IDR Blog
Defence Minister India should not have had
The Himalayan blunders of Krishna Menon are many. He humiliated competent Armed Forces’ officers and backed his cronies, though they were less capable. One of the results was India’s humiliation in the 1962 war It is impossible to rewind history. What happened has happened. It is however always possible to learn from past successes,...
Inadequate Budgetary Allotment and India's Defence Preparedness
In the budget for the Financial Year (FY) 2017-18, presented in the Indian parliament on 1 February 2017, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been allotted INR 2,74,114 crore, excluding the provision for pensions. The 10.05 per cent increase in the capital budget over the budgetary estimates (BE) for FY 2016-17 (INR 78,586.68 crore) is...
What makes India-UAE Relations Unique and Thriving
India has good relations with countries in the Gulf and Middle East. In fact, it has no outstanding issues with any country in the region. Through delicate balancing it has been able to maintain excellent relations even with regional adversaries — amidst conflicts and soaring tensions. However, one country stands out in this relationship as...
Prerequisites for Success of Nonviolent Strategies
In a recent essay published in this periodical on 9th of February, 2017, Martand Jha addressed the role of nonviolence and Gandhian thought in Indian strategic thinking. [1] Gandhi was part of a tradition that included such early practitioners of nonviolence as P.B. Shelley, Henry Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and the Quakers, and continued through...
Defeatist operational procedures in Kashmir need to be reversed
The Army Chief, Gen. Bipin Rawat, in a recent statement said that those attacking security forces during Counter Terrorist (CT) operations will be treated as “anti-nationals” and will face “tough action.” A statement of this nature by the Army Chief should have come a long time back. The difficulty being faced and the avoidable...