General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)General Anil Chauhan is the current Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, serving since September 30, 2022. A four-star general with nearly 40 years of service,
General Anil Chauhan is the current Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, serving since September 30, 2022. A four-star general with nearly 40 years of service, he has extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and North-East India.
Born on May 18, 1961, he was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy, he commanded an Infantry Division in Baramula, a corps in the North East, and the Eastern Command from September 2019 until his retirement in May 2021. He has also served as Director General of Military Operations and participated in a UN mission to Angola.
General Chauhan’s distinguished service has earned him the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.
Adrian Kerrison
A Senior Curator in the Second World War & Mid-Twentieth Century Conflict team at IWM Duxford, Adrian Kerrison has curated several exhibitions including Spitfire: Evolution of an Icon and Hangar
A Senior Curator in the Second World War & Mid-Twentieth Century Conflict team at IWM Duxford, Adrian Kerrison has curated several exhibitions including Spitfire: Evolution of an Icon and Hangar 4: Battle of Britain, and has authored an IWM publication on the Supermarine Spitfire. As an American at Duxford, Adrian is passionate about sharing the stories of the US Army Air Force personnel who served here during the Second World War, and has acquired three significant 78th Fighter Group-related collections for the museum.
Adrian Kerrison will be exploring the role of the USAAF's 78th Fighter Group in 'Operation Overlord'. Flying P-47 Thunderbolts, the 78th Fighter Group flew from Duxford to provide aerial cover for the Allied forces in Normandy.
Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd)
Director General, CAPSA Qualified Flying Instructor and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner, commissioned into the Fighter stream of the IAF in Dec 1982.
A Qualified Flying Instructor and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner, commissioned into the Fighter stream of the IAF in Dec 1982. Fully Ops on the erstwhile Ajeet and Jaguar aircraft. Raised and commanded the first Harpy squadron of the Indian Air Force. He commanded an Air Defence Direction Centre and an operational base. One of the few to have served in senior ranks in both the Joint Services Commands of the country, Andaman & Nicobar Command as the Air Force Component Commander and Strategic Forces Command as the Chief Staff Officer (Air Vector).
The other joint services appointments include Air Officer Commanding Maritime Air Operations in Mumbai and Chief Instructor, Air Force, at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. Superannuated from service in Nov 2019.
An avid writer and author, he has written a number of articles on air power, national security, strategy and integration of the Armed Forces. He has Co-edited two books ‘Air Power and Emerging Technologies’; 2022 and ‘Indian Air Force in its Centennial Decade’; 2023. He took over as Additional Director General CAPS on 07 May 2021.
Maj Gen BK Sharma, AVSM, SM & Bar (Retd)
Director General, USIMaj Gen BK Sharma was commissioned in the SIKH LIGHT Infantry Regiment in 1976 and superannuated in 2012. He is the Director General of USI.
Maj Gen BK Sharma was commissioned in the SIKH LIGHT Infantry Regiment in 1976 and superannuated in 2012. He is the Director General of USI. He has represented his country at the UN as Military Observer in Central America and has been India’s Defence Attaché in Central Asia. He specializes in Strategic Net Assessment methodology, Scenario Building and Strategic Gaming.
Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (Retd)
Commodore C Uday Bhaskar (Retd), former Director of IDSA, New Delhi retired from the Indian Navy in early 2007 after 37 years service. He was the Director of the National Maritime Foundation form Jul 2009 till Jul 2011.
Commodore C Uday Bhaskar (Retd), former Director of IDSA, New Delhi retired from the Indian Navy in early 2007 after 37 years service. He was the Director of the National Maritime Foundation form Jul 2009 till Jul 2011. The Commodore was also associated with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) from 1990 where he served as the Deputy Director (1996-2004) and later headed the Institute till late 2005.
Subsequently he was appointed Member-Secretary of the Government of India Task Force on ‘Global Strategic Developments’ – a report submitted to the Prime Minister of India. Cmde Bhaskar is Editor, Maritime Affairs; and is on the Editorial Board of Contemporary Security Policy. He has edited books on nuclear and international security related issues and has contributed over 60 research articles to journals in India and abroad. He is a guest lecturer at the Indian National Defence College and other military colleges. He is a Life member of the United Service Institute (USI) and isalso Chairman, Middle East Institute @ New Delhi. The Commodore is on the Governing Council of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), as also on the Advisory Panel of the India Habitat Centre (IHC) in New Delhi. Cmde Bhaskar is also a columnist for Reuters and the Dainik Jagran.
