Context:

• The Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) is organizing the “Rising Northeast: The Investor Summit” in Delhi.
• With the participation of PM Modi, DoNER Minister, and CMs of all 8 North-Eastern states, the summit aims to showcase investment potential and developmental strides in the region.

 Historical Background - From Conflict to Connectivity:

• Legacy of insurgency:
  • Post-Independence decades saw insurgency and separatist movements (e.g., Naga, Mizo, ULFA, NDFB).
  • The Assam Accord (1985) emerged after major anti-infiltration movements led by AASU and AAGSP.
  • The Union government historically viewed the region primarily through a security lens.
• From ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’:
  • Look East Policy initiated under P. V. Narasimha Rao to boost ties with South and Southeast Asia.
  • Atal Bihari Vajpayee institutionalized regional focus with the establishment of the DoNER Ministry in 2001.
  • The then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech (in 2011, in Chennai) catalyzed a shift toward “Act East” Policy, formally adopted by the Modi government in 2014.

Policy Transformation Under Current Government:

• Northeast as a gateway and pivot:
  • Region repositioned as a geostrategic pivot to ASEAN and East Asia.
  • Political integration facilitated developmental push as the ruling party at the Centre formed government in several NE states between 2015–2018.
• Infrastructure push:
  • Union ministries ensured continuous ministerial presence in the region.
  • The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) allocated 10% of its budget to the region - 4,950 km of National Highways built with $5 billion investment.
  • Launch of North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) in 2018 with a $1 billion budget.

Strategic Location and Connectivity Projects:

• International borders and regional linkages: The region shares 5,484 km of borders with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet (China).
• Key connectivity projects:
  • India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project, and revival of Stilwell Road will enhance the opportunities for land-based trade between India and Southeast Asia.
  • Sittwe Port (Myanmar) and Chittagong Port (Bangladesh) can act as potential openings to the world’s busiest sea routes in the Indian Ocean.

Investment Focus - Aligning with Regional Strengths:

• Renewable energy:
  • Hydropower: 40% of national potential (estimated at 62,000 MW); however, only 6.9% utilized.
  • Solar power: Potential of 57,360 MW; though only 17% of the capacity is installed.
  • Scope for wind and small hydro projects.
• Tourism development:
  • While neighbouring Thailand gets 35 million foreign tourists annually, and the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia gets over 2 million foreigners every year, the Northeast has less than 2 lakh foreign visitors.
  • Enormous potential in eco-tourism and cultural tourism - Kaziranga National Park (Assam), Kamakhya Temple (Assam), Living Root Bridges (Meghalaya), Tawang Glaciers (Arunachal Pradesh), Loktak Lake (Manipur).
• Human resource development: Despite high literacy rate (~80%), and high english proficiency, major skill gaps necessitate the urgent need for capacity building and training infrastructure.

Conclusion - Vision for a Self-Sustaining Northeast:

• The “Rising Northeast” summit symbolizes a new developmental era, driven by strategic geography, rich natural and human resources, integrated infrastructure, and tailored investment priorities.
• To truly realize its potential, the region needs a developmental vision rooted in its unique strengths, not a one-size-fits-all model.
• The summit is a step toward this transformative agenda.

Context

• The Pahalgam terror strike on April 22, 2025, and India's subsequent military retaliation through Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, mark a critical juncture in the security narrative of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• While these events have shaped national discourse and reflected India’s growing military prowess, the focus remains disproportionately tilted towards external military responses.
• What has been largely overlooked is the internal dimension of terrorism in J&K, a failure that risks undermining long-term peace and stability in the region.

The Complex Reality of Terrorism in J&K

• Terrorism in J&K is the product of a long-standing and layered conflict.
• While Pakistan’s role as a state sponsor of terrorism is undeniable, a reality that has persisted since India’s Independence, the conflict cannot be understood in exclusively external terms.
• The insurgency that erupted in 1989 began as a locally-driven movement but was gradually hijacked by foreign terrorist elements in the mid-1990s.
• Despite this shift, the core grievances fuelling the unrest, identity issues, political marginalisation, repression, and lack of economic opportunities, have remained deeply rooted within the region.
• Data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) indicates that fatalities in J&K have significantly declined from over 4,000 in 2001 to just 127 in 2024.
• This reduction is largely attributed to improvements in the security infrastructure, community outreach programs, and Pakistan’s waning capacity to sustain a high-intensity proxy war.
• However, these gains must not develop complacency, as the ecosystem of terrorism remains active and adaptive, exploiting both local discontent and external patronage.

