PART 1: POLICY DOCUMENT & ITS ADVANTAGES
NSS Policy Document
- NSS document outlines country’s major security concerns and guideline plans to deal with them.
- It is Vision of the path nation should take in pursuit of attaining national objectives.
- It outlines countries power to overcome internal and external challenges and projection of comprehensive national power.
- It is a plan to employ tools of national power in accordance with national policy to achieve national security objectives I support of national interests.
- It guides Military and Foreign Policy.
- From NSS flows the national military strategy.
- Joint, air, land and maritime strategies are derived from the military strategy.
Advantages of Clearly Defined NSS Policy Document.
- It provides clear direction preventing ad hocism and knee jerk reactions.
- It helps in a synchronised approach by various agencies and ministries. Whole of government approach becomes easier.
- It encourages proactive approach.
- It provides consistency and immunity from regime change.
- It helps in formulation of appropriate response policy by better coordination and analysis of complex inter-relationship between domestic and external dimensions.
- It helps in dealing with internal security challenges arising out of economic, political and social issues. Helps in timely political intervention and implementation of social welfare programmes, rather than using hard power alone.
PART 2: INDIAN CONTEXT
India Does not have a Comprehensive National Security Strategy Document.
NSC was formed in 1999. Still after 22 years the NSS document has not been promulgated.
Previous Attempts
Last two decades the issue has surfaced many times in the media.
- In 1999 it found a mention in the Kargil Review Committee report.
- It was reported that in 2007, HQ IDS submitted a draft NSS document to NSA and PMO.
- It found a mention again in 2012, in the Naresh Chandra Task Force report on security.
- It was reported in 2015 that NSAB document “Building Comprehensive National Power towards Integrated NSS” has been prepared.
- In 2018 it was reported again that NSAB has drafted a NSS document and it has been reviewed by the Defence Planning Committee and forwarded to defence and foreign secretory.
- In 2019 Congress party asked Retired Gen DS Hooda to prepare a draft NSS document.
Possible Reasons for Non promulgation of NSS.
- No Political consensus on national security issues and ways to deal with them.
- No common understanding and agreement about its contents
- Fear of failure and criticism.
- Political games and election gimmicks.
Indian National Security Objectives
For formulation of NSS document the starting point would be listing out the National Security Objectives. These have been suggested by many think tanks, analysts and writers. The national security objectives could include the following:
- Strengthening of capabilities to maintain credible deterrence.
- Protect and safe guard India’s
- National Sovereignty.
- National Constitution and Core Values.
- National Territorial Integrity.
- Air, space, cyber and maritime domains.
- Maintain peaceful Internal Security environment by guarding against threats to national unity and development.
- Human security by protecting citizens and providing them a safe, just, equitable and prosperous climate.
- Achieving Safe neighbourhood and constructive engagement with other nations.
- Maintaining rightful place in the international global affairs.
PART 3: RECOMMENDATIONS
There is an urgent need to formulate and promulgate NSS document. Suggestions are as follows:
- It should be a comprehensive document covering all the security concerns.
- It should contain broad guidelines about ways to deal with them.
- It could be very specific about certain issues while being open ended about others.
- It could have two components – classified and unclassified.
- It should have a short, medium and long term road map.
- It should cover external and internal challenges.
- It should touch regional and global issues of concern.
- It should provide guidelines for multi-agency response.
- It should serve as a national guiding document and not become a political tool.
Suggested Contents
Some of the suggested contents are as follows:
- National security objectives.
- Geopolitical and security environment (regional and global).
- Security concerns related to all the tools of statecraft (DIME).
- Could include following:
- External security.
- Internal security (NE, J&K, Naxalism and Terrorism)
- Economic security
- Energy security
- Food security
- Health security
- CBRN concerns
- Cyber security
- Space security
- Information security and media concerns
- Water concerns
- Environmental concerns
- Disaster management.
- Military capabilities
- Deterrence value
- Multi domain capabilities to deal with future wars.
- Expeditionary capabilities.
- Technology harnessing for civil and military purposes.
- Structural reforms of national security apparatus.
- Border management and demographic issues.
- Issues related to natural resources and minerals.
- Defence industry and Atmanirbharta.
The list is not comprehensive. Many more issues could be added or some of these could be left out for time being. A beginning could be made with a draft document and let it evolve over a period of time.
Titbits
USA in a period of 30 years (1987 – 2017) published 17 NSS documents. The document has been reviewed by every president and multiple times by some of them. The US document size varies from 40 to 70 Pages.
Coming Up
Pakistan’s Proposed National security policy Document.
Bottom Line
There is an urgent need for Formulation and publication of National Security Strategy / Policy document.
Question
In India can we overcome political fears and publish the document?
Suggestions and value additions are most welcome
Commodore Sujeet Samaddar (Retd) wrote about this topic in his book in 2003.
