1. Organisation & Functions of Ministry of Defence, Three Services And
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1. Organisation & Functions of Ministry of Defence, Three Services and other Organisations under MOD Introduction The Government of India is responsible for ensuring the defence of India and every part thereof. The Supreme Command of the 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 Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) is the head of the Ministry of Defence. The principal task of the Defence Ministry is to obtain policy directions of the Government on all defence and security related matters and communicate them for implementation to the Services Headquarters, Inter-Services Organisations, Production Establishments and Research and Development Organisations. It is also required to ensure effective implementation of the Government's policy directions and the execution of approved programmes within the allocated resources. Ministry of Defence comprises of four Departments viz. Department of Defence (DOD), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D) and Department of Ex- Servicemen Welfare and also Finance Division. Organisational Set-Up And Functions After independence Ministry of Defence was created under the charge of a Cabinet Minister, and, each Service was placed under its own Commander-in- Chief. In 1955, the Commanders-in-Chief were renamed as the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff. In November 1962, a Department of Defence Production was set up to deal with research, development and production of defence equipment. In November 1965, the Department of Defence Supplies was created for planning and execution of schemes for import substitution of defence requirements. These two Departments were later merged to form the Department of Defence Production and Supplies. In 2004, the name of Department of Defence Production and Supplies was changed to Department of Defence Production. In 1980, the Department of Defence Research and Development was created. In 2004, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare was created. The Defence Secretary functions as head of the Department of Defence and is additionally responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the four Departments in the Ministry. 1 The principal task of the Ministry is to frame policy directions on defence and security related matters and communicate them for implementation to the Services Headquarters, Inter-Service Organisations, Production Establishments and Research & Development Organisations. It is required to ensure effective implementation of the Government's policy directions and the execution of approved programmes within the allocated resources. The principal functions of all the Departments are as follows: (i) The Department ofDefence deals with the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and three Services andvarious Inter-Service Organisations. It is also responsible for the DefenceBudget, establishment matters, defence policy, matters relating to Parliament,defence co-operation with foreign countries and co-ordination of all defencerelated activities. (ii) The Department of Defence Production The Department of Defence Production is headed by a Secretary and deals with matters pertaining to defence production, indigenisation of imported stores, equipment and spares, planning and control of departmental production units of the Ordnance Factory Board and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). (iii) The Department of Defence Research The Department of Defence Research and Development is headed by a Secretary, who is the Scientific Adviser to the Raksha Mantri. Its function is to advise the Government on scientific aspects of military equipment and logistics and the formulation of research, design and development plans for equipment required by the Services. (iv) The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare is headed by a Secretary and deals with all resettlement, welfare and pensionary matters of Ex-Servicemen. Reforms in Management of Defence The broad array of challenges both existing and potential to the National Security in the fast changing geo-strategic security environment mandate a periodical re-appraisal of our security procedures to cope with them. The Government, keeping this in view, instituted a comprehensive review of the National Security System in its entirety for the first time in the history of independent India. For details see 'Reforming the National Security System- Recommendations of the Group of Ministers in the NEW ADDITIONS'. The review was carried out by a Group of Ministers (GOM) constituted on April 17, 2000. The GOM consisted of the Home Minister, the Raksha Mantri, the External Affairs Minister and the Finance Minister. The GOM made recommendation regarding reforms in Defence Management. The process of 2 implementation of the recommendations was initiated in 2001. These reforms have brought about improvements in the organizations, structures and processes for the integration of civil and military components. Some of the major reforms are detailed in the following paragraphs. Integrated Defence Staff: A decision regarding the recommendation of the Group of Ministers for creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has not been taken by the Government as yet pending consultation with political parties. However, with a view to ensure higher degree of jointness amongst the Services and attempt inter-service and intra-service prioritization, the Government has set up the Integrated Defence Staff, headed by the Chief of Integrated Staff to Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), to support the Chiefs of Staff Committee and its Chairman in the optimal performance of their roles and functions. The CISC supervises the Integrated Defence Staff, chairs all multi- Service bodies and the Defence Crisis Management Group (DCMG) and is also responsible for the coordination of long-range plans, five year plans and annual budgetary proposals of the three Services in consultation and co-ordination with the Integrated Services Headquarters. The CISC renders advice to the Government on prioritization for developing force levels and capabilities through restructuring proposals, undertakes net assessment comprising the totality of the national capability, formulates joint doctrines in consultation with Service Headquarters, conceptualises policy and programmes on joint planning and military education for personnel of Defence Services, render advice for evolving responses to non-conventional and unconventional threats to national security and proposes measures to be taken for ensuring the required jointness amongst the Armed Forces and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning process through intra and inter-Service prioritization. Defence Intelligence Agency : The Government has also set up the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) under DG DIA to co-ordinate and synergise the intelligence Wings of the Services. The DIA is responsible for providing integrated intelligence inputs to the higher echelons of Defence Management. Defence Acquisition Council : The Government has set up a Defence Acquisition Council headed by the Raksha Mantri for decision making in regard to the totality of the new planning process, which inter-alia involves according ‘in principle' approval of capital acquisitions in the long term perspective plan and according ‘in principle' approval for each capital acquisition programme. The decisions flowing from the Defence Acquisition Council are to be implemented by the following three Boards:- (i) Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence Secretary; 3 (ii) Defence Production Board headed by the Secretary, Defence Production and (iii) Defence Research & Development Board headed by Secretary Defence Research & Development. These Boards have been entrusted with specific functions. A Defence Acquisition Wing headed by Special Secretary (Acquisition) has also been created to assist the Defence Procurement Board in its functioning. The new structures are intended to facilitate expeditious decision-making in an integrated manner in areas relating to acquisitions for the three Services while at the same time imparting a higher degree of transparency and cost effectiveness to the process of acquisition of equipment, weapon and weapon systems. For Defence Procurement Organisation and Defence Procurement Procedures-02 (June 03 version. Defence Technology Council (DTC) : Defence Technology Council has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri by the Government to provide guidance and supervision of growth and promotion of research, development and production related to Defence Technologies. DTC will assist the Defence Acquisition Council in taking holistic decisions on specific Defence Projects related to long term perspective plans and five year plans. Andaman and Nicobar Command : The first tri-Service Joint Command was established in October 2001 in Andaman and Nicobar under the Commander-in- Chief (C-in-C) who exercises control over all force components of the three Services and the Coast Guard located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The C- in-C, Andaman and Nicobar Command reports to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee. Management of Strategic Assets : Keeping in view the nuclear, chemical and biological dimensions of our security environment and in