Balance and Restraint: Corruption and Indiscipline cannot be equated

NEED OF THE HOUR Balance and Restraint by the Media By Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi
A recent incident of indiscipline in a unit of the army was dutifully reported by the media, but a few newspapers and TV news channels that indulge in yellow journalism, continue to sensationalise it. This is despite the army having unequivocally stated that the incident is being investigated thoroughly. Implicit in various media releases by the army is that there is no move whatsoever to push the incident under the carpet and that exemplary disciplinary action would be taken against all those found guilty. This being so, speculative innuendos and sensational stances must stop.
 My intention is not to say that the news of the incident should not have been reported, or that the media should only report favourable news about the army. However, one starts losing faith in our supposedly independent media when sensationalism takes over and phrases like ˜unique case" or ˜army getting indisciplined" are bandied about.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Â Without going too far back, there was a case in 1978 and another in 1979, both in Ladakh. In 1986 and 1987, two such incidents occurred in the eastern sector. During Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, there were two incidents, one each in 1987 and 1989. Mutinous actions of a number of units following Operation Blue Star in 1984 are well known. There have been similar incidents in the navy and air force too. All these were handled by the hierarchy of the armed forces with balance, maturity and panache and no editor-in-chief of those days interfered or offered advice, as is being done by a few upstarts today! Neither was there any dilution in the professional capabilities of our forces!

All artillery units fire their artillery guns a number of times every year, but the annual practice firing camp has a special sanctity. During this camp, all artillery guns of the unit fire at the field firing ranges and all personnel of the unit are fully involved. When all the guns of the unit fire simultaneously, the noise, dust, smoke and explosions they produce can only be described as spectacular.

During these camps, there is a surge in adrenalin levels of all ranks, as well as tension, as everyone wants to do well. On the day the entire regiment fires, many guests are invited to witness this spectacular event. Once the firing is wound up, there is visible decrease in tension and everyone gets in to a celebratory frame of mind, having successfully achieved what they had set out to do.

It is unfortunate that after the culmination of this specific event, the unfortunate incident of indiscipline occurred. It was an isolated incident, where tempers were allowed to rise unnecessarily. There was no pre-mediation or planning, let alone a conspiracy on anyone’s part. It was simply an accident and hence there is no reason to sensationalise it or make it larger than life. From the very beginning, no attempt was made by the army to hush up the incident. One therefore cannot understand why a section of the media is bent upon making it sinister and trying to link it with other recent events.

In a 1.3 million strong army, where individuals interact with each other on a 24X7 basis, the odd aberration does occur. Despite discipline being ingrained in them from the very first day they don a uniform, and despite the excellent officer-man relationship that is nurtured on a continuous basis, tempers sometimes run high. All ranks do understand that it is this close relationship that sustains them even in the most difficult situations, but anger subsumes this temporarily. Despite the many ups and downs in the working environment of the army, officer-man relationship has endured. These are the facets that have contributed to making the Indian Army professionally highly competent and behaviourally the best in the business. This needs to be commended not criticized. I would urge those elements of the media that are going unnecessarily overboard in bashing the entire army to desist, for if such coverage continues, it will do great harm to the army and the nation.

The army has time-tested and well laid out procedures for dealing with all types of indiscipline. The media neither has the expertise nor the knowledge of doing so. Even those segments of the media that may have been goaded to unnecessarily raise the issue to absurd heights on account of their vested interests will do well to confine their reports to news and desist from voicing irrelevant views and comments. The country continues to have faith in the prowess and honesty of purpose of their army. It is best for amateurs of the media, however much they may think of themselves as the greatest media honchos, to let the army take remedial actions in their own professional manner. They will, in due course, share their conclusions with everyone.
Let me end this piece by adding that the motto of the Regiment of Artillery of your army is “Izzat o Iqbalâ€, to which they adhere to scrupulously. This particular unit- “ 226 Field Regiment, will also bounce back, provided unnecessary hounding of the unit and its personnel comes to an end immediately.
Comment:The corruption amongst the Officer Cadre need be investigated and exemplary punishment meted speedily. Indiscipline amongst Jawans is a different cup of tea- needs to investigated, correctives measures applied- Revolt and Mutiny is very rare. One should not confuse the issues!
Balance and Restraint

