Intelligence & National Security Discussion

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ramana
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by ramana »

Have been waiting for over 12 long years for this Japanese visit.
shyamd
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

India To Get New Intel Chiefs
The Indian government has an onerous task on its hands: to name new chiefs to its three premier Central agencies – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The government is likely to announce the appointments very soon.

RAW is India’s external intelligence agency, not unlike the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), albeit the CIA has far more power, funds and personnel at its disposal. IB is India’s internal intelligence agency, while the CBI is an investigative agency. In many ways, IB and the CBI combines the responsibilities and duties of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the U.S.

The importance of these three agencies for the Indian government cannot be overstated. RAW and IB have a direct bearing on Indian national security. Their professional rivalries are legendary and they often times resisting sharing intelligence with each other. In fact, this debilitating factor was criticized at length by the Kargil Review Committee, headed by the late K Subrahmanyam, which was set after the 1999 Kargil War.

In contrast to the secrecy that pervades RAQ and IB, the CBI has been a very visible public presence. Because the CBI, unlike RAW and IB, is a prosecuting agency, it has to maintain a public profile through such activities as holding regular media briefings.

There is another important difference between the CBI on the one hand and RAW and IB on the other. The CBI is a politically-loaded agency and is often seen as a tool of government in power, much to the disdain of the opposition parties.

The CBI’s political clout has increased enormously over the years, particularly in the current tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The UPA II has witnessed some high-profile scams like 2G telecom auctions, massive financial irregularities concerning the Commonwealth Games at Delhi and the coal blocks auction scam, popularly referred to in India as Coalgate. Sitting ministers, members of parliament, political leaders and corporate supports have been fingered in these scams which are investigated by the CBI.

However, recently activist Indian courts, led by the Supreme Court, have been monitoring several important cases being investigated by the CBI. This has strengthened the CBI’s autonomy from the sitting government as the agency has been directed to give regular status reports to the courts directly.

The current chiefs of RAW, IB and CBI – Sanjeev Tripathi, Nehchal Sandhu and Amar Pratap Singh respectively – are all set to retire by the end of the year. Of the three officers, IB’s Sandhu appears to be the only one who is likely to get an extension and even this will only be for three months. Sandhu’s stock is the highest among these officers. His prominence rose sharply after Saudi Arabia deported the terrorist leader, Abu Jundal, in June of this year, which gave India more leverage in dealing with Pakistan. Sandhu’s possible successors include both of the current Special Directors: Ram Niwas Gupta, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from Himachal Pradesh or Yashovardhan Azad, another IPS officer.

The most likely candidate to succeed the current RAW Chief is Alok Joshi. Of the three agencies which are going to see changes at the top, RAW is the only one where the succession process appears to be smooth and hassle-free. Joshi’s resume has one especially noteworthy qualification for the Manmohan Singh government—he previously served as the RAW station head in Nepal, an important country for any Indian government.

There are many individuals contending for the post of CBI Chief. These include Ranjit Sinha, currently the head of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), CBI special director VK Gupta and National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief SC Sinha. The present incumbent, AP Singh, may get a lucrative post-retirement assignment if he is called upon to head the soon-to-be-created investigation wing of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Singh’s seen as extremely qualified for this position because he has handled a large number of high-profile cases like 2G, Commonwealth Games, Coalgate and Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, ever since he took over as the CBI chief in November 2010. During this time he has also helped improve the CBI’s conviction rate.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by sum »

First NTRO station set up in Chhattisgarh
The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) station will act as a gateway for acquiring satellite data and pass them on to ground patrol parties

The country’s specialised snoop department, NTRO has set up its first base in a naxal hotbed in Chhattisgarh to monitor the movement of armed Maoist cadres and fly ten Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to help security forces to track them.

This key project has been operationalised with the establishment of five satellite-linked terminal stations at a designated location in the state by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) with the help of paramilitary CRPF.

Sources involved in the technical department of the base station said CRPF has now linked the operations of its ten UAVs with the new NTRO facility which will function round-the-clock.

The NTRO station will act as a gateway for acquiring satellite data and pass them on to ground patrol parties. The UAVs can then be operated in specified areas.

The centre also has the facility to analyse information about geographical features, weather, available troop reinforcements and logistics before the on-field commanders undertake an operation, they said.

The facility, which is manned by NTRO-trained CRPF ’Signals’ officials, will also share intelligence and geographical information with the NTRO headquarter in Delhi.

“The activation of the five V-SAT terminals for NTRO is expected to provide an edge to security force operations in difficult terrains where Maoist ambushes and IED blasts are a major threat to the troops. The UAVs can be given real time satellite information through the centre,” the sources said
Good stuff
sum
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by sum »

After Army, CRPF plans air wing; to hire two choppers
The CRPF has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking their nod to hire two choppers for operational purposes. The para-military force has already raised its intelligence wing and has hired 2,000 people for the purpose of information gathering.

"We have already forwarded a proposal to Ministry of Home Affairs for hiring two helicopters which will be maintained and controlled by the CRPF. As of now mostly two types of helicopters are being used - MI17 and Dhurv.

We have experienced problems with MI17 since it cannot fly in the cloudy weather and it has delayed deployment in the past," CRPF DG Pranav Sahay told reporters at the 73rd annual press conference.
But the interesting part:
The biggest para-military force is also strengthening its intelligence wing, formed four months ago, after Bijapur encounter controversy where they allegedly killed innocent tribal villagers.