Col Ajay K Raina, SM (Retd)
Col Ajay Raina, SM (Retd) is the founder of the Military History Research Foundation, Raina has authored and edited 27 books, focusing on military history, including Hold at All Costs and The Gallant Nunnus.
Col Ajay Raina, SM (Retd) is the founder of the Military History Research Foundation, Raina has authored and edited 29 books, focusing on military history, including Hold at All Costs and The Gallant Nunnus.
Born in 1969 in Jammu, AJ attended school and college in Jammu. In 1987, he was adjudged the BEST NCC CADET (Senior Division) from the J&K Directorate during participation in the Republic Day Camp at New Delhi. He was awarded GOVERNOR’s MEDAL for the same.He was commissioned into 93 Field Regiment in December 1990 and had the privilege of commanding the same regiment from 2007 to 2009. He was awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry) while serving in an RR (Rashtriya Rifles) battalion in Northern Kashmir in 2006.
He is passionate for adventure activities. In 2009, Raina and his family set a Limca Book record for an unsupported motorcycle ride across 11 Ladakh passes. He holds an MSc in Weapon Technology and an MBA in Finance.
Col Mandeep Singh (Retd)
Colonel Mandeep Singh (Retd) served in Army Air Defence. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, he commanded his Regiment during operations against Pakistan and later along the Line of Actual Control.
Colonel Mandeep Singh (Retd) served in Army Air Defence. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, he commanded his Regiment during operations against Pakistan and later along the Line of Actual Control. He has authored seven books including “History of Indian Air Defence Artillery 1940-1945” and “Forgotten: History of Hong Kong Singapore Royal Artillery.”
Col Vivek Chadha (Retd)
Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). He joined MP-IDSA in 2011 after serving over 22 years in the Indian Army.
Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). He joined MP-IDSA in 2011 after serving over 22 years in the Indian Army.
Colonel Chadha’s areas of research include counter-terrorism and military studies. His single-author books on counter-terrorism include Low-Intensity Conflicts in India: An Analysis; Lifeblood of Terrorism: Countering Terrorism Finance and Company Commander in Low-Intensity Conflicts. His single-author books on military subjects include Even if Ain’t Broke Yet, Do Fix It: Enhancing Effectiveness Through Military Change; Kargil: Past Perfect: Future Uncertain; CDS and Beyond: Integration of the Indian Armed Forces. He has also written the book, Indo-US Relations: From Divergence to Convergence.
Dr Adil Rasheed
Dr Adil Rasheed is a Research Fellow (Selection Scale) and Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Strategic Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).
Dr Adil Rasheed is a Research Fellow (Selection Scale) and Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Strategic Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).
Author of the books ‘Political Islam: Parallel Currents in West Asia and South Asia’ (2024), Countering the Radical Narrative (2020), and ISIS: Race to Armageddon (2015), he is currently working on a book titled Messianic Geopolitics: Threat to Global Security.
His research papers and monographs, namely Influence Operations: The Sharp Power of Non-Kinetic Subversion (2024), ‘Countering the Threat of Radicalisation: Theories, Programmes and Challenges’ (2016) as well as ‘Jihadist Radicalisation in India: Internal Challenges, External Threats’ (2017), Impact of Vedanta on Indian Strategic Culture (2021) are widely read in the Indian strategic community.
Dr. Rasheed joined MP-IDSA in August 2016. Earlier, he was Senior Research Fellow at the United Services Institution of India (USI). He was also Researcher at the UAE’s premier think tank The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) for eight years (2006-14). An Op-Ed editor in Dubai-based English daily Khaleej Times (200-05) and in Abu Dhabi-based Emirates News (1997-2000), he has interviewed many international leaders such as Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamed, former US Secretary of State Leon Panetta, among many others.
Dr Diya Gupta
Dr Diya Gupta is Senior Lecturer in Public History at City St George's, University of London, UK. Her first book, India in the Second World War: An Emotional History, was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society's 2024 Gladstone Prize.
Dr Diya Gupta is Senior Lecturer in Public History at City St George's, University of London, UK. Her first book, India in the Second World War: An Emotional History, was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society's 2024 Gladstone Prize. Her current research project examines the nature of wartime violence as it turns inwards, targeting colonised civilian bodies, studied through the lens of the 1943 Bengal Famine. https://www.diyagupta.co.uk.
