#SecurityScan 7: India's Nutrition Security , Tejas Mark II, Commissioning of Made in India INS Vikrant and more
Concerned with Indian security the Indian government is improving infrastructure especially roads and model villages on the Indo China border but the speed of construction should be faster than what the Chinese are doing on their side.
NewsBharati 03-Sep-2022 12:13:26 PM
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This article is a summary of important events that have taken place in last one week affecting, India's national security . Attempt has also been made to analyze these events and recommend certain specific actions that can be undertaken by us.
The gross domestic product (GDP) for first quarter ended June 30 grew at 13.5% fastest in last one year in the entire world beating USA, China and European Union. India has surpassed UK to become world’s fifth biggest economy. Indian economy is forecast to grow more than 7% this year. A world-beating rebound in Indian stocks this quarter has just seen their weighting rise to the second spot in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, trailing only China’s. The GST collections are at record high. Thus India has tackled the economic slow down due to Chinese virus better than most countries in the world.
INTERNAL SECURITY
Non Military Aspects
By 2030, 50 per cent Of India's Energy Production Will Be Non-Fossil Fuel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reassured the world that by 2030, 50 per cent of India's energy production will be met by non-fossil fuel, and by 2070 it plans 'Net Zero'.
He said that a silent revolution is taking shape in India with rising demand for Electric Vehicles (EV). The state and Central governments have extended incentives and subsidies for the EV sector.
India will fulfil its obligations for reducing the effect of climate change while the western world is not fulfilling its duties.
Celebrating Nutrition Security
Shri Narendra Modi in his radio address 'Mann ki Baat' to the nation recalled the “collective might of the country” as India celebrated its 75th Independence Day on August 15. 'Amrit Dhara' of 'Amrit Mahotsav' is flowing in all corners of the country.
September will be observed as nutrition month while asserting that social awareness is crucial in the fight against malnutrition. "We celebrate 'Poshan maah' or nutrition month between September 1 and 30," the PM informed the nation during his address. "Many creative and diverse efforts are being made against malnutrition...Better use of technology and public participation has also become an important part of 'Poshan Abhiyan'. The Jal Jeevan mission is going to have a big impact in making India malnutrition free," he said.
"The United Nations has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets by passing a resolution. Proposal by India got the support of more than 70 countries. Millets are being categorized as a superfood." Along with focusing on research and innovation related to this, FPOs are being encouraged, so that production can be increased.
Nutrition month will focus countries attention on improving nutrition and health for all citizens, which will improve the quality of all citizens.
Guarding Coastal Boundaries
The head of the Indian Coast Guard(ICG) was in the Southern Indian city of Chennai, for the 10th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2022), which is an at-sea exercise aimed at validating the best practices and procedures to be followed during the conduct of a Mass Rescue Operation.
"India's location at the centre stage of the Indian Ocean Region and dense merchant marine, fishing routes keeps us always on guard. As the nodal maritime Search and Rescue(SAR) agency, ICG has saved more than 11,500 lives stranded at sea, over the last four decades," said VS Pathania, Director ICG.
EXTERNAL SECURITY
Make In India
CCS has cleared the project to develop Tejas Mark-2, an upgraded version of the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas Mark-1. This will be followed in the next few months with a clearance for the Rs 15,000-plus crore project to build a fifth-generation advanced medium combat aircraft.
The plan is that Tejas Mark-1 will replace ageing MiG-21s, while Tejas Mark - 2 will gradually substitute Mirage-2000s, Jaguars and the MiG-29s. But it’s a fifth-generation fighter that will help India to counter China better.
The import content for the indigenous Tejas fighter continues to be around 50 per cent. The key reason is reliance on foreign aero engines. The domestic Kaveri engine project failed. Now big private sector companies should be invited for joint research and development, as quickly as possible.
India’s first home-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, has been commissioned. After 17 years of effort, as the indigenous carrier. More than 75% of the ship’s components have been procured domestically .
Indigenization is necessity. India can no longer heavily rely on Russia. Most hi-tech foreign purchases will be costlier than their domestically manufactured counterparts. Also, Made in India arms and defence systems will be a big fillip for Indian industry – armed forces are projected to spend around $130 billion in capital procurement in the next five years.
Countering AF PAK
In his first in-person interview in Kabul with an Indian media platform, Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Acknowledged “India returning back to Afghanistan as a very good step. We look forward to more assistance and more humanitarian aid from India as it has done before”. India continues its policy of engaging but not giving official or diplomatic recognition to the de facto Taliban IEA government.
Pakistan A Failed State
Pakistan's Finance on August 29 stated that his ministry will allow imports of vegetables to create stability in commodity market. He added that he is considering opening land route for import from India.
Importing vegetables and other edible items from India” will provide relief to people of Pakistan after destruction of crops due to recent floods in the country. But will it stop Pakistan sponsored terrorism?
Taliban accuses Pakistan of allowing U.S. drones to use its airspace
The Taliban's acting defence minister on August 28 said Pakistan had allowed American drones to use its airspace to access Afghanistan.
Pakistan today is faced with floods, civil unrest, increasing violence due to various groups from Baluchistan Sindh, NWFP. Inspite of all the internal challenges Pakistan will continue creating violence in Kashmir to distract its people from problems at home.
COUNTERING CHINESE HYBRID WAR
China Threat To UK
In 2015, UK's then-prime minister David Cameron declared a & 'golden era' in UK-China ties. 7 years later, the country's prime ministerial candidates Liz Truss vowed to designate China as 'acute threat'.
