Indian National Defence University

{{short description|Defence university of India}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox university | name = Indian Defence University | native_name = ''Bhāratīya Rakṣā Viśvavidyālaya'' | image_name = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | latin_name = | motto = | mottoeng = | established = 2013 | closed = | type = [[Indian Armed Forces|Defence Service University]] | parent = [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]], [[Government of India]] | endowment = | budget = [[Indian rupee|INR]] | officer_in_charge = | chairman = | chancellor = [[Minister of Defence (India)|Union Minister of Defence]] | president = | vice-president = | superintendent = | provost = | vice_chancellor = | rector = | principal = | dean = | director = | head_label = [[President (education)|President]] | head = 3-star serving [[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] from the [[Indian Army]] or from the equivalent [[Indian Navy]] or [[Indian Air Force]] officer | academic_staff = | administrative_staff = | students = 66% from [[armed forces|Union Defence Service]]s,<ref name=daily1/> <br />34% from [[civil service|Union Civil Service]]s.<ref name=daily1/> | undergrad = | postgrad = | doctoral = | other = | city = [[Binola, Gurugram district]] | state = [[Haryana]] | country = {{flag|India}} | coordinates = {{Coord|28.3115|76.8578|type:edu|display=inline,title}} | former_names = Indian National Defence University | campus = {{cvt|200|acre}}<ref name=hp23mic/>  | colours = | other_name = IDU | mascot = | academic_affiliations = *[[College of Defence Management]] *[[Defence Services Staff College]] *[[National Defence Academy]] *[[National Defence College, India|National Defence College]] *School of Foreign Languages, New Delhi *[[National Cadet Corps (India)|National Cadet Corps]] *[[Army War College, Mhow|Army War College]] *Infantry School *Junior Leaders Wing *[[Indian Military Academy]] *[[Officers Training Academy]] *[[High Altitude Warfare School]] *Army Service Corps Centre and College *Army Education Corps Training Centre and College *[[Indian Special Forces Training School (SFTS)|Special Forces Training School]] *Corps of Military Police Training Centre and School *Army School of Physical Training *Army Airborne Training School *Institute of National Integration *Army Sports Institute *[[Army Cadet College]] *Combat Army Aviation Training School *Army Clerks Training Schools *Army School of Mechanical Transport *Army/Air Transport Support School *EME School *Military School of Music *[[Indian Naval Academy]] *[[Naval War College]] *INS Chilka (Sailors Training) *INS Dronacharya (Gunnery School) *INS Garuda (Aviation) *INS Hamla (Logistics Training) *INS Kunjali (Music Training School) *INS Mandovi (Provost and Physical Training School) *Naval Institute of Educational and Training Technology *ShipWright School *INS Venduruthy (Seamen Training) *INS Satavahana (Submarine School) *Helicopter Training School *[[Air Force Academy (India)|Air Force Academy]] *[[College of Air Warfare]] *[[Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment]] *[[Flying Instructors School]] *Pilot Training Establishment *[[Air Force Administrative College]] *Paratrooper's Training School *[[Indian Air Force Test Pilot School]] *TETTRA School *[[Air Defence College]] *Basic Training Institute *Mechanical Transport Training Institute *Workshop Training Institute *Air Force Police & Security Training Institute *Non-Technical Training Institute *Air Force School of Physical Fitness *Garud Regimental Training Centre <ref name=hp23mic /><ref name=autogenerated1 /> | website =  | logo = }}

'''Indian Defence University''' ([[abbr.]] '''IDU''', [[ISO 15919|ISO]]: ''Bhāratīya Rakṣā Viśvavidyālaya'') is a [[Indian Armed Forces|defence service university]] set up for the affiliation of [[training|training academies]] of [[Indian Armed Forces|union government defence servants]] working under the [[Government of India]]. These [[Indian Armed Forces|union government defence servants]] can collectively be termed as '''generalist branch''' and '''specialist branch''' of the [[Indian Military]]. It is not to be confused with the [[Rashtriya Raksha University]] (RRU) which is focused on the police and para-military [[Central Armed Police Forces]] (CAPF), whereas IDU is focused on the military. It is located at [[Binola]] village in [[Gurgaon district|Gurugram district]] of [[Haryana]] state in India that is being built.<ref name=indefu1>[https://theprint.in/defence/indias-still-waiting-for-a-defence-university-that-was-proposed-in-1967-while-pakistan-has-2/525130/ India’s still waiting for a defence university that was proposed in 1967, while Pakistan has 2], The Print, 17 Oct 2020.</ref><ref name=daily3/><ref name="Act for proposal {{!}} INDU">{{cite web|url=http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media//draft/Indian%20National%20Defence%20University%20Bill,%202015.pdf|title=Act for proposal {{!}} INDU|access-date=18 July 2018|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102230511/https://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media//draft/Indian%20National%20Defence%20University%20Bill,%202015.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is proposed to be one of the [[Institutes of National Importance#Institutes of National Importance|Institutes of National Importance]] (INIs).<ref name="Act for proposal {{!}} INDU"/>