The CRPF DG said so far they have recruited 2000 intelligence personnel at various ranks under its own unit.

"The separate unit was formed four months back. On an average each battalion now has 8 intelligence personnel attached to it. They primarily coordinate with state and central intelligence units. It also generates intelligence for proposed operation," Sahay said.
I had thought they had this wing running when they had taken over from the BSF/ "G"-Branch in Srinagar few years back. So, CRPF was without a intel wing till now?
ramana
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by ramana »

Rabinder Singh episode shows the dichotomy between internal security (catching spies) and counter intelligence (feeding crap and ferreting enemies). The former lost out to the latter.
Wonder if they fed some bogus stuff.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by VinodTK »

1962 can be repeated
We call them the peripheral people. They are seen with some sort of distrust and even their loyalties towards the Indian state are questioned. Worse, they are being neglected even 65 years after Independence. “We don’t have roads. We don’t have electricity. What all are taken for granted in other States, are difficult to get here,” says Kiren Rijiju, the 40-year-old firebrand politician from Arunachal Pradesh who has earned the title of being “the most hated Indian” among the Chinese for his pro-India stand. His integrity is absolute. But he is hurt. “At times I believe the Indian state thinks we will change our loyalties if modernisation comes to the hills. The Centre doesn’t trust us,” he says.

And it’s not just about Arunachal Pradesh, about which Rijiju says there’s “100 per cent devotion for the country”. The hurt could also be seen in Ladakh, another theatre of the 1962 war, where this writer spent most of his last week. “People have started questioning the Government’s indifference for the region. With China modernising its border areas, we now see flashy roads, non-stop electricity and better lifestyle on the other side of the McMahon Line. In fact, most of the Chinese efforts aim at making us realise the folly of being loyal towards India. It’s like saying: ‘What have you got through patriotism?’ Some of our men have crossed over to China. They are believed to have been recruited in the Chinese Army and would soon be fighting their own people,” says a member of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, willing to be anonymous.
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shyamd
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

Interesting article
Petraeus’s Quieter Style at C.I.A. Leaves Void on Libya Furor
By SCOTT SHANE
WASHINGTON — In 14 months as C.I.A. director, David H. Petraeus has shunned the spotlight he once courted as America’s most famous general. His low-profile style has won the loyalty of the White House, easing old tensions with President Obama, and he has overcome some of the skepticism he faced from the agency’s work force, which is always wary of the military brass.

But since an attack killed four Americans seven weeks ago in Benghazi, Libya, his deliberately low profile, and the C.I.A.’s penchant for secrecy, have left a void that has been filled by a news media and Congressional furor over whether it could have been prevented. Rather than acknowledge the C.I.A.’s presence in Benghazi, Mr. Petraeus and other agency officials fought a losing battle to keep it secret, even as the events there became a point of contention in the presidential campaign.

Finally, on Thursday, with Mr. Petraeus away on a visit to the Middle East, pressure from critics prompted intelligence officials to give their own account of the chaotic night when two security officers died along with the American ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and another diplomat. The officials acknowledged for the first time that the security officers, both former members of the Navy SEALs, worked on contract for the C.I.A., which occupied one of the buildings that were attacked.

The Benghazi crisis is the biggest challenge so far in the first civilian job held by Mr. Petraeus, who retired from the Army and dropped the “General” when he went to the C.I.A. He gets mostly high marks from government colleagues and outside experts for his overall performance. But the transition has meant learning a markedly different culture, at an agency famously resistant to outsiders.

“I think he’s a brilliant man, but he’s also a four-star general,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “Four-stars are saluted, not questioned. He’s now running an agency where everything is questioned, whether you’re a four-star or a senator. It’s a culture change.”

Mr. Petraeus, who turns 60 next week, has had to learn that C.I.A. officers will not automatically defer to his judgments, as military subordinates often did. “The attitude at the agency is, ‘You may be the director, but I’m the Thailand analyst,’ ” said one C.I.A. veteran.

Long a media star as the most prominent military leader of his generation, Mr. Petraeus abruptly abandoned that style at the C.I.A. Operating amid widespread complaints about leaks of classified information, he has stopped giving interviews, speaks to Congress in closed sessions and travels the globe to consult with foreign spy services with little news media notice.

“He thinks he has to be very discreet and let others in the government do the talking,” said Michael E. O’Hanlon, a Brookings Institution scholar who is a friend of Mr. Petraeus’s and a member of the C.I.A.’s advisory board.

Mr. Petraeus’s no-news, no-nonsense style stands out especially starkly against that of his effusive predecessor, Leon E. Panetta, who is now the defense secretary.

Mr. Panetta, a gregarious politician by profession, was unusually open with Congress and sometimes with the public — to a fault, some might say, when he spoke candidly after leaving the C.I.A. about a Pakistani doctor’s role in helping hunt for Osama bin Laden, or about the agency’s drone operations.

Mr. Petraeus’s discretion and relentless work ethic have had a positive side for him: old tensions with Mr. Obama, which grew out of differing views on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, appear to be gone. Mr. Petraeus is at the White House several times a week, attending National Security Council sessions and meeting weekly with James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, and Thomas E. Donilon, Mr. Obama’s national security adviser. Mr. Donilon said recently that the C.I.A. director “has done an exceptional job,” bringing “deep experience, intellectual rigor and enthusiasm” to his work.

