The army chief has spoken (English version) Amar Ujala 22 Jan 18

The army chief has spoken (English version) Amar Ujala 22 Jan 18

A candid, clear headed army chief shared his views in his press conference preceding army day. The conference covered a wide range of views from handling the Doklam crises to creating an army for the future, handling Pak’s misadventures, impact of education influencing the minds of the youth in Kashmir to the governments decision to cut the funding of education […]

Respect the silent soldier Free Press Journal 15 Jan 18

Respect the silent soldier Free Press Journal 15 Jan 18

The defence minister recently withdrew the controversial order of 2016, which had degraded army ranks as compared to their civilian counterparts. It was a welcome new year’s gift to the forces. However, there are many other contentious issues which still await her attention. Many are irritants from the past, while a few are recent decisions. Further is the need to […]

Forces must communicate better The Statesman 26 Dec 17

Forces must communicate better The Statesman 26 Dec 17

In recent times, there have been numerous contentious issues, dominating social media, concerning armed forces personnel, both serving and retired, for which the top hierarchy is blamed for inaction. Some issues being discussed include non-granting of Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU), withdrawal of entitled rations, degrading military ranks as compared to civilian counterparts, denying them status of Group A services and non-implementation […]

Cancelling Spike order a mistake The Statesman 28 Nov 17

Cancelling Spike order a mistake The Statesman 28 Nov 17

The defence ministry has cancelled a negotiated USD $500 million deal with Israel for the Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) and has tasked the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to indigenously develop a man-portable version of a similar system. The Spike missile is a third generation, fire and forget, top attack ATGM. This implies, that once locked on, it […]

Rising military power of India The Excelsior 22 Nov 17

Rising military power of India The Excelsior 22 Nov 17

India is a growing military power, which is evident with the number of nations seeking to enhance military ties with it. The recent comment by President Trump that the world’s two greatest democracies should have the two strongest militaries and terming Asia-Pacific as Indo-Pacific, indicates the growing proximity and dependence of the US on Indian military power in the region. […]

Congress has no moral right to complain about Rafale  The Statesman 21 Nov 17

Congress has no moral right to complain about Rafale The Statesman 21 Nov 17

A war of words has broken out between the Congress and the BJP on the Rafale aircraft deal, even sucking in the air force chief, who felt it essential to clear the air. It has led to press conferences from both sides, with each blaming the other for dragging their feet on defence procurements and kickbacks, including favouring Reliance Defence. […]

Growing Indian military soft power English Version from Amar Ujala 18 Nov 17

Growing Indian military soft power English Version from Amar Ujala 18 Nov 17

The Indian army is known across the globe for its professionalism, determination and conduct. It is respected for being the only apolitical military in a subcontinent, where the military is known to dominate governments. It has retained its responsible place in a democratic environment, despite all efforts of the government to degrade it. While the world respects it, its own […]

FOB job for army: beginning of a new trend  ORF 06 Nov 17

FOB job for army: beginning of a new trend ORF 06 Nov 17

Since the announcement of employing the army to construct three Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) in Mumbai, a discussion has been launched on whether the government decision was right or wrong. Opposition politicians including Captain Amarinder Singh and Omar Abdullah amongst others warned the government against employing the army meaninglessly in roles earmarked for others. The army chief in an interview […]