Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 25: The Department of Strategic and Regional Studies (DSRS), University of Jammu, organized G20 Public Lecture on “India’s Policy towards Neighbourhood”.
The lecture was delivered by Prof Sangeeta Thapliyal, Chairperson, Centre for Inner Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi, who placed her lecture in the backdrop of India’s global ascendance and how it impacts neighbours of the country.
Prof Thapliyal stressed that South Asian countries have to cooperate with each other on the issue of economic development, non-traditional threats, and calamities. Interestingly, she added, India did focus on these sectors with neighbouring countries and a recent example in this regard was the Covid-19 pandemic.
Maintaining that under Prime Minister Modi, India’s political interests are guiding the country’s foreign policy, she said that the neighbouring states will improve when they show willingness in this direction as Nepal and Butan have shown remarkable progress at the sub-regional level.
Prof Thapliyal acknowledged that India was indeed a factor of domestic politics in Bangladesh and Nepal, but now India is trying to manage a shift in the neighbourhood by focusing more on in the sectors of electricity, roadways, railways, airways etc. She underlined that India’s paradigm shift with development in focus is bringing dynamic change in the neighbourhood.
Dean Academic Affairs JU, Prof Naresh Padha, presented concluding remarks and threw light on India’s relations with the neighbouring countries.
Earlier, Prof Virender Koundal, Director of DSRS, presented a formal welcome address and introduced the theme of the public lecture.
This public lecture was attended by many eminent academicians, journalists, member of the civil society, research scholars and PG students of the department. Dr Mohd. Monir Alam, presented the vote of thanks while Vasundra Raje conducted proceeding of the seminar.
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