Dr Paul McGarr
Dr McGarr is a Lecturer in Intelligence Studies and joined King’s College London in 2023. He holds an MA degree in International History from Royal Holloway, University of London and obtained a PhD from Royal Holloway in 2008.
Dr McGarr is a Lecturer in Intelligence Studies and joined King’s College London in 2023. He holds an MA degree in International History from Royal Holloway, University of London and obtained a PhD from Royal Holloway in 2008. He held an AHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Nottingham between 2009-2011 that examined the CIA and the contested history of US foreign policy. He joined the American and Canadian Studies Department at Nottingham as Lecturer and subsequently Associate Professor in US Foreign Policy between 2011-2023. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society.
Dr Peter Johnston
Dr Peter Johnston serves as the Director of Narrative & Content at the Imperial War Museum, where he oversees the development of compelling stories and educational content related to military history and war experiences.
Dr Peter Johnston serves as the Director of Narrative & Content at the Imperial War Museum, where he oversees the development of compelling stories and educational content related to military history and war experiences. With a deep expertise in curating historical narratives, Dr. Johnston plays a key role in shaping the museum's exhibitions, publications, and multimedia projects. His work is central to engaging diverse audiences, ensuring that the museum’s collections and resources effectively communicate the profound impact of conflict on societies, individuals, and global history.
Dr Pragya Pandey
Dr Pragya Pandey is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Sapru House, New Delhi. She specialises in issues related to maritime security, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific and regional geopolitics.
Dr. Pragya Pandey is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Sapru House, New Delhi. She specialises in issues related to maritime security, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific and regional geopolitics. She has written extensively on these issues. Previously she had served as Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Miranda House, University of Delhi. She has received her PhD from the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has co-edited volumes titled ‘Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage’, ‘KM Panikkar and the Growth of a Maritime Consciousness in India’ and ‘1982 UNCLOS Perspectives from the Indian Ocean’. She has participated various national and international conferences and dialogues and has considerable publication to her credit.
Dr Sima Saigal
Dr. Sima Saigal is an Associate Professor -NERIE (North East Regional Institute of Education)- NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training)
Dr. Sima Saigal
Associate Professor -NERIE (North East Regional Institute of Education)- NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training)
I have been working in NERIE-NCERT for almost 19 years now. As NCERT is the apex body of school education in the country, I have been involved in Research, Development and extension projects throughout my tenure. This includes articles written for supplementary texts (NCERT publications), in-service training of school teachers and teaching assignments for the two-year B.Ed program of our institute. In 2024, I initiated a history blog- www.minion.com, which raises issues pertaining to school education in view of the fast-changing world around us. There is also a section which deals with pedagogical issues for orienting teachers to innovative practices, in tune with the NEP 2020. However, my academic interest is not confined to school education alone and goes beyond.
I also specialize in modern and contemporary history and am deeply interested on the impact of war and conflict on human society. My book —The Second World War and North East India: Shadows of Yesteryears, was published by Routledge in 2022. A podcast interview on the book (3rd December 2023) with New Books Network-USA, hosted by Ari Barbalat, is also available. A review of the book by Lipokmar Dzuvichu from Jawaharlal Nehru University is available in Economic and Political Weekly, 5th April, 2025, Vol LX No.14. Currently, I am working on another book—The making of contemporary Assamz;1950-1980 (Title is tentative)
Dr Vijay Sakhuja
Dr. Vijay Sakhuja is former Director of the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi and is currently Professor and Head, Center of Excellence for Geopolitics and International Studies, REVA University, Bengaluru.
Dr. Vijay Sakhuja is former Director of the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi and is currently Professor and Head, Center of Excellence for Geopolitics and International Studies, REVA University, Bengaluru. Sakhuja has been a faculty member of several think tanks and universities in India and abroad - Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore; Cambodia Institute of Cooperation and Peace, Cambodia (CICP); Director Research, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi, Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), and United Service Institution of India (USI);
A former navy officer, Dr. Vijay Sakhuja received his M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Sakhuja has published over 50 books, edited/co-edited volumes, and monographs on geopolitical, geostrategic and technology issues, maritime security, climate change, Blue Economy, and maritime history. His important works are Asian Maritime Power in the 21st Century: Strategic Transactions - China, India, Southeast Asia; K.M. Panikkar and the Growth of a Maritime Consciousness in India; Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: Reflections on the Chola Naval Expeditions to Southeast Asia; Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies: Maritime and Naval Operations and his most recent publication is Cold War 2.0 and India (2025).