“When Obama came into office, they were very suspicious of one another,” said Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A. officer and presidential adviser. “Clearly, over the course of the last four years, Obama has come to trust Petraeus.”

Mr. Petraeus has managed the delicate task of supporting rebels in Syria’s civil war while trying to prevent the arming of anti-American extremists. But when his C-17 Globemaster touched down in Turkey in September for consultations on Syria, the trip went all but unnoticed by the news media. He worked for months to address the complaints of Pakistani officials about drone strikes against militants, while keeping State Department officials abreast of likely future strikes, a policy called “pre-concurrence” that has prevented interagency squabbles. In his travels to the tumultuous post-Arab Spring Middle East this week, only a brief mention of his arrival in Cairo surfaced in local news reports.

Inside the agency, some subordinates say, he has largely defused the skepticism that initially greeted a celebrity general whose stated views of progress in the war in Afghanistan, among other things, were far rosier than those of C.I.A. analysts. But by comparison with Mr. Panetta, who wooed the work force and often did not question operational details, Mr. Petraeus is a demanding boss who does not hesitate to order substandard work redone or details of plans adjusted.

“I’ve never seen anyone with his drive — ever,” said Michael J. Morell, the agency’s deputy director. “He remembers what he asks for. Three weeks later he’ll say at a morning meeting: ‘Whatever happened to that? Is that done yet?’ ”

But the Benghazi crisis has posed an extraordinary test for Mr. Petraeus. After the killings, intelligence officials concerned about exposing the extent and methods of the large C.I.A. presence in the city would say little to reporters for publication. Conservative critics of Mr. Obama seized on a series of reports by Fox News and other outlets to make the incendiary charge shortly before the election that four Americans had died because of the administration’s negligence.

Mr. Petraeus said nothing publicly, but that did not keep him out of the story. Some news reports faulted his secret testimony to Congress days after the attack for supposedly supporting the view that it was not a planned strike but a spontaneous response to an offensive anti-Muslim video. Then, last week, Fox News reported that agency officials had refused desperate requests for help from operatives under fire in Libya, and the agency issued a flat denial. “No one at any level in the C.I.A. told anybody not to help those in need,” its statement said.

Far from ending the speculation, the statement added to it. William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard, concluded that the agency was pointing its finger at the White House, which he suggested must have refused the requested intervention. “Petraeus Throws Obama Under the Bus” was the headline on the Weekly Standard’s blog.

Perhaps worse for a former military commander like Mr. Petraeus, the father of Tyrone S. Woods, one of the security officers killed, accused the Obama administration in interviews of essentially abandoning his son and others to their fate and not caring about their deaths. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that some agency employees resented the fact that Mr. Petraeus did not attend the funerals of the two security contractors. Officials said he was concerned that his presence would confirm their agency connection, still officially secret at the time.

On Thursday, hoping to subdue the gathering public relations storm, intelligence officials invited reporters to a background briefing to, in their view, set the record straight. They offered a timeline of C.I.A. actions on the night of the attack, countering the idea that the besieged Americans were left alone under fire, and explaining why some would-be rescue efforts discussed in news reports were never feasible.

Notably, they also sought to rehabilitate Mr. Petraeus from some of the negative speculation that has surrounded him. The C.I.A. director, said one intelligence official, “has been fully engaged from the start of the agency’s response, particularly in the rescue mission that was swift and aggressive.”

“This idea that he is somehow not engaged is baseless,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

For Mr. Petraeus — once pilloried in full-page newspaper ads as “General Betray Us” in the debate over the Iraq war — it is nothing new to be at the center of a political firestorm. “This is Washington, so naturally all controversies get caught up in the political jet stream,” an intelligence officer close to Mr. Petraeus said.

Whatever the challenges of his first year, said Mr. O’Hanlon, his friend, “I’m confident in saying that he loves this job.”

“He may miss the military at an emotional level,” he added, “but he loves this work.”

Mr. Petraeus’s future has inevitably been the subject of rumors: that he would be Mitt Romney’s running mate, or, more plausibly, that he was interested in the presidency of Princeton. In a statement in late September, he did not rule that out for the future, but said that for the time being he was “living the dream here at C.I.A.” That was before the recriminations this week over Benghazi.
ramana
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by ramana »

sum wrote:First NTRO station set up in Chhattisgarh
The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) station will act as a gateway for acquiring satellite data and pass them on to ground patrol parties

The country’s specialised snoop department, NTRO has set up its first base in a naxal hotbed in Chhattisgarh to monitor the movement of armed Maoist cadres and fly ten Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to help security forces to track them.

...
Good stuff

So when does NTRO plan to spy on foreign countries? Isn't this a waste of national resources to combat an internal security issue? The resources should be better tasked to watch for TSP nukes.
shyamd
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

Better yet why isn't the military doing it who are already conducting intel operations and supporting patrols.
shyamd
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

Better yet why isn't the military doing it who are already conducting intel operations and supporting patrols.
ramana
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by ramana »

I guess the sarcasm is lost. Need an emoticon for sarcasm.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by darshhan »

ramana wrote:
So when does NTRO plan to spy on foreign countries? Isn't this a waste of national resources to combat an internal security issue? The resources should be better tasked to watch for TSP nukes.
+1 Ramanaji. Instead of dealing with external enemies, Indian state has chosen to wage war on its people.Today they are deploying UAV assets against Naxals. Many Indians are even going to cheer the govt in taking a hard line against maoists. But tomorrow the same govt will not bat an eyelid before deploying the same assets against Indian citizens in cities like Delhi or Mumbai. India is well on its way to becoming a Police state.

