Internship Programme Each year, IFPD opens internships quarterly for young undergraduates and graduates seeking to engage in the realm of international relations and strategic studies. All the internships are offered in online mode only. Since our primary focus is on strategic and security developments, interns get an opportunity to engage in a range …
BLOG ARTICLES
The year 2022 is landmark year as India- ASEAN commemorates 30 years of partnership, a profound and long history of India's social, political and economic ties with South-east Asia dates back more than 2,000 years , while India has been underscoring a central role in the regional order
This year marked the 30th anniversary of India’s diplomatic relations with the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This event was marked by the first India-Central Asia Summit on 27th January 2022.
With the release of Agnihotri’s movie, ‘The Kashmir Files’, the hardships endured by Kashmiri Pandits is ripe in the minds of citizens. Seething with the feeling of retribution, people all over India have started a new conversation seeking justice for the atrocities committed and shunned by the media for decades.
Located in South Asia, Afghanistan is a beautiful and multiethnic landlocked neighbouring country of India. Despite their proximity, these two nations share a deeply rooted sense of integrity, multilateralism, humanitarian aid and solidarity that has boosted their diplomatic relations even further over the years.
China is one of the biggest countries in the world with their economy said to surpass even the United States by 2030. It has highlighted a type of mixed economy system with a basis of capitalism and a few ideas taken from its neighbor, the USSR.
With the Islamic State and Taliban baring fangs at each other since the latter’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2020, the feud between them is patently visible. Both these armed militant groups claim to be the legitimate face of jihad.
As a cornerstone participant of the UN, India endorses the organization's ideals and beliefs, and it has made significant commitments towards the Charter's implementation and the creation of the UN's specialized organizations and programs.
March of 2019 was the first instance when India was invited as a guest of honor to a meeting of the OIC, or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This was also the period, when back home, the new government stood as a sentimental and physical representation of the wave of majoritarian support, and conservative leaning political ideologies.
“Cryptocurrency is increasingly being used to crowdfund war, with the tacit approval of governments” said Tom Robinson, the chief scientist at Elliptic, a London based blockchain analytics firm. The ongoing Ukrainian war is a testament to how cryptocurrency is a new tool in modern defense.
In line with the ‘Neighborhood First’ policy of India, the significance of the Indian Ocean and the countries encompassing it is far-reaching, not only because of the geographical proximity with the neighbouring nations but the deep-seated cultural and historical ties with them via the maritime routes.
India’s security has been at great threat because of both internal and external disputes and terrorism. Terrorism usually includes intentional acts of violence that harm the existence of others, through death and destruction of property, mainly done to induce a feeling of terror in civilians and governments.
The formation of QUAD is the perfect example of the theory of balance of power. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a group of four countries: the United States, Australia, India, and Japan that promotes maritime cooperation among them to keep China at bay.
Kashmir stood elegantly like a diamond crown over the centuries as the contours in the Indian subcontinent changed- the sounds of rushing rivers, beautiful lush green forests, lively lakes, embroidered shawls, and Pashmina, and the scent of saffron permeated the air.
With Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, the world witnessed an unexpected turn of events. It was remarkable in the sense that such a bold move was last seen during the Cold War era, after which the world had been restored to a state of relative peace.
Afghanistan has historically been a land of wars and conflicts. This land has not only proved to be the ‘graveyard of empires’ but it has also suppressed and buried the status and rights of women along with darkening the future of children from time to time.
Today's world is reshaping with the evolution of multilateralism and multilateral dialogue, anticipating a normative world order that incorporates and benefits nations. Chinese expansionism in recent times has led to the emergence of the arc of convergence of strategic interests between the other states.
On 15th August 2021, with the fall of Kabul, the Taliban restored their foothold in war-torn Afghanistan. This raised serious security concerns for its immediate neighbors, along with the rise of a narco-state in the near vicinity.
"Andaman and Nicobar Islands are very strategically located. They overlook the entire sea lines of communication and choke lines (in the Indian Ocean Region)." - Navy Chief Admiral R. K. Dhowan.
The Cold War ushered in a new era of political, scientific, and technological achievements known as the Space Age. The Space Age saw the rapid development of aeronautical capabilities, including artificial satellites, unmanned space probes, and human spaceflight, between the United States and the Soviet Union
The International Atomic Energy Agency was established with the longstanding vision to deter nuclear warfare and reigning in on their development across the world. IAEA’s ultimate aim is to ensure safe development of nuclear technology across nations.
