1) What is the purpose of proposed Technology Development Fund in the defence sector?

Also analyse important recommendations of the Kelar !ommittee set up "y the
#overnment to e$amine and recommend changes in the ac%uisition procedures and
ena"ling a greater participation of private sector in defence production&
TDF Objective:
It aims to provide necessary resources to public and private sector companies, including SMEs,
as well as academic and scientiic institutions to support researc! and development o Deence
systems t!at en!ance cutting"edge tec!nology capability in t!e country#
T!e $el%ar committee was set up &''( to suggest measures or ac)uisition procedures and
private participation# It recommemded setting up two unds w!ic! are:
*# 'trategic Defence (ndustry Fund: + non"lapsable und or ,Ma%e- projects#
&# Defence Technology )roduct Development Fund: To und SMEs or design and
development wor%#
SDIF got initial disapproval rom Finance ministry due to its not lapsable nature# It also created
burden on already stressed revenue budget o deence sector# .ut t!e pronouncement o Deence
procurement policy o &''/, calling or upto 0'1 investment rom MoD served t!e raison d-etre
o SDIF#
DT2DF3TDF was delayed due to absence o any sc!eme to utilise it# + similar tec!nology und
is available wit! D4DO, a principal arm or tec!nology development or deence sector, t!us
creating conusion and overlapping# It also suers rom t!e problem o its control ie# t!e und
dispersal needs legislative approval everytime#
T!e $el%ar 5ommittee !ad recommended t!e ollowing regarding t!e ac)uisition procedures and
enabling a greater participation o 2rivate sector in deence production#
+c)uisition 2rocedure:
*# 2repare a *( year long plan as t!e base o ac)uisition programme#
&# Setting up proessional agency or deence ac)uisitions#
6# To promote transparency in decision ma%ing
2articipation o 2rivate Sector:
*# Inormation s!aring between +rmed orces and Industry#
&# Identiication o Entry points or 2rivate sector in ac)uisition process
6# 2olicy ramewor% or SME participation in deence production
7# 2roviding unds to 2rivate 5ompanies and SMEs or developing cutting edge tec!nologies
(# +warding t!e 2rivate companies or developing tec!nologies#
*) !ritically comment on the structure and composition of (ndias national security
decision maing apparatus and mechanism&
In India, t!e decisions ta%en in t!e past, in t!e ace o national security concerns !ave mostly
been ad!oc and individualistic and !ad traumatic eect on t!e Indian polity# T!e national
security decision ma%ing process in t!e absence o any long"term deence planning is mar%ed by
%nee"jer% reactions to emerging situations#
T!e 2o%!ran test, acceptance o possession o c!emical weapons or t!e decision to send I2$F to
Sri8an%a !as surprised our deence orces e)ually as it did t!e world community# In *99:, India
!ad signed t!e 5!emical ;eapons 5onvention <5;5= and declared at t!e Organisation or t!e
2ro!ibition o 5!emical ;eapons <O25;= t!at it was !olding a c!emical weapons stoc%pile and
t!e t!ree 5!ies o India-s armed orces were not aware o t!is as t!e stoc% was !eld by t!e
Deence 4esearc! and Development Organisation <D4DO=# T!is !ig!lig!ts t!e structural
vulnerability o t!e critical deence decision ma%ing process#
Indian deence decision ma%ing is divided into two compartments ie long term planning by
>ational Security 5ouncil <>S5= and immediate security crises !andled by 5abinet 5ommittee
on Security <55S=# 2ost $argil war, an Integrated Deence Sta !eaded by 5!ie o Sta
5ommitte <5?SO5= was establis!ed to ensure operational coordination#
+n insig!t into t!e control o nuclear arsenal urt!er aggravates t!e agony# >uclear arsenal is
controlled by >uclear 5ommand +ut!ority !eaded by 2M# In t!e event o crises it orders
Strategic Force 5ommand to ready arsenal w!ic! inturn wor%s wit! D+E, D4DO and 5?OS5#
T!us t!e nuclear triad and second stri%e capability is jeopardised#
T!us India-s security establis!ment can be said to under civilian control# T!oug! it is a
commendable t!ing or a democracy li%e India but total absence o army in t!e srategy
ormulations may results in some loop!oles, as was evident in t!e war o *9/& and t!e use o
I2$F against 8TTE#
T!e deence decision ma%ing t!us appears divided wit! political, bureaucratic, intelligence and
deence decision ma%ers running amo%# It appears splitted, lac%ing !olistic and long term
perspective and suering rom multiple layered intrusions# T!ere is a need or !olistic approac!
