CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia
The Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS), Gifu Women’s University, introduces selected materials related to South Asia — including media reports, academic articles, public reports, books, and events — together with brief commentary and perspectives from specialists.
Issue
No. 6 (2026-10-26)
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia－12】
FUKUNAGA Masaaki（Visiting Professor）
Category: Media article
Source: The Edition (Maldives)
Date: October 21, 2026
Summary：
During his visit to Pakistan in October 2026, Maldivian President Muizzu expressed his intention to play an active role in reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
SAARC has not held a summit since its 18th summit in 2014. The 19th summit, scheduled for 2016, was also canceled against the backdrop of tensions between India and Pakistan.
President Muizzu outlined a policy of promoting the restoration of trust and dialogue among member states and working toward an early SAARC summit. In his Independence Day address in July of the same year, he had also said that the Maldives was prepared to act as an intermediary to revive SAARC.
Comment：
The continuing efforts of the Maldives, a maritime nation in the Indian Ocean, to revive South Asian regional cooperation deserve recognition. The region faces a range of issues between India, which overwhelmingly dominates in both geographical size and population, and its neighbors. It has been particularly affected by the confrontational relationship between India and Pakistan.
Regional cooperation is essential and important for South Asia’s economic development and political and security stability. The active engagement of a small country such as the Maldives with these issues also raises questions about what genuine diplomacy means and what it means to pursue the national interest.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia－13】
TinWin（Visiting Researcher）
Article title: Japan’s “Silent Diplomacy” in Myanmar: A Partner for ASEAN’s Peace Process?
Category: Research Commentary
Source: FULCRUM, ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
Authors: Hirokazu Omatsu and Kyi Sin
Date: October 14, 2026
Summary：
The article examines Japan's expanding peace mediation initiatives and their potential contribution to ASEAN's efforts to address Myanmar's conflict. The authors highlight Japan's longstanding diplomatic engagement, including Yōhei Sasakawa's mediation of informal ceasefires between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army in 2020 and 2022. Although these ceasefires eventually collapsed, Japan's diplomatic experience, regional relationships, and relatively low-profile approach could make it a useful partner for ASEAN. The authors suggest that Japan could contribute mediation expertise and resources while allowing ASEAN to retain leadership of the peace process.
Comment：
Although the article primarily examines Japan and ASEAN, its implications extend directly to South Asia. For Bangladesh, developments in Myanmar's Rakhine State are closely connected to the unresolved Rohingya refugee crisis. Diplomatic initiatives must therefore consider the protection, rights, and meaningful participation of Rohingya communities, rather than focusing solely on agreements between armed groups. For India, Myanmar's stability is linked to border security, northeastern connectivity, and strategic infrastructure projects such as the Kaladan transport corridor. The article has become particularly timely following Sasakawa's October 20 meeting with Myanmar's military-backed president, Min Aung Hlaing, as reported by Reuters on October 21. This renewed engagement raises an important question: can diplomatic mediation contribute to a sustainable political settlement, or will it produce temporary ceasefires while leaving the underlying political conflicts unresolved? Japan's potential contribution should therefore be assessed not merely by its diplomatic access or ability to facilitate agreements, but by whether such efforts improve civilian protection, encourage inclusive political dialogue, and advance the prospects for sustainable peace.
For South Asia, particularly Bangladesh and India, the outcome will have direct humanitarian, security, and regional connectivity implications.
Signed articles are published under the sole responsibility of their authors and do not represent the views of the Center for South Asian Studies, Gifu Women’s University.
Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS), Gifu Women’s University
Issue
No. 5 (2026-10-10)
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia－9】
YANO Yoshiaki (Visiting Professor)
Category: Image (social media commentary)
Source: Breaking-Pepe Mecca Pact Signed
Media outlet / publisher: SNS Channel, @Transition_Protocol
Date: August 8, 2026
Summary: Pakistan has signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, but neither the common adversary nor the details of the agreement are clear. At the same time, Pakistan maintains good relations with the United States, China, and Iran, and is consolidating its position as a regional intermediary, including by working to mediate peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Comment: Might China be seeking to exclude India from the Middle East by strengthening its relations with Pakistan and Iran?
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia－10】
KUSAKABE Naonori (Visiting Professor)
Article title: 8 million people slipped into poverty in 4 years
Category: Newspaper article
Source: Prothom Alo (Bangladesh)
Date: October 8, 2026
Summary: According to the World Bank’s latest economic report on Bangladesh, an estimated eight million people have fallen into poverty in the four years since 2022, with the poverty rate rising from 18.7% to 22.5%. Factors behind this include a decline in real incomes due to rising prices and sluggish job creation. A further 62 million people live just above the poverty line and face the risk of falling into poverty as a result of economic shocks.
