Time for Manohar Parrikar to implement reforms in Ministry of Defence

Zebra

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http://idrw.org/time-for-manohar-parrikar-to-implement-reforms-in-ministry-of-defence/#more-100691

Time for Manohar Parrikar to implement reforms in Ministry of Defence


Published July 9, 2016
SOURCE: FIRSTPOST


Having addressed a series of long-pending issues of modernisation and ‘Make in India’ initiatives, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar can now seriously get down to the most critical reform related to professionalising the structures of the Ministry of Defence. In the recent past, some path-breaking initiatives have come to light. Some of these are worthy of note. The defence procurement policy document has been almost completed and most of it has been placed in the public domain. The transparency of public policy is fundamental to the success of his contribution to the nation.

In a reasonably short period, 24 items of various categories have been awarded for indigenous design and development by the private sector. Checks and balances for completion of time-bound projects along with necessary incentives have been stipulated. This includes missile targets, smooth-bore gun barrels for tanks, diesel propulsion plants and many other systems including the manufacture of 100 new mobile artillery guns to L&T.

The selection of strategic partners from the private sector for long term partnerships has progressed with private sector experts leading the study group. Such a study was unimaginable in the old structures of the Ministry. Suspicion and excessive secrecy were tools used to wrap all such discussions in a packet called security considerations and national interest. The ‘blind leading the blind’ was the order of the day.

Sceptics, as always, question innovative and path-breaking processes but to take bold decisions and free us from the shackles of the pre-reforms era, is by itself a strong message to all. The Ministry of Defence has for too long been led by pusillanimous ministers with little or no inclination to expedite the process of decision-making. They were ably supported by bureaucrats, who were in many cases in transit to greener pastures.

The three wings of our armed forces continue to function as attached offices of the ministry. By definition and existing business rules, they have no role to play in decision-making at the MoD.

In the backdrop of the above, two recent decisions taken by the leadership have raised eyebrows. The first was the outright purchase of a reduced number of Rafale fighters and the second was the push for the acceptance of LCA Tejas, the Indian fighter — much delayed, but which attracted sufficient eye balls at the Bahrain air show.

Given the depleting force-levels of the Indian Air Force, the option to arrest the decline can only be through an expeditious induction route, while simultaneously pursuing the medium and long-term induction strategy.

Under the earlier dispensation, this was done in the case of the Indian Navy to buttress the decline of force-levels, by placing orders with Russia for the Talwar Class Frigates and Italy for fleet tankers. Except that in the case of Rafale, the heads of governments jointly arrived at a decision with no middlemen to siphon off commissions. It could not have happened without the concurrence of the Air Force and the resolve not to vacillate or equivocate. That is a big change in the style of leadership. The consultative process was matched by the ability to take decisions in national interest.

Next is the decision to sell the Brahmos missile to Vietnam.

The strategic dimension of this decision is considerable in the geopolitical context and the Chinese intransigence in matters of concern to India. Becoming a member of MTCR clears the deck for sale to other Southeast Asian nations that wish to strengthen their maritime capabilities.

The above must be seen in the context of Exercise Malabar with Japanese participation, concluding agreements with Iran on Chabahar and soft power measures brought to bear in West Asia and Afghanistan. Reforms in the decision-making process and directions given to the armed forces cannot be led either by the armed Forces or the bureaucracy. All such attempts in western democracies have been led by the political leadership.

Why then did we vacillate in 2002, when the Group Of Ministers strongly recommended wide-ranging changes in the manner in which the MoD functioned? It was because there was insufficient domain knowledge on matters concerning national defence, both in the bureaucracy and among the leadership, save a few.

As a witness to the whole process, it can be said with certainty that two eminent personalities played a vital role in arriving at the recommendations of the committee of defence management: Arun Singh, arguably the most knowledgeable technocrat on matters military and Jaswant Singh, a former soldier whose scholarly pursuits on India’s security are quite unmatched to this day. Such was the mastery over the subject of reforming the structure of the MoD that it is fair to say that both the military and the bureaucracy were unable to match wits with them.

With the departure of these worthies, the process was dismantled by short-sighted senior military leaders who were too busy guarding their turf and a very relieved bureaucracy that had no stakes at all in reforming the structure.

That Parrikar, who has been at the helm of affairs, has revived the process to reform, has currently been a subject relegated to foot notes. One reason for underplaying his resolve may well be the creation of additional sub-committees. They are seen as mere delaying tactics to avoid taking a difficult but necessary decision. If Parrikar were to consult Arun Singh, perhaps he would be wiser in his attempts to push for the much-needed reforms and to avoid potholes on the path to ruthlessly implementing them.

