India's Nuclear Ambitions

We are a power hungry nation. Eventually we need to rely on indigenous raw material for long-term sustainability of a country which is going to support one-fifth of humanity. With over 22 nuclear reactors presently active, and plans to build reactors worth 20,000 MW of installed capacity by 2030, India is well on its track to fulfill its commitment of meeting 40% energy demand via renewable resources.

However, there are some major challenges India had to face during the initial stages of transition into nuclear energy and was faced with scrutiny from various international organizations and superpowers regarding the fear of nuclear enrichment. Despite the challenges and various sanctions ranging from credit guarantees, to technology transfer and many more, the country was able to develop its own nuclear weapons as well as its own unique IPHWR technology to support its Thorium reactor programs.

 

When the western world was busy covering their ambition of creating more warheads under their nuclear reactor program, India's intent regarding its power requirements were clear. The country understood its limitations as a non-permanent member of UN and Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG), and lack of uranium deposits, India focused on the resources that were available with it.

India is the largest country in terms of thorium deposits and henceforth it was important to develop and master its own technology rather than relying on the west. Today India's thorium factor has put the country in a self-reliant position and to a position where the country is now ready to export its knowledge in exchange of monetary and geopolitical reach.

International Thermo-Nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a group of 7 countries namely China, USA, Russia, South Korea, Japan, EU and India, working together and are in the final stages of developing capabilities required to extract energy via nuclear fusion. A step towards replicating the Sun will ensure a nuclear waste free world and a far more efficient technology that will solve the global energy problem. Just to keep things in perspective and realize the importance of fusion reactor, 50MW of input power can generate 500MW of output power.

Once the technology is complete, India will own 100% right of the know-how along with all other members of ITER which will solve domestic power requirements.

About 625 million people in Africa have no access to electricity. In order to make things worse, only $45.6 billion have been spent from 1990 to 2013 in the energy sector which is half of what is required to be spent annually. However, this poor spending in the energy sector is justified by the low economic growth and instability in the region. Still, the governments of Africa are eager to bring nuclear energy to their country and are taking steps to ensure that. In 2015, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Niger, South Africa, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Uganda came together to form the "African Network for Enhancing Nuclear Power". Countries like Algeria, Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa have also set up "Nuclear Research Reactor" to develop majority of the technology themselves. The positive news is that every nation except two have signed non-proliferation treaty and hence the International Committee has confidence in exporting nuclear technology to these nations without the fear of Uranium Enrichment for defence purposes.

However, due to budget constraints, they are unable to acquire the technology from the west. India can be the potential supplier for these technologies at a lower cost. Since India has mastered the procedure of IPHWR, Africa means billion dollar business opportunity.

India had announced $10 billion as credit to Africa in 2015. Another $600 million and another $100 million for India-Africa development fund. Given scholarship to thousands of students to pursue education in India and have till date hoisted 35 African leaders. The friction between the country and Africa is a thing of past. Today India realizes the huge market Africa has to offer, as a result the bilateral trade stood at $69 billion.

The country has already developed significant trade infrastructure in the continent which will ensure safe transfer of nuclear reactor technology which will allow India have a greater role in African diplomacy and politics.

All in all, advancement in nuclear technology will determine the faith of a country. With prices of natural resources for power generation are touching historic lows and fear of depletion will one day create havoc on earth if humanity fails to find a long-term and sustainable alternative for power. India is well placed in the race but the country also needs to tap the global market to ensure all round growth of the Indian Economy.

The views expressed above are personal and belong to the author.

This post has been written by Rishav Kumar.

Also See : Is Indian Ocean the Next Battleground?, Bleeding China!! Is this the Beginning of the End?, Recession Ahead? Wall Street Catching Gold!!, India's Future Plans: Exploring Space

Is COVID-19 Vaccine Ready?

Originally Posted on SeedBx

COVID-19 has impacted the world like no other disease has in the past century. This pandemic which is still surging and rather soaring has affected 15.7 million people of which sadly 640K people have succumbed to the disease (as of 25/07/2020).

In this period of sad times, most of our hopes have been pinned on the development of vaccine to eradicate the virus and most importantly make things normal once again.

Here is a list of all major candidate vaccine that may, in the near future, be successfully made and deployed.