Comment: Bangladesh has long been described as a success story in economic growth and poverty reduction. Yet the fact that approximately 62 million people live just above the poverty line shows that escaping poverty statistically does not necessarily mean securing a stable livelihood. Rising prices and disasters expose these vulnerabilities, which are rooted in structural problems such as precarious employment, income inequality, and an inadequately functioning social protection system. Considered alongside the anxieties about the future among young people that surfaced during the student movement of 2024, the issue is more than simply restoring economic growth. The very nature of development needs to be reconsidered: who benefits from growth, and who is left behind when a crisis occurs?
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia－11】
KASAI Ryohei (Visiting Associate Professor)
Category: Article
Source: The Guardian
Date: August 15, 2026
Summary: August 2026 marked five full years since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan. Russia recognized the Taliban government in 2025, while China, India, and other countries have also sought to expand their ties. More recently, the EU has made contact as well, widening the Taliban’s diplomatic space. Meanwhile, the domestic human rights situation remains dire; in March 2026, the United Nations described the country as a “graveyard of human rights.” Human rights groups have expressed concern that greater engagement by other countries may diminish the priority given to human rights issues.
Comment: The article outlines how some countries are strengthening their diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan in the face of the likelihood that Taliban rule will continue. However, with no signs of change regarding women’s education and rights, the United States, Europe, and Japan inevitably remain cautious. Another important development, although not discussed in this article, is that Pakistan, which once enjoyed good relations with the Taliban, is now engaged in continuing armed clashes with Afghanistan.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
Issue
No. 4 (2026-09-13)
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia−7】
TinWin (Visiting Researcher)
Category: Media Article
Source: Democratic Voice of Burma ― UNB report
Date: 09 September 2026
Summary: Bangladesh’s prime minister asked Japanese special envoy Yōhei Sasakawa to help facilitate safe, voluntary and dignified Rohingya repatriation. Sasakawa cautioned that insecurity and complex conditions in Rakhine State would make progress difficult and require time.
Comment: Sasakawa’s established mediation contacts raise a timely question for South Asian studies: can Japanese engagement help connect Bangladesh’s repatriation diplomacy with changing authority in Arakan? The significance of renewed dialogue should be assessed through improvements in civilian protection and the conditions for voluntary return, including meaningful Rohingya participation.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia−8】
Prof. FUKUNAGA Masaaki (Visiting Professor)
Category: Article
Source: Frontline (The Hindu Group)
Date: August 21, 2026
Summary: Across India, Generation Alpha—mainly primary and middle school students—have begun protesting to demand improvements in basic educational conditions at public schools, including teacher shortages, inadequate toilets, and the lack of drinking water, electricity, and fans in classrooms. Generation Alpha generally refers to those born from the 2010s onward, following Generation Z.
Its oldest members are now reaching their mid-teens and are raising their voices as direct stakeholders in school life. Behind this lies the CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) protest movement, led mainly by Gen Z youth in Delhi. Young people who continued demonstrations in central Delhi criticized exam irregularities and demanded the resignation of the central government’s education minister; despite forced removal by police, they continued their protests, and the education minister resigned on July 25.
Author Anand Teltumbde sees this experience as having instilled in young people the sense that “demanding change from the government can actually bring change,” a sense that has since spread to the younger Generation Alpha as well. On August 15, India’s Independence Day, the CJP launched the “School Thik Karo (Fix the School)” campaign to investigate facility problems at public schools. The protests by primary and middle school students across the country were not centrally organized; rather, the children themselves are voicing the specific problems facing their own schools and demanding solutions.
Teltumbde views this movement as opening up the possibility of a new kind of politics that begins with the familiar issue of education.
Its oldest members are now reaching their mid-teens and are raising their voices as direct stakeholders in school life. Behind this lies the CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) protest movement, led mainly by Gen Z youth in Delhi. Young people who continued demonstrations in central Delhi criticized exam irregularities and demanded the resignation of the central government’s education minister; despite forced removal by police, they continued their protests, and the education minister resigned on July 25.
