Army Training Command could move out of Shimla

NEW DELHI: The India Army is examining a proposal to move out the Army Training Command (Artrac) from Shimla to a new location as part of an overarching plan to restructure the force, two officials with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.

The Artrac could be moved to Meerut, Secunderabad, Bengaluru or Gaya, though a final decision on the command’s new location is yet to be taken, the officials said on condition of anonymity. Raised at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh in October 1991, the command was shifted to Shimla in March 1993. The biggest exercise in independent India’s history to restructure the army is based on four comprehensive studies led by the army’s topmost generals. It

FINAL DECISION ON THE COMMAND’S NEW LOCATION IS YET TO BE TAKEN

seeks to change the direction of the 1.2 million-strong force and transform it into a deadlier fighting machine prepared for future wars. The restructuring of the army headquarters will see the role of the Director General of Military Training being given to the Artrac. This will require additional infrastructure that may not be available in Shimla, said one of the officials cited above.

The command is responsible for drafting and disseminating concepts and doctrines related to strategy, operational art, tactics, logistics, training and human resource development.