Sinovac Developed Vaccine

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Beijing, China. The candidate vaccine made by Sinovac is currently in Phase III stage of clinical evaluation. The Phase III human trials, conducted in Brazil, are being sponsored by Instituto Butantan to test efficacy and safety of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. The human trials are also being conducted in China. The vaccine has also been approved for trials in Bangladesh. The Phase I/ II trials showed promising results with no serious adverse effects noted in any of the 743 volunteers in the trial.

Oxford COVID Vaccine

University of Oxford, U.K. along with Swedish DrugmakerAstraZeneca Plc, is developing a vaccine for COVID-19. The candidate vaccine made by Oxford-AstraZeneca is currently in Phase III stage of clinical evaluation. The Phase III human trials are being conducted in Brazil and the human trials are completely sponsored by Brazilian entrepreneurs. The vaccine is also currently in clinical trial in U.K. and South Africa. Pune-based Serum Institute of India has also sought permission to begin Phase I/III clinical trials in India. The Phase I/ II trials showed promising results with no serious adverse effects noted in any of the 1,077 participants in the trial.

Sinopharm Developed Vaccine

Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd. is a Chinese pharmaceutical company. Sinopharm’s unit China National Biotec Group is developing two coronavirus vaccines. The vaccines are currently in Phase III stage of clinical evaluation. The Phase III human trials are being conducted in United Arab Emirates. The trials are also being conducted in China. The Phase I/ II trials showed promising results with high generation of antibodies in the participants and no serious adverse effects noted in any of the 1,120 volunteers in the trial.

 

Conclusion

The results of various vaccines have been very impressive till now. The Chinese pharmaceutical companies have even gone to claim that their vaccines may be out by the end of 2020. We can just hope to see these vaccines being deployed successfully so that we can live a normal life once again.

There are still more vaccines being developed which are currently in Phase I/II. For further information visit Draft Landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccine.

 

References

https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines

http://www.sinovac.com/?optionid=754&auto_id=907

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31604-4/fulltext

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1192598.shtml

Recession Ahead? Is Wall Street Catching Gold?

It's true that when Wall Street sneezes the whole world catches cold. But this time, the situation is quite unique and slightly unpredictable. It's like a huge meteor hit the world and we are now faced with an apocalypse like situation which has never been confronted before.

According to the latest report by New York Fed Consumer Credit Panel, there has been the largest debt accumulation in the US economy amounting to a whopping $14.3 trillion. Student debt loan sits at $1.51 trillion, credit card debt at $1.41 trillion and car loan at $1.33 trillion.

The pictures are quite alarming and sure have created a bubble that may wipe out huge amount of investor's money. However the irony is that in order to stop the bubble from popping, the Fed has been on a printing spree to support business and ignite consumer spending, which in turn is actually fueling the bubble by startling the equilibrium in the money market.

The money market equilibrium demands that the real demand of money should be equal to real supply of money, but the change in the equilibrium taking place will alter the strength of global currencies adversely, thereby marking the beginning of stagflation around the world.

 

Again, in an attempt to suppress this situation, the Fed lowered the interest rates to near zero level so that people and business borrow more and the economy kick-starts.

But what the Fed is not realizing probably is the lack of consumer and business confidence which allows the feeling of uncertainty to overtake and instead of spending, people save the extra bills they have.

The actions of the Fed and the US government hints that the government “is following and not following” the “Keynesian School of Thought” at the same time.

“Lowering the interest rate would not play significant role in kick-starting the economy since the wages are downward sticky and the uncertainty in the market still exists”, which the government is not realizing.

“Government should come up with fiscal and monetary policy to keep the capital and labour employed even if it means huge fiscal deficit”, which the Fed is blindly following.

 

The problems with money and fiscal policy are not just impacted by US's monetary policy but also because of its geopolitical decisions. The self-pleasing policy and show of power by the country is now hurting its currency.

China, the largest creditor of US dollar has been planning to dump $1 trillion for a long time. Not only China, but countries like India and Russia have also been working on the implementation plan. Since these countries do not have the infrastructure or a bond market like US to do so, they have found an alternative to it by forming their own development bank and lending billions of dollars to other countries with weaker financials and infrastructure.

