Rethinking ‘civilian’ control: Civil-military relations in India
Channel: War Studies KCL
Date: 2021-10-07

Dr Saawani Raje-Byrne explores an alternative approach towards the idea of ‘civilian control’ over the military in post-colonial states—especially those with weaker institutional systems. These states face an additional set of civil-military challenges that literature focusing on civil-military relations in mature states does not adequately explain.

Saawani argues, through a brief analysis of civil-military relations in India over two decades, that institutions for “civilian control” need to go beyond just considering effective civilian control over the military and instead also focus on robust institutional controls for civilian leaders.

Bio
Dr. Saawani Raje-Byrne is a lecturer in International History education at the Department of War studies, King’s College London where she teaches postgraduate and undergraduate students.