ARTICLE ENGLISH Topic: Legacy and Patrimony Indian Armed Forces The Government of India is responsible for ensuring the defence of India and every part thereof. The Supreme Command of the Indian Armed Forces vests in the President. The responsibility for national defence rests with the Cabinet. This is discharged through the Ministry of Defence, which provides the policy framework and wherewithal to the Armed Forces to discharge their responsibilities in the context of the defence of the country. The Indian Armed Forces comprise of three divisions – Indian Army, Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force. ➢ Indian Army The Indian subcontinent had witnessed the cohesive concentration of many Empires in the quest for control of military power, and governance of the State. As time rolled by, societal norms found an ethos in the workplace, the system of rights and privileges, and service under the flag. The Indian Army, as we know it today became operational after the Country gained independence from British colonialism. The Indian Army's HQ is located in New Delhi and functions under the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is responsible for the command, control, and administration as a whole. The Army is divided into six operational commands (field armies) and one training command, each under the command of a Lieutenant General, who has an equal status to the Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), working under the control of Army HQ in New Delhi. ➢ Indian Navy The foundation of the modern Indian Navy was laid in the seventeenth century when the East India Company had established a maritime force, thereby graduating in time to the establishment of the Royal Indian Navy in 1934. The Headquarters of the Indian Navy is located in New Delhi, and is under the command of the Chief of the naval staff – an Admiral. The Indian navy is deployed under three area commands, each headed by a flag officer. The Western Naval Command is headquartered in Bombay on the Arabian Sea; the Southern Naval Command in Kochi (Cochin), in Kerala, also on the Arabian Sea; and the Eastern Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the Bay of Bengal. ➢ Indian Airforce The Indian Air Force was officially established on 8th October 1932, and on 1st April 1954, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, one of the founding members of the Air Force took over as the first Indian Chief of Air Staff. With the passage of time, the Indian Air Force undertook massive upgrading of its aircraft and equipment’s, and as part of the process, it introduced more than twenty new types of aircrafts. The last decade of the twentieth century saw a phenomenal change in the structure of the Indian Air Force with induction of women into the Air Force for short service commissions. It was also a time when the Air Force undertook some of the most perilous operations ever undertaken. War Memorial 1. India Gate. The iconic India Gate in Lutyens Delhi was constructed in 1931 by erstwhile British empire to commemorate the Martyrs of India during World War I as well as Third Anglo-Afghan War. It stands tall as a must visit monument for visitors in New Delhi. Of over 83,000 Indians who laid down their lives, India Gate bears 13,516 names, etched all over the monument. 2. Amar Jawan Jyoti (AJJ). An inverted bayonet with a helmet structure along with AJJ was installed over night under the Arch of India Gate in January 1972 to commemorate India's victory in India - Pakistan War 1971 and as Nation's tribute to our brave soldiers who laid down their lives. Wreaths have been laid at AJJ ever since on dignitaries at various occasions, including by foreign dignitaries. 3. Post Independence Era Battle Casualties. Post India's independence on 15th August 1947, our country has been involved in many conflicts of different magnitudes and participated in innumerable operations both inland and overseas. Our country continues to engage in counter-terrorism operations and proxy war from across the front resulting in number of battle casualties. While a number of area/battle specific memorials are built across the country, but no memorial existed that was all encompassing. 4. Decision to Construct National War Memorial. The requirement to construct a National War Memorial had been under consideration since 1961 at the apex level. The consideration acquired momentum in 2014 and after a deliberate process the Union Cabinet on 07 October 2015 approved construction of National War Memorial & Museum (NWM&M) within the National capital's Lutyen's zone. Given the present ceremonial use of India Gate and AJJ, area East of the India Gate around the Canopy at 'C' Hexagon in New Delhi was found to be the most suited site for the Memorial. 5. Process of Creation. A two stage Global competition to select a suitable design for the Memorial was held in 2016-17. Shri Yogesh Chandrasan of Web Design Lab Chennai, won the Global competition for his design and was appointed Project Consultant. Necessary sanctions from statuary besides consultations with urban bodies in Delhi were held and a Detailed Project Report was prepared. M/s NCC Ltd was awarded the contract on 25 January 2018 and Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) executed the project on behalf of Ministry of Defence. The monument was dedicated by the Nation to the Armed Forces of India on 25 Feb 2019 by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Military Messes The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is an area where military personnel socialize, eat, and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the Officers' mess, the CPOs' mess, and the Enlisted mess. In some civilian societies this military usage has been extended to the eating arrangements of other disciplined services such as fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" (cf. modern French mets), drawn from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send" and "to put" (cf. modern French mettre), the original sense being "a course of a meal put on the table"; cfr. also the modern Italian portata with the same meaning, past participle of portare, to bring. This sense of mess, which appeared in English in the 13th century, was often used for cooked or liquid dishes in particular, as in the "mess of pottage" (porridge or soup) or Eton mess. Military Cantonment In terms of Entry 3 of Union List (Schedule VII) of the Constitution of India, Urban Self Governance of the Cantonments and the Housing Accommodation therein is the subject matter of the Union of India. There are 62 Cantonments in the country which have been notified under the Cantonments Act, 1924 (succeeded by the Cantonments Act, 2006). The overall municipal administration of the notified Cantonments is the function of the Cantonment Boards which are democratic bodies. The Station Commander of the Cantonment is the ex-officio President of the Board and an officer of the IDES or Defence Estates Organisation is the Chief Executive Officer who is also the Member-Secretary of the Board. The Board has equal representation of the elected and nominated/ex-officio members to balance the official representation with the democratic composition. This unique structure of Cantonment Boards is being maintained successfully keeping in view the fact that the Cantonment areas were and are primarily meant to accommodate the military population and their installations. Cantonments are different from the Military Stations in that the Military Stations are purely meant for the use and accommodation of the armed forces and these are established under an executive order whereas the Cantonments are areas which comprise of both military and civil population. Made By: Cadet Utkarsha Ganvir PB19SWA137401 .