A civilian official reaches the rank of an Under Secretary in just four years of his service while his Army equivalent, a Major, gets his rank in six years. In nine years, an Under Secretary becomes a Deputy Secretary while it takes 13 years of service for an Army officer to reach the rank of a Lt-Col.
A civilian reaches the Director’s rank in 13 years while his Defence counterpart, a Colonel, has to work for 20 years to get there.
An IPS officer attains the DIG-level in 15 years of service while his equivalent, a Brigadier, needs 28 years of service behind him.
And, not all officers make it to a Brigadier’s rank.
The Sixth Pay Commission and its resultant disparities between the bureaucracy and the Defence forces has raised many a question.
The main concern is whether this will cause a decline in interest among the youth for joining the Armed forces as compared to the civil sector that provides all superior comforts vis-à-vis the Armed forces.
The lower pay may lead to officers opting for premature retirement at the middle level. This, in turn, will result in even more shortage of officers.
The main grievance of the Armed forces is that the Sixth Pay Commission had no representative from the services.
The disparity and the controversy it has stirred has given rise to the demand for a separate pay commission for the Armed and paramilitary forces.