Gautam Hazarika
Gautam Hazarika
Gautam Hazarika
Maj Gen Ian Cardozo, AVSM, SM (Retd)
Major General Ian Cardozo was born in Mumbai and studied at St. Xavier’s School and College. He joined the Joint Services Wing at Clement Town, Dehradun in July 1954, which
Major General Ian Cardozo was born in Mumbai and studied at St. Xavier’s School and College. He joined the Joint Services Wing at Clement Town, Dehradun in July 1954, which transferred to Khadakvasla, Pune in January 1955 and became the National Defence Academy. Here he was the first cadet to win both the gold medal for being the best all round cadet and the silver medal for being first in order of merit.
He was commissioned at the Indian Military Academy into the 1st Battalion the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) where he received his basic grounding as a young officer. He thereafter took part in the Sino-Indian war of 1962, the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Wounded in the battle of Sylhet in Bangladesh, he overcame the disability of losing a leg and became the first disabled officer of the Indian Army to be approved for command of an infantry battalion and brigade. Thereafter, he commanded an Infantry Division and retired from this appointment as Chief of Staff of a Corps in the North East.
On retirement he worked in the area of Disability with an NGO and as Vice President of the War Wounded Foundation before being picked up by the Government of India and appointed as the Chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India where he worked for nine years.
He has taken up writing as a hobby and his books ‘Param Vir’, ‘The Sinking of INS Khukri’, ‘The Bravest of the Brave – the Indian VCs of World War I’, ‘The Indian Army in World War I 1914-18’ and ‘Lieutenant General Bilimoria – His Life and Times’ have been widely acclaimed.
Julian Farrance
Julian Farrance is a career employee of the National Army Museum, working there since 2000. Initially in the education team, he spent three years in the
Julian Farrance is a career employee of the National Army Museum, working there since 2000. Initially in the education team, he spent three years in the comms team and has worked as the lead for the Museum’s liaison with the UK’s Regimental and Corps Museums for the last eleven years (with additional responsibility for International partnerships) In this role Julian provides direct support, training, advice and networking administration for the UK’s one hundred and forty five museums.
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
Distinguished Fellow, VIFLt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma was commissioned in Gorkha Rifles in 1977, and had a career spanning forty years in the Army.
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma was commissioned in Gorkha Rifles in 1977, and had a career spanning forty years in the Army. He has had extensive operational experience in Jammu and Kashmir, North East and on the Western Borders. The officer had trained the Botswana Army for three years in Africa, and attended the National War College at Abuja, Nigeria.
He was Research Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and has done PhD in Defence Studies. General Rakesh Sharma commanded the Fire and Fury Corps in Ladakh responsible for Kargil, Siachin Glacier and Eastern Ladakh – facing both Pakistan and China.
The General was the Adjutant General of the Indian Army responsible for the Human Resource Management and superannuated in 2017.He is currently DISTINGUISHED FELLOW with Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) and Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) and on the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and of Global Counter Terrorism Council (GCTC).
Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd)
DG CLAWSLt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) was commissioned into the ‘NINTH BN OF THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY REGIMENT’ in Dec 81. He is an alumnus of NDC, DSSC, CDM and Naval Post Graduate School California, USA.
Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) was commissioned into the ‘NINTH BN OF THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY REGIMENT’ in Dec 81. He is an alumnus of NDC, DSSC, CDM and Naval Post Graduate School California, USA. He has attended the Regional Defence Counter Terrorism Programme with specialization in Terrorist Operations and Financing in US. He has served in varied terrains and theatre of operations, in India and in the UN as Military Observer. He has been an instructor of Human Resource Development in College of Defence Management, Secunderabad. The General Officer has commanded an Infantry Battalion, Brigade, and a Division in Jammu and Kashmir. He also holds the distinction of having served twice in the elite National Security Guards, as the Deputy Inspector General (Operations) and the Inspector General (Operations).
