Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Investigate the deal: On L’affaire Rafale

Investigate the deal: On L’affaire Rafale

The role of middlemen (बिचौलिया, दलाल) in both the bid process and the Rafale sale agreement must be probed

More than a year following the arrival of the first batch of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the controversy over L’affaire (it is used before a proper noun to indicate a political scandal/controversy connected with the particular person or company, etc) Rafale refuses to die down (to become less active; to become less powerful), notwithstanding (यद्यपि, हालांकि) the high quality of the planes and their fit (applicability, suitability, aptness, appropriateness) to the requirements of the Indian Air Force, which has been desperate (in great need of, urgently requiring, in want of, lacking) to augment (बढ़ाना, तीव्र करना, सुधारना) its fighter squadrons (an (air force) unit consisting a number of military aircrafts (2 or more) and their personnel deployed on a surveillance duty to protect a country’s skies; unit, contingent, regiment). Mediapart (an independent French online investigative journal), a French portal (website), has now published a set of alleged (कथित, माना जाता है, दावा किया जाता है) fake invoices (बिल, चलाना), and claimed that Dassault Aviation (air transport) paid middleman and defence contractor Sushen Gupta over €7 million in kickbacks (bribe, illegal payment) between 2007-2012, when the Congress-led UPA was in power, and has claimed that the CBI had proof of this since October 2018. Earlier investigations, including by The Hindu, had revealed procedural (प्रक्रियात्मक, कार्यविधि संबंधी) violations (उल्लंघन, भंग करना), raised questions over the high price of the fighters, the choice of offset partners, the removal of anti-corruption clauses (धारा, खंड, बिंदु), waiving (relieve a borrower of the obligation/liability to repay a loan) the requirement of a bank guarantee among other issues related to the India-France Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) (An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) is any agreement that involves or is made between two or more governments in cooperation to solve problems of mutual concern) signed in 2016. Mediapart’s articles point to (संकेत करना, साबित करना) the dubious (संदिग्ध, संदेहपूर्ण) role of middlemen both in the proposal (प्रस्ताव, निविदा, बोली) to buy 126 aircraft that was withdrawn (निकाल लेना, बंद करो, समाप्त करो), and later in the IGA for flyaway aircraft in 2016. In April 2021, Mediapart had detailed that the French anti-corruption agency had found that Dassault had accounted for (के लिये उत्तरदयी होना, प्रदान करना) payment of over a million Euros to a company run by Mr. Gupta for the manufacture of 50 models of the Rafale — the company does not specialise in making models — besides (के अतिरिक्त भी, इसके अलावा) paying several million Euros in secret commissions to offshore (register a business (or department) at foreign country to take advantage of lower taxes or less regulations) accounts and shell companies (a non-trading company used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres (operations)). It had also alleged that he had supplied classified (वर्गीकृत, अनुवर्ग) documents related to the IGA to Dassault Aviation even as talks between Dassault and the Indian negotiating team were deadlocked over the key issue of benchmark pricing (The price per unit of quantity in a specific segment of the international marketplace, set by the country or producers’ organization that consistently exports the largest quantity or volume. Simply put, the standard price of a product (set by the country or producers’ organization) that helps to compare your prices to the prices of the competition in a specific market segment).

