Even after five decades of its entry-into-force, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is largely seen as a Cold War era instrument that has failed to fulfill the objective of creating a pathway towards a credible disarmament process.
While the third Bodo accord is a momentous development in the history of the Bodo conflict, caution must be exercised to ensure that it does not fall victim to the factional politics that undermined previous accords.
The adverse impact of lowering of colour service of soldiers below pensionable service will not only be felt at the structural and functional level but also the psychological level.
Considering that the defence capital expenditure already accounts for a very high share in the central government’s overall capital spend, any substantial hike in the former’s share looks less likely. This is more so given the government’s priority to spend on infrastructure and other non-defence capital assets to revive the economic growth.
The proposal to create an Air Defence Command is a bold move. Rather than resorting to less contentious issues to commence the integration process, the CDS has selected a very pertinent and significant operational issue. However, the way the proposed Air Defence Command is structured will be crucial as it will set the tone for further integration of all three services.
The existing approach to cyber security is heavily tilted towards practising deterrence by denial, essentially by building defences. However, the concept of deterrence needs further tweaking to make it workable in cyberspace.
Considering the wide expanse to be covered on both sides of the Indian Peninsula, and the possibility of concurrent operations on either side, it is imperative that India maintains an operational carrier battle group on both sides, and at all times.
Nuclear doctrines and postures are dynamic processes that evolve with the security environment. Twenty years after India’s nuclear doctrine was first drafted, the time is ripe for a comprehensive review and suitable revisions.
With the latest Union budget keeping the MoD interim allocation unchanged, the MoD has an uphill task in managing its resources and in funding its modernisation programmes.