The General Officer has also held the appointment of Brigadier General Staff of a Corps in the East and Chief of Staff, Eastern Command. The General Officer commanded a Corps and thereafter headed the Army War College. For his distinguished services, the General Officer has been awarded ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ and ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’. Besides contributing regularly in various defence journals and newspapers, he has also written chapters in three books namely, Understanding Suicide Terrorism (chapter on Deterring Terrorism)”, “Countering Terrorism: Psychological Strategies (Chapter on Impact of Virtual world in Creation and Sustenance of Terrorism)”, by Sage Publication and Chapter in “Life and War Strategies of Maharana Pratap”.
His book on “Grey Zone Warfare Way Ahead for India” was recently published and is quite popular in the strategic community. In addition, he has chapters in many other books and journals on strategic affairs. He was, Vice Chairman of STRIVE India Think Tank and Prof Emeritus Rashtriya Raksha University and institution of national importance working under the overall supervision of MHA.
Lt Gen Ghanshyam Singh Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
Lieutenant General Ghanshyam Singh Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), is an infantry officer who is an alumnus of the DSSC Wellington, the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College.
Lieutenant General Ghanshyam Singh Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), is an infantry officer who is an alumnus of the DSSC Wellington, the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College. He has held a number of prestigious Command and Staff appointments. He has a Bachelor’s degree from JNU, New Delhi, two Master's Degrees, one in Defence & Strategic Studies from Madras University and the other in Defence Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, USA and an M.Phil degree in Defence & Strategic Studies from Devi Ahilyabai University, Indore. He has commanded an Infantry Battalion on the Line of Control. A Brigade in Counterinsurgency in the Kashmir Valley, a Division on the LAC, and a Corps in the Desert Sector of Rajasthan/Gujarat. He retired in March 2016 from the Indian Army as the Director General, Perspective Planning, after nearly 40 years of Service. Post retirement, he was the founding Director of the Centre for Anti-Terrorism Studies at the National Security Guard, Manesar and later Distinguished Fellow and Head Editorial Team, the United Service Institution of India. He is presently a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi. He has written a large number of articles and papers for various defence publications and has published three books, and is presently writing a fourth book on General Zorawar Singh. He has had the experience of visiting a number of Defence establishments in the USA, Germany, Belgium, Egypt, Myanmar, Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Lt Gen Vipul Shinghal, AVSM, SM
Lieutenant General Vipul Shinghal, a second generation army officer is an alumnus of the Doon School, Dehradun & National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in Dec 1988.
Lieutenant General Vipul Shinghal, a second generation army officer is an alumnus of the Doon School, Dehradun & National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in Dec 1988. Recognised for his strategic foresight and keen ability for thinking out of the box, he steered critical transformation initiatives during his tenure in the Perspective Planning Directorate. The General has an abiding interest in leadership development and has mentored both cadets and officers at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, School of Armoured Warfare, Ahmednagar and the National Defence College, Delhi. An expert in Mechanised Warfare, he has commanded an Independent Armoured Brigade, an Armoured Division and a Strike Corps in the Desert Sector. In his current assignment as Deputy Chief in the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters, he plays a key role in the ongoing initiatives of ‘Jointness, Integration and Transformation of the Indian Armed Forces’. Academically accomplished he holds two M.Phil degrees in Defence and Strategic studies and is pursuing a PhD from Madras University. For his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Sena Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd)
Major General (Dr) AK Bardalai, commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1977, is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (India) and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (India).
Major General (Dr) AK Bardalai, commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1977, is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (India) and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (India). General Bardalai served in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peacekeeping Force, commanded an infantry battalion in Siachen Glacier, an infantry brigade, an infantry division and was the Commandant of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan from October 2011 to January 2014. Earlier, he served as a UN Military Observer in Angola, and the Deputy Head of the Mission and Deputy Force Commander in UNIFIL (Lebanon) from March 2008 to March 2010. Post-retirement from the army on 30th April 2014, he is actively engaged with the academic study of UN Peace Operations and is a Distinguished Fellow of USI of India. He holds a PhD in UN Peace Operations from Tilburg University (the Netherlands) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Joseph Soeters and Prof. Dr. Patricia M. Shields. The GCSP-EPON report on the study of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO), of which the General was part of the three-member team, was presented to the UNHQs on 31 May 2024.
