Wars of India - An Operational Perspective

The history of wars in India, along with numerous minor and major operations, is well-documented and accessible to the public. Surprisingly, much of this documentation emphasizes tactical battles conducted by units and tactical formations under corps and groups of corps, often at the expense of detailing the operations by the higher-level formations.

Despite the steady growth of the Indian Armed Forces since independence, there has been no significant effort to undertake pragmatic and in-depth introspection of wars and military operations to identify major shortcomings and initiate corrective measures. This requires a scientific and objective analysis, demanding a comprehensive understanding of the art of war and the evolving nature of modern warfare. Unfortunately, the Indian military leadership in the first few decades of independence was reluctant to it. This book provides a detailed introspection of the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars and the

Jammu and Kashmir Operation from an operational perspective.

About the Author: After graduating from NDA and IMA, Brigadier Professor Jasbir Singh Nagra was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery in 1959. During his over 34 years of service in the Indian Army, he held various command, staff and faculty positions. In 1972, he graduated with honours from Frunze Military Academy, Moscow (erstwhile the USSR). Besides, he holds the degrees of MSc (Defence Studies) and MBA (Gold Medalist).

He participated in the India-China War of 1962 and the India-Pakistan War of 1965. After being transferred to 18 Sikh in 1974, he served with the Battalion in Nagaland for over two years and later commanded it. He has the distinction of serving as faculty in War College, Defence Services Staff College and School of Artillery.

After retirement, he served as a Managing Director of a joint sector company for six years and then as Director Principal of a Management Institute for eight years.