Defence Studies संरक्षणशास्त्र

Quick summary

Security brings peace and stability. National security means protecting a nation's sovereignty, territory, core values and people from external and internal threats. This chapter explains related ideas: nation, nation-state, nationalism, national interest and national power.

Key points

• Security is needed by individuals, society and the country. It removes uncertainty and fear.
• India faced many invasions, mostly from the north-west. The Mauryas, Guptas and Marathas built strong defence systems.
• Nation: people on a common territory with a common race, religion or language and a spirit of unity.
• Nation-state: a nation with three elements, territory, population and sovereignty. India is a nation-state with great diversity.
• Nationalism: people's feelings of love and unity for their country; all of us are Indians despite differences.
• National interest rests on core values. India's core values, seen in the Preamble, are democracy, socialism, secularism, republic, federal system and equality.
• Material elements: natural resources (coal, iron, minerals, water), industry, space and nuclear science.
• Non-material elements: people's morale and commitment.
• National power: a nation's ability to defend itself and influence others to protect its interests.
• National security: protecting core values using national power. It includes military preparedness in peacetime plus social, cultural, economic and political security.

Important terms

• Sovereignty – supreme power of a state to decide its own affairs.
• Core values – the basic principles a nation stands for.
• National power – a nation's total strength to protect its interests.

Key facts

• Nation-state = territory + population + sovereignty.
• Material and non-material elements of national power.
• Alexander vs Porus: battle of the Jhelum (Hydaspes), 326 BCE.

5 important questions

Q1. Define national security.

All measures taken, in peace and war, to protect a nation's sovereignty, territory, core values and people from external and internal threats.

Q2. What makes a nation a nation-state?

Territory, population and sovereignty.

Q3. What are India's core values?

Democracy, socialism, secularism, republic, federal system and equality, as reflected in the Preamble.

Q4. Explain the material and non-material elements of national power.

Material: natural resources, industry and science such as space and nuclear research. Non-material: the morale, psychology and commitment of the people.

Q5. Why is military preparedness needed even in peacetime?

External attack can come at any time, so a nation must keep its defence ready; this is part of national security.

Exam tip

Learn the five concepts in order (nation, nation-state, nationalism, national interest, national power) with one line each.

Quick summary

India's external security depends a lot on its neighbours and on the Indian Ocean. This chapter looks at India's relations and disputes with Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and why the Indian Ocean region matters for national security.

Key points

• Neighbours: Pakistan (west), China, Nepal and Bhutan (north), Afghanistan (a small border at the Wakhan corridor), Bangladesh and Myanmar (east), Sri Lanka (south, in the Indian Ocean).
• Pakistan: three major wars (1947–48, 1965, 1971) and Kargil (1999). The first two were over Kashmir. Today the threat is mostly terrorism by groups sheltered in Pakistan, and any future war could involve nuclear weapons.
• China: border disputes over Aksai Chin (Ladakh, illegally occupied by China) and Arunachal Pradesh (earlier NEFA), plus the issue of Tibet. The McMahon Line, the Arunachal–Tibet border, was agreed at the Shimla Conference in 1914. The border dispute led to the 1962 war. China occupied Tibet in the 1950s, and the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959.
• Bangladesh: East Pakistan, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, revolted against oppression. Refugees poured into India, India helped, and Bangladesh was born in 1971. The Farakka barrage issue on the Ganga was settled by agreement in 1978.
• Sri Lanka: the Tamil minority in the north wanted autonomy. India signed an agreement in 1987 and sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force.
• Indian Ocean: India has a coastline of about 7000 km. The main world trade route (Suez Canal to the Strait of Malacca) passes near India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are strategic. European colonisers came by sea; today the USA, Russia and China seek influence here. The region is rich in resources.

Important terms

• McMahon Line – the India–Tibet (China) boundary in Arunachal Pradesh, agreed in 1914.
• Aksai Chin – part of Ladakh occupied by China.
• Conventional war – war with ordinary, non-nuclear weapons.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. Name India's neighbours.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Q2. What is the McMahon Line?

The border between Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet, fixed at the 1914 Shimla Conference.

Q3. What are the main issues between India and China?

Border disputes over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh, and the question of Tibet.

Q4. How was Bangladesh created?

East Pakistan was oppressed. Its people, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, revolted; refugees flooded India, and India's help led to an independent Bangladesh in 1971.

Q5. Why is the Indian Ocean important for India's security?

The main world trade route runs near India; the region is rich in resources; big powers compete for influence; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are strategic.

