The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) announced the successful launch of the NAG missile last week after firing it against two targets in desert conditions. It issued a statement stating, ‘With this, the development trials of the missile have been completed and it is now ready for induction.’ The army has made no comment on this announcement. It is […]
On 20th May, Nirmala Sitharaman issued directions for the opening of all cantonment roads across the country. Her claims of the army being taken on board appear to have been misleading as despite the army chief defending her statement, all roads have not been opened, as reports from Secunderabad indicate. Had the army been taken into confidence and agreed with […]
The latest in the list of issues enhancing the divide between the bureaucracy and the military and impacting the status of the armed forces is the sanctioning of additional vacancies and improving promotional prospects of the AFHQ-CS (Armed Forces HQ Civil Service) in their cadre review. The cabinet had sanctioned additional posts of seven new Principal Directors (four are already […]
The government last week issued an advertisement inviting talented and motivated citizens in specific fields to join in direct recruitment as Joint Secretaries (JS) in the government of India. They would be on initial contract for a period of three years, extendable to five. The fields chosen were financial services, economic affairs, agriculture, cooperation and farmers’ welfare, road transport and […]
On a debate on News 18 on 08 Jun, in which I was a participant, the anchor thanked the BJP spokesperson for agreeing to come for the debate. She claimed that many spokespersons of the party whom the channel approached, stated that the topic being very sensitive, they were wary of participating. The topic was the last announcement by the […]
In a press conference two days ago, the army chief General Bipin Rawat supported the opening of cantonment roads. He stated, ‘If a road is being planned for a particular civil area, should we close it and think we are above everyone else’. He quoted two examples. The first example he gave was of walking plaza’s which exist in select […]
India has begun gearing up for 2019. Every nation would await the decision of the world’s largest democracy on who would hold the mantle for the next five years. For India’s enemies or those who have been impacted by the present single government’s hard-line policies, a change at the centre is essential. It would be better with a mixed coalition, […]
In a report released to the press seeking to justify its decision on opening of roads in cantonments, the defence ministry stated that the decision was influenced by letters to the defence minister by MPs, cutting across party lines, representing multiple states. The MPs sought opening cantonment roads to provide better and easier access to the population residing in its […]
The aim of this article is not to degrade the government nor to deride the defence ministry as it has attempted to produce the best with limited resources. I have immense respect for the leadership of the nation and believe that it can still deliver, though elections are around the corner. However, the press conference by the defence minister, Nirmala […]
With one nod of her head, Nirmala Sitharaman has caused the greatest divide between the armed forces and civilian community in the country in the nation’s seventy-year history. Social media is abuzz with the pro-military and anti-military lobby, solely on the closing and subsequent opening of roads within cantonments. An editorial in The Statesman even went on to threaten that […]