Counter - insurgency and Jungle Warfare School The Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School ( CIJW ) in Vairengte , Mizoram , India is a training and research establishment of the Indian Army specializing in unconventional warfare , especially counter - insurgency and guerrilla warfare . CIJW is one of the premier counter - insurgency training institutions in the world . The school ' s motto is to " fight the guerrilla like a guerrilla " . History . The original plans to set up a counter - insurgency unit to train soldiers came about following the government response to the Mizo militancy in the 1960s . Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw , then the General Officer Commanding - in - Chief ( GOC - IN - C ) of the Indian Army ' s Eastern Command , was the first proponent for the institute . CIJW was established in 1967 as the " Jungle Training School " . It was initially located in Mynkre , near Jowal in Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya . In 1968 , the designation was changed to " Eastern Command Counter Insurgency Training School " . On 1 May 1970 , it was upgraded to a Category A Training Establishment of the Indian Army , given its current name and relocated to Vairengte . Brigadier Mathew Thomas was appointed the school ' s first Commandant . The crisis in neighbouring East Pakistan and the resulting liberation struggle for Bangladesh prompted a temporary refocus as the Mukti Bahini guerrillas were trained at the institute . Operation Jackpot undertaken by the Mukti Bahini rebels was an instance of the school ' s training success . Since the Indo - Pakistani War of 1971 , CIJW has focused to its primary role of counter - insurgency training . CIJW has hosted visiting military units for training from the United States , Singapore , Nepal , Bhutan , Russia , United Kingdom , Israel , France , Bangladesh and many other nations . The success of this school prompted the establishment of another counter - insurgency training centre , the " Kaziranga Special Jungle Warfare Training School " in Assam . Training methods . Since its inception , the School has constantly evolved in stature and strength , in keeping with the changing dynamics of insurgency and terrorism in the country . Its relevance has grown manifold with the mushrooming of small and big insurgent / terrorist groups in the country and worldwide . With its vast expertise in counter - insurgency and counter - terrorism training , it has truly come into its own as a centre of excellence in such operations . The School has continuously incorporated all the lessons learnt during such operations and has painstakingly kept its training curriculum contemporary . It presently trains over 7000 officers and soldiers every year . Its scope and mandate has increased with Para Military Forces , Police , Services and foreign component adding to the numbers and compositions . Soldiers receive training in identifying improvised explosive devices ( IED ) , jungle survival , counter terrorism , and interrogation techniques . The training focuses on physical fitness , reflex firing techniques and tactical lessons . The module for training is practical oriented with number of lectures , discussions , case studies , sand model exercises & outdoor exercises . Live situations are painted during the outdoor exercises to judge the reaction of the soldiers at the spur of the moment . The troops are taught to live in difficult and hostile terrain , eat and sleep like the guerrillas and strike as silently as the guerrillas . The school boasts of excellent training areas , training facilities , with thirteen firing ranges and a training school whose instructors have had experience in fighting the terrorists within India . The inherent characteristic of insurgency in northeast India is small scale low profile activities , with the main insurgent bases located across the border . Hit and run tactics executed by small units force a large deployment of armed forces to counter them . Deploying large force is useless as it never produces any result . Learning to operate in small teams , studying the pattern of the militants , establishing an intelligence network , knowing their traditional sanctuaries , maintaining the element of surprise , selecting the site for counter ambush , observing the discipline of when exactly to open fire , knowing field craft and jungle craft well enough to remain undetected , and improvising within a given situation , is the kind of stuff that breaks an ambush . Jungle operations test soldiers to their limit which needs special tactics , techniques and procedures . In this scenario soldiers were given physical drills and common - sense tips on how to survive in the jungle by studying its characteristics , dense vegetation with limited visibility , heavy cross compartmentalization , streams & rivers , heat & humidity , few roads , numerous tracks and limited communication . The normal schedule is about six weeks , during which a soldier undergoes strenuous drills that make him conversant with guerrilla warfare and low - intensity conflicts . The training module is non - conventional and once a soldier undergoes training here , he can face deadly situations anywhere in the world in all - weather terrain , eat and sleep like a guerrilla and strike as silently as a guerrilla . The training module includes lectures , seminars and mock operations in the rugged jungles in Mizoram . The trainees are also exposed to media interaction , civic actions plus fraternisation , human rights and collection of intelligence and their analysis . Soldiers undergoing a course here not only go through rigorous physical training , but also tough mental training through lectures and problems posed by instructors of the school . An importance placed in the top list of this school is how to avoid collateral damage as much as possible . With precision shooting , the soldiers engage in exercises where live rounds are used to shoot down plywood terrorists inside homes and stores without hitting the civilian population . International Participation . Taking into account the successes in combating militancy New Delhi opened the school to soldiers from other countries in 2001 . Three US army officers were the first overseas batch to be trained . After the 9 / 11 terror strikes in the US the jungle warfare school at Vairengte began attracting military cadets from across the world . In 2003 , a group of about 100 elite US commandos completed a three - week anti - insurgency combat training at the institute . The exercise , code - named " Balance Iroquois " , saw personnel of the US Special Forces undergo an intensive exercise along with soldiers from the Indian Special Forces battalion at Vairengte . Troops were trained to feed on venomous vipers , dogs and monkeys as part of military exercises to sharpen their skills in jungle survival and combat . Indian Army soldiers and U . S . Army and National Guard soldiers trained together in Operation YUDH ABHYAS 04 - 1 the two forces focused on reflexive firing , ambush , jungle patrolling , survival in the jungle and a fast roping technique called slithering . France , UK , Israel and Italy are the latest have sought India ' s help to train their soldiers in counter - insurgency operations at this elite facility .