They claimed it had finally ‘kick-started’ the services’ long-cherished goal of ‘integrating’ the armed forces with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), ostensibly to strengthen civil-military relations. General Dastane also raised concerns regarding the ‘down gradation of two and three-star officers, deemed as joint and additional secretaries in the extremely rank conscious services, though this equivalence is based entirely on salary equivalences.Īlso Read: Do We Need a New Department of Military Affairs and Integrated Theatre Commands?īut a far larger number of other serving and retired service officers exceptionally applauded this move. He ruefully hoped to somehow ‘stop and reverse this unfortunate trend’ in what can now only be described as an irrevocable fait accompli. “In no case should the armed forces allow themselves to take on civil type designations, particularly in appointments being made by the AAC,” the three-star officer remonstrated. However, some analysts like retired Lieutenant General Ravi Dastane have questioned these positions. Narayanan, Rear Admiral Mohan Dhir and Air Vice Marshal Hardeep Bains, who are now joint secretaries of their respective services. They include Lieutenant General Anil Puri, who becomes an additional secretary in the DMA, and Major General K.

These officers were also the first-ever military officers to secure these civilian appointments – and ranks – after Independence. This manifested itself recently, after four service officers – two from the Indian Army (IA) and one each from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy (IN) – were formally appointed additional and joint secretaries in the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA).Īll four officers – including one three-star and three two-star officers – had earlier been conferred equivalent brevet civilian ranks in the DMA, but were officially confirmed in their posts only last week by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, or the ACC, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A bizarre paradox has emerged in recent decades in India’s higher military circles, especially the Army, of not only seeking all-round one-upmanship over their civilian counterparts but also of completing the circle and striving doggedly for bureaucratic rank structures.

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