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National Security Strategy

Posted 27 Jul 2024

4 min read

Why in the News?

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) contested the need of a written National Security Strategy (NSS), sparking debate about importance of a NSS document.

What is National Security Strategy (NSS)?

  • An NSS is a concise summary of a country’s strategic vision and objectives and encompasses domestic and external challenges and addresses traditional, non-traditional threats and opportunities and updated periodically.
A chart titled "Common Elements of NSS" lists five items with icons: "Strategic deterrence," "Territorial integrity and sovereignty," "Economic, Maritime, Cyber, Food security," "Counter terrorism and internal security," and "Nuclear policy and non-proliferation.

Why does India need a written National Security Strategy?

  • Lack of Written Policy: The only political direction for the Armed Forces is Raksha Mantri’s operational Directive of 2009, which has not been updated.
    • Major powers like the US, UK, and Russia have published and updated NSS.
  • Meet changing security dynamics and priorities: It can encourage the government to regularly review threats, opportunities, and global security trends, ensuring evolving challenges like the hybrid warfare, Chinese navy’s growth etc. are addressed timely.
  • Framework for effective Long-term Planning: A coherent future strategy will help avoid taking short-term, ad hoc, hasty, and regime-centric decisions on important national security issues.
  • Strategic Signaling in world order: It will clarify India’s strategic intent to friends and foes, highlight its role as a security provider in the Indian Ocean, and establish clear cooperation with partners.
  • Continuity to Defence Planning: Discontinuation of Defence Plans (5 year plans) and Long-Term Perspective Plans (15-year plans) adds urgency to formulating the NSS.
  • Operational clarity: It can help guide decision-making in areas like delegation, operationalision of theatre commands etc.
    • It will reduce ambiguity and build meaningful accountability by acting as a reference for peer review by think tanks.
  • Adopt Whole of nation approach:  It can help build synergy for harnessing comprehensive national power and coordinate operations effectively.

Challenges in codifying NSS in India

  • Lack of Political Will: Factors like lack of political consensus on national security issues, fear of accountability, limited expertise on defence matters etc. have prohibited the political leadership from formulating an NSS
  • Loss of strategic flexibility: Implementing an NSS would commit the political leadership to a specific approach, whereas ad hoc policymaking allows flexibility.
    • E.g., Israel operates without formalized NSS policies.
  • Resource Allocation: Effective NSS implementation necessitates adequate financial and human resources and capability-building to meet set objectives.
  • Weak Institutional support and policy feedback: Only few defense and security think-tanks currently exist in India.

Previous steps taken to draft NSS

  • The Kargil Review Committee Report (2000): It presented recommendations on national security yet failed to catalyse immediate NSS formulation.
  • The Naresh Chandra committee on Security (2011): It enabled comprehensive discussions on security reforms, but failed to live up to the NSS development.
  • The Defence Planning Committee (2018), chaired by National Security Advisor: It is a permanent body tasked with preparing a draft national security strategy among others.
  • Hooda Committee: It was set up in 2018 to suggest comprehensive National Security Strategy to address evolving security challenges and enhance India’s defense capabilities. It suggested the following tenets to a draft NSS:
    • Assuming our Rightful Place in Global Affairs: Playing a significant Global role.
    • Achieving a Secure Neighbourhood: Cooperation and stability in the neighbourhood.
    • Peaceful Resolution of Internal Conflicts: Integrating North East, combating terrorism, etc.
    • Protecting our People: Economic security, Cyber threats, Climate change, etc.
    • Strengthening our Capabilities: Maritime borders, space, strategic communications, etc.

Conclusion

NSS can spell out clear-cut ends, ways and means, while relying on delegation, synergy and operational freedom. At cutting-edge level, it will foster initiative, innovation and improvisation. Two versions of the document can be released to mitigate the confidentiality issues: Public version for external stakeholders and adversaries, signaling our intentions and methodologies and classified version for security agencies to act upon. As India enters Amrit Kaal, a term signifying a prosperous and self-reliant future, it is crucial to discard hesitation and ambiguity in national security planning.

  • Tags :
  • NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
  • Strategic Deterrence
  • Defence Reforms
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