Author Anand Teltumbde sees this experience as having instilled in young people the sense that “demanding change from the government can actually bring change,” a sense that has since spread to the younger Generation Alpha as well. On August 15, India’s Independence Day, the CJP launched the “School Thik Karo (Fix the School)” campaign to investigate facility problems at public schools. The protests by primary and middle school students across the country were not centrally organized; rather, the children themselves are voicing the specific problems facing their own schools and demanding solutions.
Teltumbde views this movement as opening up the possibility of a new kind of politics that begins with the familiar issue of education.
Comment: The article points out that public education—an issue familiar to virtually everyone—has the potential to bring people together, in contrast to the social divisions in India that have traditionally been shaped by religion, social stratification, and nationalism. The demand that rural and remote schools have the teachers they need, and that hot classrooms have working fans, is one that can be widely shared. What matters here is that dissatisfaction with specific, concrete problems is directed not at internal social conflict but at the state itself, as the provider of administrative services.
Moreover, the protesters are themselves primary and middle school students. The labels of “anti-national” or “urban Naxalite” that have often been used against movements critical of the government cannot easily be applied to teenagers simply asking for teachers and toilets. If police were to use force against uniformed schoolchildren, it would almost certainly generate criticism of the government.
As Generation Z broke through its fear of the government, the succeeding Generation Alpha has begun to raise demands directly tied to daily life. In this, Teltumbde sees the possibility of a new movement in Indian politics.
This article is also important for understanding contemporary India from an angle different from the usual emphasis on economic growth and great-power status. In many areas, public schools still lack even the most basic educational conditions—teachers, classrooms, toilets, and drinking water—and it is the children themselves, as the parties directly affected, who have begun to speak out about these problems. Understanding India today requires attention not only to economic growth and international standing, but also to the realities of public services and the emerging voice of a younger generation that has begun to speak up about them.
Moreover, the protesters are themselves primary and middle school students. The labels of “anti-national” or “urban Naxalite” that have often been used against movements critical of the government cannot easily be applied to teenagers simply asking for teachers and toilets. If police were to use force against uniformed schoolchildren, it would almost certainly generate criticism of the government.
As Generation Z broke through its fear of the government, the succeeding Generation Alpha has begun to raise demands directly tied to daily life. In this, Teltumbde sees the possibility of a new movement in Indian politics.
This article is also important for understanding contemporary India from an angle different from the usual emphasis on economic growth and great-power status. In many areas, public schools still lack even the most basic educational conditions—teachers, classrooms, toilets, and drinking water—and it is the children themselves, as the parties directly affected, who have begun to speak out about these problems. Understanding India today requires attention not only to economic growth and international standing, but also to the realities of public services and the emerging voice of a younger generation that has begun to speak up about them.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
Issue
No. 3 (2026-08-03)
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia−5】
Prof. KURASAWA Sai (Visiting Professor)
Category: Media Article
Source: Prothom Alo (Bangladesh)
Date: July 18, 2026
Summary: According to a recent field survey conducted by the Compulsory Primary Education Implementation and Monitoring Unit under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, covering approximately 2,100 schools in the capital, Dhaka, and surrounding areas, it was revealed that many students in public elementary schools are unable to correctly pronounce basic Bengali letters and are struggling in particular with reading compound letters (ligatures).
Furthermore, the survey found that many students lack proficiency in mathematics, and their proficiency in English is similarly low.
The report points out that boys are falling behind girls and that attendance rates are also low.
Furthermore, the survey found that many students lack proficiency in mathematics, and their proficiency in English is similarly low.
The report points out that boys are falling behind girls and that attendance rates are also low.
Comment: This survey was conducted to gain a concrete understanding of the current situation on the ground. Concerns regarding the quality of education in public elementary schools have persisted for some time.
In addition to a severe shortage of teachers, there is also a shortage of qualified teachers. According to reports from the field, approximately 10 to 20 percent of students are significantly behind in their studies. This serious situation is also influenced by various other socioeconomic factors, regional disparities, economic hardship, and issues related to truancy.
If reading, writing, and arithmetic skills remain inadequate at the primary education level, the negative effects are likely to become even more pronounced as students advance to higher grades. It is necessary to closely monitor Bangladesh’s future development to see what policies will be implemented to address the “learning poverty” highlighted by the World Bank.
In addition to a severe shortage of teachers, there is also a shortage of qualified teachers. According to reports from the field, approximately 10 to 20 percent of students are significantly behind in their studies. This serious situation is also influenced by various other socioeconomic factors, regional disparities, economic hardship, and issues related to truancy.