Evaluating Deterrence After Operation Sindoor: Tactical Success, Strategic Uncertainty

• Operation Sindoor showcased India’s advanced capabilities in kinetic, non-contact warfare and was widely seen as a tactical success.
• Yet, whether it constitutes a strategic victory remains debatable.
• Historical patterns suggest that India’s past military operations, including the surgical strikes of 2016 and the Balakot airstrike in 2019, have failed to deter Pakistan from continuing its proxy war.
• In fact, data indicates an increase in terror-related fatalities post these operations.
• The Pakistani state and its military apparatus have interpreted the aftermath of Operation Sindoor as a form of victory.
• The elevation of General Asim Munir to Field Marshal and the resurgence of military nationalism within Pakistan, as observed by political analyst Ayesha Siddiqa, reveal that far from being deterred, Pakistan has doubled down on its narrative of resistance.
• This indicates the limited impact of military operations in altering the strategic calculus of Pakistan's deep state.

Internal Vulnerabilities and the Rise of New Threats

• The resurgence of terrorist activity in the Jammu region, particularly after troop deployments to Galwan, underscores the persistent vulnerabilities within India’s security grid.
• New terrorist outfits like The Resistance Front, People’s Anti-Fascist Front, and Kashmir Tigers have exploited these gaps, with local support playing a critical enabling role.
• Intelligence lapses, especially in the domain of Human Intelligence (HUMINT), have allowed terrorist networks to operate with impunity, a reality underscored by the fact that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack remain at large.
• Although local participation in terrorism has declined compared to the Burhan Wani era, its strategic importance cannot be dismissed.
• Local terrorists continue to serve as vital connectors, facilitators, and sources of legitimacy for foreign operatives.
• The absence of effective local intelligence and ongoing community support for militancy present serious obstacles to counterterrorism efforts.

The Way Forward

• Beyond Kinetics
  • In the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, the spontaneous and bipartisan outcry from the local population against terrorism was both unprecedented and instructive.
  • This public sentiment offers a crucial strategic opportunity.
  • Instead of leveraging such moments for inclusive state-building and reconciliation, measures like mass arrests and home demolitions risk alienating the very communities whose support is essential to long-term peace.
  • While external responses, such as cross-border strikes and kinetic operations, serve immediate tactical purposes, they often deflect attention from the foundational causes of conflict.
  • Experts have noted a troubling trend among policymakers to treat terrorism in J&K as a unidimensional challenge, focusing narrowly on military solutions while ignoring socio-political dynamics.
• Comprehensive Counterterrorism Doctrine: A People Centric Strategy
  • To build a resilient peace, India must adopt a comprehensive counterterrorism doctrine that integrates kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
  • Central to this approach must be the recognition of people as the centre of gravity, a principle that prioritises political dialogue, economic development, education, and social inclusion alongside robust security measures.

Conclusion

• Operation Sindoor may have reinforced India’s military credentials, but it also exposes the limitations of kinetic strategies in delivering sustainable peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The enduring challenge lies not in defeating Pakistan militarily, but in winning over Kashmir through empathy, inclusion, and statecraft.
• To that end, a recalibration of national strategy is imperative, one that harmonizes tactical brilliance with strategic depth, and external deterrence with internal cohesion.
• Only through such a multidimensional approach can India hope to secure enduring peace in one of its most sensitive and complex regions.

Context

• Medical oxygen is an essential, life-saving treatment with no alternative.
• Despite its critical role in healthcare, access to medical oxygen remains alarmingly limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Around five billion people globally lack access to safe, quality, and affordable medical oxygen, a glaring public health inequity that demands urgent attention.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and worsened this gap, revealing vulnerabilities in oxygen infrastructure and highlighting the pressing need for long-term, sustainable solutions.

The Scope of the Crisis

• The Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security reveals that South Asia and East Asia and the Pacific bear the brunt of this crisis, with an oxygen service coverage gap of 78% and 74% respectively.
• These figures underline the massive shortfall in oxygen availability, despite its fundamental role in treating conditions ranging from pneumonia and sepsis to COVID-19 and obstetric emergencies.
• While emergency interventions during the pandemic brought short-term relief, progress has since stalled.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasised the need for sustained investment and policy commitment to maintain momentum.
• Their 2022 report from the South-East Asia Region stresses that equitable access to oxygen is both a healthcare imperative and a matter of social justice.