to ensure seamless integration# For t!is a proessional body as proposed by >ares! 5!andra
committe consisting o domain e@perts, all t!ree c!ies and 2M as !ead s!ould be establis!ed to
avoid any %neejer% reactions#
T!ereore as suggested by t!e $argil 4eview committee and >ares! 5!andra committee, t!ere is
a re)uirement to integrate t!e army leaders!ip in t!e strategy ormulation# Furt!er t!ere is also a
necessity to integrate t!e t!ree wings o t!e deense services via creation o permanent 5!airman
o c!ies o Sta committee and appointment o a 5!ie o Deence Sta <5DS= to ensure better
coordination#
6= +$amining the Assam,-agaland .order !risis
On +ugust *9 and &', more t!an &' protestors were injured and two %illed in police action at
4angajan, Aolag!at District, +ssam against an economic bloc%ade on +sian Big!way * <also
called >B 69= leading into neig!bouring >agaland# T!e protestors rom several local
organisations including +som ?atiyatabadi Cuva 5!!atra 2aris!ad, +ll Assam Tea Tribes students
+ssociation, +ll Assam Tai +!om Students Dnion, and +ll +divasi Students +ssociation were
!olding up traic o >agaland bound ve!icles since last wee% on >B"69# In a related incident,
t!e visiting +ssam 5!ie Minister Tarun Aogoi-s convoy was assaulted by angry protestors at
relie camps in Driamg!at village, Aolag!at District near t!e +ssam">agaland border# T!ese
protestors were part o t!e aected people embroiled in t!e latest incidents o %illings and
violence in t!is sensitive inter"state border area# On +ugust *&, at least nine persons rom t!e Tea
and Tai +!om Tribes were %illed inside t!e +ssam side o t!e border allegedly by armed >agas
rom >agaland# T!e miscreants torc!ed over &'' !ouses across seven border villages ater w!ic!
over *',''' people led to Drmiang!at#
T!e +ssam">agaland border is disputed since >agaland ac!ieved state!ood in *9/6# T!e
disputed land is claimed by private individuals and communities on bot! sides o t!e oicial
border based on !istorical rig!ts in t!e absence o bona ide documents# In spite o t!e Supreme
5ourt-s intervention, t!e dispute remains unresolved wit! an interim agreement between +ssam
and >agaland to place t!e disputed border areas under t!e control o a neutral 5entral 2olice
orce# T!e border area o t!ese latest incidents, a small part o t!e larger Disturbed +rea .elt
<D+.=, is roug!ly t!e siEe o *& ootball ields in t!e D!ansiri subdivision, Aolag!at District and
is oicially inside +ssam and owned by t!e government-s Forest Department# So w!ile t!e
+ssam 5!ie Minister !as blamed t!e central government and its orces or ailing to contain t!e
violence, t!e 5entre claims it could only assist t!e state government responsible or policing#
#enesis of the latest violence
>ot as muc! reported were earlier incidents o arson and violence in t!e contiguous
areasinside >agaland, w!ic! was t!e prologue to later escalated events# .ordering t!e aected
areas in +ssam is t!e 4alan circle in ;o%!a district o >agaland in!abited by t!e 8ot!a >aga
et!nic group# +ccording to reports, members o t!e Tea Tribes rom neig!bouring +ssam
migrated to settle in areas several years ago around 5!andalas!ung . 8ot!a Fillage ater signing
oicial land usage agreements wit! t!e 8ot!a >agas#* Tension !as been building up in villages
o 4alan circle since ?uly &(, wit! incidents o conrontation, !ouse damage, %idnapping and
e@tortion between t!e Tea Tribes and t!e 8ot!a >agas#
Bowever, matters went awry w!en land usage disputes erupted between t!e two parties to t!e
eect t!at on +ugust &, as per agreement w!en t!e 8ot!as were constructing a t!atc!ed !ouse on
