News / Author / C Uday Bhaskar

C Uday Bhaskar

Articles by C Uday Bhaskar

Don’t rush into unviable theatre commands, with skewed structures

The Narendra Modi government is to be commended for creating the CDS in the first place but a hasty MTC pursuit could become the equivalent of India’s military demonetisation.

In this new MTC matrix, the CNS (chief of naval staff) is marginalised and the CDS assumes a supra-operational role that was not envisaged in the original conception of this post(PTI)

analysis

Updated on Dec 20, 2020 07:43 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

To preserve its edge, the silent service must innovate | Analysis

India’s hi-tech human talent needs to be given the necessary incentives to irrigate the Indian techno-strategic ecosystem in a more effective manner

In his annual comments in the run-up to Navy Day, naval chief Admiral Karambir Singh outlined the orientation of the IN as a force that is ”combat-ready, credible and cohesive”(PTI)

analysis

Updated on Dec 04, 2020 08:00 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

HTLS 2020: Challenges and opportunities of new era in national security

In the run-up to the HT Leadership Summit this year, premised on the apt theme of defining a new era, the realm of national security merits attention. An objective assessment of the challenges to India’s national security in the current period would point to the inclusive nature of the concept of national security and how this has affected both the state and the citizen – from China to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Technology has always been at the heart of enhancing and refining capability and a holistic techno-strategic review specific to India’s national security needs the highest priority.

htls

Updated on Nov 17, 2020 06:27 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

The Biden presidency and India-US ties

The Biden presidency offers the hope that the US commitment to multilateralism will be back on track and here there are many areas where Delhi could be a relevant stakeholder in global load-sharing.

US President-elect Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, November 7, 2020(Bloomberg)

analysis

Updated on Nov 09, 2020 08:09 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

From 1962 to 2020, India’s China error | Analysis

A make-believe frame of reference has guided India on China, leading consistently to mistakes

Nehru’s conviction about Asian solidarity and Menon’s faith in the virtues of communism created a virtual ‘China issue’ for a fledgling India(HT Archive)

analysis

Updated on Oct 20, 2020 02:03 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Invest in maritime sector for security | Opinion

Comprehending sagar in its vast and delicate multi-layered complexity is vital for India. Revisiting NMA of 2014 should be a policy imperative for the government.

Comprehending sagar in its vast and delicate multi-layered complexity is vital for India(HTPHOTO)

analysis

Updated on Sep 23, 2020 08:56 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

To take on China, boost local defence capabilities

To start with, how about focusing on producing an Indian-designed and manufactured personal weapon that will compare with the best in the world by August 2023?

That India is among the world’s largest importers of arms is a shameful reality, and it is to the PM’s credit that he had acknowledged this fact in his first term (2014) and had sought to enhance the indigenous production of military inventory.(HTPhoto)

analysis

Published on Sep 03, 2020 08:40 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

The quest for self-reliance in defence | Opinion

The intent is noble. But India’s techno-industrial complex has not shown the required competence

The big constraint in the government’s Make-in-India push is that no additional funds have been earmarked(File photo)

analysis

Updated on Aug 12, 2020 07:44 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

To Beijing, a message from the seas

India and the US have sent a clear signal to China in the domain where it is vulnerable

An aerial view of USS Nimitz, one of world's largest air craft carriers. USS Nimitz’s joint exercise with the Indian Navy and the possible expansion of Malabar naval exercises will add to India’s strength(PTI)

analysis

Updated on Jul 24, 2020 05:44 AM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Shift focus to the maritime domain | Opinion

To create negotiating space along the land border, India should turn to the seas

India should sherpa a cluster of Indo-Pacific nations into a “sagar panchayat” to uphold the rule of law at sea(AFP)

analysis

Updated on Jul 05, 2020 10:17 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

After Galwan, what next for India-China ties?

New Delhi has a range of options. What matters is the objective it sets for itself in the immediate and long-term

While PM said differences should not become disputes, that is where India-China ties are at the moment(PTI)

analysis

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 08:09 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

To counter China, look for options beyond LAC | Opinion

The military asymmetry helps China. India must acquire transborder capabilities and shed its sea blindness

The contested LAC is symbolic of the decades-old territorial dispute, and from the Indian perspective, the October 1962 border war remains a stark reminder of the “humiliation” heaped on former PM Jawaharlal Nehru(Arvind-Yadav/HTPhoto)

analysis

Updated on Jun 08, 2020 10:22 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

India isn’t prepared to meet its defence needs

Recent reforms have potential. India must decide how to acquire effective military capabilities in a post-Covid world