It really boggles your mind how the current ruling class in India is hell bent on improving relations with Pakistan(Aman ki Asha, cricket matches etc) while oppressing Indian Citizens themselves.

It seems that Indian ruling class has consciously and deliberately made the strategic decision that Common Indian man is their enemy.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by kish »

darshhan wrote:
ramana wrote:
So when does NTRO plan to spy on foreign countries? Isn't this a waste of national resources to combat an internal security issue? The resources should be better tasked to watch for TSP nukes.
+1 Ramanaji. Instead of dealing with external enemies, Indian state has chosen to wage war on its people.Today they are deploying UAV assets against Naxals. Many Indians are even going to cheer the govt in taking a hard line against maoists. But tomorrow the same govt will not bat an eyelid before deploying the same assets against Indian citizens in cities like Delhi or Mumbai. India is well on its way to becoming a Police state.

It really boggles your mind how the current ruling class in India is hell bent on improving relations with Pakistan(Aman ki Asha, cricket matches etc) while oppressing Indian Citizens themselves.

It seems that Indian ruling class has consciously and deliberately made the strategic decision that Common Indian man is their enemy.
I disagree with you on couple of points and agree with you on couple of others. But, first..
they are deploying UAV assets against Naxals
They aren't UCAV's, they are UAV's. Whats wrong in intelligence gathering using UAV's?
Many Indians are even going to cheer the govt in taking a hard line against maoists. But tomorrow the same govt will not bat an eyelid before deploying the same assets against Indian citizens in cities like Delhi or Mumbai
why vote the 'same govt', if its indulging in anti-national activities? :D
It really boggles your mind how the current ruling class in India is hell bent on improving relations with Pakistan(Aman ki Asha, cricket matches etc) while oppressing Indian Citizens themselves
Maoist too have relationship with pakistan (ISI)
It seems that Indian ruling class has consciously and deliberately made the strategic decision that Common Indian man is their enemy
Its because, its the same 'ruling class' running the affairs of the country for 50+ years out of 65 years of Independence. You have the 'power' to change the 'ruling class' in the upcoming General Elections. :D
sanjaykumar
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by sanjaykumar »

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... le5177449/


Does Canada harbour Sikh extremists?


The one sore spot is a move under way by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SPGC), also called the Sikh parliament – an elected body that administers the Golden Temple and other gurdwaras – to build an army-assault memorial inside the temple compound.

While SPGC politics are not widely reflected in the community, the Punjab government is not stopping the construction plans, because the committee reliably delivers votes.



This Sikh parliament needs to learn a few lessons for the sake of the Sikh quom. The sooner the better.
Kati
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by Kati »

Is eye-bee keeping an eye on these orgs? and making a list of people who are acting as liasons between maovaadi and these orgs funded by mama, mami, chacha, chachi, etc)?
http://forestrightsact.com/home
http://www.icawpi.org/
VinodTK
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by VinodTK »

Corruption, Bureaucracy Delay $100B India Buy

NEW DELHI — India plans to spend more than $100 billion on weapons and equipment in the next five to seven years, but if the military wants to prepare for a possible simultaneous conflict with Pakistan and China, that figure will need to rise to about $150 billion, a senior Indian Army official said.

Forces on the borders with Pakistan and China will need to be increased and better equipped, the official added, especially the mountain troops. He declined to say if any plan is being developed to change the type or quantity of weapons and gear being bought.

The top five procurements for India’s services now cost more than $60 billion, a figure anticipated to increase by at least 20 percent, to $72 billion, because of inflation. Other planned purchases could push the spending figure to more than $150 billion in the next seven to 10 years.

Army: The purchase of a variety of 155mm/.52-caliber artillery guns will continue to be the top priority. All of the field guns in more than 220 artillery regiments are planned to be replaced for more than $8 billion.

Ten years of effort to buy the artillery through open competition have resulted in no purchases, as corruption cases against vendors have impeded procurement.

A program to buy wheeled guns also faces imminent cancellation because one of the competitors, Rheinmetall Air Defence, has been banned from doing business in India for 10 years.

The Army has now ordered a homemade upgraded version of the 155mm/.45-caliber guns by the state-owned Ordnance Factories Board.

The Army is also buying 145 light howitzers from the U.S subsidiary of BAE, which will be deployed along the higher reaches of India’s border with China. Additional purchases are planned.

Air Force: The Air Force is facing a shortage of combat aircraft following the retirement of MiG-23s and replacement of MiG- 21 and -29 aircraft. The service wants to increase its fleet of about 33 squadrons to at least 44 squadrons to retain its edge over Pakistan over the next 10 years. In addition, a variety of radars is needed to keep the air defense systems intact.

The big-ticket program is the Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), costing more than$12 billion, and beginning induction of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), being jointly developed with Russia. The FGFA is worth about $25 billion for the purchase of 250 aircraft.

The first MMRCA delivery will not begin earlier than 2015-2016, by which time the Air Force will have retired 100 more MiG-21s, the bulk of its combat fleet, and 40 more MiG-27s. To compensate, the Air Force plans to upgrade existing aircraft.

