Intelligence & National Security Discussion

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 24 Dec 2010 01:06

Updated on Wednesday, December 22, 2010, 11:54
Tags: PM, RAW chief
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Dinesh Sharma

New Delhi: With the present RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) chief, KC Verma, due to retire on January 31 next year, the government is set to clear the name of the new chief in the next couple of days.

According to highly placed government sources, AB Mathur, Anand Arni - both Special Secretaries in the RAW - and Ajit Lal, Special Director with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), are in the race for the top job in the country’s primer external intelligence agency.

Sources in the Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Dr Manmohan Singh is set to clear the name of RAW's 19th chief in a couple of days.

Earlier, there was a move to shift the present RAW chief Verma to National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), formed in 2004, a month before he was officially set to retire so that the present Aviation Research chief Sanjeev Tripathi could take over his place at RAW. However, the government had changed its mind then.

AB Mathur and Anand Arni presently hold important posts in the external intelligence agency and Ajit Lal is presently number three in the IB set up after Nachal Sandu, the next director of the internal intelligence organisation who is set to take over on Janurary 1, 2011.

A 1974 batch IPS officer from Himachal Pradesh, Lal is an expert on Northeast affairs. All of them are well respected in the intelligence community.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 24 Dec 2010 12:50

Want to step down, RAW chief tells PM; backs Tripathi as successor

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Want- ... sor/728774

Prabu · Post by **Prabu** » 25 Dec 2010 00:56

Austin wrote:
Rahul Mehta wrote:If two ppl have internet in their mobiles and they use plain vanilla PublicKey-PrivateKey encryption to speak to each other, howTH will GoI snoop the conversation?
They cant , unless they can steal the private key through some malicious software installed on mobiles.

Should we publically state these ? Why don't moderators consider to delete this post, including mine ! Just not to advertise the loop holes !

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Dec 2010 01:17

Looks like RAW chief selection is big Dilli Billi pastime. I don't see what was achieved by not having Mr Tripathi as the chief three years ago for it would have given a constancy at the head of the agency.

And they should get this idea that RAW head is not a seniority posting but a merit based post.On the other hand the INC uses all agencies as their peons and hence need to have some norms in selection or else they will use pliable goons like in the Emergency.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 25 Dec 2010 06:12

Loads of allegations being thrown around about how Tripathi had strong lobbyist support. He is Son in law of a former RAW chief (GS Bajpai), thats what got him the job apparently. GS BajpaiFather in law) gave Tripathi more promotions which were out of turn. New IB director coming in is highly respected though which is good, lets just hope he lives up to expectations..

Tripathi's appointment has upset many people.

Want to step down, RAW chief tells PM; backs Tripathi as successor

In a dramatic twist to the succession drama in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), it is learnt that its chief K C Verma has conveyed to the Prime Minister that he wants to step down with immediate effect — more than a month before his scheduled retirement.

Verma is learnt to have recommended S K Tripathi, head of Aviation Research Centre, RAW’s air wing, for appointment to the top post, citing organisational interests. Tripathi is also learnt to have met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Indian Express had reported last month that if Verma went before his tenure was over, the likely beneficiary would be Tripathi. If Verma completes his tenure, Tripathi, who turned 60 on December 11, will retire next week without getting a shot at being RAW chief.

Tripathi’s candidature for the top post was rejected in 2009. The government put aside the entire panel — which included another senior officer, P V Kumar — and brought in the outsider Verma, then Secretary (Security) in the Home Ministry.

It is learnt that Verma has not asked for any post-retirement job with the government, but has conveyed that failure to appoint Tripathi as his successor would divide the agency. When contacted by The Indian Express, Verma declined to comment.

Tripathi is under a cloud after a $350-million deal to purchase airborne electronic surveillance systems that he was handling drew heavy criticism from the Cabinet Secretariat’s finance department — which said the equipment had been purchased from Israeli manufacturer ELTA without trials and competitive bidding for add-on equipment.

RAW has also been gripped by controversy over the alleged misuse of secret funds to purchase cars for its staff, and building a new tower in its office without clearances. RAW is the largest recipient of secret funds — close to Rs 350 crore this year — and is exempt from public scrutiny of its accounts. The controversy was reported by The Indian Express on November 28.

Greying Eminence
A personnel crisis leaves espionage in the hands of a gerontocracy

Saikat Datta
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Stretchable Tenures...

