After launching the Agniveer scheme to infuse new blood into the armed forces, the Govern ment of India is now thinking of ways and means to make it more attractive to the public at large. One of the proposals under consideration is to raise the Agniveer retention rate from the current 25 per cent to up to 75 per cent. This is among the proposals being discussed by the Army Commanders Conference at Jaisalmer. Other proposals include measures to enhance joint ness among the three services and review the implementation of Mission Sudarshan Chakra. The first batch of Agniveers will complete their four-year tenure next year and, there fore, their retention is on the agenda. This is the first Army Commanders Conference since Operation Sindoor in May.

The conference serves as a platform for the Army’s senior leadership to review the overall security situa tion and deliberate on key operational priori ties to address emerging challenges. responders with the nec essary knowledge and skills for the timely and effective management of chemical incidents. The modules, which are a step to wards enhanced preparedness, were launched by Punya Salila Srivastava, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, along with key senior offi cials from various line ministries at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi. “Chemical emergencies pose a significant and evolving threat to public health, environmental safety, and societal stability, underscoring the need for strengthened national preparedness and response mecha nisms,” said the Ministry of Health. “In the present fast-growing in dustrial economy, updating and keeping oneself prepared for any such emergencies is of paramount importance,” it added. The specialised training modules, divided into three parts, were de veloped by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Mo HFW), in collaboration with NDMA (National Disaster Management Au thority) and with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO India).

Module 1 includes preparedness, surveillance, and response for pub lic health management of chemical emergencies. Module 2 elaborates pre-hospital management of chemical emergen cies, including the identification and assessment of chemical hazards, pa tient triage and decontamination, and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment. Module 3 details medical manage emergencies have a profound impact ment of chemical emergencies. It is designed to cover a wide range of topics related to the medical management of chemical emergen cies, including in-hospital patient triage, hospital decontamination, the initial assessment and man agement, and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment. As India is rapidly emerging as a major global hub for industrial and technological development, it is increasing the risk of exposure to chemical hazards. Uncontrolled releases of such sub stances can have serious implications for public health and the environ ment, potentially resulting in chemi cal emergencies.

These chemical on human health, often resulting in casualties, long-term consequences, and damage to property and the en vironment. In such a scenario, “these modules aim to equip public health profes sionals, healthcare workers, emer gency responders, and policymakers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and operational tools for timely and effective management of chemical incidents,” the Ministry said. Strengthening chemical emergency management also supports core ca pacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), contributing to both national and global health security, the Ministry said. IANS Similarly, with the increasing strength of veterans, options to gainfully use their experi ence and expertise are being considered. At present, veterans are engaged in limited roles such as those under the Army Welfare Educa tion Society and the Ex-Servicemen Contribu tory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics, but broader participation across formations is be ing considered. Personnel and welfare-related issues of serving troops are also expected to feature in the discussions.

Measures under discussion to improve integration include the standardisation of equipment, common supply chains for logis tics and procurement, combined training at all levels, more cross-postings and exposure across services, and greater social interaction among personnel – all steps aimed at paving the way for the creation of theatre commands. Some of these initiatives were also discussed at the Combined Commanders Conference in Kolkata last month, which was attended by the Prime Minister. At that meeting, the gov ernment announced the formation of three joint military stations and the merger of the education branches of the Army, Navy, and Air Force into a single Tri-Services Education Corps – key steps towards deeper integration. This is the first conference of Army Com manders since Operation Sindoor in May. It serves as a platform for the Army’s senior leadership to review the overall security situ ation and deliberate on key operational pri orities to address emerging challenges. The Combined Commanders’ Conference took place in Kolkata last month. It will also re view operational preparedness, including the repair and replacement of damaged equip ment, emergency procurement of critical stores, and ammunition stocking for various weapon systems. The implementation of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which involves coordination with other services and multiple stakeholders, will also be discussed.The Jaisalmer meeting marks the second phase of the second Army Commanders Conference this year; the first phase was held in Delhi earlier this month. SPIRITUA