YouTube Video Thumbnail

Indian Foreign Affairs Journal

Published in Association with Association of Indian Diplomats

Current Volume: 21 (2026 )

ISSN: 0973-3248

e-ISSN: 2229-5372

Periodicity: Quarterly

Month(s) of Publication: March, June, September & December

Subject: Political Science & International Affairs

DOI: 10.32381/IFAJ

350

Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, a peer reviewed quarterly publication of the Association of Indian Diplomats, attempts to provide an intellectually stimulating forum for the examination of various aspects of India's Foreign Policy. This Examination is undertaken by the experienced decision-makers, serious scholars, and seasoned analysts.

EBSCO
ProQuest
Genamics (JournalSeek)
Indian Citation Index (ICI)

 

Managing Editor
Achal Malhotra

Ambassador (Retd.) and Member,
Executive Committee, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi.


Editor
Abdul Nafey

Professor (Retd.) School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi


Copy Editor
Preeti Singh

Ex-Officio Members
T. C. A. Raghavan

Ambassador (Retd.) and President, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


Amarendra Khatua

Ambassador (Retd.) and Vice President, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


Anil Trigunayat

Ambassador (Retd.) and Secretary, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


A.K Malhotra

Ambassador (Retd.) and Treasurer, Association of Indian Diplomats, New Delhi


Nominated Members
Sachin Chaturvedi

Director General,Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi


Sanjay Chaturvedi

Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh


Neelam Deo

Former Director, 'Gateway House' Indian Council on Global Relations, Mumbai.


Darvesh Gopal

Former Professor of Political Science, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi


Arvind Gupta

Director, Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi


Rajat Kathuria

Director & Chief Executive, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi


G. Gopa Kumar

Vice Chancellor, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod.


Jayant Prasad

Former Director General, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.


P. K. Singh

Former Director, United Services Institution of India, New Delhi.


Nalin Surie

Former Director General, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.


International Advisers
David M. Malone

Rector of the United Nations University & Under Secretary General of the United Nations, Tokyo, Japan.


Ong Keng Yong

Executive Deputy Chairman, Director, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.


 T.V. Paul

James McGill Professor of International Relations, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.


Elizabeth Sidiropoulose

National Director, South African Institute of International Affairs, Braamfontein, South Africa.


Peter N Varghese

Chancellor, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.


Research Associate
Hoimi Mukherjee

Volume 21 Issue 1 , (Jan-2026 to Mar-2026)

From The Editor's Desk

By: Achal Kumar Malhotra

Page No : i-iv

Read Now

The Geo-political, Geo-economic and Geo-strategic Importance of the Indian Ocean Region: Opportunities and Challenges for India

By: Achal Kumar Malhotra

Page No : 1-23

Abstract
The Indian Ocean is the third largest Ocean in the world, covering one-fifth of the world’s ocean water, with the Pacific and the Atlantic as the other two. However, it is not the size or the span which determine its geo-political, geo-economic, and geo-strategic importance. This essay discusses the broad features of the Ocean: the factors which make it strategically and economically important; its vulnerabilities from the point of view of regional security with global impact; competition among global players for larger footprints; and finally, the platforms of regional/global cooperation for ensuring maritime security and sustainable exploitation of the vast resources of the Indian Ocean for contemporary and future needs. The narration also revolves around India’s perspective.

Author
Achal Malhotra is a former Diplomat, author and commentator on Indian foreign policy and International Relations.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2026.21.1.1

Price: 251

Course Correction in India’s Myanmar Policy: State, Society, and Strategy in a Fragmented Political Order

By: Om Prakash Das

Page No : 24-40

Abstract:
To navigate uncertainty in Myanmar effectively, India must adopt a policy framework that revolves around adaptability and incremental progress. Moreover, instead of pursuing absolute certainty, this framework must prioritise a balance between iterative decision making, which allows for pivots as new political realities emerge. The focus should be on identifying controllable variables while building resilience against external shocks. By breaking complex challenges into manageable steps, the maintenance of momentum despite ambiguity is the need of the hour. This approach prioritises course correction to protect India’s interests over traditional policy planning and ensures that the strategy remains flexible enough to survive a volatile landscape while keeping long-term objectives firmly in sight.

