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Army's unseen enemy in SiachenBy Dinakar peri

Ten soldiers buried by an avalanche last week may have been victims of global warmingA small board at the Siachen Base Camp reads: "Snout of the glacier was here on 10 April 2005." Today thesnout, the starting point of the Siachen glacier, has moved about a kilometre ahead from that point. It is atestimony to the accelerating pace of human-induced climate change and is the likely culprit behind increaseddisasters on the glacier. The ten soldiers of the Madras regiment who were buried in their tent after being hit byan avalanche last week may be the latest victims of climate change which is accelerating extreme weatherevents. Glaciers across the globe are melting faster due to a rise in surface temperatures induced by globalwarming. The biggest enemy the Indian Army is battling in Siachen today is the weather. Elaborate weathermonitoring and forecasting mechanisms are in place across the glacier and alerts are sent to troops positionedthere on a daily basis. The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) based in Leh, an institute underthe Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is responsible for this. Combined with betterequipment and refined acclimatisation procedures, this has steeply reduced the casualty rate on the glacier.However, there is an increase in erratic events which are taking a toll. Siachen - which means the land of roses- also has the dubious distinction of being the world's highest battlefield. Indian Army sits at heights of 12,000feet at the Base Camp to 21,000 feet at Bana post on the glacier, a triangular bit of land between Pakistanoccupied Kashmir and the part ceded by Pakistan to the Chinese. India occupied the glacier in April 1984,narrowly thwarting Pakistan's plans. Giving an insight on how global warming is influencing glacial conditions,Dr. Shresh Tayal, Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute, said Himalayan glaciers were not immune tothe effects of global warming and climate change. "Over the last two decades, the rate of melting has acceler-ated," he told The Hindu. Dr. Tayal, who studies glaciers in Kashmir and the North-East, said glaciers werenot only shrinking, but also shortening and thinning because of which they affect the local conditions. "Glaciersare typically present between mountains, and their shrinking affects the slope gradient of mountains, which inturn affects their stability," he observed. This resulted in an increase in landslides and avalanches. This isprecisely what is unfolding on Siachen, which sits between the Karakoram ranges. While India cannot demilitarisethe glacier for strategic reasons, there is a need to find new ways of predicting the weather as well as reducingthe numbers posted on the glacier. However, technology cannot fully replace the soldiers there. For, once theyare lost, it is near impossible to retake the icy peaks.

The Hindu 08 February 2016

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Made in India is costlier; joint development is mere purchaseBy Josy Joseph

The report also indicts HAL for taking 2-3 times more man-hours than those taken by Russians.What was supposed to be cheaper when made in India is much costlier. What was supposed to be a jointdevelopment programme has been reduced to a purchase from abroad. That is among the key findings ofinternal government audits of major aerospace projects in recent years.All the aerospace reports accessed by The Hindu are scathing in their indictment of agencies such as theDefence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. overthe way they have handled joint development programmes involving foreign partners, or produced aircraft inIndia under transfer of technology.Sukhoi-30 MKI fightersHAL was originally tasked by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) with undertaking licence produc-tion of 140 Sukhoi-30 fighters under transfer of technology from Russia, with conditions including: indigenousmanufacture of the aircraft at a cost lower than that of the imported aircraft.The IAF entered into four different contracts with HAL for supply of the 140 aircraft, and later two contractsfor 40 and 42 additional fighters. Thus a total of 222 S-30 MKI were to be assembled by HAL. When HALbegan to assemble, however, the story was different. "Contrary to projection in the CCS note, where it wasestimated that the indigenous aircraft production cost would be lower than that of the imported aircraft cost…the actual cost of phase IV aircraft has always been higher than that of the imported aircraft," the report says.In the production year 2014-15 in phase I, when aircraft was directly imported from Russia, the average costper fighter was Rs. 270.28 crore. In phase IV, when aircraft is manufactured by HAL from raw material, thecost is Rs. 417.85 crore. The report also indicts HAL for taking 2-3 times more man-hours than those takenby Russians.Advanced Light HelicopterAn audit of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) project of HAL from 2001 to 2009 carried out by theController-General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) pointed out: "As against the envisaged indigenisation levelof 50 per cent, about 90 per cent of the value of material used in each helicopter is procured from foreignsuppliers." The audit said that during the production of the helicopter, despite gaining experience of making 90of them, the labour hours remained almost double of what was prescribed by the consultant. The Air MarshalMatheswaran report on the aeronautical sector points out that the Shakti engine used in the helicopter "only hasan indigenous name with hardly any self-reliance or technology control."Missile developmentThe Matheswaran report points out that in 2003, a decision was taken to allow the services to meet theiroperational requirements of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), till 2010, by acquiring through the "buy global"route because the development of the indigenous Akash and Trishul missile systems was delayed. The DRDOstepped in and proposed joint development with Israel. So the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)started development of a long-range SAM (LRSAM) for the Navy in 2005. In 2007, they started work ondeveloping a medium-range SAM (MRSAM) for the IAF under a separate contract. "Incidentally, LRSAM &MRSAM is the same missile," the report says. In a scathing indictment of the entire project, the report saysIAI remains the design authority for the complete system. "IAI is doing the role of supplier and the DRDO isthe buyer, which is contrary to the DRDO role of design agency." "No transfer of technology (ToT) has beentaken as part of the contract. We will remain dependent on IAI for its share," the report points out, adding thatthe intellectual property rights (IPRs) remains with the design authority.Conflict of interestsThe report also tears into the Department of Defence Production. "The DDP, which on behalf of the Servicesand the MoD would have been the instrument of indigenisation, became primarily a custodian of a largecollection of ordnance factories and de-facto owner of shipyards, aircraft factories etc."

The Hindu 06 February 2016

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The Economic Times 06 February 2016Vishakhapatnam Maritime Show Brings Together Iran, Israel, US and Russia

By manu pubbyWorld Navies in Vizag for India's Biggest Military Diplomacy

Warships and delegates from around the world have converged at the `city of destiny' for the largest militarydiplomacy put up by India, managing to bring together diverse nations, many of which seldom meet at sea. Fromrivals Iran and Israel, competitors Russia and the US to far flung maritime nations like Brazil, almost 50 nationsare taking part at the International Fleet Review with the Vishakhapatnam harbor lined up with warships sportingdifferent flags. In the works for over a year, the IFR was one of the first initiatives cleared by the Modigovernment after it took over. For the past several months, hectic diplomatic efforts were on to invite as manynations as possible for the showcase event. As major global navies -France, UK, China, Russia, US and Japanare represented -meet on the east coast, the Indian Navy has pulled all stops to project the Indian Ocean as itsdomain and security responsibility. Warships converging in Vizag were greeted by Indian surveillance aircraft orwarships as they entered the Indian Ocean through its various `choke points' be it the Malacca strait for thearriving Chinese fleet or western warships coming in from the Gulf of Aden. The ̀ world's center of gravity', Indiabelieves needs to remain secure for the stability of the global economy . "With the Indian Ocean Regionalemerging as the world's center of gravity , any impediment to the free flow of oil or trade will have an impact notjust on the economies of the region but the economy of the entire world," Navy Chief Admiral RK Dhowan toldET in an exclusive chat. In Vizag, nearly a hundred warships including those of the Indian Navy and CoastGuard are in place for the main event a review by President Pranab Mukherjee who will sail across the harborand take stock of the fleet. The location on the eastern shores has also been chosen in accordance with India's`Act East' policy , even though the navy pointed to greater available depth on the coastline as an added advantageto bring together warships. "The security , stability and safety of the global commons is a collective responsibilityof the navies of the world. That is why , there is a focus on networking between navies and global maritimepartnerships are emerging. The presence of nearly 50 nations at IFR is an indicator of that," Navy Chief AdmiralRK Dhowan said at the inaugural event of the fleet review. While the flagship of the Indian Navy the INSVikramaditya aircraft carrier and a large part of its cutting edge western fleet is in place at Vizag, one of thevisible absentees is the INS Arihant nuclear missile submarine. Even though the submarine is based at Vizag, it isnot being showcased at the review as it is undergoing tests and trials to fire nuclear capable missiles fromunderwater.

