Compulsory military service for five years for government job aspirants is being deliberated in order to overcome the shortage of officers in the armed forces. Taking note of the acute shortage of personnel, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has maintained that the shortage of officers needs to be given high priority.

Amidst the debate on cut in defence budget, the parliamentary committee chaired by BC Khanduri, noted that manpower shortage and prevalent inadequacies in training could not be ignored. Discussions have been held with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoP&T), whose response is awaited.

Shortfall

Data furnished by the Defence ministry showed that of the sanctioned strength of 49,932 officers in the Army, the existing strength was 42,253 officers. The sanctioned strength of JCOs/ORs in the Army as on July 1, 2017 was 12,15,049, as against the existing strength of 11,94,864.

In the case of Navy, the authorised strength of officers was 11,827 while it had an existing strength of 10,393 officers. The sanctioned strength of sailors in the Navy as of October 31, 2017 was 171,656 (existing strength 56,835).

With regard to Air Force, the sanctioned strength was 12,550 officers as on September 1, 2017 and the existing strength is 12,404 officers.

The sanctioned strength of airmen in the Air Force was 1,42,529, while the existing strength was 1,27,172 as on September 1, 2017.

Re-employment

The House panel was also told that one of the major problems faced by ex-Servicemen (ESM) who retire relatively young is to secure a second career.

Nearly 60,000 armed forces personnel retire or are released from active service every year. Most of them are in a comparatively younger age bracket (35 to 45 years) and need a second career to support their families. These personnel “constitute a valuable, disciplined, well-trained, dedicated and talented pool” available for nation building,” the panel was informed. An armed forces official, privy to the discussion, said accretion in the forces was high due to the high availability of multiple and lucrative alternative career avenues.

The stringent selection criteria and the perceived high degree of risk are other reasons for fewer people wanting to join the forces. Plus, there are issues of poor work-life balance, limited time with the family, and a growing number of duties unrelated to their job, all of which has contributed to the dissatisfaction, the official said.

Remedial measures

The committee, while deliberating on the Demands for Grants 2018-19, noted that recruitment in the armed forces is a continuous process and that the government has taken a number of measures to reduce shortages. Sustained image projection and publicity campaign to create awareness among the youth on the advantages of taking up a challenging and satisfying career in the forces were listed as some of the steps.

Noting that recruitment of Personnel Below Officers Ranks (PBORs) in the Army is carried out through the Open Rally System being conducted regularly, the committee said efforts were being made to cover the entire country, including remote and tribal areas.

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