COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2375
ANSWERED ON 25.07.2014

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING

2375 . Shri C.S. PUTTARAJU

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government is aware of countries which are providing compulsory military training to their citizens;

(b) if so, whether the Government has ever considered making military training compulsory for all the youths of the country on similar lines;

(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government has received any proposal in this regard; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (SHRI ARUN JAITLEY)

(a) Yes, Madam.

(b) & (c): Government of India is not in favour of making military training compulsory to all the youth of the country due to the following reasons:-

(i)India is a democratic Republic and the Constitution does not provide for compulsory military training. In our democratic set up, people are free to choose their professions. Compulsion in respect of Military Training, it is felt, would go against the democratic ethos.

(ii) Military training to all the youth of the country may also lead to militarisation of an entire nation. With our socio-political and economic conditions, it is highly undesirable, lest some of the unemployed youth trained in military skills join the ranks of the undesirable elements.

(iii)Armed Forces in India have a large number of volunteers to draw upon and there is no problem in getting adequate numbers of volunteer recruits. All the youth of the country, therefore, do not compulsorily need to be given military training.

(iv) Training all the youth in the country would require establishment of a very large number of training centres, with the necessary wherewithal, all over the country and would involve huge expenditure in their maintenance and upkeep. The likely benefits of imparting military training to all the youth will not be commensurate with the expenditure involved in such an effort. This would translate into an unmanageable figure and will also be a big drain on limited resources of a developing country.

(d) & (e): Yes, Madam. A number of proposals have been received during the last five years. Three private member bills were also introduced in the Parliament, the details of which are annexed.

Source-http://loksabha.nic.in/

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN THE REPLY GIVEN IN PARTS (d) & (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2375 FOR ANSWER ON 25.7.2014

http://164.100.47.132/Annexture_New/lsq16/2/au2375.htm