During the convocation ceremony at the College of Military Engineering (CME) in Pune, General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), lauded the Agnipath scheme, marking it as a pivotal methodology revolutionizing manpower intake and management in the military. He emphasized its role in integrating more technologically adept and younger profiles across all echelons of the armed forces.
General Pande highlighted the scheme’s aim to retain the cream of the crop as core manpower while underlining the significance of Agniveers’ integration into units and subunits based on merit assessments.
Addressing the role of officers, Pande stressed their crucial involvement in mentoring Agniveers, urging them to provide exemplary leadership and guidance as grassroots unit commanders.
The COAS underscored the importance of cutting-edge technology in modern warfare, urging soldiers to adopt a problem-solving and innovative mindset. He emphasized the need to explore technological advancements, particularly in combat engineering, beyond traditional methods.
He specifically called for the integration of drone surveys, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D printing to visualize and simulate project scenarios, asserting their importance in the execution of combat engineering projects.
General Manoj Pande highlighted the Indian Army’s recent journey toward transformation, driven by four key factors: evolving geo-strategic trends, disruptive technological advancements, changes in the nature of warfare, and socio-economic shifts. He emphasized the need for continued progress and focus across all aspects of the transformation roadmap initiated a year ago to address these imperative changes.
The COAS’s speech emphasized the pivotal role of the Agnipath scheme in modernizing manpower intake, as well as the vital necessity of adopting and integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance the military’s operational capabilities in an ever-evolving global landscape.