Systemic Barriers to Oxygen Access

• Structural Issues
  • A host of structural issues obstruct the integration of medical oxygen into healthcare systems.
  • Equipment shortages are among the most visible problems. Only 54% of hospitals in LMICs are equipped with pulse oximeters, and just 58% have access to medical oxygen.
  • These deficits limit healthcare providers’ ability to diagnose and treat patients effectively, especially during respiratory crises.
• Financial Constraints
  • Financial constraints are another major hurdle. The estimated global cost to bridge the oxygen gap is $6.8 billion, with South Asia alone requiring $2.6 billion.
  • LMICs often struggle to prioritize oxygen infrastructure amid competing healthcare needs, risking the sustainability of improvements made during the COVID-19 emergency response.
• Lack of Skilled Workers
  • The lack of skilled biomedical engineers and technicians further compounds these issues.
  • Even when oxygen plants and concentrators are available, frequent breakdowns due to insufficient maintenance and technical know-how hinder reliable access, particularly in rural and underserved regions.

Strategic Solutions for Long-Term Impact

• National Oxygen Scale-Up Plans
  • National governments must take the lead in developing and implementing comprehensive oxygen scale-up plans.
  • These plans should be aligned with broader health system goals and tailored to the specific needs of each country.
  • Working in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), ministries of health can assess current capacity, map oxygen demand across regions and facilities, and identify infrastructure gaps.
• Robust Monitoring and Accountability Tools
  • To ensure that commitments translate into tangible outcomes, there must be mechanisms to monitor progress and hold stakeholders accountable.
  • The WHO Access to Medical Oxygen Scorecard is one such tool that enables countries to track implementation of their oxygen strategies against key indicators, such as availability, quality assurance, infrastructure functionality, and workforce capacity.
  • Regular reporting, as mandated by the WHO Oxygen Resolution, also ensures transparency and provides opportunities to recalibrate strategies based on evidence.
  • Progress should be reported to the World Health Assembly in 2026, 2028, and 2030, reinforcing global accountability.
• Sustainable Financing Mechanisms
  • One of the major obstacles to long-term impact is the lack of sustainable financing.
  • To address this, countries must:
    • Integrate oxygen infrastructure costs into national health budgets and universal health coverage frameworks.
    • Leverage international development financing, such as Global Fund and World Bank health investments.
    • Develop public-private partnerships to attract industry investment in local manufacturing and maintenance services.
  • Donors and global health institutions must ensure that funding does not decline post-pandemic but is redirected toward building permanent systems.
  • Multi-year financing commitments, tied to performance milestones, can help ensure continuity and long-term impact.
• Workforce Development and Technical Capacity
  • Infrastructure alone is insufficient without trained personnel to operate and maintain oxygen systems.
  • Therefore, building human resource capacity is critical. Countries should:
    • Establish national and regional training programs for biomedical engineers, technicians, and healthcare workers.
    • Develop curricula on oxygen technologies, diagnostics (e.g., pulse oximetry), and maintenance protocols.
    • Facilitate south-south cooperation, where nations with strong capacity (e.g., Nepal, India) support training in neighbouring countries (e.g., Bhutan, Bangladesh).
  • WHO’s example of training collaboration between Nepal and Bhutan illustrates how cross-border partnerships can rapidly enhance technical skills and ensure sustainability. 

The Way Forward: Strengthening the Oxygen Ecosystem

• A coordinated, multi-stakeholder effort is essential to building a resilient global oxygen ecosystem.
• Governments must integrate oxygen access into universal health coverage and emergency preparedness plans.
• Establishing clear regulatory frameworks for quality control, storage, and transportation will safeguard the efficacy and safety of medical oxygen.
• The private sector has a vital role to play in local manufacturing, supply chain optimization, and the development of cost-effective technologies.
• Meanwhile, global health agencies must continue to prioritise oxygen access, providing financial and technical support to scale up delivery systems.
• Academic institutions and researchers should focus on developing affordable, adaptable oxygen solutions suited to the unique challenges of LMICs.
• Digital technologies can also play a transformative role; real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and smart logistics can streamline oxygen delivery and minimize waste.

Conclusion

• The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the installation of PSA oxygen plants across many countries, but these must now be fully operationalised and maintained.
• Donors who supported these initial efforts should continue to invest, ensuring surplus capacity is distributed to peripheral health facilities through technologies like booster pumps.
• As The Lancet Global Health Commission reminds us, ensuring access to medical oxygen is not only a public health priority, it is a moral obligation.
• Instead of returning to crisis-driven strategies, the global community must seize this opportunity to create a lasting and equitable system where oxygen is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic human right.