South Asia: Back to Basics

The prevailing view of the constitutional framework in South Asia is seen as secondary and subsidiary to developed constitutional systems worldwide. Meanwhile, South Asian countries have merely re-produced the constitutional framework of developed nations. The emergence and development of South Asian constitutionalism present a range of perspectives and methodological approaches that contribute to comparative constitutional law scholarship in South Asia. The overt attention toward the Western notion of liberalism has often led to an incomplete and unclear approach to South Asian constitutionalism. The paper aimed to explore the elements of South Asian constitutionalism alongside underlying socio-economic and political discourse surrounding its contemporary understanding. It also analyzed the role of courts in affirming and transforming South Asian constitutionalism. Instead of reviving interest in South Asia and Third World Approach to International Law, this paper showed that it is only practical and pragmatic to study constitutionalism with specific reference to the modern discourse of democracy, judicial review, separation of power, and human rights enshrined in their respective constitutions. In terms of its emergence from the colonial history and other prevalent forms of distinct cultural, social, and political practices, South Asia presented a heterogeneous experience in the light of recognition and enforcement of socio-economic rights and transformations and deviations from its past experiences.
 KEYWORDS: Comparative Constitutional Law, Constitutionalism, South Asia.

United States' long-term strategic interest in South Asia has made it a dynamic area for its foreign policy priorities. The cold war, the 9/11 incident, and the rise of China as a global power are the main factors responsible for U.S. involvement in the region. Over decades, the U.S. has under gone ups and downs in its relations with Pakistan and India to accomplish its strategic objectives.Against this backdrop, the paper examines the U.S. changing interests in South Asia, its attempts to fulfill its strategic objectives, its ties with India and Pakistan, and its role in the balance of power between Pakistan and India. While doing so, a descriptive-analytical method has been used to study and present facts with the optimum level of objectivity. The study's findings concluded that U.S. changing policy towards South Asia and its quest for containing the rising Chinese influence in Euro-Asia is playing a significant role in the balance of power between Pakistan and India.

Nepal-China security cooperation is in a progressing way since some years. Defense cooperation on multiple spheres could display the accumulative understanding and coherence on political-security realm. Due to the geo-security aspect, China has been concerned on its bordering region with Nepal. Defense cooperation since 2015 has been growing exponentially with technical supports, exchanges and joint training. This paper concludes that security issue between Nepal and China is the prominently significant agenda on bilateral cooperation. It is also concomitant with great powers interest in South Asia. Some section of security experts in Nepal opined that with the establishment of Republic system, China searched established state power to foster continues collaboration in Nepal. In course of it, China found Nepal’s security agencies a trustful for enhancing cooperation as a stable state power and institutions. Peace and stability in the geo-strategically significant Nepal definitely contribute for the entire region and help to reduce regional politico-security imbalance, confrontation and zero-some game. Nepal-China constructive defense cooperation depends on the seriousness, pragmatism and rational efforts of two countries’ national leadership. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has given opportunity for two countries to reach at consensus on common issues and execute policies regarding the broader area of partnership. This research has used “comprehensive approach” as a theoretical framework and is based on qualitative study, and documents/archive study and interview tools are used for data collection.

Today, sport's international role is very concrete in business terms. To quote United Nations Director of Communications Eric Falt: It is an industry with unparallelled global reach and power. Globally, sport-related turnover amounts to three per cent of world total economic activity. (1) In the United Kingdom, for example, sport-related turnover is equal to that of the automotive or food industries. Mega-sporting events such as the FIFA Football World Cup or Formula One Grand Prix races are watched around the globe. Cricket attracts huge interest in South Asia, and the International Olympic Committee alone earns more than US$2 billion from selling the sponsorship and TV rights for the Olympic Games. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At the same time, the corporate practices of this worldwide industry can and do have widespread impact, socially and environmentally. And sport has a number of distinctive characteristics which may influence the way in which it internationalises and the extent of its globalisation. Sports events have uncertain outcomes and evoke strongly emotional responses from consumers, resulting in intense loyalty among fans. These characteristics merit discussion, and this special edition, dedicated to the internationalisation of sport and sport-related industries, seeks to gain a better understanding of globalisation and to connect to experiences and lessons learned by international businesses in the course of going global. Much of the business literature on internationalisation deals with the choice between export and foreign direct investment, mainly exploring areas such as market imperfections, strategic behaviour or location advantages. Other parts of the literature have focused on the sequential stages for an organisation that goes international--for example, Vernon's product cycle hypothesis. The Uppsala school takes this a step further and links the stages to growing experience aligned with a deepening and progressive commitment to each market. This enables firms to gradually increase their understanding of quality expectations, personnel requirements, distribution, media structures and buying behaviour particular to a foreign market. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For the sports audience and sport management things are different: sports viewed by supporters is 'process consumption', a wider, more comprehensive experience than the consumption of physical goods, which is often called 'outcome consumption'. At the same time, the proliferation of information technology has made it possible to serve the needs of consumers all over the world. Fans are not limited by geographic location but can consume an event real-time or recorded from virtually anywhere in the world. Within this, the opportunities for the promotion of sport, and the benefits for sport and its partners, are significant. Developing a global brand is a business decision to be made by the top management of a club or sports institution. within this process, the even must also be taken into account. Our interview with President and COO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway LLC, Joie Chitwood III, conducted during the most recent Formula One United States Grand Prix event, in Indianapolis in 2007, and updated this autumn, highlights the complexity of the Formula One bid to appeal to fans in the US. There are six engine manufacturers competing in Formula One, with five of them having the United States fairly important to their business. Is this alone sufficient to support and sustain a Formula One Grand Prix in the US? The interview explores the increasing difficulties faced by a privately owned racetrack to bid for hosting a Grand Prix as Formula One broadens its brand on a global scale. James Santomier's paper New media, branding and global sports sponsorship discusses the importance of new media integration and its implications for the future of global sports sponsorship. …

