Armed Forces

Morals, ethics and motivation are the bedrock of the Indian Army, since it is considered more than a profession: a way of life. These qualities are put to test under most conditions of soldiering; however, there cannot be a more difficult environment than involvement of an army in protracted counter-insurgency (CI) operations. The conditions faced pose peculiar challenges, which force a soldier to adapt. This adaptation can potentially become a morally corrupting influence unless the ethical standards of a force and its moral bearings continue to guide actions.

• Vivek Chadha
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

This article addresses the declining standards of morality in the armed forces and suggests measures to address it by undertaking appropriate interventions at the grassroots, unit or battalion. It traces the importance of ethics in the military, particularly in the context of the post-modern state, which grants exclusive authority to the armed forces for the use of violence. Further, it examines the state of ethics today and the challenges in codification to arrive at the basic ethical norms that need to be fostered in the military.

• Rahul K. Bhonsle
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

The precipitate decline in moral and ethical values, as well as the steep fall in standards of private and public conduct, in recent years, has been accompanied by a concurrent erosion of values amongst India’s military personnel. Consequently, the armed forces, which were once considered exemplars of ethical conduct, discipline and decency, are rapidly slipping in the estimation of their countrymen.

• Arun Prakash
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

This book, on a topical issue, is divided into nine chapters. The author has carried out extensive research and documented the process of the evolution of the existing models of higher defence organizations in the United States (US), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)/Russia, the United Kingdom (UK) and China. Briefly, he has also touched upon the systems adopted by France and Germany. These are covered in the first four chapters, and supported by functional charts.

• Y.M. Bammi
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

The erosion in moral values in the armed forces over the past few decades has left India’s political and military leadership bewildered and befuddled. No amount of preventive or curative measures appear to be succeeding in arresting this fall, as day after day dawns with news of fresh instances of impropriety and indecorum. This article attempts to examine the issues of morals and ethics as relevant to the profession of soldiering across the time continuum. It dwells further on the probable causes of the erosion of moral values and ethics in the Army.

• Vikram Taneja
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

Value systems form the spine of modern society, religion and every individual’s conscience with moral codes defining ‘appropriate’ and ‘expected’ activity. Ethics refer to an individual’s actions that are consistent with such value systems. While the former constitutes a basic human marker of right behaviour and conduct, the latter are a set of guidelines that define acceptable behaviour and practices for a certain group of individuals or society.

• Dhruv C Katoch
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

It is desirable that policies are not tinkered with after every change of command and are allowed to stabilise over a period of 5 to 10 years before they are reviewed for their efficacy.

• Rumel Dahiya , Vivek Chadha
• November 30, 2012
• Issue Brief

The Army, being the largest service and fielding the largest array of equipment, needs to improve its own processes by carrying out an internal analysis and taking effective steps to speed up the procurement process.

• Rumel Dahiya
• October 11, 2012
• Issue Brief

3PL support has not become integral to the defence forces’ administrative functions yet. Considering the funds that can be saved, manpower that can be freed to train for operational readiness, the adept, proficient and skilful resources that can be used to upgrade its standards and capabilities, the armed forces should not to drag their feet in this important issue.

• Venu Gopal
• September 17, 2012
• Issue Brief

The Chairman COSC will neither be the Commander of India’s Armed Forces nor will he be able to do justice to his advisory role because of the constraints that will affect his functioning in the present system.

• Rajneesh Singh
• August 07, 2012
• IDSA Comments