IDSA Comments - MP-IDSA

Fall of the Berlin Wall: Marking 25 years

The fall of the wall also coincided with the collapse of the USSR and end of the Cold War. Theoverall changes since 1989 have been largely a remarkable success with...

Gulshan Sachdeva |
November 10, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

“Make In India” in Defence: Embedding Industry-wide Dialogue and Consultation

For the mantra to become an all-pervasive reality in defence acquisitions in India will be to multiply manifold the onset, frequency, range and depthof its industry engagements.

Sandeep Verma |
November 07, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Why India is getting Wagah all wrong

The Wagah incident is not going to wake-up Pakistan to the existential threat posed by jihadist terror groups. There is neither going to be any change in its attitude towards...

Sushant Sareen |
November 05, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Dysfunctional Operating Environment in Defence: Removing the Cobwebs

The effort to set right the operating environment has to start with creating a mechanism to review the existing devolution of power comprehensively based on clearly defined principles and not...

Amit Cowshish |
November 05, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Geo-strategic Implications of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The US sees the establishment of the AIIB as an attempt by China to pull South- East Asian countries closer to its orbit and a soft-power play that promises economic...

R. S. Kalha |
October 31, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Dysfunctional Operating Environment in Defence: The Malaise

There is no single agency in MoD to deal with these issues holistically. Generally, matters related to administrative powers are processed separately for each service by the administrative wings concerned...

Amit Cowshish |
October 27, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Dysfunctional Operating Environment in Defence: The Problem

Widespread problems have made the operating environment ‘dysfunctional and inefficient’. Some of this is on account of inscrutable issues like ‘integration of the services with the MoD’ or ‘civil-military relations’...

Amit Cowshish |
October 21, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Turkey: ‘Sick Man’ of NATO

In the West, there is growing realisation that only boots on the ground can defeat or substantially destroy the Daesh. Unless a ground force capable of taking back the territories...

Sandhya Jain |
October 17, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Can ISIS be degraded and destroyed?

With the US determined not to commit troops, the military defeat of ISIS, at present, is therefore neither feasible nor imminent. Neither the so-called retrained Iraqi Army, nor US air...

R. S. Kalha |
October 17, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

North East in BCIM-EC: Problems and Prospects

Widespread problems have made the operating environment ‘dysfunctional and inefficient’. Some of this is on account of inscrutable issues like ‘integration of the services with the MoD’ or ‘civil-military relations’...

Rupak Bhattacharjee |
October 14, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Pakistan’s Dangerous Game of Brinkmanship

The recent heavy firing by the Pakistani army is to gain public sympathy and providing it greater flexibility in the flawed civil-military relations. It is an orchestrated plan to provoke...

Arun Sahgal |
October 10, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Ceasefire in Ukraine: An Assessment

While the ceasefire is a much needed respite yet it does raise two questions: What made the key players arrive at such agreements? Can these deals facilitate the initiation of...

Rajorshi Roy |
October 10, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Settling border disputes with Nepal and Bangladesh

Given that the onus for settling the border disputes with Nepal and Bangladesh is on India, the Indian government has to demonstrate political wisdom in evolving political framework that would...

Pushpita Das |
October 10, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Hong Kong Protests: What it means for the Chinese leadership?

Beijing’s desire to manage the political process in Hong Kong stems from the ‘one country two systems’ model whereby it continues to retain its influence. It will not take much...

Avinash Godbole |
October 10, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Indigenous manufacture of defence equipment needs policy reform

The national aim should be to make India a design, development, manufacture and export hub. India must study the Chinese concepts of “leap frogging” of technology across several generations and...

Kurds sole ‘boots on ground’ against Islamic State

Bitter last ditch battles are being fought by Kurdish men and women, including boys and girls barely out of their teens, against the Daesh. Some feel that to succeed, Washington...

Sandhya Jain |
October 09, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Making India a Defence Manufacturing Hub

While the government is widely seen as investor-friendly, investment decisions, however, are made on more tangible considerations – ease of doing business, security of investment and intellectual property rights, and...

Amit Cowshish |
October 07, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Reinventing India’s “Make” Procedures for Defence Acquisitions

The Indian defence industry needs procedural clarity and simplification to be ingrained in the “Make” procedures, as the rules are presently silent on a number of important operational aspects.

Sandeep Verma |
October 01, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Need to revive Iran-India energy ties

The possible lifting of the sanctions on Iran will lead to a rush for a share of the lucrative Iranian energy pie similar to Myanmar’s opening up last year. India...

Shebonti Ray Dadwal |
September 30, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Border Standoff: Understanding Chinese Motives

The response from the Indian side during the recent border incident was much more robust. However, it is important to examine the likely motives that drive the Chinese to raise...

Rumel Dahiya |
September 29, 2014 |
IDSA Comments