Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre to get indoor shooting range

Belagavi (Karnataka): The decades of fighting insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir as well as North East states, is taking a toll on the Indian Army with a majority of troops needing to be compulsorily trained in low intensity conflict operations.

The Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (MLIRC), based in Belagavi, will soon add a state-of-the-art indoor shooting range, where trainee soldiers will sharpen their shooting skills.

Scientifically proven Zumba, rope pulling, rope climbing apparatus with weights, exercises have been added in daily routine to strengthen physical fitness of the recruits.

Brigadier Govind Kalwad, Commandant of MLIRC, said, “The training of a MLI soldier is incomplete without learning the nuances of low intensity counter insurgency operations or the sub conventional warfare tactics. He goes out as a soldier ready to take part in counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, North East states. However, the basic military training remains the same for conventional warfare.”

The officer added that infrastructure upgradation on the campus is a continuous process. 

“MLIRC is a permanent node for joint exercise with foreign armies because of its infrastructure. It keeps evolving as per requirements. We will soon add indoor shooting range where trainee soldiers can fire live bullets.”

‘Nowadays recruits are physically weak’
The trainers believe that as the social economic status of society is going up, the recruits joining Army are physically weak.

“Now a lot of time is spent on strengthening their physical fitness. We have added scientifically proven exercises like Zumba, rope pulling to increase their strength. Also many recruits find it difficult to climb a rope, which is a necessary military training. Therefore to help such candidates we have introduced rope climbing apparatus wherein they are made to first pull weights to increase arms’ strength. Also sand tracks have been made where recruits practice running to avoid injuries because if he runs on hard surface without proper running method, there are chances that he may hurt himself,” said Major Deependra Mishra, an instructor at the MLIRC.

Another officer added, “Nowadays youths don’t eat proper foods and do not exercise, which is why we find physically weak recruits.”