Embedded in our history, scriptures, and sciences, the transgender community has made an indelible mark on what we proudly deem to be our culture. Composed  of Hijras , eunuchs, Kothis, Aravanis, Jogappas, Shiv-Shakthis etc, the community finds its roots tracing back to the Vedas, Puranas, and other significant oral and written traditions like the Ramayana. Illustration by The Geostrata The community is often referred to as ‘napunsaka,’ which means someone with the inability

When people think about the Strait of Hormuz, they usually think about oil. They picture giant tankers slowly moving through a narrow strip of water between Iran and Oman, carrying fuel to power cars, factories, and cities around the world. But for India, this thin stretch of water that is only 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest point  is far more than an oil route. It is a critical lifeline that touches almost every part of the Indian economy.  Illustration by The Geostrata

Almost every day, mainstream media reports a tragic incident: ‘a young man died after his car plunged into a water-filled construction pit’, ‘a car disappeared into a flooded underpass, students died in an unsafe basement’, ‘a bridge collapsed days after repair, a construction site caved in, burying many workers alive’, which captures the attention of the nation. The next few days are followed by mourning, outrage, promises of inquiry, and accountability of the responsible au

India's Maoist insurgency once controlled 200 districts across ten states, with varying degrees of fear or allegiance. It now has control of only seven. Over 12,000 people died in Naxal-related violence between 2000 and 2019. In 2024, that number was 290, which is still significant, but a fraction of what it was before. Reports  indicate that no new cadres have been recruited since 2019.  Illustration by The Geostrata To truly grasp the reality of a Naxal cleanup, one must g

India stands at a structural inflexion point in global history. The international system is no longer defined by the rigid binaries of the Cold War nor by the temporary unipolar moment that followed. Power today is fragmented, fluid, and multidimensional. In this evolving order, India is no longer a peripheral balancer. Illustration by The Geostrata It is one of the defining poles shaping the architecture of the twenty-first century. Yet there remains a strategic paradox. Whi

In World War II, the cracking of the Enigma code helped defeat divisions of the Nazis without firing a bullet, and reconnaissance intelligence helped prevent a nuclear catastrophe during the Cuban Missile Crisis. History has taught us one important lesson: the strongest in a nation’s arsenal isn’t a missile or a jet; it’s the intelligence that prevents them from ever being used. Illustration by The Geostrata Intelligence is such a tool that shapes the options on the table, fa

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) , a trade agreement linking ten ASEAN countries with five of their key Free Trade Agreement partners, is one of the largest trade blocs in the world.    Illustration by The Geostrata The RCEP treaty is significant due to its representation of nearly a third of the world’s gross domestic product , encompassing a population of over two  billion  people and an estimated $5.2 trillion  in total exports. Despite its scale and s

India, also known as Bharatvarsh, was the land that once stretched all the way from Kandahar and Ghazni in the northwest (present-day Afghanistan) to present-day Southeast Asia. A land that had flourished as a hub of knowledge, science, and culture turned into a region marred by nearly 800 years of continuous conflict. Illustration by The Geostrata Geography placed India at the crossroads of continents, commerce, faiths, and empires, from the bone-chilling mountain passes of

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s sweeping electoral victory has inevitably triggered a familiar question in New Delhi’s strategic circles: what does a BNP-led Dhaka mean for India? Illustration by The Geostrata The concern is not hollow , as memories of strained ties during the earlier BNP rule remain fresh in the minds of experts and people alike. But geopolitics rarely allows countries the luxury of nostalgia. Today’s world, where alliances are changing at an unpreceden

India is set to host two key summits in 2026, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and the BRICS, assuming crucial geopolitical significance across the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. New Delhi’s active role in the BRICS underscores India's outreach to the Global South, working towards a multipolar world order. The QUAD, on the other hand, has a diversified agenda ranging from maritime security to developmental partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. Illustration by

“Our lives don’t matter,” a Hindu farmer said in a reported account. "The situation is horrific," added a Hindu community leader, "we are not receiving any support from anywhere." Innumerable testimonies  like these, along with chilling images that surfaced across Bangladesh of Hindu men beaten and set on fire by rabid mobs, have laid bare how a brutal, systematic persecution  of religious minorities  is taking place under the country’s current political dispensation.  Illust

"Somewhere Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problems, but the world's problems are not Europe's problems” Dr S. Jaishankar (Indian External Affairs Minister) The world today has been confronted with the strange reality of trade protectionism and aggressive tariff policies, which stem from the thought of intrinsic economic development amongst multiple countries, starting with the US. What was earlier seen as protectionism and reignit

Global heritage recognition has been regarded as an unquestionable honour for many years. The highest level of protection for a cultural site or tradition is thought to be a UNESCO designation, an international award, or widespread media coverage. Acknowledgement is celebrated as a combination of pride, validation, and preservation. Beneath this joyous story, however, is a more subdued and unsettling reality: rather than protecting heritage, global recognition frequently puts

Southeast Asia’s geopolitics and cultural diplomacy have become essential tools in the 21st century for establishing relationships that go beyond political strategies and economic interests. The relationship between China, India, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the best example to understand the point of culture in International Relations. Illustration by The Geostrata Southeast Asia has been considered where East and West civilisations met, India an

India occupies a strikingly paradoxical position in the energy transition game. It is simultaneously among the world’s fastest-growing producers of energy and one of the most inefficient users of its own generation capacity. Over the past decade, India has expanded its renewable energy footprint at an impressive pace, diversified its thermal base and articulated ambitious climate goals in tandem with the Paris Agreement. Illustration by The Geostrata Yet, these great feats co

India and the European Union, after almost two decades, finally, on January 27th of 2026, concluded their negotiations for a free trade agreement, which has been, by the European Commission President Ms Ursula von der Leyen, more popularly called the “Mother of all Deals.” Cover by The Geostrata The announcement came shortly after the successful 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi, attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi alongside the European Commission President H.E. Ursula von d

For India, Bangladesh has never been just another neighbour. Geography would have made that impossible, but history sealed it. The two countries share memories of 1971, which still shape political instincts on both sides, and there are dense economic and social ties; this means that developments in Bangladesh are seldom distant events for New Delhi. Illustration by The Geostrata They are experienced, discussed, and in many cases privately fretted about. For most of the last d

As the first month of 2026 comes to a close, the global economic establishment is less a coherent system and more a fragmented mirror of competing interests. With the EU – India summit less than a week away, the atmosphere is charged with unprecedented urgency. As the EU President Ursula von der Leyen touches down in India alongside other European leaders for Republic Day celebrations on January 26, the long-anticipated India – EU trade deal stands on the precipice of finaliz

The relations between India and the European Union (EU) have evolved. In recent years, the two sides have extended through successive climate cooperation initiatives to develop collaborations in energy efficiency, climate mitigation, renewable energy, transport systems and beyond.  Cover by The Geostrata Since the inception of the Clean Energy and Climate Partnership (CECP) in 2016 and the announcement of the EU’s ‘India Strategy’, the two sides, in response to improving the

Greetings, everyone, We are happy to launch the 2025 edition of the Geomaga. In a way the year 2025 has been a year of national security. From Operation Sindoor against Pakistan to strikes on Myanmar and from technological advancements in the defence sector to the renewed focus on self-reliance, these are the broad spectrum of issues that have dominated the popular intellectual discourse throughout the year. Cover by The Geostrata In this edition of the Geomaga, we have inclu