For long, the severe deficit of officers has been a cause of major worry for the Army. But since 2012, things have started showing signs of improvement with the Army witnessing a net increase of 1,000 officers in its ranks and the deficit coming down from 22 per cent to 20 per cent. This year, so far, over 650 officers have already made the cut.
Battling with the perennial shortage of more than 9,000 officers, the Army now wants to sustain the momentum of increased intake and has proposed a slew of measures to the Government including more salary, study leave for preparing for Civil Services examinations, grant of ex-servicemen status and eligibility for Employees Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to Short Service Commission (SSC) officers.
The Army feels that these measures will attract more young men and women to opt for the service thereby wiping out the deficit of officers by 2018, officials said here on Saturday. A move is also on to relax norms for jawans aspiring to become Permanent Commission officers.
Army Chief General Bikram Singh is pushing for steps like giving two months’ extra salary to those SSC officers leaving the Army after five years and four months’ salary to those going out after 10 years.
Besides, the Army is in favour of granting two years’ professional enhancement training leave to SSC officers prior to their release from service; relaxation like granting leave for preparing for UPSC Civil Services examination; and ex-servicemen status.
Explaining the rationale for these proposals, officials said though SSC officers perform the same duties as Permanent Commission colleagues, they do not enjoy perks and facilities entitled to Permanent Commission officers. This leads to disillusionment and if the Government gives its nod to these measures, then the Army hopes to attract more youth, they said.
At present, SSC officers serve up to 14 years while Permanent Commission officers have to put in a stint of 20 years before they become eligible for full pension and other benefits like full medical cover for self and family. However, SSC officers, so far, are not entitled to medical benefits and the Army has urged the Defence Ministry to okay ECHS facility to these officers.
Highlighting the importance of reduction in shortage of officers this year, they said the Army is short of officers at the level where actual combat takes place and steps like opening a new Officers Training Academy (OTA) at Gaya is now showing results.
This academy, which became functional in 2011, trains 350 SSC officers every year besides OTA, Chennai which also grooms the same number of officers. Moreover, 1,300 cadets pass out as Permanent Commission officers every year from Indian Military Academy(IMA), Dehradun.
A batch of 631 officers from IMA were commissioned and 37 from OTA, Gaya on Saturday with IAF chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and Army Chief General Bikram Singh taking the salute at Dehradun and Gaya respectively.
After the first batch passed out from Gaya after a year’s training last year, the Army recorded a dip of two per cent which in numbers mean 470 more officers comprising one per cent.
In actual terms, now the annual intake is 2,000 officers every year and net increase coming to 1,000 officers as the same number of officers retire every year, officials said. The Army aims to maintain the two per cent trend till 2018. They also informed that the authorised officer strength is 47,000.