The National Defence College, located in New Delhi, is the defence service training institute and highest seat of strategic learning for officers of the Defence Service and the Civil Services. This is a very prestigious course attended only by a few hand-picked defence officers of One-Star rank and civil servants of the rank of Joint secretary to the Government of India. Each year, approximately 25 officers from friendly foreign countries like the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, UAE and others attend the course.[1]
This college provides strategic leadership to the Government of India in national and international security matters and also acts as a think tank on defence matters and holds a very important position in shaping up the Indian defence outlook.
History
After India's independence in 1947, senior officers of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force attended the Imperial Defence College (IDC) in the United Kingdom before being appointed to important commands. The vacancies at the IDC was only about two or three each year. In 1959, the Government of India announced that a college on the pattern of the IDC will set up in New Delhi. This would allow for a larger number of officers to be trained. Lieutenant GeneralKanwar Bahadur Singh, the Adjutant General at Army HQ was appointed the first Commandant of the college.[2]
The college is adjacent to the home where Mahatma Gandhi lived the last five months of his life, and the garden where he was assassinated - the Gandhi Smriti. Residential facilities for the officers are located in the central vista of Delhi, on Ashok Rajpath near India Gate.
The Commandant of NDC has a bungalow at 16, Akbar Road called NDC House.[4]
Crest
The crest of NDC has a lamp of knowledge surrounded by the wreath of green Ashoka tree leaves with the State Emblem of India superimposed and placed against the rich maroon backdrop of the Joint Services flag. The lamp has four flames representing the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and the Civil Services of India.
The NDC is headed by the Commandant who is the overall in-charge of all the functioning of the college including academics and administration. The Commandant of the college is an Officer of Three-star rank. The tenure of each Commandant is for 2 years which rotates between the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.
The Faculty of NDC was designed to be minimal. There are called Senior Directing Staff (SDS) and direct the students, rather than deliver lectures. The lectures are delivered by distinguished guest speakers. The SDS is drawn from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Civil services and are of two-star rank. Usually, there are 7 SDS (Army – 3, Navy – 1, Air Force – 1, IAS – 1 and IFS – 1). Apart from these 7 SDS, the college regularly invites think tanks, ambassadors of different nations, business leaders, ministers from India and friendly countries, defence chiefs of friendly countries to give lectures in the college.[5]
The administrative wing is headed by the Secretary, a one-star officer from the Indian Army and an alumnus of NDC. He is assisted by the Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General (AA&QMG), an officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Other key staff include the Directing Staff (Coordination) (DS Coord) and Junior Directing Staff (Research & Reference) (JDS R&R). They are officers from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force on rotation. The DS (Coord) is of the rank of Captain/Group Captain and the JDS (R&R) is of the rank of Commander/Wing Commander.[5]
Course
Delegation of National Defence College of India in a meeting with Reuven Rivlin president of Israel, August 2018
The NDC conducts a 47-week National Security and Strategic Study course each year which commences in the first week of January each year and finishes in the first week of December. This course also involves extensive travel within and outside the country to visit Indian states and foreign countries where course members meet head of states and important decision makers to understand the political, social and strategic landscape of the state/country.
The entire course is divided in six subjects spread over two terms, as follows:[6]
Understanding India & Introduction to Strategy
Study on Economic Security, Science and Technology
Global Issues
International Security Environment
India’s Strategic Neighbourhood
Strategies and Structures for National Security
Method of Study
During the course of each study, the course is divided into seven groups called Integrated Analysis Groups (IAG). Each IAG comprises 13–14 members (4–5 army officers, 1 naval officer, 1–2 air force officers, 3–4 IAS/IPS/Civil Services officers and 4–5 foreign military officers). Each IAG function in a synergetic mode for the purpose of analysing issues, discussions, preparation of papers and presentations. Since 2006, the college has been formally affiliated with Madras University for the award of M.Phil. degree in 'Defence and Strategic Studies.'[7]
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