Due to US's sanctions act, these countries were frustrated with the dependency on dollar and were thus inspired to trade among each other in their local currency. BRICS's “New Development Bank” is their biggest step to achieve their common endeavours, and is seen as a rival to World Bank and IMF to such an extent that some of the biggest mega projects are now funded by them. Thanks to their easy collateral demands and convenient and flexible payment methods. This has attracted numerous smaller nations to join hands with BRICS community in joint development projects. As a result, the member countries are able to dilate their influence on these smaller developing countries.

 

All in all, the prospects of the global economy are at an all-time unacceptable rates and the bubble everyone was talking about is now a distressing reality. However, there is no turning back from here and the passage we are heading towards can only result in two outcomes.

Either the bubble deflates eventually and the economies around the world are able to adjust to the loss of wealth in the long run and the governments are be able to ensure consumer and business confidence throughout the process, or the bubble bursts and massive amounts of wealth is wiped out from the global economy, furthermore humanity will see the downfall of one of the most pronounced recession that may make the great depression of 1929 seem like a kid.

 

The views expressed above are personal and belong to the author.

This post has been written by Rishav Kumar.

Also See : Is Indian Ocean the Next Battleground?, Bleeding China!! Is this the Beginning of the End?

Lessons from Gita that might Change your Perspective

The Bhagavad Gita, or simply Gita, is a part of the great epic ‘Mahabharata’.

The epic gives an articulate description of a war between cousin clans: Kurus and Pandavas. Gita is a discourse given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna, right before the war is about to unfold. Right before the ‘Dharma Yudha’, Arjuna asks his charioteer, Krishna, to take him to the centre of the battleground in the space between the two armies. There, in no man’s land, the enormity of the unfolding tragedy dawns upon him: on either side are family and friends: Elders, teachers, uncles, nephews, sons-in-law, fathers-in-law. Before him are those he should be protecting, and those who should be protecting him. Instead, they are planning to kill him, and he them. Why? For a piece of land! How can that be right, or good? He analyses what impact would it have on civilization? Amidst all the chaos, Krishna advices Arjuna to follow his ‘Kshatriya Dharma’ and fight for his and his brothers’ rights. The Krishna-Arjuna conversation covers broad range of topics touching upon ethical dilemmas and philosophical issues that go far beyond the war Arjuna faces.

The Gita contains more than 700 verses, spread over 18 books. However, here, I’ll be sharing 3 lessons, which according to me can change the way you perceive things.

 

FOCUS ON ACTIONS, NOT THE RESULTS

This, I believe, is one of the most important teachings of the Gita.

We only have the right to perform our duties and actions. However, by no means, are we entitled to the fruits of our actions.

This is something we’re taught right from the childhood “Karm Karo, Fal ki Chinta mat Karo” (i.e. focus on hardwork rather than focussing on the result).

There are certain things which are in our control i.e. OUR ACTIONS and there are things which are NOT in our control i.e. THE RESULT.

Just because you gave your best doesn’t necessarily mean you’re entitled to get the best results. Do not choose your action because of the reactions. Focus on the sure (ACTIONS) and not on the unsure (RESULTS), because if things go south, pain is unavoidable. 

Give everything you have, to everything you do, and let the almighty take care of the results.

BECOME AS STABLE AS AN OCEAN

Rivers flow in to the ocean all the time, however, the ocean remains stable and undisturbed by this continuous flow of water.

Just like the water of rivers, multiple thoughts will come into your mind. Some of them will be good, some not so good. But you’ll only attain peace when you remain stable, just like the ocean.

Reject the thoughts that distract you from your goal. Discard the temptations and the desires that stop you from reaching your ultimate goal.

 

HANG IN THERE. LEARN TO TOLERATE

Gita mentions everything in this world is temporary. The only thing that is permanent is CHANGE.

Just like summer and winter seasons, pain and pleasure are both impermanent. They keep COMING and GOING.

Tough times will come and go away. So just HANG IN THERE. Learn to tolerate, without being affected by them. THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN!

 

 

The views expressed above are personal and belong to the author.

This post has been written by Mriganshu.

Gentle Introduction to C : void Pointer

Originally Posted on SeedBx

 

Welcome to the sixth part of the Gentle Introduction to C series. As said before this series aims to provide you a brief introduction to C language.

In this part we will be talking about a specific and special pointer, void pointer.

void Pointer

Each pointer has a data-type associated with it which specifies about the type of variable which the pointer will point to. A void pointer, unlike others, is a pointer which has no data-type associated with it. Due to this, a void pointer can be used to hold memory address of any data-type and can be type casted into any type.

