Amid the conflict between India and Pakistan, there is a need to revisit the debate over whether India, too, should have a doctrinal approach to its national security.

About National Security Doctrine (NSD)

• It is a strategic document that outlines core principles, threat perceptions, and response mechanisms for safeguarding national security.
• India currently does not have a formal NSD, though calls for one have intensified due to rising conventional and non-conventional threats.
• Existing security decisions are based on fragmented operational directives (e.g., Raksha Mantri’s Operational Directive 2009) and ad-hoc responses.

Why Does India Need a National Security Doctrine?

• Reactive, Not Proactive Security Posture: India often responds after crises emerge (e.g., Pulwama 2019, Galwan 2020), rather than anticipating threats.
  • A National Security Doctrine would shift focus to prevention and early deterrence, ensuring pre-emptive readiness.

• Strategic Passivity and Misinterpretation of No First Use: India’s nuclear doctrine of No First Use (NFU) is rooted in moral restraint but often misread as indecisiveness in dealing with threats like terrorism.
  • NSD must clarify India’s response posture—e.g., “massive retaliation” vs “focused but punitive action”—to restore credibility.
• Fragmented Institutional Response: Lack of unified leadership results in poor coordination among military, intelligence, and civilian agencies.
  • NSD would define roles, responsibilities, and inter-agency protocols, ensuring seamless coordination in crises (e.g., seen during Maoist crackdowns).
• Lack of Strategic Guidance for Emerging Threats: India’s current approach underestimates modern threats like cyberattacks, AI-led radicalisation, crypto-terrorism, and grey-zone warfare.
  • A national doctrine must explicitly address these non-traditional and tech-enabled threats, including safeguarding cyber and information infrastructure.
• Ambiguity in Red Lines and Escalation Policies: Absence of clear thresholds encourages adversaries like China and Pakistan to exploit India’s strategic ambiguity.
  • NSD must define red lines, escalation ladders, and deterrence logic, particularly in border, cyber, and counter-terror contexts.
• Underutilisation of Strategic Assets: Despite possessing advanced systems (e.g., Agni-5 MIRV, INS Arighaat), India lacks a doctrine guiding their role in deterrence and power projection.
  • NSD would provide a framework for strategic deployment, strengthening India’s position vis-à-vis China and Pakistan.
• Neglect of a Holistic Security Vision: Current policy sees national security narrowly through a military or police lens.
  • A formal doctrine would adopt a “whole-of-nation” approach, integrating economic, social, environmental, and technological dimensions.

Philosophical Foundation

• Krishna’s Call for Just War – Yuddhaya Krita Nischaya: Bhagavad Gita – Krishna persuades Arjuna to fight for dharma (righteous order).
  • War must be fought when it is morally justified and essential for justice and stability.
• Chanakya’s Mandala Theory: “Your immediate neighbour is your natural enemy.”
  • Advocated strategic foresight, covert alliances, and preparedness for long-term security.
  • Emphasizes securing distant borders (e.g., Northeast, maritime) to ensure overall national security.
• Ashoka’s Buddhist Diplomacy: Sent emissaries (his own children, Mahinda & Sanghamitta) to promote Buddhism across Asia.
  • Used soft power as a security strategy to create a friendly strategic periphery.
  • India’s Neighbourhood First policy, use of culture, vaccines, and development aid to project influence mirrors this legacy.
• Buddha and Gandhi – Doctrine of Peace: Promoted non-violence (Ahimsa) and No First Use (NFU) as moral principles.
  • India’s 2003 Nuclear Doctrine is inspired by this heritage: It declares NFU and massive retaliation only if attacked.
• Balance of Dharma and Shakti (Power): Indian thought promotes a balance between morality (dharma) and realpolitik (shakti).
  • NSD should reflect both ethical restraint and strategic assertiveness.
  • India’s position in Quad and refusal to buckle under global pressure while protecting its sovereignty reflects this dual approach.
• Security as Rajadharma (Duty of the State): Ancient Indian kings, guided by texts like Arthashastra and Mahabharata, considered protecting the kingdom as the highest moral duty.
  • NSD must treat citizen safety, sovereignty, and social harmony not just as policies, but as state obligations.

Challenges in Framing a National Security Doctrine (NSD)

• Lack of Political Consensus: Political parties often fear that a formal doctrine may lead to future accountability or criticism.
  • National security is still treated as a confidential executive function, not a bipartisan policy area.
• Secrecy vs Transparency Dilemma: Releasing doctrine publicly may expose India’s red lines, strategic gaps, or decision-making logic to adversaries.
  • Keeping it entirely classified may defeat its purpose of deterrence and signalling.
• Bureaucratic Silos and Institutional Fragmentation: Ministries (Home, Defence, External Affairs), armed forces, and intelligence agencies often work in silos.
  • No central doctrine-writing authority exists; NSCS has yet to consolidate doctrinal writing power.
• Fear of Doctrinal Rigidity: A fixed doctrine may be viewed as inflexible in a fast-changing world, especially given the speed of technological and geopolitical shifts.
• Lack of Strategic Culture: India’s political class and bureaucracy have historically prioritized tactical crisis management over strategic vision.
  • Chanakyan and Mahabharata-based traditions of statecraft are acknowledged philosophically, but not institutionalised into state policy.
• Operational vs Strategic Disconnect: Theatre commands and tactical doctrines (e.g. Cold Start, Cyber Doctrine) exist.
  • But they function without an overarching strategic doctrine, leading to incoherence in long-term goal setting.

Way Forward

• Formalize a National Security Doctrine: The NSCS must lead the creation of a comprehensive NSD covering military, cyber, economic, diplomatic, and societal threats. 
  • It should include a public version for strategic signaling and a classified version for actionable plans.
• Holistic Threat Assessment: Address external, internal, and non-traditional threats, including China’s military and cyber advancements and Pakistan’s terrorism. 
  • Incorporate risks from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and potential China-Pakistan collusion affecting the Northeast.
• Adopt a Whole-of-Nation Approach: Integrate military, intelligence, diplomacy, economic, and cyber strategies for cohesive security. 
  • Build on successes like terror finance crackdowns and intelligence-led operations in Left-Wing Extremism areas.
• Clarify Strategic Posture and Embrace Technology: Define policies on first use, retaliation, escalation, and war thresholds, adapting “No First Use” for hybrid threats. 
  • Build indigenous AI, cyber, space, quantum, and drone capabilities to counter threats like Volt Typhoon.
• Strengthen Maritime, Energy, and Intelligence Frameworks: Enhance India’s Indo-Pacific and IOR role via INS Arighaat, Quad, and Colombo Security Conclave. 
  • Foster inter-agency synergy among RAW, IB, NIA, NTRO, and armed forces, securing critical sea lanes.
• Build Resilience and Align Theatre Commands: Develop protocols to counter grey-zone tactics like cyber sabotage and disinformation. 
  • Align Northern, Western, and Maritime Theatre Commands with NSD goals, setting clear red lines for deterrence.
• Institutionalize Review and Civilizational Ethos: Establish a dynamic NSD, reviewed every five years by NSCS, ensuring adaptability. 
  • Embed India’s balance of moral restraint (Gandhi, Buddha) and strategic resolve (Krishna, Chanakya).

Conclusion

India urgently needs a codified National Security Doctrine to proactively address evolving threats, ensure strategic clarity, and project its role as a global security leader. By integrating military, cyber, and diplomatic strategies with its civilizational ethos, India can balance dharma and shakti to safeguard its sovereignty and stability.

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