Impact of the Recommendations of the Standing Committee on Defence (15th Lok Sabha) on the Defence Budget The examination of the detailed demands for grant (DDGs) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by the Standing Committee on Defence of the 14th Lok Sabha (2004–05 to 2008–09) and recommendations made by the committee had little impact on the country’s defence budget. While the examination was generally perfunctory, the recommendations were either too general or too impractical to be implemented by MoD. This is the second of two articles that examines how the Standing Committee on Defence of the 15th Lok Sabha (2009–10 to 2013–14) followed the same pattern. Amit Cowshish January 2015 Journal of Defence Studies
The Chinese Dream 2015: Which Way Is It Heading? Xi Jinping has already recognized the inevitable by stressing that China would adjust to the ‘new normal’ of lower growth and, to ensure stability, he has already cracked down on dissent and strengthened media control measures. R. S. Kalha January 17, 2015 IDSA Comments
Hindu Nationalism and the Evolution of Contemporary Indian Security by Chris Ogden The 2014 Indian elections gave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) a clear mandate to form the government. In nearly more than a decade of coalition politics, it is perhaps the first time the leading party of the coalition is not dependent on its partners for the government’s functioning. The mandate it received in the election led the BJP to become the single-largest party in the government and the Parliament, for the first time in over thirty years. Stuti Banerjee January 2015 Journal of Defence Studies
Regional Powers in Libya Libya has ripened into a proxy war between the regional powers. While Qatar, Turkey and Sudan have been supporting the Libya Dawn and General National Congress (GNC) based in Tripoli, Egypt and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are backing the internationally recognised government based in Tobruk and its allied General Khalifa Haftar's Operation Dignity. However, such a proxy war will only destabilise Libya. Nachiket Khadkiwala January-March 2015 Africa Trends
Nigerian Elections: Challenges for the Mahammadu Buhari Government On March 28, 2015, Nigerians elected to power a new government after 16 years. Despite the constant threat of Boko Haram looming, the Nigerian people were not afraid and came out in large numbers to vote. Kuhoo Saxena January-March 2015 Africa Trends
Combating Gulf Of Guinea Piracy – Between ‘Devil’ and the ‘Deep Sea’ Since 2012, the Gulf of Guinea has emerged as one of the most pirate-infested waters in the world, posing an urgent security threat to the maritime environment. While the total number of piracy incidents world-wide has fallen in recent years… attacks on the west coast of Africa have witnessed a steady rise, now accounting for nearly a fifth of all attacks. Abhijit Singh January-March 2015 Africa Trends
Military Courts in Pakistan: A Soft Coup by the Pakistan Army? Why is the Pakistan military pushing for Military Courts when the country already has a fairly robust Anti Terrorism Act together with designated Anti Terrorism Courts set up specifically to try terrorism related offences? Arun Sahgal January 14, 2015 IDSA Comments
100 Years On: Strengthening the Norm against Chemical-Weapons Use In 22nd April, 1915, during the First World War (WWI), German forces used Chlorine gas for the first time, killing thousands of French troops in the battlefields in Ypres, Belgium.1… Continue reading 100 Years On: Strengthening the Norm against Chemical-Weapons Use Kapil Patil January-June 2015 CBW Magazine
Strategy: Key Thinkers by Thomas M. Kane Illuminated by the work of strategic classics, Thomas Kane shows that the link between military power and political goals has always been complex and continues to be so. This is because the use of armed force to achieve political objectives (the essence of military strategy) is fraught with serious consequences for nation-states and for the people inhabiting them. Many perceptive minds have tried to unravel these complexities to better understand how and why societies engage in war as well as to guide future strategists to wage them more effectively. S. Samuel C. Rajiv January 2015 Journal of Defence Studies
Science and Technology in China: Implications and Lessons for India, edited by Maharajakrishna Rasgotra China is India’s largest and most developed neighbour. Following the reform and opening-up policy adopted by the Chinese leadership in 1978, the country has developed at breath-taking speed. Today, the Chinese economy is the second largest in the world (in terms of Gross Domestic Product [GDP]), with a large amount of American treasury bonds in its possession. This economic growth has also extended to the Chinese military and security aspects. Gunjan Singh January 2015 Journal of Defence Studies
