The Union cabinet has approved a significant increase in the number of senior ranks in the military to help reduce stagnation and bring down the age profile of commanding officers.
NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet has approved a significant increase in the number of senior ranks in the military to help reduce stagnation and bring down the age profile of commanding officers.
The approval means 1,896 defence posts would be upgraded over the next five years in the army and air force, and 10 years in the navy. That would mean more lieutenants general, majors general, brigadiers and colonels in the army and their equivalents in the other two services.
The ministry of defence said the approval granted to AV Singh committee’s phase II would “improve career mobility, to fulfil aspirations and to achieve combat effectiveness by bringing down age profile of commanding officers.”
The approval comes even as there is a stand-off between the military and the government over several anomalies in the sixth pay commission. The military has refused to implement the full pay commission recommendation, including new pay-scales, starting this month in protest against what it sees as a deliberate discrimination against those in uniform. The government has appointed a committee led by foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee to look into the matter.
Phase I of the committee led by former defence secretary Ajay Vikram Singh was implemented in 2004 and resulted in quicker and assured promotion up to the rank of lieutenant colonel and their equivalent.
“The measures taken today will also lead to progressive promotion of junior batches without adversely affecting promotional aspects of senior batches, thereby reducing the age profile of officers in select ranks,” the MoD said.
Over the next five years, the army will get 1,051 new posts at the senior level, like 20 new lieutenant-generals, 75 new major generals, 222 new brigadiers and equivalent, and 734 new colonels and equivalent.
Similarly, there will be 503 new senior posts in the air force in the next five years, like six new air marshals, 21 air vice-marshals, 61 air commodores and equivalent and 415 group captains and equivalent.
The navy will implement the upgrade over the next 10 years and it should see 342 new posts, like four new vice-admirals, 14 new rear-admirals and 324 new seats at commodore and captain levels.
The government also approved another proposal for reduction in the regular cadre and corresponding increase in the support cadre consisting of Short Service Commissioned Officers and re-employed officers for the army. According to original plans, the army’s regular officers to short service ratio should be 40:60, but it is the opposite today, leading to stagnation in the middle ranks.
j_josy@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}