Recently, the union cabinet has boosted setting up of bus bay near the Indian Defence University Land in Gurugram. The cabinet de-notified 3 marlas of land overlapping with the NHAI and also approved a refund of Rs 1,82,719 by Haryana Govt to MoD. The land was acquired by MoD in 2011 from Haryana Govt and is now being acquired by the NHAI.
The expected number of people to be benefitted from this is approx. 12000-15000 including students, teaching/non-teaching staff and their family members apart from local inhabitants.
The Indian (National) Defence University:
The Indian Defence University or Indian National Defence University is being set up at Binola and Bilaspur, in Gurugram.
Land for setting up of the Defence University was acquired at Binola in Gurugram in September 2012. Part infrastructure development has commenced on the acquired land in December 2015.
The University will be located approximately 11 Kms from HQ National Security Guard, on Delhi – Jaipur highway towards Jaipur.
The Aim of the University:
The University will develop and propagate higher education in national security studies, defence management and defence technology and promote policy-oriented research on all aspects relating to national security, both internal and external.
It will promote coordination and interaction not only with Three Armed Services but also with other agencies i.e. Para Military Forces, Intelligence Services, Diplomats, Academicians, Strategic Planners, University Students and officers from Friendly Foreign Countries.
About Indian Defence University:
- The idea of a National Defence University was first conceived in 1967. It was later recommended by Kargil Review Committee and Group of Ministers in 2000.
- The University will be a teaching and affiliating University for the existing training institutions of the three Services like INA, AFA, NDA, IMA, OTA, NDC, CAW, etc.
- The university will offer higher education in National Security Studies, Defence Management and Defence Technology and promote policy-oriented research on all aspects relating to national security, both internal and external.
- Four new institutions/colleges will be set up as the IDU’s constituent colleges. These four colleges will go by the name – School of National Security Studies, School of Defence Technology, School of Defence Management and Centre for Distance and Open Learning (with regional centres of distance learning) and will be set up at the University’s main campus.
- Open and Distance Learning Programmes for Service personnel deployed in the far-flung area has also been considered.
- As is the case in existing Defence Universities across the world, Indian National Defence University is proposed to be governed by its own norms and will inculcate and promote coordination and interaction between the Armed Forces and other Government Agencies including friendly foreign countries.
- While the Defence Minister will be the proposed university’s Chancellor, the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee will be the pro-chancellor and the President will act as a Visitor to the University.
- The whole project is being implemented in three phases spread over a period of 10 years and the total estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 2,072 crore.
- The IDU will provide for the holistic study of defence and strategic security challenges and 66% of students would be from the Armed Forces, whereas 33% of students would be drawn from other government agencies, police and civilian.
- The teaching faculty will comprise of both military personnel and civilians in the ratio of 1:1.
- INDU will undertake long-term defence and strategic studies and create synergy between the academic community and government functionaries. It would integrate Academic community, Armed Forces, Para Military Forces, Intelligence Agencies & Bureaucracy in Strategic Policy Making and Related issues.
- The University is being planned on the lines of the IITs and the IIMs and the existing Defence Institutions like National Defence College (NDC) New Delhi, Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington, College of Defence Management (CDM) Secunderabad and National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakwasla would be affiliated to IDU.
- The military institutions will come under the aegis of Indian Defence University, though these institutions’ autonomy (for the award of degrees and diplomas) and powers will remain same.
Conclusion:
Indian Defence University will inculcate and promote coordination and interaction not just between the three Armed Services, but also between other agencies of the Government, the Civil Bureaucracy, Para Military Forces, Cental Armed Police Forces, Intelligence Servies, Diplomats, Academicians, Strategic Planners, University Students and officers from Friendly Foreign Countries.