* V. Kumar: Retired special secretary, RAW. Rehired as advisor to NTRO (a specialist tech group) despite opposition from Union home minister P. Chidambaram. Now, he is the acting chairman of NTRO.
* Amber Sen: Retired as special secretary, RAW. Appointed strategic intelligence advisor. After a two-year-tenure, he retired a second time. Still with RAW.
* D. Nath: Former IAF officer. Joined RAW in the 1970s and retired a decade ago. Hired by NTRO for five years and retired. Now, rehired by RAW.
* P.K. Mathur: Retired from RAW's administrative wing. Rehired by RAW in an operational posting.
* M.K. Bhandari: Retired general cadre officer from RAW. Taken back as a consultant.
* Ramesh Kumar: Retired from HRD department of DRDO. Hired by NTRO.
* S.S. Moorthy: Served at a DRDO lab (DESIDC) before retiring. He was brought back to NTRO for a second innings after retirement.
* Anil Chowdhry: Retired special secretary, (internal security), MHA. Months after his retirement, he was hired as an advisor to NTRO.
* Maj Gen A.K. Tripathi & Maj Gen V.K. Negi: Both retired and sought re-employment in NTRO. However, the appointments committee of the Union cabinet turned down their candidature. They were both hired by NTRO as consultants, though.

***

In a few weeks, the government will initiate the process of appointing the next chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s external intelligence agency. The toss-up will be between experienced officers and a lobbyist regarded as part of a clique that almost destroyed the organisation, when it was taken over, two years ago, by Ashok Chaturvedi. By all accounts, the succession battle is expected to begin soon.

It’s not just about the top job. The agency is also in the middle of a far greater crisis: it is running out of good men. Ad-hoc appointments, faulty personnel policies, the disinclination of career officers from other departments to work with RAW on deputation—these factors have pushed RAW to its worst manpower crisis since its creation in 1968. The problem has also spread to the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), carved out of RAW in 2004 to meet India’s strategic intelligence needs for the best technology. The specialist technical group is now gasping for breath and is desperately seeking qualified personnel.

The two organisations are responsible for gathering intelligence from across the world. However, they are turning into retirement homes that bestow handsome salaries and perks upon occupants. The important task of gathering external intelligence stands endangered.

Take the case of D. Nath. A month ago, he began his third innings in India’s intelligence community after he was called out of retirement to deal with the emerging Kashmir crisis. Strangely enough, neither was Nath the best man RAW had on Kashmir, nor was he aware of current trends, having retired from RAW at the beginning of the decade. Nath had earlier been pulled out of retirement to head the central monitoring services of NTRO when he was in his mid-sixties. Now nearing 70 years, Nath again finds himself in the hot seat.

He is not alone. RAW and NTRO have seen a flurry of appointments in the past few months. Amber Sen retired from RAW four years ago after he was edged out by a politically savvy colleague for the post of RAW chief. Sen was asked to go and Chaturvedi took over, and his tenure is considered one of the worst and controversial chapters in RAW’s history. Incidentally, before retirement, Sen was handling the operations desk, considered the most prestigious assignment and generally going to the most competent of officers.

But the then National Security Advisor (NSA) offered Sen a sop by hiring him as the “strategic intelligence advisor” in the Prime Minister’s Office. After a two-year stint, Sen retired a second time. Again, early this year, RAW sought out his services. He is working when he should be settled deep in the joys of comfortable retirement like other bureaucrats his age.

Sen’s third stint is understandable, given his competence. But RAW has even refused to let go of officers from its “ministerial” cadre, the administrative wing in charge of paperwork and file-keeping that is unrelated to intelligence in any way. P.K. Mathur is an administrative officer who has never served in any intelligence-related capacity. However, as a “farewell gift”, Mathur was sent as a first secretary in the Indian embassy in a Southeast Asian country before he retired. This is a post usually reserved for senior operational RAW but Mathur got to keep it for two years. This caused RAW some embarrassment with its foreign service counterparts. He would have then retired but for a brand new “favour”: his services were extended as he was found to the best man, one who knew all “the rules and regulations and the administrative set-up of RAW”. He continues to serve and enjoy all perquisites.

Ironically, RAW’s present crisis is the legacy of two men, Chaturvedi and his deputy Sanjiv Tripathi, who served as as the additional secretary (personnel) and then as the head of its technical wing known as the Aviation Research Centre (ARC). Tripathi is back in contention as the new RAW chief if the current chief, K.C. Verma, chooses to retire a month before the actual date of his retirement. During Chaturvedi and Tripathi’s run in RAW, the organisation was hit by several controversies, resignations and security lapses, causing embarrassment to the government.

Extensions well past the age of retirement are turning RAW and NTRO into cosy niches where little gets done.

It was also during this period (2007-09) that some of RAW’s finest officers quit. While Sen retired from service, Chaturvedi’s attempts to promote Tripathi led to R. Banerji, an expert on Pakistan, Afghanistan and terrorism, leaving. Chaturvedi also ensured that its China expert, P.V. Kumar, would be sidelined. Two other senior officers, Jayadeva Ranade and Ravi Nair, put in their papers under controversial circumstances. RAW was without experts in the two countries that matter the most, Pakistan and China. The exodus at the top ensured that officers from other departments began to cry off any offers of deputation in the intelligence agency. Now, ad-hoc extensions to non-essential personnel like Mathur are ensuring that the last vestige of professionalism is corroded away.