It was first proposed in 1967, but is unlikely to become operational in the foreseeable future,<ref name="No-sign" /> despite periodic optimism.<ref name=hp23mic/><ref name=rider1>[https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/cabinet-approves-setting-up-of-bus-bay-near-indian-defence-university-land-in-gurugram-haryana-118022000578_1.html Cabinet approves setting up of bus bay near Indian Defence University Land in Gurugram, Haryana], business-standard.com, 20 Feb 2018.</ref> As of January 2020, only the perimeter road and boundary walls have been constructed, the construction of the main building and teaching infrastructure could not commence until the "Indian National Defence University (INDU) Act, 2015" is passed, which is still awaiting approval from the Union Cabinet and the Parliament of India in the form of a draft bill.<ref name=MuchDelayed1/><ref name="No-sign"/>

It is located on the eastern flank of [[Delhi–Jaipur Expressway]] ([[National Highway 48 (India)|NH 48]]), just {{cvt|5|km}} southwest of [[Pachgaon (Manesar)|Pachgaon Chowk]] on [[Western Peripheral Expressway]], nearly {{cvt|11|km}} southwest of [[National Security Guard]] base, {{cvt|10|km}} northwest of [[Heritage Transport Museum, Gurgaon|Heritage Transport Museum]], {{cvt|26|km}} southwest of Gurugram CBD, and {{cvt|43|km}} southwest of [[Indira Gandhi International Airport|IGI International Airport]]. [[National Highways Authority of India|NHAI]] has established a bus bay for the university at NH48.<ref name=rider1/>

== History ==

=== Conception ===

The idea for this autonomous institution was initially conceived in 1967, strongly recommended by "Sethna Committee" in 1980 and the 1999 [[Kargil War]] Review Committee, as well as the "Group Minister's report on reforming national security system" in 2001 recommended its establishment to then Home Minister [[L. K. Advani]], and also by [[K. Subrahmanyam]], the proposal was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2010, Prime Minister [[Dr. Manmohan Singh]] laid the foundation stone of the Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola in Gurgaon on 23 May 2013.<ref name=daily1>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/national-def-varsity-project-on-fast-track.html |first=Rahul |last=Datta |title=National def varsity project on fast track |newspaper=Daily Pioneer |date=11 December 2017}}</ref><ref name=daily3>{{Cite news|date=13 May 2010 |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-13/india/28297963_1_indu-indian-national-defence-university-long-term-defence |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114003841/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-13/india/28297963_1_indu-indian-national-defence-university-long-term-defence |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 November 2013 |first=Rajat |last=Pandit |title=Finally, India to get a national defence university |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref name=daily2>{{Cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6984530.html |date=13 May 2010 |title=India to set up national defense university |agency=[[Xinhua News Agency|Xinhua]] |publisher=People's daily online}}</ref><ref name="No-sign"/> Draft [[Lawmaking procedure in India#Difference between a Bill and an Act|bill]] was put online in August 2016 for the public consultation, but since then the bill is still awaiting approval from the [[Union Council of Ministers#Cabinet Ministers|Union Cabinet]] and the [[Parliament of India]].<ref name="No-sign"/> After the extensive brainstorming with then-defence minister [[Arun Jaitley]] and other ministers, the revised bill was finalised in December 2017 and it was renamed from Indian National Defence University (INDU) to Indian Defence University (IDU). The detailed project report for the university will be prepared after it has been approved by the cabinet.<ref name=idu1/>

