Kumar - India’s national security : annual review 2016-17

The global security environment in the last five years has been characterised by a state of no war, no peace among major powers, resulting in a state of uncertainty about their national security objectives. For instance, the US has been concerned about the attitudes of Iran, Russia, North Korea, China, and others, and yet did not expect a direct military conflict with them. On the other hand, China has expanded its naval strategy from a mere off-shore defence to open seas protection and has called for both defence and offence instead of merely territorial air defence, thereby indicating preparedness for the possibility of a military confrontation.

The major powers have been thus groping for suitable responses to their threat perceptions. It is in this kind of a complex and confusing international environment that India, as a rising power, has been called upon to wade through its strategic partnerships with major powers and nurture friendships with various Asian and African countries.

This sixteenth volume of Indias National Security Annual Review offers indispensable information and evaluation on matters pertaining to national security. It undertakes a thorough analysis of the trends to provide a backdrop to Indias engagement with various countries. The volume also discusses persisting threats from China and Pakistan.

With contributions from experts from the fields of diplomacy, academia, and civil and military services, the book will be one of the most dependable sources of analyses for scholars of international relations, foreign policy, defence and strategic studies, and political science, and practitioners alike.

Satish Kumar is former Professor of Diplomacy at Jawaharlal Nehru University and currently Director at the Foundation for National Security Research, New Delhi, India.

As in previous years, it is an invaluable compendium of analysis on matters relating to our national security.

M. Hamid Ansari, former Vice President of India

This edited collection of essays harnesses insights from national security practitioners defence personnel, diplomats, intelligence officers, business leaders and academics to offer a snapshot of Indias security domain(s).

Rina Kashyap, Head of Department of Political Science, Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, India (in the Financial Express)

This series is unique in two ways: first, this presents authoritative assessments on the complex and evolving security environment in India, indicating both challenges and opportunities and second, it serves as a channel for offering the views of experts on important security issues to the policy makers, opinion shapers and scholars.

S. D. Pradhan, Former Deputy National Security Advisor, Government of India (in the Asian Age)

This publication has consistently addressed issues related to Indias national security in a comprehensive manner. My compliments to the editor and members of the editorial board for the efforts in compiling this publication.

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff of India

The annual INSAR has established itself as an indispensable reference document on Indias foreign and security policies for foreign affairs scholars and practitioners alike.

Shyam Saran, Former Chairman, National Security Advisory Board, Government of India

This series, Indias National Security Annual Review, was conceptualised in the year 2000 in the wake of Indias nuclear tests and the Kargil War in order to provide an in-depth and holistic assessment of national security threats and challenges and to enhance the level of national security consciousness in the country. The first volume was published in 2001. Since then, fifteen volumes have been published consecutively. This series has become an indispensable source of reference and analysis on issues of critical importance to Indias national security.

Edited by

Satish Kumar

First published 2018
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2018 selection and editorial matter, Satish Kumar; individual chapters, the contributors

The right of Satish Kumar to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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ISBN: 978-1-138-57897-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-24081-9 (ebk)

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