If reading, writing, and arithmetic skills remain inadequate at the primary education level, the negative effects are likely to become even more pronounced as students advance to higher grades. It is necessary to closely monitor Bangladesh’s future development to see what policies will be implemented to address the “learning poverty” highlighted by the World Bank.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia−6】
Dr. BHATTARAI Binod (Visiting Researcher)
Category: Media Article
Source: The Kathmandu Post (Nepal)
Date: 03 July 2026
Summary: This article examines Nepalese Prime Minister Balen Shah’s unique leadership style during his early months in office. It highlights his reliance on social media, swift decision-making, preference for a close circle of advisers, and limited engagement with Parliament and diplomats.
While supporters praise his efficiency and modern approach, critics raise concerns about his transparency, accountability, and commitment to democratic institutions.
While supporters praise his efficiency and modern approach, critics raise concerns about his transparency, accountability, and commitment to democratic institutions.
Comment: Nepalese Prime Minister Balen Shah exemplifies a new wave of digital, personality-driven leadership. While his innovative approach has garnered significant public support, long-term democratic stability depends on strengthening institutional transparency, parliamentary engagement, and executive accountability.
Ultimately, his administration serves as a compelling case study on the evolving dynamic of political leadership in contemporary Nepal.
Ultimately, his administration serves as a compelling case study on the evolving dynamic of political leadership in contemporary Nepal.
Issue
No. 2 (2026-07-13)
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia−3】
Prof. MURAYAMA Mayumi (Visiting Professor)
Category: Media Article
Source: The India Forum
Date: 26 June 2026
Summary: This article examines the political rhetoric that the religious demographic composition of India’s border regions has been significantly altered by the inflow of undocumented Muslim migrants from Bangladesh.
Using the 2001 and 2011 population censuses together with 2019–21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data as a substitute for the unavailable 2021 census, the author tests this hypothesis for West Bengal and Assam.
The analysis finds no evidence of a disproportionate increase in the Muslim population in border-adjacent districts between 2001–2011 or 2011–2019.
Using the 2001 and 2011 population censuses together with 2019–21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data as a substitute for the unavailable 2021 census, the author tests this hypothesis for West Bengal and Assam.
The analysis finds no evidence of a disproportionate increase in the Muslim population in border-adjacent districts between 2001–2011 or 2011–2019.
Comment: Cross-border migration is becoming a contested issue worldwide, and in India’s case attention has focused on the eastern and northeastern borders shared with Bangladesh. The question of undocumented migration, criminalized since the demarcation of the border under British rule, remains the most pressing bilateral issue between India and Bangladesh today.
On 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Modi announced a high-level committee on demographic change, which was formally inaugurated on 26 May 2026. The committee is expected to comprehensively examine population changes across India arising from causes other than natural increase, such as undocumented migration, and to submit time-bound recommendations within one to one-and-a-half years. The article notes it as remarkable that the political rhetoric leading to the committee’s establishment has been voiced so forcefully without supporting evidence.
Demographic change involves not only migration (inflow and outflow) but also a range of other factors such as birth and death rates. It will be important to watch closely what methodology the committee adopts, what conclusions it reaches, and whether the process itself gives rise to new controversies.
On 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Modi announced a high-level committee on demographic change, which was formally inaugurated on 26 May 2026. The committee is expected to comprehensively examine population changes across India arising from causes other than natural increase, such as undocumented migration, and to submit time-bound recommendations within one to one-and-a-half years. The article notes it as remarkable that the political rhetoric leading to the committee’s establishment has been voiced so forcefully without supporting evidence.
Demographic change involves not only migration (inflow and outflow) but also a range of other factors such as birth and death rates. It will be important to watch closely what methodology the committee adopts, what conclusions it reaches, and whether the process itself gives rise to new controversies.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia−4】
Prof. FUKUNAGA Masaaki (Visiting Professor)
Category: Media Article
Source: The Economic Times (PTI)
Date: 8 July 2026
Summary: According to a report by the Maharashtra state administration, 465 farmers died by suicide in the Marathwada region during the first half of 2026 (January–June).
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district recorded the highest number with 109 cases. Across the region’s eight districts, 215 cases have been approved for government compensation while 222 remain under review.
In 2025, the region recorded 1,131 farmer suicides, underscoring the continuing severity of the agrarian crisis.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district recorded the highest number with 109 cases. Across the region’s eight districts, 215 cases have been approved for government compensation while 222 remain under review.
In 2025, the region recorded 1,131 farmer suicides, underscoring the continuing severity of the agrarian crisis.
