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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

OPed in 'The Tribune' 26 June 2012 : ARMY SHOOTS ITSELF IN THE FOOT



The following appeared as an OPed in ‘The Tribune’ on 26 June 2012:-


PERSONNEL POLICIES : ARMY SHOOTS ITSELF IN THE FOOT


Military turning against the military: In personnel policies, the Army is fast becoming its own greatest enemy


Major Navdeep Singh


Humans are alike. Wearing a uniform may suppress, but not fully insulate them from corruption, greed, power-play et al, vices inherent to human race. But besides grit and courage, what sets military personnel apart from the others is the sharp ability to self-destruct and to invent self-defeatist masterstrokes as far as welfare, manpower and personnel policies are concerned.

Whichever side one may be, what the Army Chief’s age row has brought fore is that there is a belief doing the rounds, factual or fictional, that meticulous surgically incisive processes are constantly at play where careers of those who may pose a future threat are played with crudely and ruthlessly and all this happens behind closed doors under a cloak of secrecy marked ‘national security’ which is not actually in consonance with the age of transparency we live in. The lucky few in key appointments have their way and others can only pull their hair in despair. The number of cases pending before Benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal and other Courts, and the kind of strictures passed on such matters bear testimony to the chaos at work. It is yet another matter that even in well-rounded verdicts, the system, out of egotism, tries its best to wear out its own personnel by litigating till the highest court.

While military officers are quick to point fingers at the bureaucrat, it is their own arbitrary and parochial attitude and policies, without any basic understanding or training for administration, that are to be blamed. In the bargain, the military becomes the military’s own greatest enemy.

The examples are many. Recently the Supreme Court reportedly reprimanded the Army for creating artificial hurdles for its own officers when an appeal was filed against a lady officer of the JAG whose case had been allowed by the AFT granting her promotions and permanent commission. Till date, the Army, based on an internal artificial interpretation by the MS Branch, is promoting Short Service Officers commissioned prior to 2006 as Captains in 9 years of service while those commissioned after 2006 are being promoted to the same rank in 2 years. The impediment was not created by with the Ministry of Defence, but by the Army. When the Military’s medical establishment was directed by Courts to grant medical facilities to its elderly retired Emergency Commissioned Officers based on an already existing Government Order, the Army itself was quick to challenge it before the Supreme Court. Imagine, the Army approaching the Supreme Court with a Prayer that the same Army may be directed to withdraw medical facilities from its own officers, some of them in their 80s.

When the Navy and Air Force vouched for implementation of Non-Functional Upgradation for the defence services, as already applicable to civil services, which guarantees the pay of a Lt Gen in a time-bound manner to superseded officers, the Army was the first to oppose putting across the banal argument that if implemented there would be ‘no charm for higher ranks’. When all Doctors of the Central Government were granted a ‘Dynamic Assured Progression Scheme’, the Army itself tooth and nail opposed its implementation for its own doctors on the pretext that doctors would then start getting higher salaries than other officers. While the civilian establishment is constantly blamed for degradation of status of military officers, the Army, in the Military Engineering Services (MES) itself places senior promotee military officers of the rank of Major and lady officers of similar rank as Assistant Garrison Engineers, an appointment tenable by Subedar-equivalent civilian officers, while directly commissioned officers of the rank of Major with much lesser length of service are posted on higher appointments such as Garrison Engineers, all again based on an artificial, faulty and forced interpretation of existing rules.

Recently, based on a decision taken by the PM, young army officers, both Permanent and Short Service Commissioned, upto 35 years of age with 5 years of service and in fit medical category, were sought for lateral induction into the Indian Police Service through a statutory gazette notification. But rather than moving with the times, the Army HQ, based on an outdated policy promulgated in 1987, issued a circular pointing out that only those Permanent Commissioned Officers would be permitted to apply for the IPS who had only two years of service left (that is, who were 50 years old), or who were in low medical category, or who had completed 18 years of service but had not passed their promotion exams. Needless to say, it’s a no-brainer that all such categories ‘allowed’ by the Army HQ were actually ineligible to be inducted into the IPS as per the gazette notification.

Whenever there is a welfare oriented proposal or proactive personnel policy under consideration of the Government which elements in the bureaucracy would not like to see implemented, they simply throw it in the court of the defence services for a consultative process for they know that first the Army, Navy and the Air Force would start struggling between themselves, and then the fight would shift inter-se between the fighting Arms, then it would be fighting arms vs support arms and finally arms vs services. The end product would be zilch resulting in sniggers from the ringside. So where does the fault lie? Is it because of the stiff competition and ACR oriented ‘smile up – kick down’ culture or is it because of plain lack of understanding of finer aspects of personnel management and lack of administrative acumen or downright foolhardiness? The answer is hard to find. It seems that in a nation with the psyche of public servants deriving power by imposing obstacles, red-tape and impediments in the ordinary life of a common citizen, officers holding key appointments in the military feel powerless when they compare themselves with their civilian counterparts. Hence the only way to feel powerful is by posing hindrances in areas of policy where the pen can be used as an authoritative instrument of damage, and that damage unfortunately is restricted to within the uniformed services. As a sequel, creation of restrictive clauses and provisos becomes a tool of ego empowerment through which the policy writer feels potent. Liberal construal is abandoned for sadism and a sub-culture emerges where cribbing is rampant and peer happiness is not tolerated. 

The Army has to wake up and smell the coffee. The obstructive, inward-looking conservative approach has to go, times are such. Camaraderie has been the hallmark of defence services but the same is not just meant for the battle field but for normal day to day life too which actually and practically affects personnel and their families. A recent positive example would be the strong efforts of the Army’s Personnel Services Directorate in reducing litigation and convincing the Defence Ministry to withdraw appeals filed against its disabled soldiers bringing succour and kudos to the organisation. The positivity must spread and must spread fast to other spheres, otherwise the self-inflicted injury to the heretofore seemingly strong foundation would make the organisation a laughing stock leading to a spectacular derailment of the only institution every Indian has been unconditionally proud of.



