Army commanders conference begins tomorrow; focus on operational challenges

Top Army commanders will deliberate on operational challenges and various reform initiatives during a week-long conference starting Tuesday.

During the Army Commanders' Conference, to be held from October 9 to 15, a host of issues ranging from operational, administrative, logistics and human resources will be discussed, an official statement said.

As part of the conclave, commanders and directorates at the Army Headquarters will in a collegiate deliberate on important studies that have been ordered to meet future operational challenges, it said.

There are four studies examining the operational and optimisational issues of the Army and the headquarters as also human resources management aspects.

These studies aim to improve the teeth to tail ratio, with the purpose of strengthening the structures within the Army, to make it combat ready for the future, the statement said.

Various issues related to reform initiatives in the force will also be discussed during the conference, sources said.

Last month, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat and top commanders held detailed deliberations on ways to make the force "leaner and meaner", which included carrying out an extensive organisational restructuring and downsizing of the force.

The Defence Ministry has already announced a series of reform measures for the Army which include redeployment of nearly 57,000 officers and other ranks as well as ensuring better utilisation of resources.