Pillai (UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of South Asian Regional Co-operation, Pondicherry U., India) presents 21 papers examining topics relevant to contemporary Indian national security, broadly defined. Topics include emerging frontiers of co-operation on security policy; security and South Asian regional development; Pakistan and cross-border terrorism; policy towards the Afghanistan-Pakistan region; energy security and West Asian conflict; maritime security; global dimensions of maritime piracy; China, the US, and the South China Sea dispute; India-US-China trilateral co-operation in the Indian Ocean region; human security and climate change in South Asia; India's policy initiatives with respect to human rights and human security; the Indo-International Initiative for Billions of Fruit Trees; human security and Gandhian ethics in a globalized world; and environmental challenges for policy formation and national security. Distributed in North America by ISBS. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Security is an important component of the way international relations are played out. After independence in 1947, India followed a policy of non-alignment to protect and promote the interests of the newly born nation. India's security concerns at that time revolved around the threats emanating primarily from Pakistan, although China was also perceived as a threat to India's national security. However, the age of neo-liberal globalization has added additional dimensions to the conventional threats. In the post-Cold War period, the major security concern of India emanates from cross-border terrorism. The challenges posed by international terrorism, the global economic meltdown, and environmental degradation (including climate change) are also security concerns that India has to address seriously. The crisis in the energy sector is another major security challenge. On the domestic front, India faces many challenges including poverty, illiteracy, social and economic inequalities, communalism, regional imbalances, development-based displacement, etc. This book contains 21 research papers - authored by experts in various fields - that examine the various dimensions of India's security concerns and suggest appropriate policy formulations in this regard. The need for an out-of-the-box approach for ensuring security in its holistic dimension is emphasized.