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References:
- https://thewire.in/security/india-must-chart-out-a-national-security-strategy-for-a-changing-geopolitical-world
- https://www.cprindia.org/news/need-comprehensive-national-security-strategy
- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-blueprint-for-a-national-security-strategy/article27211062.ece
- https://idsa.in/idsacomments/ANationalSecurityStrategyDocumentforIndia_arvindgupta_201011
- http://164.100.47.193/fileupload/current/120816.pdf
- https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/india-needs-national-security-strategy-to-set-redlines-like-ladakh-intrusion-force-govt-to-build-capability-2783219.html
It is not fear but lack of understanding on matters of national security.Twenty years and we are yet to get moving on NDU.Stuck because of turf issue.National Defence Policy with Defsec and not DMA!CDS (last one) wanted to become C-in-C India and not Principal Military Advisor! Politicians are at constant electioneering sprees and promising freebies instead of good governance! When will we wake up?Let’s start by ostracising military leaders indulging in political arse-licking!
Thanks for your views sir
Excellent n really Wonderful. Congratulations Anil !!🙏🙏
Thanks
There is no doubt that we have needed this document on NSS for a long time. More so now when we are hunting with the big league and aspire to sit on a high chair. Two major issues that obstruct creation of this document are:-
(a) All political parties are commitment
shy for fear of failure.
(b) National Security Policy Process is
not taught as a core descipline to all
those who later drive the instruments
of power and thus the adhoc ism.
Unfortunately then, this ethos
percolates downstream.
The only way forward is to enunciate long term national objectives, formulate a Grand Strategy ,create a draft NSS document that attempts to respond to it. Once created, it can be refined periodically as we go along. NSC should be given the responsibility for its creation and it should be befittingly manned and empowered.
The bullets created by you could well be the guiding points of reference.
.
Thank you sir, for the endorsement and value additions.
We need to have an objective first. Questions such as where should India be 50 yrs hence. Once that is definfed based on an all party consensus, then we can establish various scenarios which may emerge. A strategy for each scenario can then be made. The NSC can then execute these strategies by providing policy frameworks for all the ministries. It needs to be balanced and interlinked so that one aspect does not go overboard upsetting the smooth progress.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Nice piece as usual. Succinct n taut. I am not even sure what constitutes National Interests. Conflating a regime or a politics party’s interest with the nation’s interest can be problematic.
That exactly is the problem.
A very elaborate layout with precise details covering complete panorama of elements of National Security Strategy document.
A few thoughts :-
– The doctrine has to be realistic, as per envisaged capabilities in short term and long term perspectives.
– The gap between existing and desirable wherewithal, has to be well thought of and strategic and tactical creditable deterrence accordingly set.
– This creditable deterrence, should be adversary specific. Where the adversary is stronger, we need to have a minimum threshold and enhance our capabilities accordingly.
– Concept of theatre commands, could be held in abeyance, till we take all services on board and acquire adequate resources to make it operational. Mountain Strike Corps is hanging fire since long. Seeing the changed threat perception, it’s an immediate requirement, not the truncated ones.
– Dominance of cyber space should be the priority. Adequate efforts in terms of enhanced employment of cyber warfare assets, should find place in doctrine and policy formation. It should be supported by availability of technology and hardware.
– Removal of shortcomings in integrated efforts towards intelligence gathering, collation, analysis dissemination and reaction capabilities, have to be part of national security policy document. It is a major grey area and needs immediate attention.
– Technology transfer, should be corner stone of defence deals and it’s subversion, even by the highest government office is minimised. This will help us in becoming Atmanirbhar in defence production.
– Unless backed-up by financial and infrastructural provisioning, desired outcomes would be far fetched.
– As of now internal security challenges, in J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, Nagaland, Assam and Manipur, are and very real and of grave concern. A deliberate thought process to tackle them on long term basis, should be deliberated upon without political exigencies.
– System to check unilateralism, with ulterior motives of political hegemony by subversion of other organs of democratic system ( role of parliament, SC, fourth estate, executive etc), on the part of any ruling regime, should also be part of the policy document. This will facilitate safeguarding the constitution and its core values and will ensure transparency. Being consensus driven implementation of the policy will be better.
– As an extension to the above, accountability and role of NSA, CIC, EC, CBI, ED, NCB, CAG etc should be emphasized in the policy document, so that they can function independently and are held accountable to the parliament and not the government of the day. This will ensure good governance, communal harmony and national integration, which is a must for the total war effort of any nation.
– Consultative and accomodative approach with all, including domain experts should be ensured while finalization of the policy.
Thank You for the value additions and suggestions.
A comprehensive National security strategy if it has to be realistic would demand long term planning with reasonable resource commitment. Every party whichever has been in power has been grappling with meeting immediate needs and resource allocation even in critical sectors has been abysmal. Our economic strength also may not be adequate if we take into consideration competing demands from Health, infrastructure and many such critical sectors.. Hence, no government has ever invested much in strategic thinking with a long term perspective. Defense fund allocation share as a percentage of GDP has also been dwindling over past many years. Long term perspective plans are less integrated but more joined together and have not really taken off. The way forward is to build comprehensive National power through a whole of Government approach.
Thank you