Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/Agência Brasil
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) confers special powers upon the Indian army in disturbed areas, and legitimizes any actions they may take. The law, however, has been misinterpreted by many. Are calls for the revocation of the AFSPA warranted or misplaced?
Courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense
An important take-away from the preliminary pact reached by Kabul and Washington is that unlike the 1990s, the Americans are not just packing their bags and leaving. This is good news in terms of regional stability, and the upcoming NATO summit may answer some questions this draft agreement raises.
Courtesy: Ministry of Defence, India
India must revisit the need for a unified command structure, to effectively use the enormous combat power it is developing at such astronomical cost. A balanced force-restructuring based on operational needs can enable the armed forces to project itself as a single, viable, effective war machine.
The scope for any process on nuclear talks with Iran to founder on distrust, misunderstanding and political in-fighting in both Tehran and Washington remains formidable. Equally disturbing are the wider political realities. Can the upcoming talks in Istanbul launch a process that can, over time, lead to agreement?
Courtesy: PascalSubtil/Flickr
At times of declining growth rates and marginal economic reforms, there is a need for leaders in India to balance their needs with their budgets. With the absence of a comprehensive national security doctrine, can India afford high-cost acquisitions like the MMRCA deal?
India and Japan have designed their collaborations over the years to be a win-win for both sides. Now, they are willing to collaborate on long-term initiatives, based on intrinsic factors of inter-dependent competencies – rather than on the defence of an extrinsic threat of a common enemy.
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
The U.S., post-9/11, has made large strides with their homeland security. In contrast, what has India done to counter terrorism? How have Indo-Pakistan relations unfolded?
Courtesy: National Security GuardsGovernment of India
Three years after the attacks on Mumbai on 26/11, we have to ask ourselves: are we any better off ? What lessons did we learn ? Can we prevent an attack or cope with it better today ?
Courtesy: Apoorva Guptay/Flickr
Ideological differences have spawned innumerable terrorist groups around the world, but historical records show that dissidence does have a shelf-life. Can India look forward to a future free of terrorism? Only if we can craft a consistent policy on Pakistan and depoliticise our internal processes of investigation
Courtesy: Ben Sutherland/ Flickr
Far from being poles apart, large corporations and Indian law enforcement face similar organisational challenges. Both strive for greater coordination, integration and collaboration. But how can we design an efficient system? What are the structural solutions that need to be implemented?