===Act of Parliament - pending ===

As of October 2024, the draft bill was still lying with the prime minister [[Narendra Modi]], awaiting his and cabinet's approval. India has no defense university even though such a university in India was first proposed in 1967, while Pakistan already has two defense universities.<ref name=indefu1/> As of September 2019, there was no evidence that the university will ever open,<ref name="No-sign">{{Cite news|first=Rajat |last=Pandit |date=15 September 2019 |title=52 years on, still no sign of national defence university |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/52-years-on-still-no-sign-of-national-defence-university/articleshow/71142205.cms}}</ref> despite earlier optimism.<ref name=hp23mic>{{cite news|title=India can be net provider of security in region: PM|url=http://hillpost.in/2013/05/india-can-be-net-provider-of-security-in-region-pm/80749/|access-date=24 May 2013|newspaper=Hill Post|date=23 May 2013}}</ref> "The country certainly needs a 'world-class' INDU to inject some much-needed strategic culture in governance as well as encourage robust cross-linkages between the executive and academia. Almost all major countries, from the US to China, have national defence [uni]varsities (sic) to develop national security leaders as well as undertake long-term strategic studies and threat assessments."<ref name="No-sign"/>

=== Campus development===

Once the act is passed in the parliament, IDU will be developed in phases, and the first phase will take 3 to 4 years. Meanwhile, the IDU is operating from its temporary location at [[Jodhpur]].<ref name=idu1/>

== Legal framework ==

IDU will be established through an act of Parliament, it will be autonomous and not under the [[University Grants Commission (India)|UGC]]. It will be a teaching research and affiliating university as well as a think tank.<ref name=idu1>[https://www.ids.nic.in/idu.php IDU], IDS, accessed 29 nov 2022.</ref>

== The university ==

=== Objectives ===

The INDU aims to undertake the following:<ref name="No-sign"/>

* Promote research-oriented national [[Military policy|defence policy]]. * High level [[leadership development]] of officers for military duties and policy formulation responsibilities * Develop and propagate higher education in [[Military science|defence studies]] like [[Capability management|defence management]] and [[Military technology|defence science and technology]]. * University [[think tanks]] for providing [[Military policy|policy formulations]] inputs.

The much needed pending three reforms for the national security and military readiness are the [[Integrated Defence Staff|integrated tri services operational commands]] under the [[Chief of Defence Staff (India)|Chief of Defence Staff]], the [[make in India]] indigenous [[Defence industry of India|defence manufacturing]], and the reform in [[Military academies in India|military education in India]]. While some progress has been made towards the first two, but the reforms in military education in India are still lacking. The current military training in India trains officers with "narrow professional skills to command companies, battalions and brigades, or perform staff duties at various levels, there is practically no attempt to give the officers a sense of the larger contexts – strategic, political and international – in which the armed forces function. It is only at the highest training establishment, the National Defence College, that senior one-star officers get exposed to some of these issues. This is too little and too late. This outmoded approach to training impacts the quality of human capital at all levels in the services. Yet, no government has paid serious attention to this. The fate of the long-heralded Indian National Defence University is symptomatic of the political leadership's neglect of this crucial area."<ref name=StillLacking>[https://theprint.in/opinion/defence-university-to-defence-chief-modi-govt-now-has-political-capital-for-the-big-reforms/251180/ Defence University to Defence Chief – Modi govt now has political capital for the big reforms], [[ThePrint]], 2019.</ref>

=== Administration ===

This autonomous University will be instituted by the Act of the [[Parliament of India]], and [[President of India]] will be a Visitor, and the [[Defence Minister of India|Defence Minister]] will be the Chancellor. INDU will be governed as per its own norms and will be responsible to promote coordination and interaction between Institutions of Armed Forces or establishments of the country. Defence training institutions will be affiliated to award degrees.<ref name=hp23mic />

The institute will be headed by a President, who will be a three-star serving General or equivalent officer with C-in-C status on appointment, and a Vice-President, who will be a civilian. The university formed on the lines of [[Indian Institutes of Technology]] (IIT) and [[Indian Institutes of Management]] (IIMs) will have the teaching faculty composed of military personnel and civilians in the ratio of 1:1.<ref name=hp23mic /><ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite news|url=http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/manmohan-singh-laid-the-foundation-stone-of-national-defence-university-1369306078-1 |date=23 May 2013 |first=Jitesh |last=Jha |title=Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of National Defence University |newspaper=Jagran Josh}}</ref>

=== Constituent schools ===

The university will have the following constituent units:<ref name=daily1/><ref name="No-sign"/>

* Centre for Distance and Open Learning (CDOL). * School of Defence Management (SDM). * School of Defence Technology (SDT). * School of National Security Studies (SNSS). * School of Foreign Languages (SFL).

