Central Government Departments

 

Indian Army : Strength The Leaders

The officer corps strength versus commanded strength averages 7 to 8 per cent. After independence there was only one period (1963-65) when a need arose to offer short-term emergency commissions. That was when a pre-1962 planned expansion was compressed in terms of time leading to this call. The main brunt of the fighting in 1965 and 1971 at junior command levels was taken up by this group. Just as in the Second World War, they, along with their regular counterparts, responded with traditional elan. Over the years, a number of Commission streams had merged together. The last of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, graduates retired in 1969. The Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehra Dun, graduates, as well as the Short Service/Emergency Commissioned Officers of the Second World War formed the overwhelming bulk filling the fighting command slots in 1947-49; the King’s Commission Indian Officers taking over the higher command appointments.

In 1949 a unique experiment was launched - that of cadet-level training for all the three Services together for three years and thereafter moving on to Service academies for pre-Commission training. This was the Joint Services Wing (Dehra Dun), which in later years became the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakvasla.

At present, the Army officer intake is from four distinct streams, namely the NDA; the graduate direct entry stream (IMA); cadets chosen from the ranks and initially trained at the Army Cadet College - an adjunct of the IMA; and a five-year Short Service Commission stream from the Officers Training Academy, Madras. A few selected Junior Commissioned Officers (a grade existing only in the Indian and Pakistan Armies) are offered Regimental Commissions. The Short Service stream is offered Regular Commissions by choice and reassessment. Officers of the NDA have now reached three-star rank in all three Services. A common indicator of the type of leadership extant in the Army are casualty ratios. In all our wars, officer casualties have been high. This is an internal assessment criterion. Management experts point out that high casualties bespeak of poor command. The point, however, is that Officers of the combat arms lead from the front and do not manage from the rear.

The sacrificial content of the leadership ethos built up over decades has served the country well. But far more important, the ranks know for certain that there will be no directive commands by electronics or remote control.

A common perception of the army officer is that of a large, moustachioed, Neanderthal with overhanging brows getting very physical round the clock. Another is that the real creme de la creme of the high school levels would never think of joining up. It never strikes the common observer that neither a gorilla nor a budding CV Raman, nor a future chief executive of, say, an ice cream manufacturing company may necessarily have combat leadership traits. Academic brilliance is just one plus point, and that is all that has been displayed by a teenager prefering to move into the civilian professional life at that point. If a young man cannot translate his manifest intelligence and brilliance into fast life-and-death decision-making in the field - or wishes to preserve his attributes for ‘better’ occasions when faced with a sticky situation, he is better utilized in an office, college or laboratory than on a battlefield. That is where he naturally belongs.

The training of the Indian army officer is meant to subsume his persona under a very demanding but explicit code. It is the code given by FM Chetwode cited earlier.

As the young officer grows in services he obtains professional training which helps to slot him into his increasing responsibilities. These training institutions were created from scratch. At their apex stands the National Defence College. In between are the professional All Arms and Services ‘colleges’ and special managerial expertise is provided by Corps and Service schools and colleges. Standing at the top here is the College of Defence Management. At the Higher Command levels the leader and the manager merge imperceptibly.

Related Articles

About the Department of Drinking Water Supply

Department of Drinking Water Supply (DDWS) is the nodal Department in the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in Government of India providing scientific, technical, and financial assistance to the states in drinking water and sanitation sector. The research and development (R&D) activities are also undertaken in water and sanitation sector

Advantages in Associating with Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals

To Suppliers i. Its REGISTRATION is held in high esteem by all Govt. Department/Agencies ii. Award of rate contract lends respectability & image enhancement. iii. Marketing effort requires is nominal. iv. Consistent & uniform purchase policies & procedures. v. Availability of technical guidance for upgrading manufacturing processes & for building

Develoment Status of Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a system of healing science stimulating the body’s inherent power to regain health with the help of five great elements of nature – Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether. Naturopathy is a call to "Return to Nature" and to resort to simple way of living in harmony with

Organisational Structure of Delhi Urban Art Commission

The Commission 1. Shri Charles Correa (Chairman) 2. Shri M.M Kutty (Member) 2. Mrs Narayani Gupta (Member) 2. Shri Jasbir Sawhney (Member) 2. Shri Mohammad Shaheer (Member) Note: There are 83 Advisors, who are experts of various fields, to assist the Commission. Staff: 1. Secretary 2. Assistant Secretary (Technical) 3. Administrative Officer 4. Assistants Admin/Architectural

Growth Of Fertilizer Industry

GROWTH OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY The Indian fertilizer industry has succeeded in meeting almost fully the demand of all chemical fertilizers except for MOP. The industry had a very humble beginning in 1906, when the first manufacturing unit of Single Super Phosphate (SSP) was set up in Ranipet near Chennai with an

Introduction of Web Colocation

BSNL provides Internet services to the customers located in about 450 locations. To provide value addition to the services offered, the Web Co-location services have been launched. Web Co-location is an easy and cost effective solution to house a company's powerful infrastructure without losing the administrative

Department Of Border Security Force Pension Payment

S/No Particulars 1. PPOs for the month of January 2006 2. PPOs for the month of February 2006 a) SUPERANNUATION CASES b) VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT CASES c) FAMILY PENSION CASES d) OTHER CASES e) DETAILS OF PENSION CASES RETURNED FOR RECTIFICATION OF DEFECTS AND DETAILS OF CASES PENDING FOR WANT OF INFORMATION 2. PPOs for the month of March

Human Resource Development Programmes of Department of Bio-Technology

1. Main thrust of activities The major objective of the HRD programme is to generate adequate and trained human resource in the multi disciplinary and knowledge intensive field of biotechnology for meeting the requirement of research and industrial activities in the country. This programme aims at creating trained/skilled human resource in

Conceptual of Community Software Solution Framework

eNRICH has been developed as a web-based community software solution framework that adapts to the needs and circumstances of the poor. Through its customizable, multi-lingual interface, eNRICH truly puts ICTs to work in the hands of the poor. Its multiple features not only enable communities to identify, build and organize

Domestic Projects in Department of Fertilizers

Policy Environment No license is required for setting up a new fertilizer project or for expansion of capacity of existing fertilizer plants. Investments/projects in the fertilizer sector can be undertaken after filing the industrial Entrepreneur's Memorandum with the secretariat for Industrial Assistance(SIA) as per Industrial policy resolution of the

Major Sections

Our Sponsors