The Battle for Kabul has Begun The planned Western draw down over the next two years is threatening to once again plunge Afghanistan into greater chaos and anarchy, with Kabul as the centre stage. Vishal Chandra | April 18, 2012 | IDSA Comments
Cultural Heritage and the Armed Forces Imagine if there is a war between India and Pakistan and the National Museum at New Delhi was vandalized and precious historical artifacts and other historical objects were stolen; or close your eyes and visualize India without the Taj Mahal which may be destroyed in an air attack. The standing bodhisattvas, dating back to seventh century AD, and the arms and armours of the Mughal era are some of the fabulous cultural wealth stored in the National Museum that is priceless for the nation and the loss of which can be the loss of the entire golden history of that era. Rajiv Tewari | April 2012 | Journal of Defence Studies
The Complexity of Measuring National Power Arvind Subramanian’s recent book, Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance, has renewed interest in measuring the potential of emerging powers. Subramanian argues that projections of gross domestic product (GDP), trade and creditor status make China’s future dominance inevitable. Zorawar Daulet Singh | April 2012 | Journal of Defence Studies
Conflict and Cooperation in India-China Relations India-China relations, though occasionally showing signs of peace and cooperation, have often been afflicted by tension and mistrust. With the potential to make big contributions to regional peace and development, these two Asian powers have, by design or accident, themselves been the sources of regional tension and insecurity to some extent. Besides their internal dynamics, the interplay of interests and moves of their neigbours, and several external powers would have significant bearing on the equation and relations between them. J.K. Baral | April 2012 | Journal of Defence Studies
India’s Ordnance Factories: A Performance Analysis The ordnance factory organization has grown over the years and now consists of 39 factories with two more being set up. The organization, which dates back to the eighteenth century, has however not been able to rise up to the expectation of its prime customer. The paper argues that for the organization to be able function more efficiently, its management needs to be corporatised, as suggested by many, particularly the Kelkar Committee. Laxman Kumar Behera | April 2012 | Journal of Defence Studies
Troubled Waters, Anniversary Parade, PLA’s Power Projection: Is China a Concern for the World? This paper seeks to discuss three important issues concerning China today. The first part analyses the controversial South China Sea dispute that has gained prominence over time, especially after incidents like Bowditch or Impeccable. China’s military build-up in the South China Sea does not necessarily indicate that Beijing will use force to occupy more islands; rather, it seems that China seeks to enhance its military presence to manipulate its bargaining game for future negotiations. Nalanda Roy | April 2012 | Journal of Defence Studies
Perceptions of Kashmiri Youth: Security Implications The year 2011 was characterized by relative peace in the Kashmir Valley, especially when compared with the previous three years. A study undertaken on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs provides empirical indicators of the mood of the youth in six districts of the Valley. The study substantiates certain existing assessments based on environmental realities; however, it also raises other issues which come as a surprise to most. This article analyses five of these factors from a security perspective, based on the details that have emerged and other independent assessments. Vivek Chadha | April 2012 | Journal of Defence Studies
The Reality of Defence Procurement Entrusting the final appraisal of financial attributes to the Ministry of Finance may bring about a more open, dispassionate, integrative, and authoritative decision-making system. Gautam Sen | April 16, 2012 | IDSA Comments
North Korea’s Rocket Fails Without getting into any a debate about whether the satellite launch was actually a missile test or not, the US should make an offer to help North Korea launch a satellite in order to foster sustained engagement with Pyongyang Ajey Lele | April 16, 2012 | IDSA Comments
Manipur: Post-Assembly Elections 2012 The Ibobi dispensation would do well to understand that the people have reiterated their faith in democracy and have cold shouldered the militants, if not politely shown them the door. Shristi Pukhrem | April 16, 2012 | IDSA Comments
