The O P Jindal Global University (JGU) on Sunday announced special concessions for children of war widows and serving army personnel during a distinguished public lecture on Sunday. The announcement was made by Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat titled ‘Indian Army in Nation Building’.
According to the announcement, 100% and 75% concession will be available war widows with one and two kids respectively. Those with 11 kids can request a 50% concession. As regards serving army personnel, 50% fee concession will be given to them to pursue long-term academic programmes for a duration of up to two years. The Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences will also train Army School teachers for free.
He also stressed on the role of institutions of higher education in preparing Army personnel for a second career after retirement.
“We (the Indian Army) cannot live in isolation. Our people have to start interacting with the universities to upgrade our level of knowledge. We propose to send some of our officers to universities to exchange ideas and develop opportunities. We have over 1,000 officers aged between 45-55 years who retire every year as they do not get empanelled for promotion. They are experienced, talented and have practical knowledge. But they do not have the stamp of a degree. Similarly, 50,000 of our soldiers also face similar situations and face difficulties in their second career after leaving the armed forces. That is what we are looking at,” he said.
He further pointed out that interested army men can enrol and participate in short and long-term academic programmes and training workshops at the University. He said,” we as officers in armed forces get degrees from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University. But we never had an opportunity to go to this university ever in our career. Our soldiers will learn the modern skill-based education at universities that would help us evolve our armed forces to the needs of the present,” the General explained.
The General also added that the Armed Forces in India has not only been addressing conflicts but also contributing to the nation’s growth. Stating that the Indian Army is “Humane”, the Army Chief said that it has been effectively handling terrorist challenges in a professional manner, unlike many other countries. He also encouraged students to excel in their respective fields and said they were the future of the nation. “How you think and do will decide the future of our country. It’s you, the students here, who will lead the nation,” he added.
Welcoming General Bipin Rawat, Prof (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU called his visit a historic moment, as this was the first ever visit by a serving Army General to the university campus. He also announced special fee packages for children of war widows and serving army personnel.
Reinforcing JGU’s aspiration to sustain the spirit of public service, Kumar said: “ Universities play a special role in the development of societies and prepares the professionals of future India for radically changing geopolitical environments both in India and internationally."
"JGU's commitment to nation building is imbibed in our founding mission and motivates us to host Armed Forces personnel and their wards in different capacities on the University campus. We are immensely pleased and hopeful about the opportunities that this partnership will foster, not only between two institutions but with the larger community of Indian Armed Forces. We are deeply grateful to Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, for his vision and support to this project, and for taking the time to visit the JGU campus today and inspire our students to be the uninhibited leaders of our nation," Kumar added.
Lieutenant General Rajesh Kochhar (Retd), senior director, Jindal Institute of Leadership Development and Executive Education (JILDEE) and the Chief Administrative Officer of JGU spoke about the contribution of the armed forces towards civil society thereby contributing to nation building in his opening remarks.
JGU’s partnership with the armed forces began in 2009. JILDEE, in particular, has undertaken many training and capacity building programmes for the Indian Army. The three-week Mandarin Chinese course for Indian Army officers by native speakers is one key example.
Following the event, Gen Bipin Rawat participated in a roundtable discussion on ‘Army-Civil Society Interface’ which was organised by Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) and Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGPP). Participants deliberated the critical edge and challenges with which Indian army and civil society operate within the country's diverse ecosystem.