The NTRO hasn’t fared any better. Last week, unable to find a suitable officer to replace its chairman, K.V.S.S. Prasad Rao, the government decided to continue with “acting chairman” P.V. Kumar, who had lost out in RAW when Chaturvedi made allegations of corruption against him in a case related to the procurement of interception equipment. This was cited by Union home minister P. Chidambaram, who felt that a person found “unfit” to head RAW could not be posted as the head of another intelligence agency. However, Kumar was brought out of retirement to first serve as “advisor”, and now “acting chairman”, of NTRO till he retires for the second time a few months later. NTRO has seen its share of pensioners. Ramesh Kumar, an HRD manager from DRDO, was brought back when he was nearing 70. S.S. Moorthy, a little over 70 and with a work background in DRDO laboratories, was also brought in.

“The rot in these organisations is too difficult to correct,” a senior intelligence official told Outlook. “Even if the questionable appointments were to be brought to the notice of the nsa or the prime minister, there is little that they can do. These organisations are now run as personal fiefdoms with no accountability or oversight. Even if they do want to do something, the systemic problems will never be addressed.”

A case in point is the much-delayed inquiry report and the pending cag investigation into NTRO’s financial and administrative illegalities. Unless the government acts swiftly and with specific intent, the systemic rot in the intelligence apparatus will be difficult to set right. Meanwhile, one can simply watch sensitive and strategic outfits turning into retirement homes meant for the rehabilitation of favourites.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 25 Dec 2010 07:16

Aviation research boss to be new R&AW chief

Sanjeev Tripathi, a 1972-batch IPS officer, has been appointed the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and will take charge on December 30 on a two-year term. Government sources said Tripathi's orders were issued on Friday, a day after incumbent KC Verma put his offer to quit ahead of his term on paper.

Tripathi would have missed the bus if Verma had completed his two-year tenure. Tripathi was to retire on 31 December, a month ahead of Verma's tenure ending on January 31.

...
...
Tripathi's name was also recommended in 2009 by Ashok Chaturvedi, who was heading the agency before Verma. At that time, the government didn't approve his name. Instead, the government appointed Verma, a rank outsider, as secretary (R).

...

dal mein kuch kaala hai! Why is Verma resigning now just in time for Tripathi to become RAW chief? Chaturvedi, the previous RAW chief and Tripathi were said to be very close. And Chaturvedi was one of the most inefficient/incompetent/corrupt RAW chiefs!

Why didn't the govt keep the post vacant for a week more so that Tripathi retires and assign someone else for the post?

And we wonder why our intelligence dept is so inept

sum · Post by **sum** » 29 Dec 2010 09:41

RAW seals office of its own auditor who objected to hi-tech purchases

The country’s premier external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has cracked down on its own auditor who first raised questions on capital purchases worth millions of dollars. Sources said that last Thursday, a day before S K Tripathi was named as the next RAW chief, the office of the director (finance) of the agency was searched and several files pertaining to capital purchases that were under its scanner taken away. The director, who was on leave, has been locked out of the office. The deputy director of the department, who was the officiating head, was also questioned for several hours by agency officials. The officer concerned has filed a formal complaint with the Finance Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs. RAW is the largest recipient of secret funds — Rs 350 crore this year — and is exempt from public scrutiny of its accounts. The only audit mechanism in the agency is its accounts department, and that too on capital expenditure. The agency, which has just undergone a regime change, is under a cloud after objections were raised by the finance department of the Cabinet Secretariat on two major deals: purchase of satellite communication interception systems and aerial surveillance equipment. Both contracts were finalised without carrying out trials of the equipment, a requirement that is mandatory for all defence purchases. In response to the audit objections, RAW officials claimed these decisions were made for “operational reasons.” The auditor’s office had objected to what it called were irregularities in the $350-million contract for the purchase of aerial surveillance equipment. Members of the technical team evaluating the system, including a senior air force officer, raised objections to the fact that trials were not conducted. As first reported by The Indian Express, the agency has been gripped by a series of controversies as a regime change took place over the past month. Last week, the government appointed Tripathi as the new head after incumbent KC Verma put in his papers a month before he was scheduled to retire. Tripathi will take over on December 30. The succession drama took a dramatic twist last week after Verma conveyed to the Prime Minister that he wanted to step down a month before schedule so that Verma could take over the top post, citing organisational interests.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 29 Dec 2010 10:44

putnanja wrote: dal mein kuch kaala hai! Why is Verma resigning now just in time for Tripathi to become RAW chief? Chaturvedi, the previous RAW chief and Tripathi were said to be very close. And Chaturvedi was one of the most inefficient/incompetent/corrupt RAW chiefs!

Why didn't the govt keep the post vacant for a week more so that Tripathi retires and assign someone else for the post?