Remember, reforms for MoD is what GST is to GDP.

The author is a retired vice-admiral of the Indian Navy and former chief, Southern Naval Command. Views expressed are personal
 

Hari Sud

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The lead article has a few examples and observations but a very few concrete suggestions as to how to reform this top heavy bureaucracy in MOD and in the ARMY, NAVY AND AIRFORCE headquarters.

Without concrete suggestions, the article becomes philosophy only.
 

Bahamut

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First remove all IAS staff from MoD and replace them with people who know about defense.
 

Zebra

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First remove all IAS staff from MoD and replace them with people who know about defense.
IAS is not the trouble here.

The intention of MoD is the biggest trouble here. IMO.

There was a naval multirole helicopter tender. For 16 helicopters.
MoD cancelled it.
Just next week after it, a Chinese sub popped up in middle of nowhere in IOR.
MoD announced that cancelled tender in favour if S-70B.
Till today, no news about those helicopters what so ever.

Now who are responsible for these mess...?
 

Navnit Kundu

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http://idrw.org/time-for-manohar-parrikar-to-implement-reforms-in-ministry-of-defence/#more-100691

Time for Manohar Parrikar to implement reforms in Ministry of Defence


Published July 9, 2016
SOURCE: FIRSTPOST


Having addressed a series of long-pending issues of modernisation and ‘Make in India’ initiatives, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar can now seriously get down to the most critical reform related to professionalising the structures of the Ministry of Defence. In the recent past, some path-breaking initiatives have come to light. Some of these are worthy of note. The defence procurement policy document has been almost completed and most of it has been placed in the public domain. The transparency of public policy is fundamental to the success of his contribution to the nation.

In a reasonably short period, 24 items of various categories have been awarded for indigenous design and development by the private sector. Checks and balances for completion of time-bound projects along with necessary incentives have been stipulated. This includes missile targets, smooth-bore gun barrels for tanks, diesel propulsion plants and many other systems including the manufacture of 100 new mobile artillery guns to L&T.

The selection of strategic partners from the private sector for long term partnerships has progressed with private sector experts leading the study group. Such a study was unimaginable in the old structures of the Ministry. Suspicion and excessive secrecy were tools used to wrap all such discussions in a packet called security considerations and national interest. The ‘blind leading the blind’ was the order of the day.

Sceptics, as always, question innovative and path-breaking processes but to take bold decisions and free us from the shackles of the pre-reforms era, is by itself a strong message to all. The Ministry of Defence has for too long been led by pusillanimous ministers with little or no inclination to expedite the process of decision-making. They were ably supported by bureaucrats, who were in many cases in transit to greener pastures.

The three wings of our armed forces continue to function as attached offices of the ministry. By definition and existing business rules, they have no role to play in decision-making at the MoD.

In the backdrop of the above, two recent decisions taken by the leadership have raised eyebrows. The first was the outright purchase of a reduced number of Rafale fighters and the second was the push for the acceptance of LCA Tejas, the Indian fighter — much delayed, but which attracted sufficient eye balls at the Bahrain air show.

Given the depleting force-levels of the Indian Air Force, the option to arrest the decline can only be through an expeditious induction route, while simultaneously pursuing the medium and long-term induction strategy.

Under the earlier dispensation, this was done in the case of the Indian Navy to buttress the decline of force-levels, by placing orders with Russia for the Talwar Class Frigates and Italy for fleet tankers. Except that in the case of Rafale, the heads of governments jointly arrived at a decision with no middlemen to siphon off commissions. It could not have happened without the concurrence of the Air Force and the resolve not to vacillate or equivocate. That is a big change in the style of leadership. The consultative process was matched by the ability to take decisions in national interest.

Next is the decision to sell the Brahmos missile to Vietnam.

The strategic dimension of this decision is considerable in the geopolitical context and the Chinese intransigence in matters of concern to India. Becoming a member of MTCR clears the deck for sale to other Southeast Asian nations that wish to strengthen their maritime capabilities.

The above must be seen in the context of Exercise Malabar with Japanese participation, concluding agreements with Iran on Chabahar and soft power measures brought to bear in West Asia and Afghanistan. Reforms in the decision-making process and directions given to the armed forces cannot be led either by the armed Forces or the bureaucracy. All such attempts in western democracies have been led by the political leadership.

Why then did we vacillate in 2002, when the Group Of Ministers strongly recommended wide-ranging changes in the manner in which the MoD functioned? It was because there was insufficient domain knowledge on matters concerning national defence, both in the bureaucracy and among the leadership, save a few.