France’s Rafale was selected as the preferred aircraft in the MMRCA program, and negotiations are underway over issues pertaining to transfer of technology and offsets. The contract is expected to be finalized before March.

Navy: The Navy is retiring aging Russian warships faster than it is inducting new ones, so the service wants the Defence Ministry to take steps to reach a target of 185 warships by 2017. A Navy official said fleet strength could fall to 120 warships by 2017 from 140 now.

The Navy in 1999 had planned to build 24 submarines by 2022-2023. But so far, not a single submarine has been added, and the first lot of six conventional Scorpene submarines procured from France is behind schedule by more than three years. State-owned Mazagon Docks, where the subs are being built, has been asked to deliver one submarine every six months starting in August 2015. All six have to be commissioned by September 2018.

India’s submarine fleet has dwindled from 21 in the 1980s to 14. Meanwhile, India has leased a Russian nuclear submarine for 10 years, and the homemade nuclear submarine Arihant is expected to be ready for operational use early next year. India plans to build more of the Arihant class.

The Indian Defence Ministry has not yet issued a request for proposals for an additional six submarines, worth around $12 billion, because it has not decided whether to allow domestic shipyards to bid on the program.

The Navy also is acquiring seven stealth frigates at a cost of $7 billion. Mazagon Docks, prime contractor of the project, had invited overseas shipyards to provide modular construction technology.

The project has not been finalized because the only bidder to express interest, a joint Lockheed Martin-Hyundai Industries team, withdrew.

“All defense acquisition programs are behind schedule, some of them by over 10 years because of bureaucratic delays, which affect the combat worthiness of the Indian forces. Structural changes should be made in the purchase processes, which will include a greater role for the Indian forces and specialists hired from outside the Indian Defence Ministry,” said Nitin Mehta, defense analyst. .
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by kenop »

Race for R&AW top post begins, Joshi may make the cut
Alok Joshi, a 1976 batch IPS officer, has emerged as a front-runner to succeed Sanjeev Tripathi as chief of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India's premier external intelligence agency.

Tripathi is slated to retire on November 30. Government sources said the name of next secretary (R&AW) would be finalised in a meeting between National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, principal secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterji and cabinet secretary Ajit Seth on November 21, after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from the East Asia summit.

A highly competent intelligence operator, Joshi has served in Intelligence Bureau and Haryana Police with key operations in Nepal and Pakistan to his credit.

He has been instrumental in recent successes of R&AW in unearthing Pakistan sponsored modules of Indian Mujahideen in India as well as countering the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in Pakistan as well in Middle-East.

The other contender for the R&AW chief's job is Amitabh Mathur, a 1977 batch IPS officer who has been absorbed into the Research and Analysis Service (RAS). Mathur returned from a three-year stint in London last year.
sum
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by sum »

^^ Is there any non-IPS/RAS officer left in RAW or is it ~100% IPS filled now?

Been reading the book by Amar Bhushan "Escape to nowhere" and virtually every person he mentions there seem to be from IPS.
VinodTK
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by VinodTK »

US should facilitate better coordination with Indian military
WASHINGTON: India should be invited to establish a liaison officer at the NATO's Afghan mission in Kabul and in the US to facilitate better coordination and collaboration with the US military, an eminent American think-tank today said.

The report 'US-India Military Engagement' released by Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), also recommends India to establish a liaison officer at Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii and Central Command headquarters in Florida for better co-ordination with the US military.

The 20-page report authored by Amer Latif and forwarded by former top American diplomat KarlBSE 0.00 % F Inderfurth, makes a series of recommendations for both the countries but underscores the point that India is ready for giant leap towards defence relationship between the two nations; which needs to be respected and honored by the US.

"Refrain from pressuring India about defence agreements such as the Logistics Support Agreement and a communications security agreement.

"Continue to refrain from overpublicising military engagement with India; maintain defence engagement more in the background than the foreground of the overall relationship," the think-tank said in its set of recommendations for the Obama Administration.

"Increase the numbers of US military officers at Indian think tanks to enhance people-to-people engagement and exchange of views on strategic issues.

"Invite India to establish a liaison officer at NATO's International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Kabul to facilitate better coordination and collaboration," the report said.

Urging the US Government to maintain "modest expectations" and understand that India will not be a key provider of security in the IOR (Indian Ocean Region) for the short term to midterm; the report urged the US to encourage India to conduct (and lead) more multilateral and bilateral exercises throughout the Indo-Pacific region; do not be overly insistent on jointly conducting activities with India.

Recommending India to "establish a liaison officer at PACOM and Central Command to better coordinate with the US military," the report said that the Indian government should consider a policy decision in which it commits to consistently work with the US on disaster response where appropriate and needed in the IOR.

"Allow military leaders to engage in strategic dialogues with their US counterparts at the Military Cooperation Group and Executive Steering Groups.

"Send civil servants and military officers working on US-India relations to attend executive level courses at the Asia-Pacific Center for Strategic Studies or the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the outset of their posting to enhance familiarity with the US system," it said
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by rajeshks »

VinodTK
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by VinodTK »

Indian bureaucracy an obstacle to defence relationship, says US report
The report also cites Indian military facing personnel and disciplinary challenges

A respected Washington-based think tank released a report on Tuesday, entitled ‘ US-India Military Engagement ,’ which reflects the American strategic community’s growing — if incredulous — realisation that New Delhi is not as enthusiastic as Washington about a high-profile military partnership between the two countries.

