IDR Blog
The message stands delivered
Quite often it is a thoughtless or tactless statement but it also serves the desired purpose of saying something and then denying or giving it a spin. The message stands delivered. Maybe that was what Nawaz Sharif intended when he spoke about flashpoints in the India-Pakistan relationship during his visit to Muzzafarabad. It is to be expected...
Nepal's democratic hopes, Indian and Chinese interests
Nepal’s efforts to establish a parliamentary democracy have had their difficult and almost hopeless phases for the last decade where political fault lines accentuated since the assassination of King Birendra. The country will hold elections on November 19 if all goes well. China may be unable to match India’s economic and political...
China cashing on India’s Sri Lanka woes
Even as the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was finding it hard to make up his mind over attending the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting) to be held in Colombo in two weeks from now, China is making the best use of the situation to strengthen its presence in Sri Lanka. China’s intention is obvious: profit from India’s...
Damaging a great institution
As compensation for limited promotions, early retirement and to soften blows of the earlier Pay Commissions, the service chiefs demanded ‘running pay band’ and ‘rank pay’ from the 4th Central Pay Commission (CPC), constituted in 1983. Since this CPC appeared to follow in the footsteps of the earlier Pay Commissions, the three service chiefs...
Drop in standards of probity in military
Recent report in the media brings to light that nearly 180 defence personnel, that is, serving, retired and widows, had submitted false affidavits to HUDA for favour of allotment of plots from the reserved quota earmarked for 14 categories of applicants. In defence services, once misdemeanour, corruption or misconduct comes to light, there is...