India has been victim of terrorism for more than 50 years, and the maximum percentage of financing of terrorism emanate from across the borders. The terror attack of 26/11 on Mumbai shook the roots of India. About 166 people died including 20 security force personnel and 26 foreign nationals.
Terrorism exposes a region to outside threats in more ways than one. It renders the people residing in that place as vulnerable to external threats. And who is more vulnerable in this world than women and children,s uch as the case of human trafficking in Kashmir.
Heraclitus aptly said that nothing is permanent except change, one can relate to this dictum now more than ever. Change and evolution is the key principle that governs the dynamic existence of the world, more or less controlled by the social animal driven by economic and political motives.
The Internet has become the second life of every person. This is possible because of open access to the Internet and a remarkably cheap cost to enter cyberspace. The sheer scale and reach of the Internet has made it a powerful weapon.
As I had reckoned once from a 2019 case, a 19-year-old had first gained universal attention when she was seen pleading, through television and newspaper interviews, to return to the UK, who, then a mere 15-year-old, had left East London for Syria to travel with the ISIS.
With diplomatic talks seemingly stalled and the battle of the giants intensifying, let’s look at the current Ukrainian crisis that has the potential of igniting a confrontation with echoes of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Public diplomacy can be understood as activities undertaken by a country in order to favourably influence the public of foreign nations and the international community at large, to its foreign policy and goals. It aims at creating an image and reputation which projects the nation in a positive light.
The announcement changed the geopolitical dynamics for India. Indian Parliament erupted with thunderous applause. By granting political asylum to His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, India had overnight become an undeniable part of China’s Tibet issue.
Seychelles is a strategically important country for India. Though the country is small in size, its location is of geostrategic importance, and India should develop its bilateral relations with Seychelles to counter the Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This article deals with Indo-Seychelles Relations and its future in IOR.
Can you imagine the world which is full of vibrant color diversity , it is disheartening that across this spectrum too many women speak the language of silence ?
Seychelles and India, both with their historical, cultural and geo-political links could mutually benefit one another. Indian Ocean security and China’s overarching expansionism could be tackled if both Republic of Seychelles and India cooperate.
An upgrade to the Look East Policy, which was conceptualized to increase economic growth and India’s engagement with South-East Asia in 1991, is the Act East Policy (AEP), implemented in 2014 with the objective of scoping and detailing the potential of improving the industrial growth of the North-East region of India while developing a strategic relationship with the extensive neighborhood of the Asia-Pacific region.
It’s surprising how an act of self immolation by a local street vendor in a small town in Tunisia ignited the mass anti-government protests all over the middle east. Almost after a decade of the fiercest fire in the country, the crowds are back on the streets.
To guarantee that the India-Taiwan relationship is dependable and strong, these endeavors ought to be driven by uplifting objectives, for example, setting up assembling supply chains, developing a South Asia Silicon Valley, or essentially running after profoundly established financial reliance, instead of being inspired by any danger presented by central area China.
India's verifiable record on women’s rights—or rather, women's oppression—makes it improbable to quickly and viably take on a FFP system. Male centric qualities are so profoundly imbued inside Indian culture that India has scarcely figured out how to achieve an adjustment of the arrangement of disparity at home.
When we talk about migrant smuggling, it is a transnational crime that has multiple facets attached to it. United Nations has talked about it in detail and has a specific treaty that covers this aspect which was introduced as early as the 2000
When we talk about cyberspace of any country it highlights one particular grey area in the field of law wherein the legal issues as well as various aspects are still something that have not been developed to a great extent.
RCEP is a trade pact between 10 member ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) along with New Zealand, China, Japan, and Australia and South Korea that was launched in 2012. India in 2019 pulled out of the pact calling the 15-nation pact unsatisfactory.
Indo-Pacific is one of the most important concepts being discussed among the world’s diplomatic and strategic community. The origin of the term is contested but it became popular in the global strategic lexicon after former US President, Donald Trump used it at the 2017 APEC Summit.
Partnering with France and Germany will provide India to strengthen multilateralism to its core.
Initiated by P.V. Narasimha Rao & Government in the early 1990s, the Look East Policy aimed to promote and ensure economic and strategic relations of India with the East and the Southeast Asian nations.
Once people get the wings to fly, then Kashmir will make even greater contributions to India’s economy.
According to the great philosopher Thomas Hobbes, the innovations created by the human race for the betterment of the world can also be used to create instability. This is very apt in the case of drone technology.
With a radical shift in its foreign policy, Sweden became the first nation to publicly adopt what it termed as “a feminist foreign policy” in 2015.
