NEW DELHI: In a move to address the shortage of officers in the Indian Army, the top brass has discussed the issue of making the entry of officers through the Short Service Commission more attractive.
Other issues discussed at the Army Commanders Conference which concluded on Friday included conducting all internal examinations in online mode and establishing speedy redressal mechanisms for issues faced by veterans, said a source.
As reported by TNIE in May 2020, the shortage has persisted both at the officer level and also at the PBOR level. The authorised strength of officers is 50,312 whereas the strength was 42,913 leaving a shortage of 7,399 officers till the beginning of 2019 as per Parliament records.
The Short Service Commission scheme is meant for eligible men and women to serve as officers for a minimum of 10 years with options to either leave or opt for Permanent Commission or opt for an extension of four more years of service. The SSC officers neither get pension nor medical support under the ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme.
While speaking to a select group of journalists on the SSC scheme, former CDS General Bipin Rawat had said, "The officers might be given medical facility post retirement along with an attractive severance package and more importantly they may get to do a professional course in Management and Technology from prestigious institutions."
"Among those joining through SSC we will allow between 25 to 30 percent getting Permanent Commission and the rest will get severance package and the professional degree will make them eligible for a decent job," he had said.
In addition, the Army top brass also discussed and analysed the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and Ukraine-Russia conflict.
ACC, an apex-level biannual event, is an institutional platform for deliberations at the conceptual level, facilitating important policy decisions for the Indian Army.
The apex leadership brainstormed on "current/ emerging security scenarios besides reviewing the operational preparedness of the Indian Army. They will also delve into pivotal subjects including review of the ongoing transformation process, training matters, HR management aspects and issues impacting serving personnel and veterans."
The Army Commanders' Conference, with its broad scope, ensures the Indian Army remains progressive, forward-looking, adaptive and future ready.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff also addressed the gathering. Dr Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India gave a talk on "Leveraging Technology for National Security".
It was during the first edition of the Army Commanders Conference (ACC) from 17-21 April 2023 that the top brass of the Army had decided to raise a new Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSW) to augment the operational capabilities along with the absorption of new technologies. The Indian Army decided to create a new wing to handle cyber operations and also create structures to "test bed" the large number and variety of niche tech-enabled equipment being inducted into the force.
The Army in a statement on Thursday said, "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."
The CCOSW being raised "will assist the formations to undertake the mandated cyber security functions to strengthen the cyber security posture of the Indian Army."