Catch 'em young! government school students on border tours

Fifty-six students from government schools -- Kendriya Vidyalayas (Kvs) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Schools -- last week -- had a first-hand feel of the life of armed forces personnel deployed on forward areas along the international borders.

Under 'Seema Darshan' (border visit), an initiative jointly coordinated by the army and the ministry of human resource development, 28 boys and as many girls from across the country were taken to Dharchula and Pithoragarh in Uttrakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim in two groups.

This comes at a time when the youth in the country are preferring other career options over the armed forces. In March this year defence minister Manohar Parrikar said in a written response to a question in Lok Sabha, "In army (excluding Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service), as on July 1, 2015, against the authorised strength of 49,631 officers, held strength of officers is 40,525 with a shortage of 9,106 officers."

While the Navy, as on January 31, 2016, faced a shortage of 1,265 officers, the Indian Air Force as of November 1, 2015, didn't have any shortage.

The initiative, besides giving the students exposure, is also to catch them young and inspire them to join the armed forces, said an official.

During their visit to the Army units in Uttarakhand, the students witnessed 'Jungle Lane Shooting' and 'Rock Climbing'.

The other group went to Nathu-La in Sikkim and had a first hand interaction with troops on the India- China border.

In their three day trip to the north east, among other places, they visited Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. A similar tour was organised in January too.