To bolster security structure and safeguard national interests, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called for enhancing the synergy between civil and military personnel.
Addressing the 84th Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) Civilian Services Day event at DRDO Bhawan here, the minister said exceptional back-end support provided by different departments of Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the Armed Forces was a key to Operation Sindoor’s success.
He asserted that a war is fought not just by the military, but the entire country, and in today’s rapidly-changing security scenario, there is a need to move ahead with dynamism and innovative spirit while making constant improvements according to the evolving needs. “We cannot leave scope for even the slightest negligence or mistake,” he added.
Emphasising that a robust administrative system is integral for a strong military power, Singh commended the AFHQ Civilian Services for playing an important role in strengthening the country’s security system during war as well as peace time. “AFHQ Services acts as an institutional memory for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It provides consistency, domain expertise and uniformity in the administration, while playing a key role in policy continuity and establishing civil-military synergy. It is a strong pillar of a modern and integrated national defence system,” the minister added.
He also stressed the need for capacity development, urging the AFHQ officials to assess and embrace the best practices being adopted by their counterparts in other ministries and countries in the fields of training and capability enhancement.
“Emerging technologies, new challenges, and changing global scenarios indicate that training should not be just a formal process, but a continuous cycle of development. Skill upgradation, ethical orientation and behavioural excellence need to be added as integral parts of training,” the defence minister said.
Training components must not be limited to technical proficiency, but also include value orientation, which can connect actions with national interests. This would make AFHQ a value-based institution along with an administrative structure, he contended.
On the occasion, Singh also released a book ‘Viksit Bharat@2047: Karmikon Ke Vichar’ and a magazine ‘Samvad’.
He presented awards to AFHQ personnel for their achievements in various fields such as sports, and some of the children of the employees who excelled in academics.
AFHQ Day is celebrated on 1st August in recognition of the role of civilian personnel functioning shoulder-to-shoulder with the Service personnel, primarily in the three Integrated Service Headquarters, HQ IDS and 24 Inter-Service Organisations of the Ministry of Defence.