National Interest and National Security Policy-Making Prism For India

Gautam Sen

The problems of national security for a country like India which has experienced a series of catastrophes from within and a continuing threat from without has to be formulated in terms of larger goals and aspirations to which this civilisational community has committed itself.

National security strategy is an integral part of a nation state’s quest to safeguard her its national interest. National interest involves the securitisation of a nation’s security from external and internal threats by synergising with foreign policy making to ensure that diplomacy to play a complementary as well as supporting role to meet the goals and objectives of national interest. Therefore, we have to consider a complex interaction between our perception of our neighbours beyond the borders as well as the larger major powers and their perceptions and an assessment of our situation and our objectives.

It is within this matrix of relationship that specific goals of India’s defence and security policy will get structured. On the other hand, the cultural and political aspects of the problems create a texture of tasks and priorities of decision-making, implying the process of institutionalisation ranging from the economic to the administrative and legal preconditions.

Therefore, various forms of leadership may be required to respond creatively to the complexities of the problem. This research endeavour is aimed at clarifying the normative and contextual aspects of India’s national interest and national security strategy.

Gautam Sen Prof. Gautam Sen was a Research Associate at Harvard University, MIT (1978-1981) and Savarkar Professor of Strategic Studies at Pune University (1982-2007). He was the Director of the National Institute of International Security and Defence Analysis (2002-2007) and Director General and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Indian Institute of Pune (2006-2011). He was a Research Associate of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (London) for two terms. Presently, he is an Adjunct Professor with National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, and Visiting Professor at Gorakhpur University. He served in the Indian Army from 1962-1974. He has published five books and writes articles for Journals regularly.

Contents

1. National Interest and National Security Policy-Making Prism for India
2. Part I: Contextualising National Interest for National Security Strategy
3. Part II: Theoretical Moorings of India’s Foreign Policy-Making: Nehru to Modi
4. Part III: The National Security Policy-Making Prism: The Indian Context
Appendix - A
Appendix - B
Appendix - C