The Army has initiated the process to induct Mandarin experts into the Territorial Army (TA), with a notification issued on Sunday inviting applications for six vacancies — five civilians and one ex-service officer. This follows a recent effort by the Army to increase the number of Mandarin speakers as well as offer courses in Tibetology for officers posted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to orient them in Tibetan culture, traditions and practices.
The Army has recently obtained requisite approvals to induct Mandarin trained personnel in the TA, an Army official said. “With recalibration of the Indian Army’s strategic outlook towards the northern borders, the Indian Army has upscaled its Chinese language training and has synergistically enmeshed appropriate scaling of Chinese linguists within its overall strategy,” he added.
Stating that a slew of measures has been undertaken to improve its in-house Mandarin expertise, the official said the aim was to empower junior and senior military commanders to engage with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel as and when the situation arose. “With improved Mandarin skills, Indian Army personnel will be better empowered to convey their points in a much more cogent manner,” the official noted.