Revolt of Field Regiment in Ladakh: An Analysis

Blame the Army's cover-up culture, not ‘colonial-era institutions'
Manvendra Singh The Hindu, May 23, 2012
Praveen Swami caught the wrong end of a long stick in his article “Ladakh troop revolt underlines Army class tensions” (The Hindu, May 13, 2012). His interesting analysis of the indiscipline and disorder by personnel of the Ladakh-based 226 Field Regiment was based on two arguments. His main argument was that the Army continued to run on antiquated arrangements which then created the conditions for troops and officers of the Artillery regiment to come to blows. Combustion is inbuilt in the functioning of the Army and the fracas at Nyoma in Leh was waiting to happen. He makes two points to underline this argument.
First, the Army continues to run on “colonial-era institutions” and, second, that it remains “divided rigidly between sahibs and men, which allowed, enabled, or rather created conditions for tempers to boil over in Nyoma. Before responding to his line of reasoning, it is important to firstly condemn the incidents that happened in Nyoma. There are no grounds to justify, or let alone explain, the fisticuffs during the bara khana after the regiment had completed its field firing practice. It must be understood that a bara khana is standard procedure following any field firing, by any unit. That an Army tradition came to be marred by unforeseen incidents is a sad commentary on the calibre of officers who were holding staff and command appointments of the 226 Field Regiment. For they are the principal beneficiaries of what Praveen Swami has called “colonial-era institutions.”
His first line of attack is on the continued practice of employing combat trained soldiers as the personal valets of officers — once called batmen by British Indian Army officers and now known as sewadars, sahayaks, and also buddies in many units. His argument is that this institution is outdated in today's India. It humiliates the soldier detailed for such duties with an officer. And because of its misuse, the Nyoma incident happened. Class tension is inherent in the structure of the Army, hence the fires of revolt in the 226 Field Regiment.
There is a basic flaw in this reasoning. For if that were the case, the Army would long have been reduced to an institution wrecked by confronting its thousand inbuilt mutinies. But that has not happened and neither will the Army go that way. Regiments and battalions under far greater combat stress, and with far higher levels of battle training, would also have been stricken with this ailment. Infantry units, the primary application of force by the Republic of India, would not have been able to perform their basic military tasks if the “colonial-era institutions” remained the prevailing atmosphere in the battalion. The institution of sahayak is certainly an outdated one, and there can be no two views on that score. But it is not responsible, whatever its levels of misuse, for the acts of indiscipline in Nyoma.
The second point raised in the report was about the Army being a house “divided between sahibs and men.” Sahib is an honorific bestowed on those who have attained certain ranks, officers or men. Officers are taught by tradition to address as “Sahib” those who have achieved such ranks even if they are junior in the command structure. Consider this: India's Army achieved one of its greatest military feats 25 years ago during this time of the year. On June 26, 1987, the 8 Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry captured Quaid Post from Pakistan in the battle to dominate Siachen. The success of that operation was because of the extreme bravery of late 2/Lt Rajiv Pande who began the operation, that was completed by then Naib Subedar Bana Singh, for which he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. To come to the point — even in the midst of the highest combat ever fought, Pande and Bana Singh would only address each other as “Sahib,” despite the vast difference in age and rank. That has been the practice ever since the Indian Army came to be made, and it will remain so. The addressing of someone as “Sahib” doesn't cause divisions in the Army. And neither does the presence of the ‘Sahib culture'. What causes divisions, and which lie at the root of the problems on display in Nyoma, is, in fact, of far more recent origin.
The armed forces of India, unlike other government services, have a sharply pyramidal structure, both within a unit and as institutions as a whole. The competition of ranks is far higher in the armed forces than anywhere else in the country. And this is as true for officers as it is for enlisted men, for the number of junior commissioned ranks are few and far in between. This competition for higher ranks has created a culture of command that revolves around the “zero-error syndrome.” Simply explained, this essentially means the avoidance of risk so as to sail the waters calmly. When no risks are taken, no mistakes are made. So annual confidential reports remain sanitised to the last line and the grading is excellent. Thus, promotions are easier achieved provided the examinations and courses are also graded well. True of men as also of officers. But human life is not so mechanical, and military life less so. The lure of higher ranks, however, requires that the record be spotless, so units do what they know best: brush the mess under the carpet. Lapses are routinely covered up, and command failures remain un-reported, or at best under-reported.
The failings of command, thus, come to be hidden, from platoon level upward. It is plain to the eye who is and is not fit for the higher ranks. But the military bureaucracy only looks at sterilised pieces of paper in the Military Secretary's Branch. Who they select for commanding a combat unit may really not be fit for that appointment, intellectually, physically or even morally. Murphy's Law is the most popular dictum in the armed forces, and it catches up some time or the other. In Nyoma, it caught up with the 226 Field Regiment. It is certain that this regiment has had numerous incidents of indiscipline in the past. None came to be reported, or they were covered up. Indiscipline to the point of revolt does not only affect those in the unit, but even those commanding higher formations. Accountability in the Army is lateral and vertical. So to avoid stains, some in the past have ignored goings on inside the 226 Field Regiment. All that it required was an incapable officer and an incapacitated soldier to come together, and they did in Nyoma. First-rate officers and first-rate soldiers in other units continue to perform commendably by “colonial-era institutions.” It is obvious the first-rate are not in the 226 Field Regiment.
(Manvendra Singh is co-convener of the Bharatiya Janata Party's defence cell. He was a member of the Standing Committee on Defence in the 14th Lok Sabha.)
Blame the Army's cover-up culture, not ‘colonial-era institutions'

16th Asian Games 2010 Medal Tally: India on eighth spot

November 16, 2010
In Asian Games 2010 Medal Tally, India is on eighth spot, with one gold medal, 4 silver medals and 3 bronze medals. China is still on top with 58 gold medals, 22 silver medals and 21 bronze medals. India's Ashwini Ponappa and Jwala Gutta enters in the pre- quarter finals of the women's double badminton event in the Asian Games 2010. Ashwini and Gutta defeated China's Tian Qin and Zhao Yunlei. Ashwini and Jwala won the first game by 21-13.