Exam tip

Practise locating the neighbours and the disputed areas on an outline map of India.

Quick summary

This chapter explains how India's defence is organised: who commands the armed forces, the departments of the Ministry of Defence, the three services and their matching ranks, and what paramilitary forces are.

Key points

• The Government of India is responsible for the defence of the country.
• The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
• The Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) heads the Ministry of Defence. A National Security Adviser advises the Prime Minister on security.
• Department of Defence: defence budget, policy, Parliament matters, cooperation with foreign countries.
• Department of Defence Production: ordnance factories, defence PSUs, making imported items in India (indigenisation).
• Department of Defence Research and Development (DRDO): advises on the science of weapons and runs research labs.
• Department of Ex-Servicemen's Welfare: resettlement, welfare, pensions.
• Department of Military Affairs: the Army, Navy, Air Force and Territorial Army; promotes jointness of the three services.
• Departments of the Ministry of Defence:
• Armed forces: Army, Navy and Air Force. Their main role is protecting sovereignty from external attack; they also help in disasters and internal unrest when called.
• Army JCOs/NCOs: Subedar Major, Subedar, Naib Subedar, Havildar, Naik, Lance Naik.
• Paramilitary forces are organised and trained like the military but are not part of the regular armed forces, e.g. the Assam Rifles and the Coast Guard.

Important terms

• Supreme Commander – the President, the formal head of the armed forces.
• Indigenisation – producing defence equipment within the country.
• Jointness – the three services working together.
• Paramilitary force – a semi-military force outside the regular armed forces.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. Who is the Supreme Commander of India's armed forces?

The President of India.

Q2. What is the work of the Department of Defence Production?

It looks after defence production, ordnance factories and defence PSUs, and the indigenisation of imported equipment.

Q3. What is the equivalent of an Army Colonel in the Navy and Air Force?

Captain (Navy) and Group Captain (Air Force).

Q4. Write the departments of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence; Defence Production; Defence Research and Development; Ex-Servicemen's Welfare; Military Affairs.

Q5. What is a paramilitary force? Give examples.

A force organised and trained like the military but not part of the formal armed forces, e.g. the Assam Rifles and the Coast Guard.

Exam tip

Learn the rank table row by row; equivalent-rank questions are very common.

Quick summary

The Indian Army is the oldest of the three services, with roots going back over 2000 years to Chandragupta Maurya. This chapter covers the Army's role, its command structure from Army Headquarters down to a section, its six operational commands and its combat arms and support services.

Key points

• The modern Army grew from the British Indian Army. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose led the Indian National Army (INA) in World War II; Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan headed its women's wing.
• Role: defeat external aggression, help fight internal threats, project force when needed, take part in UN peacekeeping and help friendly countries, and give disaster relief and aid to civil authorities.
• Chain of command: the Chief of the Army Staff (General) leads, then Command (Lt Gen), Corps (Lt Gen), Division (Maj Gen), Brigade (Brigadier), Battalion or Regiment (Colonel), Company (Lt Col or Major), Platoon (JCO) and Section (Havildar; about 10 soldiers, the smallest unit).
• Northern: Udhampur (J&K).
• Western: Chandigarh (Punjab, Himachal).
• South Western: Jaipur (north and central Rajasthan, Haryana).
• Southern: Pune (Gujarat, Maharashtra and southern states).
• Central: Lucknow (UP, MP, Bihar and others).
• Eastern: Kolkata (Sikkim and the North-East).
• There is also an Army Training Command.
• Six operational commands:
• Combat arms: Armoured Corps, Artillery, Engineers, Infantry, Signals, Army Air Defence, Army Aviation, Intelligence.
• Logistic support services: ASC (rations, transport, fuel), EME (repairs), AOC (arms, ammunition, clothing), AMC (medical), Dental Corps, Education Corps, and Remount and Veterinary Corps (animals).

Important terms

• Command – the largest field formation, covering a geographical region.
• Section – the smallest unit, about 10 soldiers under a havildar.
• Combat arms – units that fight directly.
• Logistics – supply, transport, repair and medical support.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. Who led the INA and who headed its women's wing?

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose led the INA; Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan headed the women's wing.

Q2. Where is the Southern Command headquartered?

Pune.

Q3. State the role of the Indian Army.

Defeat external aggression, support internal security, project force, join peacekeeping, and give disaster relief and aid to civil authority.

Q4. Explain the chain of command of the Army.

