Human Capital for the Department of Military Affairs

Prakash Menon

Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Dr. Prakash Menon is the Director, Strategic Studies Programme, Takshashila Institution, Bangalore and Former Military Adviser, National Security Council Secretariat. read more

The creation of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the Ministry of Defence portends better civil-military cooperation. That India’s civil-military cooperation was in need of structural reform was never doubted. Yet, the implementation of such reform lacked political will, faced bureaucratic resistance, and was stymied by elements within the armed services. Political will has finally expressed itself and taken three major steps: the institution of the posts of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (PC-COSC), and the creation of DMA with the CDS as its ex-officio head. Notably, the DMA is expected to have some optimum mix of civil and military domain experts that would work under a military head who is the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister.

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