President Pranab Mukherjee calls for peace as India projects naval mightBy Pranav Kulkarni

Pranab Mukherjee watched as the Navy's surface, sub-surface and aerial platforms performed maneuvers offVisakhapatnam's Rama Krishna beach. As India projected its naval might along the eastern seaboard with nearly 75Indian warships participating in the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturdaycalled for using the seas to promote peace, cooperation and friendship. The review was attended by warships fromChina, Vietnam, US and Australia, among others. "While showcasing the prowess of the Indian Navy, IFR 2016 hasbrought together navies from across the globe here on Indian shores, signifying our common desire to use the seas topromote peace, cooperation and friendship, as also to develop partnerships for a secure maritime future," Mukherjeesaid after inspecting the parade that witnessed participation from the mightiest of Indian warships including INSVikramaditya, destroyer INS Kolkata, frigates and submarines. Navy Chief Admiral R K Dhowan had last week toldThe Indian Express how the IFR was in line with India's Act East Policy and a means to project India's power to ensurethat maritime laws are respected. Nearly 75 Indian warships and 24 from navies across the globe sailed past INSSumitra, which hosted, besides Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar andthe three service chiefs, among others. Among the Indian vessels was INS Vikramaditya, India's biggest aircraftcarrier, INS Viraat, destroyers INS Kolkata, Mysore, frigates Shivalik, Satpura and Teg and three submarines. Theevent witnessed INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat participating together for the last time, as the latter is set to retirelater this year. Mukherjee watched as the Navy's surface, sub-surface and aerial platforms performed maneuvers offVisakhapatnam's Rama Krishna beach. Naval helicopters, including Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and Chetaksperformed Search and Rescue missions. Latest acquisition P- 8i maritime reconnaissance aircraft, too, flew past thePresidential yacht. The Hawk and Mig 29 K aircraft displayed the skills of Naval warriors to operate fighter jets at apressure six times the gravitational force. Sailors on board the vessels saluted the Presidential yacht and waved theirberets in a gesture to acknowledge the review by Supreme Commander of the armed forces. Nearly 4,000 sailorsparticipated in the review, perceived to be the biggest so far in India. The first international review had taken place in2001.

The Indian Express 07 February 2016

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India, China hold first joint drills in LadakhAsian giants India and China seem to have taken their defence cooperation to a whole new level despite irritantsin bilateral relations, with the two nations conducting joint tactical exercises in Jammu and Kashmir for the firsttime. The exercises were held Saturday in eastern Ladakh by border troops of the two armies and are part ofefforts to enhance interaction between the border-guarding forces of the two sides. China has illegally occupiedAksai Chin in eastern J&K, that comprises huge swathes of land of thousands of kilometres. Chinese troops arealso involved in projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while China is also building an economic corridor linkingit to Pakistan through PoK despite Indian protests. India had earlier signed a Border Defence CooperationAgreement with China a few years ago to eliminate the possibility of any sudden military conflagration along theLine of Actual Control (LAC). Under this agreement, the border patrols of the two sides were not to "tail" eachother when they come face-to-face while patrolling the LAC, the de facto border in both the J&K and Arunachalsectors. Chinese troops often transgress into Indian territory as both nations have different perceptions of theLAC demarcation that they never mutually agreed upon. In a statement from Udhampur, headquarters of theIndian Army's Northern Command in J&K, the defence ministry said: "The first Joint Tactical Exercise betweenborder troops of both countries was conducted in the Chushul-Moldo area on February 6. This is a part of ongoinginitiatives taken by India and China to ensure greater interaction between troops stationed along the LAC, andthereby ensure peace and tranquillity on the border. As previously agreed by both countries, the exercisefocused on actions to be coordinated to jointly tackle aspects of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief. The IndianArmy team of 30 personnel was led by Col. Ritesh Chandra Singh while the Chinese delegation was led by Col.Qu Yi. Lasting an entire day, the joint exercise was based on a situation of a national disaster occurring on theborder and the subsequent rescue mission coordination by joint teams of both countries." The MoD added: "Thejoint exercise, codenamed 'Sino-India Cooperation 2016', compliments the Hand-in-Hand series of India-ChinaJoint Exercises and the recently conducted border troops Joint Exercise in Sikkim. The increased interactionamongst Indian and Chinese border troops is a very positive step in enhancing confidence and building relationsbetween the two armies."

The Asian Age 08 February 2016

Navy's role vital to ensure India's riseIt is not adequately appreciated that while India has a land frontier of some 15,000 km, our coastline too is 7,500km long, way more than of many leading nations. It is from this sea frontier that we engage in trade with nationsof the world so that national prosperity is enhanced. Our Navy guards this long coastline and is an integralcomponent of India's security architecture. The five-day International Fleet Review (February 4-8) organised bythe Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam, in which the navies of 51 nations, participated, will hopefully make us moreaware of the vital role of the seas - and of the Navy - in maintaining maritime stability so that international tradeand commerce can proceed unhindered. It is to be hoped that our legislators and policy planners pay sufficientattention to the growth of our Navy - the fighting forces and the merchant marine - and help raise public aware-ness of the signal contribution they make. The tradition of fleet reviews goes back to 15th century Britain whenthe monarch inspected the readiness of the Navy to go to war. In India, since 1953, the President, as supremecommander of the armed forces, reviews the Navy once during his tenure, and the International Fleet Reviewthat ends today is the 11th - and the most advanced and sophisticated - in that series, with around 100 ships,mostly Indian, participating. The warships of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - theUnited States, Britain, France, Russia and China - were anchored in Visakhapatnam alongside those from Brazil,South Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran, to name a few, besides our neighbours Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,Myanmar and Thailand. Bringing together such a grand assembly of flotillas will go down as a high point of thecareer of Navy chief Adm. Robin Dhowan, who is due to retire shortly.Pakistan didn't come forward, possibly forhistorical reasons, but might have found itself in good company had it done so and appreciated that the IFR, in thecontext of present-day international life, is about raising the prospect of enhancing cooperation. "PartnershipTogether for a Secure Maritime Future" was the theme of the seminar at the IFR. At the Navy Chief's banquetin his honour on Saturday, President Pranab Mukherjee noted that it was "an indisputable fact" that the "indepen-dence and prosperity of nations, and the peace and tranquillity of the world" hinges upon the "security and stabilityof the seas and the oceans". This is a call to keep the seas not only safe, but also indivisible, as a part of the"shared responsibility" of all nations. The seas are, after all, a part of the global commons.

The Asian Age 08 February 2016

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High tech: IAF pilots pop pills to get fighting edgeBy Rajat Pandit

