More questions on Rafale

CAG report must serve as the basis for further discussion

The long-awaited Comptroller and Auditor General report on defence capital purchases — in particular, regarding the Rafale fighter for the Indian Air Force —has been submitted to Parliament. The report opens up several major questions regarding the fighter deal with Dassault in particular and about procurement processes in general. For one, the basis of selecting Dassault as a partner in the first place has been rendered unclear. Why are specific technologies prescribed for quality requirements under the original bidding process? Why not, instead, user-set performance benchmarks? The latter would achieve technology- and product-neutrality, and the question of special favours for