India’s Defence SystemClass 9 Defence Studies Chapter 3 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: India’s Defence System

The Government of India is responsible for defending every part of the country. The President is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) heads the Ministry of Defence, and a National Security Advisor advises the Prime Minister on security.

The Ministry of Defence, set up after independence under a Cabinet Minister, carries out the government's defence policy and approved programmes within the money allotted. It works through departments: Defence, Defence Production, Defence Research and Development, Ex-Servicemen's Welfare and Military Affairs.

The armed forces are the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Their main job is to protect the country's sovereignty from outside attack; when asked, they also help during natural disasters and internal unrest.

Each service has its own rank names, but the ranks match one another — for example a General in the Army equals an Admiral in the Navy and an Air Chief Marshal in the Air Force. Below officers, the Army has Junior Commissioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and jawans.

A paramilitary force is organised, trained and equipped much like the military but is not part of the formal armed forces — for example the Assam Rifles and the Coast Guard.

Key points to remember

• President = Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
• Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) = head of the Ministry of Defence
• National Security Advisor advises the Prime Minister on national security
• Department of Defence: budget, policy, Parliament matters, cooperation with other countries
• Department of Defence Production: ordnance factories, defence public sector units, making imported items in India
• Department of Defence Research and Development: scientific advice and weapon research in laboratories
• Department of Ex-Servicemen's Welfare: resettlement, welfare and pensions of retired soldiers
• Department of Military Affairs: Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Army; promotes jointness
• Primary role of armed forces: protect sovereignty from external aggression; also help in disasters and internal security
• Top ranks: Field Marshal = Admiral of the Fleet = Marshal of the Air Force

India’s Defence System – Notes

1. Who controls India's defence?

• Defending India and every part of it is the duty of the Government of India.
• The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
• The Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister), a Cabinet Minister, heads the Ministry of Defence.
• A National Security Advisor (NSA) is appointed to advise the Prime Minister on matters of national security.
• This keeps the armed forces under the control of the elected civilian government, as in every democracy.

2. The Ministry of Defence and its departments

• After independence a Ministry of Defence was created under a Cabinet Minister. Its main job is to put the government's policy into action and run approved programmes within the budget given to it.
• Department of Defence: looks after the defence budget, defence policy, matters connected with Parliament and defence cooperation with other countries.
• Department of Defence Production: handles making defence equipment, producing in India items that used to be imported (stores, equipment, spares) and planning and controlling the ordnance factories and defence public sector units.
• Department of Defence Research and Development: gives the government scientific advice about military equipment and plans research on weapons in its laboratories (this is the department of DRDO).
• Department of Ex-Servicemen's Welfare: deals with resettlement, welfare and pensions of retired soldiers.
• Department of Military Affairs: deals with the Army, Navy and Air Force, the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry, the Territorial Army and works of the three services. It encourages 'jointness' — the three services working together.
• Today: the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was created, with the first CDS taking office on 1 January 2020. The CDS is a four-star officer who also heads the Department of Military Affairs. The book does not mention this post.

3. The armed forces and their role

• The three armed services under the Ministry of Defence are the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
• Main role: to protect India's sovereignty against attack from outside.
• When the government asks, they also help in natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and in dealing with internal security threats, conflict or unrest.
• Each service is led by a chief: the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff.

4. Ranks and their equivalents

• Each service uses different names, but the ranks are matched level by level (see the table).
• Highest: Field Marshal (Army), Admiral of the Fleet (Navy), Marshal of the Air Force. These are honorary five-star ranks given only rarely.
• Service chiefs normally hold the next rank: General, Admiral and Air Chief Marshal.
• Middle levels: Brigadier = Commodore = Air Commodore; Colonel = Captain (Navy) = Group Captain.
• Watch out: a Captain in the Army is equal to a Lieutenant in the Navy, but a Captain in the Navy equals a Colonel in the Army.
• Junior officer: Lieutenant (Army) = Sub Lieutenant (Navy) = Flying Officer (Air Force).
• Army ranks below officers: Junior Commissioned Officers (Subedar Major, Subedar, Naib Subedar); Non-Commissioned Officers and others (Regimental and Company Havildar Major, Quarter Master Havildars, Havildar, Naik, Lance Naik); and jawans (sepoys).

5. Paramilitary forces

• A paramilitary force is partly military. Its organisation, tactics, training, way of life and often its duties are like those of a regular army.
• But it is not counted among the country's formal armed forces.
• Examples given in the book: the Assam Rifles and the Coast Guard (more in Chapter 7).

Equivalent ranks in the three services (senior to junior)

Key terms

India’s Defence System – Flashcards

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India’s Defence System – MCQ Quiz

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How to study India’s Defence System

⏱ About 30 minutes

1. Understand (10 min)
   Read the chain of control: President (Supreme Commander) → Government → Raksha Mantri and Ministry of Defence → five departments → three services.
2. Remember (10 min)
   Learn the ranks table row by row; say each row aloud across Army–Navy–Air Force.
3. Practise (10 min)
   Answer the 'Try it yourself' questions, take the quiz and play 🎮 Play.