Asian Games 2010 Medal Tally

China: Gold 58, Silver 22, Bronze 21

S Korea: Gold 19, Silver 14, Bronze 19

Japan: Gold 13, Silver 25, Bronze 25

Hong Kong: Gold 3, Silver 5, Bronze 3

C Taipei: Gold 2, Silver 4, Bronze 9

North Korea: Gold 1, Silver 4, Bronze 9

Kazakhistan: Gold 1, Silver 4, Bronze 7

India: Gold 1, Silver 4, Bronze 3

Malaysia: Gold 1, Silver 1, Bronze 3

Phillipines: Gold 1, Silver 0, Bronze 3

Are our Sports Federations functional? The above results speaks for itself!
November 16, 2010
The Government has been insisting on adoption of good governance practices by all National Sports Federations (NSFs) including Indian Olympic Association (IOA). These include fair, transparent and democratic elections of office bearers, representation of sportspersons on the elected body, financial accountability, etc. This matter was also discussed at a meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials in June, 2010 in Lausanne, Switzerland, in which IOA had committed to revise its own Constitution, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the basic principle of good governance, for the organization of Olympic movement. IOC has informed that this process is being done in close coordination with them. The final draft of new constitution of IOA, is in its final stages of adoption. This was stated by Dr. M.S. Gill, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, in the Lok Sabha today, in a written reply to a question by Shri Nishikant Dubey.

The Minister further stated that the Government has re-iterated the guidelines on tenure limits, with a slight modification to align them with the norms followed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Some National Sports Federations contested the guidelines, but the Hon’ble Delhi High Court has refused to stay the government guidelines.

With regard to financial accountability, all NSFs, including IOA are required to submit their annual statement of accounts, including utilization certificate for grants released by the Government. As per the General Financial Rules, fresh grants are released only on receipt of utilization certificates of previous grants as soon as they become due. In addition to above, the Government has introduced a system, of grant of annual recognition to NSFs. Under this system all aspects of the functioning of a NSF are duly scrutinized before according recognition, the Minister added. RM/JL- PQ– USQ1250 - LS
Functioning of IOA

The best opening ceremony in sport ever!

If the CWG opening ceremony in Delhi stunned the world last month, the Chinese took the concept of ceremonies to an altogether new level with a display that not only left the world speechless but even breathless. The Asian Games Opening Ceremony was truly the most wonderful ever on earth.

Guangzhou: Two years after the spectacular success of the Beijing Olympics, China dazzled the world once again by unveiling the 16th Asian Games with a spell-binding opening ceremony in which water was the overwhelming theme and athletes were ushered in a unique boat parade on Pearl River.

The theme was water and the main part of the ceremony was held at Hai Xinsha, an island located on China's third longest river, which is the life-giver to the southern part of the world's most populous nation.

The four-and-a-half-hour ceremony started with trademark fireworks and the 37,000 capacity crowd was up on its feet when 1320 artists from the city's oldest kung fu school descended with giant LED screens in the backdrop.

The mesmerisingly choreographed act had the artists performing breathtaking acrobatics while being several feet above the ground. The LED screens flashed the cityscapes and the artists formed formations to look like eagles flying through the sky.
click here for full report
The 16th Asian Games sets sail on Pearl River: The Official Website of the 16th Asian Games

On Diwali business, China beats India

03/11/2010
New Delhi: With the huge availability and growing demand of festive items made in China, local artisans are facing stiff competition to sell their products during this Diwali season. From fancy lights, lampshades, Ganesha and Laxmi idols to crackers and other such sundry items, the market is surging with Chinese products and consumers seem to be making a beeline to buy these attractive and cheap knick-knacks.

Conventional potters, who make products using a spinning wheel, seem to be worst-hit. Manohar Lal, a trader in South Delhi's Munirka area says he has seen the demand for his earthen diyas dipping year after year forcing him to create fancy and designer diyas for this Diwali to attract buyers.

"There was a time when my family used to start making Diwali products two to three months before the festival. People now are more interested in fancy and cheap lights from China," says Lal. According to traders, the popularity of China-made fancy lights is because of their cheap prices and the wide variety available.

A Chinese string of 100 tiny bulbs can be bought in the range of Rs 50 to Rs 70. Lights in the shape of pineapples, pomegranates, rice and net stars among others are seen to be popular among buyers.

Readymade rangolis that can be displayed on the floor or the wall are also available at affordable prices. Even though they are popular, not everybody is happy with the 'Made in China' products.

"The fancy lights from China have thin wires and they come out of holders easily. There are complaints of total failure of the product in some cases as well. So, I do not stock Chinese products at all," says Aman Khanna, a shop owner in Karol Bagh.

Shopkeepers say crackers from China produce more smoke and are also more dangerous for children. While the buyers are having a ball both in terms of cost and variety, the affected artisans are trying to devise ways to increase the sale of traditional goods.

"My business of fancy lights has been hit badly but I do not compromise on quality. Chinese lights are 'Rakhi Sawants' who will attract buyers only for some time. Once people know their truth, they will get back to us," says Rajender Kumar, a small businessman in the capital.

