Meet Paul Kapur: A Pak critic, Trump's Indian-origin South Asia pick

India Today

a day ago

Indian-American academic and strategic affairs expert S Paul Kapur, who has been nominated by the Donald Trump administration for the position of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, is a firm backer of strong ties between India and the US.If confirmed, Delhi-born Kapur will become the second US diplomat of Indian descent to oversee the South Asia bureau. A professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, Kapur is a harsh critic of Pakistan. Notably, Kapur is also an expert on India-Pakistan security and nuclear issues.advertisementIn the key South Asian Affairs role, Kapur would be tasked with managing diplomatic ties with India and its neighbourhood, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
During his nomination hearing before a Senate committee on Tuesday, Kapur said he couldn't "avoid the feeling of having come full circle". Kapur also shared that he grew up in the US as a thoroughly American kid. He added, he had never imagined that his career would one day bring him back to the place of his birth, a feeling which, he says, is of "having come full circle".The Trump administration had nominated Kapur in February for the post, after Donald Lu completed his term in January this year.During the nomination hearing, Kapur emphasised the importance of a robust US-India relationship in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by China.KAPUR VOWS TO STRENGTHEN US-INDIA TIES, PROMOTE FREE INDO-PACIFIC REGIONadvertisementDuring his nomination hearing, Kapur also pledged to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership and also mentioned his Indian roots."The US and India share a host of common interests: ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by China; expanding bilateral trade, building our economic relationship so that it is more symmetrical and profitable; facilitating technology sharing and innovation; and ensuring access to the energy necessary to fuel our economies," he said."If confirmed, I will work to further advance US-India relations and put our partnership on course to realise its tremendous promise," he added."Appearing before you, I can't avoid the feeling of having come full circle. I was born in New Delhi, to an Indian father and an American mother. Although I visited India often during my childhood, I grew up in the United States as a thoroughly American kid, never imagining that my career would someday return me to the place where I was born," he also said. Referring to the recent India-Pakistan military conflict, Kapur said, "South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict, with the Vice President and Secretary Rubio intensely engaged on the issue. If confirmed, I will continue to promote longstanding US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability, and the fight against terrorism (sic)."advertisement"If confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation with Pakistan where it is in America's interest, while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment," he said.WHO IS S PAUL KAPUR?Kapur was part of the US State Department's policy planning team on South Asia during Trump's first term as President between 2020 and 2021.He is an accomplished scholar and author of several books specialising in South Asian politics.He is also a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Previously, he taught at Claremont McKenna College and was a visiting professor at Stanford University, according to his bio on the Naval College website.His research and teaching interests include "the international security environment in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, nuclear weapons proliferation, deterrence, and Islamist militancy", according to Kapur's profile on the ORF, the New Delhi-based think-tank.Among the notable books Kapur has authored are 'Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy', 'National Security and the Pakistani State and Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia'.The Indian-American is involved in consultancy and engagement initiatives for the US Department of Defence and also participates in the US-India Track 1.5 dialogue focused on defence cooperation.advertisementKapur earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and holds a BA from Amherst College, Massachusetts, US.