Vaishali Menon writes on the architecture of Indian political decision-making — the Cabinet rooms, the PMO, the party working committees where the public outcome is actually negotiated. Her work runs on long-cultivated sources and archival reconstruction of turning-point moments.
Recent work
Spear Corps Pulls 571 from Floodwaters — and Exposes a Deeper Deficit
The Indian Army's Spear Corps has rescued 571 people from flood-hit areas of Upper Assam since July 19, running day-and-night operations through its Dedicated Flood Relief Columns. The operation is effective — and it repeats, year after year, because the civilian infrastructure meant to prevent such scale of displacement never quite materialises. Assam's flood crisis is not a weather event; it is a governance problem with a strategic dimension India has not yet fully confronted.
Sarla Bhat Chargesheet: How India's Legal System Pursues 1990 Kashmir Atrocities
The State Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet naming Yasin Malik as the principal accused in the 1990 abduction and murder of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat. The filing, 36 years after the crime, marks a systematic effort by Indian legal institutions to prosecute separatist-era atrocities through formal domestic processes. The case raises deeper questions about how delayed justice shapes both the historical record and the political future of Jammu and Kashmir.
US-Iran Nuclear Deal Advances Despite Multiple Drafts as India Eyes Energy Partnership Revival
Iran has distributed at least three different versions of a proposed interim agreement with the US, diverging on key financial relief provisions, as President Trump sticks to his Sunday deadline for a deal. The competing drafts share common elements around reopening the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief, but differ significantly on immediate versus future financial assistance to Iran.
Myanmar President's Delhi Visit Reinforces India's Strategic Autonomy in Southeast Asia
Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing will visit India from May 30-June 3, holding talks with PM Modi and participating in business forums. The visit spans Delhi, Bodh Gaya, and Mumbai, marking the first presidential visit since Myanmar's military takeover in 2021.
India Advances Green Strategic Partnership With Norway as Europe Relations Enter Golden Era
Prime Minister Modi's Norway visit establishes a Green Strategic Partnership focusing on clean energy, blue economy, and green shipping. The partnership leverages India's scale with Norwegian technology while advancing the $100 billion EFTA investment commitment.
India Champions Reformed Multilateralism as BRICS Tackles Global Governance Crisis
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the BRICS session on global governance reforms, emphasizing UN Security Council expansion and the need for multilateral institutions to reflect contemporary realities rather than post-World War II structures.
India Slashes Oil Royalty Rates to Counter Import Dependence
The government has rationalised royalty rates for crude oil and natural gas extraction, reducing onshore crude royalty from 16.66% to 10% and offshore rates from 9.09% to 8%. The move aims to stimulate domestic production by state-run ONGC and Oil India as global energy prices remain elevated due to West Asian conflicts.