The Handwara terror attack points to the abiding tenacity of the low-intensity war that has been simmering in Kashmir(Waseem Andrabi/HTPhoto)

analysis

Updated on May 20, 2020 03:50 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

India must stick to its strategic orientation

Post the pandemic, New Delhi should engage with all powers and resist calls to ally with the US against China

In a pre-Covid-19 world, it was the received wisdom that by 2030, the single State global GDP hierarchy would be China, the US and India. Despite the economic downturn that will unfold due to the pandemic, the resultant GDP matrix post-Covid-19 will be the same, all other factors being normal. This means India, notwithstanding current challenges, will be in the top tier of the global economy.(Arvind Yadav/HT)

analysis

Published on Apr 27, 2020 06:39 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

The lockdown has a strong internal security component. Manage it | Opinion

The police must enforce it, while retaining empathy for the vulnerable. It must work with competence, integrity

While some police officials have acted with commendable empathy and compassion in certain cases of citizen distress, the larger pattern of policing since the Covid-19 curfew has been reprehensible(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

analysis

Published on Mar 29, 2020 06:11 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Covid-19 has redefined security | Opinion

It places human security at the centre, and shows that either everyone is equally secure or no one is

The idea of national security revolved around WMDs and terrorism. But it must include, at its core, human lives(AP)

analysis

Published on Mar 17, 2020 06:49 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

A contra-polar world is the new political reality

The Trump visit testifies to a new international system, where contradictory policies and impulses are prevalent

Workers carry a hoarding with photographs of the US President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ahmedabad, February 19, 2020(PTI)

analysis

Published on Feb 21, 2020 07:04 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

The interplay between politics and the military

While the politicisation of the military remains a concern, so is the militarisation of political discourse and practice

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat visits stalls during the 11th edition of DefExpo, Lucknow, February 5. 2020(PTI)

analysis

Published on Feb 07, 2020 07:18 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Analysis| Is India becoming less democratic?

The government should listen to the President’s counsel, and engage with aggrieved citizens

India cannot reject critical international assessments, while enthusiastically accepting positive endorsements(Supreet Sapkal)

analysis

Published on Jan 23, 2020 06:51 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Hatred will have costs for India’s diversity and security

Ostracising Muslim citizens and linking the entire community to terror will have serious implications

It is useful to remember Rwanda, where hatred between tribes, historic grievances, and fake news spread through radio led to colossal loss(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

analysis

Published on Dec 26, 2019 07:41 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

CAA is a political issue. Use the Indian Army with care

The CAA must be negotiated with the citizen, and it is desirable that the soldier remains outside this mediation

A soldier guards a street following violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Guwahati, December 13, 2019(AFP)

analysis

Published on Dec 17, 2019 05:58 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

HTLS 2019: How to make India secure, inside its territory and out

Effective management of internal threats to the security fabric and external threats to national sovereignty is essential for the well-being of every citizen.

Soldiers atop Gun Hill, Kargil, 1999.(Dipak Das / Photo Division DPR MOD)

india news

Updated on Nov 26, 2019 02:07 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Remembering the South Asia security studies guru

Cohen was a pioneer in academia, a policy adviser, a mentor, and an astute analyst of strategic issues

Foreign affairs expert Stephen Cohen in Mumbai, 2010(Hindustan Times)

analysis

Published on Oct 29, 2019 05:35 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

China at 70: Beijing projects power. But this has its limits

China’s military capability is impressive. But Hong Kong shows this isn’t enough. There are lessons for India

People hold up signs and a mobile phone as they gather at West Kowloon Law Courts Building to show their support to 96 anti-government protesters who were arrested days ago in Hong Kong, China, October 2, 2019(REUTERS)

analysis

Updated on Oct 02, 2019 07:00 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Modi’s giant leap on defence reform

The creation of CDS is welcome. The next step is a root-and-branch reorganisation of the military

The CDS will have to manage the broader national ecosystem to enable an improvement in military effectiveness(Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

analysis

Published on Aug 15, 2019 08:58 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

The post-Hiroshima global nuclear order is bleak and unstable | Opinion

The world is far removed from pursuing any meaningful disarmament measures. New challenges have emerged

August 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. Alas, there is no silver lining to this dark, bleak cloud(AP Photo/Stanley Troutman)

analysis

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 07:58 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

26/11 attacks anniversary: Lessons shrouded in lethargic strategic culture

26/11 Mumbai attacks: The attacks happened because the national security apparatus from Delhi to Mumbai was found inadequate to anticipate this kind of a threat from the maritime domain and when it did unfold over three days, the various institutions were found wanting.

