Comment & Briefs

The surge in official references to PoK has disrupted the inertia of the past years. Pushing PoK high on India’s strategic priorities will make India’s Kashmir policy more effective.

The adverse impact of lowering of colour service of soldiers below pensionable service will not only be felt at the structural and functional level but also the psychological level.

The slowdown in economic growth not only seems to have cast its shadow on the allocation of the defence budget for 2020-21 but has also compounded the challenges for the country’s first CDS.

The laser-based aerospace defence assets, as and when they are fully developed and deployed, could prove to be a potent deterrent.

The India-Africa Defence Ministers’ Conclave is a step towards engaging the African countries on peace and security. It is hoped that the conclave leads to a candid discussion on common security challenges and examines the ways and means to further enhance cooperation between India and the African countries.

Considering that the defence capital expenditure already accounts for a very high share in the central government’s overall capital spend, any substantial hike in the former’s share looks less likely. This is more so given the government’s priority to spend on infrastructure and other non-defence capital assets to revive the economic growth.

The proposal to create an Air Defence Command is a bold move. Rather than resorting to less contentious issues to commence the integration process, the CDS has selected a very pertinent and significant operational issue. However, the way the proposed Air Defence Command is structured will be crucial as it will set the tone for further integration of all three services.

Considering the loss of tactical advantage that would come about by not adopting automation and autonomous weapon systems in future, militaries would invariably be obligated to adopt the concept of full automation while keeping humans on the loop.

CAA is a humanitarian gesture. Efforts of the government to allay apprehensions regarding CAA by countering misinformation is a welcome step. A better understanding and appreciation of CAA by the people is expected to reduce opposition to the Act.

The government and the military in Pakistan appear quite determined to either silence or censor media by all means. This may prove counter-productive since such restrictions can fuel further criticism, especially at a time when the government seems unable to fulfil its promises and meet the expectations of the people.