Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday called for respect for every nation’s sovereignty and territorial boundaries, saying India’s pursuit of greater global strength was intended to safeguard its independence rather than dominate other countries.
Addressing participants of the 66th Course of the National Defence College in New Delhi, V-P Radhakrishnan stressed the importance of strategic thinking, integrated policymaking and international cooperation in responding to contemporary security challenges.
“India aims to become the most powerful nation in the world not to dominate others or dictate terms to others, but to ensure that no country dictates unethical terms to us,” he said.
The Vice President emphasised that every sovereign nation, whether big or small, was equal and that countries must respect one another’s sovereignty and self-respect and refrain from encroaching on others’ territorial boundaries.
The address, on “India’s Core Values, National Interests and National Objectives”, was delivered to 122 participants, including officers from the Indian Armed Forces, civil services, police and other government organisations, as well as 41 officers from friendly foreign countries.
V-P Radhakrishnan said national values formed the foundation of a country’s identity and guided its engagement with the world. Citing India’s civilisational philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or “the world is one family”, he pointed to Vaccine Maitri during the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster-response assistance and international initiatives on climate action and disaster resilience as examples of these values in practice.
India’s national interests flowed from the constitutional values of sovereignty, democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, and national unity and integrity, he said.
The Vice President identified five broad priorities: protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity; preserving India’s democratic, secular and federal character; advancing strategic, political, economic and military objectives; ensuring a stable environment for growth and human development; and contributing to international peace and stability.
Highlighting the interconnected nature of security, V-P Radhakrishnan called for greater cooperation against terrorism, cyber threats, pandemics, climate change and transnational crime. Protecting national interests and advancing shared global interests were often mutually reinforcing, he said, requiring coordinated action, information sharing and trust.
Describing Viksit Bharat by 2047 as a defining national objective, V-P Radhakrishnan stressed the need to align long-term ambitions with available resources, sound policies and national priorities.
National security encompassed the protection of India’s land, airspace, maritime interests and cyberspace, while also creating conditions for sustained development and prosperity, he said.
The Vice President called for stronger engagement with the Global South based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and shared development priorities. He urged countries to expand cooperation in technology, trade, connectivity, education, innovation and capacity building, while working collectively to eradicate corruption.
Addressing participants as future strategic leaders, V-P Radhakrishnan encouraged them to look beyond institutional and professional boundaries, understand their nations’ values, identify interests requiring protection and set clear, carefully prioritised objectives.
“National strategy must translate national purpose into action and national intent into national outcomes,” he said.
National Defence College Commandant Air Marshal Manish Kumar Gupta, faculty members and course participants also attended the event.
