Announces time-bound action plan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 3

The newly constituted Defence Planning Council (DPC), at its first meeting on Thursday, announced a time-bound action plan for national security and long-term military planning.Headed by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, the DPC has the mandate to come up with five drafts on various issues. It “deliberated on geo-strategic landscape,” a statement of the Ministry of Defence said. Sources said besides emerging scenarios in Asia and elsewhere, the recent development on ties with China was also discussed.The DPC, which was formed on April 18, is a permanent body. It has been tasked with preparing five drafts — national security strategic defence review and doctrines, international defence engagement strategy, roadmap to build defence and manufacturing eco system, strategy to boost defence exports, and prioritise capability development plans for the armed forces over different time-frames. It will submit its reports to the Defence Minister.As per its mandate, the DPC will operate through four sub-committees: policy and strategy, plans and capability development, defence diplomacy and defence manufacturing ecosystem. The membership and the terms of reference of the sub-committees will be finalised separately.Besides Doval, the three Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, Expenditure Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale are its members. Integrated Defence Staff Chief Lt General Satish Dua is the member-secretary.