Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, about recent developments in Afghanistan, taking stock of a year of turmoil, surprises and conflict in the country and its implications for neighbouring states and the international community. Afghanistan’s complex and evolving politics continues to beset significant challenges for regional and global powers alike.
India is expected to launch a new medium term foreign trade policy(FTP) that will succeed the earlier FTP (2015-2020). The FTP comes after the COVID-19 pandemic and India’s recent robust engagement in FTAs. In this episode, we join Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade & Economics) at ISAS-NUS and Ms R.V. Anuradha, Partner, Clarus Law Associates, as they discuss the thematic emphasis of the upcoming FTP, it’s prospects and alignment with new generation trade issues.
Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis in 70 years. The economic meltdown has also sparked a political crisis. Sri Lankans, who see no end to their financial burdens, have taken to the streets. The protests have pressured the Rajapaksas to leave not only high politics but also the country. This political vacuum formed by the Rajapaksas saw the former Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, take office as President, with Dinesh Gunawardena serving as Prime Minister. Amidst these developments, Sri Lanka is seeking its seventeenth International Monetary Fund bailout loan. In this episode, Ms Shavinyaa Vijaykumarr, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow, ISAS, and Dr Rajni Gamage, Post-doctoral Fellow, ISAS. They discussed economic restructuring policies, diplomacy and foreign policy considerations, and Sri Lanka's domestic political outlook.
On 25 July 2022, Droupadi Murmu took oath as the 15th President of India. A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance candidate, President Murmu is a former governor of Jharkhand and a two-time legislator from Odisha. She is also the first person from a tribal background and the second woman to occupy the office. In this episode, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The Hindu, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, ISAS. They discussed the role and powers of the president, the BJP's potential political gains, the state of opposition unity, and what we can expect over the next five years.
With the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese private security companies (PSCs) have expanded their footprint worldwide to protect Chinese nationals and projects, making private security a lucrative emerging industry. Many observers and analysts have attempted to examine the emergence of such private security companies with Chinese characteristics. In this episode, Ms Claudia Chia, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses the presence of Chinese PSCs in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as related issues surrounding the global expansion of Chinese PSCs, with Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.
In this episode of South Asia Chat, we look at the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through the prism of Hindu Nationalism, or Hindutva. Critics see the BJP’s back-to-back general election victories, the start of the construction of a Ram temple in the north Indian town of Ayodhya and the rise of ‘Hindu majoritarianism’ as a danger to India's liberally secular foundations. Proponents of Hindu nationalism, to compare, argue that it offers a “vital cultural corrective to the cultural foundation of the nation”, which is already grounded in a respect for diverse communities. Given the chasm in this debate, this episode dives into how the BJP is recasting modernity in the 21st century. John Vater, an Independent Writer and Ex-Research Associate at ISAS, speaks to Professor Nalin Mehta, ISAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow, author of the book, ‘The New BJP’.
India and Japan share a rich bilateral relationship today. Though historically, this hasn’t been the case, their ties have evolved significantly against the background of China’s Rise, shifting South Asian dynamics, and increased regional cooperation. In current times, both countries are involved in various common projects and initiatives such as the recently launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework(IPEC) and Quad. This discussion further analyses the future trajectory of this bilateral relationship taking into consideration historical factors and contemporary restraints. In this episode, Ms Kunthavi Kalachelvam, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses the overview of India-Japan ties and what’s to come, with Emeritus Professor Purnendra Jain, School of Social Sciences, The University of Adelaide.
Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan with several mega projects taking place there. The province is strategically located near a coastal belt and is home to the Gwadar port. Though the province might seem to be economically thriving, there are current concerns related to the future of socio-economic development in Balochistan and how sustainable this growth can be. It is vital to understand how these factors affect both local perspectives and state-level policy-making. In this episode, Ms Kunthavi Kalachelvam, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses the intricate socio-economic dynamics in Balochistan with Dr Hafeez Jamali, Social Anthropologist and a civil servant.
In 2022, the World Bank declared South Asia to be one of the most vulnerable regions to climate shocks. With intensifying heat waves, cyclones, droughts and floods across the subcontinent, governments, businesses, and citizens are having to adapt to their 'new climate normal'. South Asia is home to more than 600 million poor people, where climate resilient solutions have become the need of the hour. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses South Asia's environmental security and related issues with Dr Sufia Khanom, Senior Research Fellow, Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.
In June 2022, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment in the armed forces. While there has been resounding opposition on the streets, top defence personnel have clarified that there will be no rollback of the scheme. In this episode, Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, analyses the motivations behind the Agnipath scheme, and the opportunities and challenges it presents. He is in conversation with Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS.
Bangladesh’s economy is in the midst of tackling a host of macro-economic issues including rising prices, exchange rate volatility and subsequent widening of its current account balance. The pandemic is far from over and geo-political conflicts have fueled inflationary pressures and commodity shortages worldwide. Additionally, Bangladesh’s economy is due to undergo a change owing to its impending graduation from the United Nation's List of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the upcoming general elections in 2023. In this episode, Ms Divya Murali, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Mohammad Masudur Rahman, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS, to understand how internal and external factors facing Bangladesh affect its economic outlook in the next few years.
The Indian government's recent announcement will force Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to retain user data for five years. This move is set to have important ramifications for data protection and user privacy in India. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, ISAS, spoke to Mr Gurshabad Grover, Information Controls Fellow, Open Observatory of Network Interference. They discussed India's new VPN rules as well as broader issues related to internet governance in the country.
Pakistan has seen various tumultuous events take place within a short period of time over this past year. With an economic crisis on the horizon and a change in political leadership, both its foreign and domestic policies trajectory has been subjected to multiple changes. In this episode, Professor Touqir Hussain, Former Pakistan Diplomat and Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISAS, discusses the nuances in Pakistan’s geopolitical strategies and analyses its various foreign policy considerations. He is in conversation with Ms Kunthavi Kalachelvam, Research Analyst, ISAS.
On 23 May 2022, US President Joe Biden announced the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Albeit an unconventional trade framework, with the membership of ASEAN countries, India, and advanced OECD countries, the IPEF is promising. In this episode, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS, discusses the potential economic development from the IPEF, India’s engagement in the framework and the IPEF’s implications for the region. He is in conversation with Ms Namrata Yadav, Research Analyst, ISAS.
On 10 May 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol was sworn in as South Korea's new president, and the leader of the nation's first conservative government in five years. His leadership is expected to revise many aspects of South Korean foreign policy orientations and goals. In this episode, Ms Claudia Chia, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Lakhvinder Singh, Director of Peace and Security Studies at the Asia Institute in Seoul, South Korea, on the new foreign policy goals of the Yoon administration and how it would impact the relations between India and South Korea.
Over the last few years, China has dramatically increased its economic, security and people-to-people engagements across South Asia. In this vein, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visits to six out of eight South Asian countries in early 2022 is reflective of Beijing's efforts in the subcontinent. In this episode, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, discusses China’s growing role in South Asia and its geopolitical implications, with Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS. Ambassador Menon has been a career diplomat, who has served as National Security Adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also served as the Foreign Secretary and Indian ambassador to China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Israel.
The Indian Ocean is crucial for Australia’s national security and economic prosperity. Among others, Canberra’s involvement in the Quad and AUKUS is geared towards enhancing its presence and forging security ties with the region. The countries of the Indian Ocean are not just Australia's neighbours, several of them are also the country’s key economic and security partners. In addition to highlighting the importance of the Indian Ocean to Australia’s national interest, this episode will shed light on Canberra’s initiatives and challenges in deepening ties with India and the other South Asian states. ISAS Research Fellow Dr Chulanee Attanayake, discusses the key issues with Dr Bec Strating, Director of La Trobe Asia, and an Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations in the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, in La Trobe University, Australia.
In recent times, India has been rapidly expanding its space programme, undertaking a series of steps to increase its capability and presence. This includes a decision to liberalise the space sector as well as commitments of collaboration and partnership at the bilateral and regional levels. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS discusses India's space policy landscape and strategy, and the broader regional implications with Mr Aditya Ramanathan, Associate Fellow, The Takshashila Institution.
