MH Rajesh wonders when it comes to China’s New Silk Route why Pakistan was originally not projected in the Silk Route plans and that China chose another vehicle for investments in Pakistan — the CPEC. However, during Chinese Permier Xi’s recent visit to Pakistan one could glean the overlaps in the CPEC and the Silk Route.
Will ISIS’ Caliphate Die with its ‘Big Daddy’?
Dr Adil Rasheed, Senior Research Fellow at the USI, writes: As there is no Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark, then perversely can there be an ISIS Caliphate without its Caliph Ibrahim? That is the question. As ISIS is losing ground in war and its interim head Abu Alaa Al Afri is said to favor close relations with Al-Qaeda, will ISIS think of foregoing its claim to a Caliphate. In order to come closer to its parent organization, ISIS may have to reconsider asking Al-Qaeda leaders to swear the mandatory allegiance to its new leader-cum-Caliph.
India’s Post-Earthquake Response to Nepal: One of its Quickest and Most Extensive Relief Operations
In one of its quickest and most extensive responses to an international emergency, India flew in rescue teams, medical supplies and relief material to Nepal where the death toll in the weekend’s earthquake has already crossed 3,000.
USI Conducts Strategic Planning Exercise for Foreign Diplomats
USI in collaboration with Foreign Service Institute (FSI) conducted a Strategic Planning Exercise on 9 April 2015 for foreign diplomats attending a Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD).
THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT: GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
Col Pamidi writes: While Iran has accepted limits on its enrichment levels and centrifuge numbers to prevent the accumulation of weapons-grade material for a decade or more, its right to enrich uranium would be enshrined as a result of the agreement.
Armed Forces Need to Learn from the CDA(O) Hack and Protect their Critical Information
Sanjeev Relia writes: The Times of India newspaper recently reported that the Controller of Defence Accounts (officers) website at Pune had been hacked into and sensitive data about Indian Army officers had been stolen. A quick check of the web page shows that the hacker had defaced the website too. This instance highlights India’s poor preparedness poorly in protecting sensitive information against new methods of surveillance and espionage, particularly in the cyber domain.