Experts say there is nothing much that can be done at the moment to help the small businessmen and the local artisans. "Chinese products are competing with domestic items in other countries also. A lot of artisans are suffering due to the competition. But, once you open up your economy, it's open to all. Artisans have to produce better goods than Chinese ones. Nothing else can be done," says Professor S K Jain who teaches at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Source: Agencies Images: AP/Reuters
On Diwali business, China beats India

16th Asian Games Portal and Schedule of Events

The Official website of the 16th Asian Games
Indian Contingent at Asian Games 2010- Click here
Asian Games flame visits Zhaoqing
Zhaoqing, famous for the Duan Inkstone, became the 14th city in Guangdong Province to welcome the flame of the 2010 Asian Games on Friday (October 29). Eighty torchbearers took party in the relay.

Asiad Torch Relay held in Qingyuan[2010-10-28]

250 Chinese paintings to promote 16th Asian Games[2010-10-28]

Tickets of 1st and 2nd stage of Asiad can be received late Oct.[2010-10-28]

Asian Games Town under final review before Monday opening[2010-10-28]

Draw results of Squash of 16th Asian Games[2010-10-27]

Cocachin ready for visits nearby Asian Games Town during Games-time[2010-10-27]

Aoti Tennis Centre well on track to welcome tennis players[2010-10-26]

Third stage of Asian Games' ticket sale operates steadily[2010-10-25]

Draw results of Billiard Sports of 16th Asian Games[2010-10-24]
Asian Games flame visits Zhaoqing

General Competition Schedule for the 16th Asian Games V1.6

Abhay Chautala named India's chef-de-mission for Asian Games
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, October 27, 2010
Indian Boxing Federation President Abhay Singh Chautala on Wednesday was appointed the chef-de-mission of the country's contingent for next month's Asian Games in China. "Mr Abhay Singh Chautala, Vice-President of the Indian Olympic Association and President of the Indian Boxing Federation, will be the Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent at the Asian Games," the IOA said in a statement.
The Asian Games are scheduled to be held from November 12 to 27 in the city of Guangzhou.
Abhay Chautala named India's chef-de-mission for Asian Games

Can we Confront China?

Ref: Indo China war- The shock and awe of '62
China is an established and growing world power, economically and militarily with nuclear and space capability. All the western powers including USA are in awe and are scared to confront the Dragon!!

As far as India is concerned, China has always tried to do down India. It has heaped insults after insults on our country (emphatic claims on Arunachal, warning to Manmohan Singh about his visit to this State, stapled visas for people living in J&K, refusal to give Visa to Lt Gen Jamwal to visit China, military aid to Pakistan, supplying nuclear and missile technology to Pakistan etc etc, the list is endless).

The construction of railway line to Lhasa and its planned extension to Nepal Border, construction of airfields and roads along Southern border areas of Tibet has enhanced Chinese military capability against India manifold. The strategic nuances of the Pearl of strings around India are well known. Chinese military is just too strong for India and added to this are the Chinese close strategic ties with Pakistan!!!

USA is a declining power and after its long military engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan, it will not enter into any military conflict with China to bail out India. In any case why should it?? What has India done for USA??? Russia similarly has no stomach to threaten China in case of any hostilities between India and China.

This means, India will have to rely on its own military prowess in case there is a conflict between India and China. Lately some measures have been taken to strengthen our military posture in the East, but these are slow and insufficient. Indian Government (its political leaders and bureaucrats) have not changed their ways of functioning. The Congress Party (its President, budding scion of Nehru Pariwar and their hangers on) have little interest and knowledge of national security. They remain busy politicking with the prime aim of how to remain in power. National security also does not seem to interest the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh much. He is an economist and a peace loving man where as India is facing leaders in China and Pakistan who are hell bent on destabilising India. Those on Opposition benches are no better!!!

The Veterans need to awaken the nation on matters of National security and looming threat from China and Pakistan. We owe it to the nation to take a lead in bringing to focus the poor state of equipment (ships, fighter aircraft, guns, tanks etc) of the Army, Navy and the Air Force and the very very slow pace of new critical acquisitions. Also non implementation of Kargil Committee Report- click here.

India has to be fully prepared to fight on two fronts. The conflict will be swift and at a place and time of Chinese choosing and they will come in with overwhelming superiority. It is a sound interim policy to try and keep a low key and not overly react to pin pricks by China. But this cannot be ever lasting scenario. India has to have the required force levels and weaponry to deter China. Though this should have happened 'yesterday', and hence there is no time to lose!! The World must be made to realise that India is not a soft state.

VETERANS ARE REQUESTED TO SEND IN THEIR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ON HOW INDIA NEEDS TO GEAR UP TO FACE THE DUAL CHALLENGE FROM CHINA AND PAKISTAN AND ALSO INTERNAL INSURGENCY.

Harbhajan Singh
Lt Gen
(Former Signal Officer in Chief)

Status of Classified Report of 1962 Indo China Debacle
The Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report, also referred to as the Henderson Brooks report, is the report of an analysis (Operations Review) of the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Its authors are officers of the Indian armed forces. They are Lt Gen Henderson Brooks and Brig P S Bhagat, commandant of the Indian Military Academy at the time.