The 26/11 attacks have been etched on the Indian collective as a totally unexpected and surprise attack on national sovereignty by a ruthless terrorist group with visible state support.(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Nov 24, 2018 07:52 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | ByC Uday Bhaskar

A history of disappointment: Imran Khan unlikely to do much for Pakistan, India ties

The preliminary assessment about PM Imran Khan, as far as the India-Pakistan bilateral relationship is concerned, is not very reassuring.

Imran Khan declared victory for his party in the country's general elections, promising a

india news

Updated on Jul 27, 2018 07:46 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByC Uday Bhaskar

Resilience a hallmark of anomalous Indo-US bilateral ties | Opinion

The radical shift in Indo-US bilateral ties took place post 2008 over the nuclear issue. The US wanted to keep the global nuclear weapons club restricted to five members with China being the last entrant, which India vehemently opposed.

Former PM PV Narasimha Rao and US President Bill Clinton were among the leaders from both sides that helped shape a stable bilateral relationship between the two countries.(PIB)

editorials

Published on Jun 29, 2018 08:01 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByC Uday Bhaskar

Narendra Modi’s maritime vision is critical for Asean

The need to appoint a dedicated ocean affairs minister and a professional maritime adviser is now, failing which the Jakarta declaration will be one more earnest articulation of intent that was not realised

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesia President Joko Widodo at the presidential palace, Jakarta, Indonesia, May 30, 2018(REUTERS)

opinion

Updated on Jun 07, 2018 11:58 AM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

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C Uday Bhaskar

The Narendra Modi government is to be commended for creating the CDS in the first place but a hasty MTC pursuit could become the equivalent of India’s military demonetisation.

India’s hi-tech human talent needs to be given the necessary incentives to irrigate the Indian techno-strategic ecosystem in a more effective manner

The Biden presidency offers the hope that the US commitment to multilateralism will be back on track and here there are many areas where Delhi could be a relevant stakeholder in global load-sharing.

A make-believe frame of reference has guided India on China, leading consistently to mistakes

Comprehending sagar in its vast and delicate multi-layered complexity is vital for India. Revisiting NMA of 2014 should be a policy imperative for the government.

To start with, how about focusing on producing an Indian-designed and manufactured personal weapon that will compare with the best in the world by August 2023?

The intent is noble. But India’s techno-industrial complex has not shown the required competence

India and the US have sent a clear signal to China in the domain where it is vulnerable

To create negotiating space along the land border, India should turn to the seas

New Delhi has a range of options. What matters is the objective it sets for itself in the immediate and long-term

The military asymmetry helps China. India must acquire transborder capabilities and shed its sea blindness

Recent reforms have potential. India must decide how to acquire effective military capabilities in a post-Covid world

Post the pandemic, New Delhi should engage with all powers and resist calls to ally with the US against China

The police must enforce it, while retaining empathy for the vulnerable. It must work with competence, integrity

It places human security at the centre, and shows that either everyone is equally secure or no one is

The Trump visit testifies to a new international system, where contradictory policies and impulses are prevalent

While the politicisation of the military remains a concern, so is the militarisation of political discourse and practice

The government should listen to the President’s counsel, and engage with aggrieved citizens

Ostracising Muslim citizens and linking the entire community to terror will have serious implications

The CAA must be negotiated with the citizen, and it is desirable that the soldier remains outside this mediation

Effective management of internal threats to the security fabric and external threats to national sovereignty is essential for the well-being of every citizen.

Cohen was a pioneer in academia, a policy adviser, a mentor, and an astute analyst of strategic issues

China’s military capability is impressive. But Hong Kong shows this isn’t enough. There are lessons for India

The creation of CDS is welcome. The next step is a root-and-branch reorganisation of the military

The world is far removed from pursuing any meaningful disarmament measures. New challenges have emerged

26/11 Mumbai attacks: The attacks happened because the national security apparatus from Delhi to Mumbai was found inadequate to anticipate this kind of a threat from the maritime domain and when it did unfold over three days, the various institutions were found wanting.

The preliminary assessment about PM Imran Khan, as far as the India-Pakistan bilateral relationship is concerned, is not very reassuring.

The radical shift in Indo-US bilateral ties took place post 2008 over the nuclear issue. The US wanted to keep the global nuclear weapons club restricted to five members with China being the last entrant, which India vehemently opposed.

The need to appoint a dedicated ocean affairs minister and a professional maritime adviser is now, failing which the Jakarta declaration will be one more earnest articulation of intent that was not realised

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