Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Defence of the Nation from Class 9 Social Science. We will explore the different wings of the defence system and their responsibilities, the posts and the heads of the different units of the military, the contribution of the military to the security of the nation, and the components of the secondary line of defence system. Our country was under imperial rule of foreigners and only after many protests, struggles and sacrifices we got our independence on 15 August 1947. Hence it is our bounden duty to ensure that our nation does not ever come under external aggression. Our armed forces are to be prepared in such a manner that they are able to safeguard the sovereignty of the nation at all times. India has nearly 15,200 km of land border and about 7,516.60 km of coastline including islands and 6,100 km excluding islands. Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are India’s seven neighbouring countries, while Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Maldives are India’s maritime neighbours. Some neighbouring countries will not let us be in peace. Although India has made a sincere effort to find a solution to all the problems through peace talks, negotiations and agreements, it has not been very successful in this regard. So we have to protect our nation. The role of our defence forces is important in this regard. [CHECKPOINT]
The Indian Defence system consists of three wings, which are the Army, Navy and Air Force. The President is the Commander-in-chief of all the three divisions. The Chief of the army is known as General, the Chief of the Naval Force is called Admiral and that of the Air Force is called Air Chief Marshal. In 2001, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff was appointed for better management of the three services. The Indian Defence Minister co-ordinates the work of the three forces. Each force has its own training centers. Let us look at the seven commands of the Indian Army. The Northern command is located in Udampur, Jammu and Kashmir. The Southern command is in Pune, Maharashtra. The Eastern command is in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Western command is in Chandimandir, Chandigarh. The North western command is in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Central command is in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The Training command is in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. [CHECKPOINT]
The post of chief of the defence staff was created in 2019 to provide high quality advice to the country’s political leadership on matters related to India’s military. The person appointed to this post will also be the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister. General Bipin Rawat was appointed as India’s first chief of defence staff. The ministry of defence is the ministry which is responsible for the entire defence system of India. Its head office is in New Delhi. It is headed by the defence minister. Sardar Baldev Singh was the first defence minister of India. The Ministry of Defence consists of five departments. They are the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence production, the Department of Defence research and development, the Department of Ex. Service men welfare, and the Department of Military Affairs. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us introduce the Army which has played an important role in the defence of the nation. The headquarters of the Indian Army is in New Delhi. The motto is Seva Paramo Dharma, which means service before self. The Chief of the army is called General, and Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier and others work as assistants to him. The ground forces consist of infantry, cavalry, battle tanks and artillery. It also has a supply and engineering unit. Administratively the Indian army is structured into lower commands. Commands are divided into area and sub-area. A lieutenant general heads the command, a Major General heads the area and a Brigadier heads the sub-area. Now let us look at the Army Training Centres. The National Defence Academy is in Khadakvasla near Pune, Maharashtra. The Defence service staff college is in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. The Indian military academy is in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The College of defence management is in Sikandrabad, Telangana. The National defence college is in New Delhi. The Officers training academy is in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. [CHECKPOINT]
There are approximately 12,37,117 soldiers in the Land Army and 9,60,000 Reserved soldiers. January 15 is Indian Army day. The main function of the army is to protect the Integral territory of the nation from any foreign attack and to maintain the Integrity of the country. The Land army also performs tasks like protection of the border area and dealing with natural calamity, which covers a huge area of the country. In addition to the defence activities, the army is also performing humanitarian works of protecting the victims of natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, storms, and cloudbursts. [CHECKPOINT]
