New Delhi: Top commanders of the Army on Monday began deliberating on India's national security challenges along the borders with China and Pakistan as well as the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war for regional security at a five-day conclave. Army Chief Gen MM Naravane is chairing the conclave in the national capital. It will conclude on April 22. The Army Commanders' Conference is an apex level biannual event that is held in April and October every year. The conference is an institutional platform for conceptual level deliberations, culminating in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army.
Officials said detailed deliberations have been planned to assess the possible implications of the war in Ukraine for regional security as well as various military aspects of the conflict. The commanders are also carrying out a comprehensive review of India's military preparedness along the 3,400-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in view of the lingering military standoff with China in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh, they said. The anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the overall situation in the Union Territory are also being reviewed extensively at the conference, the officials said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to interact with the senior Army commanders and address the conference on April 21. "During the conference, the senior leadership of the Indian Army will review the operational situation along the active borders, assess threats in the entire spectrum of conflict and undertake analysis of capability voids to further focus on capability development and operational preparedness plans," the Army said on Sunday. The officials said the commanders also delved into infrastructure development along the LAC.
India has been ramping up infrastructure development in the border regions in view of China building new bridges, roads and related structures in key sectors along the frontier. India and China have been holding high-level military talks to resolve the face-off in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. On March 11, India and China held the 15th round of high-level military dialogue to resolve the pending issues in the region. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.
PTI
