Be vigilant at all time: Army Chief to soldiers deployed along Pak, China borders

Army Chief Gen M M Naravane on Tuesday exhorted Army men deployed along borders with China, Pakistan and those fighting the "proxy war" in Kashmir to remain vigilant round-the-clock, and assured that their operational and logistical needs will be met at any cost.

In a message to the 1.3-million-strong force on the eve of Army Day, he said the Indian Army has carved out a "special niche" in the nation's mind space and that it is not merely a combat outfit or an instrument of national power.

"It is also a valued institution of the country. We remain steadfast in our resolve to uphold our values, ethos and the trust reposed in us by our citizenry," he said.

The Army Chief called the decision of the government to create a Department of Military Affairs under a Chief of Defence Staff as a "seminal step" to facilitate greater integration among the three services.

He noted that the primary responsibility of the Indian Army is to maintain operational readiness of the "highest order" and asked all the personnel, particularly those guarding the borders with Pakistan, China and in Siachen glacier to remain vigilant "all the time."