Navy is as important as land army in the interest of national Defence. India has a coastline of 7516.60 km including Islands and 6100 km excluding Islands. It has a long coastline. The country has a strong navy to protect its coastline. Its head office is in New Delhi. The motto is Sham No Varunah, which means May the Water God Varuna bless us. The Chief of Navy force is called Admiral. The Indian Navy is divided into three area commands. They are the Western Naval command with headquarters in Mumbai, the Eastern Naval command with headquarters in Vishakapatnam, and the Southern Naval command with head office in Cochin. Eastern and Western Naval are operational commands and also Southern Naval command is a training command. Also Indian Navy has two fleets, the Western fleet in Mumbai and the Eastern fleet in Vishakapatnam. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us look at the Ship Building Centres in India. Hindustan Ship yard limited is in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Mazgoan Dock yard limited is in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Garden rich ship builders and engineers limited is in Kolkata, West Bengal. Cochin ship yard limited is in Kochi, Kerala. Goa ship yard limited is in Vasco da gama, Goa. The Indian Navy has warships such as frigates, aircraft carriers, corvettes, submarines, cruisers, and destroyers. Prominent among them are Indian Naval Ship Shivalik, Indian Naval Ship Godavari, Indian Naval Ship Trishul and Indian Naval Ship Brahmaputra. India is the 7th Nation in the world to have the most advanced warship. Now for the Indian Navy Training Centres. The Indian Naval Academy is in Ejimala, Kerala. Indian Naval Ship Shatavahana is in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Indian Naval Ship Chilika is in Chilika, Odisha. Indian Naval Ship Shivaji is in Lonavala, Maharashtra. December 4 is Indian Navy day. [CHECKPOINT]
Like land force and navy, Air force also plays an important role in the defence of the country. Airforce headquarters is located in New Delhi. Nabah Sparsham Diptam, meaning Touch the sky with glory, is the motto of the Indian air force. The Indian air force is modernized and equipped with the latest technology and equipment. It also has weapon system, good communication system, detection method, anti enemy and defensive capability. The most important equipment of the air force such as fighter planes and combat helicopters are playing an important role in protecting the country. The Indian Air force has served the country bravely and efficiently in times of war and peace. It has achieved success in maintaining comprehensive national defence, security and stability. The Indian airforce has five operational commands and two functional commands. The operational commands are: Eastern Air Command in Shillong, Meghalaya; Western Air Command in New Delhi; Southern Air Command in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala; Central Air Command in Prayag Raj, Uttar Pradesh; and South Western Air Command in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The two functional commands are the Training Command and the Maintenance Command. [CHECKPOINT]
Now for the Indian Airforce Training Centres. The Airforce Academy is in Dundigal, Hyderabad, Telangana. Basic flying training school is in Prayag Raj, Uttar Pradesh. Airmen training school is in Sambra, Belagavi, Karnataka. The Airforce technical college is in Jalahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka. The College of Air warfare is in Secunderabad, Telangana. Two important centers imparting training to the Air Force are Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Similarly, administrative and technical training centers are at Bengaluru and Coimbatore. Today our Air Force has more than one thousand airplanes and helicopters. The main types of aircraft are Canberra, Hunter, Ajeet, MiG 21, MiG 23, MiG 25, MiG 27, MiG 29, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi SU 30MKI, Tejas, Rafal and Jaguar. Major war helicopters are Rudra, Chinook, and Dhruv. October 8 is Indian Airforce Day. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us review the various cadres of the three Defence Forces. For the Army, the ranks are General, Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier, Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major, Captain, and Lieutenant. For the Navy, the ranks are Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, Commodore, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, and Sub-lieutenant. For the Air Force, the ranks are Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Vice Marshal, Air Commodore, Group Captain, Wing Commander, Squadron Leader, Flight Lieutenant, and Flying Officer. Those who desire to work in the Armed forces should be service-oriented, patriotic, ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the country and also be familiar with the multi-cultural fabric of the nation. Any citizen of the country, irrespective of his religion, caste, class or community can join the military. However, there are certain conditions with regard to physical requirements, mental health, general education and technical knowledge that have to be met. [CHECKPOINT]
