By PRAKASH KATOCH
India is setting upward a Defense Planning Committee (DPC), described every bit the novel “Strategic Think Tank,” to formulate national military machine as well as safety strategy as well as oversee unusual acquisitions as well as sales. Amusingly, the ‘Top Comment’ inwards the higher upward tidings link reads, “Hats off to Modi for buying novel Tanks to powerful our regular army defense strength systems” – the commentator interpreting “think tank” a type of novel military machine tank. Headed past times the national safety adviser, the DPC also includes the principal secretarial assistant to the prime number minister, 3 service chiefs, the defense strength secretary, the unusual secretary, as well as the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) heading the headquarters of the Integrated Defense Staff (IDS).
The tasks of the DPC include: formulating national military machine as well as safety strategy; “refining” defense strength procurement recommendations amongst a long-term view; integrating defense strength planning as well as strategy, as well as defining priorities; developing cross-ministry integrated capabilities; enabling “capability evolution planning”; as well as evaluating foreign-policy imperatives, strategy for international appointment – “Make inwards India” exports as well as unusual assistance programs. Its tasks also include such subjects every bit defense strength diplomacy as well as filling voids left past times the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC).
This motility afterwards iv years of dominion past times the incumbent authorities is maybe to projection focus on defense strength because of the upcoming elections, or because “Make inwards India” is floundering. Some hail this motility every bit the authorities “getting serious”; others are calling it the “boldest reform” since the Kargil Conflict. However, the DPC genuinely turns the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) as well as Group of Ministers (GoM) on their really head.
When the authorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took accuse inwards 2014, Bharat was without a National Security Strategy (NSS) or a Strategic Defense Review (SDR), as well as had an ill-equipped military machine that wasn’t integrated. Nothing was done to improve the situation, as well as misery was compounded amongst successive negative defense strength budgets inwards actual terms.
Defining the NSS, righting India’s strategic asymmetry vis-a-vis adversaries inwards the sub-conventional domain, molding perceptions inwards India’s favor as well as addressing radicalization inwards Jammu as well as Kashmir set down should accept been the priority tasks of the national safety adviser from Day 1. But lilliputian has happened beyond some diplomatic isolation of Pakistan. Radicalization inwards Jammu as well as Kashmir has gone up, as well as Bharat allow the situations drift inwards Republic of the Maldives as well as Nepal.
National military machine as well as safety strategy cannot survive defined inwards isolation; it must menstruation from the NSS, which the authorities has failed to define over the past times iv years. Similarly, defense strength procurements cannot survive planned without a military machine strategy as well as strategic debt restructuring. In the absence of an NSS as well as strategic debt restructuring, the surgical operation of the DPC volition survive the same every bit those of the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
The DPC is heavily biased toward “Make inwards India,” acquisitions, manufacturing as well as exports, amongst the really task of the MoD amongst the Department of Defense Production integral to it. Creating some other layer – the DPC – higher upward the DAC volition alone delay decisions. The alone military machine professionals inwards the bureaucracy-heavy DPC are service chiefs as well as the CISC, which is naught amend than the existing disjointed higher defense strength setup. Incidentally, the DPC doesn’t include the habitation secretary, indicating lilliputian agreement of hybrid warfare.
The headquarters of the IDS (which has Ministry of External Affairs representation), established every bit percentage of the MoD, was kept form for lording over past times MoD bureaucrats. The DPC follows the same fob past times making HQ IDS the Secretariat, keeping military machine professionals away.
The KRC as well as GoM recommended early on institution of Chief of Staff. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance II authorities diluted this to establishing a “Permanent Chairman COSC,” as well as right away the Modi authorities is upgrading the condition of the national safety adviser to that of a “mini Xi Jinping,” the ultimate aim beingness every bit as well as when the Theater Commands come upward up. Theater commanders volition written report straight to the NSA inwards absence of Chief of Defence Staff, which volition survive most ridiculous. Why non as well as then abolish the post of defense strength government minister altogether as well as brand the national safety adviser “India’s Xi Jinping”?
Not alone is the DPC a recipe for hereafter clashes betwixt the defense strength government minister as well as the national safety adviser, the capabilities as well as behave of the NSA can’t survive ignored.
For example, the previous National Security Advisor, Shivshankar Menon, inserted back upward to Balochistan inwards the articulation disceptation issued at Sharm-el-Sheikh, despite the mission inwards Islamic Republic of Pakistan non recommending it, much to our continued hereafter embarrassment. He also worked behind scenes for Bharat to take from Saltoro Range at immense strategic disadvantage. Modi government’s acknowledgment of the committees isn’t the answer for such issues. National Security Advisor as well as Defense Minister (given military machine professionals) tin really much grip them (as was recommended past times KRC as well as GoM). Castles can’t survive built inwards air without funds, as well as Make inwards India, shopping as well as exports can’t survive fundamental to defense.
In 2015, the as well as then Defense Minister, Manohar Parrikar, gave a ‘misleading’ disceptation that Chief of Defence Staff would survive a reality soon. He paid homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti amongst his shirt hanging exterior his pants as well as inwards slippers as well as at the ceremonial functions similar launching naval ship, but was immaculately dressed abroad.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval says he doesn’t require a deputy from the military machine because he tin summon service chiefs whenever he wants. Indeed every bit de facto Chief of Defence Staff, he demands presentations straight from service vice-chiefs on equipment procurements.
Meanwhile Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says the MoD volition non withdraw appeals against ex-servicemen disability pensions inwards the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court’s activeness is similar fining the MoD 100,000 rupees (US$1,500) for blocking compensation to disabled soldiers, which though a disgrace, doesn’t affair – afterwards all, how many tin afford legal battles?
The display of such arrogance is perhaps inwards the belief that no national-level political leader compares inwards stature to Modi. But to a greater extent than probable it is to comprehend abject give upward to the bureaucracy as well as the deep state, the DPC beingness percentage of the same. You don’t demand this circus if the KRC-GoM recommendations are fully implemented – which is a far amend option.
Modi late said at Westminster that criticism is salubrious for democracy. But this criticism may non attain him as well as the defense strength minister.
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