Nobody can deny the importance of intelligence. But, the machinery for intelligence cannot be created overnight. It requires very thorough planning. It is a very complicated process. I can certainly assure the hon. House that more and more methods have been found to collect information, collate that information, disseminate that information and make it useful, as far as, it can be made. This process will continue for some time to come, and I am sure that if these efforts are made continuously for some considerable period, we will certainly have a reasonable good intelligence system. There is already an intelligence system. There is a feeling that there is no intelligence system in our country. Possibly this is a misunderstanding. A very effectively working intelligence system is in place in India. I do not think it will be wrong to have a good intelligence. It is like claiming to have our own eyes. I can assure hon. Members that they need not come to any conclusion that we have no eyes of our own only because certain things happened. It is not so.

I would like to mention here the other question about promotions of officers. Somebody said, if I am right, the hon. Member Shri Nath Pai said that there are certain murmurs reaching us. I can tell him, through you and the hon. House, that there is a very, I must say, full proof arrangement, for this promotion of officers. Above the level of Lieut. Colonels’ postings are made by selection. Above the rank of Major Generals that is, appointment of Lieut. Generals and Generals are made by the Government by selection. Appointments of Brigadiers and Major Generals are made by the Chief of Staff with the approval of the Defence Minister. I can tell the hon. House that in my experience of the last-four months, I have not many experiences of difference of opinion on this question. Possibly I can say very few. In certain categories practically none. Of course, there are cases of supersession. There will be case of supersession. Why I mention this is because unhappily, perhaps, there murmurs reach Members by some disgruntled rejected persons.

I think that happens everywhere. There is the human element in it. I can tell you, when promotions to the ranks of active officers are to be given, naturally, one has to go by the capacity of the man concerned, about his leadership. It is not merely by seniority you can kick people upwards and sometimes hang yourself. You cannot take that risk. Therefore, these qualifications are certainly examined by the Selection Board. In some cases, the Boards of Selection are presided over by the Chief of the Army Staff himself. I would certainly say, there would be cases of supersession. We must have faith in the people who are doing it. Here, I would like to mention, unfortunately, some reference was made by one of the Members about some unhealthy trends. I can assure the hon. House that from my personal experience of the last four months, I have seen the closest co-operation between all, the three Services and their Chiefs of Staff, and also with the Civil authorities and also with the Government. I must say about the leaders of the Army. They are professionally very competent people and I can assure hon. Members that they are as patriotic as you and I and everybody is. Unless we create a condition wherein all the three services who have got a distinctive role to play can work and they are trained to work together themselves and also with the civil authorities and the Government - the Army will not be able to fulfil the function that it is expected to fulfil. Therefore, I would like to emphasise this particular aspect that we should have this confidence in the team spirit that prevails in all matters concerning defence.