Author:
Om Prakash Das is a Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2026.21.1.2

Price: 251

Recalibrating ASEAN Consensus: Strategic Divergence and India’s Regional Imperatives

By: Prem Singh Gill

Page No : 41-58

Abstract
This article examines how ASEAN’s consensus-driven decision making practice is being reshaped by political divergence, democratic regression, and great-power competition across Southeast Asia. Drawing on three case studies—Myanmar’s post-coup crisis, South China Sea maritime disputes, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)—it maps how consensus operates differently across political, security, and economic domains, and develops a typology that distinguishing enabling, blocking, and conditional consensus. Crucially, the article argues that ASEAN’s internal fragmentation and strategic recalibration carry direct, concrete consequences for India. As a key ASEAN dialogue partner, an indirect South China Sea stakeholder through its Act East Policy, an RCEP absentee, and a neighbour directly affected by the Myanmar crisis, India must engage purposefully with ASEAN’s evolving consensus architecture. The essay concludes that incremental reform—not abandonment—of the ASEAN Way offers the most viable path forward, and that India is well-positioned both to support that recalibration and to benefit from it.

Author
Prem Singh Gill is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2026.21.1.3

Price: 251

Nuclear Deterrence and Future of Arms Control in the Third Nuclear Age

By: Reshmi Kazi

Page No : 59-73

Abstract
The Third Nuclear Age ushers in an era of security dilemmas and existential threats compelling nations to augment their military capabilities as a safeguard against unforeseeable events. Such ambitions heighten the risks of a nuclear Armageddon. Though nations continue to deem nuclear weapons as vital instruments of security policy, the concept of ‘invulnerable security’ with nuclear weapons is largely notional rather than an absolute reality. Such conjectures are risky, and pave the way towards nuclear annihilation. To rebound from the brink of a catastrophe, a strong arms control architecture is imperative for global peace and security. As a responsible nuclear power, India has an obligation to contribute to this end.

Author
Reshmi Kazi is a Professor, Department of Political Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2026.21.1.4

Price: 251

ORAL HISTORY
The Heart & Craft of Diplomacy: Perceptions and Recollections of a Seasoned Diplomat

By: Latha Reddy

Page No : 74-92

Abstract
My generation of diplomats, by which I mean those of us who worked for nearly four decades between 1975 and 2013 was, I believe, a fortunate one. I propose to confine my thoughts on the heart and craft of diplomacy to five main themes. The first theme is to outline the history of the creation of independent India’s Foreign Service, and its roots in our civilisational history. The second theme is my understanding of the various duties of a dedicated diplomat, with special reference to those owed to the government of the day, the Constitution of India, and the nation itself. The third theme is the leadership that diplomats need to develop and display in times of crisis, and at every level of their careers. The fourth theme is the often challenging relationship between diplomats and politicians. The final and fifth theme, for which I seek your indulgence, is a review of some challenges and highlights of my diplomatic career.

Author
Ambassador (Retd.) Latha Reddy was a Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, and Deputy National Security Advisor. She co-founded the Hoodi Strategy Group.
 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2026.21.1.5

Price: 251

BOOK REVIEW
Indo-Pacific Strategic Churn: Challenges and State Responses, Chintamani Mahapatra (ed.), Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore,

By: Mohammed Bedrul Alam

Page No : 93-95

Author
Mohammed Badrul Alam,
Director of Research; Professor and Head (Retd.), Department of Political Science, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi.

Price: 251

OBITUARY
Latha Reddy

By: .

Page No : 96

Read Now

Instruction to the Author

The Indian Foreign Affairs Journal: is a quarterly publication, the first of its type in India. In the context of India emerging as an important player in international affairs, the challenges before its foreign policy have been growing. The issues involved in India's foreign policy call for a larger debate and discussion both within and outside the country. The journal aims to cater to the need to bring in various perspectives on these developments and present policy options to the decision-makers, analysts, and interest groups, in the country.

