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.

India not walking Modi’s big talk

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Modi at the 10th East Asia Summit] The recent G-20 Summit offered Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the occasion he has frequently used to bolster his political standing at home. Except, while the domestic audience lapped up the Indian media … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Australia, Central Asia, China, China military, Culture, Decision-making, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Japan, Latin America, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Northeast Asia, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons, West Asia | 2 Comments

Slowing down the Chinese juggernaut

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

Wrote this piece for the BBC Hindi Service, 24 December 2018. Its translation featured at https://www.bbc.com/hindi/india-46659574 The most that even powerful countries think they can realistically do against a relentlessly assertive China eager to displace the United States as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Decision-making, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Japan, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Myanmar, Nepal, nonproliferation, North Korea, Northeast Asia, Pakistan, Pakistan military, SAARC, South Asia, South East Asia, Sri Lanka, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons, Western militaries | 4 Comments

So, what now, Modiji?

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(At the ASEAN summit in Manila) Love to repeat what’s become my favourite line — I TOLD YOU SO! Immediately after his nomination by the Republican Party as its presidential candidate I had written that once in the White House, … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Africa, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, guerilla warfare, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Iran and West Asia, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Sri Lanka, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Terrorism, United States, US., Vietnam, West Asia | 9 Comments

Going into 2019, India’s defence challenges are shocking

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

India’s military is woefully underprepared to fight future wars and there’s little focus on equipping our armed forces with cutting-edge tech   The Indian armed forces, by habit, prepare to fight yesterday’s wars. Not one of the services has a forward-looking … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Cyber & Space, Decision-making, Defence Industry, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, 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 Ocean, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, society, South Asia, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons | 7 Comments

Persona over Policy — ‘India Today’ reviews ‘Staggering’ – and my response

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

Karnad’s critique of Modi’s foreign and security policies stands out as an important broadside from a prominent political commentator. By Sumit Ganguly, India Today, December 8, 2018; ISSUE DATE: December 17, 2018 This book is an insightful but uneven critique of Prime … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., Weapons | Leave a comment

Equal benefits for equal military action-related disability

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(Disabled soldiers under rehabilitation) To highlight the plight of the soldier incapacitated in war and other military operations, the army chief had declared 2018 as ‘The Year of the Disabled Soldier’. The Year was marked by General Bipin Rawat frequenting … Continue reading →

Posted in civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Military/military advice, society, South Asia | 3 Comments

Modi getting his comeuppance and the aftermath

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(The leading BJP trio in state elections of Amit Shah, Adityanath and Modi) The drubbing Modi and, secondarily, the ruling BJP, was given by the Indian voter in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh is a testament to his remarkable good … Continue reading →

Posted in civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Cyber & Space, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, Indian Air Force, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, Intelligence, Internal Security, SAARC, society, South Asia | 6 Comments

Imran has the edge on Modi

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(Pakistan PM Imran Khan) Returned after nearly a week’s trip to the Balkans visiting Dubrovnik in Catholic Croatia, Kutar and Budwa in Russian Orthdox Montenegro and Mostar in Muslim Bosnia-Herzogovina — all former provinces of a once unified Yugoslavia that … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, Europe, guerilla warfare, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian Politics, Intelligence, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, society, South Asia, Terrorism, UN, United States, US. | 10 Comments

Why India does not deserve to be Permanent Member of the UN Security Council

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(Prime Minister Modi addressing the UN General Assembly) The Indian ambassador to the UN in New York, Syed Akbaruddin, made the predictable pitch on behalf of the so-called G-4 — India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany, at the UN General Assembly … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, Russia, SAARC, society, South Asia, UN, United States, US., Weapons, Western militaries | 15 Comments

Major General equals Brigadier: How does that work?

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(COAS Gen Rawat with the red-banded possibly Nepal army brass) Reorganizing, restructuring and generally getting the fighting forces fit for future wars is a good thing and the exercise undertaken by the army chief General Bipin Rawat to do just … Continue reading →

Posted in China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Europe, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Military/military advice, Russia, russian military, South Asia, United States, US., Western militaries | 19 Comments