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) report, authored by the Pentagon’s former South Asia director, Sahibzada Amer Latif , describes the period from 2004 to 2008 as “a heady time for bilateral security and strategic cooperation.” But the “stymying of deeper military contact” since 2008 has been ascribed to: India’s policy of strategic autonomy; the Indian defence ministry’s (MoD’s) inability to discuss policy and strategy; and the Indian military’s “capacity challenges.”

According to the report, “the Indian civilian bureaucracy has been the main obstacle to deeper military engagement, despite the Indian military’s desire for greater bilateral cooperation.”
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shyamd
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

PIL seeks regulation of Indian intelligence agencies
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the regulation of intelligence agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in India was field in the Supreme Court on Tuesday by senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan in line with the supervisory mechanisms available in democracies like the United States and the United Kingdom.

The petition – the first of its kind to be filed in the Supreme Court in India – attempts to bring the intelligence agencies under an Act to be passed by Parliament to ensure that they are not misused by the government. Arguing that the intelligence agencies are acting "without any sanction of the law", the petition states that they violate the rule of law as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. Incidentally, the Constitution in its Seventh schedule has also stated that a central Intelligence Bureau should be created by an Act of Parliament. However, all the three intelligence agencies – the IB, RAW and NTRO – were all created through an executive order of the government and not through an Act of Parliament.

In the United States the CIA and the NSA were created by Acts of Parliament with elaborate supervisory mechanisms of the Congress. In the UK similar laws were passed by the British Parliament to bring the Secret Intelligence Services (SIS), the Security Service and the General Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) under its supervisory mechanism. This ensured that the powerful intelligence agencies could be regulated by the lawmakers to prevent their misuse by the governments and all their secret funds be monitored closely.

The PIL also points out that while the intelligence agencies are drawing funds from the consolidated fund of India, there is no audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. This has led to fears that there is wide-spread misuse of the funds and has also led to several illegalities in the past.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by svinayak »

VinodTK wrote:Indian bureaucracy an obstacle to defence relationship, says US report
The report also cites Indian military facing personnel and disciplinary challenges
But the “stymying of deeper military contact” since 2008 has been ascribed to: India’s policy of strategic autonomy; the Indian defence ministry’s (MoD’s) inability to discuss policy and strategy; and the Indian military’s “capacity challenges.”

According to the report, “the Indian civilian bureaucracy has been the main obstacle to deeper military engagement, despite the Indian military’s desire for greater bilateral cooperation.”
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This is a psy ops article.
Indian beurucracy is the govt and US have no say in it.
They cant find fault in any govt dept for the policy of the Indian govt and what Indians want.


They cant complain about one dept against other.
They are not the Indian govt.

This is how they have created psy ops with Indian public for several decades trying to show that US govt is freindly to Indian people when it is otherwise.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by Brando »

^^ When was the last time you "elected" an IAS/IPS/IFS babu ??

Bureaucracy is not the government. Bureaucrats are not elected officials and as such their "competence" or lack thereof is matter of considerable debate especially when they are selected based on reservation quotas.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by suryag »

asif ibrahim to takover as IB chief
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by Nikhil T »

Brando wrote:^^ When was the last time you "elected" an IAS/IPS/IFS babu ??

Bureaucracy is not the government. Bureaucrats are not elected officials and as such their "competence" or lack thereof is matter of considerable debate especially when they are selected based on reservation quotas.
Since when does 'competence' have to do anything with 'elected officials'? Bureaucrats and the ministers together form the government. In any SC petition against the Govt, it the Secy of the Deptt/Ministry who is asked to file in a affidavit or a response on behalf of the Govt. There is no question the bureaucracy is part of the Govt. If your point was that the actual power rests with some one else and not the babus, well, in that case assuming that the power rests with the 'elected official' (i.e. Minister) is faulty as well. We all know UPA is being run by an unelected remote control.

Agree with Acharya saar, this US report is just propaganda to get a few headlines in India and garner a few more dollars in military sales. Its not like the US bureaucracy has been rabidly pro-India and it is the cold-hearted Indian IAS babu who's not "feelin the love".
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by kit »

Nikhil T wrote:
Brando wrote:^^ When was the last time you "elected" an IAS/IPS/IFS babu ??

Bureaucracy is not the government. Bureaucrats are not elected officials and as such their "competence" or lack thereof is matter of considerable debate especially when they are selected based on reservation quotas.
Since when does 'competence' have to do anything with 'elected officials'? Bureaucrats and the ministers together form the government. In any SC petition against the Govt, it the Secy of the Deptt/Ministry who is asked to file in a affidavit or a response on behalf of the Govt. There is no question the bureaucracy is part of the Govt. If your point was that the actual power rests with some one else and not the babus, well, in that case assuming that the power rests with the 'elected official' (i.e. Minister) is faulty as well. We all know UPA is being run by an unelected remote control.

