COAS VIJAY principles took centre stage on the Line of Control on Friday, as Gen Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), visited forward areas of Chinar Corps in Kashmir and asked troops to keep the Indian Army a step ahead.

The message was short. Innovate, adapt, build and anticipate.

COAS VIJAY principles for troops on the LoC

Interacting with troops, Gen Seth commended all ranks for their professionalism, commitment and unwavering readiness. He then called on them to embrace the five guiding principles of VIJAY.

The Army set out that call in plain words. Innovate with purpose, adapt with agility, build capability with resolve, and anticipate challenges before they emerge. The aim, the Chief said, is to stay ahead and make sure the Indian Army remains resilient, future ready and mission ready.


What the five letters stand for

The COAS VIJAY principles date back to 30 June, the day Gen Seth took charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff and laid out his priorities under a single acronym. V stands for Vigilance. I is Innovation and Transformation, J is Jointness and Integration, and A is Aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance. The last letter, Y, stands for Yoddha First, the idea that the soldier comes first. He has described VIJAY as building on the Prime Minister's JAI mantra for the armed forces.

Briefings on the security posture

Before meeting the troops, Gen Seth reviewed operational preparedness along the LoC. Commanders briefed him on the measures in place to maintain a robust security posture and on ongoing initiatives to strengthen operational capabilities, according to the Indian Army.

Preparedness for counter terrorist operations in the hinterland was also covered, the Army said.

Chinar Corps and the Line of Control

Chinar Corps, headquartered in Srinagar, is the Army formation that holds the Line of Control in the Kashmir Valley. It falls under Northern Command, one of the Army's commands that report through Army Headquarters to the Ministry of Defence. Its troops man the forward posts and also run counter terrorist operations in the interior. The Chief also appreciated the close coordination between the Army, the civil administration, the Central Armed Police Forces, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies in keeping the peace.

Gen Seth last visited Headquarters Chinar Corps and White Knight Corps in July, on his first trip to Northern Command as COAS.

Eye camp at Tangdhar

The same trip took him to Tangdhar, close to the LoC in Kupwara district. There he visited an Advanced Surgical Eye Camp the Army is running under Op Drishti 2026, as part of the Chinar Corps operational preparedness review.

The camp serves serving personnel, Veer Naris, veterans, their families and civilians in remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Specialist teams from Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi, and 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar, are running it from 23 to 30 September. More than 6,000 patients are being screened, and over 400 eye surgeries are planned.