In its price-redacted (price-corrected) audit (assessment, evaluation, appraisal, inspection, examination, scrutiny) report on the Rafale deal, the CAG report, tabled (submit, put forward, present, propose, introduce) in Parliament in February 2019, while examining the earlier bid (offer, tender, proposal) process between 2007-12, had pointed out procedural violations in defence procurement (the action of procuring/purchasing/buying something) — Dassault’s technical bid was rejected and later it was allowed to incorporate India-specific enhancements to meet bid-compliant (relating to a bid which correctly and completely responds to all of the requirements that are considered mandatory or important) qualitative (relating to the quality of something) requirements. The report also unequivocally (clearly, well definedly; unambiguously, categorically, unmistakably) stated that the defence acquisition (purchase, procurement, possession (of a company)) process needed reforms and streamlining (efficient, well run, well organized methods) — points that are buttressed (confirm, defend, back up, uphold, support, strengthen, reinforce, fortify) by the new revelations (disclosure, communication, announcement, report; a surprising fact, declaration, utterance) that shed light on the role of defence middlemen in mucking up (make a mess of, mess up, bungle, spoil, ruin, wreck, mishandle, mismanage) the procurement process to favour (support, back, approve of, recommend) a particular vendor. At the very least (to put it mildly, without any exaggeration), investigative agencies such as the CBI and the ED must probe Mr. Gupta’s role in the bid process and the IGA. The Government cannot just wish away (to desire or hope that a problematic issue or situation will disappear without (you) doing anything about it) the questions that are repeatedly emerging about the Rafale deal and must open an investigation into the procurement process. After all (most importantly, above all, beyond everything), defence preparedness (readiness) and national security interests dictate (determine, prescribe, lay down, set out) that operational readiness (preparedness; willingness, inclination to do something) goes hand-in-hand (together, in close association, concurrently, closely) with procedural propriety (morality, rightness, correctness, appropriateness, good manners) in defence procurement.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.middlemen (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बिचौलिया, दलाल
English Meaning - broker, agent, go-between, intermediary.

2.notwithstanding (conjunction)

Hindi Meaning - यद्यपि, हालांकि
English Meaning - although, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, even though.

3.augment (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़ाना, तीव्र करना, सुधारना
English Meaning - increase, intensify; improve, boost, enhance.

4.alleged (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कथित, माना जाता है, दावा किया जाता है
English Meaning - supposed, claimed, professed, purported, reported, ostensible.

5.invoice (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बिल, चलाना
English Meaning - bill, statement of charges.

6.procedural (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रक्रियात्मक, कार्यविधि संबंधी
English Meaning - structured, well ordered, methodical, systematic.

7.violation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, भंग करना
English Meaning - breach, breaking, contravention, non-observance.

8.clause (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धारा, खंड, बिंदु
English Meaning - section, point, requirement, condition, provision.

9.point to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संकेत करना, साबित करना
English Meaning - indicate, suggest, denote.

10.dubious (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संदिग्ध, संदेहपूर्ण
English Meaning - suspicious, questionable, doubtful, untrustworthy.

11.proposal (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्ताव, निविदा, बोली
English Meaning - offer, tender, bid.

12.withdraw (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निकाल लेना, बंद करो, समाप्त करो
English Meaning - discontinue, stop, terminate, remove.

13.account for (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - के लिये उत्तरदयी होना, प्रदान करना
English Meaning - provide, give (a specified amount).

14.besides (preposition/linking adverb)

Hindi Meaning - के अतिरिक्त भी, इसके अलावा
English Meaning - in addition to, as well, apart from.

15.classified (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - वर्गीकृत, अनुवर्ग
English Meaning - officially secret; private, personal.

16.bid (noun)

English Meaning - offer, tender, proposal.

17.die down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to become less active; to become less powerful.

18.L’affaire (noun)

English Meaning - it is used before a proper noun to indicate a political scandal/controversy connected with the particular person or company, etc.

19.Rafale (noun)

English Meaning - extremely powerful, superbly agile and very discrete, the latest type of combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation. Dassault Aviation is an international French aircraft manufacturer of military and business jets, and is a subsidiary of Dassault Group.

20.fit (noun)

English Meaning - applicability, suitability, aptness, appropriateness.

21.desperate (adjective)

English Meaning - in great need of, urgently requiring, in want of, lacking.

22.squadron (noun)

English Meaning - an (air force) unit consisting a number of military aircrafts (2 or more) and their personnel deployed on a surveillance duty to protect a country’s skies; unit, contingent, regiment.

23.Mediapart (noun)

English Meaning - an independent French online investigative journal.

24.portal (noun)

English Meaning - website.

25.aviation (noun)

English Meaning - air transport.

26.kickback (noun)

English Meaning - bribe, illegal payment.

