The United Service Institution of India was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor. The story of its growth is the story of the growth of the Indian Armed Forces. It was founded for ‘furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services.’
Maj Gen BK Sharma was commissioned in the SIKHLIGHT Infantry Regiment in 1976 and superannuated in 2012. He is the Director General of United Service Institution of India (USI), India’s oldest think tank established by the British in 1870. He was conferred three military awards by the President of India for rendering exceptional distinguished national service and for displaying courage. Besides, he was conferred national award for nation building by the Confederation of Educational Excellence of India in 2017. He has tenanted prestigious assignments in India, including command of a mountain division on China border and Senior Faculty Member at the National Defence College. He has represented his country at the UN as Military Observer in Central America and has been India’s Defence Attaché in Central Asia. He specializes in Strategic Net Assessment methodology, Scenario Building and Strategic Gaming. He has visited about 35 countries as member of international delegations and on educational tours. He has participated in 29 international conferences abroad and several such conferences in India. He has edited about 08 books, contributed more than 60 seminal papers in the Indian / foreign journals and Newspapers and presented 30 research papers at international conferences. He edits prestigious USI Strategic Year Book. He has lectured at the prestigious military establishment, policy think tanks, and universities, literature festivals in India and abroad. He regularly participates in Track-2 Level dialogue.
The United Service Institution of India was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor. The story of its growth is the story of the growth of the Indian Armed Forces. It was founded for ‘furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services.’
First housed in the old Town Hall at Shimla, in the foot hills of the Himalayas, the Institution moved to the then Army Headquarters. In 1908 its own building was erected at a cost of Rs. 26,000/- near Cumbermere Post Office in the Shimla Hills. As the partition of the sub continent approached, the Council decided that the USI and its Journal should continue as before; but that was not to be. Four issues of the Journal (January, April, July and October 1948) did go out as that of the United Service Institution of India and Pakistan, with flags of both the countries on the cover. In the event, the Institution remained a purely Indian one.
The post Independence years were financially a testing time for the Institution. The property in Shimla had to be sold off for Rs. 18,000/- and the Institution was moved to Delhi in 1953, where it was located, till mid 1996, in Kashmir House on Rajaji Marg ( the premises of the Engineer-in-Chief’s Branch, among others). Notwithstanding the difficulties, the Institution pulled through by the sheer dedication and selflessness of the then Secretary, Colonel Pyara Lal, who managed it from 1957 to 1987. Amongst the distinguished officers who have been the Secretary, the name of Field Marshal W J Slim, MC stands out (early thirties). Since 1987, the designation of the Secretary has been changed to that of Director. Major General S C Sinha, PVSM (Retd) was the Director from November 1987 to 30 June 1996. Lt Gen Satish Nambiar PVSM, AVSM, VrC (Retd) was the Director from 01 July 1996 to 31 Dec 2008. Lt Gen P K Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) was the Director from 01 Jan 2009 to 31 Dec 2019. The foundation stone for the new premises was laid on 26 April 1993 by the then Chief of the Army Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, General S F Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM, ADC, in the presence of the then Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral L Ramdas, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N C Suri, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC.
Maj Gen BK Sharma, AVSM, SM** (Retd), assumed Charge as Director General on 01 Jan 2020 The Institution began with a membership of 215 members. When it moved to its present premises, the number stood at about 3500, and now it is over 12,928 as on 01 Jan 2021. A “History of USI” from 1870 to 2008 has been written by Col V K Singh. VSM (Retd) Former Dy Director (ADM): It is being updated every year.
In the last 150 years since its inception, the USI of India has emerged as India’s pre-eminent think tank on matters of national security. The initial aim of establishing the USI was, ‘Furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services’. During the pre-independence period, the USI had played a leading role in shaping the strategic thought of British Empire — not only on how to rule India but also in generating informed policy debates on its expeditionary forays in the strategic neighbourhood of Afghanistan, Tibet, China, Burma and elsewhere. Much of those perspectives and reflections are encapsulated in the old journals of the USI and the plethora of archives preserved in the USI library. Post-independence, the USI has transformed into a typical track 1.5 institution that has rendered ‘yeoman’ service in developing strategic culture amongst the policy-makers and strategic community of modern India. The USI has acquired a unique multi-disciplinary character vis-à-vis other think tanks in terms of its activities, which range from historical research to publications of diverse literature, career progression of military officers, and a niche in net assessment, scenario building and strategic gaming.
The Vision Paper 2020 was approved by the USI Council on 14 Jan 2014 and has served the USI well. A new Vision 2030, prepared by the USI Team, was endorsed by the USI Council on 01 Dec 2020. The Council had ruled that the new Vision 2030 be circulated to the Service HQs for perusal and value addition. The Vision 2030 is encapsulated in the succeeding paragraph.
Vision 2030: Transform USI as a tri-service military institution with a niche for a multi-disciplinary progressive policy research and narrative building in comprehensive national security with military focus in a wider global geopolitical context, while preserving its rich heritage and unique character as India’s oldest think tank.
The three Service Chiefs are Vice Patrons of the Institution. Management is vested in a Council composed of 24 members, ten ex-officio and 14 elected for a period of three years. The Executive Committee consists of a Chairman and at least seven members, all chosen from the Council, and is responsible for execution of the policy guidelines given by the Council. The Director General is the Chief Executive of the Institution, and also the Member-Secretary of both the above bodies.
General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM – Chief of the Army Staff
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, PVSM, AVSM, NM – Chief of the Naval Staff
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC – Chief of the Air Staff
Lt Gen JP Mathew, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM – Chief of Integrated Defence Staff
Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM – Vice Chief of the Army Staff
Vice Adm Krishna Swaminathan AVSM, VSM – Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Air Mshl AP Singh, PVSM, AVSM – Vice Chief of the Air Staff
Shri Giridhar Aramane, IAS – Defence Secretary
Lt Gen Vipul Singhal, AVSM,SM – DCIDS (DoT)*
Lt Gen DS Kushwah, AVSM, SM – COS ARTRAC *
Cmde Sumeet Kapoor NM Cmde – (NT) *
AVM Anjan Bhadra,VM – ACAS Ops (Strat) *
