Two US generals had visited Bangladesh when Yunus went to China.

Vice Adm Shekhar Sinha Retd

Not all is well on India’s eastern seaboard. At the time of PM Sheikh Hasina’s upstaging in last August, the script seemed to have the US signature all over. This perception was strengthened by the parachuting of Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government. Yunus had been earlier under US patronage for a few years.

However, the setting up of this governance model was unconstitutional since a caretaker government in Bangladesh is supposed to be headed by a Supreme Court judge. But, it had the backing of the army. Further, Yunus flew down to DC with the ‘student leader’ who had led the agitation before the regime change. He was introduced to Bill Clinton and, possibly, Joe Biden, giving legitimacy to the belief that the US deep state had steered the drama.

Yunus’ actions and the statements from his advisers have been adversarial to India. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka recently and met Yunus and, probably, conveyed India’s concerns.

Recently, Yunus called on General Secretary Xi Jinping in Beijing. He also addressed a business forum, where he said: “Seven sisters of India are landlocked — they have no way to reach the ocean. We are the only guardian of the ocean for all of this region…. From Bangladesh, you can go anywhere you want. The ocean is in our backyard. So, this is the opportunity that you want to take.”

Either the Adviser is geopolitically naïve or he hasn’t looked at the map. With a 580-km coastline, he considers Bangladesh to be the “guardian of the ocean for all of this region.” On the east coast alone, India has a coastline of approximately 6,100 km and along with Andaman and Nicobar Islands, it is around 7,516 km.

The size of the country, its trade, the combat naval arsenal, including two (soon to be three) Sub-Surface Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN) submarines, all in the east coast, speak for themselves. Clearly, his imagination that Bangladesh is the “guardian of the ocean” is misplaced.

The armed forces of the two countries, particularly the navies, hold regular exercises, a large number of personnel are trained in India and enjoy very cordial relations.

Yunus must be naïve to invite Chinese businessmen, knowing well that the US would not expect this from its proxy. Incidentally, two US generals were visiting Bangladesh when the Adviser travelled to China. Also, soon after his return, the army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, visited Beijing.

Before her upstaging, Hasina had stated that the US was keen to use St Martin Island, located 9 km from the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, but she had declined the request. St Martin is just about 8 km from the Myanmar coast, making it rather strategic.

The US has been monitoring the worsening situation in Myanmar as also the growing influence of China in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Bay of Bengal is the only section of the Indian Ocean where the US does not have a physical presence. The Biden administration had earmarked $167 million for Myanmar, including $75 million for cross-border aid, of which $25 million was for non-lethal support to ethnic armed organisations.

China has been supporting both the military junta in Myanmar and several armed groups primarily to protect its port operations in Kyaukphyu, where oil from the Gulf is discharged and taken through pipelines to the Kunming refinery. This can be an alternative to the Malacca route, which exposes it to threats in times of tension with the US. China also supports some rebel groups near its border with Myanmar to not disturb the supply route. It developed Kyaukphyu port, which is used to offload Saudi and Iranian crude and taken to Kunming.

To maintain the balance of power between the two friends (China and India), the Myanmar government awarded the development and operational contract of the Sittwe port to India’s IPGL. It is key to the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project. This is also an alternative route to the Northeastern states, bypassing Bangladesh.

It will open the possibility of connecting the NE states with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, opening into the Pacific (South China Sea).

China has many stakes in Bangladesh’s infrastructure as well as weapon platforms for its armed forces. It has 11 projects in hand. It is also Bangladesh’s top import partner. Bangladesh is also part of the BRI. All said, the Chinese projects provide 55,000 jobs to Bangladeshis. There were reports of discussion for PLAN ships to operate regularly from Bangladesh ports. This was declined by the Hasina government to avoid the Bay of Bengal becoming the new ocean of geopolitical contestation.

The US, too, has been active in this area, given China’s influence of the PRC and its stakes in both Myanmar and Bangladesh. And now, the Arakan army has gained control of Rakhine state and the border with Bangladesh, except the ports of Sittwe and Kyaukpyu. Rohingyas in Rakhine are facing the Arakan army’s onslaught and alleged human rights violation.