Army HQ → Command → Corps → Division → Brigade → Battalion → Company → Platoon → Section, led by officers from General down to Havildar.

Q5. Name four logistic support services and their work.

ASC – rations and transport; EME – repair of equipment; AOC – arms, ammunition and clothing; AMC – medical care.

Exam tip

Memorise the six commands with their headquarters; they are asked as match-the-pairs.

Quick summary

India has a long seafaring history, from the Harappan dock at Lothal to the Maratha navy of Shivaji Maharaj and Kanhoji Angre. This chapter covers the Indian Navy's roles, its commands, and the main types of warships it uses.

Key points

• The world's first tidal dock is believed to be at Lothal (Gujarat, about 2300 BC, Harappan times).
• The Chola and Kalinga kingdoms (5th–10th century AD) ruled over Malaya, Sumatra and western Java; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were a midway trade point.
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built a navy to face the Siddis of Janjira, with admirals Sidhoji Gujar and later Kanhoji Angre, who kept the English, Dutch and Portuguese in check on the Konkan coast.
• Military: offensive (attack enemy forces, territory and trade) and defensive (protect our own).
• Diplomatic: shape the maritime environment in India's favour.
• Constabulary: maritime security. After 26/11 (2008), the Navy was given overall charge of coastal security, with the Coast Guard and marine police.
• Roles of the Navy:
• The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) heads the Navy from Naval HQ, New Delhi.
• Commands: Western (Mumbai), Eastern (Visakhapatnam), Southern (Kochi). The Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair is a tri-service command led in turn by the Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Aircraft carrier: a floating airbase with a full flight deck.
• Destroyer: fast, heavily armed escort; anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface.
• Frigate: smaller than a destroyer, carries missiles, escorts carriers.
• Corvette: smaller and lightly armed, often anti-submarine.
• Minesweeper: clears sea mines.
• Landing ship: lands troops and vehicles directly on shore.
• Submarines operate under water.
• Ships:

Important terms

• Tidal dock – a basin where ships berth using the rise and fall of tides.
• Tri-service command – a command with Army, Navy and Air Force units together.
• Coastal security – protecting the coastline from intrusion and attack.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. Where was the world's first tidal dock built?

At Lothal in Gujarat, about 2300 BC, in the Harappan civilisation.

Q2. Name two admirals of Shivaji Maharaj's navy.

Sidhoji Gujar and Kanhoji Angre.

Q3. Explain the three roles of the Indian Navy.

Military (offensive and defensive operations), diplomatic (shaping the sea environment in India's favour) and constabulary (maritime and coastal security).

Q4. Why is the Andaman and Nicobar Command called tri-service?

It has troops, ships and aircraft of all three services and is commanded in rotation by them.

Q5. Distinguish between a destroyer and a frigate.

A destroyer is larger, fast and heavily armed for escort and attack; a frigate is smaller, carries guided missiles and mainly escorts carriers and bombards shores.

Exam tip

Learn the three naval commands with their headquarters and one line on each ship type.

Quick summary

The Indian Air Force (IAF) guards India's skies. It began as the Royal Indian Air Force in 1932 and was renamed the Indian Air Force after independence. This chapter covers its commands, its roles and its main aircraft and helicopters.

Key points

• History: the Royal Indian Air Force was set up in 1932 in British India and renamed the Indian Air Force after 1947.
• Central: Allahabad (Prayagraj).
• Eastern: Shillong.
• Western: New Delhi.
• South-Western: Gandhinagar.
• Southern: Thiruvananthapuram.
• Maintenance: Nagpur.
• Training: Bengaluru.
• Seven commands: five operational, one maintenance and one training.
• Roles: defend India's airspace, support the Army and Navy in war, protect national interests beyond the borders when needed, and carry out rescue and relief in natural calamities.
• Mirage 2000: French, single-seat multirole.
• Su-30 MKI: Russian, twin-seat, twin-engine multirole, made in India.
• MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29: Russian.
• Jaguar: Anglo-French deep-strike aircraft.
• Tejas: indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, inducted in 2016.
• Fighters:
• C-130J: paradrop, short rough runways.
• C-17: carries 40–70 tonnes over 4200–9000 km.
• AN-32: medium transport.
• IL-76: heavy, long-haul transport.
• Transport aircraft:
• Mi-26: heavy lift.
• Mi-25/35: attack and anti-armour.
• Mi-17 V5: modern avionics, night-vision compatible.
• Chetak and Cheetah: French-origin light helicopters.
• Dhruv: Indian, works at heights up to 6000 m.
• Rudra: Indian armed helicopter.
• Helicopters:
• The IAF also operates many types of missiles.

