SASFOR Project - Core Group

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The core group of this Online Think Tank comprise of:

Lt Gen KK Hazari, PVSM, AVSM (retd).

Is a former Vice Chief of Army Staff, has a rich and varied Army background. He has held important command and staff appointments at various levels including the appointments of Director of Military Training, Director of Weapons and Equipment and Director General of Military Operations and was C-in-C Central Army. 

He retired from the Army in 1987, and has since been involved in the study and articulation of India’s national security interests as well as in the analysis of existing systems and structures for the management of Defence and National Security. In 1990, he was one of the members of the Parliamentary ‘Committee on Defence Expenditure’, which comprehensively examined the existing Defence systems and structures with a view to bringing about greater cost effectiveness in the management of Defence. Later in 1999, he was a member of the ‘Kargil Review Committee’, set up by the Government to review events leading to Pakistan’s aggression in the Kargil Sector of Jammu and Kashmir and to recommend measures necessary to safeguard national security against such armed intrusions. 

Lt Gen Hazari has written extensively on defence matters and the development of strategic thought in South Asia to meet the security challenges of the 21st Century. He has been invited by numerous institutions at home and abroad to present Papers at conferences and seminars. He is the Chairman of Magoo Strategic Infotech Ltd, which researches and publishes a daily bulletin covering developments in the nuclear field as well as in the field of terrorist activities throughout the world. 

He is the Vice Chairman of Forum of Strategic and Security Studies, which is a non-profit and non-governmental research organization specializing in the analysis of ‘nuclear and technological matters’. 

Dr. K Santhanam.

Is a nuclear scientist who after graduating from BARC Research Centre worked in that institution for 15-16 years before being appointed Adviser (Science) to the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. He also trained at the Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering under the Argonne National Laboratory Lemont, Chicago. 

He then worked with the Defence Research & Development Organisation New Delhi and was the Chief Advisor Technical before retiring. 

He was deeply involved in the development, testing and production of India’s nuclear strategic forces including Programme Coordinator of Pokhran II series of the nuclear tests conducted in May 1998. He was conferred the Padma Bhusan award in 1999. 

After retirement he was the Director General of the Institute of Defence Studies and analyses from 2001 to 2004. Currently he is the President of the India-Central Asia Foundation which seeks to promote increased interaction between India and the Central Asian States. 

Air Marshal KC Cariappa, PVSM, VSM (retd).

Was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1957 as a fighter pilot and was shot down in the 1965 war against Pakistan. He subsequently commanded a helicopter unit during the Bangladesh War of Independence and was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal. 

Air Marshal Cariappa has held important staff and command appointments including the command of three premier flying air bases. In 1988 he attended the prestigious course of higher military instruction and international affairs at the Royal College of Defence Studies, UK. Promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in 1994, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force’s South Western Air Command in Jodhpur. He retired in January 1996. A keen student of international and military affairs, he has written articles for journals and newspapers on matters pertaining to his interests. 

Maj Gen Y K Gera (retd).

Commissioned in the Corps of Signals, in 1957. He retired from service in April 1993 as Chief Signal Officer, Central Command. He served as Chief Signal Officer of a strike corps, and later as Additional Director General of Signals Intelligence at the Army Headquarters. 

A telecommunication engineer, an associate member of the Institute of Engineers, and a fellow of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers. He was on the faculty commander at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering. 

He graduated from the Defence Services Staff College, the Long Defence Management Course from the College of Defence Management Secunderabad, and National Security Management course from the National Defense University, USA. He is an alumnus of National Defence College, New Delhi. 

After retirement, Maj Gen Y K Gera was on the panel of the Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi. Thereafter he served as the Deputy Director of the United Service Institution (USI) of India New Delhi from 01 January 1997 to 30 April 2007. 

He headed the USI Centre for Research for eight years. He functioned as editor of the Quarterly USI Journal and pioneered publication of the USI Digest and the National Security Series. 

He publishes articles on security issues and defence matters, on various military journals and on the Editorial Board of the Monthly Journal Defence Watch and also the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Indian Ocean Studies. He is a member of the Governing Body of the Forum for Strategic and Security Studies, New Delhi. 

Maj. Gen. Afsir Karim, AVSM, (retd).

Major General Afsir Karim belongs to The Parachute Regiment. He commanded a Para battalion during 1971 in Bangladesh operations. He served in J&K at various levels of his professional career including command of an Infantry Brigade on the Line of Control, and as Major General on staff in the Northern Army. He commanded an infantry division in Southern command. 

Major General Afsir Karim retired from the Indian army in 1989: A specialist on issues related to terrorism and Low Intensity Conflicts, he has published a number of books on the subject: Counter Terrorism: The Pakistan Factor (1991): Transnational Terrorism: Danger in the South (1993): Kashmir: The Troubled Frontiers (1994). He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board from 1999 to 2001.  He is currently the editor of 'Aakrosh': Asian Journal on Terrorism and Internal Conflicts. 

Dr Ramtanu Maitra

A specialist on South Asian Affairs who operates out of Washington D.C. Ramtanu Maitra specialises on strategic and infrastructural developmental studies with the focus on South Asia. 

He holds a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art , New York  and  became  licensed Professional Engineer in the : States of New York and New Jersey.  After working as a Senior Project Engineer with the Nuclear Power Services, Secaucus, NJ. 

Ramtanu Maitra participated in developing a document, India: An agro-industrial superpower by 2020, in 1981. 

