The Government has given a green light to significant changes in the Indian Army, which include a comprehensive restructuring of the Army Headquarters. This decision followed the results from four studies that were aimed at improving the operational and functional efficiency of the force, optimizing budget expenditure, promoting modernization, and fulfilling the aspirations of the force.
The Four Key Studies for Army restructuring
The study titled ‘Re-organisation and right-sizing of the Indian Army’ provides a roadmap for making the force more efficient and future-ready considering the operational situation on the western and northern borders.
Another study centered on the ‘Re-organisation of the Army Headquarters’ with an objective of achieving a streamlined and efficient structure, integrating various functions, and eliminating redundancies.
The ‘Cadre review of officers’ study focusses on suggesting a plan to reorganize and restructure the officers’ cadre to meet their aspirations better.
Finally, the ‘Review of terms of engagement of rank and file’ aims at harnessing the benefits of higher life expectancy for personnel, ensuring a younger profile of key commands, and enhancing personnel motivation.
The Shekatkar Committee: Its Role and Recommendations
In 2015, the Ministry of Defence under the chairmanship of Lt. Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar formed a committee to suggest measures to enhance the combat capability and rebalance the defence expenditure of the armed forces.
Following are the key recommendations made:
| Recommendations |
|---|
| Closure of Military Farms and Army Postal Establishments in peace locations. |
| Enhancement in standards for recruitment of clerical staff and drivers in the Army. |
| Improving the efficiency of the National Cadet Corps. |
| Roll-on defence budget to ensure enough capital expenditure available for modernisation as opposed to the current practice of surrendering unspent capital budget at the end of each financial year. |
Impact on the Indian Army
The implementation of the studies and recommendations will transform the Indian Army to function more efficiently, investing budget allocations optimally, and keeping pace with the needs of modern warfare. These changes will also help in better addressing the aspirations of the officers and maintaining younger profile and motivation of personnel in key commands.