Academic literature has the potential to produce theoretically-grounded and informed policymaking. In an ongoing series aimed at bridging the divide between policy analysis and academic scholarship, SAV contributors review recent articles and books published by leading scholars to evaluate the latest theoretical and analytical debates on strategic issues and their implications for South Asia.
SAV Review: Acknowledging Washington’s Blind Eye
Diplomatic history consists of the narratives we learn and then rehearse and repeat. Naturally, our points of view are usually nationalistic and a misreading of […]
SAV Review: When Push Comes to Shove, Will India’s NFU Stand?
Editor’s Note: This piece is a response to Reshmi Kazi’s review of Kumar Sundaram and M.V. Ramana’s article “India and the Policy of No First Use […]
SAV Review: India’s No-First-Use Doctrine is Here to Stay
The use of nuclear weapons against a state’s adversary is a critical component of deterrence policy. Understanding the importance of this, India adheres to a […]
SAV Review: Will India Ever Be Ready for the Indo-Pacific the Way the United States Wants it to Be?
The term Indo-Pacific has undoubtedly become a focal point of global geopolitical discourse in recent times. And the question foremost on analysts’ minds is whether […]
SAV Review: The New Era of Counterforce in South Asia
Instead of reducing reliance on nuclear capability as a step towards disarmament, nuclear weapons states have been steadily modernizing their nuclear forces. Offensive nuclear postures, […]
SAV Review: Flawed Narratives and Misperceptions About Pakistan’s Nasr Missile
The existing literature on Pakistan’s short-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile (Hatf-IX) Nasr has so far generated more confusion than clarity about the implications of its role […]
SAV Review: Pakistan’s Nuclear History
Nuclear Pakistan continues to engender a great deal of academic interest. As scholars explore the evolution of Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine, they are adding to the […]
SAV Review: Evaluating the Normative Utility of the NWPT in South Asia
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, through its Doomsday Clock—the metaphorical clock whose hour hand is set to midnight, representing nuclear armageddon—has assessed the current […]
SAV Review: Advancing Without Attacking in India-Pakistan Conflict Dynamics
In a recent article, “Advancing without Attacking: The Strategic Game around the Use of Force,” Dan Altman presents a new framework to study how states […]
SAV Review: Islamabad’s Sea-based Nuclear Gambit
The nuclearization of India and Pakistan since 1998 has dramatically altered the security dynamics of South Asia. Despite measures taken by both countries to strengthen […]