South Asia is home to a remarkable portion of the world’s population, with about 1.9 billion people, making up nearly 24% of the global total. This region, which includes countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, plays a vital role in shaping global demographics. One of the striking characteristics of South Asia's population is its youthful nature, setting it apart from many other parts of the world. In South Asia, roughly 28-30% of the population is under the age of 14, a larger proportion than the global average of 25%. This reflects a region with a high birth rate and a significant number of young people entering the workforce and education systems. Meanwhile, about 65% of South Asians fall within the working-age group (15-64 years), aligning with global trends. However, only 5-7% of the region’s population is over 65, compared to around 10% globally. This indicates that South Asia has a smaller elderly population, in contrast to many developed countries where longer life expectancy and lower birth rates are creating aging populations. These dynamics suggest that South Asia's youthful demographic will be central to its future development and economic growth. Introduction: South Asia is one of the most populous regions globally, and its population statistics are significant when compared to the global population. As of recent estimates: Percentage of Global Population from South Asia • South Asia accounts for about 25% of the global population. The region includes countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. • The total population of South Asia is around 1.9 to 2 billion people, with India alone contributing to a large portion (about 1.4 billion). Age Distribution South Asia has a relatively young population compared to the global average, with a higher proportion of younger age groups. Here’s a comparison of the age distribution in South Asia vs the rest of the world. South Asia • 0–14 years: About 30% of the population. • 15–24 years: Around 20% of the population. • 25–64 years: Approximately 45%. • 65 years and older: Around 5%. Global Average • 0–14 years: About 25% of the global population. • 15–24 years: Roughly 15%. • 25–64 years: Around 50%. • 65 years and older: Around 10%. Key Points • South Asia has a younger population, with a higher percentage in the 0–24 age bracket compared to the global average. • The rest of the world, particularly regions like Europe and North America, tends to have a more aging population, with higher percentages in the 65+ age group. These demographic trends have significant implications for future economic development, healthcare needs, and social policies in South Asia and globally. Obesity is increasing globally, and South Asians (SA’s) are particularly vulnerable due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Central obesity is prevalent among South Asians, leading to metabolic issues like insulin resistance and hypertension, even at lower body mass index (BMI) levels than seen in Western populations. This has prompted organizations such as the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to adopt ethnic-specific waist circumference cut-offs for SAs. The "thin fat" phenotype, common in this group, refers to individuals who appear lean but carry excess visceral fat, raising their cardiovascular risk. Despite identifying some obesity-related genes like FTO and MC4R, research on South Asian populations remains limited compared to studies on Europeans. Traditional BMI cut-offs often underestimate health risks in this population, highlighting the need for targeted public health interventions to address rising obesity and metabolic disorders among South Asians.

