Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
मनोहर पर्रिकर रक्षा अध्ययन एवं विश्लेषण संस्थान

The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama, by Melvyn C. Goldstein

 The political status of Tibet in relation to China has been a contentious issue. It has invoked the question of the right of a people to self-determination. Melvyn C. Goldstein’s book titled The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama presents an expounded historical account of the cultural as well as political survival of Tibet from a Western, primarily American, lens. The book’s essential objective is to define the boundaries of what he refers to as the ‘Tibet Question’ and analyse Chinese Tibetan policies in the light of the relationship shared with the US. The ‘Tibet Question’, a nationalist issue at its core, here symbolises the struggle to control territory and the representations of history and current events. Read More

Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed, by Abhinav Pandya

 In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Abhinav Pandya’s book Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed, assumes significant relevance as it offers a comprehensive analysis of the operational structure of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and underscores the grave national security challenges being faced by Indian security forces and policymakers over the last few decades. The book aims to give critical insights into the inception, expansion and operations of JeM. Read More

Mao’s Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China’s Navy, by Toshi Yoshihara, Georgetown University Press, 2022, pp. 158

 Mao’s Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China’s Navy delves into Mao’s initial efforts to build a naval force, tracing the development of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) between 1949 and 1950. It highlights how a group of individuals with no maritime experience managed to create an operational navy in just 18 months. Despite their lack of expertise, this nascent force undertook complex amphibious assaults, achieving significant victories in some cases while facing crushing defeats in others. Yoshihara, a distinguished scholar of the PLAN and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments offers fresh perspectives through his extensive use of Chinese sources. Read More

The AUKUS Submarine Roadmap: A Bridge Too Far?

 The year 2025 has proven to be a particularly challenging period for the AUKUS trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The developments and discourses since the beginning of the year indicate the onset of a more difficult phase for the AUKUS, marked by heightened political uncertainty and growing geopolitical complexity. Following three years of study and tangible progress made under the agreement, the re-election of Donald Trump to the White House for a second term has raised doubts among the observers regarding the US’ continued commitment to the AUKUS. Read More

Evolving Competitive Militant Landscape of Pakistan and its Implications

 The Pakistani policymakers and academia did not envisage an escalation of attacks in Pakistan after the ascendancy of the Afghan Taliban in August 2021.1 In fact, many commentators and analysts in Pakistan viewed the rise of the Taliban after the Doha greement as a harbinger of a new era in South Asia. However, despite the pledges made by the Taliban and the interim government in Afghanistan, Pakistan has been getting mired in violence. For a fourth consecutive year, Pakistan has seen a surge in violence after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. According to ‘Pakistan Security Report 2024’, a total of 521 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan in 2024—including nine suicide bombings—which killed 852 people and injured 1,124, amounting to a 70 per cent increase in the number of attacks from the previous year. Read More

Crossing Lines: Drugs, Insurgency and Disorder in the Indo-Myanmar Borderlands

 The intensification of drug trafficking across the Indo-Myanmar border presents a significant challenge to both political and socio-economic stability in the region. This illicit trade not only exacerbates insurgent activities in Northeast India but also poses a serious threat to the country’s internal security. The porous and inadequately monitored border facilitates the movement of narcotics, creating a permissive environment for transnational criminal networks.1 These vulnerabilities have been further compounded by Myanmar’s enduring political instability following the 2021 military coup, elevating the issue to a matter of national security.2 Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) of Myanmar operating along the border have increasingly engaged in drug trafficking as a means of financing their campaigns against the junta regime. Read More

The Tribal Connect to Maoist Insurgency in India: The Historical Context and Alleviation Measures by the Government

 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Maoism in India has been an ongoing internal security challenge since the late 1960s. The current phase of this insurgency has its ground zero in the forests of Dandakaranya (DK) in general and in the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh in particular. The region forms a part of the resource-rich tribal belt in central-eastern India. Tribals constitute the majority of rank and file of Maoists. The driving force for local tribals to fall prey to Maoism is the sense of deep-rooted alienation that these people suffer from. The article delves into the historical roots of tribal alienation that originated a couple of centuries ago during the colonial era and continues in present times under different manifestations. It is pertinent to possess a thorough background knowledge of tribal alienation so as to be able to evolve policies and programmes towards a long-term resolution of Maoist challenge, which is certainly beyond a security-centric approach. In addition, the article also analyses statutes and government initiatives to include their implementation, challenges and impact towards alleviating tribal alienation. The region of study is pan-India in general and the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh in particular. Read More

The Political Economy of South Korea’s Arms Trade with India: Challenges and Prospects

 South Korea’s rapid rise as a manufacturing powerhouse and a leading export-oriented economy was made possible due to the active role of the ‘developmental state’ in the country. Despite adopting several neoliberal policies after the devastating Asian financial crisis of 1997, the South Korean state did not fully abandon its role in the country’s economic development. In recent years, selling of military hardware has emerged as one of the ‘new engines of economic growth’ for this export-oriented nation. Furthermore, South Korea’s economic and strategic relations with India have developed significantly, particularly after the end of the Cold War. The arms trade between the two countries has also grown notably. While India’s developing economic and strategic relations with South Korea are well-documented, there is a lack of literature on New Delhi’s increasing arms trade with Seoul. This article explains the challenges and prospects of South Korea’s trade of weapons with India. Read More

The Budgetary Conundrum of the Indian Armed Forces: A Military Perspective

 India’s defence budget is a subject of intense scrutiny and debate, drawing the attention of a diverse range of stakeholders, including economists, defence experts and policymakers. The defence budget must cater for the long-term requirements of defence forces, their equipping philosophy, modernisation requirements and the aspirations of the rank and file of the organisation. This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the key aspects of defence budgeting, allocation and expenditure, with a particular focus on the perspectives of the defence establishments as the end-users of the budget. The article is broadly divided into two parts. The first part examines the quantitative aspects of the defence budget, delving into the composition of the overall allocation, the relative shares of the three armed forces, and the distribution between revenue and capital expenditures. The analysis reveals that while the nominal defence budget has been increasing over the years, the share of defence spending in the central government’s total expenditure has been declining, raising concerns about the adequacy of resources to meet the long-term requirements of the defence forces. The second part of the article undertakes a qualitative analysis of the defence budgeting process, exploring the challenges and constraints faced by the defence establishments. These include the need to balance manpower costs with equipment procurement and modernisation, the impact of rising inflation on the purchasing power of the defence budget, and the implications of the revenue–capital expenditure mix on the overall readiness and combat effectiveness of the armed forces. Read More

The Evolution and Future of Mobile Artillery: Technological Advances, History and Future of Artillery Warfare

 This article explores the evolution of mobile artillery, from oxen-drawn cannons and camel-mounted swivel guns to today’s self-propelled, precision-guided systems. It highlights how battlefield mobility, rapid fire-and-move tactics, and integration with digital command networks have made mobile artillery indispensable in modern warfare. Drawing lessons from recent conflicts like the Russia–Ukraine war and the Azerbaijan–Armenia clashes, this article analyses how mobile artillery—augmented by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), smart munitions and autonomous logistics—has adapted to fast-paced, multi-domain operations. The study underscores mobile artillery’s unique role as a survivable, flexible and cost-effective firepower solution amid evolving threats and terrain-driven challenges. Read More
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