As a witness to the whole process, it can be said with certainty that two eminent personalities played a vital role in arriving at the recommendations of the committee of defence management: Arun Singh, arguably the most knowledgeable technocrat on matters military and Jaswant Singh, a former soldier whose scholarly pursuits on India’s security are quite unmatched to this day. Such was the mastery over the subject of reforming the structure of the MoD that it is fair to say that both the military and the bureaucracy were unable to match wits with them.

With the departure of these worthies, the process was dismantled by short-sighted senior military leaders who were too busy guarding their turf and a very relieved bureaucracy that had no stakes at all in reforming the structure.

That Parrikar, who has been at the helm of affairs, has revived the process to reform, has currently been a subject relegated to foot notes. One reason for underplaying his resolve may well be the creation of additional sub-committees. They are seen as mere delaying tactics to avoid taking a difficult but necessary decision. If Parrikar were to consult Arun Singh, perhaps he would be wiser in his attempts to push for the much-needed reforms and to avoid potholes on the path to ruthlessly implementing them.

Remember, reforms for MoD is what GST is to GDP.

The author is a retired vice-admiral of the Indian Navy and former chief, Southern Naval Command. Views expressed are personal
Every time India makes a strong and decisive move in favor of indigenous defense manufacturing at the expense of foreign purchases, the foreign funded coolies start whining by writing illogical articles like these "India needs to reform [X] if it wants to stay safe" "India needs to discard INSAS and buy M4 if it want to become super power" "India needs to kill Tejas project if it wants to..blah blah" "India must [buy our shit] if it wants to [do shit]". There is no merit to these reports. In fact, Parrikar has given a good lowdown on the state of defense in a 30 minute press conference, here it is :


Stop promoting paid articles sponsored by foreign defense lobbies.

All coolies were crying even when the Finmeccanica Torpedo contract was cancelled, all 13 year old teenage 'defense experts' were complaining about how Parrikar was putting national security at risk by cancelling the torpedo contract. Just a couple of weeks later, it was announced that DRDO has delivered the ingenuously developed Varunastra torpedo to the navy. Suddenly the 13 year old experts are no where to be seen, maybe they went to school. They did the same randi rona when India cancelled the trainer jet project. A few weeks later, HAL delivered HTT 40, everyone is quiet now. The defense establishment is not stupid, it doesn't need defense tips from defense bloggers retweeting bits of unsolicited wisdom from twitter accounts of foreign defense lobbies.
 
Last edited:

Zebra

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Every time India makes a strong and decisive move in favor of indigenous defense manufacturing at the expense of foreign purchases, the foreign funded coolies start whining by writing illogical articles like these "India needs to reform [X] if it wants to stay safe" "India needs to discard INSAS and buy M4 if it want to become super power" "India needs to kill Tejas project if it wants to..blah blah" "India must [buy our shit] if it wants to [do shit]". There is no merit to these reports. In fact, Parrikar has given a good lowdown on the state of defense in a 30 minute press conference, here it is : ........
Cancel air defence deals as we already got our own.
Cancel all MBT deals, now we got our own.

Stop promoting paid articles sponsored by foreign defense lobbies
Very unfortunate, when people talk about indigenous defense manufacturing only where it suits them.

btw, one of my own post from other thread named ..................... DRDO Inks Pact With IITs For Center For Propulsion Technology .....

^^

They could have had done this in first 3 months, when idiot Modi become PM.

Today, they are very late but not bad anyway.

Now do this type of job for all types of nuclear reactor technology and all types of submarine developments also.
 

Superdefender

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We too have to follow/think a little bit like Chinese. That's the only answer. Too much Indianness (I mean too much democracy) leads to no concrete results. If we even get result successfully, that too happens after much delay. The Queen of Britain had said that Chinese officers were always very rude. Our MOD need a little bit Chinese bully mindset (not entirely). I bet that will work.
 

Zebra

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We too have to follow/think a little bit like Chinese. That's the only answer. Too much Indianness (I mean too much democracy) leads to no concrete results. If we even get result successfully, that too happens after much delay. The Queen of Britain had said that Chinese officers were always very rude. Our MOD need a little bit Chinese bully mindset (not entirely). I bet that will work.
That little bit thing , India already has today.
Our business and industry face tight socialist govt everyday.
 

Navnit Kundu

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Cancel air defence deals as we already got our own.
Cancel all MBT deals, now we got our own.



Very unfortunate, when people talk about indigenous defense manufacturing only where it suits them.

btw, one of my own post from other thread named ..................... DRDO Inks Pact With IITs For Center For Propulsion Technology .....
Just empty childish rhetoric. Superlative reductionism isn't a good substitute for the lack of a factual argument.

