Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey is retiring today, and Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi will take his place as the 30th Army Chief. The central government appointed Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi as the new Army Chief on June 11. Upendra Dwivedi has previously served as the Vice Chief of the Indian Army, the Northern Army Commander, and DG Infantry, holding many significant positions in the Indian Army.

Upendra Dwivedi will face several challenges as soon as he takes charge. His biggest challenge will be managing China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He will also have to handle terrorists at the Line of Control (LOC). Let’s discuss the key focus areas that will be both priorities and significant challenges for the new Indian Army Chief, such as:

Changes in Agniveer scheme

Upendra Dwivedi’s first challenge will be the Agneepath scheme. Changes will be made to the Agniveer recruitment scheme, which was launched in 2022 for all three branches of the Indian Army but has been controversial from the start. The scheme has also become a political issue because many young people are unhappy with the plan to make only 25 percent of soldiers permanent after four years of service. Therefore, the new Army Chief’s main goal will be to implement this scheme by modifying its format and provisions.

Drug Smuggling and terrorism

The second major challenge for the new Army Chief will be dealing with terrorists who infiltrate India daily, bringing drugs and weapons. They cross the Indian border armed, attacking and killing people. In May and June 2024, several terrorist attacks occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of both army personnel and civilians. Terrorists also targeted a bus carrying devotees to Vaishno Devi.

The new Army Chief will face the challenge of detecting and preventing terrorist plots in advance. He will need to strengthen Army Intelligence and Human Intelligence. First, he must understand why and how the current system has become weak, leading to India’s inability to detect terrorist activities. This failure results in people being killed in terrorist attacks in India.

Increasing the number of army personnel

The third major challenge for the new Army Chief is to increase the number of soldiers in the Indian Army. Over the past two years, soldier recruitment has declined due to opposition to the Agniveer recruitment scheme. Meanwhile, tensions have risen at the LAC in Ladakh and the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir. Drone activity has increased on the Punjab border, and the situation in Manipur has worsened. More soldiers are needed to manage these issues. Upendra Dwivedi will face the challenge of addressing the growing shortage of soldiers in the army.

Teaching modern weapons and new methods of warfare

The fourth major challenge for the new Chief is to acquire modern weapons and teach soldiers new warfare methods. In the 21st century, arms technology has become highly advanced. For national security, modern technology-equipped weapons, fighter jets, and aircraft are being purchased from abroad. Training soldiers to use these weapons will be a challenge.

He will need to ensure that facilities reach the soldiers on time. As military equipment is now being manufactured domestically, it will be his responsibility to ensure its availability. The methods of warfare have also changed in the 21st century, so soldiers must be trained in new techniques and prepared for war-like situations in advance. Increasing the stock of nuclear weapons can also be a challenge.

Also Read: Second Batch Of Pilgrims Departs For Amarnath Yatra From Jammu Amid Tight Security