As the first ever chief from the Corps of Engineers, General Manoj Pande is perhaps the right man to lead the transformation of the Indian Army, which is now stepping into newer domains such as space, cyberspace and artificial intelligence. The general has termed 2023 as the Army’s ‘Year of Transformation’. All the same, there are operational and organisational challenges before him. The transformation from the system of each service having its own regional commands into setting up of integrated commands in each theatre is getting slowed down because of operational requirements on the China and the Pakistan borders. Then there is the Agnipath scheme, which would shake up the Army’s centuries-old regimental system.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, General Pande talks about the ongoing transformation process of the Army as well as its current operational challenges, including the situation on the borders and in strife-torn Manipur.
Excerpts:
Q/ The Army has designated 2023 as the ‘Year of Transformation’. What are its main features?
A/ ‘Transformation and change management’ remains a cornerstone of the Army’s quest for future readiness. The main factors that have necessitated this change are the unprecedented trends that are shaping the geostrategic landscape, the limitless potential of disruptive technologies, the transforming character of modern wars and the profound changes in the socio-economic domain.
The purpose of the ‘transformation’ is to enhance our preparedness and to bring in more efficiency in functional and administrative domains. The ‘transformation road map’ has five main pillars:
Denne historien er fra August 27, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 27, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
