India's Enhanced Border Strategy with China Five Years After the Galwan Valley Clash
Five years after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, India has made significant strides in fortifying its border with China. This incident marked a pivotal moment that reshaped India-China relations and prompted a comprehensive overhaul of India's defense strategy along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In response to the clash, India enhanced its military readiness and infrastructure along the border. The armed forces increased their presence in Eastern Ladakh, deploying troops and high-altitude warfare equipment more rapidly. Emergency procurement measures were implemented to accelerate acquisitions of essential defense equipment such as surveillance systems and artillery.
The Union Budget for FY 2025-26 reflected this commitment by allocating Rs 6.81 lakh crore to the Ministry of Defence, which included Rs 7,146 crore specifically for projects managed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). In 2024 alone, BRO completed numerous strategic projects worth over Rs 2,236 crore across regions like Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Additionally, there was a significant push towards improving connectivity in remote areas near the LAC. Initiatives were launched to connect villages like Galwan and Demchok to 4G networks through collaboration between the Indian Army and telecom providers. This development aimed to enhance access to telemedicine and digital education while potentially boosting local tourism.
On the diplomatic front, over thirty rounds of talks have occurred since 2020 between India and China. These discussions included multiple Corps Commander-level meetings aimed at disengaging from various friction points along their shared border. High-level diplomatic engagements continued into mid-2025 with discussions focused on bilateral ties and cooperation on issues such as hydrological data sharing.
Despite these efforts at dialogue and partial disengagement from conflict zones, experts emphasize that India's vigilance remains heightened due to lasting distrust stemming from the Galwan incident. This event has fundamentally changed India's approach toward its border management strategy—shifting it from reactive measures to proactive preparedness across military operations and diplomatic relations with China.
Original article
Bias analysis
The provided text exhibits a range of biases, including political, cultural, ideological, and linguistic biases. One of the most striking aspects of the text is its overtly nationalistic tone, which favors Indian interests and perspectives over those of China. This bias is evident in the way the Galwan Valley clash is framed as a pivotal moment in India-China relations, with no equivalent attention paid to Chinese perspectives or experiences. The text's focus on India's military readiness and infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) reinforces this nationalist narrative, implying that India is taking proactive measures to secure its borders against Chinese aggression.
This nationalist bias is also reflected in the text's use of language, which often employs emotive and patriotic rhetoric. For example, phrases such as "pivotal moment" and "reshaped India-China relations" create a sense of drama and importance around the Galwan Valley clash, while also emphasizing India's agency in shaping its own destiny. Similarly, the mention of "emergency procurement measures" and "rapid deployment" creates a sense of urgency and mobilization around India's military preparedness.
In terms of cultural bias, the text assumes a Western-centric worldview by framing Indian-Chinese relations through a lens that prioritizes military power and territorial disputes. This perspective neglects alternative frameworks for understanding international relations, such as economic interdependence or cultural exchange. Furthermore, the text's focus on high-altitude warfare equipment and surveillance systems reinforces this militaristic worldview.
Ideological bias is also present in the text's implicit endorsement of state-led development initiatives along the LAC. The mention of projects managed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) implies that state intervention can effectively address regional development needs. However, this perspective neglects alternative approaches to development that prioritize community-led initiatives or decentralized decision-making.
Linguistic bias manifests in several ways throughout the text. For example, emotionally charged language such as "pivotal moment" creates an emotional resonance with readers without providing nuanced context about Indian-Chinese relations prior to 2020. Additionally, euphemisms like "strategic projects" obscure specific details about these initiatives' impact on local communities or their environmental implications.
Selection and omission bias are evident in how certain facts are presented while others are left out or downplayed. For instance, there is no discussion about potential human rights abuses committed by Indian security forces during counter-insurgency operations along its border with China or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Similarly omitted from consideration are concerns surrounding environmental degradation caused by infrastructure development projects near sensitive ecosystems like Ladakh.
Structural bias emerges from how systems of authority are implicitly reinforced throughout this narrative without critical interrogation: e.g., when discussing defense strategy decisions made within government institutions without questioning their accountability mechanisms; when highlighting BRO-managed projects but not addressing broader questions regarding transparency within public works contracts; when describing diplomatic efforts between nations but omitting any critique regarding unequal power dynamics between them.
Confirmation bias becomes apparent where assumptions go unchallenged: e.g., accepting at face value claims made by defense officials regarding increased military readiness without scrutinizing sources behind these statements; assuming all parties involved share similar narratives surrounding disputed territories; accepting data-driven arguments presented without questioning underlying methodologies used for data collection/analysis purposes etc..
Framing narrative bias arises through story structure employed here – focusing primarily upon events leading up-to post-Galwan developments rather than exploring historical background information prior-to 2020 clashes; using metaphors like 'fortifying borders' which inherently convey strength & resilience associated with nation-states rather than acknowledging complexities inherent within conflict resolution processes etc..
Regarding sources cited within this piece none appear explicitly referenced however given content presented it seems likely they would lean towards supporting existing narratives favoring national security interests over other competing viewpoints thus reinforcing structural biases mentioned above