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Issue :   
All that Kisan Baburam alias Anna Hazare who went on the fast had was moral authority. He holds no office. He undertook a fast-unto-death to force the government to concede the drafting of a bill that would create a watchdog that would make people in high places accountable. Veteran journalist MAHENDRA VED profiles the man of the moment
Issue:January' 2012
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DEFENCE DIARY
A Chief of Defence Staff, please

 Jagdish N.Singh
   One wonders if the long proposed institution of Chief of Defence Staff will ever be a reality in India. A general feeling across the strategic spectrum is our political command will not move ahead in the matter. As far as strategic culture is concerned, there is little distinction between the Congress and the main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party today. Neither party seems to have time for crucial national defence matters.Lamenting the state of affairs, a former Deputy Chief of Integrated Staff says, “ We don't have
an Indira Gandhi around. She was an exception. In a moment of crisis, yes, they (the political command) may assert --but not as a habit perhaps as it should be…. “ He adds, “ Now look at the BJP who talk the most about flexing muscles ! When they were in power, their policies were the same as those of the Congress. Ambivalence in leadership assertions are part of us. Why did the BJP sleep over the proposal to create a CDS ?” Are Congress and BJP presidents Sonia Gandhi and Nitin Gadkari listening ?



 Congress & BJP presidents Sonia Gandhi and Nitin Gadkari : will they learn from Indira Gandhi?

 Hollow Military
Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Vijay Oberoi : military modernization too slow
Is our defence modernization on the right track ? Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt General Vijay Oberoi does not think so. He opines at any one time, all militaries should have three generations of equipment spanning 25-30 years. Generation 1(obsolescent) has 20-30 years old equipment ; Generation 2 (matured) 10-20 ; and Generation 3 (state of the art) up to 10. All these categories have to be balanced in order to keep our fighting machine cost-effective as well as operation- effective.

  But the case in India, he says, is not so and in the process our military has become hollow. According to the South Asia Defence and Strategic Year Book 2011, the Indian Army has approximately 3389 tanks. Of these, 450+ T-90s and 125 Arjuns are of third generation. We have none of second generation. As many as 1925 T-72s barely fit in the first generation. And 300 Vijayants and 400 T-55 are obsolete.
   The former Vice Chief of Army Staff laments the process of defence modernization is too slow to be really effective. Militaries start exploring the options for replacement around five to eight years before the forecasted life of the equipment. This involves considerable in-house deliberations where users, training establishments and maintenance people all are consulted and a paper called Qualitative Requirements (QR) of the replacement equipment is prepared.

   “In our case, once this is approved inhouse by all, including the operations directorates, the requirement is projected to the MoD. where it is first decided whether it can be 'made' indigenously or 'purchased.' Thereafter, the procedure of tendering etc starts. Once the number of companies who can meet the QR is short-listed, the trial period starts. The Indian Army takes a long time in trials as we are very thorough. Trials are held in different types of terrain and in different weathers. Once trial reports are in, the procurement people take over. They take a long time to select and finally approve the supplier(s).”