India is planning to increase the intake from the neighbouring and Central Asian countries for the strategic leadership course in the prestigious National Defence College (NDC). The Defence Ministry had decided to increase it from 100 to 110 in 2021 and to 120 in 2022, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said on Wednesday.
“The new initiative is being taken in view of the huge demand from several countries from sometime. Countries which will get additional seats are Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh apart from new seats to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives,” Dr. Kumar said in a media interaction on the diamond jubilee celebration of the NDC. Necessary infrastructure was being added at the NDC, he stated.
With increased Chinese presence, India has been scaling up its military to military cooperation as well as capability enhancement in its neighbourhood. Recently, the Navy gifted a Russian Kilo class submarine from its inventory to the Myanmar Navy, its first submarine. Military cooperation with South East Asian countries has also significantly gone up in recent years, including with Philippines and Indonesia.
Continuation of course online
During the COVID-19 lockdown, the NDC sent back some of the foreign participants but managed to continue the course online, said Air Marshal D Choudhury, Commandant of the NDC. “We did a lot of exercise...,” he said, as participants were across the globe.
The first NDC course was held in 1960 with 21 participants and currently has 100 participants. Of the 100, 75 are from India and 25 from a list of 21 friendly foreign countries.
The NDC was the most prestigious programme for higher management both, in armed forces and civil services, Dr. Kumar said. Its illustrious alumni include the current Chief of Defence Staff, two Governors, present National Security Advisor, two Election Commissioners, 30 Service Chiefs and 74 Foreign Service officers, over 20 Ambassadors, four Defence Secretaries and five Foreign Secretaries.
King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, former President of Bangladesh Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad and former head of the state of Ghana Lt. Gen Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo are also NDC alumni.