The back-end support provided by different departments of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to the armed forces was the key to Operation Sindoor’s success, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday, calling for enhanced civil-military synergy to bolster the security structure.
Addressing the 84th Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) Civilian Services Day event at DRDO Bhawan, he said, “A war is fought not just by the military, but the entire country, and in today's rapidly changing security scenario, there is a need to move ahead with dynamism and innovative spirit while making constant improvements according to the evolving needs.
“We cannot leave scope for even the slightest negligence or mistake,” he added, underscoring the importance of a nation fighting a war collectively and learning from every battle. Emphasising that a robust administrative system is integral for a strong military power, Rajnath Singh commended the AFHQ Civilian Services for playing an important role in strengthening the country’s security system during war as well as peacetime.
“AFHQ Services acts as an institutional memory for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It provides consistency, domain expertise and uniformity in the administration, while playing a key role in policy continuity and establishing civil-military synergy.
It is a strong pillar of a modern and integrated national defence system,” he added. The Defence Minister also laid stress on capacity development, urging the AFHQ officials to assess and embrace the best practices being adopted by their counterparts in other Ministries and countries in the fields of training and capability enhancement.
“Emerging technologies, new challenges and changing global scenario indicate that training should not be just a formal process, but a continuous cycle of development. Skill upgradation, ethical orientation and behavioural excellence need to be added as integral parts of training,” he said.