A new approach to recruiting soldiers for the armed forces has taken shape, with the formal announcement of a ‘Tour of Duty’ concept expected shortly that is designed to provide employment avenues for youth and also bring in major budgetary savings to the exchequer.
The unique concept, mooted two years ago, hinges on recruiting officers and soldiers on a fixed short-term contract into the armed forces. This could be a three-year period during which they would be trained and serve in diverse areas including counter insurgency operations, intelligence gathering and information technology.
Recruitment for soldiers in the armed forces has been severely curtailed in the past two years due to the Covid pandemic, with official records showing that 1,25,364 vacancies are currently available in the Army, Air Force and Navy.
It is learnt that briefings on the ‘tour of duty’ concept have taken place in the defence ministry this week in anticipation of the proposal getting a go-ahead from the top leadership. The plan was put forward by Army Chief Gen MM Naravane in 2020, with deliberations on its shape and scope taking place at the top levels of the government in recent months.
