Situation at LAC ‘stable but sensitive’, Indian troops to stay till required: Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, January 11

Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Thursday said Indian troops would remain deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China “till they were required”, and that talks with Beijing were meant to restore the status quo ante as of April 2020.

Departments that will be downsized

• British-era legacy units to be optimised and ‘right-sized’
• Animal transport units to be substituted with drones & all-terrain vehicles
• Food inspection units will be downsized and later done away with

150 Army officers trained in Tibetology

• Aiming to enhance expertise of its officers posted along China border, the Army has trained 150 officers in ‘Tibetology’
• Six to seven such courses being run annually, with 14-20 officers attending these
• Training aims to enable officers to read, write and speak in Tibetan language

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi ahead of Army Day on January 15, the Army Chief expressed concern over the rise in terror incidents in J&K’s Rajouri and Poonch. He also spoke about the new “right-sizing” plan for the Army, including shutting down British-era units that were now considered redundant.About the situation along the LAC, he said it was “stable yet sensitive”. “The Indian troops are maintaining a high state of preparedness to deal with any challenge,” he said.

Asked if the deployment of troops along the China border was the “new normal” and could there ever be a pullback, the Army Chief said, “We are in talks to restore status quo ante. Only once that happens can we look at the larger issue of troop reduction. Till then, whatever forces are required will continue to be deployed.”

India and China have been locked in a military stand-off along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh since April 2020. Several rounds of talks have resulted in disengagement of troops at select locations.

General Pande shared details of the Army’s “right sizing”. “We have a plan to optimise our strength by 2027. We will achieve optimisation by 1 lakh troops. The plan has been submitted to the Ministry of Defence,” he said. Officials later explained “right sizing” meant reduction in numbers by doing away with redundant activities.

“The need is to optimise legacy units and these are being ‘right sized’,” said General Pande. He referred to reducing animal transport units saying these were being substituted with drones, capable of delivering logistics, and all-terrain vehicles. Also, the Army food inspection units were being downsized and would be later done away with, he said.

Asked if Pakistan was trying to foment trouble in J&K, he said whatever happened in Rajouri and Poonch was an issue of concern. “The observation on our adversary (Pakistan) abetting terror is correct,” he said. About Bhutan-China talks to resolve border dispute, he said any development having a bearing on India’s security was being monitored.

General Pande also said it was “unfair for him to say anything about what his predecessor (Gen MM Naravane) had written about the Agnipath scheme. “The final structure of Agnipath was prepared following consultation by taking into account whatever issues we had put across…. The integration of Angiveers is happening well,” he said.

The Army Chief also said 2024 would be the year of technology absorption. “Modernisation and technology infusion are central to our plans. Our soldiers need to be more tech-friendly…. All command HQ now have cyber support wings. Cyber specialists have been recruited through the Territorial Army,” he said.

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