Occasional Papers

Taliban’s “Contact Commission”: Three Years Later

Looking beyond high optics associated with the return (often the deportation) of members of the former Afghan Republic to the country, the Contact Commission set up by the Taliban regime in 2022 comes across as a strategic move to present itself as a conciliatory and legitimate state entity on one hand and undercut the support base of the fragmented exiled political opposition on the other. This is best manifest in the fact that the Taliban has opened a pathway for exiled political opposition and former civil and military personnel to return to the country but without yielding any political space or making any provision to integrate the returnees into its governing structures. The commission’s efforts are stymied by violations of the ‘general amnesty’ announced for members of the former regime, lack of employment avenues for the educated non-Taliban workforce, and the ban on higher education for girls and work opportunities for women. In such a scenario, the commission cannot bridge the divide between the regime and the exiled or returnee Afghans, unless the regime itself acts as a bridge connecting diverse ethnicities and identities that make up the Afghan Nation.

Evolution of African Maritime Security: Imperatives, Governance and Challenges

In an African context, the process of developing an agenda for maritime security has been relatively new despite the continent being completely surrounded by water. For long periods of time, African nations tended to be labelled as ‘sea blind,’ which implied that they ignored the vital importance of their waters and the maritime domain.

How ASEAN Media Portrays India: Insights into the Construction of Media Text

This research paper analyses the media landscapes of ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines, and explores the interplay between political structures, economic interests, and regulatory frameworks. Despite political changes in the region, media freedom in Southeast Asia remains precarious.

How Dharma Shapes Strategic Thought On War in the Mahabharata

The Occasional Paper employs the dharmic viewpoint of the Mahabharata to derive the fundamental elements of ancient Indian strategic thought. It evaluates the role of dharma as it shapes war as a defining element of strategic thought.

Impact of Modernisation of Police Forces Scheme on Combat Capability of the Police Forces in Naxal-Affected States: A Critical Evaluation

This occasional paper attempts to assess and analyse the impact of the MPF scheme on building police combat capability in affected States.

A Study on Illegal Immigration into North-East India: The Case of Nagaland

Efforts to control and prevent illegal immigration remain highly inadequate in India; and likely to remain so in the coming years. But, the reality is that unabated illegal immigration has enormous demographic and social implications, capable of creating tensions and conflict between the immigrants and the natives; and more so among the natives.

India’s Unfinished Security Revolution

This paper argues that internal security reforms are crucial not only for India's own security and that of its immediate neighbourhood, but also for its rise as an Asian and world power.

Sustaining Motivation in Sub-Conventional Warfare

This paper is an attempt to understand the peculiarities of the operational environment in sub-conventional warfare scenario in Indian context. It recommends measures which need to be taken at various levels by concerned agencies to sustain and enhance the motivational level of troops.

Thinking about Pakistan’s Nuclear Security in Peacetime, Crisis and War

This essay seeks to collate, sort through, and organise the reams of publicly available information and speculation to provide a systematic assessment of Pakistan’s nuclear security.

Space Capability and India’s Defence Communications Up to 2022 and Beyond

Military organisations worldwide have steadily increased reliance on space assets for communications, surveillance, and navigation. India has sufficient space capability as compared to China.