In Its 'Chintan Shivir', MoD Decides To Scrap Colonial Practices

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) organised a two-day 'Chintan Shivir' (brain-storming camp) to discuss various issues and challenges faced by its departments and come out with new ideas for better governance. The camp, which concluded in New Delhi yesterday, mainly discussed about scrapping colonial practices and making systemic course corrections.

The Departments of Defence (DoD), Defence Production (DDP), Military Affairs (DMA) and Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) held separate sessions, during which eminent subject matter experts shared their insights on a variety of relevant themes.

Department of Defence Production

The sessions of DDP, spread across two days, were aimed at collective brain-storming, experiential learning, making systemic course corrections and enhancing efficiencies within the indigenous aerospace and defence manufacturing sector.

The event, presided over by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, was unique in its format as stakeholders' participation included its senior officials, CMDs of defence public sector undertakings (PSUs), A&D industry leadership, quality assurance agencies and the academia.

The sessions were based on five themes -- 'Increasing Aatmanirbharta: Road ahead for indigenisation', 'Enhancing Production and Defence Exports', 'Industrial Ecosystem & Skilled Workforce', 'Enhancing Level Playing Field' and 'Quality Reforms' with a panel of experts sharing their viewpoints from diverse domains contributing to the A&D sector.

The industry welcomed the open-house discussions in an interactive format and brought out that significant steps taken in the past are assurances that further ground will be covered to achieve the target of domestic A&D production of Rs 1,75,000 crore including A&D exports of USD 5 billion by 2024-25.

The DDP has collated the points emanating from the Chintan Shivir so as to make course corrections and reforms in due course for further growth of the indigenous A&D manufacturing sector and imbibe niche technology towards an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India).

Department of Defence

Over the two days, various issues/challenges relevant to the area of work in DoD were discussed with a view to evolve ideas for better governance/ease of doing business. The broad themes deliberated upon include 'Cyber Security Challenges to the National Security', 'Comprehensive Approach to National Security', 'Performance Audit', 'Sainik School Education System' and 'Capacity Building in Defence Acquisitions'.

During the sessions, eminent subject matter experts from NSCS, Intelligence Bureau, DRDO, CAG, serving and retired officers and also from field of academics, addressed and shared their views on the themes with DoD officers. An open-house session was also organised wherein various suggestions for enhancing organisational efficiency were received from the participants.

Department of Military Affairs

The DMA sessions included topics of 'Integrating and Optimising Human Resource Aspects', 'Training and Operational Issues Towards Achieving Greater Synergy' and 'Modernisation & Capability Augmentation of Armed Forces in Realms of Strategic Domain'. Deliberations were held on measures to identify and abolish colonial practices and obsolete laws and further incorporate the country's own ethos and practices in functioning of the armed forces.

Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare

The DESW held discussions on 'Leveraging SPARSH for Better Pension Services and Other Welfare Measures for Veterans', 'Resettlement of Veterans by Improving Employability and Promotion of Entrepreneurship to Start of Micro Enterprises by Beterans' and 'Improvement in the Health Services of the Veterans'.