VIF Papers
Chinese Quest for Space Supremacy: Implications for India and the World

In a stunning demonstration of its growing prowess in the cutting edge space research and technology, on June 11, a Chinese Long March-2F rocket successfully launched the longest ever manned Chinese mission with its second woman astronaut among the crew.

Present State of Insurgency, Extremist Violence & Terrorism in Pakistan

General State actors in Pakistan have pursued a policy of employing irregulars as instruments to further their political and military objectives ever since the state came into being in 1947. It first used irregulars to invade the then princely state of Jammu & Kashmir soon after India’s partition. Click here to read full Paper

Chinese Intelligence : From a Party Outfit to Cyber Warriors

Whatever yardstick we choose to apply – size of the economy and its rate of growth, military hardware and pace of modernisation, stability of the polity and the government; size, population and geo-political setting – China qualifies for a major power status. Click here to read full Paper

Maoist Insurgency in India: Impending Escalation and Dimensions of The State’s Armed Response

Resurgence of Maoist Violence Since the mid-2011 or so, the intensity of Maoist insurgency had somewhat been less spectacular as compared to the preceding years. Indeed, there had been many Maoist-Police encounters during this time, mostly in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, but the frequency of such incidents had shown a definite downslide. Click here to read full Paper

India Internal Security Challenges and Responses

Kautilya wrote in the Arthashastra that a state could be at risk from four different kinds of threats – internal, external, externally-aided internal and internally-aided external. The internal security scenario in India has a mix of all the shades of threats visualized by Kautilya. It is indeed a dismal scenario. Click here to read full Paper

Alternate Perceptions of India: Arguing for a Counter Narrative

Introduction Descriptions of India and of Hindus that have assumed a dominant position in the discourse on Indian civilisation and culture have mostly been those which have distorted the perception of India. Written and expounded with a clear objective of undermining the Indian self-image and self-estimation, these portrayals of India’s traditions and life are the ones which have largely influenced and shaped the understanding of India not only among generations of colonial administrators who came to India but among Indians themselves.

Contamination of Water Resources and Associated Health Hazards: The Need of a Safe Water Policy and Proper Institutional Response with Special Reference to India

Abstract In this research paper the author has discussed the different aspects of water borne diseases, their impact on human health and means for ensuring safe drinking water in the country. Water borne diseases are a big burden on developing countries like India. The availability of safe drinking water would be a grave challenge for the government as the population of our country is rising sharply, and as per some estimates, by 2025 half of the nation’s population would be residing in urban areas.

The Role of Ballistic Missile Defence in The Emerging India-China Strategic Balance

India and China have been pursuing essentially a two pronged strategy in Asia, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. On the one hand, they are engaged in a growing economic partnership with a moderating influence on the strategic competition. On the other hand, they have been relentless in their pursuit of a militarily advantageous position in the region. The equation, however, is not comparable, with India having to account for Pakistan, while China has to contend with a US-Taiwan partnership.

Unblocking of NATO Supply Routes By Pakistan: Logistics or Plain Politics?

The flow of oil through NATO's Pakistani supply lines is due to resume soon, one year after the attack by NATO troops on the Pakistani outpost at Salala. The decision comes after the first two test-run tankers passed safely through the Torkham crossing in the beginning of November, 2012. Earlier the logistical supply lines, but not the oil supply lines, were opened in July, 2012.

Political Analysis of Election Possibilities in Pakistan

Yet Another Turning Point? Every general election in Pakistan has been viewed with a mixture of trepidation and hope and hence invariably touted as a critical turning point in that country’s history. Full Paper in pdf format is available here

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