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Army notifies jobs for Mandarin language experts to engage with PLA personnel
The aim is to empower junior and senior military commanders to engage with Chinese military personnel as and when the situation arises, the army reportedly said.
The Indian Army has issued a notification to fill vacancies in the Territorial Army for Mandarin language experts.
An ANI input, citing the Army, said the aim is to empower junior and senior military commanders to engage with PLA personnel as and when the situation arises. The development comes in the wake of a prolonged border tension in eastern Ladakh with the Chinese military.
The Army notification said five civilian candidates and one ex-service officer will be appointed as officers.
Earlier, a PTI report said the Army is upscaled its efforts to impart Chinese language training to its personnel as part of the overall strategy to ramp up surveillance along the over-3,400-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Th report further said various Mandarin language courses are being run at the language schools at the Northern, Eastern and Central commands of the Army.
The Indian Army is also using artificial intelligence-based solutions for the translation of various scripts or literature from the Mandarin language.
"With improved Mandarin skills, the Indian Army personnel will be better empowered to convey their points in a much more cogent manner," a source was quoted as saying.
The Army has recently obtained the requisite approvals to induct Mandarin-trained personnel into the Territorial Army.
They said an increasing number of Mandarin experts are required for a better exchange of viewpoints and understanding of the Chinese PLA's version of their activities during various interactions such as Corps Commander-level talks, flag meetings, joint exercises and Border Personnel Meetings (BPMs).
The Army has already concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), the Central University of Gujarat (CUG) and the Shiv Nadar University (SNU) for imparting Mandarin proficiency to its personnel.
The sources said the proficiency-level testing of the trained soldiers is being conducted through civilian institutes such as the Langma School of Languages in Delhi to assess the competence level of the linguists in accordance with international standards.
The border face-off between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. The standoff escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15, 2020.
Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.
The two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area following a series of military and diplomatic-level talks.
(With inputs from agencies)