President Trump has suspended USAID, which was being used for basic food and medical care for thousands of Burmese refugees in Bangladesh, India and Thailand, raising the risk of malnutrition and death.

Yunus has reportedly agreed to invite China for the development of Mongla port (the operation of which was awarded to India by the Sheikh Hasina government). Yunus has also reportedly invited Pakistan to build an airbase at Lalmonirhat, near Chicken’s Neck. Both these could have adverse geopolitical consequences for Bangladesh.

The narrow portion of Bangladesh just below Chicken’s Neck is vulnerable to action by the Indian armed forces. There is a threat of retaliation from these new developments. Also, down south, the Arakan army has been giving hot pursuit to Rohingyas, right up to the Chittagong Hill Tracts. This narrow portion of Bangladesh has borders with Tripura, where ethnic Arakans are known to operate.

This portion, about 17 km wide, opens into the Bay of Bengal. Given the Arakan army’s advance, this part of Bangladesh, which includes Chittagong Harbour, is vulnerable to a split from the country.The US would be monitoring these developments closely since keeping China away from the Bay of Bengal is in the interest of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

The Bangladesh Government should concentrate on solving domestic problems rather than creating new external ones, which may become a geopolitical contest ground.

SIT formed to investigate case

Surinder Bhardwaj Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police Subham Agarwal has suspended two police personnel for allegedly mercilessly thrashing a son of an ex-serviceman and his driver after detaining them for allegedly possessing opium.

A special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the incident. The SIT will be led by SP (Investigation) Rakesh Yadav.The victims, identified as Surinder Pal and his driver Vicky, were admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment after release from police custody.

Colonel Bath’s wife protests at SSP office

The FIR was registered and the cops suespended after a high drama was witnessed at the SSP office, where Jaswinder Kaur, the wife of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who was allegedly assaulted by Patiala Police personnel, reached to protest the police action against the two persons.

She alleged high-handedness by the police and demanded a meeting with the SSP. As the SSP reached his office, she narrated the incident to him and handed over a written complaint from Surinder Pal’s brother Mandeep Singh.According to the complaint, Surinder Pal and his driver Vicky were returning home after harvesting wheat crop last night when they were stopped at a check-post and “asked to hand over the opium in their possession”. When they rejected the charge, they were taken to the Khera police chowki, where they were thrashed mercilessly throughout the night.

Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police Subham Agarwal has suspended two police personnel for allegedly mercilessly thrashing a son of an ex-serviceman and his driver after detaining them for allegedly possessing opium.

A special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the incident. The SIT will be led by SP (Investigation) Rakesh Yadav.

The victims, identified as Surinder Pal and his driver Vicky, were admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment after release from police custody.

Colonel Bath’s wife protests at SSP office

The FIR was registered and the cops suespended after a high drama was witnessed at the SSP office, where Jaswinder Kaur, the wife of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who was allegedly assaulted by Patiala Police personnel, reached to protest the police action against the two persons.

She alleged high-handedness by the police and demanded a meeting with the SSP. As the SSP reached his office, she narrated the incident to him and handed over a written complaint from Surinder Pal’s brother Mandeep Singh.

According to the complaint, Surinder Pal and his driver Vicky were returning home after harvesting wheat crop last night when they were stopped at a check-post and “asked to hand over the opium in their possession”. When they rejected the charge, they were taken to the Khera police chowki, where they were thrashed mercilessly throughout the night.

Photos sent by Mrs Jaswinder Bath to Sanjha Morcha

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A total of 255 cadets of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute have joined various service training academies since the first cadets passed out of the institute in 2013

As many as 26 cadets of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI), Mohali, have made it to the all-India merit list for entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA), Kharakvasla.

The AFPI Director, Major General Ajay H. Chauhan (retd), said this is the highest number of cadets from the institute to get selected for joining the NDA in the same batch. To date, a total of 255 cadets of this institute have joined various service training academies since the first cadets passed out of the institute in 2013, and 170 alumni of the institute have so far been commissioned as officers in the defence services.

