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Left over from a previous phase of conflict, India’s landmines are no longer useful,instead producing severe hardship on border communities India, since its independence, has been a passionate advocate of disarmament measures in the United Nations system. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, “India has a long-standing commitment to the goal of general and complete disarmament based on the principles of universality, non-discrimination and verification...” In 1996, India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly Resolution urging states to vigorously pursue an international agreement banning anti-personnel mines. However, in 1997 when the Mine Ban Treaty came into existence, India chose to remain outside it. This key contemporary disarmament measure has saved thousands of lives. Eighty per cent of governments in the world have joined this treaty, and the UN Secretary General has acknowledged it as a ‘near universal’ convention. But India is still waiting and watching from...

The Central government headed by the BJP does not possess the kind of levers needed to deal with the ground realities in Kashmir. It needs to do more than merely making strong statements from time to time in the belief that this would check the profligacy of the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and his cabinet on matters of security Events in Jammu and Kashmir seemingly appear more surreal than real, making it difficult to separate the truth from perceptions. The 2014 elections in Jammu and Kashmir had raised expectations of a significant shift in a progressive direction as far as the State was concerned. The national parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had between them secured over 45 per cent of the vote, an increase of more than 14 per cent when compared to the 2008 elections. Thus, the perception was that this would herald closer cooperation between Srinagar and New Delhi. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be happening — at least not yet. Skew...

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures: supersession is rare in the Indian military hierarchy, and experience in heading an operational command is normally a prerequisite for becoming the Chief of the Naval Staff. The Indian Navy’s new chief, Admiral R.K. Dhowan, who was slated to retire on May 31 on turning 60, has neither headed an operational command — as was the case with a couple of others before him — nor is he the seniormost officer. But the Defence Ministry recommended the name,

The Hindu Indian and foreign naval vessels taking part in the passage exercise held in Andaman Sea on Sunday marking the closure of the ninth edition of Milan multi-naval interaction. Photo: Special Arrangement The ninth and the largest edition of the Milan series of naval engagements which saw the

Naxal presence in the region has security complications, says P.C. Haldar Maoist presence in a sensitive region like the Northeast has the potential of creating serious strategic security complications and the possibility of forces inimical to India using the outlaws as a pawn

The 20-meter tall missile weighs around 17 tonne and has two stages of solid propulsion.

The Navy is looking to pave the way for circumnavigation of the globe by an all-woman crew, with the member officers to be trained aboard the INS Mhadei, the first Indian solo circumnavigator, as it participates in the ‘Cape2Rio Yachting Race’ 2014. The Navy on Sunday said that one lady officer would be part of the crew for each leg of the voyage. Thus, when the INS Mhadei returns to Goa, it would have trained three lady officers. — PTI

Arup Raha, a veteran fighter pilot, took over as the 24th chief of the Indian Air Force on Tuesday, succeeding Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne. In a brief ceremony, Raha, 59, assumed the charge of the air force from Browne in presence of senior officers, including new Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal R K Sharma and Deputy Chief Air Marshal S Sukumar. Born on December 26, 1954, he will remain the IAF chief for three years. Soon after taking over, Air Chief Marshal Raha, in his message to the 1.75 lakh-strong force, said the IAF is on a trajectory of modernisation and is transforming into a strategic aerospace power with full spectrum capability.