PM to lay foundation stone of defence university

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will May 23 lay the foundation stone of the Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola in Gurgaon district, Haryana, as an unique autonomous institution of national importance, officials said Wednesday.

The INDU would provide higher education for management of defence forces and keep military leadership abreast of emerging security challenges through scholarly research and training.

According to an official statement, the INDU would develop and propagate higher education in defence studies, defence management, defence science and technology, and promote policy-oriented research related to defence.

The university will provide inputs for policy formulation and prepare officers for high-level leadership, staff and policy responsibilities.

It will promote coordination and interaction between armed forces and other institutions in the country.

"It will focus on higher education in defence studies, defence management and defence science and technology. The university will offer post-graduate studies, and doctoral and post-doctoral research," the release said.

The university will be instituted by an act of parliament with president of India as the visitor and the defence minister as the chancellor.

The present institutes of armed forces, including the National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi, Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington, College of Defence Management (CDM) Secunderabad, and the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla will be affiliated with the INDU.

The university will have provisions for affiliation of other defence training institutions. It would also provide opportunities for higher studies through distance learning to interested military and civilian personnel.

The university will be headed by its president, who would be a three-star serving general or an equivalent officer. The vice-president of university will be a civilian.

Sixty-six percent students would be from the armed forces whereas 33 percent students would be drawn from among civilians, police and other government agencies.

The teaching faculty will comprise of both military personnel and civilians in the ratio of 1:1. The university is being planned on the lines of Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management.

The constituent colleges of the university would include the National College of Defence Studies (NCDS), Indian Institute of Defence Technology (IIDT), Indian Institute of Defence Management (IIDM) and Defence Institute of Distance & Open Learning (DIDOL).

The review committee set up by the government after the Kargil conflict, headed by eminent strategic expert K. Subrahmanyam, had recommended establishment of a university to exclusively deal with defence and strategic matters.