The Soldier and the State in India: Nuclear Weapons, Counterinsurgency, and the Transformation of Indian Civil-Military Relations - Hardcover

An appropriate and timely work which comes as yet another urgent wakeup call to the government...the book addresses some very vital factors....Sheds light on the complex and changing nature of civil-military relations in India. (Millennium Post 2013-11-10)

In her brilliant book Ayesha Ray has dwelt at length on and put in proper perspective the various issues that influence the Indian civil-military relations. The book is a timely treatise on a very important matter crucial to India’s defence...her scholarly treatise is a must for all those who are interested in healthy growth of civilian military relations in India. (Defence Watch, Vol 12, July 2013)

An appropriate and timely work which comes as an yet another wake-up call for the Government.... The book is a must read for all categories of Professionals dealing with national security, particularly decision makers in the government. (The Asian Age 2013-10-02)

One of the first to offer a theoretical perspective for examining some of the most critical issues that have emerged in Indian civil-military relations.... Prof Ray’s book is quite informative and timely.

(Free Press Journal, 29 December 2013)

The book traces the changes in the civil military relations since independence and is a valuable addition to the literature on the subject.

(Freedom First, November 2014)

The Soldier and the State in India is one of the first attempts at offering a theoretical perspective for examining some of the most critical issues that have emerged in Indian civil-military relations. It specifically examines issues pertaining to military expertise and military professionalism that emerged whenever there was a contestation in civil-military functions, thereby allowing the military greater influence in policy-making.

The book uses Samuel Huntington's ideas on military professionalism and Peter Feaver's discussion of military expertise in the American context as the theoretical framework for addressing similar issues that have emerged in debates on Indian civil-military relations. Moreover, it also includes a serious focus on the role of the Indian military in counterinsurgency operations and the impact of Indian nuclear strategy on the relationship between civilians and the military in India. Most books on the subject have failed to address issues that emerge when there is a contestation in civil-military functions; this book seeks to fill that gap.