Army chief stresses on strong armed forces for fostering economic growth

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat Friday highlighted the importance of geopolitics and national interests in a formulation of national security strategy. He delivered a talk and interacted with participants of the Higher Defence Management Course at College of Defence Management at Secunderabad here. "He (Rawat) stressed the relevance of strong armed forces in fostering economic growth by providing a stable and secure environment for economic activities," a defence release said. He also stressed the need to carry neighbouring countries along towards economic prosperity.

The Army Chief also touched upon internal security imperatives and the need for preparedness of the security apparatus to contain the challenges, said. "He stressed on the salience of jointmanship in the armed forces, which can suitably be nurtured at a Tri-service organisation like the College of Defence Management so that it percolates at the functional level," it said.

The Chief of Army Staff shared his thoughts on 'changing security paradigms and its impact on the security of regional powers' during the interaction, the release said. The talk was aimed at providing the strategic perspective and guidance to stimulate management thought and develop a strategic mindset among officers to optimise the effectiveness of the armed forces in meeting the challenges to the national security, it said.

(With inputs from agencies.)