The Indian Air Force has some new weapons in its armoury. No, they are not hypersonic cruise missiles, norbunker-bursting ̀ smart' bombs. Instead, they are innocuous looking tablets called GoNo-Go' pills. And theyare said to pack quite a punch. IAF fighter pilots are now increasingly using these "authorised" pills to boostalertness levels and cognitive po wers as well as fight fatigue and sleep deprivation during round-the-clockcombat exercises as well as long-range sorties designed to hone war-fighting skills. The ̀ Go' pill is Modafinil,which has gained currency in military aviation circles around the world for its alertness-enhancing and fatigue-managing properties. The No-Go' pill is Zolpidem, a sedative used to treat insomnia. In the works for the lastthree to four years, these pills were used extensively in the highvoltage ̀ Livewire' exercise conducted by IAFfrom October 31 to November 8, which saw the "activation" of all its 54 airbases across the country . Fromfighter and helicopter pilots to air traffic controllers and even the top brass, the GoNo-Go pills were used to"good effect" during Livewire, which was designed to test both offensive and defensive capabilities for a two-front war contingency with "swing forces" being rapidly moved from the western theatre to the eastern one, andvice-versa. "It was a 24x7 exercise to stimulate a war, which requires high adrenaline levels and the ability topush the envelope. The GoNo-Go pills are being used to optimise performance only after extensive clinicaltrials, both in simula tors and actual flying, with all necessary safeguards," said a senior IAF officer. "The fieldtrials and studies were conducted by our doctors to validate pharmacological strategies for sleep and alertnessmanagement for aircrews in extended operations.It was established both Modafinil and Zolpidem would helpto optimise our personnel's performance in a sustained operational scenario," he said. After the adrenaline rushof a combat sortie with the Go pill, a fighter pilot needs to sleep well to ensure he remains sharp for the nextmission."This is where the No-Go pill comes into play . It relaxes you, does not let your mind wander or worry," said a Sukhoi pilot. Incidentally , a Sukhoi-30MKI has a cruising range of 3,200km, which can be doubledwith mid-air refuelling. This leads to an extended sortie. A sleep-deprived pilot will suffer from lower perfor-mance levels, poor judgment and reaction time, which becomes all the more deadly if he is flying a supersonicfighter undertaking inherentlyrisky combat manoeuvres. But can the use of GoNoGo pills lead to addiction oradversely impact health? For one, the pills are not meant for everyday use, and are allowed only for specificmissions under strict supervision. "For another, side-effects of both the pills during trials were negligible and didnot appear to be a cause for concern," said the senior officer.

The Times of India 08 February 2016

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War game quells doubts on new corpsBy Sushant Singh

Decision to raise 17 Corps was meant specifically for 3,500-km border with ChinaQuelling fears about its raising, the Army's mountain strike corps - which is aimed at countering threats from China -concluded its war-gaming exercise last month focusing on various scenarios emerging from the recent changes inChinese military organisation and strategy. While details of the war-gaming exercise of under-raising 17 Corps areclassified, its conduct, sources said, showed that the Army's newest corps was moving towards operationalisation.Concerns about the new corps were raised after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced last May that lack ofresources was likely to slow down the raising of the corps. Meanwhile, sources in Army confirmed that the raising ofthe corps was proceeding as per the original schedule. The mountain strike corps is currently headquartered at Ranchiin Jharkhand. "We have not received any political direction to slow down the raising. We are supposed to raise 250headquarters and units for this corps, out of which 75 have already been raised. Raising of another 75 is in progress,and the balance 100 will also be raised as per plan by 2021," a senior Army official said. The 17 Corps, which will beIndia's fourth strike corps but first for the mountains, will consist of two infantry divisions, two independent infantrybrigades and two independent armoured brigades, along with all the supporting elements. The decision to raise 17Corps, meant specifically for the nearly 3,500 km long China border from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh, was taken bythe Cabinet Committee on Security in July 2013. It had sanctioned a proposed strength of 80,000 soldiers costing Rs64,000 crore, to be spent over eight years. But additional resources were never allocated in the budget for the raising.Besides the raising of units and formations, the government had also approved the plan for infrastructure improvementon the China border: railways, roads, logistics bases, advanced landing grounds for aircraft, communication networkand connectivity to forward posts. There has been a delay in executing these projects due to various reasons, rangingfrom environmental clearances to land acquisition to local labour problems. This delay, sources said, has been repeat-edly flagged by senior military officers in the Army commanders and combined commanders' conferences. They haveargued that unless a proper logistics supply chain is built and proper infrastructure facilities are in place, the mountainstrike corps will not be fully effective. Acquisition of artillery guns and missiles has also been identified by the Army forthe new corps.

The Indian Express 08 February 2016

The 'lost opportunity' in PathankotBy Vijaita Singh

Two who were hiding in airmen's billet could have been caught alive.Even as the debate on the number of terrorists who attacked the Pathankot airbase last month continues, the chief ofthe National Security Guard (NSG), which fought the intruders, told The Hindu that he was certain there were sixterrorists inside. He said two terrorists hiding in the airmen's billet, which was blown up, could have been caught alivehad Lieutenant-Colonel Niranjan not died while handling the bodies of the four terrorists killed earlier. In an interview,NSG Director-General R.C. Tayal said the 'go-through' sensors (a listening device) put on the wall of the airmen's billetconfirmed that at least two more terrorists were inside. Four had been neutralised by then. This was the third day of theoperation. "You know why I say this? An NSG commando had placed the sensor on one of the walls on the groundfloor of the billet. He heard a man saying in Punjabi accent: Abe uth, NSG waale aa gaye hain, hum khatam [wake up,NSG is here. We are finished]. We were certain after this that there were two inside," Mr. Tayal said. He said the twomen were probably "loaders" who had accompanied the four terrorists killed earlier, as they had a large number ofexplosives and improvised explosive devices, and mostly threw grenades in defence. No AK-47, a weapon used bytrained terrorists [also by the four men who were killed], was used by them. We wanted to smoke out two ultras: NSGchief . The Director-General of the National Security Guard (NSG), R.C. Tayal, has said that two terrorists who werehiding in the airmen's billet in the Pathankot airbase could most probably be "loaders" who had accompanied the fourterrorists killed earlier in the operation. Asked how "loaders" could recognise NSG commandos, Mr. Tayal said:"These men are given some basic training about the counter-terrorism forces and our black dungaree uniform isunique…". "As soon as we placed the sensor [on one of the walls on the ground floor of the billet], a grenade waslobbed from inside. We presumed that one of the two terrorists was injured during the first few minutes as firing camefrom only one kind of weapon, which was a pistol. They did not use any other weapon like AK-47, but lobbed a lot ofgrenades. The man firing at us moved from one corner to another," Mr. Tayal said. As reported by The Hindu earlier,the presence of two terrorists in the billet was noticed on the third day of the operation as the door of the airmen's billetwas bolted from inside, and nobody answered it when the buildings were being sanitised. "We did not want to blow upthe building; we wanted to catch them alive. They had been cornered in a room and we were all set to make room-intervention. But the news of [the death] Lt. Col. Niranjan arrived, and we decided to blow up the building, we did notwant more casualties," he said.

The Hindu 08 February 2016

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Pathankot terror attack: What went wrongTwo mysteries arose during the four-day long anti-terrorism operation.

