| Title: | When Wildfires Close Borders: Tatopani, Trade and Climate Risk |
| Author/s: | Harsh Mahaseth |
| Abstract: | The temporary closure of the Tatopani border following a massive wildfire in China’s Nyalam-Khasa corridor may seem like an isolated environmental incident. However, it exposes deeper vulnerabilities in Nepal-China trade. With the Rasuwagadhi crossing already closed after the July 2025 floods, Tatopani had become the main overland trade route, leaving hundreds of containers stranded and supply chains disrupted. The closure highlights Nepal’s heavy reliance on a few fragile Himalayan corridors and the power asymmetry in border management, as decisions on reopening are largely controlled by the Chinese side. Beyond immediate disruptions, the incident also highlights how climate volatility is becoming a structural factor in Himalayan connectivity, complicating trade diversification efforts and revealing the absence of institutionalised Nepal-China mechanisms to manage cross-border environmental risks. |
| Date: | 19 January 2026 |
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| Title: | India’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2026: Leadership in Times of Global Uncertainty |
| Author/s: | Amit Ranjan |
| Abstract: | As the BRICS chair in 2026, India bears a significant responsibility to demonstrate leadership in navigating an increasingly uncertain global political environment. |
| Date: | 19 January 2026 |
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| Title: | India’s Energy Security Challenge: Diversifying Crude Oil Imports |
| Author/s: | Amitendu Palit |
| Abstract: | Prices of India’s crude oil imports are increasing as the Iranian conflict intensifies. India needs to look for diversification options, including from the United States, Australia and Canada. |
| Date: | 19 January 2026 |
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| Title: | Khaleda Zia’s Political Legacy: Rule, Confrontation and Polarisation |
| Author/s: | Imran Ahmed |
| Abstract: | Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, died on 30 December 2025. A pivotal figure in the country’s political life since the early 1980s, she played a significant role in shaping Bangladesh’s two-party system and the trajectory of opposition politics. Her legacy, however, is inseparable from the deep polarisation that has defined Bangladeshi politics for decades. It was forged as much through prolonged confrontation with the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina as through her efforts to consolidate the Bangladesh Nationalist Party as a durable national opposition force. |
| Date: | 9 January 2026 |
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| Title: | The Political Spillover of Sports: New Low in India-Bangladesh Ties |
| Author/s: | Amit Ranjan |
| Abstract: | Despite engagements on several issues, India-Bangladesh ties have touched a new low. The release of Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League 2026 edition has strained cricketing ties and created a new friction point between the two countries. |
| Date: | 7 January 2026 |
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| Title: | Subsea Cables in the Indo-Pacific: Advancing Indo-French Cooperation |
| Author/s: | Anirudh Suri |
| Abstract: | India and France are at the cusp of a fruitful and productive partnership in the subsea cable domain by leveraging France’s industrial strength and technical expertise, and India’s dynamic market, strategic geography and investment appetite. |
| Date: | 6 January 2026 |
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| Title: | Passing of Khaleda Zia: Relations with India and Regional Legacy |
| Author/s: | C Raja Mohan |
| Abstract: | The passing of Khaleda Zia and the political eclipse of Sheikh Hasina mark the end of an era in Bangladeshi politics and open the door to a generational transition with important domestic and regional consequences. As Bangladesh approaches elections amid deep domestic churn, New Delhi hopes to reset a relationship that has sharply deteriorated since the ouster of Hasina in 2024. |
| Date: | 5 January 2026 |
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| Title: | Rushing Through Critical Legislations: Erosion of Parliamentary Scrutiny in India |
| Author/s: | Ronojoy Sen |
| Abstract: | The winter session of the Indian parliament witnessed important pieces of legislation being passed in haste and without any committee scrutiny. It confirmed a decade-long trend that has undermined the parliamentary committee system. |
| Date: | 5 January 2026 |
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