Every country has at one time or another made conscription a solution for low military manpower even the US. India's case is no different....Let's forget democracy and focus more importantly on the pro's and cons's ......Let that weigh our decision. This could be a pivotal moment in India's future here on. As was posted earlier we have a huge pool of qualified applicants around 20 million per year. If we can use them efficiently, mold them properly, identify strengths and weaknesses and improve upon it....we can really make a new generation of not just regular military personnel but a creative, multifaceted force which can have long range implications in the growth of India. The key is having trained and disciplined military personnel who can identify various qualities in these youth and place them accordingly. This is a key area that will need constant training and scrutiny....but if done properly and efficiently we can identify certain skill sets or physical traits that can be advantageous to India. We can identify folks who may have certain qualities that make them superior in roles wrt covert operations (RAW) , or maybe we can identify qualities that would mesh well with the sciences or engineering......there is no background or individual quality that can be considered unworthy......even someone with a or fashion tailor background may be interested in clothing camouflage for the military.....whatever it is ...we need to develop their inherent strengths whatever it may be. Not to mention, we will have a many great ideas flooding the military that will give the armed forces completely new perspectives form different walks of life. Let's face it.....some Indians have more exposure to worldly views than others be it thru wealth, education, job, etc. This information could tactically change our doctrines and our forces into more efficient fighting forces. The possibilities are limitless and it has my brain gushing with blood thinking of the enormous benefits India can get. More importantly, India will have youth who are instilled with patriotism at training which may help our solve our regional divisions....make it a point to mix individuals from different religions and cultures together so that they see fist hand and make their own conclusion instead of relying on falsehoods. These youth could even become a sort of emergency volunteer force that can be called in times of national disaster. They can also keep an eye on suspicious characters like terrorists. Sure, money may be an issue....but food will be the biggest expense after weapons training which should be a priority (they will need much training than the Mumbai Police which I was 1x 2months I believe). This will be a bootcamp and they will need to live in inhospitable conditions, i.e. sleep on the dirt floor, etc. I also think this would be a key solution to the way different Hindu castes and other religions behave to each other....it allows less informed individuals to see that we are all Indian......What do you guys think?