EDITORIAL

In over 19 months in power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be facing more challenges now than in the period when he was was bold and dynamic especially considering the fact that the opinion makers were apprehensive about his ability to capably steer - matic achievements have silenced - gressive diplomatic outreach saw him undertaking 37 foreign trips world leaders has given a new and different meaning to Indian policy push has not softened the opposition, especially the Congress Party which continues to oppose anything and everything

While the Prime MinisterÕs foreign policy push is to be admired, - deadlock of stalled talks seemed to have been broken after Modi and Nawaz SharifÕs unscheduled meeting at climate change talks Prime MinisterÕs surprise meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on his way back home after a day-long trip to Afghanistan and a two-day visit to new year saw the attempts to resume the comprehensive dialogue process with Pakistan receiving a sudden jolt by the terror attack in Pathankot by Pakistan-based it remains to be seen how this situ

Nearer home, the worsening situation in Nepal and Maldives positive developments, however India will have to balance its equation with the military and the politi

- ited a poor state of economy in mid presented by the government has been termed as a Òlost opportunityÓ; the government failed to utilise its honeymoon period to push major structural reforms and the economy

Let us now have a look at the defence modernisation in the severe and unprecedented neglect by the political leadership of the country under UPA rule to modernise the three Services has left them gasping for breath to stay alive and relevant to the roles and missions earmarked for

As far as the Army is con (Retd), a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), wrote a letter regarding the status of equipment in the Army to the Prime Minister on the mission reliability of mechanised vehicles was poor, the artillery was obsolete and inadequate, air defence was antiquated, armour was unreliable due to regular barrel accidents caused by mismatch between indigenous barrels and ammunition, night aviation corps helicopters needed urgent replacements, and holdings of all types of missiles, antitank and specialised ammunition

Following this it seems that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had track acquisitions and the list of - proved marginally only in respect existing shortages is the new raising of the Mountain Strike Corps for our Eastern theatre, which is expected to reduce the ArmyÕs reserve stocks called ÔWar Wastage ReservesÕin terms of equip capital budget, which is meant for procurement of equipment, when analysed for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16 seem to suggest that - ment status of the Army will come

MoD of May 2015 have generated considerable interest in the Indian defence industry and have shown governmentÕs resolve in preferring - bus combine for the manufacture of transport aircraft to replace the of 16 C-295 aircraft off the shelf from the foreign vendor and manufacture of 40 aircraft in India with complete transfer of technology to a game-changing initiative as it is considered to be an ideal platform for the integration of the private sector and the development of alternate facilities for the manufac

- volves the acquisition 145 pieces of M777 ultra-light howitzers from the US through the foreign military sales for close to ` BAE Systems has agreed to shift its complete Ôassembly, integration and testing Õfacility to India and the guns would be manufactured in partnership with an Indian close to $200 million is expected Finally, in a landmark decision, the government has approved a Russian proposal to - mov light helicopters in India, with - parent that the above mentioned ÔMake in India Õ initiatives are the harbinger of much bigger plans to reduce dependence on imports: the indigenous defence industry, - ering modernisation, Pathankot terror strike, resumption of IndoPak talks and infusing technology