Context:
The Defence Ministry held India’s first-ever tri-service conference ‘Parivartan Chintan’ in New Delhi.
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- The ‘Chintan’ was curated as a brainstorming and idea incubation discussion to generate new and fresh ideas, initiatives and reforms to further propel Jointness and Integration in the Armed Forces
- The Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, General Anil Chauhan chaired the conference.
- Focused on initiating the next generation of reforms related to modernization, procurement, training, and collaboration, while considering emerging technologies and national strategic issues.
- The ‘Chintan’ will be the first-ever conference of the heads of all tri-services institutions, the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the three services.
- Integrated Defence Staff was formed in 2001 to foster coordination and enable prioritisation among the different branches of the Indian Armed Forces.
Key Points Addressed by Gen. Chauhan at the ‘Parivartan Chintan’
- Chief of Defence Staff initiated the ‘Chintan’ by highlighting the need for developing a Joint Culture for the Armed Forces, which while respecting the uniqueness of each service, distils the best of each service to give a de-novo approach to traditional concepts.
- The need for Jointness 2.0, reinforcing positives and ensuring speed and momentum in the transformation to joint structures.
- The conference discussed how jointness and integration were essential for the implementation of theatre commands, a key part of the government’s defence reforms.
- Larger-scale reforms aimed at developing a joint culture and quantifying integration efforts to increase efficiency, enhance warfighting ability, and ensure interoperability.
The visit and conference underscored the commitment of the Indian Armed Forces to enhance jointness and integration, ensuring they are “Future Ready” to tackle modern challenges and safeguard India’s interests effectively.