The volume, divided into four sections, deals with strategic developments pertaining to Asia. Recognising the diverse 'push' and 'pull' factors impinging on a country's strategic posture, the volume starts off by dealing with issues which the Advisory Committee of Experts guiding this publication felt were of immediate relevance. Accordingly, the first section, on “International Security Issues” has articles analysing India's responses to the global energy security challenges, the resurgent Russia, the emerging military technologies and their security implications for India, the 'global war on terror' and the issues concerning the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The next three parts contain in-depth analyses of major events in South, East and the West and Central regions of Asia. These constitute India's immediate and extended strategic neighbourhood. The wide range of issues dealt with include the evolving partnership between India and the United States, the changes in the contours of the Sino-Indian and the Sino-Japanese relationship, an evaluation of the India-Pakistan peace process, the challenges of institutionalising democracies in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan, the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, the East Asian 'economic dynamism and political flux', Pyongyang's nuclear 'brinkmanship', Iran's nuclear programme, developments in Israel-Palestinian relations, and the role of major powers in Central Asia.

The volume also presents a Statistical Appendix containing defence and conflict-related data for important countries in Asia.

Alok Bansal
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Ashok Behuria
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Abanti Bhattacharya
Associate Fellow, East and South- East Asia, IDSA

Vishal Chandra
Associate Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Associate Fellow, USA and Europe Studies, IDSA

Shebonti Ray Dadwal
Research Fellow, Energy Security, IDSA

Sreeradha Datta
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Gulshan Dietl
Professor, Centre for West Asian Studies, JNU

Namrata Goswami
Associate Fellow, Internal Security, IDSA

Gurpreet Khurana
Research Fellow, Military Affairs, IDSA

V. Krishnappa
Research Fellow, Military Affairs, IDSA

Ajey Lele
Research Fellow, Modeling and Net Assessment, IDSA

Arpita Mathur
Associate Fellow, East and South- East Asia, IDSA

M. Mayilvaganan
Associate Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Rajesh Kumar Mishra
Associate Fellow, Weapons of Mass Destruction, IDSA

Ashutosh Misra
Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Brisbane

G.V.C. Naidu
Senior Fellow, East and South-East Asia, IDSA

Raviprasad Narayanan
Associate Fellow, East and South-East Asia, IDSA

Rajiv Nayan
Research Officer, USA and Europe Studies, IDSA

A.K. Pasha
Professor, Centre for West Asian Studies, JNU

Smruti Pattanaik
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

S. Samuel C. Rajiv
Research Assistant, Military Affairs, IDSA

Meena Singh Roy
Research Officer, Russia and Central Asia, IDSA

P. Stobdan
Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies, Jammu University