Comment: Farmer suicides have been repeatedly discussed, both in India and abroad, as a symbol of the structural problems facing Indian agriculture since the 1990s. While India has achieved economic growth that has made it the world’s fifth-largest economy in nominal GDP terms, the persistence of this issue is emblematic of the serious economic and social vulnerabilities that remain in rural areas, home to roughly 60% of the population.
The Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra are particularly well known for having the highest rates of farmer suicide in the country. Behind this lies a combination of structural factors: semi-arid conditions heavily dependent on the monsoon, reliance on cash crops such as cotton and soybeans, the cost of agricultural inputs including fertilizer and pesticides, debt burdens, market price volatility, droughts and extreme weather linked to climate change, and policy support that remains inadequate.
This report shows that the situation has yet to improve, offering an important case for understanding the realities of rural society that cannot be captured by India’s economic growth alone. It also underscores, once again, the need to consider agricultural policy, regional disparities, climate change, and social security together as an integrated whole.
The Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra are particularly well known for having the highest rates of farmer suicide in the country. Behind this lies a combination of structural factors: semi-arid conditions heavily dependent on the monsoon, reliance on cash crops such as cotton and soybeans, the cost of agricultural inputs including fertilizer and pesticides, debt burdens, market price volatility, droughts and extreme weather linked to climate change, and policy support that remains inadequate.
This report shows that the situation has yet to improve, offering an important case for understanding the realities of rural society that cannot be captured by India’s economic growth alone. It also underscores, once again, the need to consider agricultural policy, regional disparities, climate change, and social security together as an integrated whole.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
Issue
No. 1 (2026-06-03)
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia】1
Prof. HIROSE Hiromi (Visiting Professor)
Category: Institutional Report
Source: JETRO
Date: 14 May 2026
Summary: Following the Tamil Nadu state assembly election in southern India, Joseph C. Vijay, a popular film actor and leader of the newly established Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), became Chief Minister after the party emerged as the largest force in the state assembly.
Comment: The transformation of fan clubs into political organizations represents a different dimension from the earlier Dravidian political tradition, which mobilized mass support through cinema while emphasizing Tamil language and culture. Rather than celebrities simply entering politics, the phenomenon now reflects how public support gathers around figures perceived as capable of advancing social justice.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia】2
Prof. MIWA Hiroki (Visiting Professor)
Category: Media Article
Source: The Hindu
Date: 11 May 2026
Summary: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on citizens to help the country cope with global economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and inflationary pressures. He urged people to reduce unnecessary purchases of gold and overseas travel in order to limit foreign currency outflows, while also encouraging the use of public transportation and remote work.
Comment: The worsening situation in the Middle East is affecting the Indian economy, particularly through rising fuel prices. Modi’s remarks reflect an attempt to secure public cooperation in addressing these challenges. However, because fuel costs directly affect everyday life, any policy missteps by the government could lead to a decline in public support.
Note: Original text in Japanese; translated into English by the Center.
【CSAS Picks: Featured Updates on South Asia】3
Mr. TinWin (Visiting Researcher)
Category: Media Article
Source: Reuters
Date: 30 May 2026
Summary: Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing has begun a five-day official visit to India, his first foreign trip since assuming the presidency in April 2026.
During the visit, he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss bilateral cooperation, border security, connectivity, trade, and economic relations. Analysts also note India’s interest in reducing China’s influence in Myanmar and exploring access to Myanmar’s rare earth resources.
During the visit, he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss bilateral cooperation, border security, connectivity, trade, and economic relations. Analysts also note India’s interest in reducing China’s influence in Myanmar and exploring access to Myanmar’s rare earth resources.
Comment: This visit illustrates the growing complexity of regional diplomacy surrounding Myanmar. Discussions about Myanmar are often framed primarily through the lens of democracy and human rights, which remain important considerations.
At the same time, neighboring countries such as India must also address practical concerns including border stability, economic connectivity, competition with China, and access to critical resources.
The visit therefore highlights a broader question for South Asian studies: how should states balance normative commitments with geopolitical realities when dealing with politically contested governments? Understanding this tension may be essential for interpreting not only India’s Myanmar policy, but also wider regional dynamics across South and Southeast Asia.
At the same time, neighboring countries such as India must also address practical concerns including border stability, economic connectivity, competition with China, and access to critical resources.
The visit therefore highlights a broader question for South Asian studies: how should states balance normative commitments with geopolitical realities when dealing with politically contested governments? Understanding this tension may be essential for interpreting not only India’s Myanmar policy, but also wider regional dynamics across South and Southeast Asia.