The report continues to be classified by the Indian Government. In April 2010, India's Defence Minister A.K. Antony told Parliament that the report could not be declassified because its contents “are not only extremely sensitive but are of current operational value."

The report is said to be openly critical of the Indian political and military structure of that time, as well as of the execution of military operations.

Author Neville Maxwell has published what he claims are summaries of the report. While this has not been verified by comparisons with the (still classified) text, it has been accepted as a reasonable summary by the Indian media. This report of Indo-China war makes interesting reading.

As of Feb 2008, MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar has requested the report to be declassified in the National Security interest. This has been declined by the defense Minster A K Antony. He has quoted that the same would not be released "considering the sensitivity of information contained in the report and its security implications"
Henderson Brooks- Bhagat Report
Kargil Review Committee Report: click here

Lt Gen Nathu Singh's Appreciation of Land Forces for Defence of India in 1948

From: vinay singh
Sent: 14 September 2010 09:58
Subject: GEN NATHU SINGH
Dear Brigadier Kamboj,
Thank you for posting Sarojini Naidu’s letter to Nathu Singh. Here is something else on the same lines, which is as relevant today as it was then. In January 1948, soon after taking over as GOC UP Area in Lucknow, Gen Nathu Singh wrote an Appreciation on the Defence of India, and forwarded it to Army HQ. He was greatly perturbed by a directive issued from the office of the C-in-C, which sought to reduce the size of the Regular Army to 150,000 - during World War II, it had risen to 2.5 million - with an annual budget allocation of 45 crore rupees for the next three years.

In the preamble, he wrote:
"We as soldiers must approach our leaders and submit our minimum requirements and make it clear that if funds are not provided for such a force, the responsibility will be upon them. A soldier is but a servant of the State. He must however, point out any weaknesses in the defensive structure of the country with all the emphasis at his command. In order to arrive at a correct appreciation, we must consider both military and allied factors and not be swayed by any notions of idealism or allow political considerations to affect our judgment...
A NEWLY CREATED NATION WHICH HAS ONLY JUST THROWN OFF HER BONDAGE OF FOREIGN RULE OF 200 YEARS AND MORE CANNOT RISK A REVERSE ALMOST AT HER REBIRTH.
...We must NOT decide on the size of our Defence Service on what we can financially afford but on what we need in the form of a Modern Defence based on the following considerations:
(a) What is the strength and armament of present and potential enemies of India?
(b) What is the force required by India to meet this threat
(c) What will be the cost of maintaining such a force?
(d) What is the maximum amount the country can afford to pay for its Defence Forces?
(e) To arrive at a compromise between (b), (c) and (do above, consistent with the safety of our land.
Keeping the above in view, the Land Forces which India should maintain are given in the enclosed appreciation. They are only my first thoughts."

Nathu Singh proceeded to list out the frame work of the Indian Army, for the future. By present standards, he was extremely conservative - he asked for one corps headquarters, one armoured division, two infantry divisions, one parachute brigade, one armoured brigade, and the associated complement of Artillery, Engineers and Signals. The number of infantry battalions was only 28. However, he advocated a large complement of territorial army, which would provide the second line of defence, and boost the resources of the regular army, during war.
In April 1948, Nathu Singh was promoted to the rank of Lt Gen and appointed GOC-in-C Eastern Command, at Ranchi. He continued his efforts to convince the political and military leadership of the necessity of maintaining a strong Army. When asked for a run-down of the Army, he wrote to Army HQ on 24 October 1950:
"...The situation facing the country from the military point of view is today virtually the same if not worse because, although Pakistan outwardly appears to be fraternising with our country, recent speeches of their leaders leave no room for doubt that they are preparing for a show-down with our country over the KASHMIR issue.
...Communist China's complete success over the KUOMINTANG and the establishment of the Peoples' Government, their recent activities, their declared policy towards liberation of Tibet, and the recent Mission from the latter country clearly indicate the writing on the wall. The Communist menace is gradually spreading towards the very borders of India.
...To ensure the security of our borders and our State, the Defence service ratio between INDIA and PAKISTAN should be two to one . If this is reduced, we will be laying our country open to an ever present danger of a major war."

Nathu Singh's remarks, especially with reference to Pakistan and China, display an insight of international affairs which very few Indians had, at that time. Even Nehru, who orchestrated India's foreign policy for almost two decades following Independence, failed to grasp the nuances which Nathu Singh had perceived. As a result, the Defence Forces were neglected, with disastrous results in 1962. An intimate knowledge of military affairs is important for those who decide the fate of peoples, and nations. Among his contemporaries, such as Churchill, Stalin, Chiang Kai Shek, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Tito, and Nasser, Nehru was one of the few who had never worn an uniform.

