Army takes stress-busting measures

Saying that the Vice-Chief had been misquoted, the Army said it was Govt's policy to encourage women to join it.

Army on Saturday announced that more psychiatric centres would be opened in what it termed as 'high pressure areas' in the Northern and Eastern Commands as part of the new stress-busting measures among the ground forces.

HT Image

While not attributing the surge in cases of suicides, molestations and fratricidal killings in armed forces to rising stress levels, especially in counter-insurgency areas, the Army said two new psychiatric centres would be opened and 'additional specialists' posted in these areas.

Also denying that there were any moves to close the doors to female recruits in the force, Maj Gen KS Sujlana, Additional Director General Public information, told reporters that on the contrary "we would like women officers to become a total part of the army".

In this connection, Sujlana claimed that the Vice Chief of Army staff Lt Gen K Pattabhiraman had been misquoted and it was Government's policy to encourage women to join the armed forces.

"Proposals for drafting in more psychiatric counsellors and centres have been sent to the defence ministry and are in advanced stages of implementation," Sujlana said as he revealed that Armed forces were probing the causes of rise in suicides and other cases in the Army to come up with remedial measures.