New military doctrine set to be submitted in Oct

THE REPORT HAS BEEN MOSTLY COMPLETED AND SOME FINISHING TOUCHES ARE BEING PUT TO IT BEFORE ITS SUBMISSION TO THE GOVT NEXT MONTH

NEWDELHI: India’s Defence Planning Committee (DPC), headed by national security adviser Ajit Doval, is expected to submit the National Security Strategy (NSS), effectively the country’s military doctrine, to the government in October, focusing on future war fronts, the requirement (if any) of naval expeditionary forces, and the projection of comprehensive national power.

The much-awaited report has been mostly completed and some finishing touches are being put to it before its submission next month, three senior officials involved in the exercise said on condition of anonymity. The unclassified part of the report will be made public after the Narendra Modi government or the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) accepts the fundamental document defining the Indian military posture.

The DPC was formed in April 2018, but the report was held up pending the announcement of a new post of chief of defence staff (CDS), the single point military adviser to the government. The announcement of the creation of the post was made e by PM Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day last month. The first Indian CDS is expected to be current Army chief General Bipin Rawat with a tenure of two more years.

While the defence ministry is tight-lipped about the report, the draft NSS is expected to define India’s position on no first use (of nuclear weapons) in the current context as well as other red lines that could lead to strategic esca