By Ajai Shukla
20th Oct 24
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged India’s military leaders to think critically, adapt to unforeseen circumstances and leverage the latest technological advancements to gain strategic advantage.
He was addressing the M.Phil convocation of the 62nd National Defence College (NDC) course (2022 batch) in New Delhi.
Rajnath urged officers to think strategically, in order to anticipate future conflicts, to understand global political dynamics and to lead with both intelligence and empathy.
“Warfare, today, has surpassed the traditional battlefields and now operates in a multi-domain environment where cyber, space and information warfare are as critical as conventional operations”, he said.
Cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and economic warfare are tools that can destabilise a whole nation without firing a single shot. There is a need for military leaders to possess the ability to analyse complex problems and devise innovative solutions,” he said.
Rajnath said today’s rapid technological advancements were driving the evolution of a future-ready military. “From drones and autonomous vehicles to artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, the technologies shaping modern warfare are evolving at a breath-taking pace. Our officers must understand these technologies and be able to harness them,” he stated.
He underlined the need to remain prepared against the possibility of adversaries weaponised the tools and technologies that people used on a daily basis. “Institutions like NDC must evolve their course curriculum to incorporate case studies on such unconventional warfare and to drive strategic innovation,” he said.
On the ethical dilemma faced by military leaders on machines making life-and-death decisions, the defence minister said academic learning in ethics, philosophy and military history would provide officers with the tools to make sound decisions on these subjects.
Rajnath Singh said the government would develop a technologically-advanced and agile military, capable of safeguarding national security. Emphasising that learning must be a continuous process, he suggested the introduction of online, short-term modules on critical subjects to extend the reach and impact of NDC.
Raksha Mantri termed the extensive and well-established alumni network of NDC as an untapped resource that can play a pivotal role in this initiative. By leveraging the experience and insights of its alumni, NDC can foster a thriving, collaborative learning ecosystem that continuously enriches the professional development of defence personnel, he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated the officers of the 62nd NDC Course who were awarded the M.Phil degree, especially those from friendly foreign countries. He termed them as a bridge between India and their respective nations.
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