27.offset policy & offset partner (noun)

English Meaning - Under the offset policy, the foreign defence entities, for all contracts worth more than ₹ 300 crore, were mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components, transfer of technologies or setting up of research and development facilities (with the help of offset partner in India).

28.waive (verb)

English Meaning - relieve a borrower of the obligation/liability to repay a loan.

29.bank guarantee (noun)

English Meaning - As a part of business, banks issue guarantees on behalf of their customers for various purposes.The guarantees executed by banks comprise both performance guarantees and financial guarantees.The guarantees are structured according to the terms of agreement, viz., security, maturity and purpose.

30.inter- (prefix)

English Meaning - between.

31.Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) (noun)

English Meaning - An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) is any agreement that involves or is made between two or more governments in cooperation to solve problems of mutual concern.

32.flyaway (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to an aircraft (particularly a newly manufactured one) that is ready to fly.

33.offshore (verb)

English Meaning - register a business (or department) at foreign country to take advantage of lower taxes or less regulations.

34.shell company (noun)

English Meaning - a non-trading company used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres (operations).

35.deadlock (verb)

English Meaning - tie, draw, reach a point/level (with no progress made).

36.Benchmark price (BP)(noun)

English Meaning - The price per unit of quantity in a specific segment of the international marketplace, set by the country or producers’ organization that consistently exports the largest quantity or volume. Simply put, the standard price of a product (set by the country or producers’ organization) that helps to compare your prices to the prices of the competition in a specific market segment.

37.price-redacted (adjective)

English Meaning - price-corrected.

38.audit (noun)

English Meaning - assessment, evaluation, appraisal, inspection, examination, scrutiny.

39.Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India (noun)

English Meaning - it is empowered to audit all expenses from the combined fund of the union or state governments, whether incurred within India or outside.

40.table (verb)

English Meaning - submit, put forward, present, propose, introduce.

41.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.

42.procurement (noun)

English Meaning - the action of procuring/purchasing/buying something.

43.enhancement (noun)

English Meaning - improvement, augmentation.

44.India-specific enhancements (ISE) on Rafales (noun)

English Meaning - India-specific enhancements on the Rafales include a helmet-mounted sight, radar warning receivers, flight data recorders with storage for 10 hours of data, infrared search and track systems, jammers, cold engine start capability to operate from high-altitude bases, and towed decoys to ward off incoming missiles.

45.meet (verb)

English Meaning - fulfil, satisfy, match up to, conform to, comply with.

46.bid-compliant (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a bid which correctly and completely responds to all of the requirements that are considered mandatory or important.

47.qualitative (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the quality of something.

48.unequivocally (adverb)

English Meaning - clearly, well definedly; unambiguously, categorically, unmistakably.

49.acquisition (noun)

English Meaning - purchase, procurement, possession (of a company).

50.streamlining (noun)

English Meaning - efficient, well run, well organized methods.

51.buttress (verb)

English Meaning - confirm, defend, back up, uphold, support, strengthen, reinforce, fortify.

52.revelation (noun)

English Meaning - disclosure, communication, announcement, report; a surprising fact, declaration, utterance.

53.shed light on (phrase)

English Meaning - explain, elucidate, clarify.

54.muck up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - make a mess of, mess up, bungle, spoil, ruin, wreck, mishandle, mismanage.

55.favour (verb)

English Meaning - support, back, approve of, recommend.

56.at the very least (phrase)

English Meaning - to put it mildly, without any exaggeration.

57.Enforcement Directorate (ED)(noun)

English Meaning - Directorate of Enforcement is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It was established in the year 1956 with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is responsible for enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) (Civil Law) and certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) (Criminal Law).

58.wish away (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to desire or hope that a problematic issue or situation will disappear without (you) doing anything about it.

59.after all (phrase)

English Meaning - most importantly, above all, beyond everything.

60.preparedness (noun)

English Meaning - readiness.

61.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

62.dictate (verb)

English Meaning - determine, prescribe, lay down, set out.

63.readiness (noun)

English Meaning - preparedness; willingness, inclination to do something.