Doklam crisis: Not optimistic about prospects of an early settlement, says ex India envoy to China

Ashok K Kantha represented New Delhi at Beijing for two years till 2016.

Saikat Datta

· Jul 19, 2017 · 12:30 pm

Intelligence agencies claim they knew Amarnath Yatra was a target – but lacked details

The attack was meant to embarrass the Modi government and security forces, and energise militant cadres, say analysts across security agencies.

Saikat Datta

· Jul 11, 2017 · 09:07 pm

India-China standoff: Delhi determined not to back off till a diplomatic solution is found

It is believed that China began to build a road in this sector in the belief that India would not intervene.

Saikat Datta

· Jul 06, 2017 · 07:30 am

Two-and-a-half wars? The Indian Air Force doesn’t have the squadron strength to fight even one

Against a sanctioned strength of 42, the Air Force has just 32 squadrons of combat aircraft, many of which are past their use-by date.

Saikat Datta

· Jul 05, 2017 · 12:30 pm

Why is the Indian Army still using outdated assault rifles designed in the 1980s?

The country’s defence planning and procurement system is broken.

Saikat Datta

· Jul 04, 2017 · 06:30 am

Is India’s spurning of China’s One Belt One Road project linked to the Sikkim standoff?

While refusing to join the initiative, New Delhi said that it ignored its concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Saikat Datta

· Jun 30, 2017 · 05:19 pm

Opinion: Army Chief Bipin Rawat should know that India is not prepared for a two-front war

The Army, Air Force and Navy are battling obsolete equipment and shortages of weapons and ammunition.

Saikat Datta

· Jun 19, 2017 · 08:00 am

45 years of Watergate: Why the journalism of the Washington Post-NYT holds lessons for today’s media

What could have been passed off as an innocuous burglary became one of the biggest stories in journalism globally.

Saikat Datta

· Jun 17, 2017 · 08:00 am

India’s sluggish response to cyberattack that infected 3.2 million cards exposes its vulnerabilities

There has been no police investigation into the massive network breach reported last year, allowing the culprits to go scot-free.

Saikat Datta

· Jun 08, 2017 · 10:30 am

Dealing with protests in Kashmir: The army chief has spoken. Why is the prime minister silent?

The democratically-elected civilian leadership needs to clarify whether Indian citizens should be afraid of their army.

Saikat Datta

· May 30, 2017 · 08:00 am

The Army’s unprecedented moves fuel fears of fresh resentment and violence in Kashmir

The recent army actions may get high approval ratings in rest of India, but in Kashmir valley they are seen as adding fuel to the fire.

Saikat Datta

· May 24, 2017 · 05:30 pm

CRPF report on Maoist attack that killed 25 men in Sukma blames weak intelligence, poor leadership

Recommendations may lead to middle-level changes in Chhattisgarh.

Saikat Datta

· May 23, 2017 · 09:00 am