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Author Archives: sword
Seniority or Merit – The Dilemma of Higher Military Appointments
For decades, the established convention in India for appointing the Chief of Army Staff and other apex military positions was straightforward: the senior-most eligible officer was elevated. Critics often dismissed this system as mechanical or overly rigid. Yet it rested … Continue reading
Posted in Appraisal System, Blogitorial, COAS, Democracy, Higher Defence Management
Tagged army, Army Chief, Indian Army, promotions
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Barking Up the Wrong Algorithm – A Galgotian Tragedy
Five hundred global AI thought leaders, 300 exhibitors, 60 ministers and 24 heads of state participated in the recently concluded AI summit in New Delhi. Yet it was a private Indian university showcasing a Chinese robot dog that garnered most … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged AI, Education, Galgotia University, innovation, Media, Orion, social media
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Dissent, Disobedience and Defiance
Constructive dissent is essential to good military leadership — but it must occur within the decision-making process, not after the fact. Public post-retirement criticism by senior commanders risks crossing from professional dissent into defiance or disobedience. There is a deeply … Continue reading
Politicisation of the Armed Forces: Examining the Claims
A lot has been spoken and written about the politicisation of the Armed Forces in the recent past. The latest is a recent article in Deccan Herald by AVS Namboodiri which claims that in the recent past—presumably during the tenure of the current NDA … Continue reading
Bhasma-nomics – A Modern Day Retelling of an Ancient Indian Tale
The purpose of mythology and folklore is to convey valuable lessons couched in fascinating stories. And those striding the corridors of power in Washington would do well to familiarise themselves with the ancient Indian story of Bhasmasur. He was a … Continue reading
Brushes With Policing and Healthcare in UK
My laptop bag was stolen in London during a recent visit. I have no one but myself to blame for being careless enough to have let that happen. We were on a family holiday and had arrived by train from … Continue reading
Posted in Blogitorial, Law and Order, Ponderings
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Let Flying Jets Fly
During the ongoing Operation Sindoor, there’s been much noise—claims and counterclaims—about Pakistani assertions of having shot down several Indian fighter jets. This isn’t unusual. In conflicts between long-time adversaries like India and Pakistan, truth often becomes the first casualty—sacrificed at the … Continue reading
Posted in Blogitorial, Military, National Issues, Politics
2 Comments
Op Sindoor – An Analysis
As the dust settles after Operation Sindoor, here’s an early assessment of not just of what India did, but why it did so, under what constraints, and with what results. In many ways, Operation Sindoor may prove to be a … Continue reading
Posted in Blogitorial, Boundary Dispute, Counter Terrorism, Military
32 Comments
Rules, Fools and Exceptions
A recent post by a retired bureaucrat about rules and precedents reminded me of an interesting and educational encounter I had with regulations a couple of decades ago. The year was 1993, and the place was Chandimandir. But let me … Continue reading
Posted in Management, Military, Welfare
Tagged Anecdotes, humour in uniform, Indian Army
17 Comments
Mind Over Merit
In a recent piece in The Print, Gen Panag discusses the recent government decision to adopt a ‘merit based’ approach over ‘seniority based’ on the promotion of Lt Gens, and opines it is a move in the right direction. He also … Continue reading
Posted in Appraisal System, Blogitorial, Higher Defence Management, Military, Promotion System, Reforms
Tagged Army Chief, Government, Indian Army
5 Comments