NEW DELHI: The Indian Army will conduct a major academic exercise on January 7 focusing on the Middle Sector of the Line of Actual Control with China, driven by growing concerns over Chinese assertiveness, enhanced infrastructure development across the border, and unpredictable People’s Liberation Army patrol behaviour.
The seminar, titled “Fortifying Himalaya: A Proactive Military-Civil Fusion Strategy in Middle Sector,” will be held in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, bringing together renowned experts, academia, and military leaders to explore civil-military integration redefining India’s defence architecture.
Sources said the academic exercise aims to promote strategic thinking and understanding of civil-military fusion, providing a platform for academic exchange on frontier security.
Historically seen as less vulnerable than the Eastern and Western sectors, the Middle Sector has gained strategic importance in the wake of rising tensions and Chinese infrastructure expansion along LAC. The 545-km sector, spanning Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand borders, features unique challenges such as difficult terrain, limited infrastructure, environmental limits, and grey-zone activities.
“Chinese assertiveness is no longer limited to traditional military manoeuvres. We have witnessed infrastructure push in sensitive zones, dual-use facilities, increased PLA troop movement, aggressive patrolling patterns, cyber probing, and rapid militarisation of border villages,” reads a synopsis of the seminar.
The Middle Sector includes four valleys in Uttarakhand—Harshil, Mana, Niti, and Barahoti, with 22 passes serving as crucial mountain access points. Barahoti Valley remains among eight mutually accepted disputed areas with overlapping claims between India and China
Since May 2020, when China breached agreements, the sector’s status has remained unclear, prompting major troop reorganisation.
The seminar comes as trust deficit between India and China persists despite recent disengagement at Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh.