Arun Kumar Singh

Apr 26, 2010
AKSINGH.JPG

Arun Kumar Singh

Deep waters beckon Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which celebrates its 36th anniversary on February 1, 2013, is still trying to fulfil its originally mandated tasks. It was founded with the intention of creating a low-cost seagoing paramilitary force so as to police the vast 2.01 million square kilometers of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which came into force under the Maritime Zones of India Act of 1976.

Japan as partner in the East

A resurgent China is busy shaping the strategic arena with a combination of its sea power and diplomacy in the areas of its declared core national interests (the East and South China Seas) with the aim of converting almost 80 per cent of this oil- and mineral-rich region, as part of its territorial sea.

A few nautical necessities

In September-October 2000, as the Eastern Fleet Commander, I led a task force of warships on a 45-day overseas deployment to what is now a hotly disputed region, namely the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

Two lessons from 1962

In October-November 1962, the world witnessed two crises unfold and how, in each case, one side managed to control the escalation and de-escalation, while the other side grossly underestimated the opp

Three steps to Siachen

India and Pakistan have been engaged in military-level Track 2 talks for the past 12 months, with the delegates of the two sides meeting in Dubai, Bangkok and finally in Lahore in September this year.

A doctrine of no use

India is a “status quoits” power that will never venture strategically beyond its borders. But threat to national security in the 21st century encompasses, in addition to conventional war, asymmetrical warfare, cyberspace war, demographic changes due to illegal immigration and rare earth elements (REEs) scarcity.

Tackling the sea devils

With frequent incidents of maritime violence and tension in recent time, the seas have become more and more unsafe even for bona fide seafarers. If it’s not the Somali pirates holding Indian sailors captive for ransom, it’s a merchant ship opening fire on Indian fishermen, mistaking them for terrorists or pirates.

Challenging the dragon at sea

Amongst the three services — Army, Navy and the Air Force — only the Indian Navy has a proud record of indigenous shipbuilding over the last 50 years. Unfortunately, its record of indigenous construction of conventional submarines (or SSKs) and strategic Arihant-class submarines (or nuclear-powered, ballistic missile-carrying submarines SSBNs) has been comparatively poor.

Track 2 musings

As a self-confessed hardliner, I must admit that being a part of the team engaged in Indo-Pak Track 2 dialogue has been very interesting.

How long will Ocean remain Indian?

India’s neglect of holistic strategic planning, intelligence, energy security, seapower and national security have again exposed our vulnerabilities, as shown by the following recent events
(1) On February 7, a coup in the Maldives ousted at gunpoint the country’s first elected President, Mohamed Nasheed, after just three years in power.
(2) A study by the American Georgetown University recently said that China possibly possessed 3,000 nuclear weapons.

No Articles Found

No Articles Found

No Articles Found

I want to begin with a little story that was told to me by a leading executive at Aptech. He was exercising in a gym with a lot of younger people.

Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen didn’t make the cut. Neither did Shaji Karun’s Piravi, which bagged 31 international awards.

Horoscope