They will be joining NDA’s 154^th Course that is scheduled to begin in June 2025, for which call letters are in the process of being issued. Cadet Aryan Sofeth from Patiala has secured the 9^th rank in the merit list, while 10 other cadets have secured positions among the top 100.

Out of the 34 AFPI cadets that appeared for interview before the Services Selection Board for the 154^th Course after passing in the written entrance exam, 26 were declared successful. All the cadets are from 12^th Course of the AFPI.

Congratulating the cadets, Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister, Aman Arora said these cadets are the pride of Punjab. He also felicitated AFPI alumni Gunjot Singh and Aryan Dutt on their selection for the Officer Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, for the Short Service Commission’s 64^th (Technical) Course.

Gunjot hails from Patiala district and his father works at Thapar University, while Cadet Aryan belongs to Mohali district and his father retired as a Commander in the Indian Navy.

The AFPI, which began functioning in 2011, was set up by the Punjab Government to stem the declining trend of youth from the state joining the armed forces as officers. It offers a two-year residential programme for matriculate boys under which they complete their 10+2 and alongside prepare to join the NDA through a structured training process.

Later, a similar institute, called the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, was also set up in Mohali to prepare girls aspiring to become defence officers. This institute initially offered a three-year programme along with graduation aimed at the Short-Service Commission, but with the NDA opening its doors to girls, a two-year programme for women, similar to that of the AFPI, was also introduced recently.

Gen Upendra Dwivedi also visits Headquarters Panther Division in Amritsar, where he was briefed by senior officers on the operational aspects and prevailing security situation in the region

Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service

Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Upendra Dwivedi, visited forward areas along the western borders and reviewed the operational readiness of frontline troops deployed along the border with Pakistan.

He also visited Headquarters Panther Division in Amritsar, where he was briefed by senior officers on the operational aspects and the prevailing security situation in the region. A few days ago, Gen Dwivedi had also visited Headquarters Western Command in Chandimandir.

This visit to the Western Sector come in the wake of the Army Chief visiting operational areas on the northern sector. There have been reports of infiltration bids and ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control this week, which has also resulted in casualties.

Interacting with the troops, he lauded their professionalism and unwavering commitment, urging the adoption of cutting-edge technologies in line with the Army’s transformation roadmap.

During his visit, he also honoured six veterans, Brig Satinder Singh, Lt Col Amarjit Singh Bhullar, Sub Gulzar Singh, Hony Capt Daljit Singh, Nb Sub Balraj Singh and Lance Havildar Lakhwinder Singh with the ‘Veteran Achievers Award’ at a ceremony held in Jallandhar.

Brigadier Satinder Singh served as the Director, Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, where he enhanced support for war widows by getting the ex-gratia payment from the state government enhanced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, improving educational opportunities, and reserving jobs for children of martyrs.

Lieutenant Colonel Amarjit Singh Bhullar, served as Deputy Director of Sainik Welfare in Punjab, helped in enhancing army recruitment. He works with the Red Cross Drug De-addiction Centre in Gurdaspur, mentoring young addicts while guiding them to join the armed forces.

Subedar Gulzar Singh, as the Sarpanch of Nijjar village, initiated several development projects, secured funding for schools and improved infrastructure, including roads and medical facilities, while Naib Subedar Balraj Singh actively supports his community by promoting environmental conservation among farmers, providing career guidance for aspiring soldiers, campaigning against drug abuse and assisting the elderly in accessing government welfare schemes.

This recognition honoured their contributions to society, youth empowerment and nation-building

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi visited Vajra Corps headquarters in Jalandhar and interacted with veterans, felicitating four distinguished ex-servicemen with ‘Veteran Achievers Award’. This recognition honoured their contributions to society, youth empowerment and nation-building.

Among them was Col Jagdeep Singh (retd), a wheelchair-bound battle casualty who has secured Rs 76 crore in dues for more than 1,300 veer naris and veterans. He has also enabled jobs for 23 families of bravehearts.

Commander Gurcharan Singh (retd), a 1971 war veteran, was honoured for supporting the community by resolving decade-old financial cases and securing lifelong Red Cross aid for the families of bravehearts.

