New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) Civil Services can serve as an “important link” in connecting the armed forces and the rest of the civilian government, adding there is a need to strengthen this service.
In his address at the AFHQ Day here, he also termed the civil services as a “steel frame of governance”.
The AFHQ Day is celebrated on August 1 every year to recognise the role of the personnel, who work shoulder-to-shoulder with the service personnel, primarily in the three Integrated Service Headquarters; HQ, Integrated Defence Staff and 24 Inter-Services Organisations of the defence ministry.
The aim is to foster espirit de corps of the civilian employees of AFHQ cadres, who play the role of a bridge between Service Headquarters and the defence ministry, both during peace and war, the ministry said in a statement.
The defence minister in his address also urged that people who work with grace and humility rise in life and cautioned that one should not have an ego and be willing to seek ideas even from other people and function as a team.
“By looking at the role that civil services play in the country’s administrative system, if the civil services be termed as the steel frame of the administrative system, then it won’t be an exaggeration. If the civil services is the steel frame, then the defence ministry gets benefit of it in the form of the AFHQ Civil Services,” he said.
Singh asserted that officers in the three services of the armed forces are doing “excellent work” and underlined the need for such a civilian service.
He said the AFHQ Civil Services can work as an “important link” in connecting the the armed forces and rest of the civilian government, adding there is a need to “strengthen this service”.
“From Command headquarters and Service headquarters to the Ministry of Defence, armed forces and civil services need to work together, which you do,” he said in his address on the 83rd AFHQ Civil Services Day in New Delhi.
He called upon the personnel of the Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) Civilian Services to continue enhancing their skills in today’s fast-changing times for efficient policy making and implementation and execution of reforms being undertaken in the Ministry of Defence.
Singh commended the dedication and hard work of the AFHQ personnel in taking forward the ongoing works, including efforts to attain ‘Aatmanirbharta’, and contributing to the welfare of soldiers.
He said the three services form a large part of the functioning in the ministry and the AFHQ cadre ensures the “possibility of ‘group-think’, which results in poor decision-making, is negated in policy formulation”.
“Unprecedented reforms have been undertaken in the defence ministry in the last five years, and there has been tremendous progress in several areas. Our achievements have been recognised globally. This has happened due to team work,” he said.
Singh urged the department of defence to explore the possibilities of better career progression for the personnel of AFHQ Civilian Services.
“As their capabilities increase, their career progression will improve, and these personnel will be able to provide better support to the armed forces, bolstering our defence system. Ensuring better career progression will also attract best candidates to the AFHQ Civil Services,” he added.
Singh exhorted the personnel to pay attention to the core values of honesty, discipline and uniformity.
Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Samir V Kamat and other senior civil and military officials of the defence ministry were also present on the occasion.
“The foundation of AFHQ cadres was laid on August 1, 1942 by organising the then decentralised civilian posts/cadre operation as distinct entities under various Service Headquarters and Secretariat of Ministry of Defence and Finance (Defence) under the control of Chief Administrative Officer,” the ministry said.
