Amid a raging debate on dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and its partial withdrawal from Kashmir, Army Chief Gen V K Singh said the AFSPA was an “enabling provision” and not “arbitrary”.

The army has given its views on the issue and the government will take the “correct decision”, he said.

Gen Singh, who was in Chennai to review the Passing Out Parade at the Officers Training Academy, also said there have been more infiltration attempts into Jammu and Kashmir in the last two months and did not rule out “some methods” in Pakistan trying to exploit the unrest in the border state.

To questions by reporters on the demand for diluting the AFSPA, Gen Singh said it was “an enabling provision, not arbitrary”.

“I think the government will take a correct decision on what is to be done about it,” he said.

To repeated queries on the issue, he said, “You all know that the Supreme Court has very clearly said that provisions of AFSPA are neither arbitrary nor against the Constitution.”

“We have told the Ministry of Defence whatever the Army has to say and the matter is under the consideration of the government,” he added.

On infiltration, he said, “There are more attempts… more incidents in the last two months. Overall, there has been decrease in violence, but in the last two months, infiltration has increased and so, the number of terrorists killed.”

He said it could be a coincidence that there have been more infiltration attempts since the unrest erupted.

“There can be some linkage. There can be some methods in Pakistan trying to exploit the situation,” Gen Singh said at the same time to a question on the Kashmir situation.

The Army Chief’s comments came a day after India asked Pakistan to take effective action against infiltration from across the LoC and dismantle terror infrastructure as it is people of Jammu and Kashmir who suffered its consequences.

Hitting back at Pakistan for asking India to “exercise restraint” in Kashmir, New Delhi had also told Islamabad to take effective action against infiltration.

On reports about Chinese military presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Army Chief said it did not cause concern at the moment.

“We are watching it. If it becomes a matter of concern, we will have to go back to the government for action required to be taken.”

Women’s role in combat needs a deeper look: Army Chief

Army Chief Gen V K Singh said that the issue of women’s role in combat operation was not a simple question and needed a “deeper look”.

“Women have a role in the Army. They have a role in lot of aspects that the Army does. If you are looking at actual combat, I think we have to think more deeply about it,” Singh told reporters after reviewing a passing out parade at the Officers’ Training Academy in Chennai on Saturday.

The role of women in combat “is not a simple question of saying whether they have to go to combat or not,” he said emphasising that the issue required a “deeper look”.

“The army, wherever it operates, whether in the frontline or the people who supporting it, everybody is in combat,” the Army Chief said.

The Indian armed forces have a cumulative strength of about 2,200 women officers amidst growing demand for providing them permanent commission in the combat streams including infantry and artillery and as fighter pilots in the IAF.

In August, the government had told the Supreme Court that the male officers who are given permanent commission alone can go for training for command appointment (combat).

The government submission came during hearing on a petition filed by the Army challenging a Delhi High Court judgement directing the armed forces to grant permanent commission to women serving in the armed forces.

At the passing out parade, Gen Singh awarded city-based A Divya the ‘Sword of Honour’ for being the best all-round cadet, making her its first woman recipient.

To a question on Divya’s feat, he said the Army never looked at the gender and valued a person’s merit.

“It is not a question of man or woman. It is a question of merit. It shows how the system works and we don’t look at the gender and look at how good a person is and that is what has happened today,” he said on Saturday.

Divya said her priority was to pass out of the prestigious institution and she was looking forward to her tenure in the force.

She also commanded on Saturday’s parade, marking the completion of training of 244 gentleman and lady cadets to be inducted into the Indian army as officers.

In his address, Gen Singh said the Indian army had a formidable image at home and abroad for its professionalism, discipline and dedication and had delivered exemplary services during internal and external challenges and other peace-keeping operations and rehabilitation works.

He exhorted the cadets to be prepared for the challenges involved in conventional and proxy war.

Fifteen cadets from Afghanistan and two lady cadets from Lesotho, a republic in southern Africa, also graduated from the OTA on Saturday.