Armed Forces

This article looks at the current situation in the armed forces, which has been in the news for all wrong reasons recently. The author undertakes an analysis of the causes of this state of affairs and suggests that the armed forces, which were well known for their ethics and code of conduct, need to review the situation and take radical steps to ensure a return to their ethics, values and traditions.

• Ian Cardozo
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

The Indian Army remains rooted in an outdated, British-inherited system that is struggling to cope with the combination of challenges posed by demands of modern warfare and a society that is undergoing a great churn. The greatest challenge has been to the famous officer–men relationship in the Indian armed forces. In the past decade, the armed forces have faced a new problem: increasing incidents of indiscipline, suicides and fratricide. Are these incidents happening because the traditional bond between officers and men, the bedrock on which the military functions, is fraying at the edges?

• Nitin A. Gokhale
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

The phenomenon of the apparent lowering of both personal and institutional moral and ethical standards in the armed forces is not limited to India. What is missing is an open debate on the complexities that drive the modern day profession of arms and the need for a mutually supporting relationship between the armed forces and the institutions of a democracy, especially at a time when newer forms of security threats are emerging.

• B D Jayal
• April 2013
• Journal of Defence Studies

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

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