Important terms

• Airspace – the sky above a country's territory.
• Multirole fighter – an aircraft that can fight in the air and attack ground targets.
• Indigenous – designed and made in India.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. When was the Royal Indian Air Force established?

In 1932; it became the Indian Air Force after independence.

Q2. State the roles of the IAF.

Defend airspace, support the Army and Navy, protect interests beyond the borders, and carry out rescue and relief in disasters.

Q3. Where are the Maintenance and Training Commands located?

Maintenance Command is at Nagpur; Training Command is at Bengaluru.

Q4. What is Tejas?

India's own Light Combat Aircraft, inducted into the IAF in 2016.

Q5. Name two transport aircraft and two Indian-made helicopters of the IAF.

Transport: C-17 and C-130J. Indian helicopters: Dhruv and Rudra.

Exam tip

Memorise the command–HQ table; Nagpur (Maintenance) is a favourite question for Maharashtra.

Quick summary

The Army, Navy and Air Force are kept ready for war. In peacetime, other armed forces guard the borders, coasts and sensitive places and help keep internal order. These are the paramilitary forces, mostly under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This chapter covers the BSF, ITBP, Assam Rifles and Coast Guard.

Key points

• Why needed: peacetime border security; internal order; protection of seaports, airports, railway stations, bridges, power stations, oil depots and the coastline.
• General roles: maintain internal security, help civil administration with law and order, protect the coast, guard borders in peace, and protect key roads, bridges and places in war.
• Forces under the MHA are called Central Armed Police Forces.
• Guards the India–Pakistan and India–Bangladesh borders in peacetime.
• Stops smuggling, infiltration, illegal immigration and cross-border terrorism.
• Border Security Force (BSF), 1965, MHA; headed by a Director General.
• Guards the India–Tibet border from the Karakoram (Ladakh) through Himachal and Uttarakhand.
• Guards the Line of Actual Control and Himalayan passes; stops smuggling and illegal crossing.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), raised 24 October 1962.
• Guards the north-east border and controls insurgencies there.
• Helps north-eastern states maintain law and order.
• Assam Rifles (AR), raised as the Cachar Levy in 1835: India's oldest paramilitary force, with HQ at Shillong.
• Guards about 2 million sq km of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Stops smuggling and piracy, and protects and helps fishermen.
• Protects the marine environment and sea resources, and collects marine scientific data.
• Works with the Navy, Fisheries, Customs and police.
• Coast Guard (CG), started 1 February 1977 and formally set up 18 August 1978, under the Ministry of Defence; headed by a Director General.

Important terms

• Paramilitary force – a force organised like the military but not part of the regular armed forces.
• Infiltration – secret, illegal entry across a border.
• EEZ – the sea zone up to 200 nautical miles where India controls resources.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. Why does India need paramilitary forces?

To guard borders and sensitive places in peacetime, maintain internal security and help civil administration, while the armed forces stay ready for war.

Q2. Which is India's oldest paramilitary force?

The Assam Rifles, raised as the Cachar Levy in 1835.

Q3. State the role of the BSF.

Guard the international border in peace; stop smuggling, infiltration and illegal immigration; prevent cross-border terrorism; help maintain law and order.

Q4. What are the duties of the Coast Guard?

Guard the EEZ, stop smuggling and piracy, help fishermen, protect the marine environment and resources, and collect scientific data.

Q5. Write two differences between the ITBP and the Assam Rifles.

ITBP (1962) guards the India–Tibet border in the Himalayas; Assam Rifles (1835) guards the north-east border and controls insurgency there.

Exam tip

Learn each force with its year and the border it guards; difference questions are common.

Quick summary

Besides each state's own police, India has extra police and volunteer forces for emergencies, disasters, festivals and elections. This chapter covers the CRPF, SRPF, Home Guard and Civil Defence.

