NEW DELHI: Discontent is simmering within a section of the Indian Army. Miffed over Army Headquarters’ (HQ) submission in the Supreme Court that the Services cadre—which comprises over 20 per cent of the Army—is ‘non-operational’, several officers are refusing to go on operational postings, including to forward and counter-insurgency areas. The Services cadre has nearly 10,000 officers in its strength of 2.6 lakh personnel.

The Military Secretary Branch, which looks after postings and promotions, is receiving representations from officers of the Army Service Corps (ASC), Ordnance and Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Corps (EME), expressing their reluctance to join their operational field posting by citing Army HQ stand in the apex court calling themselves “non-combatants”. At least eight officers have expressed their inability to go to their field posting.

Rumblings in the Army is posing a major challenge before strategists such as Rashtriya Rifles, the main counter-insurgency force operating in Jammu & Kashmir and in the Northeast. It has 50 per cent of officers from other arms and the Services cadres.

“It has never happened earlier. Services’ refusal to go to operational field is a serious threat to the Army’s command and control mechanism. Growing discontent due to division is a matter of concern,” said an official at Army HQ.

Citing mortality rate of officers during Kargil, officers claim it was 3.17 for every 1,000 men in the Services, while the Infantry’s mortality rate was 2.77. Seven ASC officers were martyred in Kargil.

The Services also complain that only 27-30 per cent officers are promoted. For Infantry officers, the success rate is 92 per cent. “Chances of poor career growth in the other arms compared to the Infantry is creating rumblings in the Army. Discontent is affecting morale and is is leading to litigations,” an officer told The Sunday Standard.

It all started when the Army’s 2009 promotion policy was challenged in the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), calling it “discriminatory” and “rigged” in favour of the two biggest arms, the Infantry and Artillery, by allocating them an unfairly large number of promotion vacancies at the Commanding Officer rank of Colonel. Outraged officers complained to the Ministry of Defence that institutionalised discrimination was made feasible because the last nine Army chiefs were from the Infantry and Artillery cadres.

Lt Colonel Praveen Choudhary of the ASC, had filed a petition in the AFT to quash the policy as it violated Article 14 of the Constitution.

Problem: Promotion. The Services cadre complain of injustice, as only 27-30 per cent officers clear the promotion board. For Infantry officers, the success rate is 92 per cent.

Reason: It all started when the Army’s 2009 promotion policy was challenged in the AFT,

calling it “discriminatory” and “rigged” in favour of the two biggest arms, the Infantry and

Artillery, by allocating them an unfairly large number of promotion vacancies.