The Army’s controversial ‘command and exit policy’, which prescribes preferential promotions to officers of combat arm, faces the threat of being scrapped as the Supreme Court fumed over the defence ministry’s failure to produce the policy acceptance letter despite repeated requests.
The 2009 policy, which was quashed by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), had triggered widespread unrest within the Army, with officers claiming it adversely affected them as it was highly skewed in favour of officers from infantry and artillery, as compared to other branches of the Army.
The defence ministry had moved the apex court against the AFT order.
“A mere statement on affidavit stating you approved the policy will not suffice. Where is the acceptance order? Show us the order signed by the raksha mantri or the prime minister. Please do not submit any letter written to somebody by a desk officer,” an angry Justice T.S. Thakur told Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, who was representing the defence minister, on Wednesday.
“We find there is no such decision expressed in words, and just like you are inferring, we are also forced to infer. But we’re sorry to say that this is not the way it should be,” the bench said.
The court’s comment offered belief to the perspective of officers who tested the guideline and said it was an inner course of action of the Army with no regard from the Center, and the resistance service just interceded later to spare the Army.
The court’s remarks came after the Center, requested that clear up its remain on April 22, presented an affirmation educating that it has “rightfully affirmed” the model implied for officers of the rank of colonel or more.
The Center said it had acknowledged all suggestions of the A.V. Singh Committee (AVSC), with the exception of one identified with ‘pay advantage of non-practical choice evaluation pay for brigadiers and significant officers’. The service refered to the AVSC report to express that the upgradation of select positions was gone for “diminishment in the time of unit administrators and detachment authorities”. The administration, as needs be, endorsed the opening for the select positions in 2004 and 2008.
Advocate Meenakshi Lekhi, showing up for Lt-Col P.K. Choudhary, the principle candidate for the situation, had submitted under the watchful eye of the pinnacle court that all positions of staff of positions colonel or more would be influenced because of the one-sided advancement strategy.
The Centre, however, backed the policy claiming it was the only way towards a younger force. It said the age profile of unit commanders in Pakistan and Chinese armies was 35 and 40 years, respectively, and thus, that of Indian battalion commanders also needed to be brought down.