Author Archives: Bharat Karnad

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About Bharat Karnad

Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, he was Member of the (1st) National Security Advisory Board and the Nuclear Doctrine-drafting Group, and author, among other books of, 'Nuclear Weapons and Indian Security: The Realist Foundations of Strategy', 'India's Nuclear Policy' and most recently, 'Why India is Not a Great Power (Yet)'. Educated at the University of California (undergrad and grad), he was Visiting Scholar at Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies, and Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, DC.

Army’s “succession plan”?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

In his letter to the Supreme Court opposing the Army Chief, General V.K. Singh’s case for relevant official records to show his correct date of birth, Attorney General Goolam Vahnavati referred to a mysterious “succession plan” that he said the … Continue reading →

Posted in civil-military relations, Indian Army, Indian Politics | 6 Comments

Unclear nuclear answers

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

At a small gathering yesterday (Feb 8) evening ostensibly called to provide the head of the French Atomic Energy Commission, Bernard Bigot, the opportunity to give safety assurances on the European Pressurised Reactor complex that the French Co., Areva, will construct at Jaitapur … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Technology transfer | Leave a comment

Art of deal-making

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

// India and the United States resemble an old, estranged, couple who are too irked by each other’s frets and foibles to stay together but aware of too many shared interests to live apart. Their relations reek of familiarity even … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence Industry, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Military Acquisitions, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer | Leave a comment

Talk in Princeton by Bharat Karnad on strategic security issues -video

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

Complete Video (in 10 segments) of my talk on India’s strategic security issues at what was billed as a “Jirga” in Princeton on November 13, 2011, arranged by Bharat-rakshak Forum habitues residing in the NY/NJ area may be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL31BA8C2D60DA2052 . For some reason various URLs … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence Industry, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Military Acquisitions, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Relations with Russia, Special Forces, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | 3 Comments

Bharat Karnad at CNAS/GWU Conference on ‘Rising Powers’ in Washington, DC, January 23-24, 2012

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

Bharat Karnad’s Brief Responses to Questions posed Indian panelists (in the lead-up to the) Center for New American Security/Sigur Center for Asian Studies, George Washington University conference on “India as a Global Power: Contending Views from India,” Elliott School, Washington, D.C., January … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence Industry, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Military Acquisitions, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rethinking Indian Policies Towards Pakistan

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

For a transcript of a talk by me at an event jointly hosted by the Institute of National Strategic Studies, US National Defense University, and the Atlantic Council, and the Q & A session that followed, in Washington DC on Nov 14, … Continue reading →

Posted in India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Politics, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons | 5 Comments

A general mess

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

Bharat Karnad The negatives of replacing the selection system will be strongly resisted by military and politicians as both will perceive it as disruptive While the colonial-era tradition of Indian Army officers not discussing women or politics — issues with … Continue reading →

Posted in India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Politics | Leave a comment

India must learn to assert

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

What’s with us as cricket team, as people, as government, as country? An objective take would be that we are a bunch of losers. Passivity, defensive-mindedness, meekness, and timidity are qualities that historically have characterised India and Indians, with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Politics | 2 Comments

Looking West, as far as Israel

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Bharat Karnad

The Indian Minister for External Affairs, S. M. Krishna, is visiting Israel starting January 9. The good thing is that such visits these days occasion no public teeth-gnashing by leaders of political parties that promote themselves as protectors of Indian … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence Industry, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Military Acquisitions, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons | 4 Comments

Passive-Defeatist Attitude, true on the cricket field as in foreign & military policy sphere

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Bharat Karnad

The sad and humilating spectacle of Dhoni and his team of losers being bent and beaten by a near new, relatively inexperienced, Australian cricket team  in Melbourne was par for the course. Our “heroes” complemented the Aussies’ “take no prisoner” attitude, … Continue reading →

Posted in India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West | Leave a comment