T K Singh
As the admission for the new session is likely to kick start in colleges and universities the National Security Studies (NSS), a burgeoning discipline in India would be a correct choice for students who wanted to make career in strategic analyses. It is a prospective subject that any potential scholar who studied can not only become a common social scientist (subject expert) but can grow as an internationally renowned strategist. This course not only provides the opportunity to educate and research simply on strategic issues, but also supports stakeholders and security establishments in planning grand strategic policies of the nation.
Though connected with its sister disciplines such as International Relations (IR) and Political Science, NSS functions autonomously and manages separately. It is a significant contemporary course that discusses both internal and external security threats of a nation considering the past, present and future. It also encompasses education on geopolitics and military geography, science and technology, defence economics, conflict resolution and risk management etc. Students will also learn on international relations, strategic thought, theory and practices of war, maritime security, military sociology and psychology, international law, nuclear issues, world organisations, and traditional and non traditional security aspects including terrorism, environmental security, intelligence study, cyber security etc. It is a multi disciplinary course in which student from any background, Science or Arts can easily get admission depending on their interest and entrance test.
Since its inception, in India and across the globe, the course has been educated in different nomenclatures such as Military Science/Studies, Defence Studies, Conflict Studies, Defence and Strategic Studies and National Security Studies. The subject is widely popular in western universities including Kings College London (United Kingdom) and Harvard University (United States of America or USA). In India, the department was first introduced with the name “Defence Studies” under the Department of History in the University of Allahabad in 1940 and later evolved as Department of Defence and Strategic Studies (DDSS) in 1965. After 1962 (India-China) and 1965 (India-Pakistan) wars the course was popularly developed in various Indian colleges and universities such as the University of Pune (1963), Punjabi University (1969), University of Madras (1977), Bhonsala Military College (1989) and University of Punjab (2001). Lately, a dedicated security study oriented university, Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice was also established by the Government of Rajasthan in 2013. Separately, in 2010 the Indian National Defence University (INDU) under the Ministry of Defence was established for both civilian and military personnel to pursue degrees and promote strategic research.
Expanding the significance of the subject, it is now introduced in newly established central universities including Central University of and Central University of Gujarat. In different names it has also been introduced in few private universities such as the O.P Jindal Global University (Centre for Asia Pacific Security Studies, School of International Affairs), Haryana and Indian Institute of Science or Tata Institute (International Strategic and Security Studies Programme, National Institute of Advance Studies), Bangalore. According to Centre for Defence Sciences Research and Development (www.cdsrd.org), there are about 29 universities and 137 colleges that offered this course.
Any student who completes XIIth standard in Science or Arts can apply for under graduate course on the subject and further post graduate (Master) along with Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil). While undergoing the course, apart from classroom studies, a student can have opportunities to interact with senior military and central armed police forces officers who took leave from their service and joined the department to earn higher degrees. A master completed student can appear for the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grant Commission (UGC) and acquired the eligibility to become a university teacher without PhD degree. Scholar can also directly apply for the Army Educational Corps (AEC) and can teach in institutes/schools functioning under Indian Army. Even after graduation, commonly one can become a military officer by giving the central Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam or other relevant examination conducted by the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force).
An aspirant can also work with other government and non Government sectors in India and abroad. The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) headed by National Security Advisor (NSA) and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) under Prime Minister Office (PMO) are some of the important Indian Government offices that a scholar with security studies background can be employed as an analyst/ researcher. Other Government affiliated organisations or think tanks that recruits strategic studies students are Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses or IDSA functioning under Ministry of Defence (MoD), Centre for Land Warfare Studies or CLAWS (operating under Indian Army), Centre for Air Power Studies or CAPS (Air Force) and National Maritime Foundation (Navy). Similarly, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) functioning under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Institute for Conflict Management (ICM) associated with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are also premiere research centres that the scholars can be employed.
There are also several private think tanks that provides internship and job positions namely, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) and Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in New Delhi, Gateway House in Mumbai and Global India Foundation (GIF) in Kolkata. In fact, India’s top security brasses have the background of these premiere think tanks. The current NSA Ajit Dhoval (IPS, Retd) and his deputy Arbind Gupta (IFS, Retd) were the heads of VIF and IDSA respectively just before they occupied the powerful positions in the NSCS. Interested aspirants can also work with renowned international bodies such as United Nation Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and United Nation Department of Political Affairs (UNDPA). Separately the Hills and Associates, and Control Risks are also important foreign private risk assessment or strategic analyses companies that have offices in India where intellectuals from security studies background are recruited with high payment.
Considering the significance of internal and external security threats in India, the discipline needs to be expanded and introduced in every higher educational institute including premiere universities such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University. On the flip side, the discipline is yet to be included in the exams (as optional papers) conducted by state and central civil cervices commissions. And as such predicament discourages the interest of the students, it needs to be examined timely by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and related authorities. This type of partial treatment in education system directly or indirectly compromises the national security of India by disappointing the sentiments of younger generations. Nevertheless, while the challenging aspects of the discipline cannot be ruled out, a potential student of National Security Studies cannot be forbidden from achieving his dream career as a top strategic analyst. (1160 words)
(The author is a faculty at the Department of National Security Studies, Central University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir.)
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