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. 2

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.