Prime Minister lays foundation stone of Indian National Defence University
The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for country’s first defence university, the Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola, Gurgaon in Haryana.
The proposed Indian National Defence University spread over more than two hundred acres of land which will be fully functional in 2018 will be set up as a fully autonomous institution to be constituted under an Act of Parliament. While the President of India would act as the Visitor, the Defence Minister will be its Chancellor.
“Our expectations from this institution, therefore, are high. I am equally confident, that they will be met fully. I look forward to the Indian National Defence University emerging as an excellent platform to promote scholarship of a high order and train and equip future generations of leaders to meet India’s defence needs and fulfil our international responsibilities. The University, I hope, will set the highest standards of professionalism, creativity and debate. I am sure that it will also foster a climate of closer interaction between defence and civilian leaders,” said PM.
It may be recalled that after the Kargil conflict, the government had set up a Review Committee, headed by eminent strategic expert K Subrahmanyam, which had recommended the establishment of a university to exclusively deal with defence and strategic matters. The aim of INDU would be to provide military leadership and other concerned civilian officials knowledge based higher education for management of the defence of India, and keeping them abreast with emerging security challenges through scholarly research & training. The INDU would develop and propagate higher education in Defence Studies, Defence Management, Defence Science and Technology and promote policy oriented research related to National Defence.
The think tanks of the University would provide inputs for policy formulation. The university would prepare officers for high level leadership, Staff & Policy responsibilities. 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) would be the constituent colleges and institutions of the INDU.