National Defence College (India) Explained

National Defence College
Motto:Sanskrit: बुध्दिर्यस्य बलंतस्य
Motto Lang:Sanskrit
Mottoeng:Buddhiryasya Balamtasya (Wisdom is Strength)
Established:27 April 1960
Type:Defence Service Training Institute
Head Label:Commandant
Head:Air Marshal Hardeep Bains,
City:New Delhi
Country:India
Website:ndc.in

The National Defence College, located in New Delhi, is the defence service training institute and highest seat of strategic learning for officers of the Defence Service and the Civil Services. This is a very prestigious course attended only by a few hand-picked defence officers of One-Star rank and civil servants of the rank of Joint secretary to the Government of India. Each year, approximately 25 officers from friendly foreign countries like the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, UAE and others attend the course.[1]

This college provides strategic leadership to the Government of India in national and international security matters and also acts as a think tank on defence matters and holds a very important position in shaping up the Indian defence outlook.

History

After India's independence in 1947, senior officers of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force attended the Imperial Defence College (IDC) in the United Kingdom before being appointed to important commands. The vacancies at the IDC was only about two or three each year. In 1959, the Government of India announced that a college on the pattern of the IDC will set up in New Delhi. This would allow for a larger number of officers to be trained. Lieutenant General Kanwar Bahadur Singh, the Adjutant General at Army HQ was appointed the first Commandant of the college.[2]

Location

The College is located on Tees January Marg of Lutyens' Delhi, in a grand British-era building spread over acres of lush green lawns. The building was built by Sir Sobha Singh as a mansion for Khan Saheb Tej Muhammad Khan of Badrashi, North-West Frontier Province. From 1939 to 1947, the building served as an Army General Mess. From 1947 to 1960, it was the office and residence of the Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to India.[3]

The college is adjacent to the home where Mahatma Gandhi lived the last five months of his life, and the garden where he was assassinated - the Gandhi Smriti. Residential facilities for the officers are located in the central vista of Delhi, on Ashok Rajpath near India Gate.The Commandant of NDC has a bungalow at 16, Akbar Road called NDC House.[4]

Crest

The crest of NDC has a lamp of knowledge surrounded by the wreath of green Ashoka tree leaves with the State Emblem of India superimposed and placed against the rich maroon backdrop of the Joint Services flag. The lamp has four flames representing the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and the Civil Services of India.

Commandant

See main article: Commandant of the National Defence College. The NDC is headed by the Commandant who is the overall in-charge of all the functioning of the college including academics and administration. The Commandant of the college is an Officer of Three-star rank. The tenure of each Commandant is for 2 years which rotates between the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

Faculty and staff

The Faculty of NDC was designed to be minimal. There are called Senior Directing Staff (SDS) and direct the students, rather than deliver lectures. The lectures are delivered by distinguished guest speakers. The SDS is drawn from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Civil services and are of two-star rank. Usually, there are 7 SDS (Army – 3, Navy – 1, Air Force – 1, IAS – 1 and IFS – 1). Apart from these 7 SDS, the college regularly invites think tanks, ambassadors of different nations, business leaders, ministers from India and friendly countries, defence chiefs of friendly countries to give lectures in the college.[5]

The administrative wing is headed by the Secretary, a one-star officer from the Indian Army and an alumnus of NDC. He is assisted by the Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General (AA&QMG), an officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Other key staff include the Directing Staff (Coordination) (DS Coord) and Junior Directing Staff (Research & Reference) (JDS R&R). They are officers from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force on rotation. The DS (Coord) is of the rank of Captain/Group Captain and the JDS (R&R) is of the rank of Commander/Wing Commander.[5]

Course

The NDC conducts a 47-week National Security and Strategic Study course each year which commences in the first week of January each year and finishes in the first week of December. This course also involves extensive travel within and outside the country to visit Indian states and foreign countries where course members meet head of states and important decision makers to understand the political, social and strategic landscape of the state/country.The entire course is divided in six subjects spread over two terms, as follows:[6]

Method of Study

During the course of each study, the course is divided into seven groups called Integrated Analysis Groups (IAG). Each IAG comprises 13–14 members (4–5 army officers, 1 naval officer, 1–2 air force officers, 3–4 IAS/IPS/Civil Services officers and 4–5 foreign military officers). Each IAG function in a synergetic mode for the purpose of analysing issues, discussions, preparation of papers and presentations. Since 2006, the college has been formally affiliated with Madras University for the award of M.Phil. degree in 'Defence and Strategic Studies.'[7]

Notable Indian Alumni

The Indian alumni include both Chiefs of the Defence Staffs, 13 Chiefs of the Army Staff, 9 Chiefs of the Naval Staff, 10 Chiefs of the Air Staff, 3 Directors of the Intelligence Bureau, 2 Chief Election Commissioners, 12 Ambassadors of India, 3 Directors of CBI, 3 Defence Secretaries and 3 Foreign Secretaries.[8]

Five alumni went on to become Governors of Indian States/UT - Balmiki Prasad Singh, Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth, Vinod Kumar Duggal, E. S. L. Narasimhan and Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh.[8]

Notable International Alumni

Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Representatives

Chiefs of Defence

Army

Navy

Air Force

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: College Comes into Being . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001533/http://ndc.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempOneCentrePhotoEightPara.aspx?MnId=E4V7r2xMyUSoZ6qCbsBlzA

    &ParentID=hzyjMZSYn1kpMoClrxVSrw

    . 4 March 2016 . 18 June 2014 .
  2. Web site: NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE TO BE SET UP IN DELHI . pibarchive.nic.in . 30 September 1959.
  3. Web site: History of the Building . ndc.nic.in . 8 April 2022 . 17 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240717165804/https://ndc.nic.in/About/about-ndc/ndc-origin . live .
  4. Web site: Nov 17 . Raj Shekhar / TNN / Updated . Cops in tizzy over air marshal's nameplates Delhi News - Times of India . The Times of India . en . 8 April 2022 . 8 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220408134406/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/cops-in-tizzy-over-air-marshals-nameplates/articleshow/10762990.cms . live .
  5. Web site: NDC Faculty . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160126163345/http://ndc.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSevenCentrePhotoTwentyOnePara.aspx?MnId=xDUoPCzA2D5G/XZ6K4O+sA

    &ParentID=IjaSQJyesLD3T70MTQax/w

    . 26 January 2016 . 18 June 2014 .
  6. Web site: In a first, executive from private sector enrolled in annual National Defence College course . Suchet Vir Singh . 13 May 2022 . theprint.in (online) . 1 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220513085000/https://theprint.in/defence/in-a-first-executive-from-private-sector-enrolled-in-annual-national-defence-college-course/954090/ . 13 May 2022. live.
  7. Web site: National Defence College. 2020-10-07. National Defence College. 13 August 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130813222110/http://index.html/. live.
  8. Web site: Prominent Alumni . ndc.nic.in . 8 February 2023 . 8 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208133001/https://ndc.nic.in/Alumini/alumni/prominent-alumni . live .

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