New Delhi, December 16
The Government has accepted the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee report which would ensure faster promotions for Army officers up to the rank of Colonel in order to reduce their age profile at the combat level and ensure that they get promotions commensurate to their jobs.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here today that the Finance Minister had accepted the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee recommendations which will “ensure the career prospect of Army officers and reduce the combating level age of commanding officers”.

The acceptance of the recommendations are likely to benefit 90 per cent of Army officers who would get faster promotions to commanding levels, officials at the Ministry of Defence said.

The recommendations of the report are likely to be implemented from January 1, 2005, and is expected to create an 750 additional ranks of Colonels. The cases of the other two services — Air Force and the Navy — will be processed separately.

Calling it the first part of the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee report to reduce stagnation and create a younger age profile, Mr Mukherjee, hoped that the sharpness of the field formations would increase.

Chief of Army Staff Gen N.C. Vij later said: “There will be mobility within the cadre and officers will continue to remain motivated.”

With this a Lieutenant will be promoted to the rank of Captain in two years instead of the present four, a Captain will become a Major after six years instead of 10, Lt-Colonel after 13 years as against the present 18 to 19 years and Colonel after 26 years of service.

“The concept of the report was the need to decrease the age profile of field commanders at the battalion and brigade levels. Over the years we found that the average age of such commanders was on the higher side. This was not conducive to active field operations,” said Ajai Vikram Singh, who presently is not only the Defence Secretary but also the author of the report.

“There were certain issues relating to the career prospects in the Army and the need to keep the Army as an attractive career for young people. The cumulative effect will be a younger age profile. However, this is only the first part and deals with improving the career prospects of non-select ranks. We wanted the number of years that an officer puts in service to be reduced. The Ministry of Finance has today given its consent,” he said.

“That is not the end of the story. The remaining 11 recommendations will be taken up with the Ministry of Finance in batches. Some relate to the Department of Personnel and one is about giving opportunity to officers to work in the private sector,” he added.