There is only one viable strategy to attract the kind of talent that is needed and that is to assure military personnel of assured lateral induction into the paramilitary and police forces, the intelligence services and the civil administration.

Unfortunately, a consensus has not been achieved that "lateral induction" is the best way to attract India's young but savvy population to the tough profession of arms where risk-to-life is an everyday affair.

Major benefits will accrue from lateral induction. First, the transfer of highly disciplined, trained and skilled manpower to the civil set-up will contribute towards the creation of a 'discipline culture' the country. Second, the superior training standards of lateral inductees will aid civil and paramilitary forces in combating terrorism and internal violence.

However, placing a large segment of a young Army on the land borders cannot entirely ensure security of India. There are two aspects to it.

First, if a football team defends only its half of the field, it is certain that an adversary determined to create mischief, short of going to war, will create opportunities for its irregular forces (jihadis) to score goals through infiltration, smuggling and creeping invasion.

The hostile environment that impacts India's long frontiers requires that the role of military power to defend strategic frontiers must be firmly embedded in India’s foreign policy.

The second aspect is the need for political will to project the power of Armed Forces beyond the Indian subcontinent to secure the sea-lanes for external trade and ensure the security of imported energy supplies.