National Security Strategy

Posted 27 Jul 2024

4 min read

Why in the News?

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) contested the need of a written National Security Strategy (NSS), sparking debate about importance of a NSS document.

What is National Security Strategy (NSS)?

An NSS is a concise summary of a country’s strategic vision and objectives and encompasses domestic and external challenges and addresses traditional, non-traditional threats and opportunities and updated periodically.

A chart titled "Common Elements of NSS" lists five items with icons: "Strategic deterrence," "Territorial integrity and sovereignty," "Economic, Maritime, Cyber, Food security," "Counter terrorism and internal security," and "Nuclear policy and non-proliferation.

Why does India need a written National Security Strategy?

Lack of Written Policy: The only political direction for the Armed Forces is Raksha Mantri’s operational Directive of 2009, which has not been updated.
- Major powers like the US, UK, and Russia have published and updated NSS.
Meet changing security dynamics and priorities: It can encourage the government to regularly review threats, opportunities, and global security trends, ensuring evolving challenges like the hybrid warfare, Chinese navy’s growth etc. are addressed timely.
Framework for effective Long-term Planning: A coherent future strategy will help avoid taking short-term, ad hoc, hasty, and regime-centric decisions on important national security issues.
Strategic Signaling in world order: It will clarify India’s strategic intent to friends and foes, highlight its role as a security provider in the Indian Ocean, and establish clear cooperation with partners.
Continuity to Defence Planning: Discontinuation of Defence Plans (5 year plans) and Long-Term Perspective Plans (15-year plans) adds urgency to formulating the NSS.
Operational clarity: It can help guide decision-making in areas like delegation, operationalision of theatre commands etc.
- It will reduce ambiguity and build meaningful accountability by acting as a reference for peer review by think tanks.
Adopt Whole of nation approach: It can help build synergy for harnessing comprehensive national power and coordinate operations effectively.

Challenges in codifying NSS in India

Lack of Political Will: Factors like lack of political consensus on national security issues, fear of accountability, limited expertise on defence matters etc. have prohibited the political leadership from formulating an NSS
Loss of strategic flexibility: Implementing an NSS would commit the political leadership to a specific approach, whereas ad hoc policymaking allows flexibility.
- E.g., Israel operates without formalized NSS policies.
Resource Allocation: Effective NSS implementation necessitates adequate financial and human resources and capability-building to meet set objectives.
Weak Institutional support and policy feedback: Only few defense and security think-tanks currently exist in India.

Previous steps taken to draft NSS

The Kargil Review Committee Report (2000): It presented recommendations on national security yet failed to catalyse immediate NSS formulation.
The Naresh Chandra committee on Security (2011): It enabled comprehensive discussions on security reforms, but failed to live up to the NSS development.
The Defence Planning Committee (2018), chaired by National Security Advisor: It is a permanent body tasked with preparing a draft national security strategy among others.
Hooda Committee: It was set up in 2018 to suggest comprehensive National Security Strategy to address evolving security challenges and enhance India’s defense capabilities. It suggested the following tenets to a draft NSS:
- Assuming our Rightful Place in Global Affairs: Playing a significant Global role.
- Achieving a Secure Neighbourhood: Cooperation and stability in the neighbourhood.
- Peaceful Resolution of Internal Conflicts: Integrating North East, combating terrorism, etc.
- Protecting our People: Economic security, Cyber threats, Climate change, etc.
- Strengthening our Capabilities: Maritime borders, space, strategic communications, etc.

Conclusion

NSS can spell out clear-cut ends, ways and means, while relying on delegation, synergy and operational freedom. At cutting-edge level, it will foster initiative, innovation and improvisation. Two versions of the document can be released to mitigate the confidentiality issues: Public version for external stakeholders and adversaries, signaling our intentions and methodologies and classified version for security agencies to act upon. As India enters Amrit Kaal, a term signifying a prosperous and self-reliant future, it is crucial to discard hesitation and ambiguity in national security planning.