Raksha Shakti
Prelims:
Defence & Security
Mains:
GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions, GS
Paper III: internal Security
Current relevance:
In 2026 Independence Day address, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi identified ‘Raksha Shakti’ as one of the seven
streams of power considered crucial for achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Highlights:
Vision of ‘Raksha Shakti’:
1.
Viksit Bharat 2047: ‘Raksha Shakti’ has
been identified as one of the seven
streams of power necessary for building a developed India by 2047.
2.
Defence Self-Reliance: India needs to
strengthen its own defence capabilities
rather than remain dependent on other countries.
3.
Global Defence Supplier: India should move
beyond being merely a market and emerge as a global supplier of next-generation defence technologies.
4.
Indigenous Capabilities: Greater emphasis is
required on domestically developed
defence equipment and enhancement of military capabilities.
5.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Defence
self-reliance complements initiatives such as Make in India, Swadeshi and Vocal for Local.
Focus on Next-Generation Defence
Technologies:
1.
Drones: India needs to strengthen
indigenous capabilities in the development of advanced drone technologies.
2.
Counter-Drone Systems: Greater capabilities
are required to detect and counter emerging drone-based threats.
3.
Hypersonic Defence: India should seek leadership in hypersonic defence
technologies.
4.
Cybersecurity: Cyber capabilities constitute an
increasingly important dimension of defence, with opportunities to utilise the
capabilities of Indian youth.
5.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Work on the mission,
aimed at strengthening preparedness for evolving security challenges, is progressing rapidly.
Changing Nature of Warfare:
1.
Modern warfare is no longer necessarily confined to
national borders.
2.
Critical economic and
technological infrastructure can increasingly become targets of conflict.
3.
Potential targets can include refineries, banking systems, data centres,
infrastructure and factories.
4.
Such developments require
simultaneous strengthening of military,
technological and cybersecurity capabilities.
5.
India therefore needs enhanced
preparedness to respond to new and
evolving forms of warfare.
Growth of India’s Defence Ecosystem:
1.
Defence Production: India's defence
production has increased nearly fourfold over the last 12 years.
2.
Defence Exports: Defence exports have increased
by almost 50 times.
3.
Global Reach: Indian weapons are now reaching
around 100 countries.
4.
These developments indicate
India's increasing capabilities in domestic
defence production and global defence supply.
5.
Strengthening indigenous
capabilities can further reinforce India's preparedness against challenges within and beyond its borders.
Civil Defence & Nari Shakti:
1.
Modern Civil Defence: Existing civil
defence systems developed around the wars of the previous century need to be
updated to meet contemporary challenges.
2.
Voluntary Force: A large voluntary civil-defence
force is proposed to improve preparedness against modern threats.
3.
Modern Training: The civil-defence network is
expected to be familiarised with modern systems and emerging challenges.
4.
Citizen Participation: Building a secure
India has been emphasised as the responsibility of every citizen.
5.
Women in Defence: The increasing role of Nari Shakti in national security is
reflected in women graduating from the NDA
and preparing to assume military leadership roles.
Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2299856®=48&lang=2