Premier defence institute headless for almost a year

India’s premier security <g data-gr-id="27">think</g> tank, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)  is rudderless for almost a year. Ever since its former director, Arvind Gupta moved to Sardar Patel Bhavan as deputy national security, the IDSA has not had someone replacing him.

Latest news is that the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has returned the file with the one name it had for the coveted position. And the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has advised the Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar in a meeting last week to set-up a fresh selection panel and has them look at other candidates.

In contention are two powerful candidates – Shakti Sinha, a former senior official of the Atal Behari Vajpayee PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), whose wide network of ‘people like us’ is noteworthy.

The other candidate is an accomplished lieutenant Indian Army general, who retired as the military secretary from the Army Headquarters, after being an immensely successful Northern Army commander, looking after Jammu and Kashmir. He is the favourite of National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval.

The speculation in the power circles is that they have <g data-gr-id="28">manouvred</g> to get the ACC <g data-gr-id="26">not take</g> a decision confirming Jayant Prasad, the former diplomat, with a reputation to envy.

He had been selected as the number one candidate amongst three. The second choice was retired 

air marshal and a former deputy chief of the integrated defence staff of the chiefs of staff committee M <g data-gr-id="29">Mathaeswaran</g>. They were selected by the vaunted search panel, chaired the by the omniscient Naresh Chandra, a former cabinet secretary was formed and about 15 candidates to submit their applications during the month of April.

But now the process has to begin again. A new selection committee; new rules; and a process that comes up with either the name of Shaki Sinha or retired Lt General Ata Hasnain.