Relevance: GS-III Security Issues
Prelims Take away: Udbhav Project
Why In News: Project Udbhav is an initiative undertaken by the Indian Army in collaboration with the United Service Institution of India (USI), a defense think- tank.
Key Point of News:
- The Indian Army has launched Project Udbhav, an initiative aimed at rediscovering the profound heritage of statecraft and strategic thinking from ancient Indian texts.
- The primary goal is to comprehend the depths of indigenous military systems, their evolution, enduring strategies, and the strategic thought processes that have shaped the Indian subcontinent for millennia.
- It encompasses indigenous military systems, historical texts, regional texts, kingdoms, thematic studies, and Kautilya Studies.
Why this initiative:
- The initiative underscores the Indian Army’s recognition of India’s ancient wisdom in statecraft, strategy, diplomacy, and warfare. It seeks to establish a connection between historical wisdom and contemporary needs.
Scholarly Outcomes and Ongoing Research
- A study to compile Indian stratagems based on ancient texts has been ongoing since 2021. A book listing 75 aphorisms selected from ancient texts has already been published under the initiative.
- The first scholarly outcome is the 2022 publication titled “Paramparik Bhartiya Darsha. Ranniti aur Netriyta ke Shashwat Niyam,” which is meant to be read by all ranks of the Indian Army.
- A recent panel discussion included a dialogue on the study of ancient texts ranging from the 4th century BCE to the 8th century CE, with a specific focus on Kautilya, Kamandaka, and the Kural.