The Hindu : Panel for giving Army a younger look

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 25, 2002

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Panel for giving Army a younger look

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 24. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has recommended several reforms in the service conditions of defence personnel to make a career in the armed forces more attractive as well as bring down the average age of personnel at the cutting edge.

It has asked the Government to consider reducing the period of colour service to seven to 10 years from the present 17 years and, thereafter, re-employ these officers and men in the paramilitary forces.

The panel based its recommendation on the prevailing scenario of downsizing of workforce, which offers little scope for re-employment of middle-aged men.

"Assured re-employment of ex-servicemen will make the new recruitment in armed forces more attractive as a career which will (also) keep the Army young.''

The proposal for a younger Army has been endorsed by the Kargil Review Committee as well as by the three service chiefs.

The panel asked the Government to take a time-bound action on rationalisation and re-definition of the current pension regulations to allow 50 per cent of basic pay at the time of retirement as pension to those personnel who had to retire early at various ranks (before completing 33 years service under inter-linked rank-cum-service condition).

At present, this is denied to personnel from the rank of sepoy to naib subedar, who get only 33 to 40 per cent pension. In comparison, civilian staff get more pension as during their longer service period, they increase their minimum pay.

It wanted the Defence Minister to consider the long-pending demand for one rank one pension "in all seriousness'' in a time-bound manner.

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