No lowering of military ranks: Govt

Reacting to media reports that the government has issued a new order lowering the status of military officers vis-a-vis their civilian counterparts in the Armed Forces Headquarters, the defence ministry on Thursday said there has been no down-gradation or any change in the existing equivalence of the service ranks.

These reports, quoting a ministry of defence letter dated October 18, 2016, “are erroneously stating that the equivalence has been disturbed and status of service officers has been downgraded,” a defence ministry statement equivalence is only for matters of assigning duties and functional responsibilities as is already existing in different offices of the respective Service HQrs of the Army, Navy and Air Force having component of Service personnel as well as civilian officers.

“It has no bearing on civilian employees outside these offices of the Service HQrs. It is reiterated that there is no change in the rank structure or the status of the Armed Forces personnel,” the ministry said.

However, the Armed Forces continue to be upset even after the ministry issued a statement.

“PM exhorts nation to send Diwali ‘sandesh’ to soldiers. B’crats reduce disability pension n lower status vis-a-vis civilians. Happy Diwali!,” Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (Retd) tweeted, a view echoed by serving officers in the three Services.

As per the circular issued on October 18, an Army Major General (rear admiral in the Navy and vice-marshal in the Air Force) was to be on par with a principal director in the Armed Force Headquarters (AFHQ) Civil Service. A Brigadier/Commodore/Air Commodore (with about 24 years of service) was to be equivalent in rank to a director (with about 14 years of service), and a Colonel/Captain/Group Captain to a joint director in the civil service, sources in the Armed Forces said.