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New Delhi: Increasing the retirement age of soldiers, handing out faster promotions to non-commissioned officers and streamlining the financial powers of Army commanders — these are some of the issues on the agenda for the week-long Army Commanders’ Conference that begins Monday.

In addition, operational and strategic issues such as the assessment of the situation in Kashmir, other emerging security threats, and how artificial intelligence can be best employed to tackle these issues will also be up for discussion.

Top Army sources told ThePrint that HR policies and service terms and conditions will also be discussed at the meet scheduled from 14 to 19 October in New Delhi.

The Army Commanders’ Conference is held in April and October every year, where the top Army leadership brainstorms on new security and administrative issues, to plan its roadmap.

Also read: Army plans to buy 350 helicopters over 10 years to modernise its Aviation Corps

On retirement age

An Army officer told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity: “Detailed deliberations on the retirement age of soldiers are expected at the meet, so as to see how their services can be best utilised by the Army.

“A revision in the retirement age of officers will be discussed. For example, when a colonel currently retires at the age of 54, the officer is qualified but is exiting early from the service. He would invariably get re-employed elsewhere, whereas the Army can still utilise his services.”

Service personnel retire much earlier than their counterparts in other professions, depending upon their rank and service.

“For example, a sepoy may retire at 36-37 years of age after 19 yrs of service. But that is a prime age for anyone to contribute,” a senior Army officer said.

Among officers, a colonel retires at 54, a brigadier at 56, a major general at 58 and a lieutenant general at 60.

The discussion will centre around increasing the age of retirement of non-combatants by seven years, even though there are fewer non-combatants in the Army as compared to other services, like the Indian Air Force.

Sources said ensuring faster promotion of non-commissioned officers (NCO) will also be discussed at the meet. As soon as a sepoy gets promotion to lance naik, he is called an NCO. Lance naiks, naiks and havaldars are NCOs.

Another senior officer told ThePrint that many soldiers are keen on quitting early and don’t pass exams for the next rank.

“He gets pension, ex-serviceman status and benefits, and good time to settle for a second innings, but the Army loses a trained soldier,” this officer said.

“There is a need to incentivise our soldiers for serving longer, more than just plugging loopholes.”

Also read: Bipin Rawat’s plan to train jawans for officer role is Army admitting staff shortage, quality

Kashmir and financial powers

Army sources said the situation in Kashmir after the state’s special status was scrapped will also be assessed, as will increasing tensions at the Line of Control and terrorists’ infiltration.

Other emerging security challenges in the country, integrating AI to tackle them and in war fighting will also be discussed, the sources said.

There will also be deliberations on streamlining the financial powers of Army commanders.

Army commanders have financial powers for routine expenditures. They also have special financial powers for the Army Commanders Special Financial Powers Fund (ACSFP), to buy emergency operational and other equipment according to their respective commands.

The conference will begin with Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat’s address, and will be followed by an update by the Army commanders on operational and administrative issues faced by their commands.

There will also be an equipment display by defence industries showcasing niche technology in the fields of artificial intelligence, drones and ammunition among others.

Also read: Indian Army tanks now have sharper night vision equipment developed by DRDO

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