Maj Gen (Dr) Pawan Anand, AVSM (Retd)
Director, USI-CETANBMaj Gen (Dr) Pawan Anand, AVSM (Retd), was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and was awarded the President’s Gold Medal at the National Defence Academy for being First in Order of Merit,
Maj Gen (Dr) Pawan Anand, AVSM (Retd), was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and was awarded the President’s Gold Medal at the National Defence Academy for being First in Order of Merit, and later the Sword of Honour at the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
In an illustrious career, Gen Anand commanded an Armoured Engineer Regiment, an Engineer Brigade in a Strike Corps, and was Chief Engineer of South Western Command. During the Kargil War he controlled operations as Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade on the LC, and later was Col Adm in a Counter Insurgency Force. He has been an instructor at the IMA, and College of Military Engineering. He was selected for all apex level courses of the military including DSSC, HDMC and the NDC, and represented India in several delegations and cooperation conferences abroad. He has also held three appointments dealing with acquisitions and procurement. He has been awarded twice by the army and by President of India for his distinguished service
Gen Anand is a qualified Mechanical Engineer, Masters in Strategic Studies, and a Doctorate. After superannuating from the army, he was Secretary General of Highway Operators Association in the private sector. He is currently
• Director USI Centre for Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Technologies, at the USI of India looking at the intersection of Geopolitics/Geostrategy and Emerging Technologies (having recently pioneered its Cyber Centre of Excellence, and AI initiative), and Defence Industry. The Centre is currently conducting a study for the National Security Council Secretariat;
• a PhD Guide for Strategic Studies (Professor, University of Madras) and Mentor for Strategic Gaming Exercises at the National Defence College;
• an empanelled arbitrator with Delhi International Arbitration Council in the Bureaucrat Category.
• and a strategic advisor with corporate entities.
He has a number of publications to his credit and is a regular speaker at various national and international events on Geopolitics/Geostrategy, AI and Cybersecurity.
Maj Gen (Dr) SB Asthana, SM, VSM (Retd)
Director, Courses, USIGlobally acknowledged Strategic and Security Analyst, Ph.D. from JNU, has authored over 450 publications. Veteran Infantry General with 45 years of experience at national and varied international fields and United Nations. Former Director General Infantry in Indian Army.
Globally acknowledged Strategic and Security Analyst, Ph.D. from JNU, has authored over 450 publications. Veteran Infantry General with 45 years of experience at national and varied international fields and United Nations. Former Director General Infantry in Indian Army.
Director Courses, USI of India, the oldest think tank of India, conducting largest online & correspondence courses for Indian military officers since last 10 years. TV commentator having participated in over 4000 TV shows globally. Speaker in various Strategic, Military forums, UN Organisations, Think tanks and Universities, globally. Interviewed by various National and International news channels/ newspapers/ organisations on strategic, military and UN related subjects.
Currently On Governing/Security Council Confederation of Education Excellence CEE, International Organisation of Education Development (IOED). On Advisory Board of Global Advisors Consultants Corporation, IOED representative in UN Headquarters, Vienna, Austria. Distinguished Expert, Bharat Centre of Canada. Advisor Amity University, Bharat Media LLC, USA and Foreign Policy Research Centre, India. Member Norway based UN organization-Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON). Former member Expert Group Challenges Forum, Sweden.
Awarded twice by President of India, twice by UN, CEE excellence award for Nation building by Governor of Haryana. Awarded for “International Diplomacy and Global Conflict Resolutions” by IOED twice, a Consultative body for ECOSOC and International Police Commission – IPC India, by former Prime Minister of Moldova.
Reachable at Facebook, LinkedIn, as Shashi Asthana, @asthana_shashi on twitter, and personnel site https://asthanawrites.org/ email shashiasthana29@gmail.com LinkedIn Profile www.linkedin.com/in/shashi-asthana-4b3801a6 My Youtube link
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl50YRTBrOCVIxDtHfhvQDQ?view_as=subscriber
Maj Gen Sanjeev Chowdhry (Retd)
Director, Editorial, USIMaj Gen Sanjeev Chowdhry (Retd) served with distinction in the Indian Army for over 37 years (1984–2021), primarily in the Regiment of Artillery. His career included key command and staff appointments in operational and strategic domains.