It has been 7 years since Sweden adopted its landmark Feminist Foreign Policy, making it the first country in the world to introduce intersectional feminist perspective and gender equality at the centre of its diplomatic agenda.
Problem of human trafficking not only makes India more vulnerable to security concerns but also makes it a country with a plethora of human rights violations and unsafe territories for women and children.
The great new Afghan game has begun, and the best way forward for India and Russia would be to take heed of their common interests and work collectively in pursuit of them.
Kashmir has been a historically conflicted region for more than half a century now, in recent memory.
India along with BRICS is simply accomplishing the running development behaviors like business-to-business (B2B) , people-to-people (P2P) and government-to-government (G2G) relations.
With advancing instability in Afghanistan and imminent threats to stability in Central Asia, India has become all the more critical to realize its strategic interests and investments in the region.
We can relate Act East Policy with the Pitchers Game - Save the energy, shoot the effective policies and regulate the power within situation/ time.
Marxist theories serve as an essential counterbalance to realist theories that emphasize the dependence of world politics on the struggle for security, economic resources, and military power.
“Foreign policy is about finding the common meeting points. Where do our interests converge and how much? We have to sit and talk with every country. It’s our ongoing effort” — (PM Narendra Modi in conversation with Times Now)
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations is often recognized as the foundation of successful international relations. It gives foreign officials the protection they need to perform their obligations as the Head of State's envoy. Although officials' rights and privileges are not unconditional, they might be surrendered under specific circumstances.
Soft power has shaped India's foreign policy and behavior. India's soft power assets are not of recent origin, but there is increasing activism to use those assets effectively.
"The Blue Economy:10 years, 100 innovations, 100 million jobs." The World Bank describes Blue Economy as "the sustainable use of oceanic resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health".
After the end of World War II and the subsequent independence of India, the two Asian democracies have embarked upon a journey of trust, cooperation and active diplomacy, which has been reiterated by repetitive high-level visits from both the countries and numerous economic and cultural exchanges.
During the past few years, the strategic and economic relevance of the Indo-Pacific has been attracting the attention of the whole world. But what constitutes the term 'Indo-Pacific'?
The Sundarbans is a region located in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, covers a total area of 10,000 square km. spread across India and Bangladesh.
India and Japan share a deep historical-cultural relation due to Buddhism. Both nations fought the second world war on the rival position.
The bilateral ties of India and Japan make for an interesting paradox in the realm of international relations.
For decades, uneasy governance has prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), wrecked by incessant military incursions, terrorist attacks and police curfews. J&K was promised to be involved in the mainstream of Indian politics to safeguard it from falling into foreign hands, with the abrogation of Article 370.
Competition, disagreements, and conflicts of interest are unavoidable in both human and international interactions. In the past, these conflicts have frequently devolved into bloodshed in order to achieve competitive advantages, change governments, or end a war.
The new Drone regulations 2021 has embarked the country on a journey towards making user-friendly laws regarding Aviation.
Cyber espionage is an activity of intrusion via cyberspace with the intent of non-authorised exploiting or spying upon , digitally protected data of the other party. At international levels, cyber espionage can be performed by both state and non-state actors and follows no boundary limitations.
Disinformation is a subset of propaganda and is false information that is spread deliberately to deceive. It is also known as black propaganda.
Understanding the political narrative being pushed by ISIS on Indian Muslims and individual cases, along with their histories, community connections and habits as single entities, which is a traditional approach to counter-terror theories remains the most effective way to decode a threat as dynamic as ISIS.
