Volume 10, Issue 1 (January 2026)

The rapid proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is redefining the
character of modern warfare, shaping both tactical engagements and strategic
doctrines. Once limited to surveillance and reconnaissance, drones have evolved into
decisive tools for precision strikes, logistics, and electronic warfare. Their accessibility
to both state and non-state actors disrupts traditional power asymmetries, lowers the
threshold of conflict, and complicates deterrence frameworks. At the same time, the
growing vulnerability of ground forces, infrastructure, and conventional air assets has
accelerated the development of counter-drone measures, including layered air defences,
electronic warfare, directed-energy systems, and swarm-disruption technologies.
The interplay between drone proliferation and counter-drone innovation highlights
an emerging doctrinal race, where adaptability and resilience rival technological
superiority in importance. This paper argues that the rise of drones and counter-drone
strategies represents not merely a tactical adjustment but a fundamental strategic
transformation, making mastery of this domain essential to national security in the
twenty-first century.
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The Siliguri Corridor—India’s strategic “Chicken’s Neck”—functions as a crucial
yet vulnerable land connection between mainland India and its northeastern regions.
The corridor, measuring only 22–27 miles at its narrowest point, lies amid Nepal,
Bhutan, Bangladesh, and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, making it one of
South Asia’s most critical strategic chokepoints. This paper employs a qualitative
instrumental case study approach to analyse the corridor’s significance in India’s
national security, connectivity, and regional diplomacy. This article sheds light on
India’s evolving strategic reaction by utilising primary sources, including statements
from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs, parliamentary
records, official news releases by the Press Information Bureau, and reports from think
tanks like the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) or the Observer
Research Foundation (ORF). In addition, social media sources, particularly the
Twitter accounts of policymakers, analysts, and political figures, have been used
to understand personal viewpoints and emerging narratives that influence public
and strategic discourse surrounding the Siliguri Corridor. This submission also
highlights that India’s policy response towards this region integrates deterrence
and diversification, exemplified by the strengthening of the XXXIII Corps and
Hasimara Airbase, the advancement of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Project, and
participation in BIMSTEC and BBIN connectivity to advance its Act East policy.
The study concludes that the Siliguri Corridor epitomises the intersection of India’s
defence imperatives and regional diplomacy, influencing India’s quest for security and
connectivity within its broader Indo-Pacific agenda.
Keywords: Siliguri Corridor (Chicken’s Neck), Strategic Chokepoint, Act East
Policy, BIMSTEC and BBIN Connectivity, Indo-Pacific framework.

The ethnic violence of Manipur, which started in 2023, soon after the verdict of the
High Court regarding the Scheduled Tribe status of the Meiteis, has continued to
rage on. As of November 22, 2024, the conflict has claimed the lives of two hundred
and fifty-eight people, along with the displacement of approximately sixty thousand
individuals. The poems of Robin S. Ngangom reflect this tragic reality. This article
addresses Ngangom’s poetic engagement with the complex conflict breaking out
in his state, as he tries to understand what it takes to define a nation and what
purpose, if any, the violent insurgency serves. It highlights Ngangom’s criticism of
the Indian government for its heavy-handed treatment and its consistent efforts to
‘subjugate’ Manipur through military power. At the same time, the poet’s dismay
at the insurgents who have not hesitated to shed blood even of their own people, is
also brought out. The article attempts to show how Ngangom becomes a people’s
poet, exploring their sufferings, the uncertainty of their lives, as they are caught up
in the confrontation between the ‘centre’ and the ‘periphery’ that continues even in
independent India. Through all of the above, Ngangom’s struggles as a poet in a
chaotic period is explored. Poets from the northeast of India are often misunderstood,
and perhaps misjudged for their frank portrayal of violence, but Ngangom challenges
this misconception. The paper examines how the violence in Ngangom’s poetry has
become a vehicle for representing his state, in contrast to the mainstream narrative’s
efforts to either misrepresent Manipur or render it invisible. His poetic consciousness
strives to create a space that can oppose the overall oppressive regime.
Keywords: Ngangom, Manipur, nation, periphery, culture, conflict, poetic voice.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the use of AI and ML technologies
in policing, analysing technologies currently being experimented with or used by
police organisations in India and other jurisdictions. In the context of the history
of policing and contemporary global discussions on technology and ethics, the article
explores the proposal: “AI for Atma Rakshit Bharat”. The analysis of secondary
data identifies opportunities for improving how police create value - using AI, in
crime prevention and fraud detection, similar to so many other fields already today.
The challenges noted include developing appropriate ethical protocols, ensuring
algorithmic transparency, building capacity to create, and implementing a simplified
procurement process. The paper calls for caution with the “One Nation One Tool”
approach in AI/ML and argues for educating and training officers in collaboration
with the university sector to deliver just, wide-open and technology-enhanced policing
of the future.

Energy forms one of the ‘core’ national interests of China and each Party Congress has
laid heavy weight on it. From ‘energy revolution’ to ‘green development’, each Party
Congress has given a clarion call for the development of the energy field in China.
China’s energy policy structure involves its Five-Year Plans, energy laws and Party
congresses. This paper discusses the energy issue discussed in the Party Congresses,
not as an event but as a process. Since the arrival of Xi Jinping at the helm of affairs,
China’s Party Congresses have coincided with various other global events like the
BRI initiative, the COVID pandemic, the Ukraine war, amongst others, which
have unwittingly influenced China’s goals and policies. How will the ‘energy issue’
be influenced by these events, and what will the Party Congresses maintain as a goal
post for the energy issue shall be analysed here.
The paper has a hypothesis that core national interests like energy, determine the
narratives of the Party Congresses. Whether this is true or it is actually the Party
Congress that determines the future course of actions on national interest issues like
energy shall be discussed. The paper also has a hypothesis that since becoming the
President, Xi Jinping, as an individual leader, holds more power over the collective
members of the Party Congresses. Is the charisma of Xi Jinping long-lasting, or is it
that it is the influence of the Party Congress which affects the decision-making of Xi
Jinping and hence allows him to stay in power? This question shall be analysed here.
Keywords: China, Energy, Party Congress, Xi Jinping, Politics, Issue

This paper examines India’s direct and indirect approaches to conflict resolution
in the present Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam. The paper reveals that the
direct approach encompassing counter-insurgency military operations under the
AFSPA enforcement has been effective in curbing immediate militant threats
but failed to address root causes, perpetuating violence and raising human rights
concerns. Conversely, an indirect approach has been adopted, which serves as a
more holistic means of ensuring peace and stability. To address the root causes of
conflict, governments have initiated three peace accords following the first BAC in
1993, the second BTC in 2003, and the third BTR in 2020. This third accord
fosters inclusivity and cultural pride via festivals and youth programs, often seen
as a mechanism for peace-building in the region. However, a question that remains
unanswered is whether the existing approaches to conflict resolution will, in reality,
ensure sustainable peace and security in the region.

The topic of outsiders or immigrants has emerged as a significant issue within
various movements occurring in Northeast India. Migration is a global phenomenon
influenced by numerous factors, and understanding the specific characteristics of
Nepalese migration to this region is crucial. The Nepalese, a migrant community from
Nepal, share similar cultural and religious values with many Indian communities.
Factors such as socio-economic and political challenges in Nepal, as well as the
opportunities that arose during British colonial rule, facilitated the migration of
Nepalese people, who settled mainly in Eastern and Northeastern India. Labelling
them as foreigners simply because of their Nepalese origin is misleading, especially
considering that many have lived in the region for three to four generations since the
British era. The migration of Nepalis, specifically the Gorkhas, began with military
enlistment and later expanded to common labourers and farmers from the mid-1850s
onward. There’s a growing sense of ethnic identity among the Nepalis, who prefer to
identify as Indian Gorkhas to mitigate political tensions associated with the label
“Nepalis.” This paper explores the movement, migration, and settlement patterns of
Nepalis in Northeast India, outlining their historical presence from colonial times to
the present.