Example -

          void *ptr;

          int a=1;

          ptr=&a;

          char c=’z’;

          ptr=&c;

As shown in the above example, the void pointer variable ‘ptr’ is at first, used to store the memory address of an int variable ‘a’ and later used to store the memory address of char variable ‘c’.

Uses :

• malloc() and calloc() functions, which are used to dynamically allocate memory, return a void pointer allowing these functions to be used to allocate memory for any data-type.

Example -

             int *a=malloc(sizeof(int)*n);

In the above example, we have used malloc() to dynamically allocate memory for an int type array ‘a’ of size ‘n’. This behaviour is only possible due to the fact that malloc() returns a void pointer.

Note : The above example will not work with C++, as it requires the return void pointer to be explicitly type casted to the desired type.

Hence the above example in C++ will be written as,

            int *a=(int *)malloc(sizeof(int)*n);

• void pointers are generally used to implement generic functions.

Facts : 

• void pointers cannot be dereferenced.

Example-

            int a=21;

            void *ptr=&a;

            printf(“%d, *ptr);  //-(i)

            printf(“%d, *(int *)ptr);  //-(ii)

In the example given above, the printf() function at line-(i) will give an error like “Compiler Error : ‘void*’ is not a pointer-to-object type”. However if we run the program without line-(i), the printf() function at line-(ii) will display the value of the int variable ‘a’, which is 10, due to the fact that void pointer variable ‘ptr’ was explicitly type-casted into an int pointer.

• The C-Standard doesn’t allow pointer arithmetic with void pointers.

Note : In GNU C pointer arithmetic is allowed by considering the size of void to be 1. However this might not be the case with other compilers.

 

At last, void pointers provide a sense of generality in the field of pointers. However this freedom is often accompanied by certain restrictions to make things efficient and let operations be under control.

 

Thanks for reading.

As usual your suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

Also See : Pointers, Function, extern Keyword

Best Biographies that May Inspire You - II

Bored?

Have nothing to do?

I got you covered.

I present here some of the finest movie biographies out there, that may ignite the sleeping determination and will inside you.

Note : This is in continuation with the Best Biographies that May Inspire You blog. So if you have appetite for more and you have not checked that out, you may also want to read that as well.

Language : English

Year : 2000-2020

Hidden Figures

Genre : History/Drama   Duration : 2h 7min   Year : 2016   IMDb : 7.8/10   Director : Theodore Melfi   Cast : Taraji Henson,Janelle Monae,Octavia Spencer

“I plan on being an engineer at NASA, but I can't do that without taking them classes at that all-white high school, and I can't change the color of my skin. So I have no choice, but to be the first.”

This movie is specially for our female readers out there. It’s true story of three brave, wonderful and talented women who fought the system and brought a change in functioning of NASA just because of their great determination to their work. This is a story of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughn who not only played pivotal roles in NASA’s mission but fought racial and gender discrimination as well. With the likes of amazing cast like Kevin Costner and Jim Parsons and more you’d be thrilled to watch this special movie.

Invictus

Genre : Sport/Drama   Duration : 2h 15min   Year : 2009   IMDb : 7.3/10   Director : Clint Eastwood   Cast : Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

“If I cannot change when circumstances demand it, how can I expect others to?”

One of the most refreshing movies I’ve ever seen .Morgan Freeman is perfect choice for Nelson Mandela. His every quote is so inspiring. I love the rugby scenes. This movie is basically how Mandela united blacks and whites of the country with the help of rugby. It also displays Mandela’s thought process ,how he learned to forgive. You would especially learn about leadership qualities. Matt Damon has given an engaging performance as well. Go watch this one and get inspired.

Lion

Genre : Drama   Duration : 2h 9min   Year : 2016   IMDb : 8/10   Director : Garth Davis   Cast : Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Nicole Kidman

“Do you have any idea what it's like knowing my real brother and mother spending every day of their lives looking for me? Huh? How every day my real brother screams my name? Can you imagine the pain they must be in not knowing where I am?”

Lion is a story of one man’s courage and his love. Saroo Brierly actually got lost in his childhood and eventually was adopted by Australian parents. Years after he wants the answers of his existence and who his real family was. This is not just Saroo’s journey but a viewer’s journey as well that even a task seems practically impossible but if you’re trying in the right direction with all that you could it could be achieved. This movie is a praise not just to Dev Patel but young Sunny Pawar as well.

