Facing a chronic shortage of officers, Indian Army will now give a special training to brilliant and ardent soldiers or jawans in leadership qualities, personality development and communication skills to make sure that they can take on the veil of junior leaders in the 12.5 lakh strong force.
Worrying in the “Fighting Ranks” of Lieutenants, Captains, Majors and Lt-Colonels, Army decided to set up a "young leaders training wing" at the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai to annually train 400 selected soldiers in OLQs (Officer-Like Qualities), in two batches of five months each, starting from September this year.
This Young Leaders' Course (YLC), will not only focus on physical fitness and mental strength but also on developing leadership traits and character-building, learning conflict management and resolution, character building, improving communication skills in both English and public speaking, decision making and problem solving, and soft skills in basic eccentricity and military amenities.
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There are three existing routes to become commissioned officers for Soldiers through the ACC (Army Cadet College) wing, SCO (Special Commission Officers) and PC-SL (Permanent Commission Special List). "But their success rate is merely 8.46% in the SSB (Services Selection Board) interviews and tests," said a source.
"The YLC course will ensure a far greater number pass the SSB and go on to become regular officers. Even if some do not, they will constitute a much more empowered second-rung junior leadership in the Army," he added.
The Army, commonly, has an “authorized strength” of 50,028 officers but is 7,300 short of that figure at present, with another big number seeking "premature retirement" every year.
Also, the armed forces are now finalizing the long-pending package to make short service commission more attractive for youngsters. The YLC also bringing new change Glitzy “image protection campaigns” about the good and noble life in the armed forces have largely tumble to attract youngsters with the requisite OLQ to bring change socio-economic dynamics in the country drive by liberalization and globalization.
Military service has also been also studied risky, with bad promotional avenues, constant transfers that usually disturb family life and children education, even officers enjoy a positive lifestyle with good salaries now as well as bonus like accommodation, sporting, canteen, medical and other facilities.