Sri Lanka is currently facing an unprecedented economic meltdown and political crisis. With soaring inflation and a shortage in essentials, citizens have taken to the streets in protest. Amid Sri Lanka seeking its seventeenth IMF bailout loan, there are calls for major re-orientations in the country's economic policies. In this episode, Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow, ISAS, spoke to Dr Ganeshan Wignaraja, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, ISAS. They covered topics including trends in Sri Lanka's debt and economic crisis, the IMF bailout, potential economic policy revisions and broader lessons for South Asia.
On 2 April 202, India and Australia signed an Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. The long-awaited India-Australia FTA is expected to almost double bilateral annual trade in the next five years and is hence seen as a major milestone in deepening bilateral cooperation. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS spoke to Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) at ISAS on the recently signed agreement and its implications on India-Australia bilateral trade and strategic cooperation.
In the past week, Pakistan has witnessed intense political upheaval. After several twists and turns, the events culminated in the passing of a vote of no confidence in the parliament that brought an end to Imran Khan's tenure as Prime Minister. In this episode, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS delves into the commotion and change in Pakistan's politics. He is in conversation with Dr Imran Ahmed, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS.
In February 2022, the Nepal government ratified the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact, which had been on hold for five years. In this episode, Mr Lekhanath Pandey, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Tribhuvan University, Nepal, discusses the implications of this move on Nepal’s domestic politics as well as its foreign policy. He is in conversation with Ms Wini Fred Gurung, Research Analyst, ISAS.
In India’s Union Budget this year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the country’s plans to introduce a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) as well as a tax on earnings from digital assets. These announcements reflect India's efforts to embrace digital currencies as the next step in the evolution of digital financial transformation in India. In this episode, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS discusses the latest developments regarding India's digital currencies. He is in conversation with Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS.
In the recently held Punjab state assembly elections, the people voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The election result has displaced the stronghold of the traditional parties in the state, Indian National Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, and has given AAP the chance at governance outside Delhi. In the second and final part of the Indian state assembly election series, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS spoke to Dr Ashutosh Kumar, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Political Science, Panjab University. In this episode, he decoded the Punjab election verdict and what it means for state and national politics in the coming days.
On 10 March, the results of the elections held across five Indian states were announced. Much of the attention was focused on Uttar Pradesh (UP), the largest and most populous state in the country, where the Bharatiya Janata Party made a resounding victory. In the first episode of the two-part series on the Indian elections, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance), ISAS discussed the UP assembly election results with Dr Neelanjan Sircar, Senior Visiting Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and Non-Resident Fellow, Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania. They covered themes including electoral behaviour, the question of caste politics, religious polarisation, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the implications of the results for the upcoming general elections in 2024.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. This breach of Ukraine's national sovereignty has resulted in the largest conventional military attack in Europe since World War II. The invasion has sparked a catastrophic humanitarian and security crisis on European soil, and an economic and political crisis, globally. In this episode, Ms Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Mr Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director of the Asia Program and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center, United States, about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications for the South Asian subcontinent. Mr Kugelman shared on Russia's motivations behind the invasion, impact of economic sanctions for South Asia, reasons for divided responses of South Asian countries, and the growing Sino-Russian axis and its implications for the regional and global balance of power.
In December 2021, India's Joint Parliamentary Committee on data protection tabled its report on the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill in Parliament. The PDP Bill, once enacted, will regulate the collection, storage, use and transfer of data in the country. In this episode, Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow spoke to Mr Anirudh Burman, Fellow and Associate Research Director, Carnegie India on recent developments in India's data protection framework and its implications on digital trade and New Delhi's relationship with Singapore. They also discussed issues concerning personal and non-personal data, and data localisation and state power, among others.
In 2021, India struck a deal to procure 30 armed drones from the United States for a cost of nearly US$3 billion (S$4 billion). While this is just the latest development in the Indian military’s use of drones over the past two decades, it is in line with a broader trend of drones' expanding use on the battlefield as well as in civilian spheres across the globe. In this vein, Nishant Rajeev, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow, ISAS, to understand India’s quest to acquire, adopt, and deploy drones and its efforts to build a larger drone ecosystem.
The National Security Policy of Pakistan was formally launched in early January this year. The document elaborates the state’s five-year national security vision and lays down some guidelines and steps to achieve important goals focused on the safety, security, and prosperity of its citizens. Dr Imran Ahmed, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS, spoke to Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS, on some of the themes, ideas and policies presented in the document. The discussion raised important questions concerning the internal and external threats to national security facing Pakistan today and the challenges that lie ahead for the country as it navigates a changing world order, mounting economic pressures and conflicts pulling at social cohesion and unity.
The Maldives' strategic location in the Indian Ocean region grants this island state significant importance. Over the last two years, the Maldives has buoyantly weathered the storm of the pandemic, though the country continues to face domestic and international challenges. To discuss the Maldives' internal politics, geopolitical dilemma, COVID-19, environmental concerns, Islamic radicalisation and more, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS, spoke to Dr Rasheeda Mohamed Didi, an independent lecturer and researcher. Dr Didi is also a member of the Maldives Higher Education Council.
Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom of nearly 800,000 people, has proved its resiliency amidst COVID-19’s ravages. Along with doubling its trade output with India over the last half decade, Bhutan oversaw what UNICEF hailed as 'arguably the fastest vaccination campaign to be executed during the pandemic'. At the same time, it has increased connectivity with India and boosted its levels of hydropower production. In this episode, John Vater spoke to Dil Rahut, Senior Research Fellow/Economist at the Asian Development Bank Institute, about the pandemic and climate change's effects on Bhutan’s most critical economic sectors. They discussed, among other things, Bhutan’s prospects for regional cross-border power cooperation, the push for sustainability as well as the evolving social profile of its globalising youth.
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in parliament on 1 February 2022. This year's budget is critical for India as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic well-poised for a strong recovery and future growth. Alongside shoring up India's resiliency against future shocks, the budget lays a blueprint for the economy's enhanced, even supercharged, expansion as India becomes one of the world's fastest growing economies. In this episode, John Vater spoke to Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS, about the budget's aspirations.
The takeover of the Taliban last year has had undeniable consequences for Afghanistan. At the start of 2022, Kabul is faced with political tensions within the Taliban government, an economic and humanitarian crisis, and strained relations with other countries in the region. To discuss more about challenges and prospects for Afghanistan, Ramita Iyer spoke to Dr Srinjoy Bose, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Politics, University of New South Wales. His work focuses on critical peace studies including political order and violence, and state formation and democratisation in fragile states and societies.
The year 2022 is an important one for India. On the domestic front, five states are going to the polls while on the international front, the continuing India-China rivalry, India's participation in the Quad and growing regional power of smaller countries are set to have significant implications for New Delhi. In this episode of the South Asia Outlook 2022 series, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS discusses India's politics, foreign policy and issues of regionalism with Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Bangladesh's growth story has been quite remarkable, and its regional presence has been steadily growing in recent years. However, the country faces some challenges in ensuring economic growth as well as foreign policy tensions due to major power competition in the subcontinent. In this episode, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS speaks to Dr Masudur Rahman, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS on political and economic developments and challenges for Bangladesh in 2022.
Over the past few years, Nepal has seen major convulsions in its domestic politics as well as an intensification of tensions with its neighbours, especially India. However, the country is in a very unique position in South Asia's emerging geostrategic theatre, especially due to the attention it has been receiving from major powers in the region and beyond. To discuss what the year 2022 potentially entails for the Himalayan nation's politics and geopolitics, John Vater, Research Associate, ISAS spoke to Amish Raj Mulmi, a Nepal analyst and the author of the book, All Roads Lead North: Nepal's Turn to China.
In the first week of January, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited to Sri Lanka and the Maldives - two Indian Ocean countries where it is looking to strengthen its influence. This visit is important for these island states not only in the current geopolitical and economic context but also historically as they both celebrate landmark years in their bilateral ties with China. Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS and Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow at the same institute, share many insights into the current state of relationship between these countries and how India could navigate the China challenge.
