Neighbourhood Studies
Bamiyan Buddhas and Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage

In Afghanistan, Buddhist cave temples are concentrated in three regions: Jalalabad (180 caves), Haibak (200 caves) and Bamiyan (1000 caves).[1] The Bamiyan Buddhas are part of a Buddhist site in Bamiya....

Why Culturally Pluralistic Nations in Nepal?

A sizeable chunk of the population in Nepal, including the Madheshis, Janajatis and Dalits have been raising their concerns about an identity crisis. They feel that they are not being treated equally by the state in the matter of their representation....

Pakistan in Flux- A bleak future ahead

“Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose” which means, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The quote poignantly underscores the precarious situation of Pakistan, as it teeters from one to crisis to another. Every year the trou....

India's Foreign Secretary Visit to Myanmar in December 2021

10 months after the military coup, India made its first outreach to Myanmar. The Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Shringla's visit in the month of December 2021 was a significant step. To discuss India's engagement with Myanmar and whether India shou....

Talk on "Recent Visit of Foreign Secretary to Myanmar and India-Myanmar Relations"

On 04 January 2022, the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk on "Recent Visit of Foreign Secretary to Myanmar and India-Myanmar Relations”. Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, gave the introductory remarks followed by Amb Rajiv Bh....

IPIS-VIF Dialogue on Latest Developments in Afghanistan

India and Iran share close historical and cultural links dating back to ancient times. In contemporary times, this relationship is multi-faceted and includes cooperation in political, trade-economic, security, and multiple other sectors. To assess th....

What to Expect from the First India-Central Asia Summit

Background
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the first-ever India-Central Asia Leaders Summit in a virtual format on January 27, 2022. This summit will bring together the heads of state of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, ....

The Himalayan Conundrum: Nepal and Bhutan in 2021

Nepal
The year 2021 can be surmised as a year of political upheavals, economic downfall, and geo-political uncertainties for Nepal. Also, when countries worldwide were engaged in making arrangements to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Nepal’....

Pakistan’s National Security Policy 2022-26: Some New Elements but No Shift on India

The Imran Khan government has produced the country’s first ever National Security Policy (NSP) document that outlines Pakistan’s approach to national security and provides guidance to the government departments. A public version of the document h....

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