First defence varsity,first step today

The Indian National Defence University will be laid by PM at Binola in Gurgaon on Thursday.

The foundation stone for the countrys first defence university,the Indian National Defence University INDU,will be laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Binola in Gurgaon on Thursday.

Spread across 200 acres acquired by the Ministry of Defence for Rs 300 crore,the first of its kind and fully autono-mous Central defence university will focus on three main aspects defence studies,defence management and defence science and technology.

The university,a ministry official said,will comprise both military and civilian faculty in the ratio of 1:1. A screening committee,defined under the INDU Act and Statutes,will be in charge of choosing the faculty. The university will be modelled on lines of the National Defence University with modifications,the official said. It will be fully operational by 2020.

Open to both the military leadership and civilian officials,it will aim to educate them in national security issues and the management of defence,and prepare them for military leadership and policy responsibilities. According to a ministry official,INDU will bring under one umbrella students from the armed forces,paramilitary forces,intelligence,bureaucracy,civil servants,civilians,doctorate and post-graduate researchers. It will create synergy between the academic community and government functionaries. It will also host foreign military officers and research students for short-term courses. There will be some flagship courses that will be run besides MSc,MTech,MPhil,PhD and short-term courses.

The university will have the President of India as Visitor,the Defence Minister as Chancellor. The Chairman,Chief of Staff would be the pro-chancellor while the president of INDU or vice-chancellor will be a three-star serving general officer from one of the three arms of the Services. The president/ vice-chancellor will have the status equivalent to that of the Army commander and will be selected by a selection and search committee under the MoD. The vice-president will be a civilian.

The idea of such a university was mooted in 1967 and then in 1980 by the Sethna Committee. The issue came to limelight after the 1999 Kargil war. The government had then set up a review committee,headed by K Subrahmanyam,which had recommended establishment of a university to exclusively deal with defence and strategic matters.

A group of ministers and a committee on national defence university in 2001 reviewed and approved the proposal. The Union Cabinet,in its meeting held on May 13,2010,accorded in principle approval to the setting up of INDU.

Story continues below this ad

It is indeed a matter of honour and prestige for Haryana to host the campus of this dedicated first of its kind institute for training and research in military studies, said Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.