Manuscript Submission
Manuscripts and all editorial correspondence should be addressed to:
The Editor,
Indian Foreign Affairs Journal,
Sapru House, Barakhamba Road,
New Delhi - 110001,
E-mail: ifajournal@gmail.com

General Guidelines
1. The journal invites contributions on all aspects of India's foreign policy and relations to be considered for publication. Manuscripts and all editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, Sapru House, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi - 110001, E-mail: ifajournal@gmail.com
2. Affiliations with, complete postal and e-mail address of contributors must be provided along with their papers.
3. Articles should be typed on one side of the paper (preferably A 4) and double-spaced throughout (even for quotations, notes, references), accompanied by a soft copy (identical to the hard copy) in IBM compatible format, preferably in MS Word. (However should the author so wish, the hard copy can be generated at the editorial office).
4. Notes and references should be numbered serially and presented at the end of the article.
5. Use British rather than American spellings.
6. Use double quotes throughout. Single quotes marks used within double quotes. Spellings of words in quotations should not be changed. Quotations of three or more lines should be indented with single space, with a line space above and below.
7. Use 'twentieth century', '1990s'. Spell out numbers from one to ninety-nine, 100 and above to remain in figures. However, for exact measurements use only figures (3 km, 9 per cent not %). Use thousands and millions, not lakhs and crores.
8. Use of italics and diacriticals should be minimized, but used consistently.
9. Tables and figures to be indicated by number separately (see Table 1), not by placement (see Table below). Present each table and figure on a separate sheet of paper, gathering them together at the end of the article.
10. A consolidated alphabetical list of all books, articles, essays, and theses referred to (including referred tables, graphs, and maps) should be provided at the end of the article in double-spacing. All referred articles, books, and theses should be listed in alphabetical order giving the author's surname first followed by initials.

Books: Single Author : Chomsky, Noam. 1999. The New Military Humanism: Lessons from Kosovo. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Books:
Books:More than one Author: Berridge, G. R. and Alan James. 2001. A Dictionary of Diplomacy. New York: Palgrave.
Edited : Singh, Jasjit. ed. 1998. Nuclear India. New Delhi: Knowledge World and IDSA.

Articles:
In Book : Subrahmanyam, K. 1998. 'Indian Nuclear Policy – 1964-98', in Jasjit Singh. ed., Nuclear India, New Delhi: Knowledge World and IDSA, pp. 26-52.
In Journal : Dubey, Muchkund. 2005. 'The Twelfth SAARC Summit: Deeper Integration in South Asia', South Asian Survey, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 21-34.

Internet Sources:
Ganguly, Sumit, 'India's Foreign Policy Grows Up', World Policy Journal, vol. XX, no. 4, Winter 2003/04, [Online: web] Accessed 20 January 2006 URL: http://worldpolicy.org/journal/articles/wpj03-4/ganguly.html
11. Book reviews must contain name of author/editor and the book reviewed, place of publication and publisher, year of publication, number of pages and price.

All the manuscripts submitted for the Indian Foreign Affairs Journal (IFAJ) should accompany a covering letter giving an undertaking following certain principles under Ethical Policy.

The cover letter should include a written statement from the author(s) that:

1. The manuscript is an original research work and has not been published elsewhere including open access at the internet.

2. The data used in the research has not been manipulated, fabricated, or in any other way misrepresented to support the conclusions.

3. No part of the text of the manuscript has been plagiarised.

4. The manuscript is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

5. The manuscript will not be submitted elsewhere for review while it is still under consideration for publication in the IFAJ.

The cover letter should also include an ethical statement disclosing any conflict of interest that may directly or indirectly impart bias to the research work. Conflict of interest most commonly arises from the source of funding, and therefore, the name(s) of funding agency must be mentioned in the cover letter. In case of no conflict of interest, please include the statement that “the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest”.

Products related to this item

© All Rights Reserved 2025, Prints Publications Pvt. Ltd.

Powered by : Prints Publications Pvt Ltd