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3h ago

Senate Confirms S. Paul Kapur as U.S. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia

The Indian-American security scholar emphasizes nuclear risk expertise with a focus on deeper U.S.–India ties.

Kapur specialises in South Asian security and has emerged as a leading voice on US-India relations. (Naval Postgraduate School websit)
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Overview

  • The Senate approved Kapur’s appointment on October 7 (U.S. time), making him the State Department’s lead for South and Central Asia and replacing Donald Lu after a nomination by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
  • At his confirmation hearing, he prioritized a free and open Indo-Pacific not dominated by China, expanded trade, technology sharing, and reliable access to energy.
  • Kapur serves as a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution, with research centered on nuclear deterrence, Islamist militancy, and regional security.
  • Born in New Delhi to an Indian father and an American mother, he has engaged in U.S.–India Track 1.5 dialogues and authored widely cited works on South Asian security.
  • His writings argue that Pakistan’s use of Islamist militant proxies under a nuclear shield raises the risk of escalation, a stance that signals a tough security lens for the portfolio.