Interview/Lt Gen (retd) Prakash Katoch, former special forces officer
Lt Gen (retd) Prakash Katoch was part of several special operations carried out by the Indian Army, including the one in Sri Lanka in the late 1980s. Katoch says we should “stop thumping our chest about surgical strikes”, and focus on real issues plaguing the special forces. Excerpts from an interview:
What is the primary task of the special forces? Are we using them optimally?
The primary task of the special forces is across the border, not within the country. Counterinsurgency tasks can be easily carried out by the Rashtriya Rifles, the infantry, and the Assam Rifles in the northeast, with SF used very selectively within our borders, if at all. Our special forces comprise the Army’s special forces battalions, MARCOS of the Navy, Garuds of the Air Force, Special Action Groups of the NSG (National Security Guard) under the ministry of home affairs, special groups of the Special Frontier Force, and the Aviation Research Centre under the cabinet secretariat. Given our peculiar environment and structures, what India needs is special forces optimisation in two tiers.
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Denne historien er fra February 04, 2018-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
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Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
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RECRUITERS SPEAK
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MORAL COMPASS
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B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
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COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
