An Insight into the Philosophy of Training in the Indian Army: The Present and the Future

Abstract

The future illiterates will not be those who do not know how to read or write but those who cannot train, un-train and re-train on technologies and needs of the future, according to Alvin Toffler as stated in Future Shock. If our vision is eternity, focusing on human training is the only remedy. This is possible by constant restructuring of the training hierarchy, catering to paradigm shifts and un-diverted focus to our single point vision of imparting quality training.

The need of the hour is a comprehensive and wide-ranging examination of all aspects of individual training and education. Though the individual training and education in the Indian Army is of a high quality as testified by its successful operations in the recent years, improvements are required, however, to catch up with best practice in every aspect involved, and to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

There is a need to introduce more joint, multinational and inter-agency training and improved leadership and management training, as well as much needed improvements to training at the basic level, which has tended to be under-resourced and under-valued. The technological change needs to be embraced. By exploiting new technology and improving basic Information Age skills, the Army needs to make its individual training and education even better and more accessible, in particular, through the expansion of e-learning.