Upholding Ethical Standards in the Indian Armed Forces: A Call to Maintain Tradition and Integrity

• FastrackGovind
• Military, Ethics, Leadership, Patriotism
• February 6, 2024

MILITARY CODE OF CONDUCT

In today’s Indian Armed Forces intricate and quickly changing environment, keeping a strong ethical basis is essential for every organization. An effective code of conduct acts as a compass, pointing leaders and staff in the direction of morally and responsibly behaved behavior.

The ethical code of conduct is a methodical set of rules and guidelines that are carefully constructed to outline the expected standards of behavior, moral obligations, and roles that influence how people behave within an organization.

The fundamental values that underpin the Armed Forces, who are tasked with safeguarding the country, are what make them unique. The cornerstone of the Army’s fundamental philosophy is this set of values. The prevailing functional ethos shapes fundamental attributes such as mutual trust, sacrifice, devotion to one’s career, and ethical behavior.

What sets the Armed Forces apart are the core principles that guide those entrusted with protecting the nation. This collection of ideals is the cornerstone of the Army’s basic ideology. The dominant functional ethos molds essential qualities including cooperation, selflessness, commitment to one’s work, and moral conduct. Over time, there has been some dispersion that has to be addressed, especially to maintain the Warrior Ethos, uphold moral standards, and promote probity in the workplace.

The adage “The most powerful tool any soldier carries is not his weapon but his mind”. It is well recognized that on the battlefield, morale, training, and ethos have disproportionate impacts. Across the spectrum of combat, it seems doubtful that the complex operating environment of the future will provide any reprieve or relief from interaction with the adversary. In light of this fact, all commanders need to be warriors first and should be ready for close quarters conflict. Becoming a Soldier first is key to the Scholar Warrior Ethos. For every officer in the Indian Army to become a Scholar Warrior, they must be inspired and trained.

To produce scholar warriors, some qualities that we must instill in the officers and troops are:

• Physically Fit and Mentally Tough: It is unnecessary to emphasize how important physical fitness is. A way to guarantee that officers don’t become unfit while serving as staff members and instructors is what’s required. Future military situations will demand that we be capable war fighters, but we cannot be capable combatants unless we possess the same level of intelligence and mental fortitude as our aggressive and physically strong personalities.
• Technically and Tactically Proficient Leaders with an inventive mindset and the ability to leverage existing technologies to achieve predetermined goals will be the ones shaping the future. The policeman must be able to “out think” and “out fight” any opponent.
• Operationally Adaptive Officers must be able to conceive and comprehend “Operational Art,” according to the military. Officers undergoing courses at Staff College and Army War College throughout their middle years are the ideal candidates for research and education in this subject. The growth of medium and senior level leaders depends on these kinds of experiences. It is imperative that we promote the publication of insightful, occasionally critical essays in our military periodicals. Additionally, we require that our officers improve and hone their communication abilities. Officers’ capacity for efficient oral and written communication becomes more and more crucial as they advance. Professional Military Education is crucial for officers at every point in their careers.
• Be a ‘Pentathlete’ The Indian Army must develop people who, to use a jocular expression, “can do it all.” Junior leaders who are at ease in both big combat positions and operations across the spectrum of conflict are what we need. It’s critical to push our future leaders and commanders beyond their areas of intellectual comfort.

A certain degree of dispersion has developed over time and needs to be corrected, particularly in order to preserve the Warrior Ethos, strict moral principles, and probity while enhancing the workplace.

MILITARY DISCIPLINE & SACRIFICE

The key to organizing the soldiers and executing effective operations is discipline. It sets troops apart from warriors and separates an army from a warband. But drill and discipline are two different things. Drill is only a way to provide soldiers formal discipline and to get them to work together.

• The military values discipline and the significance of regularity quite highly. Not only does it keep people on track, but planning ahead and completing tasks at the same time every day really increases their productivity.
• Faith, caste, or race have no bearing on bravery. The Indian Armed Forces are a bright example of fraternity and equal opportunity. In reality, we can proudly list Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and even Parsis among the ranks of the heroic warriors who were bestowed with a Param Vir Chakra.
• The Indian Army instills in its troops the belief that the welfare, honor, and safety of their nation come first at all times. The guy you command’s honor, comfort, and safety should come first. Always and everywhere, put your own comfort, ease, and safety first.
• Being jingoistic and being patriotic are two different things. Many individuals believe that having a nationalistic streak just entails detesting China or Pakistan. However, hatred did not motivate those who serve in the armed services to enlist. Their motivation for joining was love—love for their own nation.
• While others celebrate holidays and even give their life for a billion strangers, members of the armed forces are separated from their families for months or even years while carrying out their responsibilities. That is how much they gave up.

CONCLUSION

The Indian people have long appreciated and felt proud of the Indian Armed Forces for their tremendous sense of chivalry, honor, and honesty. The Armed Forces have a unique place in society because of their unwavering commitment to these principles both at home and abroad, during times of peace and conflict. It is in the best interests of the country that the officer cadre maintain the historic principles of the Armed Forces in the face of moral decay in society, especially in light of the tragic absence of discipline, honesty, loyalty, and patriotism in public life today. An organization’s moral and ethical climate results from the interaction of its members’ needs and goals with the possibilities and barriers that they face in achieving them. The following paragraphs address significant outside variables that have a negative impact on the morale and ethics of the Armed Forces.

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