After performing well in the early part of 2021, Pakistan's economy has now taken a sharp turn with high inflation, wide trade deficit and larget debt. It's cabinet has also approved a supplementary budget seeking to withdraw tax exemptions and introducing other revenue generating measures in order to access the US$6 billion (S$8.12 billion) loan from the International Monetary Fund. It has also collaborated with China on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a project that is aimed at boosting the country's economy. To get greater insights into these developments, Ms Nithya Subramanian, Editor at ISAS, spoke to Dr Danish Khan is Assistant Professor of Economics and co-Director of the ‘Inequality, Poverty, Power & Social Justice’ Initiative at Franklin & Marshall College, USA.
In 2021, Sri Lanka faced several challenges like high inflation, slow GDP growth rate, high foreign debt and tensions in its foreign policy relations, which was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To discuss where Sri Lanka stands at the beginning of 2022 and the various challenges it faces, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS spoke to Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow, ISAS.
The South Asian subcontinent is poised to witness many changes and challenges in 2022, which includes various political developments and key elections, security challenges, growing focus on technology, climate change and sustainable development, amongst others. This January, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea took over as the new Director of ISAS, bringing with him expertise in contemporary and modern South Asia, with focus on politics, social and political thought, and governance. He spoke to Nithya Subramanian, Editor, on his association with ISAS, as well as his vision and plans for the institute.
American President Joe Biden recently held a virtual Summit for Democracy with over 100 countries to "renew democracy at home and confront autocracies abroad". Nithya Subramanian, Editor at ISAS, spoke to Dr Rahul Mukherji to discuss the geopolitical implications of this summit and the current state of democracy in India. Dr Mukherji is Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science at the South Asia Institute in Heidelberg University. He is also the Executive Director of the same institute and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at ISAS.
The cryptocurrency market in India has witnessed an unprecedented growth of about 600 per cent over the past one year. This has sparked several controversies regarding its usage as well as the government regulations surrounding it. To gain insights into the reasons for its growth, the potential implications for the government and consumers, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS spoke to Vivan Sharan, Partner, Koan Advisory, India. Mr Sharan is also Secretary, Esya Centre, New Delhi.
In late November, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Katherine Tai and her deputy, Sarah Bianchi, met India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam. To understand the implications of this visit on India-US bilateral ties as well as the impact on the region as a whole, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS spoke to Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS.
After year-long protests by farmers from Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, on 19 November 2021, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his government’s decision to repeal the three controversial farm laws. These were withdrawn on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, sparking a debate on whether this decision was political motivated due to the forthcoming assembly elections in the two states or was it a win for democracy. It also raised questions on the future of agriculture and other economic reforms in the country? Nithya Subramanian, Editor at ISAS, discussed various aspects of this decision with Mr Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Senior Adjunct Fellow at RIS India and Consulting Editor, Business Standard.
Dr Mark Leonard, Co-founder and Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations discusses his latest book The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity causes Conflict with Nithya Subramanian, Editor, ISAS .This book argues that although there is greater connectivity today be it via trade, technology, the internet or travel, these are also giving countries a reason to fight one another and an arsenal of new weapons, from cyber-attacks and sanctions to fake news and weaponised vaccines.
Last month, the foreign ministers of Israel and the United Arab Emirates met the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in Washington DC. In less than a week later, the Indian External Affairs Minister joined them for a virtual meeting, which has resulted in a new grouping, popularly called the Second Quad. How will this bloc be different from the Indo-Pacific Quad and what benefits can India accrue from it? Nithya Subramanian, Editor, ISAS, spoke to Prof P R Kumaraswamy, who teaches contemporary Middle East at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
Last month, the Indian government announced the resumption of its Vaccine Maitri initiative, an ambitious exercise to export vaccines to neighbours and key partners. While the initiative was first launched in January 2021, it was quickly suspended in April 2021 due to an unprecedented rise in domestic infections. To understand more about the background and the implications of restarting vaccine diplomacy, Ramita Iyer, Research Analyst, ISAS spoke to Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow, ISAS. Dr Nachiappan's research focus includes India and global health.
Ever since the Taliban took over Kabul in August this year, it has been trying to engage with the international community to seek recognition. The interim Taliban government made many promises but failed to deliver particularly in matters of political inclusion, religious tolerance and rights of women, presenting many challenges to the international community in dealing with it. Dr Matthew Nelson, Associate Professor - Islam and Politics in South Asia, Asia Institute, the University of Melbourne not only provided a historical perspective, but also discussed whether there is pressure from religious groups within Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim majority countries to recognise the Taliban.
The violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on 3 October 2021 led to the death of eight people, including four farmers. The subsequent arrest of Ashish Mishra, son of Minister of State in Ministry of Home Affairs Ajay Mishra, with murder charges in connection to the violence has resulted in intense politicking. To discuss the incident and its implications on the upcoming state elections in Uttar Pradesh early next year, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance) at ISAS spoke to Dr Gilles Verniers, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Ashoka University and Co-Director, Trivedi Centre for Political Data. He is also a Senior Visiting Fellow at Centre for Policy Research.
In early October, the Pakistan Army's media arm announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as the new Chief of the Inter Services Intelligence taking over from Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, who had been posted as the Peshawar Corps Commander. However, despite the passage of days, the notification confirming the new appointment has not be issued by Prime Minister Imran Khan's Office highlighting a strain in the relationship between the civil and military institutions. Dr Ayesha Siddiqa shared some insights into this development. She is a Non-Resident Fellow at ISAS, besides being a Senior Fellow at the Department of War Studies, King's College London and author of Military Inc: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy.
Punjab has witnessed hectic political activity in the past few weeks after its chief minisiter, Amarinder Singh, resigned citing continued humiliation by the central Congress leadership. He has been replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi while former cricketer-turned-politician Navjyot Singh Sidhu remains the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. To explain these developments and the implications it will have on the state politics, we spoke to Dr Ashutosh Kumar, Professor and Chairperson at the Department of Political Science, Panjab University.
In July 2021, Sri Lanka released a new Integrated Country Strategy 2021/2023 for its diplomatic missions in India, with an overarching goal to continuously maintain the momentum of the existing partnership between both countries and to elevate it to the level of a "special relationship". The document lays down seven mission goals including strengthening bilateral ties, increasing foreign investment, enhancing connectivity, promoting ocean resources and expanding strategic and cultural cooperation. To better understand the various aspects of Sri Lanka’s new strategy in India, we spoke to HE Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India.
In early September, a new political party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Pashtun leader Mohsin Dawar, was formed in Pakistan. This party sought to promote a federal democratic system and oppose the growing militarisation of the country. It has also been launched within a few weeks of the Taliban taking over Afghanistan. To discuss the role and the future of the NDM, we spoke to Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Visiting Research Associate Professor at ISAS. He is also an Associate Professor of History at the University of North-Carolina-Chapel Hill with research focus on modern Islam and modern South Asia.
The first in-person meeting of the Quad leaders was held on 24 September 2021 followed by bilateral meetings between the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and American President Joe Biden. The Quad statement clearly spelt out various areas of co-operation including vaccine diplomcy, climate change, new technologies and people-to-people engagement amongst others. Similarly, many of these issues also found place in the bilateral disccussions between the leaders. Prof C Raja Mohan, Director at ISAS, shares his views on some of the significant takeaways from these meetings and how they stregthen multi-lateral, regional and bilateral cooperation.
The Indian government recently announced the four-year National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) aimed at unlocking the value of investments in brownfield public sector assets by tapping institutional and long-term capital. Through this, it expects to raise ₹6-lakh crore, that will go a long way in shoring up the economy. To share his views on the NMP and the challenges that the government would have to overcome to make it a success, we spoke to Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at ISAS and Member (Part Time), Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.
