How India is iron-cladding defences in a rapidly volatile world
Tensions with Pakistan flared up after the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. India responded with missile strikes on terrorism-related infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), triggering a 100-hour military face-off over three days. Both sides exchanged missiles, drones, loitering munitions and heavy artillery fire before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10.advertisementNotably, Pakistan's military response relied heavily on Chinese-supplied platforms, raising concerns about Beijing's proxy involvement in the conflict. Major General Ashok Kumar, director general at the defence ministry-affiliated think-tank Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, says that China offered Pakistan air defence and satellite support during the recent clash. He said that while China has supported Pakistan in all conflicts with India after 1963, when it got Shaksgam Valley from Pakistan, the support had been marginal.'It was a total turnaround since the Pahalgam terrorist strike, wherein the Chinese establishment has outright supported Pakistan. Support in terms of air defence radars, imageries and such other resources was made available,' Maj. Gen. Kumar said.According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Pakistan, despite a defence budget one-tenth the size of India's, ranked as the world's fifth-largest arms importer from 2020-2024, sourcing 81 per cent of its arms from China, including fighter aircraft, frigates and air defence systems.China, which directs 63 per cent of its arms exports to Pakistan, also supports its ally through technology transfers, co-development and co-production. However, military experts warn that Pakistan's growing reliance on Chinese systems raises concerns about their reliability in high-intensity conflicts and the risks of over-dependence on a single supplier.advertisementThe Worldwide Threat Assessment for 2025 has underlined that India is sharply focused on countering China as its primary adversary while treating Pakistan as a secondary even as both adversaries indirectly collaborated in the May offensive.On the China front, India reached an agreement last October to disengage forces from two contested positions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. While this reduced tensions lingering since the deadly 2020 clash in Galwan Valley, the longstanding border demarcation dispute remains unresolved.To counter Chinese influence and bolster its global leadership, India is intensifying defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean region through joint exercises, training, arms sales and information sharing. It has also ramped up trilateral engagement in the Indo-Pacific and remains active in multilateral forums like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ASEAN.Domestically, New Delhi's Make in India initiative continues to drive modernisation of its defence industry, aiming to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities and enhance military capabilities. In 2024, India tested the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime medium-range ballistic missile and the Agni-V with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. It also commissioned its second nuclear-powered submarine, strengthening its nuclear triad and deterrence capabilities against adversaries.advertisementAs India navigates this intricate strategic landscape, its focus remains clear: balancing regional threats, deepening global partnerships, and building a self-reliant defence ecosystem to secure its place as a leading power in an increasingly volatile world.Subscribe to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch
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This includes honouring the legacy of the Dom Raja and his role in performing last rites, maintaining the sanctity of the divine aarti, supporting the boatmen, and safeguarding the local traditions and ceremonies. In 2016, three professors of BHU conducted a study on 'Flood Risk and Impact: Analysis of Varanasi' city region. It covered the inundation of Varanasi city both due to flood water as well as storm water during the 2013 and 2016 floods. The report was published in the Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 66, Issue 1, 2022 . Here are some observations: 'There used to be around 94 ponds/kunds in 1822 and at present only 22 out of these 94 are left. Rest have disappeared. During heavy rains, there is backflow of sewage and subsequent water-logging because of addition of storm water collection and concentration in low-lying areas especially the flood basin zone,' the study said. It added: 'The flood of 1978 standing at 73.90m, losses were not much and the number of submerged houses in the 2013 flood were more. The reason is, many areas which were empty and sparsely built-up areas in 1978 were gradually occupied by dense urban space by 2013. This is the reason, though the flood of 2013 stood at 72.94m, it resulted in much loss and suffering.' 'The flood of August 2016 stood at 72.56m. Depending on the situation and location, the individual buildings at certain places (south east of Varanasi and along the rivers Varuna and Assi) in 70-74m zone were submerged up to about 2-3m above their plinth level There was widespread waterlogging in the interior of the city because of the backflow and blocking of sewage. As it is, the storm water drainage in the city is very poor and is not properly interconnected,' the study noted. The report said a flood standing at 74m would affect about 17 sq. km. of area and about 4.42 lakhs of people. With extreme rainfall events becoming more frequent, a flood level between 74-75m is a possible occurrence and this just one-meter increase of flood would alone envelope 2.32 lakhs of people in about 9 sq. km. of area. In the worst scenario, the flood going above 76m would submerge almost three-fourths of the city. It crossed the highest mark of 72.23 metres on August 5 Their suggestions included: To have at least 4-5m of plinth elevation from the local ground level in floodplain areas. Unfortunately, this general unwritten rule is more flouted than followed. Water-logging because of sewage backflow and storm water concentration cannot be controlled but blockage of drains can be prevented.
