National Security Vol. V Issue IV | October - December 2022

February 13 , 2023 Views: 9327 Comments: 1

About The Issue

The current issue of National Security details India’s role, approach and the many tasks before her as she assumes the G20 Presidency at a time when the world faces a deepening geopolitical and economic crisis. The post-1945 and the post-Cold War global orders are breaking down and there are distinct signs of spreading disorder. The world counts on India’s vision and leadership to guide the G20 through this maze and bring about a consensus on vital reforms and agreements. The editorial and the initial essay dwell on the G20 Presidency, while the articles analyse three critical sectors of India’s growing and increasingly globally vital economy, namely —trade, the ongoing transition towards electric automobiles, and the ambitious transformation of the agriculture sector.

It begins with an essay by Akshay Mathur which argues that India should prioritise its national interests even as it upholds goals shared by other leading states as it assumes the G20 presidency. Devsena Mishra, in a unique choice of subject for her essay details how the US Big tech companies and their operations have been shaped by the work of B.F. Skinner and the Behaviorist school in social psychology. She makes a critical argument that Indians should devise their own indigenous method for the tech platforms which would serve the country's vital national interests while being rooted in its core cultural values.

V. S. Seshadri in his detailed analysis of India’s international trade, finds many opportunities for India’s trade expansion given the multiple initiatives of the government. The author calls on the corporate sector to fully utilise the recent initiatives of the Indian government to build a strong and competitive export capacity. In their article on ways to transform India’s agriculture, Suhas P. Wani and Dhirendra Singh write on how transformative changes are already underway and increasingly necessary in India’s agricultural policies and practices. Changes are vital if India is to have sustainable agriculture, food sufficiency and variety of food. Atul Sarma and Shyam Sunder discuss the path towards Electric Vehicles (EVs) as India tries to meet its ambitious climate commitments. They underscore the significance of the green energy mission in the transportation sector to attain the country’s sustainable development goals.

The issue also carries interesting book reviews of two path-breaking recent works – “Snakes in the Ganga: Breaking India 2.0”, by Rajiv Malhotra and Vijaya Viswanathan, and “The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India” by India’s former Foreign Secretary, Vijay Gokhale.

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CONTENTS: Vol. V Issue IV | October - December 2022

Abstract: The momentum generated by a significant rise in India’s exports in 2021-22 needs to be sustained despite the prevailing geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions. Indian industry also needs to come forward and fully avail of the recent initiatives launched by the government to build a strong and competitive export capacity and address the high level of trade deficit that India currently faces. It will also strengthen the economic security of the nation. For this goal to be realised, however, it is important to secure a conducive international trading framework. India is actively engaged in this task--both multilaterally on WTO reforms and bilaterally with friendly trade partners for concluding Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Further, India is discussing with its leading trade partner, the United States, several unsettled trade issues. Negotiations are also underway on the different pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). All these are intricate issues and in some ways interrelated. Some of them may also come up in the G-20 under India’s chairmanship. If successfully handled, all of them could also help buttress India’s export effort.

A New Paradigm for Transforming Indian Agriculture | Suhas P. Wani and Dhirendra Singh

Abstract: India’s policymakers and farmers have a huge responsibility to make India a developed nation by the 100 th anniversary of freedom and achieving the UN sustainable development goals of zero hunger, nutrition security and overcoming poverty. Ensuring food security for a growing population (estimated at 1.66 billion in 2050), in the context of growing water scarcity, land degradation, impacts of climate change and large yield gaps is a mammoth task. The farmers, agricultural scientists, extension staff, and policy makers have so far done a great job of ensuring food security for the 1.4 billion population. However, given the rising challenges there is an urgent need to use new scientific tools such as ICT, AI, cloud computing, drones, remote sensing for providing integrated and holistic solutions. Using the 4-ISEC model and creating value-chains by strengthening the science of delivery to reach 147 million farmers and promoting collective efforts through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and enhancing resource use efficiency are necessary steps to achieve India’s farming and food security goals.

Decarbonisation Pathways for the Indian Automobile Sector | Atul Sarma and Shyam Sunder

Abstract: The Automotive industry has a central and critical role in achieving India’s ambitious commitments to arrest climate change. This paper discusses India’s commitments together with the development challenges it faces in its green energy mission in the transportation sector with emphasis on Electric Vehicles (EVs). In this connection, the role and efforts of various stakeholders, including, the Central and State Governments and the industry have been critically analysed. The paper emphasises the need for achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ or self-reliance in the manufacturing of Zero Emission Vehicles and their critical components, as well as significantly boosting domestic R&D to successfully achieve the goals.