Along with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry into the terrorist attack on the Pathankot airbase, thePunjab government's report to the Union home ministry, the Indian Air Force's own court of inquiry to probe allegedlapses, and the usual round of futile soul-searching, two mysteries arose during the four-day long anti-terrorism opera-tion: the inexplicable delay by the Punjab Police once the infiltration of terrorists came to light, and why the Army wasnot directing the operation once the attack began. There was also criticism of the role of national security adviser AjitDoval, who was alleged to have micromanaged the operation. Pathankot is the second major terror event where thePunjab Police has not covered itself with glory. On Christmas Eve, 1999, flight IC-814 from Kathmandu was hijackedand it landed in Amritsar for around 50 minutes before eventually taking off landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan. FormerPunjab Police director-general K.P.S. Gill, credited with leading from the front against the Khalistan movement,criticised the force's inability to at least ground IC-814. The then National Democratic Alliance government had torelease three imprisoned terrorists in return for the aircraft and hostages. Incidentally, Mr Doval was one of thenegotiators sent to Kandahar; one of the terrorists released was Maulana Masood Azhar who later created the Jaish-e-Mohammad, suspected of the Pathankot attack. The then Punjab DGP, Sarabjit Singh, later privately confessed thatunlike Mr Gill, he found himself unable to take a bold initiative; even his state government - led by the same Akali Daland Badal family as now - advised him to wait for orders from New Delhi. And at the Crisis Management Group inDelhi, there was plenty of advice (the Intelligence Bureau told Punjab Police to deflate the aircraft tyres, as if it werea bicycle) and finger-pointing (the National Security Guard was blamed for not mobilising to Amritsar airport rapidlyenough), but little else. Now, at the start of 2016, the Punjab Police is again not looking good. Gurdaspur superintendentof police (HQ) Salwinder Singh was abducted and his SUV (with the blue beacon) commandeered late night newyear's eve. He claimed there were "four-five" men with AK-47s, as did his cook. When he escaped and alerted hisforce, it did nothing. The cook says the police did not believe him, astounding since there was an intelligence alert onDecember 30 itself. The Punjab Police, not surprisingly in damage-control mode, claims that they are the ones who putthe nation on alert after Salwinder's abduction story was confirmed. More incredibly, the police say that by the timethey were ready to search and secure Pathankot, it was too dark to do so. That still leaves a gap of about four hoursin which the Punjab Police sat on its hands. And in the early hours of January 2, the terrorists struck. Deputy chiefminister Sukhbir Singh Badal has tried deflecting blame from his force by pointing out that the lack of vigilance bycentral forces on the border allowed the infiltration. That may be true. But once the terrorists were on Indian soil, theybecame the responsibility of the Punjab Police. The anti-terrorism operation inside the airbase has attracted criticism,perhaps because the lives of security personnel were lost. The delay in closing the operation has given the impressionthat there was disarray on the ground; perhaps the anti-terrorist operation lacked a single point of authority - or, as hasbeen alleged by some, on-the-ground authority was usurped by an over-enthusiastic NSA, whose career's successesinclude the 1988 Black Thunder operation to flush militants out of the Golden Temple. While finance minister ArunJaitley pointed out that the airbase covered a significant area, with a rough circumference of 24 km, the delay perhapswould not have been an issue had it not been for the casualties, or for the unfortunate announcement on Twitter byhome minister Rajnath Singh at the end of January 2 that the operation was over. It is ironic that some commentatorshave said that the command of the anti-terrorist operation should have been handed over to the Army. They have citedthe Army's operations in flushing out militants from the mountains and forests of Kashmir. This is disingenuous. First,flushing out operations are part of counter-terrorism operations, which are general in nature and come under a counter-insurgency strategy. The operation against a terrorist attack or siege is a more targeted affair and is an anti-terrorismoperation in nature. Second, after the disastrous Operation Bluestar in 1984, the Army has been reluctant to take onanti-terrorist operations over the years, preferring to provide support. The NSG, on the other hand, has a proven trackrecord in anti-terrorist operations - even 26/11 is a testament to that. Mr Doval acted correctly in calling it in.That theArmy is ready to criticise the NSA, and that so many were quick to savage Mr Doval should, perhaps, occasion someintrospection. The foreign service, for example, has been seething at the way it perceives his hijacking of its domain,bypassing its institutional memory, particularly in relation to Pakistan. But there is one critical success of Mr Doval'sthat has been overlooked in the Pathankot attack. It is no secret that Pakistan's "deep state" was involved. This is theirway of "testing our sincerity" in pursuing dialogue, the way we keep wondering about Pakistan's sincerity in pursuingpeace. The day after the attack, national newspapers in unison editorialised that the talks must go on. There was nodissent. The government has been criticised for its poor media management, and no immediate answers on the pre-attack and the operation's delay means that one aim of terrorism was achieved: publicity. But Mr Doval did undeniablywell on keeping the public opinion united on pursuing talks with Pakistan, no matter how Pathankot turned out.

Deccan Chronicle 06 February 2016

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China in Audience, India Says Nations Reclaiming LandBy manu pubby

NEED OF THE DAY Defence Minister Parrikar feels new redressal mechanism needed to avoid conflictIndia feels that the current international treaties and agreements are not adequate for the changing maritimescenario as nations explore deeper underwater for resources and even reclaim land from the sea. DefenceMinsiter Manohar Parrikar has called for a new dispute resolution mechanism to avoid conflicts between seafaring nations. While the minister did not name any country , in the audience was a senior Chinese delegationfor the International Fleet Review, besides two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships that re-anchored at the Vizag harbour. "In today's world as we are finding more and more resources deep in the seathe scenario is changing," Parrikar said, throwing open a discussion on maritime challenges, which was at-tended by close to 50 nations taking part in the fleet review. "The original laws and trea ties are not enough andwe need to find more ways to ensure that we can resolve issues." In a rare reference to the creation of artificialislands or land reclama tion again without naming any nation Parrikar said new rules are needed as thegeography of the oceans is being changed by man. "It is said that oceans have no boundaries but boundariesare man created and you can create land. And, with rising water, today, many of the lands you can see will gounderwater. In this scenario, we need better dispute resolution mechanism to avoid conflict," the minister said.While India has not taken a strong position on the matter yet, the crea tion of a series of islands in the SouthChina Sea has led to one of the most serious recent maritime confrontations between China and its neighbouringnations, with the US Navy conducting patrols around the disputed territories. Maintaining Stability Everyone'sDuty: PM. Urg ing nations to cooper ate and not compete in meeting emerging maritime challenge, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi has said that maintaining stability is a shared responsibility and cannot be the preserveof a single nation. Speaking at the international fleet review that is being attended by nearly 50 nations, Modisaid that safety and security at sea are vital for economic stability and spelt out his three point formula for theoceans. "Use seas to build peace, friendship and trust, and curb conflict; respect and ensure freedom ofnavigation and cooperate, not compete in responding to the challenges in the seas," Modi said.

The Economic Times 08 February 2016

Troops will stay on in Siachen, says ParrikarBy Dinakar Peri

The decision is based on security concerns, affirms Defence Minister.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday ruled out any troop withdrawal from the Siachen glacier afterthe last week's avalanche claimed the lives of 10 soldiers. "The decision on Siachen is based on the securityof the nation. I am disturbed by the loss of life but I think that due to this, some other solution [withdrawal]would not be the proper analysis," Mr. Parrikar said on the sidelines of the International Fleet Review inresponse to questions if Siachen would be converted into a peace park. Last Wednesday, a major avalanchehit a post on the northern glacier at a height of 19,600 feet being manned by soldiers of the Madras Regiment.One Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and nine soldiers were killed in the tragedy and efforts are still on tolocate and retrieve their bodies. Noting that chances of finding any survivor was "very less or almost nil" as thearea was under tonnes of ice, Mr. Parrikar said search was still on. He noted that casualties had come down inrecent times and despite the best of efforts, nature cannot be predicted. "From the information I have, thereare no loose ends. It was an avalanche and even people who calculate everything before climbing the Everestlose their lives in an avalanche. These are unpredictable shows of strength by nature," he said. India andPakistan have lost over 2,000 soldiers in the last three decades, most of them to extreme and unpredictableweather events. Time and again proposals have been put forward to demilitarise the glacier but India hasrefused any such move without proper delineation and acceptance of the current positions.

The Hindu 08 February 2016

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Business Standard 06 February 2016

Siachen - the prize and its priceBy Shekhar Gupta

Despite another tragedy, it's neither possible nor wise to make sectoral settlements with Pakistanunless it's a part of a larger normalization

