NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Monday initiated a two-day seminar in Jaipur which aims towards developing a unified national security framework.
The Army said, "The Security Synergy Seminar on 'A Whole-of-Nation Approach (WoNA) to Counter Future Conflicts' commenced on 10 Nov 25 at Jaipur Military Station under the aegis of South Western (Sapta Shakti) Command, in collaboration with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi."
The deliberations focused on evolving multi-domain threats and formulating a comprehensive national security framework.
The concept of 'citizen warriors' emphasises that every citizen is a 'gate keeper'. The brainstorming sessions intend to identify gaps in institutional, technological and operational domains in the current 'mil-civil fusion' and simultaneously recommend measures/ actions for integration of all the stakeholders, bridging the gaps in policy, resources and inter-agency coordination for building a security culture.
The first day of the seminar witnessed thought-provoking sessions on 'The Strategic Imperative of WoNA' and 'Forging Partnerships - The Pillars of Collaboration'.
The second day will deliberate on invigorating ideas on 'information operations' and a state-level framework to tackle future conflicts.
As per the Army statement, the special highlight of the seminar "is to propose a framework for Rajasthan, which will act as an example for other states to imbibe."
Conceptualised by Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh, Army Commander, South Western Command, the two-day seminar aims to foster synergy between the Indian Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, civil administration, academia and industry towards developing a unified national security framework.
In his inaugural address, the Army Commander highlighted that the current global environment is extremely turbulent, marked by volatility, uncertainty and shifting power dynamics. He cited examples of recent global conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars wherein, apart from the military, the economic, civil infrastructure, citizens, information and cyber were equally targeted with impunity.
"Hence, modern warfare has transcended conventional battlefields to include multiple domains such as cyber, space, drones and electronic warfare, demanding seamless integration of all components of national power -- Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic (DIME) supported by technology," he said.
He highlighted that true national resilience stems from the collective effort of governance, industry, and citizens -- the essence of the whole-of-nation approach. He further exhorted that 'security of the nation' should become a 'habit' and 'soul of the nation' in this contemporary world.
Taking guidance from PM Narendra Modi's 'JAI - Jointness, Atmanirbharta & Innovation' framework, the Army Commander urged to adopt a transformation from an 'individual centric to national centric' approach, for a cohesive, self-reliant & future ready force.
The first-of-its-kind seminar brought to the table illuminating discussions, with the participation of eminent military strategists, experienced senior veterans, diplomats, bureaucrats, industry, innovators, senior stakeholders of state administration, acclaimed media houses and 130 students from various universities in Jaipur.