Compulsory Military Training to Youths

Compulsory Military Training to Youths

Government of India is not in favour of making military training compulsory to all the youth of the country due to the following reasons:-

India is a democratic Republic and the Constitution does not provide for compulsory military training. In our democratic set up, people are free to choose their professions. Compulsion in respect of Military Training, it is felt, would go against the democratic ethos.

Military training to all the youth of the country may also lead to militarization of an entire nation. With our socio-political and economic conditions, it is highly undesirable, lest some of the unemployed youth trained in military skills join the ranks of the undesirable elements.

Armed Forces in India have a large number of volunteers to draw upon and there is no problem in getting adequate numbers of volunteer recruits. All the youth of the country, therefore, do not compulsorily need to be given military training.

Training all the youth in the country would require establishment of a very large number of training centers, with the necessary wherewithal, all over the country and would involve huge expenditure in their maintenance and upkeep. The likely benefits of imparting military training to all the youth will not be commensurate with the expenditure involved in such an effort. This would translate into an unmanageable figure and will also be a big drain on limited resources of a developing country.

The proposals received during the last five years and action taken by the Government on each proposal is as under:-

Proposal received from	Proposal in brief	Status of the Proposal / Action taken by Ministry of Defence
A Private Member Bill was received from Shri AdhirRanjan Chowdhury, MP(LS) – Introduced in Lok Sabha on 19.08.2011	To Provide for Compulsory Military Training to all able-bodied citizens	Consequent on the appointment of ShriAdhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the member-in-charge, as a Minister, the Bill has been removed from the Register of Bills pending in Lok Sabhaunder rule 113 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha
A Private Member Bill was received from Shri Avinash RaiKhanna, MP(RS) – introduced inRajya Sabha on 07.12.2012.	To provide Compulsory Military Training to all youths in the country.	The Bill did not find favour with Government however president`s recommendations were obtained and the same were forwarded to RajyaSabha Secretariat for Consideration of Bill inRajya Sabha.
A Private Member Bill was received from Dr. Bhola Singh,MP(LS) – Introduced in LokSabha on 08.03.2013.	To provide for Compulsory Military Training to all able-bodied citizens.	The Bill did not find favour with Government, however president`s recommendations were obtained and the same were forwarded to Lok Sabha Sectt for Consideration of Bill in Lok Sabha.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Ishwar Singh in Rajya Sabha yesterday.

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