I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but really, I get this strong sneaking feeling that this answers your question.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news ... es/730546/

RAW seals office of its own auditor who objected to hi-tech purchases

Manu Pubby
Posted: Dec 29, 2010 at 0244 hrs IST
New Delhi

The country’s premier external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has cracked down on its own auditor who first raised questions on capital purchases worth millions of dollars. Sources said that last Thursday, a day before S K Tripathi was named as the next RAW chief, the office of the director (finance) of the agency was searched and several files pertaining to capital purchases that were under its scanner taken away. The director, who was on leave, has been locked out of the office.

The deputy director of the department, who was the officiating head, was also questioned for several hours by agency officials. The officer concerned has filed a formal complaint with the Finance Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs. RAW is the largest recipient of secret funds — Rs 350 crore this year — and is exempt from public scrutiny of its accounts. The only audit mechanism in the agency is its accounts department, and that too on capital expenditure.

The agency, which has just undergone a regime change, is under a cloud after objections were raised by the finance department of the Cabinet Secretariat on two major deals: purchase of satellite communication interception systems and aerial surveillance equipment. Both contracts were finalised without carrying out trials of the equipment, a requirement that is mandatory for all defence purchases. In response to the audit objections, RAW officials claimed these decisions were made for “operational reasons.” The auditor’s office had objected to what it called were irregularities in the $350-million contract for the purchase of aerial surveillance equipment. Members of the technical team evaluating the system, including a senior air force officer, raised objections to the fact that trials were not conducted.

As first reported by The Indian Express, the agency has been gripped by a series of controversies as a regime change took place over the past month. Last week, the government appointed Tripathi as the new head after incumbent KC Verma put in his papers a month before he was scheduled to retire. Tripathi will take over on December 30. The succession drama took a dramatic twist last week after Verma conveyed to the Prime Minister that he wanted to step down a month before schedule so that Verma could take over the top post, citing organisational interests.

So. Previously superceded head of Aviation Research Center takes over as Secretary RAW, and one day before that, all files related to shady Aviation purchases are spirited away, and the auditors office is locked up, and the auditor is interrogated. Coincidence? Really? Given the current climate of utterly blatant corruption in govt circles? I really wonder?

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 29 Dec 2010 17:12

^^ And what exactly can we do or say about it? F - All. There is no accountability, noone watching them. Only PMO can question them, but hasnt the PM got enough on their plates right now?

This whole case just smells of conspiracy.

I think you need to ask yourselves what leverage these guys hold against the ruling establishment.

Bhaskar · Post by **Bhaskar** » 29 Dec 2010 22:32

Tripathi is on the left, with Ashok Chaturvedi in the right

Sanjeev Tripathi is one who should have never had gotten the job as the Agency's Executive. He, being a lowly rank got close to Ashok Chaturvedi during his regime and went up the ranks as other senior officers resigned due to Chaturvedi's incompetence. Tripathi and Chaturvedi were more than just close aides, Tripathi used to be incharge when Chaturvedi was on vacation, apparently not in "good health". This led to major blunders even for the Chaturvedi regime. When things went out of hand in Pakistan, MMS wanted to know if Musharraf will impose martial law in the country. Tripathi's own assessment was that things were stable in Pakistan and there was no cause of worry. R&AW expected nothing to happen and wasn't prepared for any change in plans or circumstance when Musharraf suspended the constitution and declared a state of emergency.
Sanjeev Tripathi has no experience as an intelligence officer, he was only an administrator.
Foreign intelligence agency's were also fed up with Tripathi and Chaturvedi and were reluctant in sharing any information with R&AW.

Sanjay Tripathi as the Agency's executive is the worst case scenario for R&AW who has already lost many of its senior respected officers during Chaturvedi's term. Here comes an even less experienced person taking over the job on Thursday.

May Lord Be With Us!

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 29 Dec 2010 22:49

shyamd wrote:^^ And what exactly can we do or say about it? F - All. There is no accountability, noone watching them. Only PMO can question them, but hasnt the PM got enough on their plates right now?

This whole case just smells of conspiracy.

I think you need to ask yourselves what leverage these guys hold against the ruling establishment.

there really should be some parliamentary oversight to a select group of MP's.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 29 Dec 2010 23:12

Rahul M wrote:there really should be some parliamentary oversight to a select group of MP's.

Exactly , Executive keeping track on executive for accountability will not go much far , we need an over all parliamentary oversight besides executive to keep a check on all Indian Agency besides appointing right person on top and other spots , else we end up with Relatives and Associates Wing

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 30 Dec 2010 08:24

Ravindra Chaudhary picked up by Gujarat ATS for his suspicious activities at BSF Gandhinagar

Ravindra Babu Chaudhary, the 23-year-old resident of Neemgabhan in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, who was caught snooping at the Border Security Force’s establisment in Gandhinagar, was fondly called Ravi bhaiyya by his landlady’s grandchildren. Several BSF jawans live at rented houses in villages near the BSF camp in Gandhinagar.

