Articles

Neighborhood News Digest- 17 January 2024

Afghanistan

Wakhan Corridor officially connects Afghanistan to China: Taliban- The Khama Press

A report from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province confirms that Afghanistan is now officially linked to China via the Badakhshan pr....

January 17, 2024 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Pakistan , US , China , Army , Maldives , Sri Lanka , Afghanistan , Terrorism , Bhutan , CPEC , Bangladesh , Taliban , Imran Khan , EU , Tourism , Taxes , EEZ , Rohingyas , China-Nepal , Foreign loan , Tea Trade , Sagaing , Maldives-China Tourism , Male Mayor elections.

Neighborhood News Digest – 1 August 2023

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Taliban burn ‘immoral’ musical instruments BBC

The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music "causes moral corruption". Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment ....

August 01, 2023 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Pakistan , Nepal , Army , Bhutan , sanctions , BRICS , elections , Taliban , US Sanctions , Inflation , Shehbaz Sharif , Blast , Electricity , Maldives-US , Wheat Quota , Land Connectivity , Bank Notes

Pakistan: Between the Devil and the Khaki

Brig (retd) Rahul Bhonsle Commentary

Under exceptional circumstances, Pakistan’s top courts – the Supreme Court of Pakistan [SCP] and the Islamabad High Court [IHC] intervened to provide relief to former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Mr. Imran Khan on two....

May 13, 2023 Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan , Commentary , Army , Imran Khan , Bajwa , Political Crisis , Judiciary , Bhutto

Neighborhood News Digest – 21 April 2023

Afghanistan

Taliban recognition not a focus of Afghanistan meeting, says UN - Aljazeera

A UN-convened meeting on Afghanistan next month will not focus on the possible international recognition of the Taliban administration, a UN s....

April 21, 2023 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , India , Pakistan , China , Nepal , Army , Maldives , Myanmar , Afghanistan , Bhutan , President , election , IMF , UN , Rohingyas , Punjab elections , tourists , Bilawal Bhutto , Bangladesh-India , Bangladesh-Japan , SCO. Sri Lanka , ATB.

A Perspective on Defence Budget 2023-24

Amit Cowshish Article

At Rs 5,93,538, the overall defence budget for the financial year (FY) 2023-24 is one of the largest constituents of the union budget, trailing behind interest payments (Rs 10,79,971 crore) and capital expenditure (Rs 10,09,961 crore). This sounds pr....

February 13, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Article , Army , Defence budget , DRDO , Air Force , GDP , Border Roads Organisation , Capital expenditure , revenue

India’s Defence Budget 2023-24

Laxman Kumar Behera Commentary

Presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 before the Parliament on February 01, the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, allocated Rs 5.94 lakh crore—about US$72 billion—to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). While allocating the new budget for the MoD, th....

February 07, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Commentary , Army , Air Force , Revenue budget , Navy , capital expenditure defence budget

Neighborhood News Digest – 16 January 2023

Afghanistan

Uzbekistan Halts Power Supply to Afghanistan: DABS – Tolo News

The country’s power distributor, Da Afghanistan Bereshna Sherkat, said on Sunday that the imported electricity from Uzbekistan has been disconnected du....

January 16, 2023 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Pakistan , Nepal , Army , national security , Sri Lanka , Afghanistan , Bhutan , elections , Bangladesh , Taliban , Nuclear energy , NUG , Nepal-China , India-Myanmar , Nepal India , Bhutan India , Tamils , Afghanistan Economy , US-RAB , Bhutan China , Arms Trade , Cambodia-Maldives , Pakistan China

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - November 18, 2022

Afghanistan

Participants at Moscow Format Release Joint Statement: Tolo News

The participants of the Moscow Format discussed the current situation in Afghanistan with an emphasis on regional security, military-political stabil....

November 18, 2022 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , China , Army , economy , Afghanistan , Bhutan , OIC , IMF , Floods , Moscow Format , Debt Sustainability , AOSSG , Nepal election , Nepal Balance of Payment , Hydroelectric Project

Growing Prowess of TTP amidst Negotiations

Soumya Awasthi Article

After a decade and a half long rift between the Pakistan government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and several failed peace treaties, the two sides again attempted an uneasy truce in June 2022 to prevent further bloodshed by having a "three....

September 07, 2022 Neighbourhood Studies , Pakistan , Article , China , Army , Afghanistan , Taliban , Al Qaeda , ISI , Central Asian history , negotiation , ETIM , Shura , Taliban Pakistan , Peace Talk , Muslim Khan , Waziristan

Transforming-transformation into neo-Army

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

The essence of transformation in the military is to create a marked change in its character or form – mostly for the better, and moving away from the legacy systems. Normally this transforming transformation perspective is relevant to ‘how we wil....

May 31, 2022 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Commentary , Army , AIAC , Recruitable Male Population (RMP) , regiments