A Defence Planning Committee (DPC) has been formed by the Union Government to formulate military, security strategy, to draft capability development plans and to supervise foreign deals.
- The Committee will be under the Chairmanship of the National Security Advisor, Mr. Ajit Doval.
- The Modi government has revamped the existing defence planning system by establishing a Defence Planning Committee (DPC).
Background
- Considering the complex security environment and volume of expenditure on national defence, it was imperative to have strong defence planning mechanism. The present system was found insufficient to provide rigour necessary for planning process. So it was mandated to create an institutional mechanism which can undertake comprehensive and integrated planning of higher defence matters.
Key Facts
- The DPC will be a permanent body that will prepare military doctrines defining Indian military objectives for the future.
- It will drive the country’s military and security strategy, draft capability development plans as well as guide and accelerate defence equipment acquisitions.
- The new measure is likely to have a far reaching consequence on the way defence planning is undertaken and on defence preparedness.
Composition of the Committee
- The Committee will be chaired by NSA Ajit Doval and will include Chairman Chiefs of the Staff Committee (COSC), three service chiefs, the Defence Secretary, Secretary Expenditure (in the Finance Ministry) and Foreign Secretaries in the team.
- It will be a permanent body and it will prepare draft national security strategy besides undertaking strategic defence review and formulating international defence engagement strategy.
- The Committee will operate through four sub-committees on-
- Policy and Strategy
- Defence Diplomacy
- Plans and Capability Development
- Defence Manufacturing Ecosystem
- The membership and the terms of reference of the sub-committees will be finalized separately.
- Foreign Secretary and Expenditure Secretary being member of DPC will help to overcome problems of coordination between various ministries on matters of national security.
Functions of the DPC
- The task of the committee is to prepare draft reports on “national security strategy, international defence engagement strategy, roadmap to build (a) defence manufacturing ecosystem, strategy to boost defence exports, and priority capability development plans.
- The committee will report to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
- It is expected to meet for the first time on April 21 after Doval returns from Germany.
- To analyse and evaluate all relevant inputs relating to defence planning.
- It will identify means and ways across ministries, obtain Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval for capability development plan and provide guidance for budgetary support.
