Army to enroll ITI students to meet future requirement

Bari Brahmana, Aug 8 (UNI) Aiming at technology-driven recruits, Army will soon be going to the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and other technical institutions to attract ''potentially qualified'' candidates to meet its future requirement.

The Army, which says it has a sufficient headcount at the Junior Commission Officers (JCO) and lower levels, is targeting a complete modernisation by inducting the state-of-the-art equipment in its arms and services.

Unlike yesteryear, requirements of the fighting forces have entirely changed in the new age of technology. ''Army too needs potentially qualified people to take charge of its modernised equipment,'' said Deputy Director General (Recruitment) Brig D P Singh.

For this, Army will soon initiate an awareness campaign to encourage the students of ITIs and other technical schools to join services, like the EME (Electrical and Mechenical Engineering) and Signals.

Looking at the future requirement, the vacancies for tech-savvy candidates have been increased in recruitment. ''We need well qualified soldiers who could be further trained to handle the modern gadgets,'' Brig Singh said.

Besides physical endurance and medical examinations, there could be further more improvement in recruitment tests. ''Possibility of change (in the tests) can not be ruled out,'' said Brig Singh, adding that a research is going on to check its pros and cons.

''In future, candidates may have to go through new recruitment policy which will merge in all these (current procedures),'' he said while supervising a recruitment rally here in Jammu today.

He said the enrolment policy in the Army has been made ''very transparent''.

Earlier, in application system of recruitment -- which was prevalent till 1989 --, there used to be some loopholes for the touts, the Brigadier said, ruling out even minimal possibility for againts to break in the current recruitment policy.

The army officer said he had seen much enthusiasm for recruitment among youths in Jammu region, particularly rural youths.

While 3,572 youths reported to the recruitment rally at Rajouri, 7,396 came for enrolment at Bari Brahmana, he informed.

UNI