Honorary Capt Gurmail Singh (retd) has empowered over 700 youth for defence services, resolved over 100 pension cases and facilitated 60 job placements. He also conducts environmental awareness, girls’ education and anti-drug campaigns in Punjab.

The fourth awardee was Havildar Simranjeet Singh (retd) who runs a sports academy in Raikot and is training rural youth for sports, armed forces and paramilitary forces. So far, over 50 of his trainees have been selected.

Security forces on Saturday killed three Naxalites, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police sources said. It was the first encounter in the state after Union Home Minister Amit…

Security forces on Saturday killed three Naxalites, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police sources said.

It was the first encounter in the state after Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to the Naxalites to lay down arms and join the mainstream last week.

A gunfight broke out on a forested hill in the Indravati National Park area around 9 am on Saturday, when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Sundarraj P, IG, Bastar Range, said.

One of the three slain Maoists was Anil Punem, an area committee member who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head. Punem was allegedly the mastermind of the blast carried out by the Maoists near Ambeli village in Bijapur in January, Sundarraj said.

While “The Cantonment Conspiracy” is fiction, Naravane said its plot draws heavily from his field experience and years of interaction with people from all walks of life, including villagers and soldiers

Tribune News Service

Former Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane (Retd) has ventured into fiction writing with his novel, “The Cantonment Conspiracy”, a military thriller set in the near future. Speaking at a discussion at the India International Centre on Saturday, Naravane described the shift from soldiering to storytelling as a natural evolution.

“Just as an artist doesn’t confine themselves to one form, I wanted to try something different,” he said, adding, “Becoming a storyteller is just an extension of the many good stories I’ve shared through my life.”

The novel follows close on the heels of his memoir “Four Stars of Destiny”. While “The Cantonment Conspiracy” is fiction, Naravane said its plot draws heavily from his field experience and years of interaction with people from all walks of life, including villagers and soldiers.

He revealed that while the story’s premise had long been in his mind, the identity of the actual culprit evolved as the writing progressed. The narrative, set in 2026, touches upon future developments in the armed forces — including the commissioning of the first batch of women officers from the National Defence Academy after training at IMA Dehradun.

Strong female characters feature prominently in the story, a reflection of the push for gender inclusivity in the forces during his tenure. “The induction of women into permanent commission has found its way into the plot,” he said.

The novel spans a wide socio-economic canvas, portraying characters from diverse backgrounds. “Disparities have fuelled unrest in regions like Manipur, and such realities shape the backdrop of the story,” he noted.

More than just a thriller, the book humanises defence personnel, presenting them as individuals grappling with emotions and moral dilemmas. “Soldiers, too, face emotional upheavals,” Naravane said, hinting at the novel’s many twists and turns.

Just two days after a flag meeting between India and Pakistan over increased ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was killed while thwarting an infiltration bid by terrorists in…

Arjun Sharma Our Correspondent

Just two days after a flag meeting between India and Pakistan over increased ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was killed while thwarting an infiltration bid by terrorists in the Keri-Battal sector of Akhnoor in Jammu.

The incident occurred late Friday night when Army troops, using thermal imaging devices, detected movement close to the LoC in the sector. The alert troops immediately engaged the group of heavily armed Pakistani terrorists. During the exchange, Subedar Kuldeep Chand of 9 Punjab was severely injured and later succumbed to his injuries.

Jammu-based 16 Corps of the Indian Army stated, “GOC of White Knight Corps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart Sub Kuldeep Chand of 9 Punjab. He laid down his life while gallantly leading a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in the Keri-Battal area of Sunderbani on the night of April 11, 2025. His team’s valour and Sub Kuldeep’s ultimate sacrifice foiled an infiltration attempt by terrorists. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved family in this hour of grief.”

This incident follows a deadly blast in February this year in the same area, where two soldiers were killed in an IED explosion. The IED, planted by terrorists on a patrol route near the LoC, was detonated as soon as the soldiers approached it.

On Thursday, a brigade commander-level flag meeting was held at the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch district. During the meeting, the Indian Army issued a stern message to its Pakistani counterparts, urging them to uphold the ceasefire agreement that was renewed by both countries on February 25, 2021.

