In a major move, the defence ministry has approved the creation of a new post of deputy chief for military operations and strategic planning in the Army as part of mega reforms in the Army headquarters, official sources said on Thursday. The ministry has also completed formalities for creation of another new post of director-general of information warfare, they said.

The ministry had given in-principle approval for creation of both the posts last year as part of the first batch of reforms in the Army, and now the formal process for it has been completed, the sources said.

They said the post of deputy chief of the Army staff (strategy) has been created to deal with military operations, military intelligence, strategic planning and operational logistics. It will be the third post of deputy chief in the Army.

Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Paramjit Singh is set to become the first deputy chief of Army staff (strategy), they said. The sources said the new post of director-general of information warfare has been created in keeping with the needs of the future battlefield, hybrid warfare and social media realities.

The Army headquarters had instituted four studies with an overall aim to enhance the operational and functional efficiency of the force, optimise budget expenditure, facilitate modernisation and address aspirations. The recommendation to create the new posts was made as a result of the studies.