Dilute Standards: Ministry of Defence to Army

Photo courtesy The Hindu
The bureaucrats in the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Finance having failed either to improve the Defence Forces Rank Status (WoP) or enhance its salary structure for middle rung Officers are desperately trying to dilute standards and norms of selecting Officers for the Armed Forces. The Sixth Empowered Pay Panel Report bereft of representation from the Defence Forces, is stuck due to uncertain Political Climate and the confusion created by the Bureaucrats of both the ministries working in tandem. Employing Retired Officers is increasing the liabilities and creating more administrative problems than addressing the shortages. The articles linked below highlights the flip flops and gauge for oneself the confusion created and the mindset of the bureaucrats. We only hope, that a day comes when the children of IAS Officers and Politicians opt to join the Armed Forces in increasing numbers to Defend the Nation.

Defence Ministry suggests standards’ dilution for officers
No dilution of standards for officers: defence ministry

ESM Challenges and Finding Officers for the Armed Forces

Retirement Blues
A service officer leads an active life and is generally in good physical health even at retirement. Time hangs on him when he does not take up employment/re-employment after retirement. That apart, mundane matters take their toll, such as – drop in income, he goes out of circulation, a dent to his already diluted service status and dignity etc. Needless to say every officer cannot find employment. He, therefore, needs to self-employ himself. Govt must recognize the need to utilize this trained and disciplined reservoir of human resource and rehabilitate them. Among many possibilities, I have listed a few with a brief on them. In some of these cases it will be complementing the existing resources. Existing laws may have to be amended in some cases or new laws made in others. All these will add to public confidence as well as public convenience without imposing any capital cost to the Govt. In addition, some of these will add to the status and dignity of a retired officer. Click link for the complete article.
Self Employment and Rehabilitation of retired Armed Forces officers

The Problem in Recruitment of Officers
An aspiring young man wanting to join the Armed Forces today will consider the trial and tribulations he will face during his entire life span before he joins the same. Armed Forces personnel retire early and more often his post retirement years will be longer than his service career. If you improve the salary and service condition of the serving officers alone it will not meet his aspirations and his apprehensions of post-retirement rehabilitation will remain. Only a holistic approach can change this. It is of concern that young India has relegated a career in the Armed Forces to a very low priority these days affecting recruitment of required numbers and quality manpower. This has happened because of inadequate compensation, loss of status and treating the retired officers as deadwood by the Govt. Rehabilitation of these ‘veterans’, along with other corrective measures, will have a profound effect on the future intake of the Armed Forces officers. Read complete article.
Recruitment of Officers in the Armed Forces

Col B Bhattacharya (Retd)

Indian Military Academy

"The safety, honour and welfare of your country Come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, Always and every time."



The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh salutes while reviewing the Passing Out Parade at the Platinum Jubilee Course of Indian Military Academy, in Dehradun, on December 10, 2007.

Indian Military Academy (IMA) is where the bodies and minds of the trainees are moulded to have the tensility of the finest tempered steel together with qualities such as camaraderie, team-spirit, critical appreciation of a given or emerging instinct with an inbuilt urge never to give-up. The Academy became functional from 01 October 1932 with a course strength of 40 Gentlemen Cadets. Brigadier L P Collins, DSO, OBE was the first Commandant. The first course had on its rolls Sam Manekshaw, Smith Dun and Mohd Musa. All of them later became the Chiefs of the armies of their respective countries namely India, Burma and Pakistan. In 1934, even before the first course had passed out, his Excellency Lord Willingdon the Viceroy of India, presented the Colours to the Academy on behalf of His Majesty the King-Emperor, as not merely a mark of royal favour but also as acknowledgement of sacrifice and common endeavour. The parade was commanded by Under-Officer GC Smith Dun.

In consonance with national aspirations, the Indian Military Academy was redesignated as the National Defence Academy in January 1950.
The duration of training is one year except for the Direct Entry Scheme, for which it is one and a half years. Direct Entry is to be made through a written examination conducted by the UPSC and the final selection is by the Services Selection Board. The age limits for them is from 19 to 24 yrs at the time of entry. Ex-NDA and ex-ACC cadets join after completing a three year degree course. The former enter NDA through UPSC examination and SSB whereas the ACC cadets join through the ranks after qualifying an examination conducted by Army Headquarters and facing the SSB. The technical graduates, who are engineering graduates, do not have to take a written examination but pass through SSB.

Candidates selected for 10+2 Technical entry scheme are inducted for one years' Basic Military Training at IMA. This is followed by a four years' degree course in Engineering from College of Military Engineering, Pune / Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow / Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Secunderabad. The total duration of training is five years. On completion of four years of training, commission in the rank of a Lieutenant is granted. For a degree in Engineering, there is a need to complete the stipulated five years of training.

At IMA GCs are trained in all aspects of combat and tactics using computers and other modern training tools. This coupled with exciting adventure sports like River rafting, Para jumping, Rock climbing, trekking and mountaineering ensures all round development. A GC is commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army.

Antedate seniority of two years is given to Engineering / Technical Graduates inducted through technical entries. This is to compensate for the extra time and energy spent to earn the Engineering Degree before training. With the antedate seniority, there are opportunities for faster promotions, in addition to pay benefits.

Foreign Cadets
Ever since 1948, cadets from friendly Afro-Asian countries have been joining IMA for pre-commission training. Up to 1987, 568 foreign gentlemen cadets from 18 countries received training at the Academy. These are Angola, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Iraq, Jamaica, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore, Tonga, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.

TRIVIA
Leadership is an essential requirement in all fields of life. What distinguishes the military leadership from other kinds is that it is a leadership of a kind that demands tapping of the last ounce of individual's physical and psychic resources on the battle field. It has only compounded the criticality of the crisis in all its aspects - physical, mental, moral and emotional.

Those who come to the Academy as Gentlemen Cadets are groomed to develop and acquire the character that will enable them in the near or distant future to assume responsibility to see the country through the crisis.

Some of these foreign alumni of the Academy have done exceptionally well. In June 1966 GC Lokot Zamani of Nigeria was appointed Academy Cadet Adjutant who later went on to win the Gold Medal. GC, YB Tun Hussain Bin Onn, rose to the position of Prime Minister of Malaysia. Another Malaysian, Ibrahim bin Ismail, rose to the rank of General. Three Nepalese alumni namely Arjun Narsing Rana, Bharat Kesar Singh and Rishi Kumar Pandey, rose to the rank of General in the Royal Nepalese Army.

CONTACT INFO
Indian Military Academy (IMA)
Dehradun
Uttaranchal
India
Indian Military Academy

Digby Lall writes:
I have just read the blog on the IMA and it came to my mind that one of the most important 'raison d'etre' of an Indian Army Officer, which used to be emblazoned on the walls of the revered Chetwode Hall and which has inspired generations of army officers and which I still live up to in a modified form in my civilian life in positions of responsibility.
"The safety, honour and welfare of your country Come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, Always and every time."
I feel that it is certainly worth including the correct words as they appear in Chetwode Hall in the blog about the IMA. I was commissioned in to the Corps of Signals as IC 4771 along with Aniles Basu, R P Singh, Ranbir Mohan and 12 other illustrious officers. All my regimental service was carried out on the J & K and Chinese Borders where I did my best to emulate the Chetwode Hall Motto.

With best wishes
Digby Lall
Date: 31 Dec 2007

SIGNAL: Thanks Digby Lall. We have included the Motto of our Alma Mater just below the aerial Photograph of Chetwode Building. Truly All- Inspiring Indeed.