The Indian government recently released the economic growth numbers for the first quarter of 2022, with the gross domestic product growth standing at 20.1 per cent. But do these indicate a real revival of the economy? Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow; and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) discusses the impact of several key issues such as inflation, low consumer spending, revival of key sectors and government's recent measures to boost the economy.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an organisation of seven South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. While it was set up on 1997, it became active only in the late 2016. Recently the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), New Delhi, brought out an edited volume titled BIMSTEC: The Journey and Way Forward, which examines various aspects of this grouping. We spoke to Dr Sreeradha Datta, editor of this book to discuss the organisation’s growth and success, the China factor, the recent Myanmar coup and the Rohingya crisis, amongst other issues. Dr Datta is Centre Head and Senior Fellow, Neighbourhood Studies, VIF. She is also a Non Resident Senior Fellow at ISAS.
In the recent weeks, Nepal has witnessed many political changes with Mr Sher Bahadur Deuba replacing Mr KP Sharma Oli as Prime Minister. A new Common Minimum Programme was also launched which touched upon issues relating to national interest, such as the border dispute with India, water resources and unfavourable treaties. To discuss the political and economic implications of these developments and what the future holds for Nepal, we spoke to Dr Nischal Pandey, a Non Resident Senior Fellow at ISAS. He is also Director at the Centre for South Asian Studies; and Convener, Consortium of South Asian Think-Tanks Kathmandu, Nepal.
A slew of proposals were recently announced by Lakshadweep’s new administrator Praful Khoda Patel, which included land transfers without guaranteed compensation, banning panchayat poll aspirants with more than two children and inviting global tenders to develop eco-tourism. These proposed measures have invited opposition from all around. To discuss the implications of these announcements, Nithya Subramanian, Editor, ISAS spoke to Mr Shakti Sinha. Non-resident Senior Fellow at the institute. Mr Sinha is also, honorary director of two institutes, the Delhi School of Public Policy and Governance as well as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Policy Research and International Studies.
With the Taliban taking over Kabul, Afghan politics and society will witness many challenges and changes. However the rapid pace of Taliban takeover was something that was not fathomed by either the United States or any other country. Discussing the run up to these developments, explaining the Taliban leadership structure and also the issues faced by the erstwhile Ashraf Ghani's presidency, Dr Imran Ahmed, Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS spoke to Dr Haroun Rahimi, Assistant Professor of Law, The American University of Afghanistan.
The Indian government recently announced a new set of rules to hold social media companies and OTT platforms accountable for content. While the government believes that these will prevent the "misuse and abuse" of these platforms, others feel that they are aimed at policing the Big Tech companies. To discuss various facets of these new guidelines, Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow at ISAS spoke to Dr Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, the Hindu and Prof Nalin Mehta, Dean, School of Modern Media, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies; and Advisor, Global University Systems. The two experts are also Non-Resident Senior Fellows at ISAS.
Territorial disputes over the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan have been going on since 1947. To discuss the current situation in the four major regions of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the recent initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, we spoke to Mr Sanjeev Tripathi, former Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's premier intelligence agency. Mr Tripathi not only provides a good background to the problem here but also makes some suggestions for the way forward.
Following President Joe Biden's announcement in April, more than 90 per cent of its troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan. With no substantial progress in the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, the country faces an uncertain future. In this epsiode, Dr Imran Ahmed, Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS, speaks to Dr Srinjoy Bose on the impact of the American withdrawal, an advancing Taliban and other recent developments in the region. Dr Bose is Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Politics at the University of New South Wales. His research focuses on critical peace studies including political order and violence, and state formation and democractisation in fragile states and societies.
On 20 May 2021, Sri Lanka witnessed the worst marine environment disaster in its waters. The X-Press Pearl, a cargo ship carrying chemicals that caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka, has left in its wake an environmental disaster that the island nation will have to live with for several decades. To discuss the environmental and economic consequences of the incident, Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow at ISAS, spoke to Dr Ranil Nanayakkara. Dr Nanayakkara is a conservation biologist specialising in terrestrial and marine mammals. His research mainly focuses on the lesser studied species of marine mammals such as Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins, Indo-pacific Finless Porpoise, Sperm Whales and Dugongs. He currently serves as a Regional Member of the IUCS-SSC Sirenia Specialist Group.
Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh’s central bank, has in principle approved a S$200 million currency swap agreement with Sri Lanka, which will help Colombo deal with its foreign exchange crisis. This is unusual since Bangladesh, which has only recently qualified for graduation from the list of Least Developed Countries, has not been viewed so far as a provider of financial assistance to other countries. To discuss various aspects of the currency swap arrangement, including the changing economic balance of power in South Asia, Sri Lanka's debt profile and economic trajectory, Bangladesh's trade and export strategy, and both countries' position and prospects in the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics), ISAS spoke to Dr Sanjay Kathuria, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, ISAS. Dr Kathuria is also Senior Visiting Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, India and holds Adjunct Professor positions at Georgetown University, USA and Ashoka University, India. Prior to this, Dr Kathuria was Lead Economist, South Asia Region at the World Bank.
The recent bomb attack on former President Mohamed Nasheed clearly indicates the wave of radicalisation sweeping the Maldives. Some of the factors that have led to this development include socio-economic ills, societal tensions and political polarisations that have created social exclusions, especially among the youth. To discuss more on the impact of radicalistion, Amit Ranjan, Research Fellow at ISAS spoke to Dr Azim Zahir, Research Fellow, School of Social Sciences, Discipline of Political Science and International Relations, the University of Western Australia.
Since its official launch in April 2015, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the "flagship project" under Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. While there has been much discussion on the geopolitical implications of this project, very little attention has been paid to how the two countries negotiate the terms of the CPEC deal. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace recently published a paper on this subject authored by Prof Katharine Adeney, Director of the University of Nottingham, Asia Research Institute and Non Resident Senior Fellow at ISAS along with Dr Filippo Boni, lecturer in Politics and International studies at The Open University in the UK and Research Fellow in the European Research Council–funded project REDEFINE. They are in conversation with Dr Diego Maiorano, Research Fellow at ISAS.
Recently the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new vaccine policy wherein the central government would procure 75 per cent of the vaccines leaving 25 per cent for the private sector at a higher price. This is a departure from an earlier announcement where the Centre had allowed the States to procure vaccines independently. To share more insights into this policy and how India is ramping up vaccine supply, we spoke to Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS.
With the United States preparing to leave Afghanistan this September after two decades, China's interest in the Afghan peace process has been growing. Apart from hosting multilateral talks with some key players, it is also one of the largest investors in the country. Dr Li Li, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at ISAS shares more insights into China's views on American withdrawal, how it could leverage its relationship with Pakistan to bolster its economic interests in Afghanistan and its concerns on security and radicalisation, especially with the Taliban set to come to power. Dr Li Li is currently a Senior Research Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute for International Relations, Tsinghua University, serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the World Peace Forum and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese version of the Quarterly Journal of International Politics.
In March 2021, the United Nations Humans Rights Council (UNHRC) passed Resolution 40/1 promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. The resolution gives the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate and collect evidence of human rights violations in the country. The Sri Lankan government has, however, unequivocally rejected the mandate. To discuss the rationale behind the rejection as well as the impact of the resolution on Sri Lanka and its foreign policy, Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Research Fellow at ISAS spoke to HE Dr Palitha Kohona, Sri Lankan ambassador to China and former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.
Climate change has come under the spotlight ever since the United States (US) Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, visited India in early April. This was particularly noteworthy as the Leaders' Summit on Climate hosted by US President Joe Biden took place soon after, on 22 and 23 April 2021. To discuss Kerry's visit, net-zero debates, India's progress on the Paris Agreement since 2015, and the international politics around climate change, Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow at ISAS spoke to Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Fellow at Council on Environment, Energy and Water (CEEW), New Delhi. Dr Chaturvedi is an economist who leads CEEW's work on Low-Carbon Pathways, and his research focuses on energy and climate change mitigation policy issues.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has returned to power in Tamil Nadu after remaining in the opposition for 10 years. While it won comfortably, the party did not sweep the polls as expected. As its leader M K Stalin is set to become the new chief minister, there are many challenges ahead of him including managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bharatiya Janata Party has meanwhile won Puducherry giving it another small opening in South India. To discuss more on these two outcomes, we spoke to Dr Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor of The Hindu newspaper.