Whether or not you are a Dev Anand fan, you must acknowledge that as a filmmaker he often explored themesthat were recklessly ahead of the times. There was the most celebrated extra-marital affair in Bollywoodhistory in Guide, the 1965 classic. Less remembered somehow is Prem Pujari (1970), where he played anArmy lieutenant court-martialled and convicted for cowardice in the face of the enemy. Dev Anand set thescene at Nathula in Sikkim, obviously based on the famous 1967 skirmish there. The scene has LieutenantRamdev Bakshi's (Dev Anand's) pet dog at the border post taking the first volley. He stands holding the dog'sbody, in mourning and defiance, refusing to fire back with saying: "woh goli chalayenge, main goli chalaunga,phir woh goli chalayenge… kab khatam hoga ye silsila (They will fire, I will fire, they will fire back, I will fireback, when will the vicious cycle end)?" Of course Bakshi, because he is Dev Anand, escapes, ends up spyingfor India - and, finally, gets his family's soldierly honour back by returning just in time and defeating what lookslike an entire regiment of Pakistani tanks at his village in Punjab, the familiar Khem Karan. Why did thisThursday's tragic news, of the death of 10 soldiers and an officer on the Saltoro crest line in Siachen, bring thisold scene back to me and persuade me to draw what may look like a stretched parallel (though it isn't)?Because this is the way Siachen has been for exactly 32 years now since our Army made it its proud home. Inthe very first expeditions, we lost an entire platoon of about 30 - just swallowed by a large crevice that openedup under their unsuspecting feet. Then the Pakistanis tried, unsuccessfully, to catch up and lost their own tocrevasses, avalanches and high altitude sicknesses like pulmonary oedema. Then we lost some more, and sodid they. In the biggest such tragedies in 32 years, in 2012, an avalanche took away an entire Pakistani Armybase in Gyari, sort of at the base of the other side of the Saltoro slopes, burying 129 soldiers and 11 civilians,mostly defence contractors. Both sides make varying claims. But the Indian side has by now lost about 900lives in Siachen; the Pakistanis probably a similar number, if not more, as they used to launch desperate assaultsin the past. But both sides say that more than 90 per cent of these casualties were caused by the elements,rather than by enemy fire. Insert Siachen in place of that Nathu La in Prem Pujari, and the new exchange couldbe something like: We will die in an avalanche, then they will die in an avalanche, then we will die in anavalanche… when will this vicious cycle end? This, in fact, is the cruellest of all military vicious cycles. Therehasn't been a shot fired in anger now for 14 years around the glacier. The ceasefire of 2002 has held nicelyhere. But casualties thanks to the elements continue, though they have declined with both armies investing inbetter equipment. Both armies, as macho armies always do, treat the sector as a badge of honour. You haven'theard Indian or Pakistani soldiers ever say, let's call off this joke, we are really hurting. First, it is un-soldier like.And second, there is a belief that the other side is hurting even more. We draw satisfaction from the fact thatsince we moved in there (this was the first of Indira Gandhi's last two big military adventures in her last year,1984, Operation Blue Star being the second), the Pakistanis haven't been able to dislodge us from even aninch. If anything, India captured the one crucial point they owned on the Ridge, the Bana Post close to whichthis tragedy struck. So, if the Pakistanis are hurting more, let them sue for peace. You get an echo of this fromPakistan. OK, these Indians have the heights, but the stupid fellows are sitting far away from their bases,suffering and dying from the elements, so let them get tired, they will come to their senses. The two armiesproudly call this the highest battlefield in the world, have instituted special medals for Siachen service for theirtroops, and regiments on both sides vie for a "glacier" tenure. It's a box every infantry unit wishes to check.Why bother breaking this cycle of reciprocal cussedness and bravado? In fact, in my recollection, the one timeI have heard a senior enough soldier saying something similar was in 2012, when Pakistan's Army chief, ParvezAshraf Kayani, expressed pain over the Gyari disaster. There wasn't much sympathy or understanding for thisfrom our side. Just as there was zero appreciation of the Pakistani offer this week to help with search and

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escue. A bland no-thanks was the response - but what remained unspoken (with a smirk!) was, look who'stalking. From where you guys are, you can't even see the glacier! I have a personal claim to make on theSiachen story, and also a disclosure. I broke it for the first time in April 1984, in India Today magazine - though,in fairness, I should mention that Joydeep Sircar, in a 1982 article in The Telegraph, had talked in detail aboutthe contest that had broken out between the two sides in the high Karakoram. But the blows exchanged untilthen were either cartographic or of rival mountaineering expeditions. In the spring of 1984, the Indian Armyclaimed, spread out and declared it "our" land. So the disclosure is a simple one: having broken the story andthen followed it for years as a reporter, knowing the cruelty of the conditions that troops from both sides faceduncomplainingly, I had inevitably grown to believe that it was a totally futile war, and the earlier we disengaged- provided India could make sure the Pakistanis would never try coming there again - the better and moreprudent it would be. I was also among those who watched in deep disappointment as the 1989 talks, the lasttime we came close to settling Siachen, failed at the last moment. That peacenik belief endured for long after1989 - a little like Lt Bakshi's "kab hhatam hoga yeh silsila". I am afraid it is no longer so. And I say this evenas I deeply mourn the loss of our soldiers' lives this week and salute their bravery. Until a few years back, Iwould have said, see, this is why we must settle Siachen. Today, I won't; because between 1989 and now, thetrust between the two sides has completely disappeared. That precise year, 1989, was when the PakistanArmy and ISI brought their Afghan strategy of bleeding by a thousand cuts to Kashmir. Subsequently they haveextended it to the Indian mainland. It is no longer possible, or wise, to make local, sectoral settlements or de-escalation unless it is a part of a larger normalisation. Until then, their failure to take Siachen is an embarrass-ment to the Pakistan Army - and let them live with it. Our Army's shoulders are broad enough to endure thechallenge. To that extent, with the 27-year proxy war, my peacenik mind on this has changed. This is one morereason I thought about Lieutenant Ramdev Bakshi and Prem Pujari.

Siachen - the prize and its price

Business Standard 06 February 2016

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Siachen tragedy could trigger demilitarisationBy Josy Joseph

'Intense Army deployment should be replaced with verifiable technological solutions'The latest tragedy in Siachen could be an excuse for an all-out effort by both India and Pakistan to demilitarisethe inhospitable glacier where India and Pakistan have sacrificed hundreds of soldiers over the last threedecades. In fact, some in the military establishment believe the death of 10 soldiers of Madras Regiment couldbe a trigger for New Delhi to convince Islamabad to go back to the negotiation tables, where a roadmap fordemilitarising Siachen is already available. One senior Army officer pointed out that the Pakistan too has acompelling reason to consider the demilitarisation of the glacier, where over 2,000 soldiers of both nationshave died since 1984. He pointed out that after 140 Pakistani soldiers were killed in an avalanche in April2012, the then Pakistan Army Chief, General Parvez Kayani, issued a statement favouring demilitarisation ofthe region. "The intense military deployment should be replaced with technological solutions that are verifiable,"the senior officer said. It is an opinion echoed in private by many within the security establishment, given theharsh realities of the glacier and the growing challenges of frequent avalanches. "We have often come so closeto finding a solution to the troop deployment, but somehow we never clinched it," he added. In June 1989,both sides announced that "there was agreement by both sides to work towards a comprehensive settlement,based on redeployment of forces to reduce the chance of conflict, avoidance of the use of force and thedetermination of future positions on the ground so as to conform with the Simla Agreement and to ensuredurable peace in the Siachen area." Endorsed by Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Rajiv Gandhi in Islamabad,the declaration has been the basic spirit of the bilateral approach towards the Siachen conflict. But no govern-ment has shown the political courage to clinch the deal. In 1992, the two sides held discussions that narroweddown differences. Since then, India has had an almost consistent set of proposals. The contours of the Indianproposal include delineation of the Line of Control north of NJ 9842, redeployment of troops on both sides toagreed positions after demarcating their existing positions, a zone of disengagement and a monitoring mecha-nism to maintain the peace. over the years, Pakistan has suggested that troops on both sides should withdrawto a point south of NJ 9842, to the pre-1972 Simla Agreement positions. However, it has been reluctant toauthenticate ground positions. Many reports have suggested that in 1992 the two sides had agreed on theIndian points but a final agreement was not signed. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005 suggested thatthe world's highest battlefield be converted into a "peace mountain" without the redrawing of boundaries. Forthe Narendra Modi government, in its effort to bring a new vigour to its engagement with Pakistan, demilitarisationof Siachen could be one of the low-hanging fruits to pluck. Otherwise, more soldiers will be killed by ava-lanches as the world battles rising temperatures and glaciers become more unpredictable.

