New Delhi: The Army is looking to reduce its strength by about two lakh over a period of next two years, which could also see a revamp of Rashtriya Rifles, counter-terrorist units in Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to a few stable units, ThePrint has learned. .
Sources in the Defense and Security Establishment said the Army wanted to reduce its strength from 12.8 lakh to around 10.8 lakh.
When asked whether any time limit has been fixed, sources said that rationalization of troops is an ongoing process and several aspects are being looked into.
Sources said the Army is already facing a shortage of around 1.35 lakh personnel due to no recruitment in the last two years.
Even though Agneepath scheme has been launched, only 35,000 to 40,000 personnel are being recruited this year.
“On an average, around 60,000 personnel retire from the army every year. The Agneepath scheme will only fill a part of the shortfall and this is by design,” explained a source.
Sources said that after the completion of the recruitment process, the allocation of various weapons like Infantry, Armored, EME (Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers) will be based on the rationalization process.
For example, repair and maintenance work at Base Depot will be outsourced to the company from which the vehicle is purchased.
Sources said deputation in organizations like the National Cadet Corps (NCC) is also being drastically cut.
Another area that will see a decrease in deputation is the Regimental Headquarters.
“The idea is to ensure that the tooth-to-tail ratio is maintained in a healthy manner,” said a second source.
First to see a big rearrangement It was the headquarters of the army. It saw several changes in 2021 that focused on streamlining processes and reducing flab.
Shekhatkar CommitteeFounded by former Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, it submitted a report in December 2016 calling for a slew of changes to make the armed forces more lean, cohesive and modern.
Reorganization of Army in Kashmir
Sources said that the restructuring of the deployment of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in Jammu and Kashmir is being considered under the new policy.
While the Union Territory has about 63 RR battalions, it is unique from other units of the Army. Each RR battalion has six companies, compared to the four of a regular infantry formation, and each company – consisting of 100 to 150 soldiers – is led by a Major.
Sources said one thought process was to reduce to two companies in each battalion.
The second was to see whether the actual number of RR battalions could be reduced and whether the Area of Responsibility (AOR) for each could be increased without affecting them.
Anti-Terrorism Grid.
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