Domestic constraints in India's defence policy‐making

Abstract

The management of defence in India's national security system has acquired increasing importance because of the uncertainty of the emerging international security system, and continuity and multiplicity of domestic constraints. Strategic decisions and policies depend a great deal on the nature of the domestic variables. Policy‐makers take decisions within the limitations of the domestic constraints after assessing the external threats, challenges and opportunities; hence the importance of understanding the domestic context of India's defence policy‐making. The article aims at conceptualizing and analysing the problem of domestic constraints in India's defence policy‐making, and highlights continuity and change in these constraints.

India's policy‐makers’ predicament has increased due to the demands of strategic decisions, while domestic constraints have continued without a significant change. Moreover, the multiplicity of these constraining factors indicates the primacy of domestic variables in India's defence policy formation. Transformation of domestic constraints is fundamental to imparting credibility to India's strategic capabilities, correcting the strategic imbalance in Asia, and maximizing its politico‐strategic goals in ‘extended’ South Asia.