Author: Maj Gen Vijay Pande
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy”.
Norman Schwarzkopf
Does the military training in the Indian Army need an overhaul? No, it does not; does it need a review like any other function; yes, it does.
From the pre independence era till date the educational standards and levels of awareness of officers as well as men has only risen upward as has been the case with any new generation. Earlier it was quite usual for an uneducated village boy to be recruited as a soldier. Today it is no longer the case. The candidate must be at least a matriculate or 12th pass to make it into the ranks. Similarly, one could become an officer a few decades ago even if he was a matriculate; today he must be a graduate. Officers are also conferred with a Post Graduate Degree on completion of the Staff College Course and M Phil after the Higher Command Course which was not the case earlier. Even those who do not have these degrees are well aware due to the age of the internet and the media explosion. The age of knowledge since the 80’s has put virtually all information in the hands of anyone who owns a smartphone. Knowledge is no longer the preserve of a select few as was the case in the Vedic era. So, it would be a fallacy to presume that the officers of today are not well informed.
Training needs also have been constantly revised based on emerging scenarios and methodologies as well as infrastructure revised. The upsurge of insurgency in Punjab in the 80’s and later on from the 90’s in J&K saw the coming up of Corps battle schools in respective zones. Indian Army Training Memoranda made out of the training pamphlets written by Capt JFC Fuller became the basis of the present day GS Publications. Additional subjects not adequately covered in the GS Publications found their way into the military mind through Army Training Memoranda.
So, what is lacking?
I will start with the Defence Services Staff College. It is no doubt a prestigious institution which many young officers aspire to join. The course is not by nomination (except in emergency or warlike situations), an officer has to voluntarily study and qualify the tough entrance exam to make the grade. Qualification would also mean doing better in the exam than his compatriots as the seats are limited. To add to it, the officer can avail a maximum of three chances and has to conform to the laid down age limit. Once he joins the hallowed precincts what is he taught? Here comes the ugly part. Almost 90 percent of the entire training is focussed on the tactical level of war. It means that the officer is essentially studying the same stuff which he went through during the Junior Command Course and sadly, will repeat it in the Senior Command Course. The pool of instructors includes smart Colonels and Brigadiers (and their equivalents from other services) but hardly any one from outside. There is no such thing as an instructor exchange programme with other countries and neither do we have any professors from reputed universities teaching an alternate point of view. So sadly, it is more of the same thing that the officer is going to get during his one year stay at the College. An opportunity where officers perspectives can truly be enhanced is not being fully utilised.
In my view, this is the pool of officers which includes potential generals and sorely needs to be made aware of the operational and strategic levels of war and the widened horizons these entail. They also must be trained in independent thinking, wargaming and decision making. They must do independent research work on at least two or three contemporary subjects and present their findings at the end of the course. In most of the Staff Colleges around the world the tactical level of war constitutes just about 40% of the training content. The rest focusses on the operational and strategic levels of war. This is also true for Staff Colleges in African countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and others.
Let me take a few steps back. In most of the courses of instructions such as the weapons and equipment related courses, an instructor’s grade (I) is much sought after. The student can get an “I” grade if he is good at fault finding and does well in the Instructional Practice (IP) tests wherein he is required to conduct a class. Unfortunately, he is never tested in his capabilities of planning, organising and conducting training which is a fundamental responsibility of any commander. The “training by rote” mindset imposed by the British on the native army before independence continues to rule the roost. This mindset inhibits independent thinking and leads to “playing safe” mentality. The systems approach to training is yet to take root in our army though attempts are being made for the same since 2003-4. All armies including the British have adopted it long long ago, we are still sceptical about the concept. Today even primary school education is based on this approach, wonder what inhibits our army.
As a Division Commander I used to have regular interactions with young officers separately (as indeed I used to have with JCOs, middle ranking officers and Commanding officers separately as well). In one such interaction one Lieutenant said to me “Sir if you have to make it, you must toe the line”. This left me with a few worries about the climate that was prevailing. The young man could not be blamed. The hierarchy starting from me downward needed to introspect.
Professionalism constitutes three attributes. The first is intellect or wisdom, the ability to put things in perspective and take well informed decisions. This comes from self education and that given by the organisation. The second attribute is character, the ability to implement our plans on ground. The German General Hans Von Seekt said “the essential thing is action. Action has three stages: the decision born of thought, the order or preparation for execution, and the execution itself. All three stages are governed by the will. The will is rooted in character, and for the man of action character is of more critical importance than intellect. Intellect without will is worthless, will without intellect is dangerous”. The third attribute is attitude, the ability to swim upstream, to take it on when no one else is willing or able. A man having intellect and character in equal measure but with a negative attitude, is worthless.
Our military education and training must aspire to inculcate these attributes in equal measure in our officers.
“The best welfare of a soldier is first class training.”
Erwin Rommel