The Anti Terrorist Squad of the state arrested him after BSF officials informed them about Ravindra suspicious activity. A mobile phone with two SIM cards and additional two SIM cards were recovered from him. ATS sources said that Ravindra belongs to a family of labourers and cannot afford luxury like motorcycle. The terror suspect had purchased a motorcycle and used it for commuting.

According to ATS sources, two BSF uniforms, one uniform jacket, two Indian road atlas, a tourist guide, his pictures in BSF uniform, three pocket phone diaries, BSF canteen’s fake ID card, a deputy director of fisheries ID card, some bank slips, a camera and several important documents were recovered from his room.

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 30 Dec 2010 12:49

Terror alert: 1000 explosive laden trucks in India

New Delhi: Around 1000 truck, packed with tonnes of explosives or drugs, may have entered India, according to intelligence sources.

http://www.zeenews.com/news677493.html

nits · Post by **nits** » 30 Dec 2010 14:37

'RIM offers data tapping at India office'

Blackberry maker Research in Motion , which had been slapped with a January 31 deadline to provide a 'final solution' for lawful interception of services offered on its handsets , has offered to install a network data analysis system at its premises in India, "In the final solution proposed by RIM, the decoding will be automatic. Intercepted and decoded data will not travel out of India. RIM has proposed to install NDAS in India. In the final solution, intercepted and decoded data will travel between service providers and RIM India ,"

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 30 Dec 2010 20:48

^RIM deny Indian BlackBerry monitoring claims

RIM has denied reports that it has opened backdoor access to the Indian government in its BlackBerry email system, describing the claims as “false and technologically infeasible.” Indian paper The Economic Times had suggested that RIM would install a network data analysis system (NDAS) rendering every email and message readable by government security forces; “intercepted and decoded data will travel between service providers and RIM India” a home ministry note issued by deputy director Arvind Kumar suggested.

That’s certainly not the case, a RIM spokesperson told the Guardian, insisting that “there will be no change to the security model of BlackBerry Enterprise Service.” Instead, the company would follow “lawful access” processes when requests for user information were legal, made no greater demands for BlackBerry services than those of others, that Enterprise customers’ security would not be impacted, and that individual customers would not be made “specific deals.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 01 Jan 2011 01:26

This is beyond crazy

IAFs-top-secret-file-found-on-road

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/vide ... 197927.cms

sum · Post by **sum** » 04 Jan 2011 08:41

Secret file loss: Two Defence Ministry officials under scanner

Viewing the development seriously, Defence Minister A K Antony today said the officials needed to be careful while dealing with files related to the proposed procurement of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA).

Last week, an IAF file related to the offsets clause in the M-MRCA deal worth over USD 11 billion had gone missing from the Defence Ministry and was recovered from the roadside in Khelgaon locality in South Delhi.

The inquiry, launched soon after, has found that the file apparently was lost by an Additional Secretary-rank official while he was taking it to Bharat Electronic Limited guest-house, his temporary home, in Khelgaon, sources said.

The file, marked 'secret', was found by a security guard who handed it over to a senior Defence Ministry official who was passing by, they said."The official was subsequently asked to vacate the guest house which he did at 0400 hours today," they said.
The official has named a Director-level officer in the Department of Defence Production for the incident and his role is also being probed, the sources said.

"We have viewed the incident seriously. An Inquiry is on in the case," Antony said while commenting on the incident.

"As far as M-MRCA is concerned, I am clear that every officer needs to be careful at every stage," he said.After the incident came to light, IAF and the Defence Ministry had simaltaneously launched an inquiry into the case.

"The IAF has ordered a CoI into the loss of the secret file which went missing from the Defence Ministry. The Ministry will order a separate probe into the incident as the file had gone missing from there," Air Vice Marshal M Matheswaran, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) had said after the incident came to light on Friday.

The incident comes at a time when the aircraft deal has entered a critical stage after the IAF carried out extensive flight evaluation trials of the six participating aircraft.
The IAF had submitted its report to the Defence Ministry, which has to take a final call on the deal.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 04 Jan 2011 08:46

Still poor security when classified material can leave premises! What was the Add Secy doing with the file in non secure locations? And its not just MRCA related files but any classified files should be handled appropriately.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 04 Jan 2011 11:32

10 BILLION Dollars on the line, and you expect me to believe that these IAS so called officers 'accidentally' lost the file? REALLY, MOD? REALLY? Do you really expect me to believe that copies of this file were not made and sold before it was conveniently 'found' again, by the security guard??

And why are MoD launching 'their own probe' after the IAF one? To exonerate these two bozos? Call the DIA to investigate. The IB. The CBI, even. Even Delhi Police. But why are we being treated to this comedic "MoD probe"? Antony should take strong action. Otherwise the next MEGA SCAM ala Bofors/2G/CWG will be in HIS ministry.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... z1A2vS2eMf

$10 billion mistake? IAS officers under lens

NEW DELHI: Even as the race for the "mother of all defence deals" enters the last lap, two IAS officers of the defence ministry are now under the scanner for the mysterious way in which a "secret" file connected to the $10.4 billion project to acquire 126 new fighters went missing and was then found by a roadside.

