Securities agencies need to clear China’s investment in India

I got this quote from an article in the Today paper on 11 Dec about India awarding a bullet train project to Japan.  Here it is, ‘In September, China was given the right to assess the feasibility of a high speed train link between New Delhi and Chennai, in the south, after getting clearance from India’s security agencies wary of Chinese involvement in infrastructure areas such as telecoms and railways.’

The above statement emphasized the important role played by the security agencies of India in guarding national interests and external threats. Foreign investors cannot simply get into India and do any business they like, building infrastructure, communications, strategic industries like power plants and water resources, IT and control of the banking and finance industry.

The big question is how involved are our security agencies in the trading of national assets, in the recruitment of so many foreigners here, in foreigners being employed in sensitive industries like national securities, IT, banking and finance?  Do we face the same external threats like India or other countries that our security agencies should be involved in approving strategic investments and industries and also the employment of foreigners to senior positions in govt and govt linked organizations? There is a standard practice in all countries for the security agencies to vet and clear even their own citizens for appointments in the uniformed services and other security sensitive services.

How are our security agencies involved in the commercial sectors like banking and finance, IT, communications and even the medical industries? Do these industries, and the employment of foreigners in senior appointments require a robust regime of vetting and clearance from the security agencies here? Are the security agencies too busy watching out for terrorists and anti national elements but employment in govt and the private sector, foreign investments etc are out of their purview? Should the security agencies be more closely involved in the influx of foreigners into the country?

Maybe they already are. Maybe we need not be so sensitive with such matters as they posed lesser security concerns. No countries will be interested in taking over this little red dot.  Just wondering aloud.