PUNE: The Institute of National Integration (INI) has introduced psychology in its curriculum to help religious teachers (RT) handle suicides in the army.The army has roped in RTs at battalion (800 to 1000 soldiers) level in a bid to tackle instances of suicides among lower rank army personnel.Ministry of Defence (MoD) records reveal that as many as 326 soldiers, mainly in the level of other ranks (ORs) and junior commissioned officers (JCOs), committed suicide between 2014 and 2017.“We have introduced various military psychology-related subjects such battle and loneliness stress management, depression, alcoholism, among others, in the training module. Expert doctors and specialised psychologists conduct lectures on these subjects here. Our teachers interact with soldiers undergoing treatment at the psychology ward of the Military Hospital (MH), Kirkee,” Brigadier Samir Salunke, Commandant, INI, who has served in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast told TOI.Subject experts from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Command Hospital , Southern Command (CHSC), and Regional Mental Hospital, Yerawada, conduct lectures at the institute.Brigadier Salunke said that the newly-passed out teachers are more comfortable and confident while dealing with psychological and stress-related issues.“These teachers will not be mere ‘men of rituals’ but also play a dominant role in boosting morale and helping in developing unit cohesion, which is the most important battle-winning factor,” Brigadier Salunke said.Over the years, religious teachers have been maintaining communal harmony among lower rank personnel through lectures and sermons.“Earlier, if these teachers came across a case where a soldier is disturbed, they used to refer him to military psychologist. But often it did not work due to various reasons. Therefore, if these RTs are trained to handle psychological cases, it would certainly create a positive impact and also help in bringing down suicides in the force,” said a colonel who has commanded infantry battalion in the conflict zone in Jammu and Kashmir.Former Army Chief General VP Malik (retired) welcomed the move, terming it a ‘progressive step’.“Every Army unit has a place called ‘Sarva Dharma Sthal’, where all soldiers offer prayers daily. When a soldier visits this place, he gets in touch with religious teachers and discusses his issues. If the teachers are professional psychologists, they would easily understand the gravity of the matter. Either, they would handle the case at their level or draw the attention of senior officers. Therefore, it’s a progressive decision,” General Malik added.Some of the reasons for committing suicides are family issues/ domestic problems, marital discord, perceived grievances, personal issues etc.“Internal investigation into the suicide cases has revealed that the soldiers are finding it difficult to resolve their domestic problems. Therefore, whenever a soldier comes from a long holiday, the commanding officer (CO), senior junior commissioned officer (JCO) and non-commissioned officer interact with him to get know his issues. However, they are more comfortable in sharing their problems with the RTs. If RTs are trained, they can easily identify their problems,” said another colonel.A section of the army officers is of the view that the district sainik welfare officer of the respective state can also play a major role in resolving soldiers’ domestic problems.