Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a two-day national workshop on earthquake preparedness in India on October 25 and 26, 2018. This workshop was organised in association with the Policy Perspectives Foundation (PPF) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
.. An alternate narrative needs to be created in universities and colleges of J&K to counter lies peddled by cross-border actors. Think-tanks, research forums, youth forums or inter-faith dialogue bodies and cultural interaction clubs can be created to challenge dominant narratives of Jihad and the hypocrisy of radical Islamists .. the option of a sub-conventional/hybrid war should be explored .. (because) India’s strong and aggressive force-posture .. (and) response plays an important role in clearing the smokescreens of confusion in a Kashmiri mind ..
India is one of the largest importers of defence equipment in the world. Compelled by the need of modernise its armed forces, India will be importing billions of dollars worth of equipment in the next ten years. The growing dependence on imported defence equipment and technologies not only places heavy burden on financial resources, it also impacts national security adversely. There is an urgent need for accelerating the tempo of indigenisation of defence production.
India has to be militarily powerful to be a meaningful player in international politics. As the world’s fifth largest economy, it must be a secure nation to deter her enemies. India’s Poet Laureate Dr. Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, in his poem quoted above, has correctly observed that only the powerful possess the ability to pardon someone and that no one cares for the weak or toothless.
… motto of NCC, ‘Unity & Discipline’, is committed to the empowerment of youth .. making invaluable contributions towards nation building ... it flags two vital issues of contemporary concern .. united and disciplined citizenry would be central to the realisation of India’s dreams of emerging as a secure and prosperous nation .. NCC can play a role with some modifications to its curriculum and provision of some additionalities ..
As a part of Vivekananda International Foundatio’s (VIF) longest running series of lectures, Vimarsha, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Finance and Health, Government of Assam, was invited to deliberate upon India’s strategically important North-East, both from national and regional perspectives. The topic under discussion ‘India’s North-East: From Periphery to the Core’ was highly pertinent, especially keeping in view the newly introduced Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that has euphemistically put the North-East’s politics on a roller-coaster.
... the 26/11 attack occurred because India invested heavily in two components of counter-terrorism: international diplomacy and domestic intelligence, but neglected a third: covert retaliatory capability ... as long as Pakistan exists, there will always be a state-driven component to terrorism that strikes at India from overseas ...
… Left Wing Extremism is recognised as one of the most serious threats, not only to India’s internal security but indeed to the very basic values of the democratic, pluralistic political order enshrined in our Constitution. Apart from heavy casualties, it has also caused massive damage to government and private property ..
… there is no place for wasteful expenditure. Indigenization must be the preferred option so that defense expenditure generates employment, helps in earning foreign exchange and sharpens our technology as also learning curve ...
Shri DC Pathak, Former Chairman, JIC and former Director, Intelligence Bureau, delivered a talk at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on the theme, ‘Handling Radicalisation – a Prime Threat’.