Indian Army Mulls Allowing Citizens To Join Force On ‘Tour of Duty’ For Three Years

The Indian Army is considering a proposal for allowing common citizenry to be a part of the 1.3 million-strong force for a brief stint of three years, as per the official sources.

"A proposal is being discussed under which common citizens would be allowed a three year 'Tour of Duty' in the force to serve the nation," sources in the Indian Army told ANI.

This comes as part of its (Army) efforts to attract the young talent on its side and reduce the existing officer cadre level shortage in the force.

As per a report of the Standing Committee of Defence, 2019, the officer cadre deficiency in the Indian Army stood at an estimated 14 per cent.

A comprehensive outline and finer details of the new proposal, however, are yet to be finalised.

At present, young people are recruited under Short Service Commission (SSC) for a period of 10 years (maximum) by the Indian Army, which is also being reviewed by the top brass in the force to make it more appealing to the youth, as per Army sources.