By- Vivek Ranaut INTRODUCTION With economic and strategic interests getting involved in the Bay of Bengal as part of geopolitics, BIMSTEC as a capable sub-regional group is getting much attention recently. This produces an opportunity for India to renew its strategy regarding BIMSTEC. To compete with China, India has to …
– By Kritika Subba – 4th Year Student, Symbiosis Law School Pune, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) Abstract India and Nepal share a peace friendly border which has benefitted from its bilateral treaty (Free Trade Agreement) which has ensured a free flow of goods. Although FTA is beneficial for developing countries …
– By Narayani Khanna Abstract Indian leaders, in various meetings, have spoken about, debated upon and revised India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). The country’s trade relations with other nations and regional groups have been subject to constant change but there has been a common thread in all these discussions which …
– By Kinley The future is all about science and technology. Whether we want or not our world will be driving into the digital world. We have got an opportunity to witness in real, where the millions of people around the world lives in their home and everything such as …
– By Trisha Shreyanshi Abstract: The year 2020 had been a rough year for almost all business entities. Startups are one such category that have lesser funding, man power and recognition, thus, they are always in dire need of support. The much awaited budget of 2021-22 was anticipated to safeguard …
– By Tanya Agarwal (Penultimate Year Student at Amity Law School Delhi, GGSIP University) – By Tanya Patwal (Penultimate Year Student at Amity Law School Delhi, GGSIP University) ABSTRACT When India declared its initiative of delivering paracetamols and hydroxychloroquine and later gift the two made in India vaccines to multiple …
– By Shailja Khoshla ABSTRACT The days when the dictionary of time had the nations under the pre-modern graph , India for specific ambitions of its rulers or broad great good of national interest , though the national interest involving an interaction-negotiation at multiplied aspects at political , economic , …
– By Pranav Menon– Research Scholar, Centre For Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Introduction In his work, Regional Trade Agreements and the Poverty Agenda, Lim seeks to analyse the intersectionalities with the General System of Preferences (GSP) scheme under Article XIX GATT and the rapid proliferation of …
– By Mauli Tiwari – School of Military Affairs, Strategy and Logistics, RRU, Gujarat The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a comprehensive free trade agreement being negotiated between the ten ASEAN member states and ASEAN’s free trade agreement (FTA) partners namely Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand. …
– By Esha Sharma Appellate Body crisis The news about WTO Appellate Body in crisis surfaced recently which has now become the cause of concern for many countries, particularly countries of the developing world. This situation came when the United States refused to appoint new members to the Appellate Body …
– By Ashish Gosain – The Author is an Intellectual Property and Legal practitioner and a PhD scholar in Science Policy at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New-Delhi. Ever since the impetus on economic globalization began, a key aspect of the Trade and Technology debate has been the creation of capabilities in …
– By Yogitha Jammula December, 2019, Corona Virus Disease identified. A domino fell. January 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declares the outbreak of COVID-19 as Public Health Emergency of International Concern. March 2020, COVID-19 declared a pandemic [i] The world as we knew, locked down. Sanitizers, masks, social distancing became the new normal. Health sectors …
– By Rohith Sai Stambamkadi “We better sweat for peace than bleed in war” – Vijay Laxmi Pandit First female president of United Nations, Former Indian Ambassador to United Nations. If one would be encased with definitions of feminism in dictionaries and philosophical understandings of various scholarship, the surrounding and critical …
Author – Dr. Subramanyam Jaishankar; External Affairs Minister (EAM) of India, Former Diplomat – By Rohith Sai Stambamkadi “Whether we like the direction of events or not, it does not make them less real” – An extract from the book in the chapter “The Lessons of Awadh, The Dangers of Strategic …
onducted a total of five underground nuclear tests, breaking a 24-year self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing. Pakistan followed, claiming 5 tests on May 28, 1998, and an additional test on May 30. The unannounced tests created a global storm of criticism, as well as a serious setback for decades of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts in South Asia. On May 13, 1998, President Clinton imposed economic and military sanctions on India, mandated by Section 102 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), and applied the same sanctions to Pakistan on May 30. Some effects of the sanctions on India included: termination of $21 million in FY1998 economic development assistance; postponement of $1.7 billion in lending by the International Financial Institutions (IFI), as supported by the Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial nations; prohibition on loans or credit from U.S. banks to the government of India; and termination of Foreign Military Sales under the Arms Export Control Act. Humanitarian assistance, food, or other agricultural commodities are excepted from sanctions under the law. 
The first ministerial level meeting of QUAD was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before this, the QUAD had
AusIndEx is an exercise between India and Australia which was first held in 2015.The Australian 
On recommendations of the Japanese government, the four countries met at Manila, Philippines for ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) originally, but also ended up having a meeting of what we call the first meeting of four nation states on issues of 
On his official visit to India, Japanese PM Mr. Shinzo Abe reinforced the ties of two nations, i.e., Japan and India with his famous speech about 
In 2007, Japanese President Shinzo Abe resigned from his post citing health reasons. This had a significant impact on QUAD as he was the architect & advocate of QUAD. His successor, Yasuo Fukuda, did not take up QUAD with such zeal leading to dormancy of the forum. (
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tōhoku Earthquake, was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake which struck below the floor of the Western Pacific at 2:49 PM. The powerful earthquake affected the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, and also initiated a series of large tsunami waves that devastated coastal areas of Japan, which also led to a major nuclear accident. Japan received aid from India, US, Australia as well as other countries. US Navy aircraft carrier was dispatched to the area and Australia sent search-and-rescue teams. 