Of the four states and one union territory that went to election over March and April, West Bengal, rightly or wrongly, was the centre of attention. On election day, it was West Bengal once again that invited the most discussion. This was partly due to the overwhelming verdict in favour of Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi having focused considerable energies and resources on the state. The result also upended most exit polls which had predicted a close contest with some surveys having forecast a BJP sweep. The Bengal verdict put into shade somewhat the results in Assam where the incumbent BJP government returned comfortably to office. To discuss the West Bengal and Assam election results, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, ISAS, spoke to Dr Neelanjan Sircar, a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research and Assistant Professor at Ashoka University. Sircar followed both state elections closely and was present in both states during the campaign.
The recent Legislative Assembly elections in Kerala has been a historic one with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) returning to power for the second time in a row. The return of an incumbent party has not happened in the last 40 years and is a reaffirmation of the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. What led to this victory and why did neither the Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party make a visible dent? We spoke to Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS to share his views on the election results.
Recent anti-France protests by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan turned violent leading to the government banning it. Alongside Pakistan is expected to play a key role in the Afghan peace process, following the withdrawal of American troops. With the Taliban almost certain to come into power, would this embolden such religious groups? To discuss more on these developments, we spoke to Dr Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, Non-resident Fellow at ISAS and Associate Professor of Political Economy at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University.
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in India on a two-day visit, followed by a stopover in Pakistan which underlined the changing nature of bilateral relations between the two countries. He pointed out Russia's opposition to the Quad by calling it "Asian Nato" while also referring to its relationship with China as being "at the highest in history." To learn more, Nithya Subramanian, Editor at ISAS spoke to Mr Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, with expertise in Russia and Eurasia. Unnikrishnan began his career as a journalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI). He was deputed by PTI to the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and did a three-year stint in Moscow as its Bureau Chief.
India’s military strength has increased in the past decades. However, it has still some way to go in developing the processes which makes the use of military force effective. The civilian bureaucracy within the Ministry of Defence and military establishment tends to be out of touch in setting national priorities and corresponding military objectives. The book, Absent Dialogue: Politicians, Bureaucrats and the Military in India, captures much of this dysfunction. The author, Dr Anit Mukherjee Deputy Head of Graduate Studies, and an Associate Professor in the South Asia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, joins ISAS Research Fellow Yogesh Joshi in a conversation on civil-military dysfunction in India and its implications on military efficiency in India.
The Finance Ministry has announced an ambitious disinvestment plan and decided to exit most sectors except four strategic ones. Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Non Resident Senior Fellow, ISAS and Member (Part Time), Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, shares his views on the challenges that the government could face and how it could overcome them, as well as how the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) programme ties in with its privatisation plan.
The ongoing elections in the four states of West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well as the union territory of Puducherry are significant as these will be a test of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s dominance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s continuing popularity. These will also evaluate the party’s ability to perform well in areas which are not its traditional bastions and the capacity of regional parties to resist one-party dominance. To discuss the polls and analyse the possible trajectory of the elections, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance) at ISAS, spoke to Rahul Verma, a Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research.
The first Quad Summit, where leaders of the United States, India, Australia and Japan met virtually, signalled a continuation of Trump's policy for the Indo-Pacific. It also announced a huge vaccine initiative as well as cooperation in rare minerals which not only challenges China's dominance, but also indicates that the group's focus has not been primarily related to security concerns. To tell us more on the significance of this Quad meeting and what it means for China and the rest of the world, we spoke to Dr Yogesh Joshi, Research Fellow at ISAS.
After several rounds of military and diplomatic negotiations, the nine-month long standoff between India and China came to an end with the disengagement of troops along the line of actual control in Eastern Ladakh. While the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has said that "China and India should be friends and partners,” the new Biden administration has not deviated from Trump's stance on China. What led to this thaw and what lay ahead for the two countries especially in the light of the recent Quad summit? Nithya Subramanian, Editor at ISAS spoke to Ambassador Gautam Bambawale, a career diplomat who has served as India’s ambassador to China, Pakistan and Bhutan. He is also a Distinguished Professor at Symbiosis International University, Pune and Senior Advisor to Ola.
In a surprising turn of events in the relationship between India and Pakistan, both countries recently signed a ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control. While this development is a positive step in improving bilateral relations, it is bound to affect domestic politics as well as have broader regional implications. To discuss the foreign policy strategies at play as well as the factors and rationale behind these developments, Dr Yogesh Joshi, a Research Fellow at ISAS spoke to Professor C Raja Mohan, Director of the institute.
One of the biggest announcements made by the Finance Minister of India in the recent budget was the large divestment proposal that targets raising Rs 1.75 trillion (S$32 billion) to shore up the economy. The government plans to exit most of the sectors, except four strategic ones and the list of companies to be privatised include Air India, Life Insurance Corporation, IDBI Bank and some others. Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow; and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) at ISAS shares his views on the complexities of the disinvestment process and the possible challenges that this strategy could face.
The relations between India and Pakistan are consequential not just for South Asia but for the globe. The two countries have been engaged in three wars since 1947, with Kashmir and terrorism being at the centre of dispute. Dr Imran Ahmed, Consultant at ISAS, spoke to Dr Stuti Bhatnagar, Sessional Academic – University of New South Wales, Sydney, on India's Pakistan strategy. They also discussed her book titled India's Pakistan Policy: How Think Tanks Are Shaping Foreign Relations that examines the role of these institutes as foreign policy actors. Currently there are 509 operational think tanks in the country with many having considerable interest in India-Pakistan relations.
Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders of the National League for Democracy were arrested in a series of raids by the military causing imbalance in the tensed civil-military relations on February 1. While, the American President Joe Biden slapped sanctions on Myanmar, India has taken a calibrated stand on the coup. To discuss this implications of this development on democracy, human rights and the larger geopolitical implications on South Asia, Nithya Subramanian, Editor at ISAS, spoke to our guest Dr Avinash Paliwal, a Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Deputy Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies, South Asia Institute.
India has emerged as the largest producer of the COVID-19 vaccines globally with the locally manufactured Covishield and Covaxin. In January 2021, it began exporting Covishield to its neighbours and some countries beyond the region through its 'Vaccine Maitri' or 'Vaccine Friendship' initiative. It has, so far, committed to supply 10 million doses worldwide. In this episode, Dr Karthik Nachiappan, a Research Fellow at ISAS, shares his insights into India's vaccine diplomacy and its geopolitical implications against the background of a somewhat strained relationship with its neighbours and a growing Chinese presence in the South Asian region.
The Indian government passed three agricultural legislations last September, which led to protests by farmers mainly belonging to the states of Punjab and Haryana. After months of peaceful demonstrations, on 26 January 2021, the agitation turned violent, resulting in one protestor's death and injuring several policemen. What is also interesting is that the protests have received the support of Sikh groups living in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, thus garnering international attention. To share more insights into these recent developments and its political ramifications, we are joined by Mr Vinod Rai, a distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
On 20 January 2021, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States of America, bringing to an end one of the most dramatic political transitions in the country’s history. In another historic moment, Kamala Harris became the first female, black, Indian-American vice-president. Since the Presidential election in November 2020, there is much interest in the future of Washington’s engagement with the subcontinent, which faces several opportunities and challenges. Amongst them, are China’s growing engagement with many South Asian countries, geopolitical contestation in the Himalayan belt and the peace process in Afghanistan, to name a few.
In this episode, our guest Ambassador Shivshankar Menon is in-conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Director of ISAS to discuss some of the key issues before the new Biden administration in relation to the subcontinent, including security and trade. Ambassador Menon is a Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India and a career diplomat.
Bangladesh and Bhutan signed the first ever preferential trade agreement or PTA in December 2020 to boost bilateral trade. The agreement comes at a time when the two South Asian countries mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. Bhutan recognised Bangladesh’s independence on December 6, 1971, becoming the first country in the world to accept it as a sovereign nation. According to official figures, trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan was $12.77 million in the fiscal year 2008-09, which rose to $49.65 million in 2018-19. In this episode, Dr Mohammad Masudur Rahman, a Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, shares his insights on the impact of this deal on bilateral trade between the two countries and what benefits they can reap.
