India may finally bring National Security Strategy: What is it? Why is it needed?

The discourse on National Security Strategy (NSS) has been going on in India for years. However, despite reported attempts, there had been no progress in formulating such a strategy until now. As per an Indian Express report, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has commenced collecting inputs from several Central ministries and departments to frame a draft of the National Security Strategy. After this, it will then seek a final nod from the Cabinet. The development comes against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions that have left the countries divided. What is the National Security Strategy and why does India need it? We explain. National Security Strategy A National Security Strategy, or NSS, lays down the security objectives of a country, defines its internal and external challenges and provides guidance on how to achieve its national objectives. As Lt General HS Panag (Retired), who served in the Indian Army for 40 years, mentioned in ThePrint in his piece that NSS is an “overarching framework” that provides a “clear vision of how a nation will pursue its national objectives and provides guidance to all organs of the State, particularly its military instrument, signifying a ‘whole of government’ approach.” It is reviewed and updated periodically to “keep pace with the prevailing strategic environment,” he wrote. What India’s NSS may include Several ministries have reportedly shared inputs about different challenges and threats faced by India over the last few months. These include traditional as well as non-traditional challenges such as financial and economic security, information warfare, food and energy security, and concerns related to information infrastructure, supply chains and the environment, reported Indian Express. A senior official told the newspaper that the final document will be made public once it is ready. But no deadline for the same has been shared yet. “The comprehensive document will consolidate and put together the challenges and threats unique to India and develop strategies to address them in the immediate and near future. This could include earmarking of resources, considering the existing internal and global situation,” according to Indian Express. [caption id=“attachment_13353912” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Indian Army soldiers take part in the rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi in January 2022. Reuters File Photo[/caption] Why does India need a National Security Strategy? Military and the strategic circles have been calling for a comprehensive NSS for some time now. In October, former National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon underlined the need for such a strategy for India. Speaking at the launch of the book India’s National Security Challenges, he said: “At least three attempts that I know of in past to produce a National Security Strategy. In each case, hesitation came not from professionals, but from the political level. I sense, but cannot prove, that they do not wish their hands to be tied.” He said while introducing an NSS may take time, the Centre should bring a white paper on defence in the meanwhile, reported Times of India (TOI). Last December, former Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane also batted for a National Security Strategy. “Theaterisation is not an end, it is only a means to an end. That end has to be specified first in the form of a national defence strategy. That defence strategy, in turn, has to flow out of a national security strategy. Unless there is a national security strategy in place, to just keep talking about theaterisation is actually putting the cart before the horse,” he said at a talk at the 4th General KV Krishna Rao Memorial Lecture, reported ThePrint. [caption id=“attachment_13353852” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Former Indian Army Chief MM Naravane has batted for a National Security Strategy for India. Reuters File Photo[/caption] In March 2021, then Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat also voiced in favour of “defining” an NSS. Former Army Chief General NC Vij (retd) wrote in a paper in 2018 that Raksha Mantri’s operational Directive of 2009 is the “only political direction” that exists for the armed forces. “It is now dated and hence needs to be revised.” A former senior army officer and defence analyst told Scroll.in: “The National Security Strategy is the starting point to deal with all security-related matters across diplomacy, strategy and foreign policy. It not only allows you to see future threats, but also to send a message to other nations and deter aggression.” The defence analyst said India needs an NSS to ramp up the pace of military modernisation and bring theatre commands. “Defence reforms are not taking off because India does not have a National Security Strategy and therefore, no guidance. Without the NSS, these military reforms are rudderless,” Scroll.in quoted him as saying. Emphasising the need for framing an NSS, Lt Gen HS Panag wrote in his piece for ThePrint, “For the transformation of the armed forces, it is imperative and the sooner we formalise it the better it would be.” Why India does not have NSS yet According to the article of Rajesh Rajagopalan, professor of international relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University, for ThePrint, India’s hesitancy to release a National Security Strategy document may stem from revealing its stand that could irk potential adversaries. Experts believe another reason could be differing views within various ministries and government departments, reported Scroll.in. The former senior army officer told the digital outlet that India shied from defining an NSS as the government wanted to “avoid having to respond in a specific manner”. Preventing ad hocism in policymaking, the NSS “commits the political leadership to a specific approach and forces the building of capabilities to meet the desired objectives,” Lt General DS Hooda (retd) wrote for News18 in 2020. Which countries have NSS? The United States , Russia, the United Kingdom and Japan have made their National Security Strategies public. China has a Comprehensive National Security in place, while Pakistan has introduced National Security Policy 2022-2026 to define its national security objectives and priority areas, noted Indian Express. With inputs from agencies