The Hindu 07 February 2016

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Last-serving hero of key Siachen victory finally walks intosunset

NEW DELHI: Lachhman Dass was barely 22 when he faced formidable military challenges on the planet'smost unforgiving battlefield as a member of a hand-picked assault team assigned to capture the highest post onthe Siachen glacier in June 1987. The team's last serving soldier that carried out the dangerous mission againstan enemy firmly ensconced in those heights will hang up his boots in April, bringing down the curtains on amagnificent chapter in India's military history. The death of 10 soldiers killed in an avalanche at Siachen's19,600-ft Sonam post last week has turned the spotlight back on the glacier and the hardships faced by themen defending it, aware of death lurking at every step. "There's no guarantee you will come back alive.Soldiers have to endure an endless cycle of extreme conditions. But the job has to be done and we will do it nomatter what the cost," says Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Dass, who was awarded a Vir Chakra forcapturing Pakistan' s Quaid post. Dass is from 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, a battalion designated asBravest of the Brave for winning two highest gallantry awards. He gets goosebumps when he strings togetherthe events that led to the capture of the Pakistani post perched at a height of 21,153 feet, a vantage position inthe western Himalayas from where Indian military activity could be easily monitored. Several attempts to takethe post had failed, the battalion suffered casualties, guns were fro z en and soldiers deployed along icy peakswere frostbitten. "It was a scene from hell. We were fighting for our own survival and the enemy was holdinghigh ground," says Dass, part of one of the four teams formed to mount the final assault on June 24. The next72 hours saw the battalion's finest fighting men, including the legendary Bana Singh who was awarded theParam Vir Chakra, stretched to their limit. Bana Singh, after whom the Quaid post was renamed, and Dasswere in the same team. They used a rope to climb an ice wall standing more than 1,200 feet to get near theenemy. "There was only one approach to get closer to the post. Even a handful of soldiers at those dominatingheights can hold out against an attack by 100 soldiers. We knew we had to produce a miracle," he says.Sonam and Amar posts were providing them cover fire but the soldiers went without food and sleep for threedays before they crept up on the enemy bunker and lobbed grenades, killing almost eight Pakistani soldiers.In 1987, soldiers deployed on the glacier received an avalanche allowance of a mere ̀ 100 a month. TheSeventh Pay Commission report has raised their hardship allowance from ̀ 14,000 to ̀ 21,000 and for officersfrom ̀ 21,000 to ̀ 31,500. However, bureaucrats will receive ̀ 55,000 to ̀ 75,000 a month as tough areaallowance for serving in places like Leh and Guwahati, an anomaly that the three service chiefs have taken upwith the government.

The Hindustan Times 08 February 2016

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Army Names All 10 MissingBy Deepshikha Hooda

The rescue operations for the ten army men ̀ presumed dead' continue into the 3rd day, with condolencespouring in from around the country for their valour and bravery . Along with this the army has also released thenames of the ten personnel buried under snow. Following the Prime Minister's condolence message, the Chiefof the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh has also expressed grief at the loss of life of brave hearts in the SiachenAvalanche incident and has extended condolences to the families, an official told ET. The Avalanche that camedown on the post at 19600 feet was a ̀ slab avalanche', an officer familiar with the rescue drills told ET, "It is thetoughest to rescue people out if this type of avalanche as the ice slab is heavy, unlike snow or wet avalanches,and digging people out or using rescue dogs becomes difficult". Additional teams of trained rescuers have beenpressed into service. "Through wall radars and other electronic equipment was also flown in to try and pinpoint the exact location of the missing soldiers," an official told ET. He also added that the extreme cold, withtemperatures dropping to -45 degrees, and inclement weather is a major hindrance for rescue teams.

The Economic Times 06 February 2016

Military cooperation with the US has its limitsBy Premvir Das

In bilateral interfaces, relations with China have also to be given due weightThere has been much talk in recent years of the flourishing defence cooperation between India and the USAand future possibilities. Examples of the undoubtedly professional Malabar series of exercises at sea, as also ofsimilar interfaces among the two armies and air forces, are quoted in support of the growing engagement, aswell as the purchase of military hardware from American companies now crossing $9 billion. That this hascome about through a larger strategic congruence between the two countries is also a given. Add to this theincreasingly close interaction in exchange of intelligence relating to terrorism, which is not unrelated to security,and the picture gets bigger. Two visits of the American president to New Delhi in as many years and his bilateralexchanges with our own prime minister in Washington add to this synergy. Positive interactions at Track IIlevels have further facilitated this process, and the sky would appear to be the limit. Wisdom, however, lies inrecognising the ground realities. Only two decades ago, our military interface with the US was in the pits,literally. Even after the tensions of the Cold War began to recede and India started to see the world and itsinterests in it through a different prism, suspicions on both sides remained high. In 1995, the two countriessigned what was termed a Minute on Defence Cooperation. Then came India's nuclear tests in 1998 and thingswent back to zero as the US imposed stiff sanctions on this country. From then until now, steady progress hasbeen made in the relationship and defence has been an important driver. Acquisition of sophisticated aircraft forthe navy and the air force that provide strategic reach has led the purchase segment even as exercises at seahave given a visible public face to the military engagement. However, the two, while advantageous to both sidesin different ways, must, sooner or later, plateau and that may well be happening even now for reasons that arenot difficult to understand. Defence cooperation between two countries essentially requires a strategic base.For the Americans, such relationships have primarily flowed from politico-military alliances. The North AtlanticTreaty Organisation (Nato) across Europe and two other earlier groupings, Cento covering South West Asiaand Seato in South East Asia - both now defunct but in most cases replaced by bilateral arrangements - aresome examples. Add to this close military interfaces and bases around the world, and the mosaic is complete.In short, America's defence engagement has always been focused on and with its 'allies'. Through this network,which includes transfer of military hardware and technologies, the US seeks to maintain the status quo, in whichit remains the unchallenged leader. To quote President Obama in his recent State of the Union address, "Americais the strongest power in the world, period." India's world is somewhat different. From being a relatively docilenation hesitant to play any leading role in global affairs other than by professing its non-alignment, it is nowmoving to a stage where it seeks to be more proactive in its interfaces and in its region, the Indo-Pacific inparticular. This means engagement, including in defence relationships with several participants, without becom-

07 February 2016Business Standard

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ing the alliance partner of any. So, while the US is a country with which India shares many common interests, itis not the only one. Similar synergies exist with other players, of which Russia (with which India has had a strongmilitary relationship for decades), Japan, France, UK, Australia, Israel, Vietnam, Iran, South Africa and littorals ofthe Indian Ocean region and South East Asia are only a few. It has such cooperation arrangements with severalcountries and it is not surprising that as many as 54 are represented at the International Fleet Review being hostedby the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam. One or more of these nations might also be America's allies but theiraspirations are not the same as ours, or the desire to seek changes in the world order consistent with our own.India's need to seek a new paradigm in international equations runs on a different plane, if not counter to theAmerican theme. So, while healthy and mutually beneficial interaction with the US must be a key objective of ourforeign policy, developing advantageous relations with the others is important. In such bilateral interfaces, rela-tions with China have also to be given due weight. As the major Asian power with which India shares a long anddisputed land boundary, it cannot be left out of our calculus. In short, there are some fundamental differences inthe way the US and India see the emerging strategic environment and their own roles in it. The fact that India isalready the fourth largest global economy in PPP terms, and will become the third in less than a decade, givesanother dimension to the emerging scenario. To this dissonance should be added the continuing soft handling ofour neighbour by the US despite that country's known support of India-focused acts of terror. As far as thepurely military relationship is concerned, levels of suspicion have greatly diminished in the last 15 years but theyhave not disappeared; one reason for this is the mollycoddling of Pakistan's military establishment by the Penta-gon, which is unlikely to be gone anytime soon. To address and overcome the negatives should be work inprogress for both sides. As for procurement, some facts need recognition. Several major warships that the IndianNavy operates are of Russian origin and almost every single frontline vessel that is built in India is equipped withsome Russian weapons and/or sensors. The SU-30s and MiG-29s are at the forefront of our air strike power, asare armoured vehicles like the T-90 tanks on land. To expect that things will change dramatically in the foresee-able future is unrealistic. The impending induction of Rafale multi-role aircraft from France costing about $10billion, more than all US purchases so far, will further constrain acquisition of American military hardware. Inrecent years, many important American functionaries - among them the present secretary of defence - haveactively pursued closer ties between the militaries of the two countries, independent of the fact that India is notand is unlikely to ever be a US ally. This is a positive approach which we must reciprocate. In brief, both countrieshave to realise that there are limits to our defence cooperation and the relationship has to be developed within theparameters that these will, inevitably, set. Any expectation that this engagement will reach the sky is rathersimplistic.

