Bhopal: As observers warn of another Doklam-like standoff showdown, Indian security forces are now learning Chinese official language Mandarin to break language barriers.
Nearly 25 jawans and officials of the ITBP will take up a one-year certificate course in the Chinese language at the Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district, reported news agency *PTI*.
Two ITBP inspectors and two jawans have already completed the year-long course and are currently posted at the border.
Last year, Union Minister Rajnath Singh has asked ITBP troops deployed along the Sino-India border to learn Mandarin in order to ensure better communication with the Chinese counterparts and avoid misunderstandings during face offs.
The statement had come days after Indian and Chinese troops exchanged blows and hurled stones at each other near Pangong Lake in Ladakh on Independence Day 2017. At the time, the tensions were already high between the two nations over Doklam row.
Echoing similar views, university's registrar Rajesh Gupta said that learning Mandarin will be helpful for the ITBP, which has to deal with the Chinese-speaking people along the Sino-India border.
More ITBP personnel will now join the varsity, located around 12 kms from the UNESCO world heritage site of the Sanchi Stupa - the hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of Buddha.