The way projects are being cleared and products are being de-licensed, I think current setup will work for a while.
That's not going to work, since most of the projects that were cleared by the new MoD, were already cleared by the last one and just pushed into the new FY after the elections. Avro replacement, Barak missiles, A330MRTTs, Apache and Chinnok helicopters..., but non of them went further to an actual procurement so far, nor were new clearances made. The only actual changes we have seen from the MoD, is the change of the banning policy, which is a good move if it works in combination with a tougher punishment for those that actually was caught for corruption issues and the scrapping of running tenders, to divert licence production to privat industry. That however is counter productive for our forces and only shows the policy of the PM on the economic front. A propper DM would have taken the concerns of the forces about faster modernisations more seriously and would not further delay crucial procurements.
I would like to throw this in the mix and highlight it:
Now usually this would be a role played by the DM so it seems that there is a unconventional hierarchy/stragey at work here involving the PM, Jaitley and NSA Dovel. Seems like it could be a pretty decent formula for success
Unconventional, but how can it be good when the leader of a country, diverts the crisis management to an advisor? We are not talking about giving national disaster management the control over all assets to deal with the floods or the coming storm. This is a matter of defence and foreign politics, so at least in my understanding, the PM now should work closely with the Defence and Foreign minister to work on solutions, while advisers would support them in decision making!
Wasn't that even why Modi was elected? Because he is suppose to be a strong and decisive leader in crisis situations? So how does diverting the first main crisis away from him, fit to that picture? What's even worse is, that this once again shows how little importance actual ministers have in the current government, when the DM is virtually sidelined to deal with the media only, while crisis / defence management will be done by others. Not to mention what this shows to our enemy's about the governments reaction process in such a crisis.
German chancellor Merkel is not a very charismatic person and not very open to the public either. She is known for keeping her options open and not jumping into action so easily, which sometimes is also cause for criticism. But no matter if in Germany or for the EU, when there is a crisis, everybody knows that
she is in control and that
she will manage it! That's what the people expect right?
Perhaps there is an alternative narrative as to why the portfolio is being kept close to the heart. Could be a wish to ensure first say and avoid micro-managing a person in what are essentially very sensitive issues.
That's what I think too, as said above he wants to push his economic ideas through and that even in the defence field, which is not even bad, since the former MoD started the same policy anyway. But if you look only at the economic benefits and ignore the problems of the forces, by delaying the modernisation, that's an issue.
He could have implemented and pushed the policy for every new tender for example, while taking actual decisions to procure arms in the tenders that were waiting for a winner. LUH, SSK, possibly NMHR, M777, all important modernisations that were evaluated and ready for a final selection, but most of them might be delayed over years now, thanks to the recent changes. So he might get what he wants by keeping the defence under his control, but that's not necessarily what the forces wanted or hoped for.
May be Modi can handle DM directly and appoint a Mos whom he can review directly.......
As I recently said in a sarcastic way, that's what Saddam Hussein did basically too, appointing puppets for the public, while remaining with the control of the ministry and he was a dictator.
