3 min readJul 11, 2026 09:45 PM IST
By Kalyani Lad
Speaking at an interaction at TECHSAGA 2026, a technology leadership conclave, in Pune on Saturday, General (Retd) Manoj Naravane, former Chief of Army Staff, said a gender based approach to inclusivity in the armed forces was not to be looked at and that performance should be emphasised.
“Gender is not what is to be looked at. Look at the performance. Is an officer good or is an officer bad? It is performance that matters,” Naravane said. He added that both men and women should join only if they are committed: “Follow your dreams… We will welcome both boys and girls with open arms but you have to have that in you.”
“In the armed forces, by virtue of our service there are already certain limitations on the liberties that we enjoy. We are subject to the Official Secrets Act. Within that, I don’t think there is any change which happens due to change of government,” Naravane stated in reply to a question on restriction of speech and liberty by the government.
“I think by and large the rule of law is being followed and maintained in the country and that is how it should be,” he added.
On national security, Naravane asserted that defence remains a constant priority irrespective of dispensation.
“The defence of a nation is always the first and foremost priority of any government. Because that is one thing which cannot be outsourced. No matter the government in power, defence would always be a priority,” he said.
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Reflecting on his own journey from NDA cadet to Army Chief, he credited perseverance over ambition.
“It’s not a flash in the pan. It is 20 – 30 years of continuous hard work and dedicated service which gets you there. But at the end, luck is also a factor.”
At the event hosted by the CIO Association Pune Chapter, General Naravane spoke on his manuscript pending publication, Four Stars of Destiny. “My job was to write the book, their job is to publish it. Readers might get a chance to read it in the near future,” Naravane said.
Naravane, who has also authored The Curious and the Classified, said his intent is to document experience and move forward. “All that is in the past. So let’s look to the future.”
(Kalyani is an intern)
