Ajai Vikram Singh Committee : 1896 new posts in Defence forces

NEW DELHI, Oct 3, 2008: To smoothen ruffled feathers of the armed forces over "discriminatory" Pay Commission report, the Government today approved 1,896 new posts in the three Defence forces at the top level from Colonels to Lieutenant Generals and their equivalents.

"The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has taken a decision to implement the Phase-II of Ajai Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC) report," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here soon after the meeting.

The implementation of Phase II of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC) that recommended creation of the additional posts will ensure quicker promotions to Army, Navy and Air Force officers.

The decision is also aimed at stemming the high rate of attrition among middle-rung officers from Majors to Colonels and their equivalents in the three services, which already face a shortage of about 13,000 officers, mostly in the middle-rung.

The implementation of the Phase-II of the AVSC report will cost the Government exchequer Rs 8.44 crore annually, Government sources said.

Army- New posts upgraded in select ranks and implemented in a 5 year period:
Rank/ present/ additional/ total
Lt Gens/ 61/ 20/ 81
Maj Gens/ 191/ 75/ 266
Brigs/ 824/ 222/ 1046
Cols/ 3389/ 734/ 4123

Navy- New posts upgraded in select ranks and implemented in a 10 year period:
Rank/ present/ additional/ total
Vice Admirals/ 15/ 4/ 19
Rear Admiral/ 43/ 14/ 57
Commodore/ Captain/ 418/ 324/ 742

Air Force- New posts upgraded in select ranks and implemented in a 5 year period:
Rank/ present/ additional/ total
Air Marshals/ 22/ 6/ 30
Air Vice marshal/ 47/ 27/ 74
Air Commodore/ 131// 61/ 192
Group Captains/ 476/ 415/ 891

With the armed forces not attracting enough talent in recent times and with Pre-Mature Retirements plaguing them, the Government had set-up the committee under former Defence Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh to suggest ways of making the services attractive as a career for the youth.

Based on the committee’s recommendations for restructuring of the officer cadre, the Government implemented the Phase I of the report concerning lower rungs from Captains to Lt Colonels in the Army and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Force in 2004. (PTI)
Govt approves 1896 new posts in Defence forces

Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said the pay commission issues raised by the three armed forces was "not about money" but status and equality. "The issue here is not about money. It has been overplayed by the media. It is about status and equivalence that existed (before the pay commission), and the command and control relationship (between the armed forces officers and their civilian counterparts)." "How it (status, equality, command and control structure) has been disturbed (by the pay commission report), nobody knows," he said when asked about the issues raised during the meeting of the services chiefs with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.