This applies even to our present day political masters. Not one of our Prime Ministers or Defence Ministers, from 1947 till now, has ever worn an uniform.
Maj Gen VK Singh

Chinese Satellites: Close encounters

For two years, the Chinese science satellite SJ-06F flew solo orbits around the Earth (or, as solo as a machine could be in the expanding haze of space junk in orbit). But now it has a partner: Last month China executed the delicate maneuver of aligning another satellite launched this year, SJ-12, with its older counterpart.
Only the United States had executed such a satellite rendezvous before this, and it shows off China’s advancement in satellite sophistication. Three years ago the country blew one of its satellites to smithereens in a practice test—a test that created thousands of additional chunks of debris in orbit. The satellite meet-up is a more elegant trick, and one whose implications could be sinister or benign. Let’s explore both possibilities.
Don’t Worry
China’s game of catch-up, which has its space program closing in on America’s abilities in orbit, strikes fear into the hearts of some politicos. But malfeasance need not be the aim of the satellite maneuver.
OK, Worry
Whether or not China is pursuing space warfare in this instance, the country is certainly trying to measure up to whatever the United States can do.
“The Chinese would be absolutely incompetent to not be trying to reduce U.S advantage in space,” James Oberg, a former NASA space engineer specializing in orbital rendezvous, tells Danger Room. “No potential adversary in their right mind would give us permanent advantage in space operations.” [Wired.com]
China might not need rendezvous capability to tinker with another country’s satellites, but it would need that capability to spy on them—taking an up-close look at the competitor’s product. There may be no way to gauge true intentions. According to Oberg, the satellite meet-up occurred in an orbit almost exclusively devoted to earth observation — spy and weather satellites, for example — where “a potential adversary would be most interested in rendezvousing. On the other hand, it’s also where a satellite might need refueling,” he adds. “It’s like you could be changing a screwdriver for a hammer, or you could be turning a peaceful ‘bot into a killer one.”
Close Encounters of the Worrisome Kind? Chinese Satellites Meet in Space

Dragon spews fire and India feels the heat

China's threat: India gets serious
Nidhi Razdan,
August 31, 2010 22:07 IST
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met in New Delhi on Tuesday where top ministers and the PM discussed about the recent tension with China. India's envoy to Beijing S Jaishankar has also been called to give his inputs.

There was consensus to act tough with the Chinese and show a firmness in approach while dealing with them.

Earlier, a top Indian Army General was denied permission to visit China because he serves in what they call a "sensitive" state like Jammu and Kashmir.

India and China certainly have their differences but this time Indian officials say Beijing has gone too far.

Government sources have told NDTV they are mulling their options and much will depend on what Beijing now signals through a senior defence officer who is expected to come here soon.

The latest worry for New Delhi are reports that 7,000 to 11,000 Chinese troops are here in Gilgit in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), which the government is trying to verify. Some experts say that a more aggressive China needs a stronger response from India.

"This is very serious, for the first time they have belatedly questioned the status of Jammu and Kashmir. We need to take strong political steps like stapling the visas of Tibetans and stressing on Tibet as an autonomous part of China not a militarised one as it is now," said Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary.

India's China challenge
China refuses to stamp the passports of Indians from Jammu and Kashmir instead giving them stapled visas on separate sheets of paper. Despite repeated protests by New Delhi for two years now the practice still goes on.
Since they see Arunachal as a part of China, Beijing often denies visas to those from Arunachal saying they are from the same country!
In 2007, a study tour to Beijing of over 100 IAS officers was cancelled after China refused to give a visa to an officer from Arunachal Pradesh even former Chief Minister Gegong Apang was not given a visa for the same reason.
The Chinese have also angrily protested a meeting between the Dalai Lama and the PM earlier this month and even criticised the PM's visit to Arunachal evoking an angry reaction from Delhi.

For now New Delhi is waiting and watching to see what Beijing signals but the shift in the public Chinese stance on Jammu and Kashmir has South Block officials very worried and they know they need to find a new way to deal with the problem.
China's threat: India gets serious by Nidhi Razdan

India's bureaucracy is 'the most stifling in the world'

Thursday, 3 June 2010 13:35 UK By Chris Morris BBC News, Delhi
The inertia generated by a stifling bureaucratic system will, in the medium term, prevent India matching the growth rates of its great Asian rival China.
Political and Economic Risk Consultancy report.

A new report has confirmed what many Indians have long suspected - their country's bureaucratic system is one of the most stifling in the world. The Hong Kong based group, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, surveyed more than 1,300 business executives in 12 Asian countries. The poll suggested India had the worst levels of excessive red tape.

Yet this seems not to have impeded performance - it has just released another set of strong growth figures. But for many foreign companies that success is despite rather than because of the system they face, the report says. There has so far been no response to the report from the civil service.

Bureaucracy and corruption
The report ranks bureaucracies across Asia on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the worst possible score. India scored 9.41. Frequent promises to reform the bureaucracy, the report says, have come to nothing, mainly because the civil service is a power centre in its own right.

Starting a business in India is incredibly hard, and enforcing contracts can be nigh on impossible. There is a strong link, the report says, between bureaucracy and corruption - and a widely held belief that bureaucrats are selfish and highly insensitive to the needs of the people they are supposed to help.

None of this will come as any surprise to most Indians, or to many within the civil service itself. A recent survey of the Indian bureaucracy found large numbers of civil servants complaining of undue political interference, and a widespread fear that anyone questioning the system would be transferred to obscure postings in bureaucratic backwaters.

