The Indian Army is gearing up for a significant restructuring of its Education Corps by incorporating domain experts in linguistics, cybersecurity, information technology, and related fields. This move includes recruitment at both officer and other ranks as part of the regular army. Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems & Coordination), confirmed that the recruitment process for these specialists has already commenced through Territorial Army.

As part of the initiative, some experts have already been inducted into the Territorial Army (TA). For future recruitments, the qualifications for regular officers will require postgraduate degrees, while candidates for other ranks must hold at least a graduate degree.

He emphasized the importance of specialized expertise in modern military operations. “As the Army progresses we have to understand there is a lot of expertise that is required for the profession. Therefore we are also in the discussion related to the process of recruiting domain experts. We have recently restructured our Education Corps and now we are ready to recruit domain experts in the field of Information Warfare, Linguists, and Information Technology experts,” said he.

“We have already inducted certain linguists, cyber specialists through TA and if they show promise they will be moved to other roles too. The process to manage these recruitments in the regular army is already underway and is likely to begin by the middle of next year. The exact vacancies considering the wastage are being calculated. Once everything is finalized an advertisement inviting the applicants will be released,” told Kapoor.

The new roles, designed exclusively for Indian citizens, are open through both regular recruitment and the TA route. The TA offers short-term appointments with flexible age limits, allowing professionals to serve temporarily and return to their respective fields.

Speaking to The Statesman, he confirmed that despite the restructuring, there are no plans to establish a separate corps for these domain specialists. Instead, recruits will be directly assigned to positions tailored to their expertise. “They will remain in their specialized domains without being moved to other branches of the Indian Army,” Kapoor clarified.

To further prepare the next generation of experts, the Army has introduced internship programmes for students. Interns are being placed in key organizations, including the Center for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK), the Directorate General of Information Systems (DGIS), and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

Highlighting the need for technological integration, Lt. Gen. Kapoor explained, “The changing nature of warfare demands operational deployment of advanced technologies. We aim to absorb these advancements into our structures and maintain a competitive edge.” The recruitment process for regular army positions is expected to commence by mid-next year, with vacancy calculations underway. An official announcement inviting applications will follow soon.

Additionally, the Army is also updating its training syllabi for major career courses, including Young Officers, Junior Command, Senior Command, Staff College, and Higher Command courses, to ensure that current officers stay abreast of modern warfare and technological advancements.