The latest edition of the Army Commanders Conference which was organised for the first time in a hybrid model from 17-21 April 23 saw deliberations over wide-ranging Strategic, Training, Human Resource Development, and Administrative aspects and took key decisions in shaping the Army for the future.
The Army Commanders and other senior functionaries took stock of the current / emerging security scenarios and reviewed the operational preparedness and readiness of the Indian Army.
The forum reviewed the pan-India, quantified progress on the ongoing transformational initiatives in the key domains of Force Structuring & Optimisation, Modernisation & Technology Infusion, Processes & Functions, Human Resources Management, and Jointness and Integration as part of the “Year of Transformation” announced in January 2023.
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Progress on efficient implementation of the Agnipath Scheme was deliberated upon in detail.
The Apex leadership also identified specific areas and actionable points for promoting jointness and integration with other Services and government agencies.
A number of welfare measures and initiatives were decided to be implemented for troops as well as veterans during the conference.
Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings
With rapid migration towards net centricity, which entails an increased reliance on modern communication systems, the forum reviewed the requirement to safeguard the networks and decided to operationalise Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSW) in the immediate future.
Test Bed Formations
In order to augment the capabilities of the forces by absorption of Niche Technologies and equipment, it was decided to nominate Lead Directorates and ‘Test Bed’ Formations to evolve optimal employment philosophies and scaling to facilitate better exploitation Pan Army.
Changes In TES entry scheme
Training initiatives to optimise on infrastructure, time, and resources to maintain an effective and lethal fighting force were widely deliberated upon. In the TES entry scheme for entry of officers, it was decided to transit from the existing 1+3+1 years Technical Entry Scheme (TES) model to the 3 + 1 TES model from Jan 2024 onwards. This change will also accrue benefits of the availability of more number of officers in the units and address officers’ shortages. Simulator training is also planned to be given a significant push through the procurement of 435 simulators at an estimated cost of 791 crores this year.
Construction of Thal Sena Bhawan
The work for the construction of Thal Sena Bhawan at Delhi Cantt which commenced in Mar 2023, was highlighted. The work once completed in 2025 will not only address the shortage of office spaces but enhance the operational and functional efficiency of the Army HQ by bringing all the directorates under one roof. The state-of-the-art building will incorporate a robust, technologically advanced architecture and will be a smart, green, and future-ready project.
Soldiers for Paralympic Events
In order to harness the indomitable spirit and never say die attitude of the soldiers who are Battle and Physical Casualties, it was decided to identify and train selected motivated soldiers for Paralympic Events by training them at Army Sports and Mission Olympic Nodes in nine sporting events.
Double The Sustenance Allowance
The welfare of soldiers is an abiding responsibility of the leadership and the organisation. In a significant step towards the welfare of specially-abled children of those soldiers who die in harness, it was decided to double the sustenance allowance to such children through AGIF.
