South Asia Chat

Episode 296: Lines of Dialogue: India and China Reconnect

In recent months, several high-ranking Indian officials have met with their Chinese counterparts, indicating an emerging thaw in the relationship. Most recently, India's Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar, visited Beijing on 14 July 2025. Jaishankar's meetings with Chinese leaders, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng, focused on stabilising and rebuilding ties through practical measures such as resuming direct flights, restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and promoting people-to-people exchanges. In this episode, Ms Bian Sai, Academic Visitor at ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Dr C. Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS-NUS, to discuss the new developments in the relationship between the two Asian giants. 

Episode 295: Military Diplomacy and Strategic Realignment: Rethinking US–Pakistan Relations

Following the high-level visit of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to Washington in June 2025, US–Pakistan relations have re-entered the spotlight. The visit comes amidst the backdrop of the recent conflict with India and Trump's tariff war, raising questions about potential strategic realignments and the future of bilateral cooperations. In this episode, Mr Muhammad Saad Ul Haque, Research Analyst, ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Professor Touqir Hussain, Former Senior Diplomat from Pakistan and Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, to discuss the historical foundations of the relationship, evolving military diplomacy, and the broader geopolitical implications of recent developments.

Episode 294: BRICS 2025: Trade, Climate and Fractured Global Order

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst at ISAS, speaks with Dr Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Trade and Economics) on the key outcomes of the recent BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro — held amid rising trade tensions, United States tariff threats, and global calls for multilateral reform.

Episode 293: International Relations Focus: The Iran-Israel–US Conflict

The recent Iran-Israel-US conflict affected regional dynamics, with ripple effects extending into South Asia. For India and Pakistan, both with deep but varied ties to Iran, Israel and the US respectively, the conflict posed complex diplomatic and strategic challenges. The escalation tested New Delhi's balancing act, while Pakistan hedged its relations with Iran and the US. In both cases, the conflict underscored how an external geopolitical crisis can reverberate through South Asia’s fault lines. In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms Tanujja Dadlani, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Ivan Lidarev. He is an Asian security and international relations expert who specialises in China-India relations, and is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at ISAS, NUS.

Episode 292: Climate Risk in Himalayas: A South Asian Wake Up Call

In this episode of South Asia Chat, Ms. Devyani Chaturvedi, Research Analyst at ISAS, speaks with Mr. Madhukar Upadhya, a Regional Climate Change and Climate Finance Expert affiliated with the UNDP, about the nature, evolution, and impact of natural disasters and climate change in Nepal.

Episode 291: The Caste Census in India: Implications for Political Representation, Electoral Politics and Social Justice

On 30 April 2025, Government of India has announced that the 2026 nationwide census will include caste data for the first time in over a century. This decision comes amid significant political shifts following the 2024 general elections, where caste-based mobilisation played a pivotal role. In this episode, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst at ISAS, is in conversation with Dr Rahul Verma, Academic Visitor at ISAS. They unpack the political, social, and legal implications of the caste census, discuss its role in the opposition parties’ evolving strategy, and explore the potential impact on electoral coalitions, sub-categorisation of quotas, and the future of reservations in India.

Episode 290: Indus Water Treat: Historical Origins and Contemporary Implications

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam in April 2025, the Government of India announced the immediate abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).  Signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, the IWT was brokered by the World Bank, amidst rising post-Partition tensions and concerns regarding the sharing of water. In this episode, Muhammad Saad Ul Haque, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with David Gilmartin, Professor of History, North Carolina State University, to speak about the treaty’s colonial origins, post-Partition concerns, and the emerging dynamics putting its existence into question.

Episode 289: India-Pakistan After Pahalgam: India's Strategic Objectives

Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India and Pakistan witnessed the most intense conflict between the two countries since 1971. This marks a strategic recalibration in India and Pakistan's already dysfunctional relationship. In this episode, Dr Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, ISAS-NUS, is in conversation with Ambassador Jawed Ashraf, former Ambassador of India to France, to delve into the motivations of India's military response, Operation Sindoor, the conventional and nuclear thresholds in the region, and the abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty. The conversation also delves into India's messaging and outreach to the international community following the ceasefire. 

Episode 288: India-Pakistan After Pahalgam: Strategic Responses and Regional Implications

Following the April 2025 terror attack in Kashmir, tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated, marked by India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the launch of Operation Sindoor. As military and diplomatic exchanges continue, questions around escalation management, international responses, and long-term regional stability have come to the forefront. In this episode, Raghaw Khattri, Research Analyst, ISAS, is in conversation with Professor C Raja Mohan, Visiting Research Professor at ISAS, to discuss recent developments in India-Pakistan relations, shifts in regional security dynamics, and the international community’s response.

Episode 287: The Delimitation Controversy in India

There is a controversy brewing around the delimitation of constituencies in India’s lower house of parliament or Lok Sabha which is scheduled for 2026. The southern states of India in particular are fearing a loss of seats and political power if the redrawing of electoral seats is done based solely on population figures. The number of seats in Indian parliament has been increased thrice, based on the decennial census, since the country’s independence. The last time it happened was in 1972, following the 1971 Census, when the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was fixed at 543. Dr Ronojoy Sen, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead (Politics, Society and Governance), is in conversation with Dr Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow and Director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the intricacies of the delimitation process.