New Delhi: Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday underlined the need to deepen integration between the military and civil components of the Ministry to foster greater synergy within the defence ecosystem.
Addressing the 85th Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) Civilian Services Day celebrations in Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised that both the uniformed and civil services share the same commitment of ‘Nation First’.
He said that when the objective of both the military and civil components of the Ministry is singular, every element of the system transforms into national strength.
He said deeper integration between the military and civil components of the Ministry of Defence will help to tackle evolving security and technological challenges, while ensuring institutional memory, stability, and the effective application of rules and regulations.
He said that military and administrative integration cannot proceed along separate paths as there will be a need for continuity and expertise across all areas – policy, administration, human resource management, financial processes, logistics, and institutional knowledge.
Rajnath Singh highlighted the importance of further enhancing structured cross-exposure between civilian and military officers, suggesting joint training programmes and developmental assignments for both sides to learn from each other’s experiences.
“Military officers bring operational experience, a command perspective, and an understanding of warfare, while civilian officers contribute through administrative continuity, policy experience, an understanding of government processes, and institutional memory. When these strengths combine, decision-making becomes more informed, balanced, and effective,” stated Rajnath Singh.
Explaining with the example of ‘cyber warfare’, the Defence Minister stated that if officers of the AFHQ Civilian Services develop defence-specific common cyber tools leveraging their expertise, it could prove beneficial to the Defence Forces.
Rajnath Singh called upon the AFHQ Civilian Services to evolve into the “strategic brain” of India’s defence management architecture by developing a comprehensive understanding of the defence sector.
The Defence Minister also launched several digital initiatives of the office of Joint Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer (JS & CAO) and its Revised Vision & Mission Statement.
He also released the 34th issue of the ‘Samvad’ magazine that contains travelogues, essays, articles, and poems written by employees of various ranks posted in Service Headquarters and Inter-Service Organisations.
Rajnath Singh also presented awards to AFHQ personnel for their achievements in various fields, such as sports, and to some of the employees’ children who excelled in academics.
(IANS)
