Situation along LAC stable but we need to keep very close watch: Army Chief

The situation along the Line of Actual Control LAC with China is stable but there is a need to keep a very close watch on it Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said on Friday amid the nearly threeyearlong border row in eastern LadakhIn an interactive session at the India Today Conclave Gen Pande said the Indian Army has a robust deployment of troops all along the LAC besides having adequate reserves to deal with any contingenciesOverall I would say that the situation along the Line of Actual Control LAC is stable but we need to keep a very close watch on the situation as it develops he saidAs far as the deployment of forces by the adversary is concerned there has been no significant reduction in the deployment There is a great focus on modernization of forces especially those deployed opposite the LAC Gen Pande saidHe said both sides are engaged in talks to resolve the remaining issues in eastern LadakhTill the time a resolution happens our deployment of forces our alertness level will continue to remain of a very high level General Pande saidAlso readGodhra train burning case SC to hear pleas of Gujarat govt convicts on March 24He said the infrastructure development on the other side is coming about at a very hectic pace be it the road infrastructure in terms of the highways which run along the LAC be it the upgrading of airfields and heliportsGen Pande said these are some major developments which need to be taken note of specially in the context of the adversarys ability to mobilise troopsAs far as what we are doing I think we have a robust deployment all along the LAC and all three sectors I must mention that we have adequate reserves to deal with any contingencies he saidWith the infusion of new technology and new weapon systems our capability development is an ongoing endeavour Equally we are focussing on infrastructure development especially forward area roads and helipads etc he saidHe said the Indian Armys preparedness levels are highFrom the winter months now we are transiting into the summer months and we have undertaken minor changes as you would do as summer posture Gen Pande addedAsked about the lessons learnt from the RussiaUkraine war he said landcentric warfare will remain a decisive domain especially in Indias case where it has contested land bordersThe notion of victory will remain land centric in our context he saidOn the Agnipath recruitment scheme the Army Chief said it is a winwin policy not just for the military but for the society and country at largeCalling Agnipath a transformational reform Gen Pande acknowledged that getting the implementation right is key Issues like training the recruits in a short frame of time is criticalThe initial feedback that I get from the regimental sectors the youth that have come up are very enthusiastic and energetic So I think thats a very good sign he saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever