Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) is an annual military-diplomatic initiative undertaken by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) since 2017. A joint task force comprising all three components of ADF — Land, Air, and Naval- visits over 13 countries across Indo-Pacific Region. This is a mammoth exercise with a whole of government approach…

Since 2019, every year, the Finance Minister of India (Finmin) presents finance budget in the house of representatives (Lok Sabha). …

In the ancient Indian philosophical system, there are fourteen primary knowledge sources — the four Vedas, six Vedangs, Puranas, Meemamsa, Nyaya sastras and Dharmashastras. Among four Vedas — Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda — Dhanurveda is, a upaveda (applied knowledge), associated with Yajurveda. It was composed between 1100–800 BCE and deals…

Sun Zi, a prominent Chinese military general from 6th Century B.C (512 B.C, in his military treatise the “Art of War” wrote that “ Warfare is all about deception” and it is better to “Mystify, Mislead and Surprise your Enemy’’, then attack. …

Introduction The political and security situation in Papua New Guinea continues to remain tense amid financial crisis resulting from a decade of economic mismanagement under the previous government, witch-hunting of political rivals, the institutionalisation of corruption, tribal wars in the resource-rich highlands, and free run of organised crime groups in…

The seventy-two year-long Ethno-nationalist insurgency led by over twenty insurgent groups against the Myanmar government remains inconclusive, due to military’s implicit political interests, and the continuation of ethnopolitical ambitions by ethnic rebel groups. Since its independence in 1948 from British colonial rule, the Myanmar state remains challenged from various ethnic…

Military Formation: 3 types of Soldiers: Paharis (Guardsmen), Banuas (Offensive fire party), Dhenkiyas (Expeditionary Infantry Force, armed with the sword, shield, and archery) 3 types of Infantry soldiers: Itikars (Lance Bearer), Dhanuki (Archers), Phadikares (Swordsman) “Itikars and Dhanukis were Mountain warfare specialists” The infantry soldiers in Odisha were classified into…

Twenty years later, in 303 B.C, when Seleukos Nikator, the conqueror, one of Alexander’s generals who had become king of Western Asia by then entered Punjab, faced a defeat from Chandragupta Maurya. This was the first time when a foreign army of importance was defeated in a full-scale battle. Chandragupta’s…

In his 2007 speech to the august house of Indian parliamentarians, Japanese President Shinzo Abe was first to moot the idea of “Confluence of Two Oceans” taking a leaf from the book “The confluence of two Oceans” (Majma-ul-Bahrayn) compiled by the Mughal Prince Dara Shukoh in 1655. The confluence continued…