Men of Honor

Genre : Drama   Duration : 2h 9min   Year : 2000   IMDb : 7.2/10   Director : George Tillman Jr.   Cast : Cuba Gooding Jr. ,Robert De Niro

“Jo: Why do you want this so badly?
Carl Brashear: Because they said I couldn't have it. “

The ultimate never give up story. You would literally be thrilled to know what Carl Brashear actually went under. It was like everyone was against him. Every situation was against him but this man never gave up on himself and fulfilled his dream of becoming a Master diver. But the story doesn’t end here he had now a bigger challenge and that was how to remain a master diver. A story about hope and courage. Men of Honor would certainly bring a sense of pride towards your soldiers and navy men. Cuba Gooding Jr. along with Robert De Niro has given a very strong performance . This movie is often much not talked about but it surely should be on your watchlist.

The Pursuit Of Happyness

Genre : Drama   Duration : 1h 57min   Year : 2006   IMDb : 8/10   Director : Gabriel Muccino   Cast : Will Smith, Jaden Smith

“Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period.”

I’m sure you all would’ve come across this movie but if you haven’t watched it now is the time. Speaking from my experience this movie holds a special piece in my heart. This movie is full of life lessons and a very heartwarming bond between a father and his son. It is story of Chris Gardener who against all odds didn’t give up on himself and finally was able to earn a secure stable life. This movie is full of so many quotes that would motivate you to work even harder for your dream. The special bond between Will Smith and Jaden Smith is very pure and without a doubt I can say this movie is definitely a masterpiece.

The Imitation Game

Genre : War/Thriller   Duration : 1h 54min   Year : 2014   IMDb : 8/10   Director : Morten Tyldum   Cast : Benedict Cumberbatch,Keira Knightley

“Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine.”

A true thriller movie and maybe the most important in the list for our budding programmers. It is the biopic of Alan Turing who developed the machine to crack Enigma code and helped to save so many lives. This movie is about genius of one man, his true determination of his work and an unimaginable love. I can guarantee you’d be so engage in watching this movie that you would forget any of your worries and will be lost in this amazing story of the great Alan Turing. And the simple question is who would miss watching brilliance of Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Social Network

Genre : Drama/History   Duration : 2h 1min   Year : 2010   IMDb : 7.7/10   Director : David Fincher   Cast : Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

“People want to go online and check out their friends, so why not build a website that offers that? Eduardo, I'm not talking about a dating site, I'm talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online.”

My future millionaire and billionaire readers mark my words this is the movie you need to match , you must watch. Obviously this movie is about Mark Zuckerburg and how he founded facebook. But this movie teaches you the importance of an idea and most importantly how you need to execute that idea. It teaches you need to act smart and work accordingly day and night. Jesse Eisenberg portrays Mark Zuckrberg brilliantly. And if you don’t know, The Social Network is considered as the best film of the 21st Century.

Trumbo

Genre : Drama/Crime   Duration : 2h 4min   Year : 2015   IMDb : 7.5/10   Director : Jay Roach   Cast : Bryan Cranston, Dianne Lane, Elle Fanning

“What we're about to do is the one thing everyone says we can't. We work.”

Trumbo is the story of Hollywood’s greatest screenwriter Dalton Trumbo who was blacklisted from Hollywood. However he continued doing what he loved that is writing. Sometimes the world can be unfair but you need to act smart to overcome difficult times .Dalton Trumbo stood by his ideals and continued his work with pure honesty. It’s a brilliant movie and at the later stage you will realize the importance of family as well. And well Bryan Cranston is in this wonderful movie so why to take risk of not watching it.

We Bought A Zoo

Genre : Family/Comedy   Duration : 2h 11min   Year : 2011   IMDb : 7.1/10   Director : Cameron Crowe   Cast : Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Ellie Fanning

“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”

I just love this movie. This is the ultimate feel good movie . However it is full of life lessons. It’s basically about Benjamin Mee and his family who buys a house with a zoo attached and together they reopen the zoo. It teaches you how difficult moving on in life can be but at the same moment how important it is. It teaches you sometimes you need to allow people who love you enter in you life. And it teaches you the most valuable lesson that your strength lies in your family and friends. You would love every performance starting from Matt Damon himself to Scarlett , Colin and beautiful Elle Fanning. Also you would love cute little Maggie. This movie is special watch for our animal lovers out there.

