Army to set up another Officers Training Academy to address man-power shortage

New Delhi, Jan 14 2009
Facing a shortage of about 11,300 officers, the Indian Army is planning to start a second Officers Training Academy (OTA) on the lines of its Chennai-based institution, to increase the intake, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor said here today. He said the army was "more than willing" to depute its officers and other ranks to the elite National Security Guard (NSG) force, which is setting up its hubs in four main cities in the aftermath of Mumbai attacks.

"We are looking at starting a second OTA and the aim would be to train those officers who are keen on Short Service Commission (SSC) and bring them into the mainstream," Kapoor said at his annual Army Day eve press conference here.

"Thereby (we are looking at) enhancing the total intake and bringing down the deficiency level, which currently stand at around 11,300-odd," he said.

The Chennai-based OTA at present trains about 500 officers annually under the SSC recruitment scheme of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The aim, Kapoor said, was to reduce the deficiency so that the army could carry out its assigned tasks better and also meet requirements of other institutions like the NSG, Assam Rifles, National Cadets Corps (NCC) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Army to set up another Officers Training Academy to address man-power shortage