The four-day Indian Army Commander’s Conference took up the issue of ‘officer shortage’ in its ranks and also issues training and training aides. There were no discussions on Monday as most of the day was devoted to presentations by the principal staff officers (PSOs). This is the first commander’s conference of the newly-anointed army chief General Dalbir Singh.
Informed sources say that there are still 10,000 officers short in the force. Monday morning’s presentation was about the shortage and the steps to ameliorate the situation. Various options were presented to the chief of army staff, the four operational command chiefs, the training command chief and the chief of the Strategic Forces Command.
Besides them, also present in the meeting were the nine principal staff officers (PSOs), including the director general military operations (DGMO), the director general military intelligence (DGMI), the adjutant general, the military secretary among others.
These top officers are of course well aware about the general scope of the problem. They are aware of the in the steep pyramidal structure of the army, the shortage is not in the middle or in the upper echelons. The shortages are at the bottom of the pyramid, in the ranks of lieutenants, captains, majors among others.
The army is also having to compete with the big pay-cheque issuing private sector employers, who can even counter the lifestyle that the armed forces promise. The other problem is about parity with the civil service ranks. The progressive diminution of parity levels with civil servants are causing a morale issue in the armed forces, especially the army who has to often interact with the civilian bureaucracy on issues of counter-insurgency or disaster mitigation roles.
The other issue that was addressed today at the commanders’ conference was about the training modes and training aides. The presentation that was made was about usage of such stuff like tank simulators, war games etc. Increasingly, various sections of the army hierarchy is demanding the introduction of modern methodologies keeping with the changing times.
Earlier, the army chief had addressed the gathering, highlighting some of the issues that the conference will deliberate upon in the next four days. On Tuesday the brainstorming begins, with the issues thrown open for discussion.
The strategic element of the security milieu will obviously figure in the discussions in the coming days.
The army has not had any development in the recent years on the war-fighting concepts after the gaming of ‘Cold Start.’
Now that the pressures on the northern, eastern and western boundaries are rising and the strategic environment undergoing subtle and not so subtle changes, the time may have come for the army echelons to take up the task of looking afresh at the doctrines, their standard operating procedures, and their efficacy.
Informed sources say that there are still 10,000 officers short in the force. Monday morning’s presentation was about the shortage and the steps to ameliorate the situation. Various options were presented to the chief of army staff, the four operational command chiefs, the training command chief and the chief of the Strategic Forces Command.
Besides them, also present in the meeting were the nine principal staff officers (PSOs), including the director general military operations (DGMO), the director general military intelligence (DGMI), the adjutant general, the military secretary among others.
These top officers are of course well aware about the general scope of the problem. They are aware of the in the steep pyramidal structure of the army, the shortage is not in the middle or in the upper echelons. The shortages are at the bottom of the pyramid, in the ranks of lieutenants, captains, majors among others.
The army is also having to compete with the big pay-cheque issuing private sector employers, who can even counter the lifestyle that the armed forces promise. The other problem is about parity with the civil service ranks. The progressive diminution of parity levels with civil servants are causing a morale issue in the armed forces, especially the army who has to often interact with the civilian bureaucracy on issues of counter-insurgency or disaster mitigation roles.
The other issue that was addressed today at the commanders’ conference was about the training modes and training aides. The presentation that was made was about usage of such stuff like tank simulators, war games etc. Increasingly, various sections of the army hierarchy is demanding the introduction of modern methodologies keeping with the changing times.
Earlier, the army chief had addressed the gathering, highlighting some of the issues that the conference will deliberate upon in the next four days. On Tuesday the brainstorming begins, with the issues thrown open for discussion.
The strategic element of the security milieu will obviously figure in the discussions in the coming days.
The army has not had any development in the recent years on the war-fighting concepts after the gaming of ‘Cold Start.’
Now that the pressures on the northern, eastern and western boundaries are rising and the strategic environment undergoing subtle and not so subtle changes, the time may have come for the army echelons to take up the task of looking afresh at the doctrines, their standard operating procedures, and their efficacy.