The writer is a practicing lawyer of the High Court and former President of the AFT Bar Association.

61 comments:

Abe said...

Major Navdeep, a very well written article that says it all. In my many years of service in the Army, I have seen this very thing happening in the regiments and also on staff at formation HQ. Some times I get the feeling it may be due to lack of maturity and exposure to adult life prior to the time of entry as cadet 80% of them right after. There is a stark difference between persons who join as cadets after a acquiring a professional unviversity course and a person who enter right after school. This immaturity is carried forward all through their life because almost 95% of their interaction and learnings are from their own kind. They have not seen life as an young adult like others who graduate from universities before which they are bundled off as an officer. I have known cadets playing golf with Commandant of IMA and never attebnded any classes and also wore the badges of rank as senior under officer - I am forgetting and to make things worse, they are already aware of which regiment or arm they are going to tbe posted in the second term at the academy.

I mean no disrespect to any one but after reading the article by Major Navdeep, thoght should pen down a few lines.

Yogi said...

As I understand nothing seems to have changed. Top brass is still not interested in getting NFU for the Army. They are still treating junior officers as a crowd by posting them wherever they can without any regard to intra-organization interface. Example senior major/ Lt col being posted as BSO and selection grade cols going as NCC battalion CO.

A B Mehta said...

This is all due to weak Leadership. Top generals seem to be fighting their own internal battles. Army being the senior service and looking after the interests of a large section of the Armed Forces has to have firm but right leaders. We should stop comparing all the time with the bureaucratic scales and privileges.

doc_atlarge said...

No one could have said it better, Maj Navdeep.

sherry said...

dear navdeep, you have hit the nail on the head.the only sad issue is it hurts that we are unable to ask/seek and get from the GOI/babudom what we truly deserve.it is indeed a shame that we have to beg for what should have come our way automatically.

My only regret is that not a single senior officer from the three services must be reading your insightful articles or views. can you somehow ensure your blog and views presented here reach the higher echelons somehow ????cynics will anyway tell that they will read it and sleep over it.

if we all do not wake up in time (to smell the coffee ), just wait for the 7th pay commission or the proposed military pay commission which might actually be a wolf(read babu) in sheep's clothing. we will certainly be woken up rudely then since the armed forces and their status/pay structure will be slaughtered. only divine intervention can save us ...

let us begin to pray to god almighty from now...or else, we will all be made to wake up finally one day and smell the coffee and be forced to gulp it down too,albeit as a bitter pill without any sugar.

regards, sherry(navy)

Anonymous said...

At this rate of foot shooting, the Army will soon be left without a leg to stand on!

I say that Navy and Air Force officers should take the LCE exam for IPS in their numbers, and show up the Army brass's foolish policy.

The Navy is a happier service than the army, not just because of postings, etc, but also because of their far superior treatment of their own personnel!

Harry said...

Dear Maj Navdeep,

Kudos for the wonderful article highlighting many ills plaguing the Personnel and HR policies of the org. Can we really blame babus for wreaking havoc with the Armed Forces, when our own Brass as equally worse in parochialism and are so self-centered.

Some more 'home truths' now tumbling out in public domain may be accessed at the following link

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-25/nagpur/32408650_1_armed-forces-tribunal-promotion-policy-lt-colonel

Anonymous said...

At this rate of foot shooting, the Army will soon be left without a leg to stand on!

I say that Navy and Air Force officers should take the LCE exam for IPS in their numbers, and show up the Army brass's foolish policy.

The Navy is a happier service than the army, not just because of postings, etc, but also because of their far superior treatment of their own personnel!

Anonymous said...

does it come as a surprise at all. NO. it is reiteration of the facts already well known to all of us..

We all in the defence services are very good at stating the problems. Everyone knows the problems.. But who will take the lead to solve..

The question is what can be done if politicians donot want to understand, bureaucracy understands everything and military hierarchy does not understand anything beyond themselves and their two pets..

Very simple issues are complicated deliberately and left to simmer to create a feeling of despondency in the minds of defence people.

Why cannot defence services have an association which can represent their grievances in front of military hierarchy as well as politiicians albeit with restriction on issues such as strikes etc.

Do not we see, amendments after amendments (and mind you none is for the disadvantage) for central government employees everyday coming out in the form of clarifications from DOPT. The accepted recommendations of 6 cpc are modified/improved upon/changed/interpreted at will almost everyday for civil government employees to give them benefits which may not have been mandated by 6 cpc. Is there any check, no, because, people who are drafting those policies are also affected by them. But in defence services, the same personnel are the first hurdle (if they at all understand what is to be done)

How many policy changes (i am not even talking of changes which benefit people) have been issued after 6 cpc from AGs branch or PCDA(O). Have we even heard about a timeframe from AG's branch for implementation of grant of one additional increment to those employees who had their increments between Feb and Jun prior to 01 jun 2006. I have seen a letter from Railways wherein dates in Jun 2012 have been given for releasing the amount to various personnel. Do we know when it is going to happen in the defence services?? Who will tell the people, AG's brach, PCDA(O), PAOs. No one probably knows what is the issue and how it is to be implemented and most importantly, how to keep the environment informed.

How many jawans have availed LTC to NE or J &K with family by air. hardly any number. they would not either know or will be given leave... whose fault is it, yes jawans as most of us would say??
One will be surprised to know that most of the civil governemtn employees would have availed it including peons.

Time to wake up. And if it is not at the top, then people at the lower rungs should take the lead TO GET THE DEFENCE FORCES OUT OF THE MESS

Sunil said...

A very well written article. People in the higher ranks think that what they are getting should not be given to others as if it would take away something from them. They would turn a blind eye to this article too. Someone with a fore sight and a broader perspective probably will understand that the govt is more than willing to help the forces it is only our superior officers, who believe that every rupee which is given is probably going from their pocket, act as speed breakers in the acceptance and applicatio of such policies.

corona8 said...

