New Delhi: The National Defence College (NDC) has conducted first-ever viva-voce for awarding Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) degree in defence related topics. As per sources, the college took the move when retired Major General G D Bakshi submitted his research thesis. Topic of the thesis was Limited War Under Conditions of Nuclear Symmetry: The Urgent Need for an Indian Doctrine, sources added.
On Monday i.e. February 14, 2011, a spokesperson from the Defence Ministry said that it is for the first time a public viva-voce for PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies was conducted at any defence institute. It was also an historic occasion for Madras University when it conducted a viva-voce outside the geographical boundaries of its jurisdiction, the spokesperson added.
As per sources, Major General Bakshi had registered for his PhD degree with Madras University's Department of Defence and Strategic Studies. He showed his research work in a public forum on February 9, 2011 at NDC. He was a Senior Directing Staff at the NDC between August 2006 and May 2008, sources added.
Further, sources told that the topic, which was expressed by Major General Bakshi, was discussed by senior serving and retired defence officers and experts in the field in an open viva-voce. Sources also informed that P K Roy, NDC Commandant Air Marshal was present on the occasion.