Wonder

Genre : Drama/Comedy   Duration : 1h 53min   Year : 2017   IMDb : 8/10   Director : Stephen Chbosky   Cast : Jacob Trembley, Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts

“Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle. And if you really want to see what people are, all you have to do is look.”

Wonder is the wonder story of Auggie Pullman ,a boy who had numerous surgeries on his face so that he could live and his initial school days. It’s a story of a kid but a lesson to everyone of us. It doesn’t matter if you’re a litte different, if you have self belief everyone will accept you eventually. While watching wonder you would start loving your parents even more because it deals with how parents feel and how they put all their problems aside to focus just on you. Your family is most valuable asset you could have. The cast is without any introduction amazing with Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts. But what makes this movie extraordinary is the performance of Jacob as Auggie Pullman.

Do let me know in the comment section if you want more movie recommendations.

The views expressed are personal and belong to the author.

This post has been written by Satyam Basu.

Also See : Best Biographies that May Inspire You

Does South China Sea Dispute affects India?

 

Aerial View of a Chinese Artificial Island

 

China is tightening its grip in the South China Sea and beefing up its military capabilities by deliberately investing in artificial islands at the core of its regional economic influence. They are committed to try every unethical way possible to make the world agree on their terms on behalf of the “Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)” policy. The EEZ allows and grants full freedom of the coastal water and seabed within the 200 mile distance of a country’s coastline. By establishing artificial islands in the region, they are able to claim the 200 mile portion as their territory.

 

South China Sea (SCS) being 3,780 kilometres away from India’s coastline would not have mattered much for India but when we consider the 55% trade via the routes of SCS, it becomes absolutely important for India to contain Chinese aggression. The SCS region consists of countries which are not able to defend themselves from the military and economic might of China, and therefore its India’s duty as a member of “Indian Ocean Rim Association”, which is responsible for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the region, to protect the sovereignty of these smaller nations.

And that’s where India’s Iron Curtails comes into action. Under look east Asia policy, the Indian diplomats have been able to convince the ASEAN countries to allow Indian investments in the region and also receive the naval assistance for their protection. India has successfully installed the Satellite Monitoring Station in Vietnam. ISRO has also linked it to their recent establishments in Indonesia, Brunei and other nations residing in SCS.

 

This system allows flexibility in intelligence sharing capabilities and gives India an edge in intelligence and cyber warfare over China. India has also been able to sign important diplomatic and strategic deals with countries trying to counter China and has military presence in SCS.

Logistic Deal Agreement under “Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMoA)”, with USA.

“Agreement for the Provision of Reciprocal Logistics Support”, with France.

“Implementing Arrangement Concerning Mutual Coordination Logistics and Services Support”, with Singapore.

“Agreement to Extend Logistic Support to Each Other’s Navy”, with South Korea.

These deals have leveraged India with its strong presence in Indian Ocean to rightfully pinpoint and counter China in the South China Sea as well.

 

Recent developments in the world of geopolitics and eco-politics have strengthened India’s intent to defend at any cost. Understanding the importance of “Strait of Malacca”, and how it can act as a game changer in the ongoing show of muscle, India has focused on massive build ups in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Indian Navy has also ramped up for their multi mission deployment in SCS.

 

Furthermore, India is committed to leverage the presence of US, France and other allies in the region by strategically using their bases in Diego Garcia, Reunion islands and in other ASEAN countries to tackle Chinese dominance.

 

ASEAN is an important group of countries which needs India’s support to survive and realising their needs; the army is also in contact with their governments for the export of defence equipment and logistic support platforms.

 

India has always tried to stay neutral and it has benefited the country in many aspects economically and allowed itself to not engage in international events which had nothing to do with them directly. But given the military and economic might the country has managed to achieve, it is impossible for India to remain tranquil during geopolitical events. And surely India is gradually solidifying its economic intents on global platforms. The country is also firm with its decision to protect national and international peace and sovereignties, and the Indian presence is definitely going to curtail the Chinese String of Pearls strategy to bring in law and order in the world.

The views expressed above are personal and belong to the author.

This post has been written by Rishav Kumar.

Also See : Bleeding China!! Is this the Beginning of the End?, Recession Ahead? Wall Street Catching Gold!!