Ordering an inquiry into the episode, defence minister A K Antony on Monday said he was "very clear that every officer has to be very careful at every stage" while dealing with the huge MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project. "We have viewed the incident seriously...the inquiry is in progress," he said. It was last week that the "secret" file, which was earlier submitted to the MoD by IAF, went missing and was then found later in the day near Khelgaon Marg in South Delhi.

The file dealt with the technical offsets evaluation of the bids submitted by the six global aviation majors, whose fighters have already been extensively trial evaluated by IAF pilots over the last couple of years.

The MMRCA contract specifies an obligation of 50% offsets, under which the foreign aviation major who is finally selected will be required to plough half of the contract forex value back into India.

MoD was tight-lipped about the incident but sources said the file was apparently lost by the bureaucrats, one an additional secretary-rank officer and the other a director, while being taken to the Bharat Electronics Limited guest-house on Khelgaon Marg. The file was found by a security guard who then got in touch with the authorities concerned.

The episode has evoked widespread concern since the gigantic MMRCA project is being bitterly contested by the six vendors. The fighters in the race are the American F/A-18 'Super Hornet' ( Boeing) and F-16 'Falcon' ( Lockheed Martin) Russian MiG-35 (RAC MiG), Swedish Gripen (Saab), French Rafale (Dassault) and Eurofighter Typhoon (consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian companies). "A single file or document cannot, of course, influence the process of selection. But the offsets file is definitely commercially sensitive for the vendors in terms of who they are tying up with in India, among other things," said a senior official.

Rajput · Post by **Rajput** » 04 Jan 2011 20:59

"Under the lens" means nothing to these babus. A mosquito bite will be more
painful than this "under the lens" crap. Everyone knows that MMS will do
absolutely nothing to enforce the law and bring some sense to this
administration.

I am convinced that MMS is deliberately trying to lower the bar so much that
people will clamor for Master Rahul to come in and take over.
Unfortunately, Indians' patience for incompetence is so large that it will still
be a while.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 04 Jan 2011 21:26

Meanwhile, an article by KN Nambudripad, who was a US based evanjihadist convert from hinduism to evangelical christianity.

http://www.lausanne.org/documents/lau1docs/0790.pdf

An article by Hindu convert to evangelism KN Nambudripad, on conversion of Hindus. Among other things, he reccommends dressing christianity in an "Indian" form, to make it easier for the average hindu to swallow. This is a technique being used in India quite a bit now, with crypto-christians, and even others like YSR and his son JaganMohan Reddy using Hindu names, but practicing christianity. The latest push is to have christians supposedly descended from scheduled castes declared benficiaries of reservation meant for actual Hindus belonging to the Scheduled Castes. This would ensure that a significant barrier to wanting to convert would be removed.

Nambudripad concludes with:

"Hindus today are more vulnerable than at any time in history... they are fast losing faith in almost everything Indian"

A situation devoutly hoped for, and encouraged by the evanjehadis, and their enablers in the establishment, and the media, under the garb of so called secularism, which stifles any legitimate expression of Hindu thought.

Are our intel agencies keeping watch on this massively funded external aggression? Are they even allowed to?

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 04 Jan 2011 21:45

^Good observation, google for sonia gandhi and her ties with ron watts

Legal deportation order has not be executed due to sonia's protection to illegal activities of ron watts

When sonia ka haath with foreign fundamentalists what will intel agencies do?

aditya.agd · Post by **aditya.agd** » 04 Jan 2011 22:46

Since India churns out so many qualified MBAs and Engineers with a very high IQ and scores, why don't Indian police and Intelligence is made up of middle-class groomed boys and girls. The christianization of Indian media is also one of the factors of Indian impotence in International affairs.

I hope that we remove the British Raj archetypical IAS, IPS services and create a more pragmatic and hopeful Indian intelligence and policing systems....

Rupesh · Post by **Rupesh** » 05 Jan 2011 06:59

There is nothing wrong with IAS, IPS etc ( BTW they comprise ofMiddle Class Folks onlee ). Majority of the MBA, Engineers will not even be able to clear the Civil Service Prelims, forget the mains.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 05 Jan 2011 10:22

^^

I disagree. The IAS and IPS are constructs of the British Raj, and should have been abandoned for a more democratic setup long ago. Incidentally, if anyone is from Kerala, MJ Benny, son in law of KG Balakrishnan is being accused of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of wealth. Any one know what sort of a name MJ Benny is? Or does it not identify with any particular community in Kerala?

