National Defence College is the crucible of strategic management, says Commandant Air Marshal D. Choudhury

As the prestigious National Defence College (NDC) celebrated its diamond jubilee, Commandant Air Marshal D. Choudhury recalled the lengthy journey to construct an establishment of excellence, its fixed evolution and shut contact with different defence faculties throughout the world.

Can you discuss of the journey of the establishment in its early days, particularly the way it got here near being shut?

In 1962, then Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon visited NDC for a chat. It’s there in our ebook, The Lamp of Wisdom. There was a heated dialogue and folks introduced out that there could possibly be battle with China. He was livid that the NDC was encouraging such sort of ideas which was not in sync with what was taking place in the world, apparently.

In 1963, there was really no course for six months, until Lt. Gen. Bahadur Singh, the founding commandant, met the PM someplace and requested him to return and go to the institute. The PM got here together with the Defence Minister. During the course of the go to, it was talked about to him that NDC had really predicted the battle and it had put up the complete factor to the Government, which turned out to be a reality later. That’s when apparently the PM made a remark to the Defence Minister that is why NDC should proceed. That is how we had a second lease of life.

NDC is taking a look at rising the consumption with extra seats for pleasant international nations. Can you elaborate on that?

When we began in 1960, we had been about 21 course members, and round 2000 we hit 100. We have been 100 course members for fairly someday now. With the status that NDC enjoys, there is lot of demand from numerous nations. In the current arrange, out of 100, 40 are from the Army, 6 from Navy, 12 from Air Force, 17 civil servants and 25 are international officers. This determine will now go up, with eight extra international officers, to 33. The different two can be from the Central Armed Police Forces or others. It is balancing exterior and inner demand.

We are taking a look at rising the numbers from outdoors, clearly as there is so much of demand. We have been eager to broaden to fulfil this demand, we might lastly do it now. Earlier there was the drawback of enlargement as a result of of the space inside. This time we took some arduous selections and did some enlargement.

We don’t select the nations; we give options based mostly on previous traits to the Ministry. The nations which is able to get extra slots had been talked about by Defence Secretary in his speech that are, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives.

What are the main adjustments the institute has undertaken?

Because we needed to improve the capability, we additionally took the initiative to extend the quantity of instructors and mentors. All this was finished earlier, however we put in place a course of. Like this yr we had a research to undergo the complete syllabus. Based on this yr’s course and subsequent yr’s requirement, we work out an exhaustive course content material for subsequent yr’s curriculum. We have expanded on the technique and the strategic management half of the course. We expanded on the media interplay and media capsule. Earlier it was simply two-day affair, now it is a three-and-a-half day affair and in addition half of the strategic gaming train. We have a journal, which we revamped. Basically, we qualitatively improved the whole lot.

This yr gave us the alternative to concentrate on the qualitative educational content material. We added what is referred to as the ‘Agile Strategic Analysis Tools’. Incidents like COVID, Galwan and others, we immediately requested the course members to right away analyse and write upon after which see the way it pans out. Discuss the way it develops and see if our considering and orientation was right.

This time in the strategic gaming train, now we have expanded the content material so much. Even the strategic gaming workout routines which went for per week, had been finished completely in home. In reality, the first strategic gaming train (financial) was finished completely on-line.

To give institutional capability continuity to this place, the President is going to announce a Chair of Excellence on November 11 which is able to permit us to get one member, ideally Ex-NDC, who will change into a form of resident mentor and guarantee continuity in the syllabus. Initially, we labored the phrases for 3 years however could also be evaluation it after two years… It can be as per normal University tips.

Broadly we type of stored the construction adapting by way of the course. By March 16 we despatched everybody residence simply earlier than the lockdown. By March 31 we had been on-line. Thereafter, we continued the complete course on-line, with none break or any losses besides the research excursions.

What has been your interplay with different NDCs worldwide?

When Sri Lanka needed to arrange their NDC, their staff had come right here, went by way of our syllabus, our practices. Their members had been already right here in the course. They should have picked up the finest practices.

The NDC has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will all NDCs of the world. Every three years or so now we have a seminar. The COVID pandemic confirmed us that we are able to hold the interactions going nearly. We did digital interactions with Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), London, and the Norwegian Defence University.

Recently the CDS has been appointed and there is push for integration with formation of theatre instructions. How is the institute adapting to it?

It has been so lengthy coming, it has been debated and mentioned in lots of varieties. So we’re all fairly ready for these adjustments which had been lengthy overdue. Now that they’ve come, it is vital that we grasp the adjustments rapidly and construct on them.

As an institute of strategic thought, what has been the work tradition?

In the complete course there are lectures on a regular basis given by consultants of all shades and color. There are six phases that are studied right here: socio-political, financial, international points, strategic neighbourhood, technique and nationwide safety, and worldwide safety and relations. Based on these, now we have the finest of lecturers coming and speaking. They communicate for an hour after which there are questions and solutions. Here we don’t educate anyone. It is type of thrown up and left for everybody to soak up. Now, that is supplemented by the excursions that we do, to see issues on the floor.

NDC is the crucible of strategic management. We are giving an publicity to the future strategic management of the nation. Since we talk about nationwide safety at such size and element, we see the whole lot from the strategic perspective. From that perspective, it’s an abode of strategic excellence the place impartial thought is inspired. Interestingly, there is no use of rank or place and everybody is on first title foundation so that everybody is on the similar stage. The different vital factor is this institute builds robust bonds. We construct so much of buddies.