This is such a welcome, though overdue, shift of focus to this affliction of low self-worth that afflicts the armed forces.

The malaise pervades all the services. The basic instinct that causes this problem is the line of thought, "I have joined the armed forces. I must be inferior and I must not think highly of myself".

It's the way entitlements are denied, even laid down privileges curtailed and dignity of all members of the cadre abused in general that causes such low esteem to get institutionalised.

Sometime ago, in just such a blog post, a mere suggestion that ACP was more or less a just entitlement drew such protests, from some who had somehow attained a select rank or two above the others, clearly demonstrated this sense of inferiority. "If I can get a rank, why should another?" That seems to be the logic. NFU, ACP being available to civilians is of no concern to such mind-sets.

The superior who forces a subordinate to move into a hutment by cancelling his NAC, or awards a junior a luke-warm reports merely on his own or his lady-wife's whim, the tendency to allot accommodation in guest houses only to one's favourites are all random examples of this low level self-denial. It all adds up to a culture of being negative about ourselves.

No wonder when it comes to policy matters, the civilian establishment has a merry laugh at our expense and treats the cadres in uniform with the disdain which we ourselves invite. Why should we blame the UOI?

There is a real need for introspection on the issue.

Anonymous said...

Very true and hard hitting topic.
Many Senior Officers in the forces are the real problem makers. Most previlages lost by faujis is the doing of our Generals and the like-since 1960 onwards.....PVSM, AVSM etc etc. Learning from the Armed Forces, IPS,IAS, BSF etc have gone far ahead.
We need another Manekshaw soon!

Anonymous said...

Sir, Start the chatroll please.
TVM, PBOR, Mogambo. Ninihala & Others

Lt Col (retd) Dr. G Kameswara rao said...

Quite an accurate description of the state of affairs. As I said earlier in another instance, the PAHLE SE AISA HAI attitude has damaged the institution very much. The various obstacles put up at various echelons are not insurmountable, if there is a WILL to do so. The personal bias of individuals plays an important role in SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT! What is the remedy?-- or is there a remedy at all? Who Knows !
Lt Col(retd) Dr. G. Kameswara rao, Secunderabad.

Anonymous said...

Many of us have left the service prematurely. I could coin only one phrase when asked as to why?

I DID NOT LEAVE THE ARMY; I LEFT THE GENERALS BEHIND (mean LEADERSHIP).

GOD SAVE!!!

Unknown said...

It is a pity that Army Pay Cell/ PPOC has done nothing about the re-fixation of Basic pay for those who had their date of increment between 01 Fb and 30 Jun as per V CPC. The civilian counterparts have already got their pay re-fixed with arrears. We don't have any option than suffer in silence!!

Anonymous said...

SIR,
PL TAKE A PRINTOUT OF THIS AND PHYSICALLY MAIL IT TO SENIOR RANKS OF ALL 3 SERVICES BY REGISTERED POST. IT WARTH THE EFFORT
THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE

Anonymous said...

IAF routinely carries out a leadership capsule course. The course carries out a small group exercise in which individuals are encouraged to answer a questionnaire. In case individuals answer correct, individually they get more marks at the cost of the team. Eventually the team which has worked like a team, exchanging notes etc. wins the exercise. The individual who gets the highest marks is politely sampled as how one should not behave as an officer. I think army can learn from this exercise that is "Together we stand divided we fall"

Anonymous said...

SO MANY PENDING ISSUES. IS SOME ONE LISTENING AND WATCHING OR THE GENERALS ONLY BUSY BAKING THEIR OWN BREAD

1. NFU
2. OROP
3. RANK PAY
4. PAY OF MAJORS IN V CPC
5. ORDERS FOR ONE INCREMENT 6 CPC. MOD IS THE ONLY MIN WHICH HAS'T ISSUED ORDERS.
6. PENSION ANAMOLY

Anonymous said...

Most officers even after putting in many yrs of service are not aware of their own entitlements let alone for JCO/OR. I was recently hauled up for issuing a railway warrant to a jawan who wanted to visit Mumbai on LTC (not his home town). When I said that this was his entitlement I was directed it was not to be given - and these, he said are HIS orders. Local Orders, superceed all orders! Isn't that what officers are made to believe as the truth from beginning.

Every boss reports up as per the book but formulates his own set of rules within his domain.

It's literally a private army.

Anonymous said...

reminds me of a classic example. where a past chief recommends to the VI CPC for reducing the pay scale of MNS.

GD Misra said...

Dear Maj Navdeep,
A very well written but I hope the present higher Officers read it. At least they must understand its our own house we are demolishing .That is where is the difference between IAS and Us. They do look after them selves but we don't.
God knows when we will wake up.

Anonymous said...

@Navdeep: What is the remedy, when a local commander starts cooking up orders of his own, which are in contravention of government rules or Army Orders? How to bring it to the attention of higher authorities? Or is the best remedy to just ask the jawan, as in the case of Anon above, to file a complaint in AFT?

Anonymous said...

Major Navdeep has done extremely well in analyzing the matter in greater details and the article invites KUDOS .We Army officers are famous for "marowing kudaali in own ankles and ramain invalidated" . There was a case of a MNS Brigadier travelling in 2AC while her subordinate CSO travelling by air, while both were going on TD! can anybody beat it? The brigadier madam was with 39 years of Military Service. The rules regrading them were made so spiteful and full of injustice; which is thankfully corrected in spite of the later efforts to block it by an authority not lesser than CHIEF himself!!What a biased approach!! But all of them including the families wanted the VERY BEST SERVICES from the sisters in MHs.My dear serving officers and JCOs , i suggest all of you ppl , please stop KULAADI KHUD MAARNA"!!!
Thanks a lot Kuldeep!

anmol said...

An eye opener indeed...

Anonymous said...