Quoting from your own post :

In a reasonably short period, 24 items of various categories have been awarded for indigenous design and development by the private sector. Checks and balances for completion of time-bound projects along with necessary incentives have been stipulated. This includes missile targets, smooth-bore gun barrels for tanks, diesel propulsion plants and many other systems including the manufacture of 100 new mobile artillery guns to L&T.
"Our business and industry face tight socialist govt everyday."

Again, quoting from the original report :

The selection of strategic partners from the private sector for long term partnerships has progressed with private sector experts leading the study group. Such a study was unimaginable in the old structures of the Ministry.
Do you actually have a logical point which isn't self-contradictory or are you on your period, wanting to indulge in altercations just for the sake of it?

That is why @aditya g says, "hai tauba" has become the only acceptable way to articulate defense related matters these days. People don't want to consume mere facts unless it is wrapped in some sort of alarmism.
 

Ancient Indian

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Cancel air defence deals as we already got our own.
Cancel all MBT deals, now we got our own.



Very unfortunate, when people talk about indigenous defense manufacturing only where it suits them.

btw, one of my own post from other thread named ..................... DRDO Inks Pact With IITs For Center For Propulsion Technology .....
I want to counter your government related criticism.
What will you do if parrikar does same thing as Antony, like funking defence deals.

There is no option for India except BJP. Just accept it and move on.

If BJP pulls same stunt as Congress, where will you go? Do you have another option?
 

Prashant12

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IAS is not the trouble here.

The intention of MoD is the biggest trouble here. IMO.

There was a naval multirole helicopter tender. For 16 helicopters.
MoD cancelled it.
Just next week after it, a Chinese sub popped up in middle of nowhere in IOR.
MoD announced that cancelled tender in favour if S-70B.
Till today, no news about those helicopters what so ever.

Now who are responsible for these mess...?
S-70B Seahawk will be added to Indian Navy fleet

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
 

Zebra

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Just empty childish rhetoric. Superlative reductionism isn't a good substitute for the lack of a factual argument.

Quoting from your own post :

"Our business and industry face tight socialist govt everyday."

Again, quoting from the original report :

Do you actually have a logical point which isn't self-contradictory or are you on your period, wanting to indulge in altercations just for the sake of it?

That is why @aditya g says, "hai tauba" has become the only acceptable way to articulate defense related matters these days. People don't want to consume mere facts unless it is wrapped in some sort of alarmism.
There we go again.

A socialist jumped again with his wooden sward.

MoD throw few pieces of jobs towards industry and you started jumping up and down in the name of reforms.

What a pathetic mindset you have.

Just check it, how much time Mahindra have to wait just for getting a go for manufacturing of aircrafts which they wanted to make in India.

That is the reality of reforms in India.
 

Zebra

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I want to counter your government related criticism.
What will you do if parrikar does same thing as Antony, like funking defence deals.

There is no option for India except BJP. Just accept it and move on.

If BJP pulls same stunt as Congress, where will you go? Do you have another option?
If BJP are the same as congress, then what is wrong with congress .........!
 

Ancient Indian

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If BJP are the same as congress, then what is wrong with congress .........!
Who is saying BJP is same as congress?

I am quoting a possible scenario where BJP performs same as Congress i.e. ruining for my country.
In that case, what should we do?
Do we have any party in Indian which can work for the cause of Nation?

Suppose BJP doing big scams in defence sector like Congress did, what will be our choice then?
 

bose

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@Zebra bro, There is a marked difference between what we saw in Saint Antony's time and what we see today... the decision making is much quicker now... more emphasis on indigenous development ... LCA would have been abandoned by now had Pariikar has not intervened ...
 

Mikesingh

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IAS is not the trouble here.

The intention of MoD is the biggest trouble here. IMO.

There was a naval multirole helicopter tender. For 16 helicopters.
MoD cancelled it.
Just next week after it, a Chinese sub popped up in middle of nowhere in IOR.
MoD announced that cancelled tender in favour if S-70B.
Till today, no news about those helicopters what so ever.

Now who are responsible for these mess...?
The damn babus and politicians. The spoils in the form of bribes are still being sorted out! It's like haggling in a fukin vegetable market! :devil:
 

Zebra

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@Zebra bro, There is a marked difference between what we saw in Saint Antony's time and what we see today... the decision making is much quicker now... more emphasis on indigenous development ... LCA would have been abandoned by now had Pariikar has not intervened ...
True.

I do agree.

And that is why I tagged as "improved". :biggrin2:
 

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