Military cooperation with the US has its limitspart-2

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07 February 2016Business Standard

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Nuclear ambiguitiesIndia's nuclear politics was in the limelight again last week, and not for the best of reasons. More than five yearsafter it signed the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), India ratified the insurance poolingagreement, which pertains to civil liability in the event of a nuclear accident in any of the acceding countries.Prima facie, this was a good move, bringing to an end a game of will-they-or-won't-they, which had cast Indiain poor light internationally and which sat uncomfortably beside three hard-fought nuclear landmarks - theIndia-U.S. Civil Nuclear Agreement (CNA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) waiver, both passed in2008, and India's Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA), which became law in 2010. However,India's CSC ratification does not clear the air so far as an important stumbling block to bilateral nuclearcommerce is concerned: is CLNDA truly in conformity with the CSC, as Indian officials have repeatedlyclaimed, or does it cast a shadow of doubt on supplier liability, which is a matter of critical importance to U.S.nuclear corporations? The ambiguity stems from two clauses of CLNDA, Sections 17(b) and 46. UnderSection 17(b), liability for a nuclear accident can be channelled from the operator, which is the Nuclear PowerCorporation of India, to suppliers of nuclear material, specifically if the accident is due to an act of the supplieror his employee, which includes supply of equipment or material with patent or latent defects or sub-standardservices. Section 46 permits victims of a nuclear incident to sue the operator or the supplier for damagesapplying tort law, even though such proceedings would be beyond the scope of CLNDA and its liability cap,and thus exposing suppliers to unlimited liability. Both clauses are likely to raise suppliers' cost of insurancecover, possibly beyond what is feasible commercially and within the confines of competitive energy pricing.India's CSC ratification is a reminder of the steep fall from the heady days of the announcement of the CNA adecade ago to the weak and unconvincing efforts by the Narendra Modi administration, following U.S. Presi-dent Barack Obama's visit to India, to persuade corporations such as General Electric-Hitachi and Westinghousethat they would not be liable in the event of an accident. India's reliance on contractual rules and parliamentarydebates to explain away supplier concerns has been greeted with scepticism by representatives of U.S. nuclearcorporations - first on the grounds that no rule can supersede constitutional statute, and second, as there areother, on-record views in Parliament that contradict those cited by the MEA. While the liability morass hasstymied U.S. investment in Indian reactors, Russia, France and Japan have moved forward with their respec-tive bilateral agreements for nuclear commerce. This suggests that the recognition of India as a responsiblenuclear power by the international community - the U.S. and the other NSG states - has allowed for windowsof opportunity for nuclear commerce in India, even in the post-Fukushima world.

The Hindu 08 February 2016

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Earth's highest battlefieldTragedy must renew bid to end Siachen dispute

The 10 soldiers missing in the avalanche at the Siachen Glacier have been declared dead. It is an indication of theinhospitable conditions that many of the bodies will never be recovered. But the Seventh Pay Commission does notseem to concur. It wants to reward policemen and administrators posted in Guwahati with hardship allowance that isnearly twice that for army officers in Siachen. About 1,000 Indian soldiers have died since the conflict on the earth'shighest battlefield began in 1984. More have died because of the extreme weather conditions rather than bullets.Countless others have come away with scars of frost bite. The Karachi 1949 ceasefire fire agreement had understoodthe insanity of dividing a dangerous, inhospitable slab of ice called the Siachen Glacier. It left the border undefinedbeyond a place known only by its grid reference, NJ 9842. In 1984, the Indian Army launched 'Operation Meghdoot'after it felt Pakistan had designs on the glacier. Pakistan responded by rushing troops and Siachen became part of a listof irresolvable disputes between the two countries. Since then soldiers have remained primed for combat at heightswhere ordinary human beings cannot survive for a day. Every soldier comes away with physiological damage of somesort. But for them, a posting on the ridges surrounding the glacier is the ultimate dare in the service of the nation.Political leaders on both sides have tried to end the confrontation but the Kargil intrusion led to a decline in trustquotient. The Indian Army now wants any Indo-Pak pullout agreement to acknowledge its currently held positions toact as evidence in case of another 'Kargil'. The latest tragedy on the glacier is the cost the two countries pay for theobduracy of their political and military leaders. The seeds of a withdrawal are present in the draft text of 1992 whichis a public document. It is not just for the sake of a confrontation that is pointless. The shelling that continued till 2004and accumulated human waste have despoiled the glacier. It is time to start descending from those treacherous heights.

The Tribune 08 February 2016

Veterans to take OROP fight to Supreme Court, Ram Jethmalani roped inThe Indian ex-servicemen movement has decided to take the Narendra Modi government to court for what they claimis a non implementation of the 'one rank one pension' (OROP) as agreed by the Ministry of Defence. The Indian ex-servicemen movement has decided to take the Narendra Modi government to court for what they claim is a nonimplementation of the 'one rank one pension' (OROP) as agreed by the Ministry of Defence. The veterans want thegovernment to implement OROP as approved by the Koshiyari Committee of Parliament. The veterans have roped inexperienced lawyer Ram Jethmalani to fight their case in the Supreme Court. A group of veterans led by MajorGeneral (retd) Satbir Singh have been agitating for OROP implementation for the past 238 days at Jantar Mantar. Thegoverning body of the agitating veterans' has decided to challenge the government in court and not submit its case tothe one-man commission set up by the Modi government to look into the anomalies in OROP implementation. Ad-verse effects - "We are in the final stages of our paperwork to be submitted in court. The government did not fulfillthe promise made to veterans on OROP and we will challenge the government in a court of law for OROP," MajorGeneral (retd) Satbir Singh told Mail Today. The veterans have also decided to continue their agitation at Jantar Mantartill OROP is implemented. The government had on February 3 announced the notification of the tables regarding theimplementation of OROP. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement said that the annual recurring cost ofOROP would be ̀ 7,500 crore and arrears from July 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015 would be an additional Rs 10,500crore. The government had claimed 86 per cent of this money would go to personnel below officer rank (PBOR)."This is one rank five pensions. The government is silent on the equalisation of pensions. So within two years juniors willdraw a higher pension than seniors, again defeating the purpose of OROP. The government has also cleared oneincrement less,'' Singh claimed. The agitating veterans are also miffed with the fact that instead of taking the highestpension at a particular rank and years in service as bench mark for OROP, the government has gone in for the averageof pensions, which will affect the veterans adversely. The government on the other hand insists OROP was finallygranted for veterans by the Modi government after four decades of agitation by the veterans. "Veterans have beenagitating for OROP for the past 42 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled his promise to the veterans. Mostare happy, only a section is agitating. They may approach the commission to discuss anomalies that remain," a seniorMoD official said. The defence budget for pension is estimated to go up from Rs 54,000 crore to around Rs 65,000crore, that is by almost 20 per cent, on account of OROP. Government sources are of the opinion that some of theagitating veterans are politically inclined and will keep up their protests ahead of the crucial Punjab elections to createtrouble for the government. "If there are anomalies then the one-man commission, that has been set up, will addressthem and come up with necessary solutions within six months. Instead of agitating on streets the veterans shouldsubmit their issues to the commission," sources at MoD said. The war for these veterans is far from over.