DEAR MAJOR NAVDEEP. YOU WROTE WHAT HAS IN THE MINDS OF MANY OF US IN THE ARMED FORCES. BUT WHAT NEXT?THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT WE IN THE ARMED FORCES FIGHT EACH OTHER,LIKE A CRAB,AND DONOT WANT TO MOVE WITH THE TIME. IT IS HIGHTIME TO LEARN FROM THE DRDO, WHO RESOLVED THERE CAREER PROBLEM ONCE FORALL BY INTRODUCING FLEXIBLE PROMOTION UPTO SC H, SO THAT AN AVERAGE SCIENTIST CAN BECOME AND RETIRE AT HAG GRADE . WHO STOP US FROM FOLLOWING THEME.ANSWER IS WE AND WE THE ARMED FORCES ONLY.REGARDS

Anonymous said...

I saw a comment about how happy navy is and how unhappy we are. Let me tell you, the navy guys are even more unhappy, the same is with IAF.As for the IPS LCE, even navy and airforce have decided not to let anyone write the exam.

In the navy, I have seen how officers are treated,it's all the same every where.The other side of grass just looks green

COL LAMBA said...

HAND FULL OF GENERALS PAY SCALES SNATCHING AWAY PAY OF SELECTION GRADE OFFICER’S [COL& BRIG]MAKING A COWARD ,UNFIT ARMY , POOR COMMAND SET UP[BY DENYING COL & BRIG THEIR DUE]
1.ALL IAS & IPS OFFICER RETIRE IN SUPER TIME SCALE, BUT IN ARMY COL[SELECTION]& BRIG RETIRE IN MUCH LOWER SCALE AND DENIED THEIR BASIC FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF EQUALITY[ INSPITE OF DIFFICULT WORKING CONDITION IN FAR REMOTE AREA AWAY FROM CIVILISATION
2.THE BULK OF ARMY OFFICER RETIRES IN COL [TS] RANK & BELOW.SO IDEALLY THEY SHOULD BE IN SUPER TIME SCALE.
3.COL [SELECTION GRADE] SHOULD BE ABOVE SUPER TIME SCALE, SO IS BRIG, BUT IN REALITY IT IS NOT SO. THEY ARE BEING PAID DEGRADED PAY & PENSION.
4. DIG WHO WAS ONE TIME JUNIOR TO Lt COL HAS BEEN MOVED TO BRIG PAY BAND AND COL HAS BECOME JUNIOR TO HIM.DIG RANK [TSE] IS ACHIEVED IN 14 YEARS, WHERE AS LT COL [TS] 11 YEARS % COL [TS] IN 26 YEARS. WHAT AN INJUSTICE TO COL WHAT A JOKE WITH COL [TS]
5. Colonel has been equated with Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG). The rank of a DIG who was till date between a Lt Colonel and a Colonel is now officially equal to a Brigadier. Both are now on a Grade Pay of Rs 8900.
6. NOW DIG [WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN SSP IN ACTUAL IF POLICE UPGRADATION DURING COAS MALHOTRA TIME IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT] HAS BEEN PUT AT PAR WITH BRIG
IT IS WORTH MENTIONING THAT POLICE HAS GONE ONE RANK UP ALREADY DURING COAS MALHOTRA TIME. HE DID HIS BEST TO REVERSE POLICE ACTION, BUT COULD NOT DO SO & DID NOT UPGRADE RANK OF HIS FORCES.NOW FURTHER DEGRADATION
7. WHERE IS REWARD TO COL/BRIG WHO WORKED HARD FOR PROMOTION & ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH, ALL THEIR LIFE
COL/BRIG IS IN FORE FRONT DURING PEACE/WAR AND WITH DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH MEN.COL/BRIG IS A KING PIN BETWEEN TROOPS & HIGHER UPS.
8. DIFFERENCE OF PAY SCALE OF COL[S] VS LT COL [TS/S] WIIL BE COL LTS] =59400-58090=1310- INCOME TAX @20%+CESS 3%=RS .777/
AS THERE IS HARDLY ANY DIFFERENCE IN TAKE HOME PAY OF COL [TS] & COL [SELECTION]. SO WHY BOTHER ATTITUDE WILL PREVAIL.
MOREOVER NO /ZERO DIFFERENCE IN PENSION THAN WHY SLOG & GET KILLED OR INJURIED WHEN NO BENFITS / REWARD FOR WORKING
9. A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ARMY.BULK OF ARMY OFFICER RETIRES IN COL & BELOW RANK. FOR JUST RS 777/ WHY SLOG FOR LIFE & RISK LIFE.
A BIRTH TO COWARD ARMY WILL COME TO LIGHT IF THIS SITUATION PREVAIL]
10. ENORMOUS BENEFIT TO TIME SCALE MAJ THAN TIME SCALE LT COL [ALL PROMOTION AT NO RISK]
11 Like every group an officer gets into the scale of 67000-79000 before retirement where as in case of army officers only 0.1 percent reach in that level (only LT GENs get that pension).
THERE WAS TIME PRINCESS & CHILDREN OF ELITE FAMILIES USE TO JOIN ARMY. SEE NOW THE QUALITY OF OFFICER BEING INDUCTED YOU CAN TAKE CONSULTANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES & NOT ARMY OFFICER.LOOK AFTER BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
12. WHERE IS REWARD TO COL/BRIG WHO WORKED HARD FOR PROMOTION & ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH, ALL THEIR LIFE
Bare facts
• the Navy and the Air Force vouched for non-functional up gradation as applicable to civil services, that would grant pay of Lt Gen to superseded officers, but the Army opposed it.
13 IAS /1PS HAVE 3 HAG BAND [FOR ALL SELECTION GRADE] & ARMY HAS 4 GRADES ONLY FOR GENERAL & 6 GRADES FOR SELCTION OFFICER. THEY ARE EATING AWAY PAY OF COL /BRIG [SELECTION GRADE]
14.THERE IS IMMEDIATE NEED TO REVISE PAY/PENSION OF selection GRADE COL/BRIG w.e.f. 1/1/2006.THEY HAVE TO BE KEPT ABOVE SUPER TIME SCALE TO MAINTAIN THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF EQUALITY & MAINTAIN SANCTITY OF ARTICLE 14OF CONSTITUTION

Dhoop said...

This refers to the comment by Anonymous, dated 29th June, where he mentions the situation "when a local commander starts cooking up orders of his own, which are in contravention of government rules or Army Orders".

There are Army, Air Force and Navy orders which too are cooked up and transgress upon entitlements of service personnel as laid down in Army, Air Force and Navy Acts and the Rules and Regulations framed under the acts.

Such instances of whimsical and arbitrary arrogation of power actually tend to weaken the case of the people in the defence services for getting what is due to them.

Even entitlements are sometimes doled out by the uniformed hierarchy as if these are favours being done and can be witheld out of sheer wilfulness and caprice on part of some puffed-up functionary in uniform.

Anonymous said...

You are so right Maj, what to talk of pay, I know of an Offr in Agartala who is not being allowed to dine in the Mess so that he will comply with the wishes of the bosses & vacate single offrs accn occupied by him. So if the uniformed fraternity can deny food to one of their own then what to talk of pay & other benefits.The offr it is heard is having food from the civy street. That is the sorry state of affairs in our great army.

Anonymous said...

very rightly said, i keep telling my friends that just wait for the seventh pay commission where the army will have its own commission, there will be no leg to shoot . i am sure the top brass is going to f.... it royally.worst is to come,from within us only. and the worst effected will be OBC (officers below colonel rank).

Ashwin said...

Maj Navdeep....A salute to you for this article on the way armed forces functions.....I still remember in 2004 wn the AV singh committee report granted Time scale Lt Col...Many sr offrs saying " The Lt Col rank lost its sheen"..We belong to a organisation headed by people whose breeding centres are RIMC, Mil schools, Sainik Schools where children go a young ages and many come out still younger with just improved physical fittness..Repurcation is their maturity level...When one see them in courses we see that they are so happy when the eat one samosa extra in the break......These guys rule the army at higher posts and just have only one feeling that " Why should anybody else get which i didnt get or not getting".....

Anonymous said...

All the services are the same in treating their own officers shabbily.The navy and IAF also has put a spanner in officers joining IPS. their funda is how can you enjoy, when we did not???It's really sick that junior and mid level officers are being treated like this.even after being a Lt Col, the service treats you shabbily

Anonymous said...

Dear Sir,
We will be grateful to u if u let the entire fraternity know incl the Higher Echeleon..as it will tke atleast two decades for a change if it is initiated now..

LT.COL.HS DHAM( MAHARS ) said...

Navdeep

You have researched DEEP enough
and I wish I could add to your
write up. Not 100 % but 500 % truth.
Shame and Lame DUCK our Karta Dharta
for which systematical we have been downgraded due to self inflicted injuries. Thanks for the Wake up call hope it wakes up the Sleeping Dogs. God Bless

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @10:44 AM
This has got to be a new low!

Anonymous said...

Thus far, I used to think there is some hope of justice. I had the habit of seeing silver lining even in the darkest of clouds. This belief has been shattered after I saw what the new CNS has written.

Prior to taking over, he has asked all unit heads to give him ideas and has encouraged ideas from younger lot. All very great. He doesn't want any ideas on pay/allowances/welfare though. "After 6 CPC/DACP we are well placed".

If this is the thought process at the very top, everybody down can hope for zilch. Frankly speaking, it looks like the top levels of all services (civil and AF) are hand in glove. These top levels want to serve themselves and keep the lower levels guessing and hoping.

Justin N Christian said...

"dukhti rag ko daba diya".1 feel sorry 4 this state of affairs.the present scenerio 4 serving/retd def. per.is.IF U GET PASS A THEN B WILL CATCH U,IF U GET PASS B THEN C WILL GET U.THE BENEFIT IS NOT REACHING 2 THE BENEFICIARY.
with great difficulties certain anamolies r getting clear thru this stages and finally payment orders r issued as a pensioner if u approach ur pdo bank they simply deny u the benefit stating different ilogical reasons. there also u have 2 fight it out a long battle on ur own.
"jinhe naz hai hind per voh kaha hey.....kaha yey,kaha hey kaha hey"

uday said...

dear major navdeep, Bravo-Zulu to U in highlighting the pathetic and deteriorating state of affairs .
I really donot know whether any sensible career minded & Able youth would ever join Forces if this state is known to them ! Hahh...the unemployument.
In the AFs, there is no functional HRD, and managed by Officers who donot know ABC of HRD.In the name of Discipline many basic aspects are denied. Capable Officers miss promotion(to COL) not due to merit, but due to limited vccancy, and once missed the highly qualified and battle worthy officer is Destined to remain in that grade for morethan 12 years before COL(TS). A horrifying and UNHUMAN state of affairs, only AFs can claim. Will our so called Bosses ever understand the plight/mendal stste of such UNfortunate officers, who continued to be the backborne of all AFs. Why not NFU like IAS, and Flexible complementing like DRDO. AFs should have been ONE step ahead, But are Many step behind them, who learned to pick spoons &Forks from AFs.
The main problem is Our Chiefs ,except Adm Mehta who voiced the concern of the AFs during post 6CPC.This should be a wakeup Call for Chiefs and DM, to act before it is too late. KUDOS to navdeep for such a realistic letter. hope the authorities concerened to ensure the Morale of AFs will take note and act w/o further delay,and let Media takeover such issues for a national level debate and i would valunteer to represent. regards

Anonymous said...

kudos to Maj Navneet to bring for reminding what we already know & grown with.I will like to add that worst is yet to come.In next pay commission, where lt col will be sorted out by brass heavy shoulders.

Anonymous said...

The real enemy is not the babus.....Most IAS officers I have seen(My brother Included)are neither antagonistic nor overtly enamored by the forces.They feel good about us who fight for the nation,but that's all.