=== Affiliated institutes of Indian military ===

Following existing institutes will be affiliated to the university:<ref name=daily1/>

* [[College of Defence Management]] (CDM, [[Secunderabad|Secunderabad, Telangana]]). * [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC, [[Wellington, Tamil Nadu]]). * [[National Defence Academy]] (NDA, [[Khadakwasla|Khadakwasla, Maharashtra]]).<ref name=hp23mic /><ref name=autogenerated1 /> * [[National Defence College, India|National Defence College]] (NDC, [[New Delhi]]). * [[School of Foreign Languages, New Delhi|School of Foreign Languages]] (SFL, [[New Delhi]]).

== Courses ==

At least 66% students will be from the [[Indian Armed Forces]] and the remaining 33% will be from the [[Paramilitary forces of India]], [[Police in India]] and civilians.<ref name=daily1/> The university will offer doctoral and post-doctoral research, post-graduate studies as well as higher studies through distance learning to military and civilians.<ref name=daily1/><ref name=autogenerated1/>

[[War]] and [[peace]] courses will include [[strategic thinking]], [[Sinology|Chinese studies]], [[Eurasia|Eurasian studies]], [[Southeast Asian studies]], [[Neighbourhood effect|neighborhood studies]], [[international security]] and [[national security|national security strategy]], [[Maritime security operations|maritime security studies]], [[wargaming]] and [[military simulation]], [[Military logistics|joint logistics]], [[counter-insurgency]] and [[counter-terrorism]] and [[Procurement|material acquisition]].<ref>[https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indias-first-defence-university-by-2017-102845-2012-05-20 Land acquisition for the Indian National Defence University started - India Today]</ref>

=== Courses offered presently ===

As of November 2022, IDU offers only following 3 courses by SFL (School of Foreign Languages) only from temporary campus at Jodhpur:<ref name=idu1/>

# Certificate of Proficiency (COP): 1 year part time course.<ref name=idu1/> # Advance Diploma of Proficiency (ADOP): 1 year part time course for who already possess the COP.<ref name=idu1/> # Interpretership Course: full time course that ranges from 16.5 to 23.5 months long course.<ref name=idu1/>

==Campus==

=== Main campus at Binola in Gurugram === The 205 acres and 15 [[Marla (unit)|marla]] land for the campus was acquired by the [[Government of Haryana|Haryana government]] and handed over to the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]] in September 2012 and found stone was laid in April 2013.<ref name=daily1 /><ref name=hp23mic /><ref name=daily3 /><ref name=daily2 /> Of the 205 acre 15 marla land, 2 acre 3 [[kanal (unit)|kanal]] 9.5 marla was transferred to the revenue department of Haryana Government for building a road to provide access to the farmers from [[National Highway 8 (India)|NH8]] to their farm land,<ref name=delay>[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/construction-of-defence-university-in-gurgaon-begins/articleshow/50297551.cms?from=mdr Construction of Defence University in Gurgaon begins], Economic Times, 11 July 2018.</ref> thus leaving 202 acres, 5 kanal and 5.5 marla for the university campus. However, [[Bhūmi|Bhumi]] [[Puja (Hinduism)|Puja]] was held in 2018 during which Air Marshal A.S. Bhonsle of [[Integrated Defence Staff]] laid the first brick for the commencement of construction of boundary wall, perimeter road, watch towers and guard rooms,<ref name=delay/> construction of which has been completed as of December 2019 but the construction of buildings has not yet started, "only five to seven army officials visit the site every Sunday with two security guards looking after the area".<ref name=MuchDelayed1>[https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/stone-laid-in-2013-just-boundary-walls-come-up-at-country-s-first-defence-varsity/story-7uAcsIaxkTF2GCnlwKqjDL.html Stone laid in 2013, just boundary walls come up at country’s first defence varsity], Hindustan Times, 22 December 2019.</ref> Then Union Minister of state for defence, Subhash Bhamre, had told the Lok Sabha in 2016 that "the construction work on the project will start once the Indian National Defence University (INDU) Act, 2015, is passed by Parliament",<ref name=MuchDelayed1/> which is still pending approval from the union cabinet and the national parliament.

=== Jodhpur temporary campus ===

Since 2018, IDU has been operating from its temporary campus at officers' hostel at Jodhpur.<ref name=idu1/>

== See also ==

* [[Army Welfare Education Society]] * [[Education in India]] * [[List of institutions of higher education in Haryana]] * [[Military academies in India]] * [[Rashtriya Raksha University]] * [[Sainik School]]

== References == {{reflist}}

[[Category:Universities in Haryana]] [[Category:Military education and training in India]]