NSA walked out from SCO meeting: Time to quit SCO?

By Mukul Shukla 16 Sep 2020

NSA Ajit Doval's walked out from the online Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on September 15 in protest against the Pakistani counterpart's mischievous act of displaying a map in the background that showed a large part of North India as disputed territory.

It was followed by EAM's spokesman lambasting the Pakistani act and its illegal map.

Will Doval's walkout and EAM spokesman's fine legal points influence Pakistan even one bit?

Despite clear signals that the SCO is being exploited by the China-Pakistan nexus to serve their agenda against India, New Delhi has been continuing to participate in the forum without gaining anything in return for lending its name and prestige to the forum.

The latest round of SCO meeting - first between defence ministers of India and China and then followed by a meeting between foreign ministers of the two countries - was absolutely futile, if not disastrous.

This wasn't the first time India wasted its time and resources in participating in futile conversations in the SCO. It has been doing so since 2017 when it joined the organization, knowing fully well that the forum's politics was not its politics.

In view of what has happened, it's time New Delhi decided to quit the forum. It should politely tell Moscow that their politics is not our politics, however close our bilateral relationship may be.

(By Mukul Shukla)

It is Ajit Doval yet again to deal with the ticklish situation

By IndianMandarins 07 Jul 2020

PM clearly defines the role of his lieutenants

By IndianMandarins 17 Sep 2019

With the creation of the post of Principal Advisor to Prime Minister a lot of deliberations were made that who will be given what responsibility. To avoid any such confusion in the working of top three bureaucrats, PM has clearly defined their roles.

New Principal Secretary P K Mishra will handle policy issues especially those pertaining to the listing of Cabinet items apart from ACC and any other appointments to the government of India. Mishra will also be in charge of the Ministries of Personnel, Law, Anti-Corruption and the overall PMO. He will also take care of appointments even to the ministries of defence, MEA and intelligence agencies.

NSA Ajit Doval will handle other matters pertaining to these departments. He will also be in charge of all matters relating to national security. Doval has also been allocated the issue of talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) separatists.

The newly created Principal Advisor to Prime Minister P K Sinha will handle rest of the ministries. The order comes in the wake of the appointment of Mishra as the principal secretary to the PM last week, the highest bureaucratic position in the government. Both Mishra and Doval hold cabinet rank.

CLICK to read related stories:

https://www.indianmandarins.com/news/pmo:-top-level-changes-offer-a-lot-to-read-between-lines/19003

https://www.indianmandarins.com/news/pmo:-appointments-of-pks-with-a-little-twist/19067

What if Cabinet Secretary gets another extension?

By IndianMandarins 06 Jun 2019

If some top sources are to be believed several surprises appear to be in the store for top bureaucracy. And these are related to personnel and appointments policy to be followed through the initial days in the second term of NaMO administration. The outgoing and 31^st Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha (IAS:1977:UP) may well be given another three months extension. Ahead of LS Polls his term was extended for six months. Thus, it has been slated to end on 12 June 2019. 

In case he gets further extension, as being assumed or at least not being ruled out now, a few aspirants for the top job would be out of the race. They include the outgoing Telecom Secretary Ms Aruna Sundararajan (IAS:1982:KL) and Ramesh Abhishek (IAS:1982:BH) the outgoing Secretary, DIPP. This is so because both of them are retiring on 31 July 2019.

Furthermore, if Sinha’s term is extended it would be an indication from the NaMo administration that Rajiv Gauba (IAS:1982:JH), the incumbent Union Home Secretary, may be ruled out for the top job despite the fact that till few days back Gauba was considered as the fittest candidate to become Sinha’s successor. Though there are several senior officers who still believe that Gauba should remain hopeful as Sinha’s term (in case of its being extended) would end on 12 September 2019 and Gauba may be appointed OSD to Cabinet Secretary in August itself. Gauba will be retiring on 31 August 2019.

The later view is endorsed by the fact that Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra (IAS:1982:WB) was given three months extension on 31 May 2019. It was assumed that this has been to ensure consistency and synergy as the new Defence Minister assisted by a new Defence Secretary might not have been a good idea. The same reason may apply to Gauba as well because new Union Home Minister assisted by a new Home Secretary would not be of much help. And this could be among the reasons for not announcing Gauba as OSD to Cabinet Secretary.

Yet, it may not be prudent to rush to any conclusion as unleashing one surprise after the other has been the hallmark of NaMo administration. This has been more so vis-à-vis matters related to personnel and postings in the past.

Doval continues as NSA; gets Cabinet rank

By IndianMandarins 03 Jun 2019

The NaMo administration 2.0, on Monday, appointed Ajit Doval (Retd IPS) as National Security Adviser on co-terminus basis with the term of Prime Minister w.e.f 31 May 2019. He was also given Cabinet rank in the Government of India in recognition of his contribution in the national security domain.

He would continue as the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the next five years. He served in the position of the NSA since May 2014. He had previously served as the Intelligence Bureau Chief during 2004-05.

The assertive ‘New India’ hits back

By IndianMandarins 26 Feb 2019

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale addressing the media on Tuesday (26 Feb 2019) said that “India struck the biggest JeM terror camp in Balakot, run by Mazood Azhar’s brother-in-law”. A series of air strikes were carried out by the Indian Air Force across the LoC at 3:30 am which was termed as ‘non-military pre-emptive operations’.

 

Gokhle further said that a large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commander and Jihadis were eliminated. Reports suggest that 12 Mirage 2000 Indian Fighter jets dropped over 1,000 kg bombs destroying terror camps across the LoC.

 

Post Pulwama terrorist attack PM Modi had sent out a clear and stern message indicating some big move by India.

 

NSA’s son Vivek Doval hits back at muckrakers

By IndianMandarins 21 Jan 2019

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s son Vivek Doval on Monday filed a criminal defamation complaint against ‘The Caravan’ magazine for publishing a defamatory article “with mala fide intent”, the article’s writer, Kaushal Shroff, and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for addressing a press conference on the basis of the report “without verifying the facts”. The matter has been listed for hearing on on Tuesday. 

On January 16, The Caravan had published an article, “The D Companies”, which stated that “Ajit Doval’s sons run a web of companies including a Cayman Islands hedge fund even as father demands crackdown on tax havens”.

It alleged that the fund headed by Vivek Doval, based in the Cayman Islands, was involved in laundering black money and routing it to India after demonetization was implemented in 2016.

In the complaint, Doval stated that the idea of starting a hedge fund was formed back in 2013 with his friend Amit Sharma in London. After several deliberations with stakeholders, the fund commenced in 2016, with several reputed businessmen on board.

His complaint further stated that the announcement of demonetization and the firm’s launch, “though proximate in time, are two completely independent events, none being related to other, even remotely”.