After power, telecom and other infrastructure sectors that had come under the security glare for importing Chinese equipment, it could be weather and climate systems next. The government plans to come out with new norms mandating security clearance for importing sensitive equipment, even as installation of critical imported systems hang fire.
Such procurements will be strictly scrutinised by the home ministry, defence ministry and security and intelligence agencies. The rules will also include country-specific import restriction advisories.
?The Cabinet Secretariat will set up a committee of secretaries to study the problem and come out with suggestions that could form part of new regulations for importing weather and climate forecast equipment. The aim is to allow flexibility in regulations, allowing India to get the best technology without hurdles,? said a home ministry note.
Key equipment used in tsunami and thunderstorm warning, weather forecast and atmospheric data collection have been held up due to various security reasons, delaying their deployment. The earth sciences ministry recently wrote to the Cabinet Secretariat that the installation of several systems has been delayed as equipment from winning Chinese bidders are held up.
The flood of Chinese companies winning the earth sciences ministry tenders to set up critical observing systems for weather, climate and hazards systems have rung alarm bells in the government. Security agencies are also wary of using Chinese equipment on Indian coasts.
In the last couple of years, telecom companies who ordered equipment from Chinese vendors like Huawei and ZTE had landed in trouble after security agencies refused to clear the imports. Chinese equipment manufacturers have also won numerous large contracts to install power projects in India. In 2010, the National Security Council had raised security concerns over the proliferation of Chinese equipment in Indian power projects.
The new rules will institute stringent procedures on prior security clearance in terms of equipment specification, profile of suppliers and the place of installation in India. A blanket ban on Chinese equipment is considered unlikely. The government may also undertake studies on the use of similar equipment elsewhere.
The government will also consider single-tender bids on a case by case basis to import critical equipment and when domestic alternatives are unavailable or delayed.
Clear rules will also be specified for servicing these equipment when it is required to be taken out of the country. ?Procedures will be streamlined so that there is clarity about do’s and don?ts,? said a government official.
In the case of Indian Meteorological Department?s tender for S-Band Doppler Weather Radar systems, the ministry of defence raised security concerns as the supplier was a Chinese company, delaying its coastal installation. The equipment enhances the real-time capability to monitor severe weather conditions and helps track the movement and intensity of cyclones and facilitates better forecasts. IMD is also facing problems in getting customs clearance for Chinese make radiosondes used in the transmission of atmospheric data.
The ministry has also requested importing satellite-based Iridium communication system to strengthen the tsunami early warning system.
However, security agencies do not allow Iridium systems and there are several restrictions on its use. It also wants to install wind profiler radars for early warning of severe thunderstorms which operate in high frequencies.
This is also not allowed due to security issues.