Ajit Doval lays ground for battle against information warfare

Ajit Doval London visit: In the post-Cold War era, the security issue shifted from military to radical Islamic terrorism. Scholars such as Samuel P. Huntington referred to it as “clash of civilizations.” He believed that the people’s religious and cultural identities would be the primary source of conflict in the coming years. With the passage of time, this proved to be true.

But, with the widespread use of the internet and data in the day-to-day practises of individuals and governments, information has become yet another source of conflict. In the digital world, data is both a weapon and a remedy. The importance of information can be seen in the fact that a country’s financial stability, national security, and social peace are all dependent on data security.

Unsecured data compromises them. Feeling the effects of information warfare, India has decided to counter it, and the responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the NSA Mr. Ajit Doval.

Information warfare and cyber security threats

Information warfare encompasses both illegal data acquisition and data use against other country. India has recently been the target of information warfare. Although we are taking all the necessary steps, diplomacy is not a long-term solution to information warfare. It may be effective for a short period of time, but in the long run, it is nearly impossible to deal with without an effective policy.

Whether it’s a BBC documentary, the Hindenburg Report on the Adani Group, or the hacking of AIIMS servers, India is fighting an information war on all fronts. According to data from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) for 2021, cyber security threat incidents increased by 21% from the previous year to 1,402,809 incidents.

Also read: Decoding Ajit Doval’s sudden visit to Russia

Ajit Doval in action

Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor, recently visited London and met with his counterpart, Tim Barrow. According to the Indian High Commission in the UK, the meeting was also attended by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak. The topic of discussion was strategic partnership and cooperation in trade, defence, science, and technology.

The meeting in the UK comes just two days after Doval met with his US counterpart, Jack Sullivan. This reception meeting was unique since it was hosted by Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian Ambassador to the United States. Along with both countries’ NSAs, CEOs, leaders of prominent universities, and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo were present.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. NSA Ajit Doval met with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley on Tuesday. Previously, he attended a Track 1.5 event hosted by the US-India Business Council. This event took place on the sidelines of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies’ high-level dialogue (ICET).

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During the dialogue, Ajit Doval and Jack Sullivan launched ICET, which officials describe as the “Next Big Thing” in bilateral cooperation between the two countries. If ICET is successful, India’s dependence on Russian weapons will be reduced, and India will be more prepared to confront the Chinese threat on its borders.

On Thursday, members of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) met with Doval to discuss bilateral ties, particularly in space, defence, and cyber security. The hot topics of the discussion were surveillance, intelligence, and US restrictions on the export of technology.

Following NSA Ajit Doval’s visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States of America in June or July. There will be bilateral talks, dinners, and joint addresses to Congress.

Also read: Dear Ajit Doval, interfaith meetings are cute and all, but what PFI really needs is a boot

Purpose of the visits to the US and the UK

If the meetings are successful, India will benefit from the following:

Increased defence capability in India, as well as US and UK cooperation and technology transfer.
Cooperation with the US in critical and new technologies
Increases trade between the US and the UK.
Increased cooperation in science and technology.
Cooperation in the fields of information, intelligence, and surveillance.
Indian companies expanding westward.

However, there is another significance to these meetings that is not covered by the facts discussed above. The Indian NSA’s visits to both countries within a week, point to something going on inside the box. The meeting in the US was held to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Modi’s visit. India’s relations with both the United States and Russia have always been balanced. However, the ongoing war has had serious global consequences this time. Russia, on the other hand, is more reliant on China and therefore, many intellectuals regard Russia as China’s future junior partner.

If this happens, India will need the US to act as a deterrent to China. India and the United States will have stronger bilateral cooperation in the coming years. Cooperation in information, intelligence, and other areas between the two countries will be critical in fighting the information war.

Similarly, India is witnessing a pro-Indian government that is critical of China in the United Kingdom. The UK has few options for receiving assistance because it is financially weak and no longer a member of the EU.
India is eager to fill the gap left by the United Kingdom’s partners. In turn, India will strengthen its trade and defence sectors while also working to reduce Chinese influence in UK civil society.

Also read: NSA Doval’s statement on ‘Agnipath’ scheme should be read by every idiot protesting it

More information than cooperation

Ajit Doval’s visit is because of the information war. As we know, the so-called Hindenburg report, which was purposefully released a day before the Group’s FPO, was aimed at the Indian economy, so was the documentary on PM Modi, that was released by the Chinese-funded BBC.

India’s foreign policy and international relations are not only visionary, but also difficult to comprehend. Meetings of CEOs, business groups, and bilateral cooperation in science and technology are the responsibility of the Commerce, Foreign, and Defense Ministers. And being NSA, frequent flies to two countries for bilateral talks, is hard to digest. Especially when we are talking about the strongest government’s strongest foreign ministry and the NSA.