Agree with Acharya saar, this US report is just propaganda to get a few headlines in India and garner a few more dollars in military sales. Its not like the US bureaucracy has been rabidly pro-India and it is the cold-hearted Indian IAS babu who's not "feelin the love".

yep. they very well know how it functions !! . and they are 'overwhelmed' by the reaction to so much 'effort' on their part... ' when lesser mortals have been in bed with so much less effort , why not thou ?' .. !!! ..
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by suryag »

indian bureaucracy might have its flaws but it has been one pillar that has helped the nation withstand all that was thrown at it
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

Asif Ibrahim to be IB chief from 1st Jan 2013. Alok Joshi as RAW chief. A Mathur - Head of ARC. Best of luck to them.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by Rony »

more details on Syed Asif Ibrahim's appointment.Four senior officers to him were shifted out to make way for him.He also worked as.. ahem..private secretary to Mufti Mohammed sayeed.

Alok Joshi to head RAW, Asif Ibrahim to be next IB chief
Senior IPS officer Alok Joshi will be the new chief of RAW and Syed Asif Ibrahim will be the next Director of Intelligence Bureau, the first Muslim to head it with four officers senior to him having been shifted out.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the name of Joshi, a 1976 batch officer from Haryana cadre, to succeed Sajeev Tripathi as chief of Research and Analysis Wing, an organisation entrusted with the task of gathering external intelligence.

Joshi has served in Intelligence Bureau and Haryana Police with key operations in Nepal and Pakistan to his credit.
Another contender for the RAW post was Amitabh Mathur, a 1977 batch IPS officer, who has been moved to Aviation Research Centre (ARC), an organisation which forms part of RAW and is entrusted with gathering of imagery intelligence, Aerial surveillance, monitoring of borders and photo reconnaissance flights.

59-year-old Ibrahim, a 1977 batch IPS officer from Madhya Pradesh cadre, will take over as officer on special duty on December one, a procedure for smooth transition of power from the incumbent Director to the new one, official sources said.The name of Ibrahim was cleared by the ACC and a formal order is expected to be out in a day or two, the sources said. He will be taking over from Nehchal Sandhu who retires on December 31.

Ibrahim will have a fixed tenure of two years beginning January one, 2013. The second in command at present in the organisation R N Gupta, a 1976 batch IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been shifted as Officer on Special Duty to the Cabinet Secretariat while V Rajagopal of the same batch from UT cadre, has moved to Joint Intelligence Committee.

Yashovardhan Azad, a 1976 batch officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, who was also in the reckoning for the post of DIB, has been shifted as Secretary (Security), an organisation under the Cabinet Secretary, and is the administrative head of the Special Protection Group (SPG), responsible for closely monitoring the security arrangements of the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and members of their immediate families in India and abroad.The Secretary (Security) is also actively involved in the preparation and review of Crisis Management Plan and National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) besides review and updating of Union War Book.

The fourth senior officer S Jayaraman, a 1977 batch officer of West Bengal cadre, moves to National Police Academy at Hyderabad.

Ibrahim, who is at present in Special Director in the organisation after his return from London where he served as Minister (Coordination), has been with the IB for nearly three decades and served the organisation in various capacities handling operations, Kashmir, Naxal, security and cyber security.He was also Private Secretary to Madhavrao Scindia and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.Ibrahim is the first Muslim who has risen to the top most post of the prestigious organisation since Independence.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by shyamd »

Ibrahim was head of the Kashmir desk before his mission in London. Apparently he has a very good rep in the IB
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by suryag »

IB typically has a dossier on anyone who is of some stature and UK used most of these dossiers and this continued
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by sum »

Asif Ibrahim as IB chief: Reading between the lines
Asif Ibrahim's appointment as Director of India's Intelligence Bureau will open a new chapter in the agency's history. Ibrahim will be the first Muslim to head the Intelligence Bureau, India's domestic intelligence-gathering agency.

Ibrahim's appointment will demonstrate the government's confidence in the professionalism of its intelligence officers, beyond caste, religion and political affiliations.

The government is also in the process of finalising the appointment of the next chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.

Last week, Ranjit Sinha was appointed Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The new heads of the IB, R&AW and the CBI will be in office till the end of 2014 under the two-year fixed tenure rule applicable to these posts. That means these officers will be in charge of their respective agencies during the next election to the Lok Sabha, whether it is held in 2014 or earlier.
Ibrahim's selection is seen as the most important. As head of the Intelligence Bureau, he will monitor the political situation in the states before the general election and will be informally consulted by the government on the suitability and popularity of the Congress candidates.

According to a retired intelligence official, "Ibrahim has been close to the Congress and used to be known as the trusted officer of the late Madhavrao Scindia [ Images ]. In selecting him, the government has overlooked three officers one year senior to him (in the Indian Police Service)."

"The government has sought to project his selection as based on merit and not his religion," the retired intelligence official added, "but many in the Opposition will see it as a vote-bank appointment to woo Muslim votes."

Ibrahim -- a 1977 batch IPS Madhya Pradesh [ Images ] cadre officer -- has quite an impressive professional record with tenures abroad and, most importantly, in Kashmir [ Images ]. If selected, he will supersede V Rajagopal, R N Gupta and Yashovardhan Azad, IPS officers of the 1976 batch.

According to some reports emanating from the IB headquarters, this move has already created generated unhappiness in the agency.
Alok Joshi, who is set to become R&AW's next chief, has a good professional reputation with long years in R&AW, the Intelligence Bureau and in his state, Haryana's police service. He avoided joining the Research and Analysis Service -- which senior R&AW officers do, after resigning from the IPS -- apparently to keep his professional options open.

The government apparently wanted an IPS officer known to the Congress to head R&AW during the general election. By selecting Joshi, the government will overlook the claims of Research and Analysis Service officers who have permanently joined R&AW.

