PM to lay foundation stone for defence university on Thursday

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone for the Indian National Defence University on Thursday at Binola in Gurgaon paving way for fulfilling the country’s long-felt need for a defence university.

The necessity for a defence university was first mooted by a review committee under strategic expert K Subrahmanyam that was formed after the Kargil conflict.

“The aim of INDU (Indian National Defence University) would be to provide military leadership and other concerned civilian officials knowledge based higher education for management of the defence of India, and keeping them abreast with emerging security challenges through scholarly research and training. The INDU would develop and propagate higher education in defence studies, defence management, defence science and technology and promote policy oriented research related to national defence,” said a release from the Ministry of Defence.

The university, which will be modelled on the lines of IIT/IIMs, will be instituted by an Act of Parliament. The President of India will be the Visitor and the defence minister will be the Chancellor of the university. INDU will be headed by its president, who would be a three star serving general or equivalent officer with C-in-C status on appointment.

“The institution’s vice-president will be a civilian,” the release said.

The armed forces will contribute 66 percent of students while 33 percent of students will be drawn from other government agencies, police and civilians.

The university will offer post graduate studies and doctoral/post doctoral research besides providing opportunities for higher studies through distance learning to interested military personnel and civilians. The teaching faculty will comprise of both military personnel and civilians.

The National Defence College in New Delhi, Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, College of Defence Management in Secunderabad and National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla will be affiliated to INDU.

The National College of Defence Studies, Indian Institute of Defence Technology, Indian Institute of Defence Management, and Defence Institute of Distance and Open Learning would be the constituent colleges and institutions of the INDU.