Udhagamandalam (Tamil Nadu), Aug 4: Geo-strategic and geo-political compulsions and many other factors have made the security landscape more complex and changing times called for new ways to secure national interests and ensure national security, President Ram Nath Kovind said here on Wednesday.
Addressing student officers of the 77th Staff Course of the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington near here, Kovind said as a defence professional, an officer has to be a knowledge warrior in sync with the age of knowledge warfare.
“We are passing through challenging times which is full of changes. The concepts of national security and defence are changing.”
Geo-strategic and geo-political compulsions and many other factors have made the security landscape more complex.
Low intensity conflicts, counter terrorism and non-combat conflicts pose different challenges and there is a need to have a thorough understanding of all aspects, he said.
“In these changing times, we have to think of new ways to secure our national interests and ensure our national security. This would require a fresh approach.”
The student officers would be given comprehensive inputs to help them understand the changing dynamics.
He said that with an understanding of the larger picture, they would be able to identify their role in the areas of national security.
The President said the 21st century society is described as knowledge society. “Knowledge truly is power in this century. Just as we are said to be in an era of knowledge economy, we are also into the age of knowledge warfare.”
As defence professionals, the officers have to be knowledge warriors, he said.
Kovind expressed confidence that their professional learning at Defence Services Staff College would enable them to imbibe the required competencies. “It would equip them with the right toolkit to take on bigger challenges in the future.”