JOIN USIndian National Defence University gets approval
The Defence Ministry on Friday has approved the final administrative structure of Rs 395 crore Indian National Defence University – a tri-service institution to study and research on higher defence – that will be set up at Binola in Gurgaon by 2020.
The approval comes 14 years after Kargil Review Committee, headed by strategic expert K Subrahmanyam, recommended establishment of the university as one of the components of strategies that are required to be implemented to overhaul Indian security scenario.
The long-awaited university will be instituted by an act of Parliament with the President of India as the Visitor and defence minister as the Chancellor. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to lay its foundation stone by May end.
The Defence Ministry will also have to take the approval of the Union Cabinet before the INDU bill is introduced in Parliament.
Even if the university comes up within the stipulated time of seven years as per the Defence Ministry's plan, the operationalisation will happen at least two decades after the Kargil conflict that red-flagged several critical gaps in the Indian defence systems.
The university will be headed by a president (or vice chancellor, as the nomenclature is yet to finalised), who would be a three-star serving officer with commander-in-chief status from any of the three services. His deputy would be a civilian.
A decision on the president's post was one of the contentious issues that was resolved by defence minister A K Antony in the presence of service chiefs.
While 66 per cent of students would be drawn the armed forces, 33 per cent students would come from other government agencies, police and civilians. The teaching faculty will comprise both military and civilian personnel in 1:1 ratio.
A Defence Ministry official said the institute, would focus on higher education in defence studies, defence management and defence science and technology.
However, the ministry is yet to frame the course and has no clear answer at the moment on what kind of course would be offered to the students and how the academic career of these students will progress.
Meanwhile, the ministry has acquired 205 acres at an approximate cost of Rs 200 crore. A detailed project report has also been prepared in consultation of Education Consultants of India Ltd, a public sector enterprise under the Union Human Resources Development Ministry.
The idea of a National Defence University was first mooted in 1967. Subsequently Sethna Committee in 1980 and Kargil Review Committee in 1999 recommended the same. A group of ministers and a committee on National Defence University in 2001 too reviewed and approved the proposal.