When recruitments are made to the lower posts of the army, they are made according to the percentage of recruitable male population of the State and Union Territories. Suitable candidates are recruited to the Air Force through selection and registration on an All-India basis. This is done by the Central Airmen Selection Board. Recruitment of sailors to the Navy takes place through the Naval Recruitment Organisation. Responsibility for this task lies with the Human Resource Project and the Directorate at the headquarters of the Navy. Recruitment of women to the three armed forces takes place through the Women Special Entry Scheme. The Honorable Supreme Court has recently directed to allow women to serve long term instead of short term service limited to 14 years in all branches of the armed forces. Agnipath Yojana is a scheme to enable the youth of India to serve in the armed forces, started in 2022. Youths within the age limit of 17 and a half to 21 years can join the armed force by applying under the agnipath scheme and fulfilling the eligibility criteria. He is known as Agniveera. They can serve in the armed forces for 4 years. The National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Exam provides admission to these academies. The Union Public Service Commission conducts this exam twice a year. Students who have completed pre-university course or equivalent qualification are eligible to take the exam. Candidates who pass this exam will hold the post of Army officers in army, airforce and navy. [CHECKPOINT]
The activities of the Defence production are divided into two. The first is the manufacturing units run by the Department, and the second is the manufacturing units run by the Public Defence Sector. The factories of the first kind manufacture gun powder, weapons, and tanks. Whereas the factories in the public sector manufacture ships, aircraft, bulldozers, submarines, and rockets. Publicly owned defence manufacturing enterprises include Bharath Electronics Limited established in 1954, Bharath Earth Movers Limited established in 1964, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited established in 1964, and Bharath Dynamics Limited established in 1970. Today our defence forces have to face many challenges such as Terrorism and Naxal attacks. Hence our soldiers are prepared to guard our borders all the time. Our army is the 4th in size in the world, our air force is at 3rd position and our navy is at 7th position. Seabird Naval base has been opened at Karwar in Karnataka to strengthen our navy. In addition, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, established in 1958 with headquarters in New Delhi, has developed many systems. [CHECKPOINT]
Surface to surface missiles include Agni one, Agni two, Agni three, Agni four, Agni five, Pruthvi one, Pruthvi two, Dhanush, Shourie and Prahar. Air to Air missiles include Astra, Novatar and K-100. Land based sky launching missiles include Akash, Trishul, and Bark 8. Cruise missiles include Brahmus and Nirbhay. Submarine ballistic missiles include Sagarika K-15. Anti-tank missiles include Amof, Nag and Helena. Having developed submarine and anti submarine technology, India has joined the ranks of elite countries like America, Russia, Britain, France and others. Bofors cannons were effectively used in the Kargil war between India and Pakistan. The technology developed that could potentially counter a nuclear war is confirmed from the Pokhran one test in 1974 and Pokhran two test in 1998. Also 60 defence laboratories have been established in different regions of the country. The Kargil war was fought between India and Pakistan during May to June 1999. On May 16, Pakistani terrorists mounted an aerial attack on the highest area of Kashmir. India started Operation Vijay and attacked Pakistan. The Indian Army faced a setback initially. Later, it reinforced its attack through the use of Bofors Guns and on 14 June, Pakistan retreated shamefully. Though this was a minor war, it drew the attention of the whole world. All countries condemned Pakistan as an Aggressive Nation for having attacked a peace-loving country like India. This war aroused a sense of nationalism in Indians. Around 30,000 Indian soldiers had taken part in this war. It was estimated that 5000 Pakistani soldiers had taken part. The Indian Air Force boosted the Indian Army through Operation Safed Sagar. In the last week of July, the Indian Army began its final attack. The war ended on 26 July. The day India defeated Pakistan is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Divas or Kargil Victory Day in India. Every year this is celebrated on July 26. [CHECKPOINT]
