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Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan connected Thursday (January 23, 2026) underscored the enduring relevance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s strategical vision, asserting that his attack to diplomacy, subject enactment and federation gathering offers captious lessons for India amid a polycentric, unstable and uncertain planetary order.
Delivering an code astatine Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) connected the commencement day of Netaji, General Chauhan said Bose exemplified the seamless integration of governmental vision, astute diplomacy and subject operations. “He created a government, built an army, planned campaigns, negotiated alliances and managed logistics. He was classically a subject leader,” the CDS remarked, adding that the afloat interaction of the Indian National Army’s (INA) publication to India’s independency is yet to beryllium afloat recognised.
Reflecting connected history, General Chauhan noted that overmuch of the subject past studied by Indian officers was written from a assemblage perspective. He highlighted that the INA suffered the highest attrition complaint faced by immoderate army, yet stood arsenic a almighty awesome of unity, transcending region, caste, religion and gender.
The CDS outlined however the conception of nationalist information has expanded beyond accepted subject concerns. “Today, nationalist information is astir securing land, radical and ideology,” helium said, explaining his model of nationalist information arsenic 3 concentric circles — securing the nation, defending it, and astatine the core, subject preparedness — each of which indispensable enactment successful adjacent coordination.
Netaji’s strategical realism
Emphasising Netaji’s foresight, General Chauhan pointed to Bose’s imaginativeness for indigenous arms accumulation arsenic aboriginal arsenic 1944, likening it to today’s accent connected ‘aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance). He cited the dialog with Japan to unafraid the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — renamed Shaheed and Swaraj — arsenic India’s archetypal sovereign territory arsenic a classical illustration of strategical realism.
Addressing modern challenges, the CDS spoke astir broad nationalist information encompassing economic, energy, environmental, cyber and accusation security, achieved done diplomacy and statecraft. He highlighted India’s quality to prosecute simultaneously with groupings similar Quad, BRICS and SCO, and its information successful the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor arsenic a semipermanent strategical move.
Warfare successful future
On aboriginal warfare, General Chauhan warned of accelerated technological disruptions, caller domains specified arsenic cyberspace, electromagnetic spectrum and cognitive warfare, and an epoch of undeclared, informal wars. “There are nary imperishable friends oregon allies,” helium cautioned, stressing the request for innovation rooted successful Indian strategical civilization alternatively than predictable Western models.
“The satellite is not undergoing gradual alteration but facing profound disruption, wherever technological advances volition find the outcomes of aboriginal conflicts. The post-World War II planetary bid is breaking down, challenging established planetary institutions, and determination are nary imperishable friends oregon allies among nations.”
“Emerging technologies specified arsenic bioengineering, familial therapy and artificial quality clasp the top transformative potential, yet governments and militaries are struggling to support gait with these accelerated shifts. At the aforesaid time, states are progressively consenting to usage unit to execute governmental objectives. Warfare is moving into an epoch of undeclared, informal conflicts, with countries seeking to seize,” added Gen Chauhan.
He noted that 75 years aft independence, India is shedding assemblage vestiges portion preparing for a satellite marked by profound disruption.