India and Australia signed the 
The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy was signed on 11 November, 2016 and came into force on 20 July, 2017 which was representative of strengthening ties between India and Japan. Diplomatic notes were exchanged between Dr. S. Jaishankar and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India. (
The foreign ministry
The Officials of QUAD member countries met in Singapore on November 15, 2018 for consultation on regional & global issues of common interest. The main discussion revolved around connectivity, sustainable development, counter-terrorism, maritime and cyber security, with the view to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the 
The 23rd edition of trilateral Malabar maritime exercise between India, US and Japan took place on 26 September- 04 October, 2019 off the coast of Japan. 
After the first ministerial level meeting of QUAD in September, 2019, the senior officials of US, Japan, India and Australia again met for consultations in Bangkok on the margins of the East Asia Summit. Statements were issued separately by the four countries. Indian Ministry of External Affairs said “In statements issued separately by the four countries, MEA said, “proceeding from the strategic guidance of their Ministers, who met in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly recently, the officials exchanged views on ongoing and additional practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, and security matters, including counterterrorism, cyber and maritime security, with a view to promoting peace, security, stability, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held on 18 December, 2019, in Washington DC. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper will host Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of Defense Shri Rajnath Singh. The discussion focussed on deepening bilateral strategic and defense cooperation, exchanging perspectives on global developments, and our shared leadership in the Indo-Pacific region.The two democracies signed the Industrial Security Annex before the 2+2 Dialogue. Assessments of the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Indian Ocean region in general were shared between both countries. (
The foreign ministers of QUAD continued their discussions from the last ministerial level meeting in 2019, on 6 October, 2020. While there was no joint statement released, all countries issued individual readouts. As per the issue readout by India, the discussion called for a coordinated response to the challenges including financial problems emanating from the pandemic, best practices to combat Covid-19, increasing the resilience of supply chains, and enhancing access to affordable vaccines, medicines and medical equipment. There was also a focus on maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region amidst growing tensions. Australian media release mentions “We emphasised that, especially during a pandemic, it was vital that states work to ease tensions and avoid exacerbating long-standing disputes, work to counter disinformation, and refrain from malicious cyberspace activity. Ministers reiterated that states cannot assert maritime claims that are inconsistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”
On September 24, President Biden hosted Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan at the White House for the first-ever in-person Leaders’ Summit of the QUAD. The leaders released a Joint Statement which summarised their dialogue and future course of action. The regional security of the Indo-Pacific and strong confidence in the ASEAN remained on the focus along with response to the Pandemic. 
The QUAD Vaccine Partnership was announced at the first QUAD Summit on 12 March 2021 where QUAD countries agreed to deliver 1.2 billion vaccine doses globally. The aim was to expand and finance vaccine manufacturing and equipping the Indo-Pacific to build resilience against Covid-19. The launch of a senior-level QUAD Vaccine Experts Group, comprised of top scientists and officials from all QUAD member governments was also spearheaded. 
Although the Tsunami Core group had to be disbanded on fulfilment of its purpose, however the quadrilateral template that formed remained intact as a successful scaffolding of four countries, as stated by authors Patrick Gerard Buchan and Benjamin Rimland in their diplomatic brief about QUAD ( you can access the brief at 
Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that the Core Tsunami Group was to be disbanded and folded and clubbed with the broader United Nations led Relief Operations. In a Tsunami Relief Conference in Jakarta, Secretary Powell stated that 
Soon after the Earthquake and Tsunami crisis, humanitarian reliefs by countries, viz., US, India, Japan, and Australia started to help the 13 havoc-stricken countries. The US initially promised $ 35 Millions in aid. However, on 29
At 7:59AM local time, an earthquake of 9.1 magnitude (undersea) hit the coast of Sumatra, an Indonesian island. As a result of the same, massive waves of Tsunami triggered by the earthquake wreaked havoc for 7 hours across the Indian Ocean and to the coastal areas as far away as East Africa. The infamous Tsunami killed around 225,000 people, with people reporting the height of waves to be as high as 9 metres, i.e., 30 feet. Indonesia, Srilanka, India, Maldives, Thailand sustained horrendously massive damage, with the death toll exceeding 200,000 in Northern Sumatra’s Ache province alone. A great many people, i.e., around tens of thousands were found dead or missing in Srilanka and India, mostly from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of Indian territory. Maldives, being a low-lying country, also reported casualties in hundreds and more, with several non-Asian tourists reported dead or missing who were vacationing. Lack of food, water, medicines burgeoned the numbers of casualties, with the relief workers finding it difficult to reach the remotest areas where roads were destroyed or civil war raged. Long-term environmental damage ensued too, as both natural and man-made resources got demolished and diminished.