New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) To strengthen the nation’s security framework amid current uncertainties, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the need for greater coordination between civil and military personnel.
He highlighted the crucial role played by various departments within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in providing outstanding back-end support to the armed forces, which was a major factor in the success of Operation Sindoor, a Defence Ministry statement said.
Addressing the 84th Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) Civilian Services Day event at DRDO Bhawan, here, Rajnath 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, he 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 Defence Ministry. 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,” he added.
The Defence Minister laid stress on 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 scenario 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,” he said.
He further added that 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 said.
As part of the event, the Minister launched a redeveloped website of Office of Joint Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer (www.caomod.gov.in), which will provide all relevant information about the office to the employees and general public.
The employees would be able to get the latest orders and updates such as promotion, transfer, status of medical allowance, salary slips and Form-16 etc. Through the website, the employees can also apply for various training courses and workshops of Defence Headquarters Training Institute.
He also released a book ‘Viksit Bharat@2047: Karmikon Ke Vichar’ and a magazine ‘Samvad’ and presented awards to AFHQ personnel for their achievements in various fields.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Ex-servicemen Welfare) Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat and Financial Advisor (Defence Services) Mayank Sharma and other senior officials of MoD were present on the occasion.