Key points

• Under the MHA, formed on 27 July 1939; the largest Central Armed Police Force.
• Headed by a Director General; 240 battalions, including 6 women's battalions.
• Roles: restore order when law and order breaks down in a state; relief and rescue in disasters; anti-insurgency operations; help the armed forces in war.
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
• The state-level reserve, headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police.
• Battalions live and train in camps and help local police maintain order.
• Roles: act against anti-social elements, help local police, run anti-insurgency operations; rear protection in war.
• State Reserve Police Force (SRPF)
• Formed in 1948 under the MHA in all states and UTs; works under the Home Guard Act.
• Made up of local volunteer men and women who serve in their spare time; rural and urban units.
• Headed by the Commandant General at state level, with units down to district and taluka.
• Training: a 10–42 day orientation camp, weekly drill and an 8-day annual refresher.
• Roles: law and order, traffic control, protecting public property, welfare schemes, festivals and elections, relief in calamities and riots, communal harmony.
• Home Guard
• Aims to save life, reduce damage and keep essential services and industry running during an enemy air attack.
• Planned nationally (Director General), organised by each state (Director); three levels: national, state and district.
• A core staff plus skilled volunteers (ex-servicemen, doctors, engineers, telecom staff, social workers).
• Roles: defuse bombs, maintain communication, enforce blackouts, aid the injured, firefighting and rescue, protect property, run welfare centres.
• Civil Defence

Important terms

• Reserve force – a force kept ready to help regular police when needed.
• Blackout – switching off all lights in a city to hide it from enemy aircraft.
• Volunteer – a person who serves by choice, often part-time.

Key facts

5 important questions

Q1. Which is the largest Central Armed Police Force? When was it formed?

The CRPF, formed on 27 July 1939.

Q2. What is the SRPF?

A state government's reserve police force, headed by a DIG, that helps local police keep law and order.

Q3. Who serves in the Home Guard?

Local volunteer men and women from all sections of society, serving in their spare time.

Q4. What is the aim of Civil Defence?

To save lives, reduce property damage and keep essential services running during enemy air attacks.

Q5. Write any four roles of Civil Defence.

Defusing bombs, enforcing blackouts, firefighting and rescue, and helping the injured.

Exam tip

Keep the four forces apart: CRPF is central, SRPF is state, Home Guard is volunteers, and Civil Defence is for air attacks.

Quick summary

A career in the armed forces is honourable and satisfying because you serve the nation directly. This chapter explains when you can join, the grades of posts, the basic requirements, opportunities for women, and where to find official recruitment information.

Key points

• After the SSC (10th) examination.
• After the HSC (12th) examination.
• After a bachelor's degree from a recognised university.
• Three entry stages:
• Class I: Gazetted officers.
• Class II: Group B (Gazetted).
• Class III: Group B (Non-Gazetted).
• Class IV: Group C.
• Class V: Group D (skilled or semi-skilled manual work).
• Career levels (grades):
• Basic requirements, all as per the laid-down rules: age limits; physical standards (minimum height, weight and chest); medical fitness; educational qualification.
• Armed forces: after graduation, women can join as Class I gazetted officers.
• Paramilitary: CRPF, BSF and ITBP recruit women at officer level and below.
• Women:
• Army: joinindianarmy.nic.in
• Navy: joinindiannavy.gov.in
• Air Force: careerairforce.nic.in and airmenselection.gov.in
• Paramilitary: bsf.nic.in, crpf.nic.in, recruitmentitbpolice.nic.in, ssb.nic.in, cisf.gov.in, assamrifles.gov.in
• The weekly Employment News newspaper lists vacancies.
• Official websites:
• Common routes students hear of: the NDA (after 12th) and the CDS (after graduation), both through UPSC exams, and soldier, sailor or airman entries after 10th or 12th.
• Start early: keep fit, study well and check the eligibility rules on the official sites.

Important terms

• Gazetted officer – a senior officer whose appointment is published in the government Gazette.
• Recruitment – the process of selecting people for a job.
• Eligibility – the conditions (age, education, fitness) a candidate must meet.

Key facts

• Entry points: after SSC, HSC or a degree.
• Five grades: Class I to Class V (Group A to D).
• Women: officers in the armed forces; officer and other ranks in CRPF, BSF and ITBP.

5 important questions

Q1. At which stages can one join the armed forces?

After the SSC, after the HSC and after a bachelor's degree.

Q2. What are the basic parameters for recruitment?

Age limit, physical standards, medical fitness and educational qualification, all as per the rules.

Q3. What opportunities do women have?

They can become gazetted officers in the armed forces after graduation, and join the CRPF, BSF and ITBP at officer level or below.

Q4. Where can you find information about defence recruitment?

On the official websites of the Army, Navy, Air Force and paramilitary forces, and in the weekly Employment News.

Q5. Who is a gazetted officer?

A Class I (or Group B gazetted) officer whose appointment is notified in the government Gazette.

Exam tip

Remember the three entry stages and the four basic parameters; these short answers are frequently asked.