Despite the meeting, tensions persisted on Saturday along the LoC. The Indian side heightened vigilance and launched a search operation to ensure no terrorist managed to infiltrate during the bid.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi have paid their tributes to Subedar Kuldeep Chand. A solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at military garrison Tanda in Akhnoor in the afternoon and later his mortal remains were despatched to his family in Himachal Pradesh for last rites, officials said.

106th anniversary of massacre is a time to reflect on how students suffered then, and how they perceive the event now

Madhav Nayar

Anniversaries serve as occasions for revisiting and re-examining major historical events. It’s an opportunity to consider their significance for the present generation and looking at history afresh. As the country observes the 106th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919, it is perhaps pertinent to ask — how does this event speak to us today, particularly to young Indians? How do we recontextualise this event for the current generation of Indians?

For Tript, a young professional who has grown up in Punjab but works in Bhubaneswar, “Jallianwala Bagh has not only been a part of my history textbooks, but also cultural memory.” She says in addition to the school textbooks, she learnt about the tragedy from her parents and also through popular culture and films like ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’. “I recently visited the renovated memorial complex in Amritsar and saw the light and sound show. In its new avatar, though, the site seems to have lost its sanctity,” she adds.

According to Prannv Dhawan, a young lawyer, “Jallianwala Bagh evokes a fair degree of anti-colonial zeal because you tend to perceive the colonial state as a violent and uncivilised force. This turns the notion of the Empire as a civilising force on its head.” Another young advocate, Abhijeet Rawaley, corroborates this sentiment: “The Jallianwala Bagh massacre exemplified the absolute tyranny of colonialism.”

A stark example of the brutality of the British Empire, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre has been the subject of heated and vigorous historiographic debates, literary portrayals and representations, and a controversy over how it should be commemorated. But beyond the politics of commemoration, histories of colonial violence and anti-colonial resistance are narratives which resist any neat teleologies. The story of Jallianwala Bagh and its aftermath, through the testimonies and experiences of students of the time, is one such narrative which gets lost in the meta-narratives of colonial and nationalist histories. How did it impact students of the time? What were their perceptions of the event? How were their lives transformed in the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?

The writings and debates on the massacre have spanned microhistories of the event, works which have juxtaposed local history and memory against nationalist appropriation of the event. Commentary has focused on critiques of the renovated memorial complex among other aspects.

Zooming out a little, there is also a need to study the immediate contexts that preceded and followed the event. These include the context of what in colonial records has been referred to as the ‘Punjab disturbances’ and also the oppressive and draconian martial law regime which followed the massacre.

That students constituted one of the major classes which participated in the Rowlatt Satyagraha and ‘Punjab disturbances’ of 1919 is corroborated by the official report of the Political and Secret Department on Punjab Disturbances. The report goes on to say, “The evidence at present available appears to indicate that among the classes most deeply implicated are — Pleaders and their Munshis, College Students and Schoolboys (emphasis added), Traders, Members of Arya Samaj…”

The involvement of students in the Rowlatt Satyagraha and the ‘Punjab disturbances’ apart, there is evidence of testimonies of students of Khalsa College, Amritsar, on what transpired on the fateful day of April 13, 1919.

“On the 13th, I did not hear of any proclamation prohibiting public meetings. I went to attend the meeting at about 4 pm. When I arrived there, a Sikh gentleman was addressing the meeting. Then he sat down, and another gentleman whose name I do not know spoke for a short time… Shortly after, I heard the sound of firing, and people began to run on all sides. I did not see any soldiers, as there was a large number of people all around me. I kept sitting where I was. As soon as the first firing ceased, I took the opportunity to run away towards the mud wall to the east. When I was jumping over the wall, the firing began again, and I got a bullet on my right forearm.”

This testimony of Ratan Chand, son of Lala Gokal Chand, 17 years of age, a student of Khalsa College, is one among a handful of testimonies given by students that can be found in the report of the Congress Punjab Inquiry Committee (Volume II).

The historian VN Datta identified another student of Khalsa College, Deva Singh Cheema, who was wounded during the massacre. In a letter to the historian, Deva Singh admitted that he had visited the site of the massacre despite Principal Wathen’s warning to the contrary. Deva Singh also stated that their Principal had some inkling of the meeting at the Bagh turning disruptive, even violent.

The aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre saw martial law being declared in both Amritsar and Lahore. If one goes through the martial law orders and notices issued in 1919, the names of the students, along with their institutions and the quantum of punishment given to each, is indicated very clearly in these notices.

In all, 64 martial law notices were issued at Lahore, between April 15, 1919, and June 6, 1919. Out of these, seven notices i.e. notice numbers 7, 13, 16, 30, 36, 44 and 46, dealt exclusively with various kinds of punitive action recommended against the students of different colleges. Apart from general punishment announced for the students who were found guilty of “seditious activities”, specific punishments were announced by name for the students of King Edward Medical College, Dyal Singh College, Sanatan Dharam College, Forman Christian College and other educational institutions in Lahore.

These notices adversely affected the careers of around 254 students, as most of them had to pay heavy penalties, which ranged from imposition of fine to suspension for a year, but some even had to face expulsion or permanent ban on seeking re-admission. Of the total number of 254 students listed in these notices, 78 have not been named at all. Some of the students whose names figure in these notices were: Nanak Chand Kapur, Pran Nath, Shamsher Singh, Fahur-ud-din, Bhagwan Das, Dina Nath, Sher Singh, Manzur Hasan Khan, Durga Dutt, Din Dayal, Des Raj.

The martial law regime was thus particularly hostile to students, with thousands of them from Lahore colleges even being forced to attend roll call before military officers four times a day for three weeks before their examinations.

The history of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and its fallout from the vantage point of students deserves closer attention. The tragedy left a deep mark on the students who were witness to it, and the lives of countless students was altered by the events that followed it. It is a history of wounded bodies and jeopardised careers.

It is also a history of how brutally the colonial state snuffed out any dissent. As Professor Amandeep Bal, who is the Jallianwala Bagh Chair at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, says, “The history of Jallianwala Bagh is a reminder for the current generation to be vigilant about its rights.”

This narrative is but a small slice of a complicated and contested history. However, it is a narrative which could possibly resonate with the young and serve as a point of reflection and inspiration for them. Recovering a history of student voices and experiences with respect to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre thus is perhaps one way in which that history can become more meaningful for the current generation of young Indians.

— The writer, a freelance contributor, did his Masters in history from SOAS

Also looks at procurement of para-droppable light artillery guns

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

Keeping in mind the damage drones cause to tanks in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Indian Army is planning to procure full-scale ‘mock tanks’ to mimic the T-90 tanks in its fleet.

These ‘mock tanks’ will deceive drones into believing that real tanks are deployed. It is expected that surveillance by enemy drones would show ‘tanks’ being stationed. This has a two-pronged effect. First, the adversary can choose to attack these ‘mock tanks’ using the ammunition on the drones, and second, change the position of its own troops.

The use of ‘mock-ups’ is an old military tactic. Ukraine used it recently. India, too, has employed similar tactics in the past. However, advancements in technology now allow mock-ups to look very real.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a Request for Information (RFI), the first step in the tendering process, seeking an unspecified number of ‘mock-ups’ of the T-90 tanks.

The RFI is open to both Indian private sector firms and public sector undertaking, with a clear mandate that the products must be ‘made in India’.

According to the technical parameters by the MoD, the ‘mock-up’ should generate noise and have thermal signature (heat exhaust) like a real tank. Sensors and drones of the adversary will pick up heat and noise signatures.

Additionally, the mock tanks must have same dimensional characteristics—height, width, ground clearance, slope of armour—as well as other external fittings such as radio antennas, wind sensors, and external fuel tanks.The MoD in its RFI said these ‘mock-ups’ will help preserve real tanks from drone attacks. They will be used in the terrain and environmental conditions as existing in the Indian subcontinent.

In a parallel development, the Army is also looking at procurement of light artillery guns. These guns are expected to be 105 mm, 37 calibre, and mounted on vehicles. The Army wants these gun systems can be deployed by dropping them with parachutes to a desired location.

The MoD has already given ‘Acceptance of Necessity’ for this requirement and is expected to issue a Request for Proposal to prospective vendors by June 1.