The Indian subcontinent is witnessing several structural changes caused by the on-going China-India clash along the border in eastern Ladakh, renewed civil military tensions in Pakistan, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the economic rise of Bangladesh. In the first episode of 2021, Professor S D Muni, an Emeritus Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, discussed these broad prospects for South Asia with Professor C Raja Mohan.
In recent times, the role of religious political parties in Pakistan has grown significantly, with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) being one of them. The party has been at the forefront of anti-France protests and opposed the amendments to blasphemy laws. However, it is now facing a leadership crisis after the untimely death of its charismatic leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi. To further discuss the TLP and its future, alongside the significant role religious political parties play domestically, we spoke to Visiting Research Associate Professor, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea. He is also an Associate Professor of History at the University of North-Carolina-Chapel Hill with research focus on modern Islam and modern South Asia.
With Sri Lanka’s insistence on a “neutral” foreign policy, questions are being raised over Colombo’s relationship with other global and regional powers like the United States, China and India. One of the common foreign policy challenges that the country faces is navigating big power relations. To discuss the strategies in detail, Dr Chulanee Attanayake, Visiting Research Fellow, was in-conversation with Dr Palitha Kohona, the new Sri Lankan Ambassador to China. Dr Kohona shared more insights into his plans on enhancing bilateral ties, geopolitics in Sri Lanka and the new President of the US, Joe Biden’s policy towards the country.
Bangladesh is the third largest Muslim country in the world and one of the recent challenges that the country faces is religious extremism and violence. The existence of Islamic militant groups is not new to the country. However, these groups are now increasingly relying on transnational networks and narratives. Bangladesh, which was historically secular, is now increasingly turning towards religion as a source of its national identity. To discuss these developments and the transformation of the country from a secular to a religious state, Dr Imran Ahmed, a Consultant at ISAS spoke to Dr Shafi Mostafa, adjunct Lecturer at the University of New England (UNE) in Australia where he completed his PhD. He is also an Assistant Professor in Department of World, Religion and Culture at Dhaka University.
Recently, there have been various developments in Afghanistan such as the withdrawal of US troops, Imran Khan’s visit to the region and talks with the Taliban. While the Trump administration has set a Christmas deadline for withdrawal of troops, it is unclear how the incoming Biden administration will impact the region in terms of policy and its relationship with the Afghanistan. In this episode, Dr Imran Ahmed, Consultant at ISAS, spoke to Dr Zahid Shabab Ahmed, a Research Fellow at Deakin University with research focus on peace and security in South Asia and Middle East, to further understand the significance of the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape of Afghanistan as well as the various domestic and international actors that continue to play a role in the state.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP was signed by 15 countries including all Southeast Asian nations after eight years of negotiations on 15 November 2020 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Dubbed as the largest free trade agreement in history, it focuses on the reduction of tariffs and increasing market access. However, India decided to walk out of RCEP stating strong concerns over Chinese goods flooding Indian markets. At this juncture, India and the United States are the two big countries that are not part of this multilateral trade grouping. Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) explains the complexities of regional trade and the way forward for RCEP. He also analyses if Asia is emerging to be the centre of the global trade order.
The recently concluded assembly elections in Bihar was a closely contested one with the National Democratic Alliance winning by a small margin. While Nitish Kumar has been sworn Chief Minister for the seventh time, the Janata Dal (U) performed poorly. Asserting itself, two Deputy Chief Ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party were also sworn in. In this episode, Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow, spoke to Dr Neelanjan Sircar, a Senior Visiting Fellow at CPR, Assistant Professor at Ashoka University and a close Bihar-watcher, to understand the politics at play, the impact of the pandemic on the election result, women turnout and the much larger question of the role Hindutva.
Two days after the United States elected Joe Biden as their next President and Kamala Harris as the Vice President, uncertainties and anticipation about the current President conceding remains. However, the election outcome was welcomed in South Asia with greater emphasis on the first female Vice President and her Indian ancestry. The region is at the cusp of competition with India and the US on the one hand and China on the other. The recent visit of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to South Asia - India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives – has been viewed by many as an 'anti-China roadshow.’ Additionally the Trump administration's promise of pulling out troops from Afghanistan poses security challenges in the region. With all these structural changes underway, what are the likely implications? Prof C Raja Mohan, the Director of ISAS, sheds his insights into Biden’s Presidency and what it means for South Asia.
Last year, the Shiv Sena broke up with its traditional partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and entered into an alliance with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and a few others to form the government in Maharashtra. Since then it has faced many challenges including the COVID-pandemic and interference from the BJP which is in power at the Centre. The party has also decided to contest 40 seats in the Bihar elections, without entering into any pre-poll partnerships. To share her views on the current state of Maharashtra politics and the Shiv Sena in particular, we spoke to Dr Rajeshwari Deshpande, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Interdisciplinary School (Humanities and Social Sciences), Savitribai Phule Pune University.
A recent ADB reports points to developing Asia experiencing its first recession in more than six decades, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is expected to have profound influence on Asia-Pacific's geopolitics leading to restructuring of supply chains and realignments in global trade. What must South Asia do to take advantage of these changes and which sectors could be the game-changing strategic industries for the region? To give us more insights into these developments, Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) spoke to Dr Sanjay Kathuria, Retired Lead Economist and Coordinator for regional integration of South Asia, World Bank and Senior Visiting Fellow, Center for Policy Research.
The recent political protests and rallies by a united opposition seem to be part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan. Interestingly, the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led PML (N) also chose to take on the all-powerful Army, criticising the hybrid model of governance where the Army leads the Imran Khan government from behind. Also, the government has announced elections in the disputed Gigit-Baltistan province on 15 November 2020. To gain more insights into these developments, we spoke to Dr Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, Associate Professor of Political Economy at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University. He also shared his views on the Afghanistan peace process and the forthcoming US Presidential elections.
The current India-China rivalry has revealed the fault lines in South Asia. The increasing Chinese interests in the region, be it elections in Sri Lanka or involvement with Nepalese communist parties, has resulted in a complex dynamics between New Delhi and Beijing. How do South Asian countries navigate between China, which has risen to be a great power and India, that is at the heart of the subcontinent? In this backdrop, Professor C Raja Mohan spoke to Ambassador Shivshankar Menon about the geopolitics of South Asia. Ambassador Menon is currently a Professor at the Ashoka University in India, the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington. He served as national security advisor to the Prime Minister of India from January 2010 to May 2014 and as Foreign Secretary of India from October 2006 to August 2009. A career diplomat, he was Ambassador or High Commissioner of India to Israel, Sri Lanka, China, and Pakistan.
Soon after the first American Presidential debate for 2020 concluded on September 29, President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19. While there is uncertainity over the next two debates set for 12 and 22 October, one thing is certain - whoever wins, there will be implications for India. With growing understanding between New Delhi and Washington, the Indian diaspora too has gained prominence. What role will the significant population of Indian Americans play and would the nomination of Kamala Harris as the Vice-presidential candidate of the Democrats make a difference in the way they vote? We discussed these factors with Dr Sanjoy Chakravorty, Professor of Geography and Urban Studies and Global Studies at Temple University and Visiting Fellow at the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania.
Many studies estimate that by 2035, 5G technologies will enable $12.3 trillion of global economic output and support 22 million jobs. Therefore, the race to develop these technologies has begun. But where does India stand with respect to 5G? To discuss this and the challenges that India faces, the country’s position on working with Chinese telecom companies such as Huawei and ZTE as well as the economic gains from adopting these technologies, Dr Karthik Nachiappan spoke to Manoj Kewalramani, Fellow - China Studies at the Takshashila Institution. His research focuses on Chinese politics, foreign policy and approaches to new technologies.
The recent Sri Lankan Parliamentary elections led to the resounding victory for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), strengthening the hold of the Rajapaksa family. Since coming to power last year, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pushed for many changes with regard to the constitution and foreign policy. To explain the implications of this win, we spoke to Mr Waruna Karunatilake, a senior journalist and political analyst. He shared his views on various issues related to the country's economy, balancing relations with both India and China, as well as the proposed constitutional amendments that grants greater power to the president.