Mail Today 06 February 2016

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Russian air strikes undermining Syria peace efforts:NATO

The Statesman 06 February 2016

Nasa spacecraft spots 'floating' hills on PlutoWashington, PTI: Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft has captured images of frozen nitrogen glacierson Pluto carrying numerous 'floating' hills that may be fragments of water ice, giving an insight intothe dwarf planet's fascinating and abundant geological activity. These hills individually measureone to several kilometres across, according to images and data from New Horizons. The hills,which are in the vast ice plain informally named Sputnik Planum within Pluto's 'heart,' are likelyminiature versions of the larger, jumbled mountains on Sputnik Planum's western border. They areyet another example of Pluto's fascinating and abundant geological activity, Nasa said. Since wa-ter ice is less dense than nitrogen-dominated ice, scientists believe these water ice hills are floatingin a sea of frozen nitrogen and move over time like icebergs in Earth's Arctic Ocean. The hills arelikely fragments of the rugged uplands that have broken away and are being carried by the nitrogenglaciers into Sputnik Planum. 'Chains' of the drifting hills are formed along the flow paths of theglaciers. When the hills enter the cellular terrain of central Sputnik Planum, they become subject tothe convective motions of the nitrogen ice, and are pushed to the edges of the cells, where the hillscluster in groups reaching up to 20 kilometres across. At the northern end of the image, the featureinformally named Challenger Colles - honouring the crew of the lost space shuttle Challenger -appears to be an especially large accumulation of these hills, measuring 60 by 35 kilometres. Thisfeature is located near the boundary with the uplands, away from the cellular terrain, and mayrepresent a location where hills have been 'beached' due to the nitrogen ice being especially shal-low.

Deccan Herald 06 February 2016

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An expanding universe of Space appsKit Eaton

Start with the official NASA app, which is easy to navigate and is free on iOS and Android, and forAmazon Fire devices. The app features photos and videos, news about current missions, NASAtweets and more. Using your location on Earth, the app can even calculate when you'll next beable to spot the International Space Station. My favourite feature is the live video feed from thestation itself: There's something humbling and uplifting about seeing our planet from that vantagepoint in real time. The NASA app is educational, and it's both fun and enlightening to browsethrough the news and recent images from NASA's many missions. Although the app is inherentlytechnology-focused, the interface and controls seem slightly old-fashioned. Still, exploring the NASAapp is more likely to enrich your brain than playing a round of Angry Birds Space. Space Images(free on iOS and Android) offers a different way to learn about space. Coming from NASA'sfamed Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this app catalogues recent images of planets, moons, asteroidsand other features of the cosmos, captured by NASA-affiliated space programs. The app haseasy-to-use, icon-based navigation, and you can sort by either the top-rated images or the latestphotos from NASA, like those still arriving from the Dawn spacecraft's mission to Pluto. You canzoom in to explore the images in greater detail, and explanations about the photos are availablewith just a tap or two. This app is science-forward, meaning it requires some concentration. Itwon't appeal to everyone, and children using the app may need an adult to explain some of thematerial. While the NASA apps offer interesting photos of our planet snapped from space, for atruly 21st-century space image experience check out EO Science 2.0 AR from the European SpaceAgency (free on iOS and Android). To use it, you first print out a special image and lay it on asurface in front of you. Then you launch the app, click start and point your smartphone's camera atthe printout. The app then shows you a 3-D augmented reality image of Earth spinning over theprintout. You can move your phone to look around or zoom in on the image. Tapping on Earthchanges the image to show different maps incorporating data obtained from space, including heightand depth, land cover, and ocean chlorophyll concentrations. EO Science 2.0 AR won't keep youoccupied for long: While it's visually attractive, it doesn't contain much real science or explanation- you'll have to search online for that information to better understand the maps. But the app is a lotof fun and will excite younger users. For a completely different way to keep up with the latestnews from orbit, take a look at Space, Astronomy and NASA News from Newsfusion, which isfree on iOS and Android. The app aggregates news stories from a long list of online sources andcovers NASA and European Space Agency news as well as breakthroughs in space science. Itsinterface has big, bold images and uses simple taps and swipes to navigate. You can even choosefilters to see only the space news that's relevant to your interests. And remember that winter nightscan be perfect for exploring space using nothing more than your own eyes, if the weather is coop-erative and skies are clear. To help you understand what you're seeing up there, check out my newfavourite astronomy app: Night Sky. Billing itself as "your own personal planetarium," Night Skyacts like a virtual reality guide to what you can see in the sky above you: When you hold yourphone up it shows a view of the stars as seen from your location. It also contains news aboutcoming stargazing events. The app's detailed weather forecasting section predicts naked-eye starviewing conditions for the week ahead. And if you pay to upgrade to the pro version, the appoffers even more features, including very detailed information about galaxies, planets, constella-tions, stars and satellites, all displayed in an attractive, image-heavy interface. Night Sky Lite isfree on iOS and Android, but is limited in its features. The more complete versions cost $1 (Rs 67)and up. Have fun travelling to infinity and beyond from the comfort of your armchair.

Deccan Herald 08 February 2016

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Mail Today 08 February 2016

Electric coating turns contact lenses into TVs

Mail Today 06 February 2016

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'Mobile phones production in India may reach 500 mn in 2 yrs'Mobile phone manufacturing in the country may reach 500 million units in coming two years on theback of good base of talent and an incentive policy, a top Department of Telecom (DoT) officialsaid today. This year, India produced 100 million phones as compared to 45 million last year."The number of phones being manufactured was 10 million sometime back (which increased) to 45million last year and 100 million this year. The time has come when we will reach 500 million, maybe in 2 years," Telecom Secretary J S Deepak said here. He was speaking on the second day ofa seminar on Telecom and Broadcasting theme - ART (Adjudication, Regulation, Telecommunica-tion) of Convergence, TDSAT. He added that apart from phones, the differential tariff is helpingdomestic manufacturers to get into other areas like medical electronics, consumer electronics aswell as broadband equipment, set up boxes. "Today with base of talent and incentive policy, Indiais becoming a global hub for manufacturing of phones and specially low-end phones," he added.The government is making efforts to reduce imports of electronic products and meet requirementof domestic market through indigenous production. The government has received proposals worthRs 1.13 lakh crore in the electronics manufacturing segment from major brands under the modifiedspecial incentive package scheme (M-SIPS). M-SIPS has been extended till July 2020, whichwas earlier valid till July 2017. The scheme offers capital subsidies to large investments in elec-tronics manufacturing and system design. The Secretary also said that making high-speed broad-band available to individuals in rural areas is a priority of the government. According to a survey,he said, while Internet users may have touched 400 million, broadband users are in the range of40-50 million and growing very slowly in rural areas. "May be 7 per cent people in rural areas useInternet. More importantly, it's the issue of digital divide. We have only 14 per cent rural house-holds which are digitally literate...This needs to change," he said.

Business Standard 07 February 2016

Battery technology could provide fresh water from salty seasWashington, PTI: The technology that charges batteries for electronic devices could provide freshwater from salty seas, a new study suggests. Electricity running through a salt water-filled batterydraws the salt ions out of the water. "We are developing a device that will use the materials inbatteries to take salt out of water with the smallest amount of energy that we can," said Kyle Smith,professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The most-used method, reverse os-mosis, pushes water through a membrane that keeps out the salt, a costly and energy-intensiveprocess. By contrast, the battery method uses electricity to draw charged salt ions out of thewater. The researchers were inspired by sodium ion batteries, which contain salt water. Batterieshave two chambers, a positive electrode and a negative electrode, with a separator in between thatthe ions can flow across. When the battery discharges, the sodium and chloride ions - the twoelements of salt - are drawn to one chamber, leaving desalinated water in the other. In a normalbattery, the ions diffuse back when the current flows the other direction. The researchers had tofind a way to keep the salt out of the now-pure water. In a conventional battery, the separatorallows salt to diffuse from the positive electrode into the negative electrode. "That limits how muchsalt depletion can occur. We put a membrane that blocks sodium between the two electrodes, sowe could keep it out of the side that is desalinated," Smith said. The battery approach holdsseveral advantages over reverse osmosis. The battery device can be small or large, adapting todifferent applications, while reverse osmosis plants must be very large to be efficient and costeffective, Smith said. The pressure required to pump the water through is much less, since it'ssimply flowing the water over the electrodes instead of forcing it through a membrane.

Deccan Herald 06 February 2016

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