NEW DELHI: Aiming to strengthen the border management system in the northern and eastern frontiers of the country, the government is all set to appoint a consultant for ‘building competencies’ in the operational capabilities of the ITBP, the BSF and the Assam Rifles.
Officials said that the consultant would be assigned the task to create an effective mechanism to bring in synergy among various stakeholders in managing affairs. He would also coordinate with agencies for implementing development works in border areas including the centrally sponsored Vibrant Village Programme.
Seeking to recruit the consultant, the officials said the government is looking for a retired defence officer to be inducted on contractual basis at the “Level 14”. The candidate should have adequate experience in handling the affairs of the border areas, besides handling security related matters and implementation of the policies envisaged for adequate development of the border areas in Ladakh, Kashmir, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, they added.
The officials said that since the country’s frontier areas face challenges such as cross border terrorism, crime and illegal migration, the consultant would be required to carry out capacity needs analysis and mapping of the capacity building interventions, which are specific to the threat perception.
The consultant would also be mandated to conduct a comprehensive need assessment to understand the current and future challenges faced by border guarding forces and to identify stakeholder requirements and expectations, they said.
The incumbent would also examine the “gap analysis” to identify areas where existing competencies fall short of requirements and to recommend strategies to plug in this in the border areas, the officials said.
Launched in February last year, the Vibrant Village Programme is aimed for comprehensive development of the select villages in 46 blocks in 19 districts of abutting the northern border in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and UT of Ladakh.
Gap anaylsis
The officials said that since the country’s frontier areas face challenges such as cross border terrorism, illegal migration, the consultant would be required to carry out capacity needs analysis. He/she would also examine the ‘gap analysis’ to identify areas where existing competencies fall short of requirements and recommend strategies to plug in this in the border areas.