Côme Carpentier De Gourdon seeks to understand and explain why the Rule of Law that is seen as the pillar of civilisation is being increasingly circumvented, ignored, and broken, all over the world. It is occurring in the international realm, between sovereign states and within countries, even in Western-style “liberal social” democracies which frequently induce or force other, more authoritarian governments, to abide by what they (the said liberal democracies) define as the global legal order. A difference is made by the author between the classical notions of the international Westphalian system supported by “universal moral values” inherited from the 18th and 19th centuries and enshrined in the charter of the United Nations Organisation, and the neoliberal supranational “rules-based order”, proclaimed and promoted by the United States and its mostly American and European allies. It is alleged that the rules-based order is used by the Western Alliance as an institutional and ideological mechanism to maintain its predominance over the rest of the world by invoking moral superiority.

The future strategic conflict between China and India is a given, and a prosperous commercial relationship cannot thwart the existence of this rivalry. How the relationship is managed will determine how Asia, including South Asia, will be governed politically. China is currently asserting its claim to various Indian regions and engaging in "infrastructure intimidation" along the border. Mahima Jindal observes a growing Chinese footprint near India in the security sector. An intrusive military presence of the PLA in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is the most recent illustration of this. India is particularly concerned about China's potential impact on its cyber and space security due to its deployment of disruptive technologies. In addition, India believes that China may be implementing some of its strategic plans through Pakistan as a proxy. The military and nuclear collaboration between Pakistan and China has degraded India's external security situation. This article explores how China impacts India strategically and the many challenges it poses.

Zoltan Barany surveys the political scene in the Melanesian Pacific region and highlights the intense strategy rivalry that pits the United States and its allies, Australia and New Zealand against the People’s Republic of China. The latter has expanded its sphere of influence in the area, particularly in the Solomon Islands and Fiji, prompting Quad member-nations to increase their support and presence in Melanesia as part of their Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy.

Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Signs of politico-economic disturbances were visible for several years, but it was the first half of 2022 that brought the crisis to the global stage. The consequences of prolonged domestic political instability, neglect of the civil society and opposition voices, deep political fault lines, weak economic decision-making, poor economic planning for the future, partnership with opportunist lender countries like China, all combined to translate into a multifaceted blunder for the Island State. How does India see the future of a bilateral relationship with Sri Lanka? And how does it envision the future of South Asia? Manisha Chaurasiya and Vijay Kumar Yadav describe (a) the nature of the present crisis in Sri Lanka, (b) the Indian foreign policy approach and the ‘‘Neighbourhood First Policy’’ towards Sri Lanka, (c) the options for India to handle this challenge in a neighbouring state and also to mitigate its impact on the larger South Asian region.

P Krishna Mohan Reddy highlights the pro-socialistic bent of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), inspired by the desire to resist the influence of the former colonial powers and their capitalistic hegemony. The article points out that the cofounder of NAM, Pandit Nehru, even before Independence, leaned towards the USSR and other communist politics, despite Stalin’s will to bring the communists to power in independent India. Nehru’s ideological tendencies led him to ignore Soviet and later Chinese hostility to India’s political system and to support Moaist China in various ways while accommodating the Indian Communist Parties.

Despite President Barack Obama’s interest in the Kashmir Issue, his administration was dissuaded from appointing a special envoy to Kashmir by the Indian Government and decided not to get involved in the dispute beyond putting pressure on India and Pakistan to enter direct negotiations. Santosh Singh points out that the Obama Administration likewise refused to mediate between the two inimical neighbours on the matter of water sharing, despite Pakistan’s entreaties and asked Islamabad to stop supporting terrorism. The US authorities cracked down on some Kashmiri separatists operating on US soil although some Congressmen were actively involved in supporting them. Subsequently the Obama Administration kept a hands-off policy on Kashmir and supported India’s surgical strike on terrorist camps on Pakistan’s soil.

The planned opening of foreign universities will foster cultural exchange, expose Indian students to diverse perspectives and promote international understanding, according to Gedam Kamalakar. Foreign university campuses have the potential to attract foreign investment, create job opportunities and stimulate the local economy through increased spending on infrastructure, accommodation and services. Partnerships with foreign universities on joint research projects will enhance knowledge exchange and technological advancements. Nevertheless, the influx of foreign universities can pose a threat to domestic educational institutions by alienating talented students and faculty and exacerbating inequalities in access to quality education. There is hence a danger of cultural imperialism. Indigenous knowledge and traditions may be marginalised due to the dominance of Western educational systems and values. Increasing opportunities to study abroad may also increase brain drain.

The movement of people across borders has always been a subject of discussion, reflecting on the responsibility of states towards individuals seeking refuge from crises. Daniel Hamilton Fernandes De Lima and Stéfani Clara Da Silva Bezerra critically analyse Brazil's "Operação Acolhida" in response to the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis from the perspective of solidarity and legal cosmopolitanism. They delve into the philosophical underpinnings and practical manifestations of solidarity. The paper highlights the challenges and imperfections in the implementation of "Operação Acolhida", such as xenophobia, communication barriers, and shortcomings in resource allocation. It calls for a deeper internalisation of solidarity within Brazilian society and a more comprehensive approach to refugee assistance.

Ifeoma Ethel Ezeabasili examines cross-border migration and remittances in Nigeria and the Benin Republic from 1999 to 2020. The study has adopted the neoclassical economic theory of migration. Utilising descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation coefficient, the findings revealed that there is no significant relationship between cross-border migration and remittances in Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The study concludes that the movement of Nigerian and Benin Republic citizens across their national boundaries does not translate into increased earnings in both countries. The study therefore recommends that both the governments should focus on creating more job opportunities and improving economic conditions; regulate migration policy and strengthen institutional frameworks. Governments and financial institutions of the two countries should work together to improve access to financial services, especially in rural areas from where migrants often come and further invest in human capital development through skill acquisition and education.

According to Sudhanshu Tripathi terrorism is not simply a material phenomenon but is primarily ideational in nature. While the world is yet to overcome this threat despite having invoked several coercive and deterrent measures so far, ancient India’s moral cultural traits and rich traditional heritage do offer a genuinely effective method to overcome this evil gradually. Indeed this heritage reflects all universal and cosmological features, manifesting love, peace, brotherhood, non-violence and so forth, and if these values are honestly imparted to coming generations by including them into teaching curricula at all levels and also in the social behaviour, it may lead to true cultural transformation, and help to build a violence and terror-free global society. Nevertheless, all these efforts must be accompanied by necessary deterrent and preventive measures to ensure public security including the rehabilitation of remaining terrorists into national and global mainstreams.