The Indian Army plans to cut its strength by around 2 lakh over the next two to three years from the current 12.7 lakh as part of a streamlining effort, defence ministry sources said.

The sources said the government wanted a leaner and modernised, tech-driven army.

The proposal is also being seen as an attempt to reduce the army’s ballooning salary and pension bills that the government considers a hurdle to modernisation of the force.

The same economic objective had in June this year led the government to announce the controversial Agnipath scheme, under which three-fourths of recruits to the army, air force and navy would be demobbed after four years without pension or gratuity.

A ministry official said: “The army is working towards a rationalisation of its troop strength and plans to reduce its strength by nearly 2 lakh over the next two-three years.”

The army already faces a shortfall of over 1 lakh troops because there has been no recruitment during the two Covid-hit years. Nearly 60,000 army personnel retire every year.

Some 35,000 to 40,000 troops will be recruited this year under the Agnipath scheme, the army has announced.

Despite violent protests against the scheme, the Centre has ruled out a rollback and has made it clear that all future recruitments to the bottom ranks in the armed forces would be made through the new scheme.

Military veterans have widely castigated the government for the “ill-thought-out” Agnipath scheme, saying it would undermine the ethos, professionalism and morale of the armed forces.