India’s first Military University by next month

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would lay the foundation stone for India’s first national defence university next month, with final decks cleared for its opening during a meeting chaired by Defence Minister A K Antony here on Friday.

The Indian National Defence University (INDU) would be a fully autonomous institution, located on a 200-acre plot at Binola near Gurgoan in the national capital region of Haryana.

“Decks have now been cleared for the foundation stone laying of the Indian National Defence University. The final touches to the plan were given at a meeting presided over by the Defence Minister,” according to Defence Ministry officials.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to lay the foundation stone in the last week of May,” they said.

“The university is being planned on the lines of IITs and IIMs,” the officials said.

The university would have a mandate to provide knowledge-based higher education for management of defence of the country, keeping its participants abreast with emerging security challenges through scholarly research and training.

“The INDU will be a unique institution of national importance,” the officials said.

An expenditure of `295 crore would be incurred by the government for setting up the university and another `162 crore for land acquisition, which is almost done now. It is estimated to take about seven years from foundation stone laying for the INDU to become functional.

Binola was chosen owing to its proximity to the national capital and land availability. The INDU, approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2010, would cater to a large number of international officials and students as well as India’s security leaders, civilians and defence officials for courses and training.

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