Most of the issues being faced by us are the creation of our three musketeers at the very top.they have no brains at all.see the IPS thing for example...How many army officers are going to join IPS???the no of vacancies are about 70 and there is navy,AF,CRPF,BSF etc who are writing the exam....by the way CRPF and BSF does not have any issues with their officers joining IPS but army has!!!!It's stupid and psychotic logic like many others......hope these guys get well soon

Anonymous said...

@those offrs who keep harping on selection grade vs time scale issue despite being aware of real reasons for supercession ie pyramydical structure of services , NFU will never come thru and will never be proposed to the govt by such offrs who reach higher rungs by hook or crook. its amazing how services/ certain class of offrs can afford to dump 60% of its offr class at 16-17 year of serevice/ 38-40 yrs of age group. we need to move fwd like allied services/ scientists/educationist where everyone is more or less timescale and still desirable and contributing positively.with this attitude soon the whole army will get bogged down by negative inertia as time scale offrs are majority .it is high time that superseded offrs are respected as it is only they who are running the show without any returns to them.

Vikrant said...

Navdeep Sir, You have brought out things as they are. On one side their is an acute shortage of Officers, on the other Permanent Commission is not granted to those willing to continue. When asked why, the answer is that ladies will go to the court for asking PC. When asked why not PC for them, the answer is they are not the fighting arm (but the support arm). If it was known that ladies will be in support arm then why did they induct them in the first place and added many clicked pictures of how a bold step has been taken! If this isn't enough, people are now offered PC only after they've completed min 6 yrs of service. Those commissioned prior to 2006 are not being considered. What's is the LOGIC?? ECHS not given to SSC Officers, Sea Going allowance (monthly) was short down, Two months DA per year linked to 10 yrs of service (as applicable to PC Officers) was not accepted, Grant of 2 yrs professional enhancement leave to SSC Officers was not considered... the list is endless.

Whilst the intention is not to bad mouth ones own service, but there seems to be too much of a babugiri going on. Why should regulations be not clear and helpful to an individual. Enough material, references are available on the net, other countries. why do we follow a pseudo approach to these things? Look at women in the other countries, they fly, stay onboard ships and submarines. What's the big deal to give them these jobs? Few past instance/s have set precedence for these regulations.

When will we grow up? I haven't ever got a correct feedback on a query raised. People are concerned only to make it to the next rank somehow or the other. They are not bothered about what they are leaving behind is not what will be relished by most.

We are and i repeat we are not behaving mature, and we may have to pay heavily for this.

Regards

PBOR said...

Thanks to Maj Navdeep for putting up the issue in more interesting and readable way. Though we all knew it. But love the way he said it. I would also thank everyone commented here as they echoed what i have been saying here almost daily and in every comments. Passing of buck to so called babus and ministry would not work. Its “we” who are responsible for our miseries. If we want 'rupiyaa' than we need to stop behaving like ‘chawanni chaps’. :-)

PBOR said...

@ Anonymous July 1, 2012 8:44 PM : If u want an better deal for AFs by 7th CPC than plzzzzz pray that there is NO 'separate' pay commission for AFs by AFs and under the AFs.

PBOR said...

@ Yogi June 28, 2012 7:00 AM : by going with the example of JCOs being reduced eqvt to Primary Teachers appointing Maj. as AGEs and Lt Col as BSO seems to be justified @Anonymous July 1, 2012 9:29 PM : joining of IPS by AFs offrs is a BIG BIG thing. AFs forces even opposed better pay and pensions to PBORs :-(

Anonymous said...

Only those who say "YES SIR" to babus/politicians go beyound Brig. others who have ideas will not be promoted. Its said that inside woodpeckers harm the tree more than the outside storm.

Anonymous said...

a lady officer i knew had stood up against her GOC's and CO's wives when they expected her to participate in a ladies meet. thereafter the officer again did not tolerate the highhandedness of her Co's wife when the lady interfered into the officer's personal affairs, the result..the lady officer was ostracized by everyone in the unit and given an office next to an OR urinal.she was not allowed to carry out her official duties for more than 2 months wherein she was given a step motherly treatment by the CO. Finally the CO ensured that she got posted out from the unit much before her stipulated time and that too with the worst ACR she could ever have got in her life. that is the way the senior lot deals with a person trying to stand up for what is right!

Ashwin said...

Maj Navdeep.....

" As per IPC sec 74 In executing a sentence of solitary confinement, such confinement shall in no case
exceed fourteen days at a time, with intervals between the periods of solitary confinement of not less duration than such periods; and when the imprisonment awarded shall exceed three months, the solitary confinement shall not exceed
seven days in any one month of the whole imprisonment awarded, with intervals "

Then how can a CO give a punishment of 28 Days RI which is a solitary confinement and as per IPC it cannot exceed 7 days if RI is less than 3 months.....advice on this issue....

Anonymous said...

The sheer stupidity the services exhibits in some cases is hard to believe. Wonder why when we have quite well meaning guys up there....Like NFU for example....who in their senses would deny this to their own?????or the IPS LCE...the PM has okayed it but the forces want to put a spanner just for the heck of it..................

uday said...

Frustrating track records of AFs are:
A) promotion : least and worst. WHY NOT NFU or Flexible complement lke others?? who is the stumbling-block or hindrance??INTROSPECT!!!
B) Satisfaction level-least.who is responsible?INTROSPECT!!!
C) Morale- the least,dangerous! INTROSPECT!!!
D) medical support- UNSATISFACTORY. For facilities not available, referred to ONLY GOVT HOSPITALS , worse than any other services,CGHS a much better option.INTROSPECT!!!

GREF Officer said...

I would like to highlight another example of Army Brass trying to scuttle prospects of others - GREF and in the process scuttling their own.

