Category Archives: Nuclear Policy & Strategy

How important is it for India to be part of NSG? — Rajya Sabha TV discussion

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

There was an interesting discussion on the Rajya Sabha TV panel discussion show — ‘The Big Picture’ on the subject of ‘How important is it for India to be part of NSG?’ aired on Saturday, June 10, 2016, involving G. … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Culture, disarmament, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, nonproliferation, nuclear industry, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan nuclear forces, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US. | Leave a comment

IDSA Panel discussion on ‘Why India is Not a Great Power (Yet)’

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

IDSA held a panel discussion on my book — ‘Why India is Not a Great Power (Yet)’on May 18 involving RADM Raja Menon (Retd), Shakti Sinha, ex-IAS and former private secretary to prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, V. Siddhartha, former … Continue reading →

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Dangers of a tight embrace

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

I was in Washington DC for a panel discussion on “India’s Asia-Pacific Outreach and Relations with China” at the Heritage Foundation on May 25. In the three days spent in the US capital meeting a number of Beltway thinktankers, what … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Internal Security, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, nonproliferation, nuclear industry, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Pakistan, Russia, russian assistance, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 23 Comments

Too late to make good in Iran?

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will betake himself to Iran May 21, there to finally sign the tripartite Chahbahar port agreement, also involving Afghanistan, and to deliver on the $20 billion promised that country as follow-up to Iran’s handing over the … Continue reading →

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ADM Arun Prakash reviews ‘Why India is Not a Great Power (Yet)’

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Published in ‘Seminar’, Issue 679, March 2016 at http://www.india-seminar.com/semframe.html. (Go to the left margin on the page and in the column ‘Seminar web edition, click successively on 2016 and March.) ————– Bharat Karnad’s latest offering, tantalizingly titled, Why India is … Continue reading →

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A perceptive American view on US Arms Sales to South Asian states

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

An insightful view of arms transfers to South Asia by a former American diplomat who served in the Delhi Embassy. Published in ‘American Diplomacy’, April 2016 and accessible at http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/item/2016/0106/ca/dorschner_arms.html. ———– Are South Asian Arms Sales in the U.S. National … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, 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 ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons | 5 Comments

India’s Foreign Policy: The Foreign Hand — Has India outsourced foreign policy to American think tanks?

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

The following is published as ‘Open Essay’ in ‘Open’ magazine, dated April 29, 2016 at http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/indias-foreign-policy-the-foreign-hand#all ———– IN 2013, Brookings Institution, a prestigious American think tank, opened its New Delhi chapter, promising to disseminate ‘recommendations for Indian policymakers’. Three years … Continue reading →

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Khibiny blinder/silencer

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Over the past 50 years, the Indian military services have been armed mostly with Russian weapons and supporting hardware. These Russian systems have proved their utility and ruggedness, which last is not an attribute to be under-estimated. And yet, growingly, … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., West Asia | 22 Comments

Abysmal lack of hard power/technical expertise in MEA, foreign service

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

The strength of Indian diplomacy was once considered its expertise in drafting international treaties. Familiarity with the English language and honing over the years of observing-reporting-analytical writing led after 20 odd years of service to the average Indian foreign service … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, 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 democracy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Sri Lanka, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | 4 Comments

Rafale, really?

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

The India Today TV news channel just announced (April 15 evening) that the deal for 36 Rafale combat aircraft has been done. Perhaps, what is meant is that the contract worth 7.8 billion Euros has been finalized, and will await … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Politics, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Weapons, Western militaries | 62 Comments