Besides the Armed Forces, there are other organizations which form a second line of defence. They are the Territorial Army, the National Cadet Corps, the Coastal Guard, the Border Security Force, Civil Defence, the Home Guards, and the Red Cross. The Territorial Army is a voluntary part-time force. Its services are used only during emergencies like natural calamities. It was established by a Parliament Act in 1948. It has no professional soldiers, but only civilians who are eager to play a role in defence and are given military training in their spare time. Only a person who is gainfully employed and in the age group of 18 to 42 is eligible to join the force. During natural disaster and emergencies this army renders their services. The territorial army day will be celebrated on October 9 each year. The National Cadet Corps is mainly a youth organisation of the country. It was established in 1948. School and college-going students can voluntarily join this organisation. Its aim is to develop among the students a sense of discipline, leadership qualities, friendliness and service-mindedness. It is a body of disciplined and trained youth force which comes to the rescue of the nation during emergencies. There are two units in the National Cadet Corps, which are the Senior unit at college level and the Junior unit at school level. These cadets are given various concessions including special provisions for National Cadet Corps cadets to join defence forces, reservation in professional courses for students who completed the training and awarded certificate, weapon handling training, and adventures like hiking, trekking, gliding, scaling or mountaineering, and sailing. [CHECKPOINT]
The Indian Coast Guard is a para-military force. It is very important in the second line of defence and was created in 1978. It is a maritime and national interest security force. Vayam Rakshamah, meaning We Protect, is its motto. It helps in the protection of about 7,516.60 km of coastal area as well as prevention of activities like smuggling and drug trafficking. The ships of this Guard were given heroic names. They are Puthar, Vikram, Vigrah, Vijay, and Veera. Its headquarters is in New Delhi and is headed by a Director General. The organization has five regional headquarters at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Gandhinagar and Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar islands. The Coast Guard has 1402 state-of-the-art ships and 381 aircraft and 60 helicopters. There are approximately 12,585 soldiers in the Coastal Force. February 1 is Indian Coast Guard Day. The Border Security Force was established in 1965. These soldiers safeguard the border with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Its training center is located in Yelahanka in Bengaluru. It helps in preventing infiltration and illegal entry in borders and smuggling. The main aim of Civil Defence is protection of life of the citizens. It also strives to reduce the damage to property and malpractices with regard to industrial products. It is a voluntary organisation. The activities of this citizen’s forum are restricted to 22 sections or cities. At present, there are 13 lakh consumer protection volunteers of whom 6.64 lakhs have been trained. [CHECKPOINT]
Home Guards is a voluntary force. It was established in 1946. It is of great help to the local police in curbing communal clashes, restoring peace in society during elections. This force can be found in some States and Union Territories. During the Indo-China war in 1962, volunteers from the Home Guards wore uniforms and fought along with the Indian soldiers. There are nearly 5,73,793 Home Guards volunteers in India. This organization is working across the whole country. The Indian Red Cross Society is an International level organisation. The Britishers in 1920 established the Red Cross Society in accordance to the Red Cross society act. Its headquarters is in New Delhi. The Indian Red Cross society is a humanitarian self-organization that includes over 700 branches in all State and Union Territories. It is presided by the President of India and the state branch is presided by the Governor. Also the Secretary General is the Chief Executive of this organisation. This organisation provides assistance to people in situations like calamity and emergency in the country. It serves the wounded and sick on the battle field without discrimination. The organization has 7 basic principles. They are Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary work, Oneness, and Universality. May 8 is World Red Cross Day. [CHECKPOINT]
The officers and personnel of the Indian army, Navy and Airforce and central Armed Police force were honoured and encouraged with gallantry awards. War time Gallantry Awards are Param Vir Chakra, Mahaveer Chakra, and Vir Chakra. Peace time Gallantry Awards are Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra. Along with our three defence forces, the nation is secured by the second line of defence forces. It is the duty of every citizen to support our soldiers. The National Security Guard places great emphasis on suppression of terrorist activity of the country. The firm came into existence on 22 September 1986. Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha is the motto of this organisation. The Special Protection Group was established in 1985 to provide security to the current and former Prime Ministers of India and their immediate family members. Shauram Samarpanam Surakshanam, meaning Shaurya Bhakti and Protection, is the motto of this Institution. Our armed forces are not only limited to national defence but are respected worldwide by doing peace-keeping operations abroad as part of the United Nations Peace Keeping force. The United Nations peace keeping force came into existence in 1948. Our soldiers have served in countries like Gaza, North and South Korea, Congo, Sri Lanka, and Sierra Leone. Under the supervision of the United Nations, Bangladesh became an Independent country in 1971 with the help of our soldiers. Thus our defence forces are working for the country not only in war time but also in peace time. When natural calamities such as floods, storms, earthquakes, landslides, and cloud bursts occur they provide assistance to the needy. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us look at the Central Armed Police Forces. They are the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the National Security Guard, and the Sashastra Seema Bal. The Assam Rifles protects the border between India and Myanmar. The Border Security Force protects the border between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police protects the border between India and China. The Sashastra Seema Bal protects the border between India, Nepal and Bhutan. May 29 is International Peace Keepers Force Day. The Indian Army, Air force, navy, National Cadet Corps and Indian coastal line are subject to the administrative central defence ministry. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us move on to the exercises. I will read each question and provide the complete answer. Question one: Fill in the blanks with suitable words. The Commander-in-Chief of our three Armed Forces is the President. The Chief of the Army is called General. The headquarters of the Defence Ministry is in New Delhi. The Hindustan Ship-building yard is at Vishakapatnam. The Border Security Force training centre is in Yelahanka in Bengaluru. The Britishers established the Indian Red Cross Society in 1920. [CHECKPOINT]
Question seven: Which are the five divisions of our Defence Ministry? The five divisions are the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence production, the Department of Defence research and development, the Department of Ex. Service men welfare, and the Department of Military Affairs. Question eight: Explain the structure of the Indian Army. The Indian Army is structured into commands, which are divided into areas, and areas are divided into sub-areas. A lieutenant general heads the command, a Major General heads the area, and a Brigadier heads the sub-area. The ground forces consist of infantry, cavalry, battle tanks, artillery, supply, and engineering units. Question nine: Which are the Commands of the Indian Army? The seven commands are Northern command in Udampur, Southern command in Pune, Eastern command in Kolkata, Western command in Chandimandir, North western command in Jaipur, Central command in Lucknow, and Training command in Mhow. [CHECKPOINT]
Question ten: What are the Indian Air Force training centers? The training centers are the Airforce Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, Basic flying training school in Prayag Raj, Airmen training school in Sambra, Belagavi, Airforce technical college in Jalahalli, Bengaluru, and College of Air warfare in Secunderabad. Question eleven: What are the qualifications required for recruitment to the Army? Candidates should be service-oriented, patriotic, ready to sacrifice their lives for the country, and familiar with the multi-cultural fabric of the nation. They must meet conditions regarding physical requirements, mental health, general education, and technical knowledge. Question twelve: What are the aims of the National Cadet Corps? What are the facilities available to National Cadet Corps cadets? The aims are to develop a sense of discipline, leadership qualities, friendliness, and service-mindedness among students. Facilities include special provisions to join defence forces, reservation in professional courses, weapon handling training, and adventure activities like hiking, trekking, gliding, scaling or mountaineering, and sailing. Question thirteen: Write about the Chief of defence staff. The post was created in 2019 to provide high quality advice to the political leadership on military matters and to act as the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister. General Bipin Rawat was the first appointee. [CHECKPOINT]
Now for the activities. Activity one: Organise an essay competition on how the country’s security depends on our military forces. Activity two: Visit your nearest Red Cross Organisation. Familiarize yourself with the functions it performs. Activity three: Invite a retired ex-service man to the school and share experiences with him. For the projects: Project one: Collect pictures of our armed forces and display in your school. Project two: Start a branch of the Indian Red Cross Society in your school and help the needy. Project three: Collect pictures of war planes and warships. Note this for your exams: Understanding the hierarchy, commands, and historical dates like 1947, 2019, 1999, and 1974 is crucial for your assessments. Make sure to memorize the ranks, missile names, and the seven principles of the Red Cross exactly as stated. [CHECKPOINT]
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]