In Our Defence

Published On:

•New Leadership Structures

 1. Joint Commanders' Conference (JCC)

a. Instituted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

b. Brings together top military Commander S

c. Inaugural conference held in Lucknow on September 5

d. Theme: "Transforming the Armed Forces"

2. Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC)

 a. Presided over by the Prime Minister

 b. Transformed since 2014 with increased political involvement

 c. 2023 CCC held in Bhopal, raising concerns about politicization Military

 •Preparedness and Challenges

1. Modernization Needs

a. All three armed forces require significant modernization due large gaps in inventory across Army, Navy, and Air Force

 b. 2018 Standing Committee on Defence Report

 • Highlighted concerns:

 i. Army equipment: 68% vintage, 24% current, 8% state-of-the-art

 ii. Ideal ratio: 1/3 in each category

 

 2. Platform Deficiencies

 a. Air Force: Operating with 32 fighter squadrons instead of authorized 42.

 b. Navy: Suboptimal aircraft carrier operations, platform shortages

3. Budget Constraints

 a. Shrinking capital expenditure funds.

b. Rupee depreciation (Rs 62.33 to $1 in 2014 vs Rs 83.47 now).

 c. Reduced purchasing power for foreign military equipment.

 4. Manpower Issues

a.Overall deficiency of 1.55 lakh personnel across armed forces.

b.Army accounts for 1.36 lakh vacancies.

c. Agnipath scheme implementation has complicated recruitment. Government Initiatives and Policies

1. Positive Steps

 a. Implementation of One Rank, One Pension (OROP).

 b. Focus on indigenization under the "aatmanirbharata" banner.

 c. Restructuring of defense PSUs.

 d. Encouraging private sector and MSME involvement.

 e. Enabling academic research projects.

 2. Areas of Concern

 a. Appointment of a retired three-star officer as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

b. Inconsistent scheduling of CCC (not held in 2019, 2020, 2022).

c. Perceived prioritization of police over military leadership meetings.

 Recommendations

 1. Objective review of military transformation over the last decade.

 2. Address inventory and manpower shortages.

 3. Review Agnipath scheme.

 4. Institute annual reporting of military status to parliamentary committee.

5. Maintain credible war preparedness, especially given border tensions.

 

Quad's light touch

 

Quad Summit Highlights

1. Participant Countries: United States; Australia; India; Japan

 2. Key Agreements

 a. Cervical cancer treatment initiatives,

  b. Cybersecurity cooperation,

 c. Joint port development in Indo-Pacific,

 d. Air logistics network creation,

 e. Foundation for biotechnology cooperation,

 f. Quantum computing collaboration.

 

Concern:

1. Critics call for a more formal structure with a permanent secretariat and enhanced military cooperation.

2. India’s preference for a non-aligned, informal forum has influenced the Quad’s evolution, steering it away from becoming a military alliance like NATO.

3. Quad avoids direct military alignment to prevent being branded as an anti-China bloc, gaining acceptance from ASEAN.

4. While the Quad states it is not aimed against China, Chinese expansionism remains a concern.

 Cooperation Beyond Quad

 1. US Initiatives:

 a. AUKUS development;

 b. Trilateral security cooperation with South Korea and Japan;

 c. Military support for the Philippines.

 2. India’s Diplomatic Engagements:

 a. With the US, there is an increased range and depth of military cooperation.

 b. Separation of the Quad allows flexibility in strategic partnerships.

 c. Balancing non-alignment tradition with strategic partnerships.

 d. Managing perceptions about ties with China.

 e. Multilateral forums: East Asia Summit, BRICS, G-20. f. Also, focus on public goods rather than military alliances helps in maintaining regional diplomatic balance.

 

 Manipur and its need

 

 •Background

 1.History of ethnic clashes: Naga-Kuki clash (1992), Meitei-Pangal conflict (1993), Kuki-Paite hostilities (1997)

 2. Root Causes: Allocation of land, Reservation policies, Access to resources and opportunities

 •Current Situation in Manipur: Governance Deadlock

 1. Ethnic conflagration ongoing for 16 months.

 2. Violence resurfaced earlier this month.

 3. Deepening deadlock between state administration and Unified Command of security forces.

 4. Tussle between the Chief Minister's office and Unified Command.

  5. Report: CM N Biren Singh has been rendered "completely powerless".

 •Failures in Governance & Concerns

 1. CM’s inability to push for dialogue over militarization in early stages, allowed ethnic tensions to escalate into violence, further disrupting governance and administration.

 2. Refusal to address development needs and non-partisan administration.

 3. Security Advisor not reporting to CM, leading to breakdown in chain of command.

 4. Complaints against security forces of partisanship and inexpediency are not being addressed.

 5. Poses risks to border security with Myanmar.

 

• Recommendations

 1. A change in leadership and an all-party meeting are urgently needed to restore dialogue and governance.

 2. Emphasis on "talking and listening, negotiating and healing".

 3. Avoiding mobilization of ethnic differences as bargaining chips.

 4. Necessity for transparency and coordination within government.

 5. Better integration of political, administrative, and security wings.