India’s nuclear trajectory is marked by scientific ambitions, technological self-reliance and isolation from international politics. The nuclear sector was mainly governed by the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, which was a highly centralised and state controlled framework, prioritising safety and sovereignty. Later legislations, like Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 addressed accountability and victim compensation for nuclear incidents. 

Secession, the separation of a territory from an established state, is one of the most disruptive moments in international politics. If accompanied by conflict, the relations between the two sides are unsurprisingly complex and turbulent. The new country attempts to define itself in opposition to the state from which it broke away. While the parent state, as the original state is called, may harbour feelings of resentment and humiliation. Illustration by The Geostrata When co

Underneath the dust stirred by the crossfires between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir lies the untold story of developmental disparities between regions separated by misconceived boundaries of baseless claims. Illustration by The Geostrata Boundaries that, by their very nature, separate the two by a margin that is only negligible compared to that separating the economic, social and medical realities of Jammu and Kashmir and the part of it that remains under unlawful P

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

“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

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

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

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

Strategic deterrence in the modern era has advanced well beyond single-warhead missiles. Today, nations rely on technologies that ensure credible retaliation, increase survivability, and complicate interception. The Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology is particularly important among these developments. One missile with MIRV capability can launch multiple warheads, each directed toward a distinct target. Illustration by The Geostrata A "bus" or

The Taliban coming to power in August 2021 represents not only a regime change, but it also reinstated one of the most oppressive regimes towards gender in history. To decode their politics, two crucial steps need to be followed: firstly, the geopolitical realities of the Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, and secondly, analysing the usage of state-sponsored violence from a feminist lens. Illustration by The Geostrata As Moghdam states, Afghanistan is the most aggressive cases o

The global security and modern-day geopolitical landscape is increasingly defined by the sophisticated challenge of deterring hybrid warfare and state-sponsored terrorism, a problem acutely felt in the nuclear-shadowed rivalry between India and Pakistan. Illustration by The Geostrata For decades, India’s approach has been to follow a traditional military strategy focused on preventing attacks through sheer defense and maintaining its intelligence networks. Yet the character o

Across the shifting landscape of global politics, facts bend and twist under the weight of rival agendas. Global trade is no longer limited to goods; they trade choreographed realities. In that subterranean theatre, half-truths and outright fabrications stated briefly as “official facts”, their purpose not merely to deceive but to anchor diplomatic leverage, with an intention to lead allies down false paths of trust. Illustration by The Geostrata Similar to the society George

The legitimacy of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India is established in law and history, constitutional practice, and not merely a political accident. That is to say, Jammu and Kashmir has a legitimate legal basis, as a result of the Instrument of Accession, the Indian Independence Act of 1947, and the subsequent constitutional integration into the Republic of India. Illustration by The Geostrata THE LEGAL BASIS: THE INSTRUMENT OF ACCESSION On October 26, 1947 , Maharaja Ha

Pakistan, a country often finding itself splattered all across the globe when discussions revolve around its unabashed association with terrorism , yet again finds itself in the spotlight, all for the wrong reasons. The World Economic Forum Global Gender Report 2025   ranks Pakistan as the world’s worst nation for women. Illustration by The Geostrata A country where a woman once held the helm of affairs, today, is struggling to ensure women’s rights to walk safely outside

When we talk about Pakistan, trade is not what we immediately think of; well, it comes naturally that the country is rather infamous for being enrolled in an economic crisis, surviving on loans and handouts by the IMF and its ‘AAKA’s from the Persian Gulf. Illustration by The Geostrata Rather than exporting goods and services, they export terrorism across the world. If we take a close look at their trade books, we can see that their aggregate annual exports stand at $ 36.5 bi

Sometimes, one decision can alter the entire course of destiny. For Jammu and Kashmir, that decision came on 26 October 1947. On this day, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the princely state, signed the Instrument of Accession, choosing to join India that is Bharat, Kashmir’s home, its own civilisation. Illustration by The Geostrata The decision was made during immense external aggression at the hands of Pakistan. Within days of independence, Pakistan activated Operation Gul

The land of unfulfilled promises and contested identities-Balochistan- stands as one of South Asia’s most complex and misunderstood...

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was promised as a “game changer” upon its initial arrival in 2015. Modern infrastructure,...

It's that time of the year again, with the bugle of cricket all in our ears. And this time it's the Asia Cup 2025  coming our way. And...