He established and published a quarterly journal, Fusion Asia, on science, technology, energy and economics from New Delhi for more than 10 years (1984-1994). 

He wrote and published the first feature report on India’s high-energy physics program based in PRL, Ahmedabad. Prepared and published a detailed report on Ganges River Valley Development that was presented at an international conference inaugurated by the late president of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan, then Minister for Planning. 

He participated on behalf of Fusion Asia on a feasibility study that also involved the Mitsubishi Research Institute (Tokyo) and the Thai Citizen Forum. Presented papers at a number of international conferences on strategic infrastructures in Bogota, Colombia, Tokyo, Japan, Kolkata, Indore, Madurai, Indore, New Delhi, among other Indian cities. 

In 1994, Shri Maitra established New Delhi bureau for Asia Times, a Bangkok-based news daily published simultaneously from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and New York. 

Presently, he conducts research, analysis, writing on international economic and strategic developments for publications internationally, including: Foresight (Japan); Aakrosh, Agni, Indian Defense and Technology (India); Asia Times Online (Hong Kong); and Executive Intelligence Review (USA). 

Professor Narisimha Rao.

Deeply involved in matters dealing with Maritime Security and Strategy formulation in the Indian Ocean Region. Sri A Narasimha Rao, is a renowned Professor of Political Science who has specialized in Defence and Strategic Studies in International Relations. 

He has served as a Professor and as Director, Centre for Policy Research at the Osmania University and is presently the Honorary Director of the Rajaji International Institute of Public Affairs and Administration. 

He is a life trustee and Member, Board of Directors – forum for Strategic and Security Studies, New Delhi.  He was elected unanimously twice as the President, National Congress for Defence Studies (NCDS), an All-India Association of college/university teachers of Defence and Strategic Studies. 

At the 19th session of NCDS held as a part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Punjab University (Chandigarh), he was honoured for his rich contribution to the discipline of Defence Studies and as former President of the NCDS. He is a member of the expert committee constituted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to draft a new Police Act. 

He has the Guest Faculty/Extension Speaker and/or Resource Person at reputed defence institutions such as the College of Naval Warfare, College of Air Warfare, National Defence College, College of Defence Management, Faculty of Industrial Electronics and Tactics, the SVP National Police Academy, Higher Command courses and Commanders’ conference of the 3 services and the Andaman & Nicobar Tri-service Command. 

Among the many seminars and conferences of international repute that he has participated in, the seminars held at the Department of Political and Security Council Affairs (UNO), World Affairs Council (Boston & San Fransisco), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Harvard and Minnesota Universities merit attention. 

Brigadier Vijai K Nair,VSM (retd).

Retired from the Indian Army in 1991, having been awarded the VSM for distinguished service. Besides three tenures of combat duty, in service experience includes: instructor - Defence Services Staff College, and, Deputy Director General Strategic Planning at the Directorate of Perspective Planning at Army Headquarters [conceptualisation of threat in the perspective period; forecast future battlefield milieu and generate philosophy papers for future weapon systems; develop military strategic options based on National Security Objectives and threat assessments; evaluate futuristic force level imperatives; assist in defining Operational Requirements; and, co-ordinate the formulation of financial planning in support of Army's Five Year Plans]. 

Currently Managing Director, Magoo Strategic Infotech Pvt Ltd. An information service providing daily intelligence updates and analyses on ‘Nuclear Agenda’s: International & Regional,’ and ‘Daily Terrorism Watch.’ Also a Consultant for the Journal - Defence & Technology. 

Amongst published works are two books and a monograph:

(a) War In The Gulf: Lessons For The Third World. 1991;

(b) Nuclear India 1992; and,

(c) NPT Extension Conference: Validity & Efficacy of NWS Initiatives. 1994.

A number of articles and research papers have been published in a wide range of Journals and Dailies in India and abroad. 

He has also contributed Chapters to numerous Edited Books including: (a) Armed Forces, Nuclear Weapons & China’s Foreign Policy. in India & Chinese Foreign Policies in Comparative Perspective [Ed Surjit Mansingh] (b) ‘The Imperatives of a Credible Deterrent.’ [Amitabh Mattoo (Ed). India’s Nuclear Deterrent: Pokharan II & Beyond. Har-Anand Publishers. 1998.] 

He has also researched and compiled a series of monograms, which are circulated by the Forum for Strategic & Security Studies to policy makers in India. These include: (a) National Security Approach Paper [NSAP] 1-96, CTBT: Proposed Strategy for India. (b) NSAP II-96, CTBT: A Proposed Strategy for India. (c) NSAP I-97, Validating the Indian Nuclear Option. (d) NSAP II-97, Fissile Material Control Regime. (e) NSAP III-97. Nuclear Option the Time to Test. (f) NSAP I-98, Strategic Defence Review: The Indian Nuclear Deterrent – Scope & Limitations. (g) NSAP II-98, Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia: Military Implications for India. (h) NSAP III-98, Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Strategy: Threshold in Context of An Indo-Pak Conflict. (j) NSAP IV-98, Nuclear Force Structures to Meet India’s Imperatives. (k) NSAP V-98, India: Nuclear Doctrine & Strategy. (l) NSAP I- 99; Command & Control of Strategic Forces. (n) NSAP II-00; Sino-Indian Relations: Facing the Reality – Threat Management. (o) NASP I 2006; The Nuclear Threat to India: Past Present & Future.