INDIA: On Sunday, the Indian Army issued an inviting notification application from potential personnel proficient in Mandarin who will be able to properly communicate with the Chinese military along the Line of Actual Control. The Army requires candidates whose Mandarin expertise will allow for a better understanding of the version of events presented by the People Liberation Army (PLA) at “Corps Commander level talks, Flag meetings, Joint exercises, Border Personnel Meetings and others.”
The need to secure Mandarin know-how in the Indian subcontinent has become crucial and critical as the two emerging superpowers are continuously at loggerheads with each other over foreign policies, international backing and securing controversial areas of territory. There has been a lingering standoff between the two armies along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh for the past few years.
In the current situation, therefore, the Indian Army has applied its foresight in the Indo-China conversation to employ military personnel who will communicate confidential messages of national security status. Consequently, the Army has advocated a significant boost in the Chinese language training programs.
“With improved Mandarin skills, Indian Army personnel will be better able to convey their points in a much more cogent manner,” a source says.
To offer Mandarin courses, the Army has also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Central University of Gujarat (CUG), and Shiv Nadar University (SNU). Langma School of Languages in New Delhi is also holding tests.
The School of Foreign Languages in Delhi and the Army’s Training School at Pachamari have also announced vacancies for personnel to join the courses on an internal level. Mandarin classes are also available at the Northern, Eastern, and Central Commands Language Schools.
According to a source, “the Indian Army has upscaled its Chinese language training and synergistically enmeshed appropriate scaling of Chinese linguists within its overall strategy with a recalibration of its strategic outlook towards the northern borders.”
Also Read: PM Modi Writes a Heartfelt Note for “Dear Friend” Shinzo Abe, Calls Him an “Outstanding Leader”