Given the level of dissatisfaction among foreign business executives and Indians themselves, the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy report poses an interesting question: just how much better could India be doing if it were able to reduce bureaucracy? One consequence, it believes, is that the inertia generated by a stifling bureaucratic system will, in the medium term, prevent India matching the growth rates of its great Asian rival China.
India's bureaucracy is 'the most stifling in the world'

How does corrupt bureaucracy affect the Indian Military?
Red tape and bureaucracy tie up with corruption is systematically weakening the armed forces capability. One example is the Sixth Central Pay Commission implementation by the Bureaucracy has degraded the rank and pay structure of the military. and denied "one Rank One Pension" to the Ex Servicemen.

India as a Market: A Times Group Presentation

Esteemed Friends,
Here is a very comprehensive presentation on India click here. Worth seeing, sharing and STORING for reference.
Best wishes.
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)

Presentation on India - Times Group
India and China
Engines of growth China and India continue to expand with positive implications for the global economy. Significantly, while China and India complement each other in many ways, they also compete with each other in many areas. As India's Finance Minister rightly said, "India has often been compared with China...I invite comparison with China."

Rating agency Standard & poor (S&P) has included 8 Indian companies in its annual 'Global Challengers List' of 300 firms, while only 4 Chinese firms were included in the list.

India has ousted Taiwan from the second place in the Asia-Pacific private equity rankings with PE deals worth US$ 2,433 million in the first half of 2007, according to Thomson Financial. China has been ranked fifth with deals worth US$ 678.7 million.

Indian companies account for 10.5 per cent of the total syndicated loans by BRIC nations, with borrowings of about US$ 8.28 billion till June 2007. This is higher than China's 7.9 per cent or over US$ 6 billion.

More than 100 Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturers have lined up major India expansion plans via joint ventures, strategic alliances, research collaborations and wholly-owned subsidiaries.

China's automobiles market is double that of India, India leads in terms of exports: China's auto exports -- 340,000 units in 2006 -- were less than half of India's total vehicle export tally of 970,620 units (including two and three wheelers).

India and China have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowing oil and gas companies of the two countries to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation in acquiring hydrocarbon assets in third world countries without undercutting each other.

The Asia-Pacific region is set for a technology boom with China and India leading the pack in terms of information technology: China is expected to account for 32 per cent of the region's technology market in 2007, India makes up 23 per cent, according to International Data Corp.

India and China have emerged as the preferred destinations for global retail majors increasingly looking to spread their businesses across the world according to a report titled, '2007 Global Powers of Retailing' by international consultancy firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

India and China's jewellery market will grow to equal the US market by 2015: in the global scenario, China has 8.9 per cent market share and India 8.3 per cent.

Driven by high trading volumes for equities and good presence of global banking and financial services firms, Mumbai has secured a place in the world's top ten financial flow hubs list, beating Hong Kong and Beijing in China, according to a survey compiled by Mastercard Worldwide.

Despite massive Government support and huge visibility on the global arena, China's software offshoring market has not taken off as expected and still has a long way to become a potential alternative to India, technology research firm Forrester said in a report released in May 2007.

GSM operators in India serve 300 per cent more subscribers per mega hertz (MHz) than operators in China, a criterion that reflects growth of a telecom network. Using the same benchmark period of 12 years of existence, Indian GSM operators served 3.36 million subscribers per Mhz by December 2006, while China had served 0.85 million subscribers by December 1999. China had introduced mobile services seven years before India.

India topped the global chart for total amount raised through American depository receipts (ADRs) beating China and Taiwan. In 2006, India raised funds worth US$ 2.09 billion while China collected US$ 2.18 billion and Taiwan US$ 1.47 billion through this route.
India as a Market: The Times Group slideshow presentation

China 'overtakes Germany as world's largest exporter'

Customs officials said China had come through a weak trading period. China's exports rose 17.7% in December, state media has reported, suggesting the country has overtaken Germany as the world's largest exporter.

The rise, compared to a year earlier, breaks a 13-month decline in trade as a result of the global downturn. Xinhua said total exports for 2009 were $1.2tn (£7.5tn), but that total foreign trade over the year was down 13.9%. Correspondents say the figures will lead to new demands from China's competitors that it devalue the yuan.

Last year saw a continuing decrease in China's trade as the global economic downturn led to a fall in demand for its products.

But in the last few weeks of the year, there was a far greater rise than forecasters had expected, with foreign exports reaching $130.7bn, up 17.7% on the previous December.

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said exports overall in the year were $1.2tn, down 16% from in 2008, while imports were 11.2% down from a year earlier at $1.01tn.

The politically sensitive total trade surplus was down 34.2% to $196.1bn, a fall of almost a third.

The figures suggests China will surpass Germany's export total for the whole of 2009, although this will not be confirmed until Germany's full-year data is published in February.
China 'overtakes Germany as world's largest exporter'

India's Export Performance
Indian Exporters Witness Worst of Times in 2009
NEW DELHI - India’s exports were swept into rough seas in 2009 owing to a sharp contraction in demand from Western consumers, whose household budget cuts to survive recession killed millions of jobs and eroded growth in emerging economies.

Exporters bled all through the year, with their woes peaking in May when consignments dropped 40 per cent, the most in 13 years, but hope appeared by way of 18.3 per cent growth in exports in November.

The year also saw unveiling of five-year Foreign Trade Policy that sought to incentivise exports to new markets - ones that haven’t been hit as hard by recession as the West.

