Forging the Sword

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-37
Author(s):  
Anit Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Design ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Military Education ◽  
Military Effectiveness ◽  
Professional Military Education ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Promotion Policies ◽  
Weapons Procurement ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
Defense Planning

This chapter explains the book’s theoretical underpinnings. It begins by discussing the contrasting views of Samuel Huntington and Eliot Cohen on the preferred role and “balance” of civil–military relations. Next, it examines patterns of democratic civil–military relations to argue that they are shaped largely by three factors—the struggle over military autonomy, the issue of civilian expertise, and institutional design, specifically the manner in which the Ministry of Defence interacts with the services. The next section discusses the concept of military effectiveness as adopted in this book. Drawing inspiration from previous works, it examines five processes associated with effective militaries. These variables, analyzed subsequently in separate chapters, are weapons procurement, jointness, professional military education, officer promotion policies, and defense planning. The chapter then discusses the study of the Indian military and its effectiveness and concludes by describing the analytical framework adopted in the rest of the book.

The Absent Dialogue

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anit Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Design ◽  
Civilian Control ◽  
Military Effectiveness ◽  
Deep Dive ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Promotion Policies ◽  
Weapons Procurement ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
Postcolonial States ◽  
The Military

Civilian control over the military is widely hailed as among the biggest successes of India’s democracy. This is a rarity, especially among postcolonial states, and is rightfully celebrated. But has this come at a cost? The Absent Dialogue argues that the pattern of civil–military relations in India has hampered its military effectiveness. Indian politicians and bureaucrats have long been content with the formal and ritualistic exercise of civilian control, while the military continues to operate in institutional silos, with little substantive engagement between the two. In making this claim, the book closely examines the variables most associated with military effectiveness—weapons procurement, jointness (the ability of separate military services to operate together), officer education, promotion policies, and defense planning. India’s pattern of civil–military relations—best characterized as an absent dialogue—adversely affects each of these processes. Theoretically, the book adopts the “unequal dialogue” framework proposed by Eliot Cohen but also argues that, under some conditions, patterns of civil–military relations may more closely resemble an “absent dialogue.” Informed by more than a hundred and fifty interviews and recently available archival material, the book represents a deep dive into understanding the power and the limitations of the Indian military. It sheds new light on India’s military history and is essential reading for understanding contemporary civil–military relations and recurring problems therein. While the book focuses on India, it also highlights the importance of civilian expertise and institutional design in enhancing civilian control and military effectiveness in other democracies.

The Best of Intentions

2019 ◽  
pp. 222-249
Author(s):  
Anit Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Design ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
History Of ◽  
Conceptual Discussion ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
The Military ◽  
Defense Planning

This chapter examines defense planning in the Indian military. It begins with a conceptual discussion on the role of civilians in defense planning, mainly by examining the experience of other democracies. Next, it describes the history of defense planning in India, focusing on the formulation and implementation of five-year defense plans. There are three main arguments in this chapter. First, effective defense planning requires a close partnership between civilians and the military. Second, defense planning in India is marked by a lack of civilian guidance and institutional discordance, creating friction in civil–military relations. To an extent, this is because of a lack of expertise, on the part of civilians, and an institutional design that creates strong civil–military silos. Third, notwithstanding the above, there have been periodic attempts at reforming defense-planning structures. Progress has been achieved in some sectors, but much remains to be done.

scholarly journals Educating the Professional Military

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-497
Author(s):  
Anit Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Military Education ◽  
Military Officers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Professional Military Education ◽  
Education Benefits ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Education In India ◽  
Objective Control ◽  
Military Relations

This article analyzes the ways in which civil–military relations shape professional military education (PME). Its main argument is that military education benefits from a civil–military partnership. In doing so, the article examines the role of civil–military relations in shaping PME in India. While describing the evolution of military education in India, it analyzes its weaknesses and argues that this is primarily due to its model of civil–military relations, with a limited role for civilians. Theoretically, this argument challenges Samuel Huntington’s notion of “objective control”—which envisaged a strict separation between the civil and military domains. Conceptually, this article argues for a greater dialogue on military education among civilians, both policy makers and academics, and military officers and not to leave it to the military’s domain—as is currently the practice in most countries.

