Category Archives: civil-military relations

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

Deconstructing India’s Global Ambition — Asia Society

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

Asia Society, Mumbai, had staged a well-attended event to discuss my book ‘Staggering Forward’ on October 30. The video link of the discussion is at  

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, 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 policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Iran and West Asia, Japan, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, Myanmar, Nepal, nonproliferation, North Korea, Northeast Asia, NRIs, nuclear industry, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Sri Lanka, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | 3 Comments

Armaments and sovereignty

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[World leaders in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI; Indian Vice President  Venkaiah Naidu and spouse can be seen in the middle of the second line from front] —— The sombre marking of the 100th … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, Myanmar, Nepal, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Sri Lanka, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | 2 Comments

Podcast (CPR) & Discussion on ‘Staggering’ at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

A CPR podcast on my new book ‘Staggering Forward is available at https://soundcloud.com/cpr_india/episode-23-staggering-forward-narendra-modi-and-indias-global-ambition ————- Taking off tonight for the US for an extended holiday coupled with a book event at the Atlantic Council, Washington DC, on Thursday Oct 4, 2018. … 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, 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 Navy, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Intelligence, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, nonproliferation, NRIs, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, Relations with Russia, Russia, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, Tibet, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | Leave a comment

Immediately strengthen Solih

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Solih campaigning] A vile incubus is off India’s back. The autocratic Abdulla Yameen has been ejected from the office of President of Maldives by the people in the elections that everybody had assumed would be trifled with by Yameen to … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, society, South Asia | 11 Comments

Why the Rafale deal, as predicted, has blown up in Modi’s face

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[For reasons unknown, an overjoyed Modi with Hollande at the Elysee Palace in Paris] Rajiv Gandhi “paid the political price…with regard to the Bofors gun. Modi will have to carry the can for this Rafale transaction—a boondoggle in the making … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Australia, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Indian Air Force, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, SAARC, society, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Weapons | 10 Comments