The article brings forward an analytical approach aiming to address the necessity and feasibility of establishing a regional human rights court for South Asia. Regionalism is a well-established concept in international human rights law.It has to some extent resolved the debate of universalism vs. cultural relativism and remarkably contributed to the protection and promotion of human rights. While regional courts have been functioning in different regions of the world including Africa, Europe and the Americas; South Asia, being a significant region with a notable population has never had a regional human rights court. Furthermore, compared to other regional bodies like ASEAN, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has failed grossly to protect human rights in the South Asian region. Based on doctrinal research, the article sets out to answer two fundamental questions.Firstly, why such a regional human rights court is a necessary solution to the human rights violation in South Asia.Secondly, how such a court may be established despite having multiple barriers and the inauspicious geopolitical reality of South Asia. The first part of the paper weighs the efficacy of a regional human rights court while critically analyzing the concept of regionalism. The second part determines the feasibility of such a court focusing on the challenges, especially regarding the scope of jurisdiction considering the problem of law and hierarchy. Before concluding with a comprehensive picture of the probable regional human rights court of South Asia, the article also briefly ponders whether an environmental justice-oriented regional court may be the best solution for South Asia.

Parking requirements are a hotly debated element of parking policy. Yet such requirements are common worldwide. Little effort had been made, however, to make international comparisons that could place local policies into wider perspective. This study focused on parking requirement policies in 14 cities in South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Cities in these regions have tended to be high in urban density, relatively low in car ownership, and, in some cases, strongly transit-oriented in their urban transport systems. In the West, localities with these characteristics often reject the suburban-style parking policy that requires minimum parking, and adopt alternatives. Nevertheless, all Asian cities in the study did enforce such parking requirements on building developments. This surprising enforcement result raised questions. Are these Asian parking requirement policies really similar to those in the West? Are criticisms of Western policies relevant in Asia? Are there lessons to be drawn from parking requirement practices in this region? Such questions were addressed through comparisons of parking requirement policies in the 14 Asian cities (and with reference to Western practice, especially in North America and Australia). The study drew on information collected for a wider study of parking policy in Asia commissioned by the Asian Development Bank. The results revealed diversity, including some distinctive approaches. The findings should provide insights that are useful in debates on parking policy reform, inside and outside the region.

The Policy of Russia towards South Asia has recently become the subject of numerous speculations. As ties between Russia and China, it is apparent that Russia is gradually getting rid of the India-centric policy in South Asia. Moreover, its behavior towards Pakistan is also changing at regional and international levels. This study critically analyzed the transformations in the Russian strategy about South Asia owing to changed scenario of international power structure. The regional dynamic of South Asia has been discussed to comprehend the transformations in Russian strategy towards South Asia and particularly India and Pakistan. It is argued that the security interests have promoted Russia to change its policies by balancing the power equation with USA by cooperating with China and Pakistan. It was also found that, though Russia-India relations lack the passion of past but still a valuable driver of Russian behavior in South Asia.

The series of international symposia, “Open Pages in the Study of South Asia” focuses on problems in the region that have not yet been explained by researchers and pose a kind of mystery to scholars. The Symposia were initiated in 2011 by the International Scientific and Educational Center for South Asian Studies at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH). To date, four symposia have been held. The first two were held at RSUH in 2011 and 2013. The Third symposium was held at the University of Guwahati (Assam, India) in January 2019. The Fourth symposium was held on Jan. 29–31, 2022 at the Shivaji University (Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India). It was organized jointly by Shivaji University and RSUH. Due to the worsening epidemiological situation in the world, the symposium was held online. The organizers of the symposium proposed “Contemporary trends in South Asia” as a unifying theme for discussion. Over the three days, more than 70 scholars from many educational and academic institutions in Russia, South Asia, and Europe spoke at the sessions, presenting 54 papers. Presentations and discussions were organized within nine sections: “South Asia: The Past and Present”, “South Asia: The Challenges of Ethnic Pluralism, Cultural Diversity, and Multiculturalism”, “Human Rights & Democracy in South Asia”, “Gender in South Asia”, “Role of Literary Translation in South Asia”, “Glimpses of South Asia today”, etc. The Indian organizers of the symposium managed to implead interesting speakers — prominent scientists, journalists, public and political figures, and activists of labor and women’s movements. Among them is Romila Thapar — an elder of Indian historians, Ganesh Devi — literary critic and linguist, founder of the Adivasi Academy, Prabhat Patnaik — a well-known economist and political commentator, Saeed Naqvi — one of the oldest Indian journalists, television commentator and interviewer, Jatin Desai, Syeda Hameed, to name a few.

Historically the interaction between Bhutan and China was through Tibet. The annexation of Tibet by China and the later uprising in Tibet instilled a sense of fear in Bhutan causing it to close its northern border in 1960. However, Bhutan adopted a more open policy in the 1970s gradually increasing the contacts between the two neighbours. Border talks which started in 1984 resulted in an agreement in 1998 on maintaining peace and tranquility along border areas. While China and Bhutan neither have diplomatic relations nor any legal trade, growing Chinese interests in South Asia encompass Bhutan as well. Bhutan, therefore, faces the dilemma of not hurting the interests and sentiments of its traditional friend India while at the same time needing to respond to Chinese overtures and to solve the border problem peacefully and urgently; in the Sino-Bhutanese relationship, the Indian element remains the most important variable. The dynamics of the Sino-Indian relationship and Indian and Chinese strategic interests and activities in the Himalayas will be crucial in shaping Bhutan’s policies towards China.