The nomination of Kamala Harris as the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party and her part-Indian identity has put the South Asian diaspora’s role and contributions in the forthcoming American elections under spotlight. The growing cultural ties between the United States and India became prominent after the bonhomie between PM Modi and President Trump reflected in the 'Howdy Modi' and 'Namaste Trump' events. So would this have an impact on voting, given the fact that Indians have traditional supported Democrats. We spoke to Dr Sangay Mishra to understand the role of the diaspora, polarisation within the South Asian community and concerns over H1B work visas among other larger issues. Dr Mishra is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Drew University. He is the author of Desis Divided: The Political Lives of South Asian Americans and comments frequently on South Asians in the US as well as South Asian politics and policy.
Germany’s Indo-Pacific strategy unambiguously promises greater responsibility and engagement in Asia, including intensified military cooperation and deployments, defence diplomacy and participation in regional multilateralism particularly ASEAN-led forums. The shift in Germany’s strategy is expected to strengthen the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific as more countries in the region come out in support. To discuss the internal factors that led to the change, new areas of cooperation with India and the role of China, we spoke to Dr Garima Mohan, a fellow in the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States where she leads the work on India and heads the India Trilateral Forum. Prior to joining GMF, she was the acting team leader and coordinator for the EU’s Asia-Pacific Research and Advice Network (APRAN), which supports EU policymakers on issues concerning the Asia-Pacific. She also led the Global Orders program at the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin. Garima holds a PhD from the Freie Universität Berlin and received her master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasised on an equidistant policy soon after being elected in 2019. While China is Sri Lanka’s largest economic partner, the latter recognises India to be an important neighbour. However, as a small state, it is concerned about the power competition in the Indian Ocean. With the incoming of a new cabinet, how will the island nation navigate the challenges? Will there be any major departures from the past policies? To shed light on the direction of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, we hosted the current Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka, Admiral Prof Jayanath Colombage. Admiral Colombage served the Sri Lanka Navy for 36 years, was its 18th Commander and was appointed Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy in 2012. At the time of his appointment as Foreign Secretary, he was the Additional Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations and the Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL).
India has witnessed huge developments in the technology space in the recent past. First, it welcomed investments from American tech companies and now is witnessing collaborations between US and Indian firms such as Facebook and Reliance Jio. However, there are challenges that come with these. Recently, Facebook has come under heavy scrutiny in India for not acting against hate-posts targeting one of the minority groups in India. This has opened debates about the intervening role of big tech companies in democracy. Besides, with the investments, come other concerns regarding data privacy and market monopolisation. To understand the role of big tech companies, Karthik Nachiappan, a Research Fellow at ISAS, spoke to Urvashi Aneja, the founder of Tandem Research. Aneja’s recent report studies the influence these big tech companies wield on the Indian markets, civil society, and the policy pathways.
The peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, also known as Abraham Accord, seeks to normalise relations between the two countries. The deal is historic as it is the first Gulf country and the third Arab country to have full diplomatic relations with Israel. However, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan stated his government would not recognise Israel until the Palestinians are given their own state. At the same time, the country’s army chief, General Bajwa visited Saudi Arabia after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi criticised the OIC for not denouncing India's action in Kashmir. Meanwhile, as China’s stakes in the Muslim world is growing, it is becoming an important partner for Beijing. To get insights on these developments, we spoke to Ambassador Riaz Khokhar, a distinguished diplomat and a former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan (2002-2005). He has held senior appointments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, besides representing Pakistan in some of the most important capitals in the world including the US, China, India, and Bangladesh.
In recent times, New Delhi has started envisaging a bigger role for India in the Indo-Pacific region. This strategic shift coincides with the rise of China in the Indian Ocean ring. While the Indian partnerships in this region can be broadly classified into three groups – the Quad, ASEAN and Western Indian Ocean, the government believes that these new partnerships should be primarily based on common interests. Darshana M Baruah, non-resident scholar with the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and visiting fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Tokyo shares her views on India's engagement with this region.
The Supreme Court of India recently upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the management of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, overturning an earlier verdict of the Kerala High Court. The latter had directed the state government to set up a trust that would take control of the administration and assets of the temple as the present king could not automatically step into the shoes of the last ruler and claim management rights over it. This has led to legal, religious and political debates, including demands for liberating other temples in southern India. Mr Vinod Rai, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS joins us in this episode to share his insights on the various implications of this judgment and also the myths surrounding the treasure in the Vault B of the temple.
India is on the brink of tremendous opportunity for economic progress and digital transformation. Over the last several years, it has built digital highways to bring equitable access of technology. To assess the digital transformation and new technologies such as Aritficial intelligence’s (AI) impact on the manufacturing industry, e-commerce and other sectors, we spoke to Dr Rajat Kathuria and Mansi Kedia, who recently published a report on the implications of AI on the Indian Economy. The analysis in the report is based on in-depth interviews with 13 AI companies in India that are developing applications for 10 different sectors including law enforcement, healthcare, banking and finance, agriculture and manufacturing. In terms of the AI used, the report finds machine learning and its subsets featuring prominently across organisations building and providing AI-based services. Here is the link to the report- http://icrier.org/pdf/Implications_of_AI_on_the_Indian_Economy.pdf
A proposed US$400 billion economic and security cooperation deal between China and Iran has raised concerns for India and the United States. India has been involved in the development of the Chabahar port to gain strategic inroads into Central Asia while the United States has imposed sanctions on it in response to the Iranian nuclear programme and its support to terrorist groups. Will the proposed partnership between China and Iran impact India’s own position in the region and what lies ahead? To find out more on this, we spoke to Sumitha N Kutty, an Associate Research Fellow with the South Asia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research focuses on India’s foreign and security policies across the Indo-Pacific region with special interest in the Middle East.
Sri Lanka and Singapore mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties on 27 July 2020. The two countries share a long history and, over time, trade and economics have become central to their bilateral relations. We spoke to the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane, to understand how this relationship has evolved and what lies ahead.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently hosted the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, the first opportunity for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for face-time with each other over videoconference amidst the border de-escalation process. Russia is said to have a “special relationship” with India as it is one of the key weapons supplier to the country. Last year, Russia also upgraded its relationship with China which is now dubbed as a “comprehensive strategic partnership”. Given that Russia is close to both India and China, what role can it potentially play in the de-escalation process and in the larger ties between the two neighbours in the Indian subcontinent? We spoke to Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi with expertise in Russia and Eurasia. Unnikrishnan began his career as a journalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI). He was deputed by PTI to the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and did a three-year stint in Moscow as its Bureau Chief, before moving to Business India’s Television Channel.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan completes two years in the government this August. While he began innings by promising to create a 'Naya Pakistan' free of corruption, mismanagement, foreign debt and poor economy, his performance seems to have fallen short. Now, he faces several challenges with the economy taking its worst hit in 68 years, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and controversies surrounding Kashmir after India revoked Article 370. In this episode, we spoke to Dr Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, Associate Professor of Political Economy at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University to discuss the challenges that Imran Khan's government will be facing going forward and to assess his remaining term as Prime Minister.
The Indian subcontinent has become an important maritime hub for global powers. For Sri Lanka, it’s maritime identity was shaped specifically by its geography which attracted substantial Chinese investments. This has reshaped its maritime and shipping industry in the island nation giving rise to competition and new opportunities. Geopolitically, more countries have begun recognising Sri Lanka’s potential as a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean. To discuss the developments and the geopolitics in details, we speak with Mr Rohan Masakorala, the CEO of the Shippers’ Academy Colombo and the founder member of Singapore Shipper’s Academy and the Shippers’ Academy Colombo.
India and China have been engaged in many border disputes but the recent Chinese infringement in the Galwan Valley resulted in 20 Indian casualties. Although both sides are engaged in military and diplomatic-level talks, India recently banned about 49 Chinese apps on grounds of threat to sovereignty. We speak to Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, ISAS. He was India's Foreign Secretary from October 2006 to August 2009 and also served as national security advisor to the Prime Minister of India from January 2010 to May 2014. Ambassador Menon shared his insights into the consequences of the current Sino-India skirmishes, possibilities for a boundary settlement, the impact of these tensions on the subcontinent and engagement with big powers.