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 05 Jan 2011 10:38

^^^ A permanent civil service is a hallmark of any functioning state, to that extent there isnt anything anomalous between a democracy and a permanent civil service..The problem in India is the functioning of the bureaucracy - as Ronen Sen put it recently, once you pass one exam the progression is prety much guaranteed as long as you dont goo up..

IMO the big problem is insufficient fungibility between the government, private sector and academia, which is omsething that will bring fresh talent and ideas into the govt set-up...

In UPA-1, Manmohan Singh spearheaded some attempts at reforming the set-up, but obvisuly its fallen through...

Rupesh wrote:There is nothing wrong with IAS, IPS etc ( BTW they comprise ofMiddle Class Folks onlee ). Majority of the MBA, Engineers will not even be able to clear the Civil Service Prelims, forget the mains.

Dont know about the "majority", but the elite students of the country no longer vie for the civil services - the typical civil services candidate today is someone cooped up in a JNU/DU hostel for 5 years and taking the exam 4 times before cracking it once..Add to it a 50% quota, and the average quality of people joining the bureaucracy has fallen big time from what it was 30 years back..

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 05 Jan 2011 11:51

Thai passports ring: Pak man had LeT link

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/thai- ... nk/733492/

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 05 Jan 2011 13:32

@Somnath:

You are correct, a permanent civil service is required, and de rigeur, in most democracies. But the removal of the civil service is not a suggestion that you will find me making. I have suggested the removal of colonial constructs like the IAS and the IPS. In most functioning democracies, you will not see the outsourcing of governance by the elected representatives of the people, to the extent of allowing entire districts, divisions, and towns to be run by unelected bureaucrats.

You will also not see police services being run with such a minimal degree of supervision as they are in India. In most mature democracies, police standards boards, etc are de rigeur.

Completely agree that the lack of accountability which is the standard in Indian bureaucracy is a large part of the problem. I dont know whether reservations have had a very bad impact, but I do know that the best and the brightest do not apply to the UPSC. Only those who are willing to waste 4-5 earning years taking exams are bothered.

One does see some interaction between the private sector/academia/civil service. RV Shahi (former Union power secy) was one such example. As was MMS, and Montek Ahluwalia, Sam Pitroda. All Chief Economic Advisors are usually adcademics. The secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Prog Implementation is usually an academic statistician on appointment also.

I will add that so far, most of the technocrats appointed to secy levels posts have been quite successful in executing their brief.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 05 Jan 2011 14:23

^^^Mostly agree...though the point on private sector/academia coming into govt, the numbers are very few, and far between, and at the seniormost (minister, Secretary) levels..Unlike in the US (which IMO has probably the best setup) where there is cross-pollination at all levels..

This is especially true for intelligence..In the US, the NSA, CIA and even the US Army Intel recruits heavily from the ranks of techies, financial analysts etc..These people serve for a few years, some of them stay on, some move out..In India, across the board - IB, RAW, state IBs - they are all staffed by the same pool of IPS officers, some army officers, and other assorted all India/state service officers..

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 05 Jan 2011 16:23

Well, thats part of the culture which comes with having an unaccountable civil service. May perhaps be the reason why an officer whose decisions are being questioned can become head of a major intel agency!

sum · Post by **sum** » 07 Jan 2011 16:04

What the RAW's new leadership must do

The Research & Analysis Wing, India's [ Images ] external intelligence agency, has a new leadership since December 31. It is headed by Sanjeev Tripathi, an Indian Police Service officer of the Uttar Pradesh [ Images ] cadre, who joined the organisation on deputation in the 1970s and was subsequently absorbed permanently into the Research & Analysis Service.

When K C Verma, an IPS officer who was inducted into the RAW on deputation as its chief from the Intelligence Bureau on January 31, 2009, took premature retirement by a month on December 31, 2010, the toss as his successor was between Tripathi and Anand Arni, a direct recruit to the RAS when the late R N Kao was the chief.

With the selection of Tripathi, an RAS officer from the deputationist quota of the RAS, as the chief, officers from the direct recruits quota have to wait for at least two years more before one of them could hope to become the proud head of the organisation.

By 2009 when Verma was inducted as the chief, the initial batches of direct recruits to the RAS cadre had reached the required level of seniority and experience to be considered for the post of the chief. They have already waited for two years before one of them could hope to become the chief and they may have to wait for at least two years more.

Arni had worked with me for a longer time in the late 1980s and the early 1990s when Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence started using terrorism as a weapon against India --initially in Punjab [ Images ] and subsequently in J&K and the rest of India.

Arni's role in dealing with the aggravation of the threats to our national security as a result of this would make any intelligence agency proud of him. I consider him without any fear of contradiction as one of the boldest operatives with tremendous initiative produced by the R&AW since its inception in 1968.

He understood Pakistan better than many other officers of the organisation and his analysis of the situation in Pakistan and of the Pakistani personalities used to be remarkably accurate in retrospect.