Maj Gen Sanjeev Chowdhry (Retd) served with distinction in the Indian Army for over 37 years (1984–2021), primarily in the Regiment of Artillery. His career included key command and staff appointments in operational and strategic domains. He served as an instructor at the Special Frontier Force Academy and Defence Services Staff College, and was also a UN Military Observer in Sierra Leone. His final appointment was as Additional Director General Movements, overseeing the tri-service movement of troops and logistics by rail, air, and sea.
Post-retirement, he resides in Noida and is actively engaged in civil society initiatives. A certified Career Counsellor, he guides students, graduates, and professionals, and mentors youth from economically weaker sections. He also serves as a competency assessor for corporate employees. Currently completing his Soft Skills Training certification, he aims to contribute further in capacity building and personal development.
Maj Gen Chowdhry is the Director Editorial at the United Service Institution of India (USI), New Delhi, a premier strategic think tank established in 1870. An avid photographer, philatelist, and numismatist, he sees this phase of life as “give-back time,” focused on sharing his knowledge, experience, and values with the next generation.
Mukund Padmanabhan
Mukund Padmanabhan is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Krea University, north of Chennai. He has been teaching there since 2019. For most of his working life, he has been a journalist, ending his career as the Editor of The Hindu.
Mukund Padmanabhan is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Krea University, north of Chennai. He has been teaching there since 2019. For most of his working life, he has been a journalist, ending his career as the Editor of The Hindu. Prior to that, he was the Editor of The Hindu BusinessLine.Among the publications he has worked for are The Hindu, The Indian Express in Chennai and Sunday magazine in Calcutta.
Mukund has written extensively on politics, legal affairs and literature during his time as a journalist.
Mukund worked briefly as a lecturer in Hindu College, Delhi University, before turning to journalism. He was also an Adjunct Faculty at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, where he taught law and advanced writing to post-graduate students.
The Great Flap of 1942 is his first book.
Phil Craig
Phil Craig is a bestselling author and multiple-award-winning film-maker.
Phil Craig is a bestselling author and multiple-award-winning film-maker.
A former RAF cadet pilot, he studied history at CambridgeUniversity, was a BBC graduate trainee and built his career working for iconic British TV series World in Action and Panorama.
Later he held senior positions at the prestigious Brook Lapping production company, at the Discovery Channel and at ABC Television in Australia where he ran the entire factual output including its high-profile ANZAC centenary project. Throughout his TV and writing career, Phil has spent many years researching and reinterpreting the story of Britain and its Empire during the Second World War, including his definitive and bestselling account of 1940 – Finest Hour.
He also hosts The Scandal Mongers Podcast.
Prof Anirudh Deshpande
Anirudh Deshpande is Professor of Modern History, Department of History, Delhi University. He has been a Teen Murti Fellow (2001-2005), ICCR Guest Professor at the Vienna University, Austria (2014-15),
Anirudh Deshpande is Professor of Modern History, Department of History, Delhi University. He has been a Teen Murti Fellow (2001-2005), ICCR Guest Professor at the Vienna University, Austria (2014-15), Visiting Professor at the NBU Siliguri (November 2015) and History Department AMU (2017).
He has authored the following books:
The British Raj and its Indian Armed Forces, 1857 – 1939, OUP, 2002.
British Military Policy in India 1900-1945: colonial constraints and declining power, Manohar Publishers, 2005.
Class, power and consciousness in Indian cinema and television, Primus Books, 2009.
The First Line of Defence-Glorious 50 Years of the Border Security Force, BSF, Shipra Publications, 2015.
Hope and Despair: Mutiny, Rebellion and Death in India, 1946, Primus Books, 2016.
Dreamt Lives (a novel), Solar Books, 2018.
The Practice of History: Essays in Search of a New Past, Aakar Books & Routledge, 2020.
The Rise and Fall of a Brown Water Navy: Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre and Maratha Seapower on the Arabian Sea in the 17th and 18th Centuries, Aakar Books, 2021.
Aitihasik Nausainik Vidroh 1946 Aur Bharatiya Jan Andolan, Aakar Books, New Delhi, 2022.
Bisween Sadi Mein Vishwa Itihaas Ke Pramukh Mudde: Badalte Ayam Aur Dishayen (edited), Aakar Books, New Delhi, 2021 (First edition printed in 2011).
Social Science Perspectives and Indian Cinema, Aakar Books, 2023.
