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National Defence College to add more seats for Nepal & Bangladesh, says defence secretary 

Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar says new seats are also being planned for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives.

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New Delhi: The number of seats in India’s prestigious National Defence College (NDC) will be increased by 20, bringing the total to 120 by 2022, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said Wednesday.

This would mean an increased allocation for friendly foreign countries such as Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh, he added.

Kumar said that new seats are also being planned for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives.

“This is being done keeping in view the demand from friendly foreign countries for quite some time,” he said, adding that the infrastructure at the NDC is being enhanced to meet this requirement.

Kumar was speaking during a press interaction on the 60 years of the NDC. As part of the diamond jubilee celebrations, a webinar on “India’s National Security — The Decade Ahead” has been organised for 5 November.

The New Delhi-based NDC primarily offers strategic courses for officers of the Indian Armed forces and the civil services. It has a current intake of 100 participants for the strategic leadership course, of whom 25 are from friendly foreign countries. Indian officers also attend such courses in the UK, US and other countries.

College for strategic affairs

The National Defence College was sanctioned in 1959 to provide instructions for senior service and civil service officers in the “wider aspects of higher direction and strategy of warfare”.

The first course was launched on 27 April, 1960, with 21 participants. According to a government statement, alumni from the NDC have held significant appointments that include the current CDS, two governors, the current national security advisor, two election commissioners, 30 Indian service chiefs, over 20 ambassadors, five defence secretaries and five foreign secretaries among others.

“The NDC is a course done by selected officers who are likely to rise to higher appointments in their respective countries,” a defence official said. “Allocating seats for friendly foreign countries will improve foreign cooperation by improving interactions and bonhomie between the participating officers.”

According to the plans, this number will first be made to 110 in 2021 and then to 120 by 2022. The additional seats will also include those for Indian candidates, which includes both services officers and civil servants.

According to Kumar, President Ramnath Kovind has agreed on establishing a President’s chair of excellence on national security and strategy for the first time at the NDC from 2021.


Also read: Army develops WhatsApp-like app for personnel to dodge risk of communication leaks


 

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1 COMMENT

  1. Who would want to study defense in a poor country where its military is 3rd rated, that couldn’t even produce its own rifles and ammunition? What can they learn from a 3rd rated defense force!

    Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh would rather study in US, Europe, Russia, China, Jp, Spore defense colleges that have 1st class military teaching open to them free.

    Ajay Kumar is like Rawat and Rajnath Singh, great in boasting but good for nothing, making India a fool in the world.

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