Through this Essay, I look at how the historical and contemporary Indian caste system continues to shape labour market inequality despite formal equality being granted by the Indian Constitution and decades of affirmative action. I try to explore, how caste continues to perpetuate inequality in employment, wages, social status, occupational mobility, and representation, while also examining to what extent have reservation policies translated into real improvement for the Indian Dalit population. The central argument is that caste remains an active structure of labour allocation and exclusion rather than merely a residual social or historical identity. Through my analysis, I combine literature from economics, sociology, and political science, as well as quantitative labour market studies and qualitative interview evidence. The findings from the research show how Dalits remain disproportionately concentrated in informal and lower-paid forms of work, while upper-caste groups have much stronger representation as part of the salaried and higher status jobs. The research, further, shows that reservations have provided crucial gains in the public education and employment sectors, but these effects remain limited. The main argument of the thesis is because formal equality has not been directly translated into substantive equality, caste continues to function through stigma, exclusionary networks, labour devaluation, and unequal institutional treatment. My conclusion from this research is that reservations remain necessary yet insufficient, and that substantive equality would require better access to education, employment, institutions, and social opportunities.

This essay examines Torkel Brekke’s The Ethics of War and the Concept of War in India and Europe, arguing that the core ideas of war and the morality behind it are shaped by various cultural and intellectual traditions. It explores jus ad bellum (the justification for going to war) and jus in bello (ethical conduct during war). Brekke distinguishes the two ideas by emphasising the European principles behind jus ad bellum and the Hindu traditions on jus in bello. 

The essay also criques Brekke’s tendency to frame Hindu traditions as a representation of “India”, arguing that this risks overlooking the country’s religious and traditional diversity. Through this, Brekke’s framework applied to the contemporary conflict between the United States of America, Isreal and Iran. The essay examines the ideas of legitimacy, retaliation, heroism, and justfied violence. As a conclusion, the argument remains that concepts of war not universally understood, and are rather shaped due to culture, politics, power and historical perspectives. 

This essay serves as a comparative analysis of the post colonial economic trajectories of Pakistan and India and argues that governance played a major role in shaping their long term economic development. Although both countries emerged from British colonial rule in 1947 with similar challenges, which included poverty, weak industrial bases, and limited infrastructure, and the economic disruptions caused by the partition, their development path gradually diverged. 

The main argument presented in this essay is that India’s relatively stable democratic system resulted in greater policy continuity, institutional development, long-term economic planning, and investor confidence. These conditions supported the initial process of industrialization in the early decades post-independence and further facilitated the 1991 liberalization reforms, which promoted economic growth, foreign investment, and integration into the global economy. In contrast, Pakistan’s repeated military coups and shifts between civilian and military rule produced policy instability and weakened civilian institutions, and often prioritized defense and security over social and economic development. Although military rule produced periods with episodes of rapid economic growth, these gains were often temporary and uneven. 

By comparing GDP growth, foreign direct investment, policy approaches, and institutional development, the essay concludes that stable, transparent, and accountable governance serves as a crucial foundation for sustained economic growth. The contrasting experiences of India and Pakistan therefore demonstrate how political stability, institutional strength, and policy continuity significantly influence the economic development of post-colonial states. 

This essay examines the 1992 Afghan Civil War and the challenges that prevented the establishment of lasting peace in Afghanistan. As a result of the Soviet withdrawal and the collapse of the soviet backed government, a political power vacuum emerged in the region, with various political, ideological, and ethnic groups competing for control in the region. These internal divisions were further intensified due to the involvement of third-party actors such as the states of Pakistan and Iran, whose support for different groups further complicated the attempts at negotiations and peacebuilding. 

The essay analyses the conflict through three distinct concepts: peacemaking, ripeness for negotiation, and transitional justice. It argues that ideological divisions among the Mujahideen and competing foreign interests weakened peacemaking efforts, with continuing violence, mistrust, and the absence of a mutually hurting stalemate limiting the conditions necessary for meaningful reconciliation. The essay further delves into how transitional justice mechanisms, including truth commissions, reparations, and prosecutions, could have addressed the human rights abuses, promoted accountability and supported reconciliation. However, Afghanistan’s unstable political climate made it difficult to implement this. As a whole, the essay demonstrates the Afghan Civil War and shows the importance of inclusive peacebuilding, favourable conditions for negotiations, as well as the mechanisms of justice and reconciliation in a society emerging from a prolonged conflict.