There is unhappiness among RAS officers that the government has once again avoided appointing one of them in order to have a politically amenable IPS officer as the agency's head.

This unhappiness is unlikely to affect the Congress during the election because RAS officers do not have political contacts in the states as much as Intelligence Bureau officers do
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Observers note that the government's choices have been made carefully to ensure that these law enforcement and intelligence agencies are headed by individuals who enjoy the confidence of the Congress party, which heads the United Progress Alliance government in New Delhi [ Images ].
Pathetic to see the amount of politics being done by INC even in the agencies!
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by sum »

^^ Could anyone provide me link to the post made sometime back where the different characters of "Escape to nowehere" were mapped to the real RAW officers?
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by Aaryan »

sum wrote:^^ Could anyone provide me link to the post made sometime back where the different characters of "Escape to nowehere" were mapped to the real RAW officers?

Wasan--CD Sahay
Succeeded by-- PKH Tharakan
Kamath--N.K.Sharma??
Krishnan--MKN??
Princi Saran--Brijesh Mishra or the one after Mirshraji?
:)
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by ramana »

VinodTK wrote:Indian bureaucracy an obstacle to defence relationship, says US report
The report also cites Indian military facing personnel and disciplinary challenges

A respected Washington-based think tank released a report on Tuesday, entitled ‘ US-India Military Engagement ,’ which reflects the American strategic community’s growing — if incredulous — realisation that New Delhi is not as enthusiastic as Washington about a high-profile military partnership between the two countries.

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) report, authored by the Pentagon’s former South Asia director, Sahibzada Amer Latif , describes the period from 2004 to 2008 as “a heady time for bilateral security and strategic cooperation.” But the “stymying of deeper military contact” since 2008 has been ascribed to: India’s policy of strategic autonomy; the Indian defence ministry’s (MoD’s) inability to discuss policy and strategy; and the Indian military’s “capacity challenges.”

According to the report, “the Indian civilian bureaucracy has been the main obstacle to deeper military engagement, despite the Indian military’s desire for greater bilateral cooperation.”
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The guy is a former Paki. So the report has his biases.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by member_20317 »

sum wrote:Asif Ibrahim as IB chief: Reading between the lines
This unhappiness is unlikely to affect the Congress during the election because RAS officers do not have political contacts in the states as much as Intelligence Bureau officers do[/color][/b].
So where do these RAS officers have their contacts. :twisted:
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by pgbhat »

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?283181
Ibrahim has had direct experience in anti-terror operations. He had zeroed in on jehadi leaders like Maulana Masood Azhar, who founded Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Omar Sheikh, of Daniel Pearl infamy—even playing a role in the latter’s arrest. Much before Azhar’s arrest and the exchange drama that followed, Ibrahim is said to have written to his seniors that Azhar “was the key to crucial anti-India developments in Pakistan”. And an officer of Delhi police’s special cell says, “At a time none of us were aware of the Indian Mujahideen, I remember Ibrahim telling us, ‘Don’t look to Pakistan after every terror attack. Look within too.’”

Another area of Ibrahim’s expertise, say colleagues, is psy-ops. One close associate says, “In Kashmir, he gradually started supplying editing and publishing software like QuarkXPress to Urdu newspapers with an anti-India stance. He even organised training sessions for their journalists and design staff. Slowly but surely, these publications ended up softening their anti-India stance. He turned the tables on them in one masterstroke.”
Ibrahim has seen rough times too: as police chief of Gwalior district, he came under scrutiny when a rival gang attacked a police convoy and killed Munna Singh, a dacoit it was ferrying. Perhaps the only other awkward blip on his career scan occurred in 1993, after the Mumbai blasts: it turned out that convicted film star Sanjay Dutt had procured his general arms licence from Gwalior during the time Ibrahim was the police chief of the district. A few years ago, he was still attending court hearings related to that case.
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by ramana »

Has any RAS person ever made the chief of RAW?
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Re: Intelligence & National Security Discussion

Post by jamwal »

MHA glare on hate channels: Govt puts on notice 24 foreign TV channels showing anti-India content after intel alert

Image
Hate channels which are illegally down-linked and freely available to viewers near the India-Pakistan and north-eastern borders have become important weapons in the psychological war against India.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has red flagged 24 "illegal" foreign channels for beaming anti-India programmes. The potential for mischief by these channels was serious enough for the government to concede in Parliament:

"The content of some of these channels is not conducive to the security environment in the country and poses a potential security hazard."
Most hate channels focus on news or religious affairs. Pakistani TV channels identified as being stridently anti-India include QTV, Madani TV, ARY TV, the official broadcaster PTV, PTV Home, PTV World, Geo TV, Dawn, Express, Waqat, Noor TV, Hadi TV, Aaj, Filmax and STV. They are available in Jammu Kashmir and Punjab.

Other TV channels that are illegally down-linked into India and are known to spew malicious content include Peace TV (Dubai), Saudi TV, TV Maldives, NTV (Bangladesh), XYZ TV, Nepal TV, Kantipur (Nepal), Ahmedia Channel (UK-based) and Bhutan Broadcasting Service. These channels are watched in the north-eastern states and in areas bordering Nepal.

Sources said channels like QTV and Indian preacher Zakir Naik-run Peace TV are also available through cable TV operators in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Many cable operators are unaware that it is illegal to air these channels.
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