Exporters have been heavily dependent on the traditional markets of the US and Europe -almost contributing one-third to their kitty. India’s exports in the last fiscal of 2008-09 were $185 billion, according to revised official data.

Engineering goods, textiles and textiles products, gems and jewelery and petroleum products fill the major portion of the country’s export basket and most of it is destined to the western markets of the US and Europe. All these sectors which account significantly for 80 million employment in the export units were hit badly. However, the pace of decline in some of the segments seemed arrested since August after peaking in May. Their troubles started since October 2008.

According to a recent presentation by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar, the decline in exports has “mellowed down”. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma is hopeful of better future for the segment. Allaying concerns of law-makers, Sharma said he expects the situation to improve in the next few months. For the fiscal 2010-11, he would bet on 15 per cent growth. Joshi of IIFT, said going forward by June, 2010, “situation will be somewhat optimistic”.
Source : indiajournal.com
Indian Exporters Witness Worst of Times in 2009
Comments: The commerce and Industry Ministry should be wound up for its very poor performance and replaced by the Chinese Model if we intend to compete with China in the World Market.

China Showcases Military in Anniversary Parade

Courtesy Wall Street Journal
By IAN JOHNSON
BEIJING -- China kicked off National Day celebrations Thursday with an old-style communist military parade featuring missiles and tanks and a series of floats touting its new prosperity -- an extravaganza involving hundreds of thousands of performers intended to showcase both its history and its rise as an economic power.

...The events were the culmination of months of careful planning to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, founded when China's civil war ended with a communist victory. Like the opening ceremony of last year's Olympics, it was a precision event with no detail too small to ignore -- even the marching soldiers had been selected to be almost the same height.

Security was tight, with huge swaths of the city under tight control. Over the past two years, China has experienced the first serious ethnic riots in recent history and officials have started to warn of a growing terrorist threat. Police closed the international airport for the three-hour event, while buildings half a mile away from the parade were sealed off and handed over to local police. As the parade got under way under blue skies, it resembled more of a solemn ceremony than a festive occasion. Every performer, float and slogan had been carefully chosen by the Communist Party's propaganda machine.

In rehearsals over the past few months, students carried large books they held up over their heads and opened in unison to make giant pictures or slogans. When they turned the pages -- always in unison according to radioed instructions -- new pictures and slogans appeared. The synchronized effort was the result of hundreds of hours of practice.

"Almost everyone wanted to participate because it looks good to have been selected," said Fu Yiran, a 14-year-old high school student who was to participate. "Only the best students get to do this." The viewers of this extravaganza: a television audience of hundreds of millions, and a hand-picked audience of dignitaries. On the north side of Tiananmen Square, the country's leaders solemnly reviewed the event.

As in past parades, much foreign attention was focused on the military hardware for clues to the country's rapid military modernization. At the 50th anniversary in 1999, 24,000 soldiers paraded by, often with outdated weapons. Reflecting the Chinese armed forces' shift from a large land-based army to a smaller, modern force, just 5,000 soldiers were scheduled to participate this time, but their weapons are the envy of many countries.

Businesses and ordinary life around Beijing came to a halt on Thursday as the country celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding with a huge military parade. Chinese officials said 52 weapons systems -- all made in China -- will be on display. None were expected to be new for military experts, but many observers were still fascinated by the display.

One key weapon that has attracted attention is the "aircraft killer" Dongfeng 21, an antiship ballistic missile. Wendell Minnick, Asia bureau chief for Defense News, said the missile is meant to keep U.S. aircraft carriers at bay should they try to come to Taiwan's aid in the event of a Chinese invasion. (China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has said that it could use force if Taiwan were to declare its formal independence.)

"This is going to give the China-threat crowd in Washington ammunition," Mr. Minnick said. Chinese officials said the display wasn't meant to intimidate, but simply to display the fruits of modernization. "A country's military ability is not a threat to anyone, what is important is its military policy," Gen. Gao Jianguo, executive deputy director of the office of the National Day Military Parade Joint Command, said earlier this week. The military parade is part of a new tradition, he said, and isn't meant to send other countries a message.
China Showcases Military in Anniversary Parade

XXIX Olympaid Host China wins gold medal race

BEIJING (AP) — China proved an acquisitive first-time Olympic host, topping the gold-medal chart with one of the most dominating and diverse performances ever. The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate.

China's haul of 51 gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Fielding athletes groomed since childhood in sports academies, it won medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.

Not since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the USA or the Soviet Union/ Russia led the gold medal list.

The United States trailed well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it didn't lead the category. But the Americans did break their own mark for total medals in a non- boycotted Olympics; they won 110 in all, two more than their previous high set in 1992 and 10 ahead of China's overall tally this year.

Welcome to Commonwealth Games 2010 web site. It's just about time that you get informed about Commonwealth Games 2010 that is to be held in India. Information that will make you a part of the international event the whole world is waiting for. The event that involves the elite of the athletes and the best of the nations. The 2010 Games also presents an opportunity for India to showcase itself as a sporting and cultural nation and economic power.
Welcome to Commonwealth Games 2010
2010 New Delhi: CWG
2010- Commonwealth Games