Defence Minister releases Indian Army's Land Warfare Doctrine at commanders' conference
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the Indian Army's Land Warfare Doctrine on 23 October 2026 at the Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi. Its stated aim is to give the Army an overarching framework for the evolving character of warfare and future conflicts. He also felicitated three Army personnel for service in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Syllabus: Prelims · Current Affairs & IR; GS3 · Security Forces & Agencies
Why this matters for UPSC
GS3 security forces: the Indian Army's Land Warfare Doctrine and the 2025 joint doctrines. Prelims can ask the Chief of Defence Staff's roles and the Joint Doctrine for Multi Domain Operations; Mains, about jointness in higher defence management.
Why it matters
Soldiers and young officers train, plan and fight by the principles their Army writes down. A new doctrine can reach down to how units are organised, what they practise and which equipment they ask for. For citizens, it is the Army's public statement of how it means to prepare for fast-changing wars. Drones, cyber attacks and space are now part of the battlefield, as the Defence Minister said in 2025. It also has to fit beside the joint doctrines that bind the Army, Navy and Air Force together, because a war is now fought by all three at once. How well the Army absorbs it will shape how ready it is for the next conflict.
Prelims pointers
- Chief of Defence Staff: Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Principal Military Adviser to the Raksha Mantri on tri-Services matters (Cabinet decision, 24 December 2019).
- The CDS exercises no military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, who continue to advise the Raksha Mantri on their own Services.
- CDS: Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority; member of the Defence Acquisition Council (the Raksha Mantri chairs) and the Defence Planning Committee (the NSA chairs).
- Department of Military Affairs mandate includes facilitating restructuring of military commands, including joint/theatre commands, and promoting indigenous equipment in the Services.
- Joint Doctrine for Amphibious Operations: integrates maritime, air and land forces to influence operations ashore; Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations combines offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.
- Technology Perspective & Capability Roadmap (2025, Raksha Mantri): outlines the Armed Forces' modernisation plans over 10 years, guiding Indian industry and R&D to future capability needs.
Practise a UPSC-style question
Consider the following statements:
1. The Department of Military Affairs was created within the Ministry of Home Affairs and is headed by the Chief of Defence Staff.
2. The Chief of Defence Staff functions as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
3. The Chief of Defence Staff is a member of the Defence Planning Committee chaired by the Raksha Mantri.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show the answer
Answer: (b) 2 only
Answer: (b) 2 only. Only the Nuclear Command Authority role matches the Cabinet's 2019 charter for the CDS.
Statement 1: incorrect. The Department of Military Affairs was created within the Ministry of Defence, with the CDS as its Secretary (Cabinet decision, December 2019).
Statement 2: correct. The Cabinet's 2019 decision makes the CDS the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
Statement 3: incorrect. The Defence Planning Committee is chaired by the National Security Adviser; the Raksha Mantri chairs the Defence Acquisition Council, where the CDS is also a member.
Eliminate: statement 1 is surest wrong, since the department is military and sits in the Ministry of Defence. Out: (a), (d).
Eliminate: statement 3 names the wrong chair. Out: (c).
Trap: Swapped attribution. A real department is put in the wrong ministry, and a real committee is given the wrong chair.
Remember: DMA sits in the Ministry of Defence; DPC is chaired by the NSA, DAC by the Raksha Mantri.
More from the 24 October 2026 edition
- IAEA tells UN General Assembly nuclear power could triple by 2060 World & IR
- Haryana directs HERC under Section 108 to halt parallel power licence Polity
- NSO proposes PLFS redesign from 2027 to count platform workers Economy
- Karnataka HC: six guidelines curb mechanical FIRs, arrests over social-media posts Polity
- IMD forecasts Bay of Bengal cyclone heading for north Andhra, south Odisha Environment
- NMC withdraws 2023 medical education standards regulations, ends annual renewal Polity
- Orissa High Court: road pandals may stand if movement stays open Polity
- MHA tells Supreme Court of over 21,900 digital arrest complaints in 2026 National
- Jharkhand HC quashes Sentence Review Board's 'preordained' refusal of premature release Polity
- Allahabad HC: POCSO compensation cannot be refused for lack of injury Polity
- MoRTH draft proposes mandatory emergency braking (AEBS) in cars from 2030 National
- Kerala HC: State liable for wild-animal attacks despite not owning animals Environment