MOD has equated a GREF Chief Engineer with a GP of Rs 10,0000 - SAG to that of a Major General with the same GP. However the DGBR and his cohorts insist that the GREF CE is still equivalent to Brigadier and does not allow the GREF CE to sport 2 Stars (CE B.B. Lal case). This is in contradiction to MOD orders. As a compromise Brigadiers are allowed to be posted as BRO Chief Engineers in lieu of GREF CE since apparently there are not enough Corps of Engineers Major Generals to be posted as CEs in BRO. In the process 2 things are happening -
a) Deny 2 Stars to GREF CEs despite clear Govt. Orders.
b) Instead of promoting those Brigadiers as Major Generals with 2 Stars when they get posted as CEs, they are being denied that opportunity and are kep as Brigadiers with lower GP and status.

This is one of the many examples of Army Generals trying to deny things to their own brother officers in Army and GREF - serves nobody. In the other services, the CE position would be immediately upgraded to Major General from Brigadier benefiting both Army and GREF Officers but NOT by Army DGBR / EnC / COAS etc.

What a farce!

Anonymous said...

I found that the Army officers including seniors do not understand the phrase Rule Of Law. The fundamental principles of Natural Justice are ignored. They run their organisation with their own whims and fancies. A newly arrived makes changes even before he fully understands what is going on. Spending money from govt funds and the other incomes generated by the organisation keeps the Army generals busy. They are very liberal with others money. Kick back is the order of the Day. Their money doesn't buy it's worth.
I am not sure proper audits are done and system of ledgers and vouchers exist. Lower level corruption is appalling. Officers both serving and retired like you can save our beloved Army. Don't stop your endeavor. You sure will be rewarded. I thank you for your time and effort. Sicnar.F

Ashwin said...

Maj Navdeep,

1. As per the UPSC notification based on which we join the Army states that an officer becomes a Col by selection after completion of 15 yrs of service.

2. But if you see the system of boards in various arms are different...In Infantry 97 batch has been approved long back where as in Services 94 batch has picked up as col...

3. My point is that an officer does not get the choice of arms he wants always and that allocation is not based on merit...It is based on blocks...Hence is it not injustice done to a person who picks up late by almost 2-3 yrs who incurs losses in Pay and position compared to his course-mates who pick up early... ...Is it not against right to equality as per Art 16 of Constitution...

Its violation of basic rules.....Pl take up this issue Maj Navdeep

COL LAMBA said...

ARE WE REALLY PREPARED TO FACE A WAR?
1.WHEN EVER A NEW COAS COMES HE ASSURES THAT OUR BORDER ARE SAFE & ARMY IS WELL PREPARED TO FIGHT .NATION IS IN SAFE HANDS . BUT PRIOR TO LAST 2-3 MONTHS OF RETIREMENT THEY SING A TUNE IN REVERSE. DISGRUNTLEMENT AT THAT LEVEL, SO LEADERSHIP IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
2. COAS VK SINGH WENT UP TO THIS EXTENT THAT THEY CAN TAKE ON TO-GTHER PAK & CHINA. GEN VK SINGH CONDUCTED EXERCISE TO BOAST FURTHER, BUT JUST PRIOR TO RETIREMENT SAME REVERSE TUNE i.e. ARMY IS ILL EQUIPPED ,INFRA STRUCTURE IS POOR, LACK OF ARMS & AMN.
3. CHINA MOVED SWIFTLY TO POK, NORTH & NORTH EAST BORDER & BUILT ROADS.MOVED TO SEA BORDERS TOO & MADE BASES EVEN NEAR SRI LANKA. WE BROUGHT ENEMY NEAR DUE TO FALSE ASSURANCE/CRY OF OUR COAS.
4. KARGIL WAR WAS NOT A WAR .IT WAS JUST RE-CONTROL OF OUR POSTS WHICH WERE NOT MANNED DURING WINTER. SEE HOW MUCH FORCE WAS MOVED APPROXIMATELY 8 TO 9 DIVISIONS. THE PITY WAS THAT EVEN AT THAT TIME COAS WAS OUT F COUNTRY & CORP COMMANDER PLAYING GOLF, WHILE YOUNG OFFICER & MEN WERE EMBRACING DEATH.
6. THERE HAS BEEN NO REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT FROM TWO DECADES. AGE OLD TANKS/APC LIVED OVERHAUL LIFE TOO. CAN THEY BE BATTLE WORTHY
7. SO AS CASE WITH OUR AIR FORCE LET IT IS A TRAINEE AIR CRAFT OR FIGHTER AIR CRAFT.
8. VAST SEA SHORE & HARDLY MATCHING TASK TO SEA EQUIPMENT.
9. OUR ARMY FOUGHT BRAVELY IN 1962 DUE TO WILL OF SOLDIER
10 BUT WHEN MEN MORALE IS IN BOOTS& MACHINE STATE ARE BAD THAN CAN ANY ARMY WIN A WAR
11. China violation of its territorial integrity from any quarter would be severely punished.
12. The only Chief [ LATE FIELD MANEKSHAW] who went to the Government & put his foot down that he needs six months for preparation before going for operation in 1971 war. SIMILARLY MARSHAL OF AIR LEAD HIS PILOT.S DEEP INTO ARMY TERRITORY. A RARE TYPE OF LEADER IN WORLD. HE TOO PUT HIS FOOT DOWN ALONG WITH THAN COAS THAT ANY LAND WON WILL NOT BE RETURNED AS LOT MANY OFFICER & MEN WILL BE KILLED & THEY HAVE TO FACE THEM. PM LATE SASHTRI AGREED BUT TASHKENT AGREEMENT WAS AGAINST ASSURANCE & HE LAID DOWN LIFE AS A TRUE SOLDIER. war is related to the capacity to kill and not getting killed.
13. China armed strength about two and a half time larger than ours.
19.Notwithstanding that of a house-holder blissfully ignoring the threat to his household on the basis of an assurance given to him by the thief himself,
20. The present political leadership in India, "all's well" Defence syndrome
21.WITH PRESENT DAY OLD OBSOLETE WAR MACHINE ,POOR INFRA STRUCTURE,CORRUPTION BY GENERAL’S AT ALL TIME HIGH ,POOR /UNHEALTHY /SUB STANDARD FOOD FOR TROOPS, POOR LOOK AFTER OF EX-SRVICEMEN WHICH LOWERS MORALE
22, GOD FATHER OF TROOPS [COL-S] DOWN GRADTION IN PAY & PENSION. THE MORALE OF COL [CO IS IN BOOTS] THAN WHAT WILL BE MORALE OF HIS TROOPS. WILL TO FIGHT WILL VANISH.
23. TO DAY ARMY COMES IN AID TO CIVIL POWER.
[ONCE CIVIL AUTHORITY IAS/IPS FAIL IN PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES]MAY BE EARTH QUAKE,FLOOD RELIEF,TRAIN ACCIDENT,ASIAD GAMES,NAXAL PROBLEM,TERROR ATTACK ,CHILD IN WELL,STRIKE BY RAIL,ELECTRICITY BOARD, TELE SERVICES, HOSPITAL SERVICES & SO ON LIST IS NEVER ENDING.
24. MUMBAI TERROR ATTACK[AID TO CIVIL POWER] A MAJOR GETTING KILLED IN HOTEL & DGP SLEEPING IN CAR[ YOU FAIL IN YOUR DUTIES & ENJOY NAP. PERSON ASKING FOR AID TO CIVIL POWER SHOULD BE SACKED FIRST[WHO FAILED IN PERFORMANCE OF HIS BASIC DUTIES [IAS/IPS EXTRA]
25. GOVERNMENT LAST HOPE IS ARMY & IF YOU NEITHER GIVE PAY/PENSION AT LEAST AT PAR WITH CIVIL IAS/IPS THAN YOU CANNOT EXPECT MIRACLES FROM THE ARMY.

