Soldiers unprepared for avalanche dangers, top officer confesses

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-09-09 14:42:12 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-09 19:56:38

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An tragic accident unfolds as India's newest military personnel were engaged in exercises preparing for war on the borders

An avalanche struck a military base in northern India on Wednesday, killing three soldiers including two who had recently been enrolled in a unique new personnel scheme.

A soldier was also critically injured in the avalanche that hit the Siachen Glacier, located in Jammu and Kashmir and known as the world's highest battlefield.

The army said the two victims of the avalanche were among the first cohort of Agniveers, a new type of soldier introduced by the government last year. The scheme, chiefly, invites young people to join the military for four years with a guaranteed job offer after completion.

But the top army officer warned that the trainees were inexperienced and unprepared for the challenging terrain.

"Siachen is one of the most difficult terrains in the world. It's not a place for novices or inexperienced people," said Army Chief General Manoj Pande.

"The two boys who lost their lives were themselves not experienced enough to be posted in such difficult terrain."

The top general acknowledged that the army was stretched thin by deployments to border areas and exercised caution when sending new soldiers to combat zones. The avalanche death comes as the army faces a crisis of confidence among soldiers and concerns over alleged misconduct.

"It's not only Siachen, our borders with Pakistan and China are manned by people who are recently recruited," the chief said.

"We have to keep them back from the front line for a year or so to give them the necessary training and experience before they are deployed."

The army chief's comments offer an unusually public admission of the drawbacks of the Agnipath scheme.

"It's a big challenge, and the bureaucracy in New Delhi needs to step in and provide better weaponry and equipment to our soldiers," Gen. Pande said.

"Even our retired soldiers are speaking up now, and I welcome this. We should all support the army," he added.

"I assure you that the Indian Army will only become stronger in the coming years."

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