Good man management and team work used to be Tripathi's forte. These should stand him and the organisation in good stead in improving morale and esprit de corps in the organisation. If Tripathi and Arni work in tandem, the organisation could scale new heights under their stewardship. The organisation has had ups and downs since Major Rabinder Singh, an alleged mole of the Central Intelligence Agency, gave the slip to the counter-intelligence division in 2004 and fled to the US.

The RAW has to develop a three-front intelligence capability -- against Pakistan, China and terrorism. It already has this capability, but there is much scope for improvement. Only an honest and critical introspection by the RAW's senior leadership itself will be able to identify the deficiencies and provide answers as to how to remove them.

External audits of the performance are necessary, but no external audit can throw the spotlight on the weaknesses and gaps as effectively as an internal audit done honestly and ruthlessly.

It is hoped that one of the first steps of the new leadership will be to have such an introspective exercise. The RAW has done great work in the past, to which officers such as Tripathi and Arni had considerably contributed. It is capable of similar great work in the difficult years to come with the right critical approach and self-correcting action. The best corrective action is self-induced and not imposed from outside.

Venkarl · Post by **Venkarl** » 07 Jan 2011 18:22

Some were exceptional and some are _____

1 R. N. Kao ==> Kashmiri Pandit
2 K. Sankaran Nair ==> Malayala Kshatriya
3 N.F.Suntook==>??
4 Girish Chandra Saxena==> Brahmin/Kshatriya
5 S.E.Joshi==> Brahmin/Kshatriya
6 A.K. Verma ==>Kshatriya
7 G.S. Bajpai ==>Brahmin
8 N. Narasimhan==>??
9 J.S. Bedi==> Khatri/Kshatriya
10 A.S. Syali==>??
11 Ranjan Roy==> Brahmin
12 Arvind.K.Dave==> Brahmin
13 A.S.Dulat==> ??
14 Vikram Sood==> Rajput/Kshatriya
15 C D Sahay==> Kayastha Brahmin?
16 P K H Tharakan==> Syrian Christian
17 Ashok Chaturvedi==> Brahmin
18 K. C. Verma==> Kshatriya
19 Sanjeev Tripathi==> Brahmin

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 07 Jan 2011 19:55

'Threat of Pak nukes falling in jehadi hands' http://www.zeenews.com/news679041.html

nits · Post by **nits** » 12 Jan 2011 15:20

Is Bhatkal dead?

Who killed Riyaz Bhatkal? Was it gangster Chhota Rajan, or, was the job funnelled to an underworld shooter by Indian intelligence agencies?

Even as questions are being raised whether the Indian intelligence pulled off one of the biggest operations by closing in on India's most wanted terrorist and chief of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) insiders are divided over who killed him.

If Indian intelligence agencies were behind it; Kuddos !!

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 12 Jan 2011 19:08

Who killed Riyaz Bhatkal? Was it gangster Chhota Rajan, or, was the job funnelled to an underworld shooter by Indian intelligence agencies?

This fellow's name has been tied up with way too many bomb blasts and terror attacks in India. In fact our dear old Thadiyan (Shri. T.Nasir, now relaxing at Central Prison, Bengaluru) is said to be a close pal of this chap. Won't be too surprised if some one decided enough is enough and bumped him off.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 13 Jan 2011 08:16

Venkarl wrote:Some were exceptional and some are _____

1 R. N. Kao ==> Kashmiri Pandit
2 K. Sankaran Nair ==> Malayala Kshatriya
3 N.F.Suntook==>??
4 Girish Chandra Saxena==> Brahmin/Kshatriya
5 S.E.Joshi==> Brahmin/Kshatriya
6 A.K. Verma ==>Kshatriya
7 G.S. Bajpai ==>Brahmin
8 N. Narasimhan==>??
9 J.S. Bedi==> Khatri/Kshatriya
10 A.S. Syali==>??
11 Ranjan Roy==> Brahmin
12 Arvind.K.Dave==> Brahmin
13 A.S.Dulat==> ??
14 Vikram Sood==> Rajput/Kshatriya
15 C D Sahay==> Kayastha Brahmin?
16 P K H Tharakan==> Syrian Christian
17 Ashok Chaturvedi==> Brahmin
18 K. C. Verma==> Kshatriya
19 Sanjeev Tripathi==> Brahmin

Interesting "profiling", though must ask, why?!

BTW, AS Syali and AS Dullat are sikhs (I think JS Bedi as well)..

Venkarl · Post by **Venkarl** » 13 Jan 2011 22:38

Don't know Somnathji...was reading about Tripathi and Chaturvedi connection....ran through other chiefs' names...it was a revelation to myself..just wanted to share...Kali{yuga} didn't spare the Great King Pariskhit's head...these chiefs are nothing..

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Jan 2011 23:33

what has their communities got to do with anything ?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Jan 2011 00:02

Let it stay. It gives sociological data.