An “In-House” Affair

2019 ◽  
pp. 173-190
Author(s):  
Anit Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Military Education ◽  
Professional Military Education ◽  
Unique Pattern ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Effective System ◽  
History Of ◽  
Military Relations

While examining professional military education (PME) in the Indian military, this chapter makes three main arguments. First, informed civilian intervention is crucial for an effective system of PME. Such intervention is important for enforcing jointness, emphasizing education over training, and creating a role for civilian academics. Second, this type of intervention has not happened in India, and PME remains almost exclusively in the military’s domain. Third, India’s unique pattern of civil–military relations, the absent dialogue argument, has accentuated weaknesses in its PME. Hindered by a lack of expertise and the norm in civil–military relations, civilians do not actively shape PME. In making these arguments, the chapter describes the history of PME, highlighting the lack of civilian participation and the weaknesses therein.

Conclusion

2020 ◽  
pp. 283-298
Author(s):  
Risa Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Civilian Control ◽  
Military Effectiveness ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Us Military ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
Military Activity ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Relationship

The concluding chapter synthesizes insights from the individual chapters, identifying six overarching lessons: civilian control of the US military is complex and understudied; norms are essential for healthy civil-military relations; the relationship between society and the military is less than healthy; partisanship is corroding civil-military relations; public scrutiny of the military is essential to military effectiveness; and the fundamental character of civil-military relations is changing. In turn, it proposes several questions for future research, suggesting that more could be known about public accountability of military activity; the nature and measurement of military politicization; and changing actors and roles in civil-military relations.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DISTANCE STUDYING TO CREATE “SOFT SKILLS” AMONG SPECIALISTS THAT ARE STUDYING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAM “CIVILMILITARY RELATIONS”

2020 ◽  
pp. 28-32
Author(s):  
O. Beryslavska ◽  
V. Dobrovolskyi ◽  
V. Gololobov
Keyword(s):  
Soft Skills ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Military Education ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Modern Methods ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
Training Specialists

The article is dedicated to the capabilities on introducing modern methods and pedagogical technologies (the technologies ofdistance studying) including the ones that are used in the course of the training of the Armed Forces of the NATO membercountries and which could be adapted to the peculiarities of training cadets (students) in accordance to the program of “Civilmilitary relations”.There’re arguments provided, which favor the implementation of technologies of distance studying in the system of militaryeducation which will facilitate the engagement of a larger number of participants to obtain and permanently improve theprofessional military education; the more operative reaction to changes, that are currently ongoing in the modern world andeducation; the provision of qualitively new educational services by providing access to informational resources including theones that are developing “soft skills” as competences which are the most required ones for modern specialists.There’s a presented analyses of the open educational platforms with the aim to identify courses which could be used todevelop “soft skills” within the framework of training specialists in accordance to the program “Civil-Military relations. It hasbeen determined that the competences “soft skills” are required in the first place for self-development, they represent the bestpractices of the system of “life-long study” and most certainly have got to be an element of combined studying which happens tobe the most suitable for military education.There have been arguments provided in favor of the fact that an important feature of training specialists in the field of civilmilitarycooperation is the intensification of international cooperation in the field of education with the prominent countries inthe world and the appropriate structures of NATO member countries, the intensification of participation of personnel in terms ofinternational exercises , training missions, trainings, educational programs, consultations, internships and other events mainly,within the NATO program “The development of military education” and Ukraine-NATO program with the professionaldevelopment of civil-personnel of the security and defense sector with the engagement of instructors and teachers who havebeen deployed with this purpose.

Introduction

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Anit Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Impact ◽  
Main Argument ◽  
Military Effectiveness ◽  
Civil Military Relations ◽  
Military Relations ◽  
The Military

This chapter provides an overview of the central claims in the book. It begins by describing some recent vignettes in India’s civil–military relations, which convey the disquiet and its recurring crises. Next, it presents the main argument of this book—India’s pattern of civil–military relations has had an adverse impact on the variables associated with military effectiveness. The pattern, termed an “absent dialogue,” emerges from different factors but, in effect, results in creating strong silos between civilians and the military. Thereafter, the chapter explains why these conditions persist. It then highlights the relevance of this book. The penultimate section describes the sources and methodology, and the chapter concludes with an overview of the rest of the chapters in this book.

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