Anonymous said...

Dear Navdeep,

I am an Ardent fan of yours. The biggest problems we Armed Forces lot face is of Maturity and a complete distrust of each other may be it is Intra Service or Inter Service. The worse is that the lot serving feels that helping out ESMs is beyond their dignity without realising that one day they too will be in the same Group.

Aman said...

That's ridiculous - the matter regarding the senior generals of the army turning down the Non Functional Upgradation, saying that there will be no charm left for the Higher ranks.

How sick is that ?

While the generals can rave and rand about the all things strategic, they are fast losing touch with reality and the pulse of the rest of the officer cadre. They think whatever they decree is fine. Why an upgradation in pay and allowances that is authorised to all other services should be denied to us in the Armed Forces, just because some armchair soldiers, the so-called scholar warriors of this age who mouth big words like "Strategic Reach & Rake " or "scenario-oriented recurring evaluation systems" (without having the slightest idea what they mean)decided it. Who authorised them to think (if they could do that) on behalf of the other 99% in the first place? While the Navy & AF want it and all the civil services have got it including the Police and the Paramilitary, we , in the army, the so-called last bulwark against external aggression and internal disorder will continue to languish because some armchair general thought that the'll be "no charm" left for the higher ranks . What kind of warped and inane logic is that? THAT is exactly the reason why we turning into a second rate army, because we've got immature people surrounded by sycophants for senior leadership!

Anonymous said...

Dear Major Navdeep,
Read your article but can't agree entirely. There are many amongst us who have made a mockery of the system and enjoying the most at the expense of the state and org.
Firstly Doctors : Today an army doctor can only provide a medical category instead of treatment in most of the commonly known ills. So why do they copmpare with a doc in civ street. AMC today is the biggest obstacle in pers mgt and is first rate shelter for malingerers and shirkers by providing med cat in abundance with funny restrictions.
Likewise many such orgs are created within the org who are there only to strangulate the units which are the bearing pillars of the org. Do they even deserve to be in service?

arpit said...

when in academy... be it nda ima or any other academy... cadets argiven privileges depending on the term they are in.. which are utterly stupid .. for example a sixth termer can come out of his bathroom in a towel while 1st to 5th termers cant, you are always required to say yes to ur senior, an appointment can ride his bike alone where as others cant they have to be in a squad, and similarly as u are promoted to higher terms u start gettin higher privileges... ive seen senior cadets punishing juniors for doin something that is a privilege of a senior.. ive seen cadets fighting among each others for the type of entry they are ... for ex a direct entry . an ex nda a tech grad etc. Now what my point is that is at this basic academy level, the egotism us imbedded in the souls of cadets which carries with themselves throughout their service career "THERE WILL BE NO CHARM FOR HIGHER RANKS" is like sayin y give a privilige of a senior to a junior.. its not his right! This is utterly stupid attitudes need to change at a very basic level that is the academy... people in the armed forces most of the times rather than thinking of something that would benefit their counterparts who are low in service, go for something that is going to put restrictions on them.. what they don't understand is that this discontentment is growing rapidly in the armed forces and the morale of the army is everything when it comes to war or protecting their motherland.. so it needs to be kept high which is definitely not possible with the current mindset! I hope things change and they change for good! Discipline is one thing and it should be there as a backbone of the armed forces but creating hurdles for own people is something that we need to get rid of!

Anonymous said...

hello maj navdeep...u hav really hit the bull's eye..the comments are also intrsting and enlightening and eye opener..
Army dumps its major part of officer's at the Lt col rank..their future is decided too early dat d road ahead is closed for them..many take it in good spirit but most lose the motivation..de either leave or carry on like a passenger witout the drive or zeal to contribute to the organisation..n even the environment is not very kind to them..de call them terms like..THANK YOU type people..or ATTAINED MOKSHA n NIRVANA..n treat them lyk good for nothing...de are not entrusted eith good assignments..
so this alienation n hurt forces them to get back to a shell..whom do they fight against..the CR culure n Top Brass with Halo of Command n generalship don't look at them favourably..only HIGH FLYIN offrs are entertained..
may get back its brains at the right place..n not desert its own men...be war or peace..

Anonymous said...

Well written article
Should be widely circulated