South Asia 2025

Europa Publications’ regional publications are compiled by a team of editors and researchers, with introductory and country-specific material provided by specialists in their field: Sajitha Bashir. Former Education Practice Manager and Adviser (Digital Skills and Technology), World Bank. Ajaya Dixit. Senior Adviser, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition, Lalitpur, Nepal. S. I. Keethaponcalan. Professor of Conflict Resolution, Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution Department, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA. Farida Khan. Professor, Department of Economics, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, USA. Michael Kugelman. Director, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, Washington, DC, USA. William J. Long. Professor, Department of Political Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Robert E. Looney. International consultant specializing in economic development and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, USA. Diego Maiorano. Senior Assistant Professor, University of Naples 'L'Orientale', Naples, Italy, and Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Iftikhar H. Malik. Professor Emeritus of History, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK. Tri Ratna Manandhar. Retired Professor of History, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. M. Monirul Qader Mirza. Adjunct Professor, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada. Ilhan Niaz. Professor of History, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Nyingtob Pema Norbu. Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. Pranab Kumar Panday. Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Shubhangi Pandey. Public Policy Analyst, The Economic Intelligence Unit, New Delhi, India. Gyan Pradhan. Professor and Chair, Department of Economics, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, USA. Gareth Price. School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Buckingham, Buckingham, UK. Tirthankar Roy. Professor in Economic History, Department of Economic History, London School of Economics, UK. Ronojoy Sen. Senior Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies and South Asian Studies Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Rajeswari Sengupta. Associate Professor of Economics, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Goregaon, Mumbai, India. Sohini Sengupta. Assistant Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India. Brian Shaw. Honorary Research Fellow, Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. David Taylor. Emeritus Professor, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, London, UK. Louise Tillin. Professor of Politics, King's College London, UK. Duncan Woodside. Journalist and analyst specializing in economics.

PART ONE

General Survey

The Digital Deluge: The Social Impacts of Digitalization in South Asia

SAJITHA BASHIR

South Asia’s Shifting Geopolitical Landscape

MICHAEL KUGELMAN

Women and Development in South Asia

SOHINI SENGUPTA

The Climate Crisis and Water Resources in South Asia

M. MONIRUL QADER MIRZA and AJAYA DIXIT

PART TWO

Country Surveys

Sections on geography, history and economy, as well as statistical surveys, directories and bibliographies for each country.

AFGHANISTAN

History SHUBHANGI PANDEY; revised for this edition by IFTIKHAR H. MALIK

Economy TIRTHANKAR ROY; revised for this edition by DUNCAN WOODSIDE

BANGLADESH

History PRANAB KUMAR PANDAY

Economy FARIDA C. KHAN

BHUTAN

History WILLIAM J. LONG

Economy NYINGTOB PEMA NORBU; revised for this edition by the editorial staff

INDIA

History DIEGO MAIORANO; revised for this edition by the editorial staff; based on an earlier essay by DAVID TAYLOR

Economy RAJESWARI SENGUPTA

In addition, there are separate sections covering each of the states and territories of India.

THE MALDIVES

NEPAL

History TRI RATNA MANANDHAR

Economy GYAN PRADHAN

PAKISTAN

History ILHAN NIAZ

Economy ROBERT E. LOONEY

SRI LANKA

History S. I. KEETHAPONCALAN

Economy ROBERT E. LOONEY

PART THREE Who’s Who of South Asia

PART FOUR Regional Information

Regional Organizations. Major Commodities of South Asia. Calendars and Weights and Measures. Research Institutes Studying South Asia. Select Bibliography - Books. Select Bibliography - Periodicals. Index of Regional Organizations.