Although the tradition of building megaliths among a few tribal communities in Northeast India has attracted scholarly interest in South Asia due to its archaeological significance, there is a lack of understanding regarding the social support networks involved, particularly in communally sponsored projects. This study addresses this knowledge gap by presenting insights from a case of monolith construction sponsored by the villagers in Maram Khullen, a Maram Naga (a Tibeto-Burman ethnic community) village in Manipur, in 2023. The study reveals that village clans and wards contributed resources in the form of cash, kind and labour. This differs from the undertakings sponsored by individual households, where the hosts bear the expenses to gain a higher status in society. During the event, villagers distributed shawls and meat to clan and ward leaders and spears to village chiefs from surrounding and distant villages. They also organized a community feast to strengthen support networks. Based on these results, I argue that social support networks in the past may have been similar, with such endeavours reinforcing social cohesion within villages and among neighbouring communities. I also contend that the mobilization of resources for such projects was primarily clan-based and driven by strong clan solidarity, with labour centred in village wards.

Green Revolution

South Asia - Damien V. Keown, Charles S. Prebish and Wayne R. Husted (ed.): Buddhism and Human Rights. (Curzon Critical Studies in Buddhism.) xxi, 239 pp. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon, 1997. £40. - Volume 62 Issue 1

Padmaja Shaw reviews “Community Radio Policies in South Asia” by Preeti Raghunath. Raghunath applies “deliberative policy ecology approach” to study how policy frameworks evolved in four South Asian nations, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Raghunath argues that the “deliberative policy ecology approach” is rooted in emancipatory politics that brings in the stakeholders at the bottom of the policy food chain. Raghunath’s intricate map of policy formulation in post-colonial societies is an engaging revelation of the continued contradictions between the developmentalist instincts of the state and the push of grassroots voices to claim their legitimate space in decision making.

In the last decade, the field of postcolonial ecocriticism has offered important insights into how ecological transformations are intertwined with histories, narratives, and the material practices of colonialism and globalization. Contesting ‘Green Imperialism’: Ecology and Rights in South Asian Literature contributes to critical conversations on how the history of imperialism is pivotal to understanding contemporary environmental trajectories in South Asia. It is the first sustained interdisciplinary inquiry that brings together law, literature and postcolonial ecocriticism to gain a multifaceted understanding of the co-constitution of legal, cultural, political and ecological formations in South Asia.Contesting ‘Green Imperialism’ examines the onto-epistemic effects of imperial environmental legislation on environmental cultures in South Asia from the 16th century to the present. It focuses on the establishment and diffusion of legalnorms, particularly, the discourses on human rights, and its impact in shaping ecological thinking and practices in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In particular, it inquires into how Western rights discourses colluded with scientific and philosophical discourses of ‘green imperialism’ —the imperial practices of naming and categorizingnature for imperial purposes of exercising control, creating a “hierarchy of human species…contributing to biologically determinist discourses of race, gender, andnature” (Grove 1998, 23). Tracing the relationship between rights discourse and colonial and postcolonial ecological thinking and practices as a part of ‘discursiveformation of knowledge and power,’ it underscores the significance of hierarchical classifications of man/nature/colonized in Western rights discourse in shapingenvironmental cultures in South Asia. Through a study of South Asian literature, this dissertation demonstrates howpostcolonial legal apparatuses continue to be informed by the ideology of ‘green imperialism,’ converging with the forces of modernity, ‘progress,’ state sovereignty,and neoliberal development in overdetermined ways. It argues that while Western legal texts on human rights can be read as an archive of ‘green imperialism’ and atestimony to the onto-epistemic violence on colonial territories and colonized subjects, literature by South Asian novelists—Amitav Ghosh, Romesh Gunesekara,A. Sivanandan, Chandani Lokuge and Uzma Khan— contests this process in reincorporating nature as a subject of rights and trope for human rights abuses. Inparticular, they challenge the taxonomic thinking of the rights discourse by destabilizing and re-envisioning the distinctions between man and nature in severalimportant ways; the counter discourses they offer participate in the decolonizing process in interrogating Eurocentric ontologies and epistemologies that inform ‘greenimperialism’ in law.