t!e leased out land, !undreds o Tea Tribes armed wit! bows and arrows attac%ed t!e >agas#& In
t!e allout several villages in pro@imity in!abited by t!e Tea Tribes inside >agaland were
torc!ed li%e Old 4alan, 5!andalas!ung ,+- and ,.-, Cangp!a and 4ongsu# T!e Tea Tribes
retaliated by torc!ing t!e 8ot!a village o ;oc!an wit! several villagers gone missing# T!e
8ot!a Bo!o alleged t!at t!e +ssam government was using t!e Tea Tribes and Muslim
immigrants as !uman s!ields to encroac! inside >agaland# Interestingly, T!omas 8ot!a,
2arliamentary Secretary or .order +airs, w!o visited t!e aected area, stated t!at G>agas will
t!in% ten time times beore ig!ting wit! t!e indigenous +ssamese as t!ey consider +!oms as
t!eir elder brot!er# .ut it is t!e landless migrants bac%ed by Maoists groups and anti"social
elements w!o are creating situation in t!e area and try to sow enmity among >agas and
+ssameseH#6
T!e +ssam">agaland border dispute !ad grabbed world attention wit! t!e inamous Merapani
battle and t!e uni)ue )ui@otic distinction o t!e states- police orces ig!ting eac! ot!er in
*90(#7 T!e D+. is t!e territory lying inside t!e current boundaries o +ssam but claimed by
>agaland# T!e >agas base t!eir claims on t!e +!om %ingdom w!en t!ese areas were !istorically
in!abited by t!e >agas but later anne@ed into +ssam administrative districts by t!e .ritis! rulers#
;it! a !istorical spate o violent incidents along t!e current +ssam">agaland border involving
bot! civilians and state police, t!e past comes bac% to !aunt, time and again# In &'':, ironically
in +ugust, unctionaries o t!e +ll +ssam StudentsI Dnion <++SD= issued a t!reat to orceully
marc! into >agaland on +ugust 0 and destroy t!e >agaland 2olice c!ec% post at Tsutapela on t!e
Mariani"Mo%o%c!ung road near t!e border town o Mariani in +ssam# In ?uly, &'':, some >aga
villagers !ad raided t!ree villages near Aele%i in Sivasagar district o +ssam, %illing two
residents and torc!ing several !ouses# T!e incident !ad provo%ed t!e ++SD to call or an
economic bloc%ade on >agaland#(
T!ese repeated incidents o border trouble and deat!s bring into s!arp ocus t!e lac% o serious
border law enorcement# +s in &'':, w!en ++SD t!reatened to marc! into Mo%u%c!ung, +o
villagers o t!e bordering TEurang valley in >agaland readied t!emselves or a bloody battle
wit! t!e ++SD armed wit! mac!etes, spears, and irearms# Mo%o%c!ung town witnessed
simmering tension wit! several !undred armed people gat!ering around t!e +o Senden oice
<+o local !ead=# Many resorted to blan% iring in order to pressuriEe t!e +o Senden president,
Temjen%aba, a lawyer by proession, to give t!em t!e go a!ead to marc! to t!e Tsutapela police
outpost to violently resist t!e ++SD across t!e border# T!an%ully, t!e Sendem reused to resort
to suc! an e@treme step, beore giving t!e Mo%o%c!ung and ?or!at district administrations a
c!ance to prevent t!e crisis#
It is, t!ereore, critical t!at we do our important policy interventions ast# First, ast"trac% and
resolve t!e disputed +ssam">agaland border# Second, create speciic list o land records and
strengt!en local administrative mec!anisms t!at deal wit! land disputes# T!ird, involve local
social and tribal councilsJ t!e signiicance o tribal councils acting as acilitators and disabling
violent response was star%ly visible in t!e role played by t!e Ao Senden in &'':# Fourt!, disarm
armed groups on bot! sides o t!e border# So long t!e state ails to enjoy monopoly over
organiEed violence in t!ese vulnerable areasJ violence will continue to raise its ugly !ead#