India's 65th Staff Course at Defence Services Staff College stresses on jointness

The 65th Staff Course at Defence Services Staff College that completes its mandatory 45 week training in April 2010 becomes the first course to train as per the recently revised training syllabi with far greater emphasis in jointness – more than 50 % of the syllabi consists of joint training of the three services – The Army, Nave and the Air Force.

With a motto – ‘Yudham Pragraya’ meaning ‘to war with wisdom’, the Defence Services Staff College stands tall as the epctome of Indian Military proficiency. Being one of its kind in the world, it is the only institution that provides under the very staff training to officers of Army, Navy and the Air Force alongwith officers of civil services and those of common wealth and friendly foreign countries.

Outlining the aim of this institution which is to train and educate selected officers of the three services in command and staff functions in peace and war, in own service and inter services environment, the present Commandant of DSSC Lt Gen HPS Kler said, “Our aim is to create an atmosphere of professional excellence led by an outstanding faculty with students learning in a supportive, challenging and educational environment, which shapes future leaders to think creatively, reason critically and act decisively.

The origin of this premier Tri-Services institution dates back to 1902 when Lord Kitchner proposed to establish an Indian Staff College to train officers to improve military proficiency on the lines of Staff College Camberley. The approval of the proposal in 1905 let to the establishment of Indian Staff College in Quetta (Now in Pakistan) in 1907. With partition becoming a reality in 1947, the Indian elements of the college moved base to Wellington in Tamil Nadu as an Army Category ‘A’ training establishment.



01 April 1948 saw the first interim course of 20 weeks commencing at the college attended by 46 Army, 02 Air Force and 02 Naval officers with a purely Army syllabi. Today in the 62nd year of its existence, the DSSC has evolved into a true joint training institution with integrated training Syallbi and operational synergy.


Talking of this college Late Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw who had been the Commandant of DSSC, said “In 1971 Indo Pak War I was to experience first hand the synergy achieved in battle due to the spirit of jointmanship it ingrains within the Officers of the three services who graduate from this college”.