Since 1992 he has published regularly in the EPW, IESHR, Studies in History, Social Scientist and The-Inclusive-Online and the Gordon Martel (ed.) Encyclopaedia of War (2011) and David Ludden (ed.) Oxford Online Research Encyclopaedia (2019). In 2015 he wrote the introduction to Govind Pansare’s Who Was Shivaji (Left-Word Books). He is an Associate Editor of the online social science journal Inclusive published from Kolkata and the Helion Books, London.
Prof Indivar Kamtekar
Indivar Kamtekar is a Visiting Professor at Ashoka University in India. For most of his career, he taught modern history at the Centre for Historical Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
Indivar Kamtekar is a Visiting Professor at Ashoka University in India. For most of his career, he taught modern history at the Centre for Historical Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Among other places, he has taught at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta; the National University of Singapore; and the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. In Germany, he has been a visiting professor at the University of Goettingen and Heidelberg University. The focus of his research is British colonial state power. Beginning with his PhD at Cambridge University, some of his writings have emphasized the multifaceted transformations during the 1940s because of the Second World War, Independence, and the Partition of India. He has been a member of the editorial board of the journals Modern Asian Studies and has edited the journal Studies in History.
Pushpa Kurup
Over four decades in HR & Corporate Training, Marketing and Administration, with extensive exposure to the Insurance industry and the Information Technology industry, in the private as well as public sector.
Professional Profile
Over four decades in HR & Corporate Training, Marketing and Administration, with extensive exposure to the Insurance industry and the Information Technology industry, in the private as well as public sector. Currently handling consulting assignments, and specializing in Prevention of Workplace Sexual Harassment.
2003-2019: Headed the Indian branch of Vitalect Technologies, a California based e-learning company, first as Director from 2003 and MD from 2008 to 2019. 1998-2003: Faculty Member (Soft-skills & Foreign Languages Coordinator), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Global Learning Centre, Trivandrum. 1981-1998: Manager in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), direct recruit Class I Officer. First woman Branch Manager in South India.
Academic Credentials
Masters’ in Public Administration, University of Madras, Presidency College. University Second Rank. Bachelor’s in Chemistry, University of Madras, Stella Maris College. PG Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA) from All-India Institute of Management Studies, Madras.
Literary Pursuits
‘Malabar, Mysore and a Tale of Two Sultans’, Occam (BluOne Ink), 2024. ‘Gods Dancing Among Men – the Mystical World of Theyyams of North Malabar’, Occam
(BluOne Ink), 2023. ‘Power Women – A Journey Through Hindu Mythology, Folklore and History’, Bloomsbury, 2021. ‘Snow and Salt Water & Other Animal Stories’, Emerald Publishers, 2019. ‘Stars and Saplings - A Biography of Dr. G Viswanathan’, VIT University, 2013.
(Authorized biography of the founder-Chancellor).
Sqn Ldr Rana Chhina, MBE (Retd)
Squadron Leader Rana TS Chhina served in the Indian Air Force as a helicopter pilot. He is currently Director of the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies (CMHCS).
Squadron Leader Rana TS Chhina served in the Indian Air Force as a helicopter pilot. He is currently Director of the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies (CMHCS). The author of a number of books, he was Vice President of the Indian Military Historical Society (2004-2020), and a member of the Government of India’s Archival Advisory Board. He is a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
Independent Advisory Panel and is actively engaged in promoting the preservation of India’s rich tangible and intangible military heritage. A recipient of the Macgregor Medal for best military reconnaissance, he was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2016 and an Officer of the Belgian Order of Leopold in 2018.
Sam Dalrymple
Sam Dalrymple is a Delhi-raised Scottish historian, film-maker and multimedia producer. He graduated from Oxford University as a Persian and Sanskrit scholar. In 2018, he co-founded Project Dastaan
Sam Dalrymple is a Delhi-raised Scottish historian, film-maker and multimedia producer. He graduated from Oxford University as a Persian and Sanskrit scholar. In 2018, he co-founded Project Dastaan, a peace-building initiative that reconnects refugees displaced by the 1947 Partition of India. His debut film, Child of Empire, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022 and his animated series, Lost Migrations, sold out at the British Film Institute the same year. His work has been published in the New York Times, Spectator and featured in TIME, The New Yorker and The Economist. He is a columnist for Architectural Digest and, in 2025, Travel & Leisure named him ‘Champion of the Travel Narrative'. Shattered Lands is his first book.