Indian National Defence College Welcomes Bangladesh, Nepal &Myanmar
Special Correspondent
National Defence College (NDC) of India has decided to increase more 20 seats to welcome the officers of the friendly countries; that means after adding those additional seats, total number of course members are going to be 120 by 2022. Among the friendly countries, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh will get priority. New seats are also being planned for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives.
The New Delhi based NDC primarily offers strategic courses for officers of the Indian Armed forces and the civil services. It has a current intake of 100 participants for the strategic leadership course, of whom 25 are from friendly foreign countries. Indian officers also attend such courses in the UK, US and other countries.
College for strategic affairs
The National Defence College was sanctioned in 1959 to provide instructions for senior service and civil service officers in the wider aspects of higher direction and strategy of warfare. The first course was launched on 27 April, 1960, with 21 participants. According to a government statement, alumni from the NDC have held significant appointments that include the current CDS, two governors, the current national security advisor, two election commissioners, 30 Indian service chiefs, over 20 ambassadors, five defence secretaries and five foreign secretaries among others.
The NDC is a course done by selected officers who are likely to rise to higher appointments in their respective countries. Allocating seats for the friendly foreign countries will improve foreign cooperation by developing interactions and sociability between the participating officers. According to the plans, this number will first be made to 110 in 2021 and then to 120 by 2022. The additional seats will also include those for Indian candidates, which includes both services officers and civil servants. President Ramnath Kovind has agreed on establishing a President’s chair of excellence on national security and strategy for the first time at the NDC from 2021.