Economic resilience key to national security: President

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said economic resilience is an integral part of the national security framework, and the Indian economy has time and again demonstrated its capabilities to absorb disruptions created by external factors.

Addressing faculty and course members of the 66th National Defence College (NDC) Course here, she said national security, today, extends beyond military capabilities and requires close cooperation between scientific institutions and the armed forces to translate innovation into practical solutions. Recent conflicts have highlighted the importance of cost-effective technologies that complement advanced defence systems and make the best use of available resources, the President said.

In this context, Government initiatives play an important role in strengthening the link between innovation and national security, she said, citing the Centre’s Research, Development and Innovation Scheme to promote indigenous research and technological development.

It supports not only deep-tech startups but also the development of technologies critical to strategic requirements, economic security and Atmanirbharta, President Murmu asserted.

“Economic resilience is an integral part of the national security framework. Indian economy has demonstrated, time and again, its capabilities to absorb disruptions created by external factors. India has accomplished this without compromising the strategic freedom of action,” she said. The President said many ancient Indian texts have elaborate descriptions about security response mechanisms and duties that a ruler must be aware of. The Valmiki Ramayan and Mahabharat present exhaustive narration of the many steps that a ruler is required to take to secure the state, she said.

Similarly, in the Shanti Parv of Mahabharat, Yudhishthir asks Bheeshma Pitamah how a ruler should govern and in his exhaustive reply, he elaborates several aspects of statecraft and the duties and responsibilities of an able ruler, President Murmu said.

“He talks about the strategies to protect the kingdom and subdue the enemies, including the management of a spying network. The guidance from Bheeshma goes beyond security. It emphasises security with societal cohesion. Under his theory of righteous rule, Bheeshma defines economic resources, diplomacy, defence and internal peace as its integral parts,” she said. Addressing the faculty and course members, who had called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President said many countries like India have recognised that the future landscape of national security would witness convergence of quantum technologies, biotechnologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“Space-based capabilities have also become important for national security. The use of Artificial Intelligence in various domains of science, national security and economic activities is increasing by the day.

This technology is going to increasingly assist in strategic decision-making,” she said. However, decision-making cannot be outsourced exclusively to this technology, and a balanced approach needs to be calibrated, the President said.

In her address to the gathering of senior officers from Indian armed forces, civil services and officers from friendly foreign countries, she said that the security and technological landscapes are changing rapidly, bringing new and complex challenges.

“These developments call for greater preparedness, strategic foresight and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Fast decision-making mechanisms are also becoming more important because the techniques of modern warfare have expanded into cyber security, space technology, and biotechnology apart from the traditional domains,” the President said.