Today, power is not simply quantified in terms of military or economic power, but it increasingly resides in the ability to shape knowledge and guide societal perceptions toward an understanding of reality. At every point on our planet, states and networks are using advanced tactics to drive public perception, well beyond the raw propaganda of yesteryear. Illustration by The Geostrata But rather than trying to prove one argument, these operations seek to push the larger conv

As the world has been becoming increasingly influenced by digital infrastructure, a rising trust gap is developing around global tech ecosystems. Countries are becoming increasingly cautious about the excessive use of Western or Chinese platforms  due to data colonisation, spying, and economic blackmail. Illustration by The Geostrata The concept of digital non-alignment has gained popularity: as geopolitical fault lines become more pronounced, the concept of developing sovere

Poppy cultivation in Pakistan has been a long-standing issue, intensely for decades. Yet, its involvement in the modern international drug trade began only in the 1970s. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 transformed Pakistan into a critical processor and transit corridor for narcotics. Cover by The Geostrata Although narcotics did not initiate the conflict in Afghanistan, the drug trade has both sustained and been sustained by the ongoing violence. This trade has str

The pattern is all too familiar. A jihadi group operating from Pakistani soil, with state backing, carries out a terror attack on India. If the assault is particularly atrocious, India suspends diplomatic engagement while mulling more punitive responses, including strikes on terror safe havens inside Pakistan and adopting more proactive security doctrines aiming to inflict high costs on state-sponsors of terrorism.  Illustration by The Geostrata Pakistan, fearing its deterren

Picture a harried executive trying to book a business trip to Singapore. She opens her laptop, tabs between airline websites, compares hotel prices, checks meeting schedules and rental car availability. Forty minutes later, having navigated a dozen interfaces and mentally converted time zones, she has cobbled together an itinerary. Now imagine her colleague doing the same task. He types a single sentence into an AI assistant: "Book me three nights in Singapore next month, nea

The democratic journey of India has never been static. From the first general elections of 1951–52 , when the votes for both the Union and state governments were cast simultaneously, to today’s multi-layered electoral calendar, the country has continuously adapted its democratic mechanisms to changing political and social realities. The proposal for One Nation One Election (ONOE) must be viewed within the broader context of democratic evolution. Illustration by The Geostrata

With the establishment of formal bilateral ties in 1951, both India and Myanmar have faced multiple crests and troughs in maintaining a steady balance of geopolitical interests, sailing through various coups, tension struggles and internal strife. India and Myanmar share a particularly sour relationship, wherein the effects of internal turbulence are seen on the emotional, social and economic aspects of the other. These include border tensions, immigrant management issues, re

Two weeks after the conclusion of COP30 in Belém, the distance allows for deeper reflection. As a performative cinephile who also happens to work in the climate arena, it felt almost inevitable that my COP30 reflections would wander through the shadowed corridors of Guillermo Del Toro’s latest sensational adaptation. Illustration by The Geostrata del Toro's reimagining of Frankenstein continues to resonate: a Creature seeking understanding and connection, whose tragedy stems

Every smartphone you tap, e very glass window you look through , and every road you drive or walk on has one common, silent but irreplaceable ingredient: sand. The world uses more than 50 billion tonnes of sand a year , the equivalent of building a wall 27 meters high and wide, surrounding the entire planet! Far from being an infinite source, high-purity silica sand is not a trivial and plentiful resource. Illustration by The Geostrata Rather, it's purified into silicon, wh

The Hindu epic Mahabharata is far more than just an epic poem featuring noble ideals, supernatural characters, and atrocious conflicts that end in a manufactured peace. It's not a moral and theological discourse built around a long story, as many academics would have us believe; it stands for the very contemporary notions of policy and diplomatic tactics that we see in the world today, and its lessons echo through our administrative institutions. Illustration by The Geostrata

“The winds of change are with us now.” When U.S. President George H.W. Bush spoke these words in 1991, he expressed hope for a " new world order ." The Cold War was about to end, and the ideological hostility between Moscow and Washington was receding. This seemed to suggest that a much more cooperative international security system might be possible, one in which nuclear dangers could be contained through ambitious arms control measures .  Illustration by The Geostrata With

Trade conversations between the United States and India often focus on tariffs and technicalities, but the two giant trading partners share a much larger concern . This is especially true in agriculture. Illustration by The Geostrata The US relies on large, export-oriented farms, whereas India’s agricultural sector is composed of millions of small farmers who require steady prices to survive. What looks like a policy conversation on paper becomes an argument about defending t

India has always been a land of many cultures ruled by various rulers who have passed on to us a complex set of traditions, ideas & thoughts. Many empires have coexisted on this land, which has led to the development of strong diplomatic relations, striking a combination of trade and military policies. It's time that we revisit our past and bridge it with the present.   Illustration by The Geostrata REDISCOVERING ANCIENT WISDOM THROUGH PROJECT UDBHAV India is on its way to re

Faith, an individual’s glimmer of hope in trying times, the solace one seeks, takes an ugly turn when the state takes charge. The state, in the name of religion, begins to play god, the moral compass shifts and the dual-edged sword of balancing faith and individual liberty takes the limelight. Illustration by The Geostrata Theocratic states have consistently been ranked amongst the least free  countries, receiving the lowest scores on civil liberties and political rights. His

The governments of India and the United Kingdom announced a landmark Free Trade Agreement with symmetry on 6 May 2025 and formally signed this agreement on 24 July 2025. Throughout this process, India’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) played a critical and often informal role in providing strategic coordination, direction, and oversight to the international significance of this event. Illustration by The Geostrata By illuminating the PMO’s role, we gain insight into how the hig

In the magnificent world of diplomacy, nations speak the language of friendship and trust, followed by the treaties, agreements, or pacts that promise solidarity, resilience, and cooperation. These pacts are signed and agreed upon in a spirit of warmth and confidence, marked by gestures of goodwill, photographs, and cordial handshakes; however, the dark truth lies deep in the shifting interests of nations. Illustration by The Geostrata History reveals the colder side of thes

History adorns itself with its oldest habit- hierarchy, and inequality, its most faithful shadow. One thing that remains constant with every civilisation, religion, and government is power imbalance, and whenever such imbalances strutted around too confidently, satire has emerged with sharpened words as a humbling weapon. Illustration by The Geostrata Particularly in the Indian context, where social, religious, and political stratification have long shaped the public imaginat

The Russia-Ukraine conflict of 2022 has triggered significant disruptions in the global value chain, particularly affecting the food and fuel sectors. Stemming from historical tensions and contemporary geopolitical dynamics, the conflict escalated, raising concerns about regional stability and global economic repercussions. Cover by The Geostrata This paper examines the multifaceted impact of the conflict, focusing on the disruption of oil supply chains and agricultural expor

In the ever-evolving educational landscape, India’s narrative has gained a drive with the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025, which has been awarded to the Foundation to Educate Girls Encyclopedically.   Educate Girls, innovated in 2007, has made significant strides in pastoral and marginalised areas of the country, particularly Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.   Illustration by The Geostrata Some accolades are beyond being conventional; they embody transformative mileposts similar to R

‘The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without even fighting’- Sun Tzu, The Art of War.  The Asian dragon and its growing relevance in global affairs have persistently dictated the geopolitical sphere and shaped global policies. From dominating global supply chains to an established hegemony in rare earth resources, China is no longer just an active player in a rapidly evolving global order, emerging at the helm of affairs. Illustration by The Geostrata As the geopol