Category Archives: Blogitorial

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 , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Blogitorial, Civil Military Relations, COAS, Higher Defence Management, National Issues | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 | Leave a comment

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

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 , , | 5 Comments

Uniformly Crazy

Growing malaise of the misuse of articles of uniform by veterans while appearing on television and public functions needs to be curbed – by peer pressure, or else by enforcing regulations on the issue. Continue reading

Posted in Blogitorial, Military, Veterans | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

WhatsApp, Privacy and Me

Why I decided to quit WhatsApp rather than agree to its new privacy policy. Continue reading

Posted in Blogitorial, Cyber, Internet, Media | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gen Thimayya’s Resignation – Statement by Pt Nehru in Parliament and debate – 02 Sep 1959

In Aug 1959, Gen Thimayya submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister. There was a furore in the papers and in parliament, with questions being raised about the reasons behind it. Nehru gave a statement in parliament about the resignation. Here is the full text of his statement and the limited debate that followed. Continue reading

Posted in Blogitorial, Civil Military Relations, Military, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

CDS and DMA – Penny Wise Pound Foolish?

Faulty decision by CDS and DMA raises questions about ability to provide sound advice to government Continue reading

Posted in Blogitorial | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment