SYNERGIA FOUNDATION NOVEMBER 2020 | EDITION I | WEEKLY

A COMMANDO RETHINKS LOGIC & REASON EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS BY DORON AVITAL

MUST READ EXPERT INSIGHTS DAP 2020 Vice Admiral D.M. Deshpande Sanjay Mitra Subhash Chandra MORE AVSM, VSM (Retired) and Former Defence Former Secretary, THAN the former Controller of Secretary, Department of SUSHI TEMPERING Warship Production and Government Defence Production, ON HIS EXPECTATIONS Acquisition in the Indian Navy of India Government of India PLATE EDITION I p2 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION Logic in action

Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.

Napoleon Bonaparte

As a young boy, I was al- ing special operation? the concept of “The Stan- ways mesmerized by stories Not accidently, and in fact dard”. I argue that the false of great men and women of as consequence, I have cho- model of planning has its action at fateful cross-roads sen a course in life that chal- roots in an attitude of an un- of decision-making. Then, like lenged me to visit the poles compromising adherence to as today, I felt the full weight of both theory and practice. the power of literal obedi- of the moment of truth as it I set myself on a mission to ence to standards and rules. Doron Avital confronts the individual, the unravel the tension between The standard, or what is out- a paratrooper in the IDF, has man or woman of action, the contemplative inquiry, lined by a rule as prescrib- held key positions in the IDF Intelligence (1977-1995) culmi- with the imminent neces- supposedly theoretical, aim- ing a future course of action, nating in the position of Chief- sity to decide. Alongside, as ing at the logical structure is seen as an answer to the Commanding-Officer of Israel’s I was climbing up the ladder of things, and the uncom- fundamental tension be- renowned Sayeret Matkal. A PhD from Columbia University, of education, I found myself promising test of life and ac- tween theory (planning) and he joined politics in 2009, win- just as well captivated by the tion. The puzzle of the gap practice (execution). ning a seat in the 18th Knesset great intellectual stories of between theory and practice I argue in contrast that as a MP of the Kadima party and served in the Foreign & Security our times, in particular 20th has become ever since the the standard does not pro- Committee. This article describes century analytic philosophy guiding question of my life. duce an answer but rather in brief his ideas that have been discussed in greater detail in his and, at its core, the machin- What is planning? I con- what I call: “A Well-Defined book “Logic in Action”. He elabo- ery of modern logic. How do front two approaches to Question”. In essence, it is a rated on these ideas at the 89th then the cool contemplative planning. The first is the one meticulously well-planned Synergia forum. modes of the philosophical I saw as a mission to my- invitation to exercise a fresh and analytic outlooks that self to cultivate in my many judgment. A judgement that hese thoughts were are better fitting of the phi- years of military service. The has as an anchor the default born on the battle- losopher’s armchair at the second is the one I saw as answer that the standard field and in nights fireplace hang together with representing a deep-rooted produces but is open to ex- of secretive special the heat of the battlefield or fallacy that holds a firm grip tension as it confronts the operationsT all around the the angst of the on today’s conventional wis- new frame of reference of Middle East, as well as in the ticking clock of dom about planning. To fur- the test of reality corridors and lecture halls time left to the ther examine the logic of the I present a new tool for of Western Academia best completion competing models, I was re- planning and execution: schools. of a dar- quired to analyze “The Polygon of Risks” or EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p3 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

“The Polygon of Execution”. against a possible failure. is on the line and from which The Polygon is a geometric Once the overall risk is not there is no turning back. Its illustration of the underlying mitigated by way of collab- nature is of “One Shot, One tension that exists between orative joint executional dia- Opportunity”. This must shed all dimensions of the opera- logue, the process that leads true light on the analysis of tional project. The construc- to a collapse of the polygon the logical structure of fail- tion and conceptualization is literally unstoppable. ures as unwarranted rep- of the trade-offs that exist I further examine the way etitions of past lessons. The between the various dimen- in which we should translate schooling curriculum indeed sions - segments of the poly- the polygon into sequential consists of important ab- gon - is the first topic on the critical decisions on the time- stractions drawn from past planner’s agenda. line. The execution polygon lessons. However, it is when I position the concepts of is not rigid scaffolding but we project them in a fashion “Daring” and “Taking Pro- a dynamic conceptual illus- that is literal or mechanical active and Well-Informed tration of the project. It will that we must cross way with Risks” as necessary logical need now to be converted failure. The paradox of edu- constituents of the polygon into successive decision cation is that what we must and achievement that may and show how in contrast the junctions. We will find the repeat in school and simula- threaten our ability to do false model of planning is re- content of a decision and its tion must be extended and what is right. Most of all, I am sponsible for an operational timing on the timeline to be not repeated in real life. What troubled with the role logic culture that is risk-averse. It inseparable. The right deci- then is required of us, so we may play, first as a liberating encourages, in fact, the piling sion is the one that is taken do not fall into the fallacy of force enabling a change that up of false securities at the at the right time. The mo- repetition in face of the mo- is tuned to the ethical imper- segments’ level that eventu- ment of decision is in fact ment of truth? This is the core ative, and second, as a force ally lead to the collapse of the last moment of delibera- genius that the moment of designed to justify on logical the polygon. tion, the first moment avail- truth asks of its protagonists. grounds, as it were, the ex- The necessary trade-offs able for action, i.e. the first It is here that the words of isting power structure. It is in relationships that exist be- possible “Can” is also the lat- Napoleon Bonaparte reso- this junction that brave indi- tween the segments of the est possible “Must”. Deciding nate so well when he argues viduals will be called to chal- polygon express the fun- too soon is analogue to the that “nothing is more difficult, lenge the governing logic of damental tension between “Jumping of the Gun” The and therefore more precious, the zeitgeist - logic that op- partnership and competition: decision maker is forcing a than to be able to decide”. erates now as an oppressive partnership in a joint goal and pre-conceived answer to a Last is the underlying con- force that serves the vested competition over resources, state of affairs not ripe for ceptual connection between interest of beneficials of ex- both material and abstract. an answer, e.g. the target in Strategy, Logic, and Ethics. isting order. When “success” When this tension is not man- the shooting range is not yet We need to be aware of the is favoured over doing what aged well, that is, when the erected. Late to decide and tension between strategy as is right, as we must admit is players’ local optimizations the decision maker may en- a process of setting goals and the prevailing cultural mood overshadow the global opti- vision what he or she should deriving backward as it were of our times that the words mization required for the suc- have done but reality is no the steps that are necessary of Emanuel Kant carry their cess of the project, the execu- longer available for them to for achieving these goals, full weight: “Do the Right tion polygon collapses. harness it right, e.g. consider to the inescapable ruling of thing and leave the Conse- In this scenario, we may a tennis player’s frustration the ethical imperative. This quences to God”. For this we find the setting of the bar of when reviewing a too-late- unavoidable tension is par- need heroes and heroines “High Standards” in players’ to-react move in the video ticularly important against that challenge the time by spheres of responsibility to replay. the backdrop of contempo- bearing the full weight of re- conceal a hidden agenda of “The Moment of Truth” is rary culture that is guided by sponsibility that comes with personal insurances taken the moment when everything a vision of personal success the doing of what is Right. EDITION I p4 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

The Age of reason: Media, Judgement and the “Liberal Fallacy”

power of art. In retrospect subject of their reporting. exploited and excluded from we can defend Plato’s posi- The media of our times the socio-economic power tion and say that he feared with the reach of power it game may then turn to irre- the corrupting power of bad holds is in danger of falling sponsible populist leaders At the 89th Synergia forum, art. into the arrogance alluded that cynically nourish their Doron Avital elaborated on But Plato goes so far as to by Plato. It may err and rage. thoughts expressed in his paper to express the concern that regards its protagonists, po- So is the wind of moralis- Bismarck with an iPhone: The future of the Age of Reason. even a wonderful poet like litical leaders, generals, lead- tic retrospective judgment He argued that the “Old Liberal Homer, standing in front of ers of industry and economy that blows through the me- Order” must give way to a New Order and emphasises that an audience thirsty for his and men and women of ac- dia and the liberal circles in such a transition is not possible poetic descriptions of Achil- tion in general, as merely ex- relation to past heroes. See if history and events are seen by les’ exploits, may err and tras in a plot where they are the commotion surrounding the media and society from a “judgemental” Left, right or think he himself is Achilles in fact the authors and true the smashing of the General centre point of view. The or even that he can surpass protagonists. Robert Lee monument, com- following are excerpts from Achilles. When the very ethos of ac- mander of the army of the his paper, which has been published online on Reflecting on the mega- tion and respect to real-life American South, the Confed- Synergiafoundation.in celebrity status of actors and protagonists is undermined erate Army, during the Amer- actresses that overshadows up to ridicule in the name of ican Civil War. The same by far that of the protago- critical review that the mood wind is blowing in many oth- he place and status of nists they play, we may find of the “production floor” of er places in our tumultuous the media must also Plato not far from the mark. society may turn against world, from the shattering of be questioned. Plato This may also hold true of the media and the coverage ancient pagan monuments famously was appre- the media vis-a-vis the praxis it offers. The people at the by ISIS in the Syrian civil war hensiveT of the corrupting of life and politics that is the “production floor” that feel and elsewhere to, in con- EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p5 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

trast, New York City munici- The spirit of pality, which is seriously con- judgmental political sidering, following a liberal protest, whether the statue correctness that has of Christopher Columbus, taken over the reading the discoverer of America, of history is dangerous. should be left standing. Po- More than anything, it litical correctness judges the causes us to miss the past in semantic categories that are not materially avail- encounter with history able to the people and pro- as it occurred, with its tagonists of the past – it is people and its protago- somewhat like requiring past nists as well as with the figures to pay in the curren- material circumstances cies of our time. We can safely assume that they faced General Ulysses Grant, Gen- Statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave in Richmond, Va eral Lee’s contemporary who led the fighting against him, the gathering of evidence to form of a pre-colonial, natu- only 19 parachutes, what would not have joined this substantiate the guilt or in- ral state, a return to which should you do?! The simplis- righteous protest campaign nocence of the protagonist. represents justice; this, in tic liberal thinks of a world and would have been happy Against what, we must ask a non-coincidental analogy and an ideal way of life in to see his opponent’s statue ourselves does the standard- to an utopian conception of which the ethical parachutes intact. setting historian-judge as- nature and the environment, are already packed and pre- It is especially ironic that sess and evaluate the actual before the massive human pared in advance for all the this judgmental state of mind course of history? environmental intervention passengers of the plane. – preoccupied with purifying He or she can assess it of the Industrial Revolution. The frustration therefore the past of figures that do only against an ideal stan- A similar case can be of the standard liberal is with not retroactively stand up to dard, that is, political “ideal made in relation to the idea the very emergence of the the stern criteria of our cur- conditions,” borrowed from of progress and the inad- moral dilemma. In analogy rent lifestyle – is reminiscent today’s material circum- vertent replacement of the to a mathematical problem of the Soviet modus operan- stances. These take the form concept of technological or with no solution, the liberal di, ridiculed in the West, in of a counter-factual histori- structural-political progress observes the moral dilemma which official documents and cal trajectory, against which with the idea of moral prog- as having no “correct” resolu- photographs were cleared actual history does indeed ress. It can be said that for tion, but that it could and in of any evidence of the exis- seem to be one continuous the standard liberal, prog- fact should have been pre- tence of senior officials who anomaly and its protagonists ress is in the construction vented from coming into be- had been purged from pow- therefore may be seen as of political and social life de- ing. (e.g. that there should er positions. criminals. signed in such a fashion so have been 20 parachutes on The spirit of judgmental This judgmental and mor- that the very idea of friction, board!) political correctness that has alistic mindset is part of the the coping with the necessity However, this may be true taken over the reading of his- postcolonial ethos that now of resolving moral dilemmas, that we all prefer having tory is dangerous. More than dominates the hallways of will become a matter of the enough ethical parachutes, anything, it causes us to miss Western academia and me- past. the moral dilemma will al- the encounter with history as dia. At the heart of this mood This is a nonsensical idea ways cross our path. The it occurred, with its people is a particularly simplistic according to which, comply- standard liberal will find in and its protagonists as well and critical reading of history ing with the moral impera- this entanglement an excuse as with the material circum- and especially of the colonial tive is an a priori attempt to not to act but find fault in a stances they faced. past of the West, to which in construct a structured way structural malfunction of the It is a mindset afflicted many ways the West owes its of life so that the moral di- socio-political system that is with a simplistic description current power and status in lemma cannot come into be- responsible for the dilemma. of history as if the latter were world affairs. ing to begin with. In a crude Fault must be that of past a chain of unnecessary disas- Behind this intellectual analogy to simplistic ethics generations or of others; the ters instigated by irrespon- state of mind lies the assump- discussions in youth move- liberal thereof is excused. To sible leaders. The historian tion that there is an “ideal” ments: if you are on a plane this logical predicament, we becomes a judge, and the point of reference, some- that must be abandoned better reserve the term: “The historical research becomes times even perhaps in the with 20 people on board and Liberal Fallacy.” EDITION I p6 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

EXPERT QUESTION

Maj Gen Moni Chandi eral deficit in the current (Retd) year is going to be close to Chief Strategic Officer, 6 billion dollars. Is it just a Synergia has served with simple question that the the NSG twice: First as a US can’t afford it any lon- counter-terrorist com- ger and Donald Trump is mando the fall- guy? with India’s Doron Avital: It elite 51 A might be so, what special you mentioned goes back action to Kissinger. The one re- in America is that the rich points that you face? group mark he made about rebel against the poor. So and later as the Inspec- Trump was that “his role there’s no question here Doron Avital: I think tor General - Training of was to undo the hypocri- that there’s some unmask- A we live in a continu- the Special Force. He is sy of our time.” In this re- ing of hypocrisy and this is ous process of redefin- also a combat engineer spect I think he fulfilled his why he was elected, and ing and reinventing. We and has served with the role. Now the question is the question is whether find again and again the UN peacekeeping oper- whether we can pay for his he has really gone too far meanings of the world in ation in Cambodia and fooling . I always go back from literalism and really action. In respect of Witt- New York. to my 14 year old kid, he messed it up so much that genstein’s philosophy, he was 10 when Trump was we can’t afford it anymore. showed that meanings are elected. He told me that he Now whoever would be being reinvented, but not Maj. Gen. Chandi: saw on the Simpsons that elected, they have chosen in the sense that anything Q A philosopher once Trump is going to be elect- Biden and not Sanders - goes. It’s a clever argu- said, “A leader is a product ed. Now as he’s turned 14 somebody in the centre ment saying that because of a time.” If you look at he says “[Trump] messed who understands the new the meanings are being re- Donald Trump as leader, it up too much.” world, new challenges- introduced over and over, there are many leaders like In terms of really un- one has to be realpolitik the truth really matters, him that have emerged masking hypocrisy built in this 19-century fash- but otherwise you can play all over the world, such into this stage - and the ion about the world and with that technicality. as Putin, Xi Jinping - right hypocrisy is that the peo- solve the challenges of the Maj. Gen. Chandi: You wing leaders who have a ple at the bottom are room. In the economic sit- said how do army officers very close tap on the elec- asked to pay for the self- uation that you described, become philosophers. The torate and are able to win image of the people at the burden, it is the topic army goes through such elections. If that’s the fla- the top. The polls basically that’s going to need a lot profound experiences that vour of a politician today, say that they’re not willing of attention. I never pre- it’s a very good foundation if we look back, will Don- to pay anymore. People dicted I focus on the logic for philosophy! ald Trump have a legacy here in Israel are saying of the present, but I think of having been a fall guy? that part of the outrage we are up to some major Synergia Foundation I’m saying that because changes. contrary to what everyone A quick, yes or says about him, he’s point- Synergia Foundation Q no answer: while ed out many truths, like Trump may or may not be pointing out that NATO You ended with a President, Trumpism is not thought that the US was a Q slide of Maximus an exception but the rule sugar-daddy. And I think who was a general who that we’re going to see as even Europeans have re- ended up being a gladia- things come along? alised that there was tor. How does a soldier truth in what he said. and a general like you Doron Avital: I’m I read that US debts end up being a phi- A saying reformulation have hit a historic 26 losopher - are of liberalism, reformula- trillion. And the fed- there trigger tion of the premise and the EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p7 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

EXPERT QUESTION

promise of the Age of Rea- and turning into a pic- leading to this question- sonality of son is mandatory - there is ture. It might go through ing of Enlightenment itself the mes- no way to avoid it. There’s conflict. We have the big and liberal ideas. What senger no way to pay the bill for divide right now between are your thoughts? that de- old-fashioned liberalism. China and the US. termines I don’t know how it Doron Avital: I the inter- Suresh Goyel works, but I would say A think there is the pretation (former IFS officer and that we have to think of basic logic idea - you take of the literal message? the Director-General of completing each other to something in the absolute Indian Council of Cultural a picture with a direction, model, the mode of lib- Doron Avital: I Relations (ICCR), sent in and not by insisting that eral democracy, but then A would say every his question to the everybody obeys to some you expand it and go fur- messenger carries the Synergia Virtual Forum. core concept we have ther than what it can con- message he’s on, and I about what does it mean tain and then it breaks. think in the end this is the to be the same, what does But interestingly it’s not only message anyone can Suresh Goyel: We it mean to be a nation. It’s only within the national carry. I end my paper with Q seem to be return- about partnership and regions. So what’s inter- a quote by Noam Chom- ing to nationalistic order not being compliant. This esting in the predicament sky, who says we don’t from the experimentation would be my major point. right now is that many need heroes, we need with globalisation, and We have to wake up to divisions and tectonic only good ideas. Good technol- this new world, but what changes in globalisation, ideas, living in an indepen- ogy is in- we’re looking for is a guid- we overcame. We thought dent fashion not carried troducing ing principle that people that the Bosphorus strait by heroes of the past or differenti- would subscribe to. We can that differentiates Turkey such, for me this the core ated hier- all complete each other to to Europe is a thing of the liberal concept that I can’t archies in a picture to some extent. past, because technology, even grasp, I don’t under- the new the death of distance, glo- stand what is an idea not order. In this brave new Nalin Mehta balisation. And now we materialised, exemplified world, what is the rele- is a journalist and writer. find out that the world in life. I end my paper with vance of liberal order? Or He is Executive Editor, is not flat. America is an a quote from Newton who should we develop meri- Times of India. He sent in amazing story as a conse- says “if I saw anything, it tocracy for more effective his questions to the quence of globalisation, of was because I stood on global order? Synergia Virtual Forum the old poor South against the shoulders of giants.” the rich liberal North, sim- This is the deep gratitude Doron Avital: It plifying it. Brexit is now that the greatest physicist A goes back to the Nalin Mehta: Isn’t going back and saying had to the past, and you logic of what does it mean, Q this crisis of en- they want to be Britain. So compare this to the liberal what constitutes the core lightenment that you talk all those tectonic changes attitude in which you just of quality? What does it about the consequence of show their hand. smash the past and ridicu- mean to be the same? And the failure of globalisation? lous it, and think that ideas the picture that I show all When Maj. Gen. George, are living in some ethere- the time through Wittgen- seen from the Director of Vanguard al context not carried by stein is that things don’t the point Business School, messengers. become equal by having of view of sent in his questions I would say that every some cross-section where American to the Synergia Virtual one of us on the trajectory they share some core, law and Forum of his own life, it’s an in- they become equal by orders, in teresting encounter. Every participating in a picture, economic terms. Globali- one of us will encounter like a jigsaw puzzle. So sation was touted as the Maj. Gen. George places where others did the logic of being one, this flattening of the world but Q : Interpreting the not. If we listen to those global logic of countries didn’t make it make the literal for the real or the voices that are telling you a being one, is generated world much harder for serious, is it not the cred- story, then you get what’s by completing each other American working classes, ibility of quality of the per- really happening. EDITION I DAP 2020 p8 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION Tempering Expectations The defence sector has its work cut out in encouraging local manufacturing and acquiring cutting edge technology from overseas vendors

defence equipment can be bought from abroad, with the rest being manufactured in India. Foreign vendors are SYNERGIA FOUNDATION required to gradually move RESEARCH TEAM into domestic manufactur- ing through subsidiaries, ndia has ushered in a joint ventures, or production new regime for the pro- agencies in India. duction and acquisition The government is opti- of defence systems. Un- mistic that this provision, Iveiled amidst much fanfare, along with an earlier policy the Defence Acquisition Pro- that relaxed FDI limits (from cedure (DAP) 2020 seeks to 49 per cent to 74 per cent) streamline the procurement Defence Minister Rajnath Singh releases the New Defence Acquisition Procedure in the defence sector, will (DAP) at the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, in New Delhi. of defence equipment and encourage foreign original cut delays in the approval policy. veloped as part of the Indian equipment manufacturers of acquisition processes. The indigenous content Small Arms Systems (INSAS) (OEMs) to set up production Its biggest thrust, however, requirement has also been in the 1990s. in India. However, it is impor- is on the principles of ‘Aat- increased to 60 per cent Bearing this in mind, it tant to temper these expec- manirbhar Bharat’ (self-re- (from 40 per cent) for de- is important to ensure that tations. liance) and ‘Make in India’. fence products that have not Indian vendors can realisti- It must be remembered Through the DAP, the gov- been designed or developed cally pursue high levels of that the increase in the FDI ernment hopes to empower in India but have neverthe- indigenous content, without cap comes with a rider, domestic defence industries less been acquired from In- compromising on quality whereby all investments in and incentivise indigenous dian vendors. and a reasonable degree of the defence sector are sub- manufacturing. While it is desirable to cost-efficiency. This entails ject to pre-approval scrutiny progressively raise the in- hard choices on the core ca- as well as a post-approval BEING PRAGMATIC digenous content of defence pabilities that need to be pri- review on the grounds of equipment, this needs to oritised for indigenisation, as ‘national security’. Since this Among other things, the DAP be pragmatically weighed opposed to a ubiquitous ele- term has a broad conno- has exclusively reserved cat- against the variables of qual- vation of indigenous content tation, it impacts different egories of arms for Indian ity, time, and cost. Since In- for all products. ministries and departments vendors. It contains a stipu- dia lacks core capabilities in the government, ranging lation that products which and production expertise WHERE’S THE FDI BAIT? from defence to home. This, are indigenously designed, on various fronts, many of in turn, could result in un- developed and manufac- the inputs would have to be Even while emphasising necessary red tape, hardly tured in India, should contain developed for the first time. self-reliance, India’s defence the best bait for foreign in- at least 50 per cent of indig- If history is any indication, sector continues to be im- vestors. enous parts. In other words, such processes can be rid- port-dependent on a whole Furthermore, the DAP the monetary value of goods dled with quality issues, cost range of sophisticated weap- has retained an earlier pro- and services of Indian origin, escalations, and delayed im- onry. Acknowledging this, vision which restricts FDI in which go into the manufac- plementation. The develop- the DAP has introduced a strategic partnerships to 49 turing of the final defence ment of indigenous systems new provision for acquiring per cent. Strategic partner- equipment, should amount such as the ‘Arjun Tank’ or weapons and systems from ships denote a mechanism to at least 50 per cent of the the ‘HAL Tejas aircraft’ are foreign vendors, known as whereby Indian private sec- total contract value. This is notable examples. Another ‘Buy (Global-Manufacture in tor companies are permit- 10 per cent higher than what case in point is the 5.45 x 45 India)’. Under this category, ted to partner with foreign was stipulated in an earlier mm rifle, which had been de- only a minimum quantity of OEMs in manufacturing DAP 2020 EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p9 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

Products which are An earlier policy re- indigenously designed, The indigenous laxed FDI limits (from developed and manu- content require- 49 per cent to 74 per factured in India, ment has also been cent) in the defence should contain at least increased to 60 per sector. 50 per cent of indig- cent (from 40 per cent) enous parts. for defence products It is believed that the that have not been de- elimination of offsets This is 10 per cent signed or developed in will now reduce the higher than what was India but have never- purchase cost of de- stipulated in an earlier theless been acquired fence contracts by 8 policy. from Indian vendors. to 10 per cent. fighter aircraft, helicopters, ue was fixed at 30 per cent in the former category has voiced in relation to other ac- submarines, and armoured for defence deals above Rs. come in the wake of a report quisitions such as the EO/IR vehicles. Due to FDI limits, 2,000 crores. by the Comptroller and Au- recce system for Jaguar air- overseas vendors are con- In the current DAP, how- ditor General (CAG) of India, crafts, or the upgraded Mi- fined to small manufactur- ever, the scope of this offset which pointed out that many rage 2000 fighter jets. ing projects in these areas. has been considerably re- of the offset obligations in Experts also argue that The jury is out on whether duced. From now on, there existing defence contracts offset clauses have prompt- this will be a good enough in- is to be no offset require- were never discharged. The ed defence vendors to ‘load’ centive to persuade foreign ment in Inter-Governmental CAG cited the example of extra costs onto the final manufacturers to invest in Agreements (IGAs), Govern- the Rs. 60,000-crore Rafale contract value, in order to India. ment-to-Government (G2G) deal, in which the French air- recover the administrative Finally, the DAP has come contracts, and single-ven- craft manufacturer Dassault expenses inherent in dis- at a time of fiscal stress for dor transactions. The offset Aviation and missile maker charging offset obligations. the Ministry of Defence clause will, however, contin- MBDA, failed to transfer It is believed that the elimi- (MoD), aggravated by the ue to apply to international technology to India’s Defence nation of offsets will now COVID-19 pandemic and a deals that are competitive Research and Development reduce the purchase cost of stand-off with China. There and have multiple vendors Organisation (DRDO), as had defence contracts by 8 to 10 are concerns that fiscal con- vying for them. been previously agreed. In a per cent. However, a major- servatism might disrupt and The removal of offsets similar vein, criticisms can be ity of India’s defence imports delay acquisition proce- are fighter jets, helicopters dures. In this context, it be- and heavy artillery. These comes more difficult to con- Assessment are mostly acquired through vince investors that the MoD G2G mechanisms (like Amer- will have the wherewithal to Quality, cost, and timely weaponry to the world’s ica’s Foreign Military Sales) purchase their products if implementation are im- largest material buyers. or IGAs. A removal of offset they relocate to India. portant factors that need requirements, therefore, can to be balanced against The government needs impede the transfer of tech- OFF WITH OFFSETS the indigenisation of de- to critically revisit some nology (ToT) in these areas fence inputs. of the assumptions un- and undermine India’s bid to Offset guidelines have been derlying its indigenisation develop indigenous capabili- revised in the new DAP. Ear- For foreign investors to policy. There needs to be ties. lier, these guidelines had set up domestic manu- a structural overhaul of Finally, even though off- required foreign vendors to facturing, it is crucial to the ills that ail the Indian sets have been retained for invest a part of the contract eliminate red-tapism and defence industry, includ- competitive bidding, foreign value in India if government instil confidence in the ing underperforming ord- vendors can easily bypass entities outrightly purchased purchasing capacity of nance factories, red-tape, these requirements by lob- equipment from them. It was India’s defence industry. It and lack of functional bying their governments to believed that this could sub- is also important to build autonomy. The road to formulate G2G schemes. If stantially develop domestic a profile that rivals Russia, ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is a that happens, the entire ob- capabilities, transfer technol- China, and the Western long and winding one, be- jective of enhancing India’s ogy and generate employ- powers, in order to supply set with difficult choices. indigenous competence ment. In 2016, the offset val- would stand defeated. EDITION I DAP 2020 p10 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

Good news for the navy

have been earmarked for in- ing pushed forward by the In the new policy, the off- digenisation. The idea of this government, but thereafter set requirement has been is that foreign companies tie- to benefit from the manu- removed for Inter-Govern- up with Indian partners and facture of spares and the 30 mental Agreements, Gov- get into the manufacture of years of lifetime support that ernment-to-Government these spares, which would will be achieved. contracts and single ven- be used on board our ships. So, to us, it is a very good dor transactions. Since as- Vice Admiral D.M. Deshpande The reason why the for- step because we would be sets like submarines, air- AVSM, VSM (Retired) and the eign companies want to buying spares in India Rupee craft and tanks are largely former Controller of Warship Pro- duction and Acquisition (CWP&A) come into India is basically payment and not expend- acquired through such con- in the Indian Navy, shared his because the shipbuilding ing limited foreign currency. tracts, what alternatives views on the new Defence Ac- market in India, is right now Also, the various aspects does India have to build its quisition Procedure (2020) with Synergia Foundation. the most lucrative one in of custom duty clearance, indigenous capabilities in the entire world. We have placement of an export or- these areas? close to 50 ships which are der, and thereafter its execu- As regards the offsets, the he 2020 Defence Ac- to be ordered in the next ten tion, the timelines that we new policy talks about off- quisition Policy has years, and therefore, they save, when it is Indian manu- sets which would be exempt set ambitious tar- feel that this is the place they facture are far immense and in case of Govt to Govt (GTG) gets for indigenisa- need to have a presence in. outweighs the possibility of contracts and in case of a re- tionT of inputs. Does India’s Many foreign companies getting things from outside. sultant single vendor nomi- fiscal reality belie a realis- have already approached Therefore, for us, this pol- nation. To be frank with you, tic pursuit of these targets? Indian manufacturers of de- icy which states that there I got the first offsets for the On the first point, which is fence equipment especially should be tie-ups with Indian Navy about 15 years back, on the policy, as far as the in electronics, for tie-ups companies, is a big positive for a project which we built Navy is concerned, we have that not only tick-mark the move so far as the Navy is in Italy and till today, none of about 100 odd items which Make in India concept be- concerned. the offset obligations have DAP 2020 EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p11 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

fallen into place. nies jack up their price with debates on all the pluses One of the reasons I am a certain amount, about 7 to and minuses. Currently with thinking, because I was a 9 per cent, considering the this policy, for G2G and Sin- member of one these offset fact that they have to plough gle Vendor, it is a wait and policy committees, is that back that money into their watch; we will see how things in India, the offset clause of country. develop. The Rafale deal was 30% is in only defence manu- It is a good step, let G2G, most of our Russian facturing. This restricted the us wait and watch, Even though offsets have contracts were G2G, and re- foreign companies to come been retained for competi- sultant single vendors are to only PSUs, wherein their and time will tell if tive bidding, is it possible very far and few in between. orders books were comfort- it actually works for for private foreign vendors These are only for some ab- able. Private companies were us in terms of over- to sidestep this clause by solutely essential things, es- not keen on getting these all price reduction in pressuring their own gov- pecially in terms of missiles offset obligations. Though the original tender. ernments to formulate and things like that, wherein a few of them did come in, G2G schemes? certain platforms, particular- nothing actually came to fru- If we are going to In so far as the private sector ly in the Navy, can be taken ition. So, therefore, getting get something at a is concerned, where you are in from one specific country offsets only into defence was slightly lesser price, saying they would pressurise only. one big question mark and it would be worth it their govt to get the offsets It is a good step, let us wait generated a lot of debate. away; currently, the policy is and watch, and time will tell We looked at the Brazil- going to test the G2G as well if it actually works for us in ian model, wherein they had as single vendors on how the terms of overall price reduc- purchased certain subma- at great cost in Research and policy works without offsets. tion in the original tender. If rines and their offset clause Development (R&D) and thus If it works well, then some- we are going to get some- consisted of building a com- jeopardise its future global where down the line we can thing at a slightly lesser price, plete base for submarine op- operations. look at completely eliminat- it would be worth it, because erations and maintenance, So, offsets per se, at the ing the offsets or not re- offsets have absolutely not which included infrastruc- 30% level, has been some- stricting the offsets only to taken off in the past. ture and things like that. An- thing which has not been defence, but the offset could As regards the presump- other issue I would like to coming in and therefore, the come to any economic de- tion that private companies bring out is that offsets have first step that the govern- velopment of the country. would pressurise their gov- not got in the desired level ment has taken this time is For example, under the pres- ernments to convert their of technology that we were that, for G2G and for the sin- ent circumstances, the offset deals into G2G, this is some- looking at. No international gle vendor, we do away with could also be used for a CO- thing which is far more com- vendor of repute would part offsets. I think this is a good VID vaccine. This is the type plicated than it appears, and with the cutting-edge tech- move, because what hap- of thinking that has been go- we shall have to wait and nology that it has acquired, pens is most of the compa- ing on, and there have been watch how true it rings.

Indigenisation vs Military Preparedness

urrently, civilians an indicator. Let us wait for continue to han- the Finance Commission dle acquisitions, report. They have a specific while the Depart- Terms of Reference (ToR). mentC of Military Affairs Transfer of Technology (DMA) does preparedness. (ToT) has happened with- This dichotomy has to go. out offsets. Private industry Sanjay Mitra The armed forces should and foreign governments former Defence Secretary of India, shared his views on the handle acquisitions. Oth- are closely linked. Anything new Defence Acquisition erwise the blame game will ly, there is little apprecia- can happen. Finally, it will Procedure (2020) with Synergia Foundation. continue. Fiscal realities tion of the fiscal issues. The boil down to preparedness are obvious. Unfortunate- demand for 3% of GDP is vs indigenisation. EDITION I DAP 2020 p12 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

Offsets are not fructifying

able to find head room for offsets due from contracts to sidestep this clause by competitive tenders, it re- of major platforms were re- pressuring their own gov- mains to be seen whether ally not fructifying. Offset ernments to formulate the Army will be able to do so, banking and demands for G2G schemes? given the pressures of OROP technical services to be al- Quite obviously, the prefer- on its budget and, of late, the lowed by IOPs/Foreign OEMs ence for Foreign OEMs will emergent expenses of an ex- were essentially with a view be to seek the support of Subhash Chandra tended winter deployment in to circumvent sharing of their own governments to be former secretary, Department of the Ladakh region. Pandemic technology and setting up of included in G2G or IGA type Defence Production shared his views on the new Defence related slowdown may also manufacturing units. Given of arrangements. Most west- Acquisition Procedure (2020) impact defence allocations this mindset, it appears dif- ern countries have controls with Synergia Foundation. in the next budget, unless ficult to imagine whether the over their A&D industrial the gloomy projections of discharge of offsets would complexes to enforce a cali- growth are revised. Realisti- have taken place and in the brated TOT and prices. We he 2020 Defence Ac- cally speaking, targets will be manner that it was envis- have witnessed several high- quisition Policy has difficult to achieve. aged in the DOP. If offsets level visits actively promoting set ambitious tar- are to be limited to com- the sales of defence related gets for indigenisa- In the new policy, the off- petitive contracts, and pro- hardware, resulting in sign- tionT of inputs. Does India’s set requirement has been vided that leasing does not ing of contracts. As it is, only fiscal reality belie a real- removed for Inter-Govern- take away options, then the single bids are excluded from istic pursuit of these tar- mental Agreements, Gov- space available under offsets offsets. Therefore, it would gets? ernment-to-Government will be little. The only alterna- be natural for foreign OEMs Indigenization need not be contracts and single ven- tive will be to procure, since to take recourse to IGA/G2G directly linked to offsets. All dor transactions. Since as- the aerospace and defence routes and for governments existing defence platforms sets like submarines, air- industry is both high invest- to support them especially are not covered by offsets craft and tanks are largely ment and needs time for where technology stakes are too. Defence Offsets of re- acquired through such technology to be absorbed. high. Bids of a lower value or cent vintage do, however. Ac- contracts, what alterna- low technology transfer is- quisitions will depend upon tives does India have to Even though offsets have sues will not be included in the capital budget available build its indigenous capa- been retained for competi- such an approach. Or where for the Services. While IAF bilities in these areas? tive bidding, is it possible the multiplier available is and Navy budgets may be Frankly speaking, defence for private foreign vendors more advantageous. EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p13 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

Ethical SYNERGIA FOUNDATION RESEARCH TEAM Code for AI eralded as a futur- AI istic multinational framework and a in Defence global norm-setter Hin the military use of Artificial With the right resolve, ‘AI Intelligence (AI), the U.S. De- Partnership for Defence’ can partment of Defence (DoD) has launched its ‘AI Partner- become the precursor to a ship for Defence’ with military global framework on ethical and defence organisations uses of military AI across different countries. In the inaugural meeting host- ed by U.S.’s Joint Artificial In- telligence Centre (JAIC), this partnership has been touted as a forum to ideate the in- the data sets on which ma- corporation of ethical princi- on data, at a much faster chine learning is predicated, ples in AI delivery pipelines. pace than the average hu- to be biased or flawed. It also proposes to discuss man. As a result, countries To mitigate the adverse interoperability and data all over the world have been 48% consequences arising from sharing, while leveraging AI- exploring the possibility of of total equity funding of these scenarios, there is a enabled defence capabilities. affording more autonomy to AI start-ups globally came pressing need to determine This development has weapons systems. Although international guidelines or from China, compared come in the wake of an ear- this promises to reduce hu- ethical principles which gov- lier decision by the U.S. DoD man error and alleviate the to 38 per cent funded by ern the development and to formally adopt a set of val- ‘cognitive strain’ on soldiers, the US, and 13 per cent deployment of AI-enabled ues (responsibility, equitabil- there are several ethical and by the rest of the world military technologies. Oth- ity, traceability, reliability and legal concerns. erwise, it is a ticking time [SCMP inferred, from: Next Generation governance) that guide the Consider, for example, the Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, China] bomb. It remains to be seen building, testing, and deploy- case of a lethal autonomous whether the newly launched ment of American military AI. weapons system (LAWS). It partnership will adequately Now, with the newly formed will be able to select, detect, fill these shoes. partnership, the U.S. hopes and engage targets based mine military necessity; both to implement these norms on pre-programmed inputs, of which are important doc- COUNTERING globally and establish its sta- with little or no human in- trines that govern the lawful CHINA & RUSSIA? tus as a trustworthy ‘rule- tervention. This, in turn, can use of force. maker’ in the AI-enabled de- cause the weapons system Of course, LAWS is one of At present, the partnership fence sector. to fix targets that are not ap- the more extreme examples. comprises of a potpourri of proved by the military and It is true that military AI has traditional U.S. allies, includ- TIME BOMB execute unintended attacks. other applications ranging ing UK, Israel, Canada, Den- In fact, it is debatable wheth- from reconnaissance to lo- mark, Estonia, France, Nor- Given the rapidly evolving er LAWS can adequately gistics. For instance, it can way, Australia, Japan, South military uses of AI, the need comply with humanitarian aid intelligence efforts by Korea, Finland and Sweden. It to institute best practices laws at all. The ability of its working with big data and is being perceived as a coali- and adopt ethical principles algorithms to distinguish be- categorising images or texts. tion of ‘like-minded’ nations, can hardly be disputed. Due tween civilians and combat- However, the fact remains who offer a democratic al- to advances in machine ants is highly suspect. It is that such intelligence can ternative to the AI policies of learning, it has become pos- also uncertain whether it can eventually lead to systems Russia and China; countries sible for systems to analyse review the proportionality of that are devoid of human that have been criticised for and make decisions based ends and means or deter- control. It is also possible for developing, deploying, and EDITION I p14 NOVEMBER 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION

exporting AI systems in a deed, the newly formed part- From a political perspec- mats, throwing a spanner in manner contrary to human nership will have to make a tive, it is going to be an up- the works of data integra- rights and humanitarian law. concerted effort to walk the hill task to convince states tion. China, in particular, has talk on ethical military AI. to share military and intelli- Legal interoperability is been denounced by the gence data. While a military another issue. It is well estab- U.S. Secretary of Defense BAPTISM BY FIRE bloc like the NATO may be lished that AI technologies for using AI to create a sur- better positioned to imple- are data intensive. Partici- veillance state and export- At present, apart from allud- ment such a partnership, pating states generally have ing ‘Orwellian’ capabilities ing to a value-based approach even amidst its members, diverse legal obligations or to autocratic governments. for AI-enabled defence, there there might be apprehen- regulatory frameworks that This includes DN phenotyp- is very little information sions of the leakage of sensi- govern the flow of data. For ing to profile ethnic popula- about the specific framework tive data which, in turn, could instance, in non-military uses tions and predictive policing or functioning of the part- compromise their national of AI, the EU has sought to by algorithms. There are also nership. The JAIC personnel security. Even if some agree- assert its ‘technological sov- concerns that the Chinese have, however, stressed on ment was to be reached on ereignty’ by deliberately dis- military may deploy AI-en- the principles of data sharing data sharing, technical hur- tinguishing its data regula- abled weapons systems that and interoperability. These dles remain. The data might tions from that of America or are unreliable and have not are not without challenges. be stored in different for- China. It is entirely plausible been sufficiently tested in that this might be replicated operational conditions. Assessment in the context of military AI Even while chastising oth- as well. er countries for their alleg- Finally, there has been edly irresponsible conduct, it Since the future of war- lexicon needs to be devel- limited thinking in Europe is important for the ‘Western fare includes AI-enabled oped amongst participat- about the import of AI in mil- bloc’ to internally reflect on autonomous weapons, ing states. itary operations. The focus their own practices. History it is important for the has primarily been on the partnership to transcend In the long term, the is replete with instances of digital economic and social symbolic cooperation partnership should fa- legal and ethical violations spheres, with the possible and lay the groundwork cilitate a conversation on vis-à-vis conventional weap- exception of France, which for ethical applications of standards that govern the onry. Despite the existence published a military AI strat- military AI. This requires design and development of international conventions egy in 2019. In the UK, the both moral and intellec- of AI weapons systems. like the Arms Trade Treaty, discussion has been largely tual clarity. It is also im- Repeated testing and for example, western states limited to LAWS. Therefore, portant for the tech com- prototyping should be have continued to supply munity to be taken into emphasised. Command- to arrive at a comprehen- arms to parties who are confidence. ers and operators need sive multinational strategy not in compliance with the to be able to exercise ap- on military AI, the European laws of war or have commit- For the U.S. to spearhead propriate levels of human states will first need to delib- ted gross abuses of human such an initiative, it is judgement, irrespective erate on their own national rights. This raises serious important to identify and of advances in autono- policies. More broadly, the questions about the imple- work on the technical and mous military capabilities. success of the U.S.-led part- mentation of ethical guide- legal challenges inherent Periodic review or docu- nership will depend on the lines in relation to emerging in interoperability and mentation of legal and ability of its members to sur- forms of warfare, such as cy- data sharing. A common ethical gaps is also key. vive this baptism by fire. ber-attacks or military AI. In-

UPCOMING ROUND TABLE RACE TO THE VACCINE

We are delighted to continues around the world, vaccine could be disastrous announce our upcoming there is a need to have clarity and governments need to Round Table “RACE TO THE on fundamental questions. rise to the occasion. Estab- VACCINE” in collaboration Along with a road map for lishing the trust of citizens is 19 with the Blavatnik School of equitable delivery of the vac- essential and evolving stan- NOVEMBER Government at Oxford Uni- cine, there also needs to be dard global parameters to versity. a systematic international decide on the best vaccine exercise in co-ordinations. A and delivery modalities are 14:00hrs CET 08.00hrs EST 18:30hrs IST 13.00hrs UKT As the quest for a vaccine race of nationalism over the imperative. EDITION I NOVEMBER 2020 p15 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION More than sushi on his plate Apart from domestic economics, Suga has to exert leverage in the South China Sea to forge a loose coalition of likeminded South-East Asian nations

SYNERGIA FOUNDATION RESEARCH TEAM

r Yoshihito Su- ga’s elevation as the Prime Min- ister came at a Mtime when Japan is strug- gling with the after-effects of the pandemic and facing up to the rising belligerence of China in its immediate pe- riphery. Mr Suga’s ability in the complex field of foreign pol- icy is an unknown factor as till now he played a largely backstage role remaining in –step with his leader Prime Minister Abe. However, his opening moves on taking over are encouraging as he couraging sign and could act and the revision of Article NEIGHBOURS’ CHINA TIES chose Vietnam and Indone- as a catalyst to unite them. 9 of the Japanese Constitu- sia in his first round of inter- During his visit, Prime tion relating to using war as Vietnam and Chinese ties national visits as Japan’s new Minister Suga announced a means of settling interna- are a curious mix of antago- Prime Minister, following that Japan opposes any ac- tional disputes. nism and trade dependence. in the footsteps of his pre- tions that escalate tension He is expected to sign an China unilaterally occupied decessor Shinzo Abe. He is, in the East and South China agreement to export defence the Paracel Islands and took however, known for his com- Seas. However, it would be equipment and technology the next logical step in 2014 petence as a negotiator, who too optimist to hope for an to Vietnam. This could be by establishing it’s first indig- was integral in the success of “Asian NATO,” under Japan’s seen as a significant move to enously designed and con- the Trans-Pacific Partnership tutelage which already has strengthen the military capa- structed oil platform near (TPP), which came into force its plate full, trying to strike a bilities of South-east Asian the Paracels. When Vietnam on December 30, 2018. balance between the United partners, who are concerned objected calling it a violation His move to visit the States and China, with whom about China’s growing mari- of territorial waters, China South-east Asian nations can it is strongly linked economi- time power. In 2014, Mr. Abe brushed it aside. In 2017, be interpreted as a signal to cally. ended the pacifist nature of Beijing warned Hanoi that China to convey that its uni- Japan’s post World War II for- it would attack Vietnamese lateral moves in the South CLEAR INTENT eign policy by permitting the bases in the Spratly Islands China Sea would not be ig- export of weapons, to help if gas drilling continued in nored or conceded to. For Mr. Suga has already estab- Japan take on a larger role in the area, and through 2019 the hard-pressed South East lished that his term will focus regional security in the face and 2020, Chinese ships Asian nations, pushed to the on continuing the policies of of China. The same can be have continued attacking wall by Chinese hard power, the Abe administration — expected on his visit to Indo- and sinking Vietnamese fish- this would come as an en- which includes ‘Abenomics;’ nesia as well. ing and other vessels. On the p8 AUGUST 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION EDITION I EDITION V SEPTEMBER, 2020 p16 NOVEMBER 2020 SEPTEMBER, 2020 pp159 SYNERGIASYNERGIA FOUNDATIONFOUNDATION SYNERGIA FOUNDATION IT'S DAVID VS GOLIATH ON THE KAGAME’S LAND Rwandans have learnt the other hand, trade between While Vietnam and Indonesia IsraeliGuam inart the of Philippine pursuing ene Sea.- WORLD'S SOLARthe two continues to flourish.POWER Areceive Tutsi-ruled the most STAGE Rwanda help from has miesHowever, to their much last breath. work is Last still FACEBOOKWould India's 'One Sun One WorldVietnam’s One Grid' trade project deficit IN be fructuous with prosperedChina,A when Japan FACE-OFF China's under has contributed BRIthe is ironalready year,to well be anotherahead?done for dissident Japan to leadhold- China rose to $34.04 billion handsignificantly of Mr. Kagame, to their and econo is- erthe was fort bundled in either into the QUAD Kigali SYNERGIA FOUNDATION excess power bilaterally with The social media platform facesin allegations 2019, from of $24.15 not enforcing billion hateoftenmies speech andcalled has anand very “Israel fake strong newsin Afri ties - inor athe private ASEANBhutan andjet. nations, Nepal. Others In August or have for RESEARCH TEAM rules and siding with administrationsin 2018. for It reliesbusiness on China interests for ca.”with It most has one Southeast of the fastest- Nation beenthe organisations jailed,2018, India and also at signed totimes be an MoUpurable - growing economies in Africa sued infor foreign grid interconnections lands where between materials and equipment, countries. A report by the to standthe up members to China. of BIMSTEC (India, ndia’s 'One Sun One World and is reputedly one of the they have died mysterious AnOne estimated Grid' (OSOWOG) US$3.37 initiative making Beijing its largest ASEAN Studies Centre shows Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, best places to do business deaths. Thailand A former Bhutan and Rwandan Nepal). trillionhas started worth calling outof for global bids consequenttrading public scrutiny partner. resulted Cambodia,crafted its rules that and algorithmsJapan to is one of the most T.M.to VEERARAGHAV kickstart the programme. spy chief and a critic, Patrick trade passes through in promises to curb fake information his favour. Despite a instrong the denial world of (in the World However, some other grid IThe vision behind it is that ‘The and hate however, speeches, allegations has that backedany such China, “deal’ by itstrusted founder Mark nations in the re- Assessment Bank’s 2019 ‘Doing Business’ Karegeyainterconnection who fled plans haveto been South theConsultingSun NeverSouth Editor, Sets’, Chinaas the grid plansSea Facebook has been soft on President Zuckerberg, the platform continues All stakeholders Synergia Foundation due to the anti-Vietnamese gion. Its capacity-building unsuccessful, such as that of annually,to be lit up by thewhich sun at some ac - Trump continue to this day. to face criticism. report, it ranked 29th out of Africa, was strangled in a ho- geographical location, globally, at In fact,sentiment a civil rights audit of con - earlier wars 190assistance countries). programmemust come set tel Post-WWII roomtogetherthe Greaterin 2004; restrictions Mekong a toSubregion former countsany given pointfor of a time. third It aims of to theducted by two U.S.-based lawyers (GMS) interconnection, running concludedand that the “while occupation the audit HATE of Cam SPEECH- up INHowever, inINDIA 2012 all by is the not Ministry hunky- Ministeron Japan’sthrough living Thailand, foreign in exile Laos, pol inVietnam, -Bel- globalfirst connect maritime India with Southeast trade. fight misinformation Asia, andhe then power the Middle that platforms East and process has been meaningful, and In India, Facebook hasdory been atwith the this small East- gium drownedand China. It in is plagueda canal; by poor an - like Facebook have over has led to bodiasome significant after improve the- removalcentre of a of controversy of Defence, after The which prioritises icy outreach, prevent- continuedAfrica to the west. to Thelive Ministry in obscurity als.” Mr. Kagame called him infrastructure and low volumes the dissemination of in- ments in thethe platform, Khmer we have Rouge. also Wall Street JournalCentralSouth-east published anAfrican Asian nation. partners, This(H.R.Venkatesh othering is Director, it fugitiveof from electricity Training indulging Ministerdespite and Research having wasbeen inof Kigali,New andformation Renewable faced and aEnergy moulding number watched of thea company “manufactured make painful investigation hero [...] claiming that the com- (MNRE) has invited proposals for Indonesia has also been a ethnicallyalso focuses torn on collaborating nation, deat BOOM- Factcheckshotin inmilitaristic which aroundKenya, is a since signatory and thepolicies, late to a the 1990s. former The of public opinion is well decisions over the last nine months pany’s public policy head for India International fact checkingidea of network. a South He Asian shared energy grid, documented.assassinationmaking a long-term This is precisely OSOWOG attempts. why with In real-worldmade consequences in Europe that or andAmerica”. South Asia, Ankhispite Das, violated its outward calm and army chief was shot in South T strong voice for the ASEAN. It on maritime law. his thoughts withfacilitated Synergia)proposed peace by SAARC inin 2004, the also there1996,roadmap is a risinghe and escapeddemand figuring that out there totwo beUgandaor are serious In setbacks 2007, for civilhe rights”.was accusedhate speech of firules- andprogress, refused to act remains one of the Africa. In 2014, a popular a strongthree cross-border filter and censoring projects mecha that - And therewas are the now main serious alledriver- against for postsASE put- up by T.Under Raja Singh, Mr. Abe, Japan ad- Pacificremains region just that. and gave nismsandcan betofrom curbinitiated fake there soon,information, “preferably to hateBelgium gations of nancingFacebook having rebel a “deal” groupsa legislator in east of - the rulingmost Bharatiya complex Cansocieties we expect neutralityin gospel from platformssinger Mihigo like Facebook? was ar- AN’s outlook on the Indo-Pa- opted a more aggressive a boost to economic speeches,whereone with and heeach abusive was of the Middlegrantedcontent East, over politiwith -Presidentern Trump Congo. and that it has JanataAfrica Party inand the its contemporaryNo, I doubt you can expectrested neutrality for of treasonthe platform. and I fear died socialSouth media East platforms. and Africa regions, cific in 2019. Early this year,southern foreign state policy of asthat thenothing threat short of a leaguegrowth of nationsCONCLUSION amidst led by the the right calRecently, asylum. a Cambodian Buddhist During his initial court Telangana.politics and society continue in police custody. considering India as the grid leadership can bring about changecountries in Facebook. of SE At Asia. the root monkfulcrumOften and for human these called identified rights crusader a pilots”. “Rwan - hearingsIndonesian in and Kigali, Chinese Mr. Rusves- Thetoposed be report undermined by al- Chinaof the grew, by problem forces and is its business model that• There uses is humanthe question beings of Luon Sovath had to flee his country leges that no action dan Oskar Schindler” of esabaginasels were involved accepted in a his stand role- the U.S. becameas raw less material. reli - However,whether with there China’sis even a need after a smear campaign on Facebook was beyond taken despite its control. for such a centralised grid. With thatWhile led this to himis quite being a feat, defrocked there is by those within the or- aggressive efforts to ‘Schindler’s List’ fame, Paul inoff, the to creationwhich Jakarta of respondthe Na- ableMr. as Kagame a security won partner. power- the advent of efficient batteries a80 another government-controlled percent that rivals of it — China’s China’s religious ganisation, pointing How can the issue be addressed?Conclusion Rusesabagina established a tionalFACEBOOK, Liberation Front (NLF) establishlike the its lithium-ion hegemony and others, council.Global A Energy New York Interconnection Times investiga - ed by deploying F-16 fightersout fulHe that turned friends his com- his and brandThe benefactors fight ofagainst Source:eco misinformation Synergia- Foundation is a multi-pronged battle energy imports and 39.5 AND THE tionnon-profit(GEI) revealed that is part that of government thegroup Belt em called- the to assist Rwandan refugees ments on Rohingya with at least five prongs thatin should the engage thereregion, is simultaneously.the capacityJapan to has store India couldand COMPANY-be a navalprime source ships. In seen May, as a potential In- —nomic rivals the to the policies Clintons,to funding, into the and Gates,what’s cheaper supply energy cheaply and efficiently. ployeesperand Roadcent in the Initiative country of China’s (BRI). were GEIinvolved is, total OWNED refugees were a clear These five prongs include theNo media, doubt, policy Mr. (government), Kagame the in‘Hotel the creation Rwanda of fake accounts Rusesabagina and for investors, but with said the potentialhe never supportedviolationWorld Bank of the and company’s IMF.and Tony policies Blairchains. —and funds the potentialEventually, withto actstrong as tradehowever, passes more than athrough few steps the donesiaMESSAGING rejected Beijing’s known as Abenomics,tech platforms which themselves, has academicians been a (or saviour universities) of and postingFoundation’.ahead doctoredof India’s plan. videos According China on has Face - to toits attract violence. US$SERVICE, 10 billion Theannual Rwandanand could gov lead -to real-worldflowed violence. in. Whilefinally, he civilwas society. suc- In other words,a balancer wedecentralised need andeveryone. solarbring It’sprojects only in book to malign the monk, who had claimsWHATSAPP, in ARE the South ChinaSubsequent Sea to theMr. report, Suga which helped develop. Mr each country, there may be no taxSouthalready returns, signed China 31 agreements the Sea. foundation with investments ernment as per the Bank classified of The the catch lies NLFin the fact that Chinawhen has we the engage added advantagewith all these Rwanda, stakeholders making that we it one spentcountries decades for GEI fighting and set for up human seven America’s Aglobal BACKBONE head of energy ledIndia to imports a furore most by Oppositioncessful of its solar parin- reducingof itswill powerful succeed. poverty renminbi (RMB) stabilityneed in for the large region. power plants rights[United and Nations oppose Conference Prime Minister on Trade at FOR the THE UN. However,ties and during activists, FacebookAbe has finally left a strong legacy of the best-run coun- collectedoffices worldwide. over $200,000 beand- renewablea terrorist business. Aorganisation recent panel materialand fromand China running due awhich comparatively is increasingly being used HunAnd Sen.Development] RULING PARTY’S banned Mr. Raja Singh. However, the analysis theby IRENA pandemic, found that Indonesiato the cheaper has cost.for Solar Mr cells Suga across to build the region. upon. Malaysia's RMBtries in •Africa. It is clear that Rwan for India- to tweenThe fact 2005 that and the 2007. blamedSOCIAL MEDIA it for many killingsissue runs“clean” far deeper government, he is While Japan has been INDIA’S SOLAR POWER the costs forCAMPAIGN setting up solar PV and modules worth US$ 1,179.89 use grew by 214% over the last dan troops,step up itstrained goal of being by the monk’sIn 2005, reputation Mr. was Rusesabagina alongreceived its porous help from border China with inas thereaccusedMr. are Suga allega - isof nowauthoritarian faced with- solar power generator of the destroyed in a matter of projects have dropped by about million weretions imported that the from company China ‘NEEDthree years, TO Russia's DO MORE’ by 56%, and projecting its participa- Americans,world, itare needs greatly to increase dayswasThere is awardedtestimony are multiple to thefacets the at U.S. play Presi80%- in IndiaDRC.the between form 2010 of andmedical in aid the first and hasnine beenmonthsismthe soft toughof and onFY 2019-other excesses. job Thailand’sof bringing His by 50%. army out ASSESSMENT intion demand inits the domestic inQuad peace manufacturing as -a powerdentialhere: ofwhether theMedal mediumcountries of Freedom,would 2018.its Yet,supplies. IndiaOne is not in of Chinaa place, the on makes high-profile20, according up 24leaders to R.K. regularlyhugeof theSingh, party the fiscal and raidsWhile borderand the recent areasmonetary episode led to andagree how to this administra initiative- based its own, to fund massive projects Minister foreven Renewable aided the Energy party’s. anGeopolitical admission tensions by Facebook will also that keeping itcollaboration for operations solar modules, of like- as wellby as highest civilian award, and in43,000 Tutsi survivors from Hotel Mark Zuckerberg’s creation is the tionson their with own technological regional energy such as theper OSOWOG cent in of other Indonesia’s Additionally, total2019 this expansionofstimulus election the camDRC - measures in“needscome hot into to pursuit do play, to more” and prop potentialof to curb hate ancillary products like lithium- and financial resources CRORE FB INVESTMENT IN JIO paign. It is no secret speeches in India, there has been noECOWASminded oneion in nations,batteries.as the also eye of There theby and storm,must the be but a 2006,demands? he Would published countries be his memcountries.- des Mille Collines waswas Odette created mostly Hutu by private rebels andcandidates is accusedwill be forced to make a the core issue is the power that can abuse it. trade and is also its largestthat Facebook,up growth. and the Onsystemic his changes plate or are actions taken strong strategy on long-term able to fund it along with India? companies, some of whom are choice between the two rivals, IndiaUN,not forana privatetheiranti-China entity profes has. The co- founda-- oirs ‘An Ordinary Man’, which Nyiramilimo, a Senator andcompany-owned of killings, mes- rapes,internally. and Opposition looting. leaders and And what will be the supply chains “It is a longtrading political process.partner. It private equity-funded,immediate rather than concernsand China. such as tiondevelopment of this problem in line expands with to 300+mn saging service, What- activists have explicitly demandedsionalism.alition, it is However, time that ALLEGATIONScriticisedinvolved? Rwanda under Mrinvolves formerFACEBOOKcountries ceding USERS Minister a bit of forby the Social government. Political power is con- allthe such ISA’s platforms, goals that and address there is a sApp, arethe a backbonepandemicthe and removal the of Ms. Tokyo Das from her po-the oppressive poli- Paul Kagame. In 2007, he alsotheir sovereigntyAffairs to a supranational between 2000 and The success of the OSOWOG Japanneed playedprice for competitiveness a systemic a greater response. and OF A ‘DEAL’ for the ruling party’scentrated social media in sition,the buthands that seems of unlikely. a profitability.Campaigns India demandingis largely an International Solar Alliance (ISA) authority400+ thatJAPAN’S will overseemn ROLE the grid,” campaign.India has Whiletried to all foster Olympics. political a domestic parties projectThe companywill largely alsodepend has on huge thecies, leadership largely roleignored to by reported President Kagame WHATSAPP2003. USERS “There is no denying small clique owing allegiance greaterenergy accountability deficient nation, by these and or- WITHis an India-based TRUMP organisation that says Aditya Valiathan Pillai, a senior usesolar these industry platforms, by imposing the BJP a two- has businessrelationship interests between in India, India and and it has Japan is also part of the the powerfulganisationsthere is the can western added only have incentive limited toTheis pushing an Ministry international this project. of It isGeologi the first tribunal -researcher that at the Mr. Centre Rusesabagina for Policy masteredyear risked levy theon imports, art ofto disseminating yet Mr. domestic Kagame. lobbiedthe countriesElections, to be on in the question. right in side A World of theexpand Quad. Its out- IN INDIA world,success stillto generate and,guilt-ridden ironically, jobs in the even energy their Givenoftreaty-led war that power,crimes multilateral it is alarming in organisation Rwanda when forResearch hisA (CPR) more life to The to proactiveKen. provide refuge Japanmessagesmanufacturing caninfor social has mediaannual not taken as early off as Malabaron administration.Bank-sponsored naval There report ex are- onnearly power 300 reach ability can to encouragecreate a mark on social cal Resources and Mining which Mr. Kagame routinely sector thereatrocitiesto be are headquartered allegations committed that in India Facebook and by the mybe seen family as and a uniting me andthe thatforce 2014 greatmany election for a scale. campaign. ercise, It is only alongmillion sector with users integration Australia, of Facebook summed and up more forSE itsAsian medianonchalance countrieswill depend on algorithms likedur - activelyofplans the colludesto mobilisePeople’s with US$ a ruling 1 trillion Republic dispen in - The ISA is also pushing for the getting bettergets with time! 99 per than centthe 400reality votes,million in 2010. on are“IfWhatsApp. there is one Fur- of a Facebook! ing the •1994 The policy massacres, approach should sationofRPF.investments China allowing by hateestimated 2030. speeches India also to be hasthat formationVIOLENCEothers,”the of a ASEAN US$10 billion she countries, World told TheVYING who EastFOR Facebookall THE PIElargelyIndia has consis andconsidered- thether,overriding it U.S.,has also requirementa made whichsham a humungous for regionalVietnam, Given Indonesia the global nature and of widely distributed through tently faced allegations of Rs. 43,000 crore investment in Reli- thesebe to organisations, ensure domestic it is impera- one of the largest interconnected Solar Bank (WSB), in collaborationPROTEST integration to be successful, it is make it almost impossi- itsthe platform.The South Rwandan In theChina 2016 government Sea mayHATE SPEECH African.depend on However, China for now trade.siding she with theandtakes ruling constitutional placeparty ance-owned along some changestelecom, Jio of platform. 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Several cerns over the impartiality of thebetween thewith same the more ethical Tutsis waivers standards and and easier are localleaderboard media from 10th described worldwide Mr.30% stakehis in WSB,soul” amounting to the to French,strengthen “who its importance in the neighbours.” followed irrespective of the coun- overof crude the spread oil, of ‘fakewhereas the Vietnam, and Indonesialeading — publicationsinterruptedroutes. have The tilldrillsplatform 2034. have to political previ forces,- be it inare convincedloans. The focus that has itto beis on in 2014 to 5th position, according a US$ 3 billion commitment. This region, especially against China’s the Hutustry of operation. from Ultimately,being hate news’Rusesabagina on Facebook, andas “a man who promised him financialcarried gain reports, There specifically is noIndia tolerance or the U.S. But for there is little creating an end-to-end solar thenoilto therich the International Cambridge country Ana Renewable- of Kuwait comes inhave the backdrop had ofmaritime Beijing standoffsGEI. 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While energy the sector in New Development Bank (NDB), case up,mentarians. along with greater access Facebook.sharing ventures where it shares

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