National Security Strategy of India- Explained Pointwise

Introduction

The process of bringing the ‘National Security Strategy of India‘ has kickstarted after years of deliberations in the military and strategic community. This is the first time that India will come out with a national security strategy. The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) is putting in place a comprehensive National Security Strategy in consultation with several Central ministries and departments. A final Cabinet approval will then be sought for it.

What is National security strategy?

National Security Strategy- A National Security Strategy document outlines the country’s security objectives and the ways to be adopted to achieve these objectives. The strategy document defines the traditional, non-traditional threats and introduces accountability of agencies dealing with these threats.

India’s previous attempts at bringing National Security strategy
Three previous attempts were made to come out with a national security strategy, but there was hesitation at the political level. 

What is the need for ‘National Security Strategy of India’?

(1) Rising Geopolitical tensions- Security strategy document is needed to address the uncertainties arising from the recent geopolitical tensions like the Israel-Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine War.

(2) Address modern non-traditional threats to India’s security- The security strategy of India will help in addressing the emerging non-traditional threats endangering the financial and economic security, food and energy security, critical information infrastructure security & supply chains and environment security.

(3) Countering the traditional security threats- Porous international borders, rising terrorism threats, escalating domestic insurgency (naxalism) and hostile neighbours like China and Pakistan, necessitate the need for a National Security Doctrine for India.

(4) Impetus to military reforms and modernisation- The security strategy will serve as a guidebook for military modernisation and theaterisation. Goldwater-Nichols Act 1986 in the US (US military reform), reform in the UK military, or the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) 2015 reforms, have all been driven by their national security strategy.

(5) Political Direction to the Armed Forces- In the absence of a comprehensive security strategy of India, Raksha Mantri’s operational Directive of 2009 is the only document providing political direction to the Armed Forces. This document has become out-dated and needs to be revised.

(6) Clarity of roles for organisations created for National Security- The security strategy will clarify the precise operational and advisory roles of national security related institutions like the National Security Council (NSC), the National Security Advisor (NSA), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

(7) Enhanced co-operation to counter the national security threats- The security doctrine would help to maintain active cooperation between security establishments at the Union and state levels and would help in inter-ministerial coordination in tackling any threat to national security.

(8) Enhanced accountability of the political Class- National security strategy would enhance the political accountability in the management of defence forces and national security.

What are the Challenges in the implementation of the National Security strategy of India?

(1) Diverse and ever-evolving National security threats- Creating a doctrine that comprehensively addresses all the ever evolving security challenges like Cyberattacks, crypto-terrorism is a complex task.

(2) Political Hesitation- The political parties are reluctant to adopt the national security strategy on account of their increased accountability in the management of national security issues.

(2) Formulation of consensus amongst all stakeholders- Balancing the competing interests and ideologies of all stakeholders like the government officials, policymakers and security agencies is a significant challenge.

(3) Lack of dedicated resources for implementation- Efficient and effective allocation of resources for the implementation of this comprehensive security doctrine is also a significant challenge.

(4) Lack of public awareness and support- The lack of public awareness regarding the need for a comprehensive national security strategy, has let the governments run Scott free for these many years without enacting a comprehensive security doctrine.

What Should be the way forward in drafting the National security strategy document?

(1) Use of previous national security reports- Previous exercises undertaken to promote national security like the Kargil Review Committee report (2000), the Report of the Naresh Chandra Task Force on Security (2012) could serve as useful reference material for the National Security Strategy. 

(2) Adequate representation of eminent intellectuals- The drafting committee must include eminent persons from different disciplines who can look at India’s national security from multiple dimensions.

(3) National security strategy must be citizen-centric- National security strategy must reflect the values and beliefs of the people & must raise public awareness and shape public perceptions about national security issues.

Conclusion

Drawing up a National Security Strategy of India must be a key agenda for the government. The security strategy document must take the Constitution of India as its guide and its objective should be safeguarding and consolidation of India’s democracy.