The contemporary world presents a human society paradigm undergoing rapid transition in terms of evolving roles and high expectations. Governments address these issues by changing, reforming, or re-inventing themselves to ensure faster inclusive growth and rapid alleviation      of poverty. However, globalization and liberalization policies have perceivably excluded many sections of the population, attributed to the deteriorating law and order situation, corruption and exploitation, raised the price index, criminalised politics, politicized the administrative machinery, produced mega financial scams, poor principles and social norms and degenerated the value system.

To radically improve outcomes in rural infrastructure, ex-servicemen from the Armed Forces, who are the only credible and educated workforce in villages, characterized by self-motivation, rich experience, discipline and multi-talented persona could be meaningfully employed for scrupulous governance within a timeline of  ‘augmentation and progression’. We need to establish 7,000 self-reliant village clusters through the Rural Area Planned Integrated Development (RAPID) programme under a dynamic public-private partnership model to bring sustainable development and prosperity to rural areas and usher in smart villages. Mission-oriented thrust areas are potable water, optimised renewable energy sources, mitigation of infant and maternal mortality rates, multi-specialty health care, increased literacy level, and improved functional literacy of self-help groups and unemployed youth. Ex-servicemen are ‘role models’ of ethical and transformational leadership with veritable ingrained morals and righteous conduct focused on ‘Duty, Honour and Country’. They are empowered crusaders of good governance, who believe in the Credo fundamentally, practise it religiously and live by it virtuously. 

Lt. Gen. (Dr.) S. K. Gadeock, AVSM (Retd.), was commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1977. He is an alumnus of NDA, IMA and DSSC, Wellington, having done his doctorate in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras, Chennai. His distinguished military career profile includes serving as Aide-de-Camp to two Presidents, namely, Dr. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and Dr. Giani Zail Singh at Rashtrapati Bhawan; Adjutant, NDA, and Logistics Advisor to the Botswana Defence Force, Gaborone, and finally, Commandant, DSSC, Wellington, in 2014. There he was conferred the coveted Golden Peacock Training Award and instrumental in the `President`s Colours being presented to DSSC in 2016, for holistic transformation of the Staff College. Amongst his many achievements, are the `Lifetime Achievement` Award, Rajiv Gandhi Gold Medal Award, and `Distinguished Fellowship Award` 2016. An erudite scholar, paragon of `Role Model` leadership, with an unblemished reputation for innovative thinking, transcendent reforms and awareness revolution in the Indian Army. He is an environmentalist, philanthropist, accomplished `transformational` leader, defence analyst and global strategist and has published numerous professional articles during his illustrious military career and after retirement.  He is presently serving at Amity University as DG, Amity Institute of Defence & Strategic Studies (AIDSS); DG, Amity Centre for Defence & Strategic Analysis (ACDSA); Vice–President, Science Technology Innovation Foundation (ASTIF); Vice–Chairman, Amity Institute of Defence Technology (AIDT) and Commandant, Amity Institute of Education & Training (AIET).