The Sri Lankan government recently announced that the country will open up for tourism from August 2020, amidst the global pandemic. Sri Lanka has outpaced regional growth in tourism with an increase of 10 per cent in 2018, while in 2019, the Lonely Planet named it as the No 1 tourist destination in the world. However, its tourism industry couldn’t capitalise on these positive developments first due to a terror attack and now due to the pandemic. To find out more about the impact on the industry, health challenges and opportunities in medical tourism, we speak to Dr D A C Suranga Silva, Professor in Tourism Economics at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo. He holds PhD from Virije University Amsterdam in Tourism Economics and M Phil in Environmental Economics from Maastricht School of Management (MSM), the Netherlands.
The Turkish drama series, Diriliş: Ertuğrul, has recently taken Pakistan by storm after Prime Minister Imran Khan urged his people to watch it as it promotes Islamic heroes and values. The series is loosely based on the life and times of the 13th-century Muslim Oghuz Turk leader, Ertugrul, whose son Osman Ghazi is considered to be the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Aired first on TRT, Turkey's national broadcaster, the show has now been dubbed in Urdu and aired on PTV and its YouTube channel. To find out about the popularity of this show, the socio-political debates it has sparked and its relevance to bettering Pakistan-Turkey relations, we speak to Dr Zebunnisa Hamid, an Assistant Professor of Film Studies in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (CLCS) at LUMS.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 2018 Election Campaign was built around his vision of transforming the country into 'Naya Pakistan' or 'New Pakistan'. Now that he is set to complete his second year in office this August, it is timely to discuss the changes that he has been able to bring about thus far.
In this episode of South Asia Chaat, we speak with Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Visiting Research Associate Professor at ISAS, who provides a preliminary progress report on continuity and change under the Imran Khan-led Government. He discusses the constraints imposed by a struggling economy, new emerging relations between the military and civilian sectors, and the massive plague of locusts that is now confronting South Asia.
Ahead of the virtual bilateral summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison scheduled on 4 June 2020, Professor C Raja Mohan spoke to Ambassador Anil Wadhwa Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, on what lies ahead in Australia-India relations in terms of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, enhancement of trade and the role of the diaspora. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa authored a report titled 'Australia Economic Strategy' (AES) to complement 'An India Economic Strategy To 2035' report authored by former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia and Former High Commissioner of Australia to India Peter Varghese.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic early this year, there has been an exponential increase in our dependence on technology. Governments are experimenting with social media to keep citizens informed and updated about the infection. Among other aspects, the pandemic has, globally, shaken the conventional methods of education. It has forced us to rethink of ways we use technology. While more countries are moving towards restoring normalcy and opening up, one of the aspects governments are enforcing is the usage of contact-tracing applications to avoid the further spread of COVID-19. To discuss the impact of the pandemic on technology, we spoke to Dr Anuradha Rao, the founder of CyberCognizanz, a training and communications company in Singapore that focuses on cyber-safety and cybersecurity.
For over 11 years, Dr Anuradha has studied, taught and conducted research on the relationship between new technologies, society, politics and security in Asia at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and other higher education institutions in Singapore. Anuradha holds a PhD in Communications and New Media from NUS, and an MA in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India. She can be reached at anuradha.rao@cybercognizanz.com
A vast majority of Singapore's COVID-19 infections involve foreign workers residing in dormitories. The government has taken strong and proactive measures to contain and combat the outbreak among this group. After initiating measures to curb the spread among the migrant workers in dorms, it recently decided to test all 323,000 workers residing there. Singapore has been effectively addressing the ever-changing situation and initiated measures to fight different challenges including that of online misinformation and xenophobia. We spoke to Singapore’s Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, for his insights into Singapore’s response to COVID-19, measures taken to keep the foreign workers safe, and curbing the spread of fake news which could potentially create disharmony in the society.
Pakistan, like many countries, found itself unprepared for COVID-19 when it struck. More than 90 per cent of the cases in Pakistan were imported, and its healthcare system struggled to grapple with the dearth of medical equipment, leading to many Pakistanis being stranded abroad. In Singapore, migrant workers are mostly from India and Bangladesh, so the number of Pakistani infected cases has been few — most of the country’s blue-collar workers are in the Gulf.
In this episode, we speak to HE Rukhsana Afzal about what the Singapore government, local Pakistani community, and global financial organisations are doing to help. This involves, among other things, the development of a mobile app, the diaspora sending home critical supplies, and a global initiative for debt relief.
In this episode, we speak to Md Mustafizur Rahman, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore, on the impact of COVID-19 on the Bangladeshi community here, and what steps are being taken to help them. During the initial period of the outbreak, only five Bangladeshi migrant workers were infected; then came the sudden outburst in the middle of March, which has continued till date. Mr Rahman explains that the priority of the High Commission is to ensure timely treatment of infected workers, their recovery, and return to a normal life. Since, the nature of the disease and restrictions on accessing the dormitories, does not allow the High Commission to directly help these workers, they have been working with Singapore government agencies.
He commends the Singapore government’s handling of the situation within dormitories and said that even small needs like providing proper interpreters and enuring these workers get Bangladeshi food are being looked into, especially since this is the month of Ramadan.
Demand for the world’s most important commodity, oil, has crumbled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fourth week of April this year, the US oil prices plunged to below zero for first time in history. The fundamentals of the oil industry are not determined merely by demand and supply. Geopolitics, the politics of exchange rates and paper trading also impact its performance. This could be, by far, the greatest crisis the oil industry has ever faced impacting upstream and downstream activities. It is estimated that more than 400 industry-related companies worldwide will not be able to bear the production cost at US$20 per barrel.
This conversation between Dr S Narayan (Visiting Senior Research Fellow, ISAS) and Mr Vikram Mehta (Executive Chairman of Brookings India), looks at the impact and challenges that the dive in crude oil price will have on South Asia’s oil and energy sector, as well as the economic impact (consumption and net exports) on India. For India, there is also an urgent need to build linkages and pipelines between oil and gas producers in other parts of the region such as Bangladesh.
The number of COVID-19 cases has risen drastically in Singapore affecting about 4,800 Indian nationals. Over 90 per cent of them are foreign workers living in dormitories across the island. To get some insights on the measures taken by both the Indian High Commission in Singapore and the Singapore government to support them, we spoke to His Excellency Jawed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India to Singapore. In this episode, HE Jawed Ashraf gave us details of what was being done to not just help Covid-affected individuals but also Indian nationals stranded here, Singapore’s contribution to India's fight against the Coronavirus and how the pandemic will impact Singapore-India bilateral relations.
In the first episode of ‘The Bookshelf’, a new ISAS initiative dedicated to scholarly works on South Asia, we speak with Kama Maclean, Professor of History at the University of New South Wales in Sydney on British India, White Australia, which unearths the complicated colonial dynamics between India and Australia and their relationship before India’s independence in 1947.
In her talk, Professor Maclean discusses the Immigration Restriction Act, which earned the country the name ‘White Australia’ for its prevention of non-white migrants from settling there—often by linguistic means! She touches on racism under the Empire; the positive legacy left by Indian hawker settlers; and social bonds transcending the ‘commonwealth’ commonalities most often evoked in celebrations of the countries’ shared histories. Through a careful archival reading, Kama Maclean’s book paves the way for a nuanced, social history of old colonial ties.
On 25th March 2020 the Indian Prime Minister declared a nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. Four hours after the Prime Minister’s announcements, all forms of transportation stopped. Millions of internal migrant workers found themselves without a job as most economic activities came to a halt and left with little choice but to walk hundreds or thousands of kilometres back to their home villages, only to find inter-state borders close. In this conversation with Dr Indrajit Roy (University of York), we look at the scale of the phenomenon, what kind of assistance are migrants receiving and what implications this massive internal migration will have on India’s political economy.