'Zero-Covid' Policy Slowing Down Chinese Economy
In a rare happening, a Chinese think tank has issued a public discord with Beijing's communist party's severe 'zero - COVID' policy and said that the curbs must change. Even such mild public disagreement with official policy is nearly unheard of.
The think tank mentioned 'changes' are needed to prevent an 'economic stall'.
China's Weapons Exports and Private Security Contractors
China has exported private security companies to protect and secure its interests, such as mining facilities, ports, and infrastructure projects, in other countries. 48 countries received Chinese PSCs during those years.
Use of Private military companies (PMCs) and private security companies (PSCs) by the United States, Russia has been extensively researched in open-source media, However, Chinese use of such companies is less well documented. A handful of articles exist addressing how China has used these companies in the past and how China plans to use them in the future — in particular China’s preference for using PSCs to provide a suite of security services to Chinese companies abroad.
Study by the Mercator Institute for China Studies found more than 7,000 PSCs operating domestically within China referenced some 20 Chinese PSCs operating overseas, employing an estimated 3,200 staff of security professionals.
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
The Chinese government will deploy PSCs as a result of increasing threats from anti-Chinese sentiments, growing around the world.
Countering Chinese PSCs in Indian Neighbour hood
Deniability to Domestic Audiences, Deniability for Geopolitical Purposes, Circumnavigating Legal Constraints both inside China and internationally and Saving Costs are many advantages of use of PSC. India must increase its understanding of Chinese PSCs. This may include prioritizing intelligence collection on Chinese PSCs and monitoring Chinese PSCs both in China and abroad. India and allies should seek opportunities to provide alternative options for foreign countries seeking private security services. e.g., Anti-Terrorism Assistance, Drug Enforcement Administration.
Illegal activities by Chinese PSCs, should be brought to the notice of all done by exposing the predatory nature of the Chinese system .
Countering China’s maritime insurgency
China has also deputized maritime militias, sometimes referred to as “little blue men,” patrol territory China claims as its own, particularly in the South China Sea.
China’s maritime insurgency in the South China Sea has largely escaped public notice because it occurs daily . These are concealed when a Chinese ship bullies a Southeast Asian fishing boat. Despite its often- modest outward appearance, what is now transpiring in the South China Sea is, a high grade Hybrid war.
China’s pattern of behavior has a name: China's Maritime Militia & Insurgency. This is a campaigns that seek to overthrow an established rules or legal order by cumulatively and coercively enforcing a new set of laws on the civilian population that China seeks to govern, without fighting conventional battle with the militaries of South East Asia.
Chinese themselves refer to their approach as “war without gun smoke” and “people’s war at sea” or “maritime insurgency.”
India will have to impress upon the Quad members to work as a group to forge a strong counter action strategy in South China sea, the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region.
Chinese Construction Activities In Disputed Area
Locals of Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district said that Chinese PLA personnel were constructing in the area. They expressed their grave concerns over the alleged intrusion by Beijing.
Border road organization is working at snails speed while China completed making four lanes to reach borders. Still the locals in Chaglagam have vowed to fight alongside the Indian army against Chinese aggression.
Indian government is improving infrastructure especially roads and model villages on the Indo China border but the speed of construction should be faster than what the Chinese are doing on their side.
Conclusion
As China stares at an economic slowdown, India appears to be a clear beneficiary in terms of an attractive investment destination and is also emerging as the best option with a positive growth and inflation outlook in the current fiscal, according to a research report by the State Bank of India (SBI).
India benefits from the "There is no alternative" factor as all countries are facing the churn globally, while India seems to be the best-placed jurisdiction in terms of growth and inflation outlook in 2022-23.
The overall portfolio inflows in India since July 29 is now $7.6 billion, as against an outflow of $14.7 billion in FY23 prior to July 29. As of August 15, 22 cities accounting for 8.8% of China's gross domestic product, were under full or partial lockdowns. The containment measures have surely crushed the morale of the people. Consumer sentiments have weakened, the property sector is witnessing its own challenges, thereby reducing the scope of investments further.
China's economic growth slowed sharply in the second quarter, expanding 0.4% year-on-year and missing expectations, as widespread lockdowns to curb record Covid cases during the quarter hit industrial activity and consumer spending.
The Chinese property market has collapsed. Negative population growth will also decrease housing demand ..
If it can strengthen the manufacturing sector further, India will be able to attract more global investments and can hope to emerge as an alternative global manufacturing hub vis a vis China.
The fact that China is facing a bleak outlook on economic front, implies that India is likely to benefit from such stark realities over the longer term.
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BRIG Hemant Mahajan
Passionate writer on National Security related issues, Brig Hemant Mahajan YSM (Retd) is M Sc, M Phil in Defence Studies. He joined IMA Dehradun in July 1973 and passed out as a Commissioned Officer on 15 June 1975. He was commissioned into 7 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY. He has served extensively in Counter Insurgency Operations in Insurgency and Terrorist prone areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and North East and has taken part in all important operations undertaken by the Army since 1975.
Brig Hemant Mahajan served in Jammu & Kashmir, in the deserts of Rajasthan, in Super High Altitude areas of Kargil and Leh, forward areas of Arunachal Pradesh. He was deployed in Punjab in ‘Operation Avert’. He was also involved in maintaining peace post ‘Operation Bluestar’ days in Punjab in the worst affected district of Gurdaspur, Taran Taran and Amritsar.He served in the areas of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri and Sikkim. He commanded his battalion 7 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY in Operation Rakshak in the most difficult areas of Poonch and Rajouri during the times of highest militancy. His unit was responsible for stopping terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. His unit was awarded Unit Citation, 18 gallantry awards including YSM (gallantry) for the officer.