The Supreme Court on 25 March had criticised the Army’s evaluation criteria for granting permanent commission to women officers and called out its systematic discrimination.

New Delhi: A total of 147 additional women short service commission (SSC) officers of the Indian Army have been granted permanent commission as per the revised parameters set by the Supreme Court in March this year, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court on March 25 had said the Army’s evaluation criteria for granting permanent commission (PC) to women SSC officers systematically discriminated against them.

“The women officers were re-considered as per directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and fresh results have now been de-classified. Consequently, 147 more women officers are being granted PC, taking the total PC granted to 424 out of the 615 officers considered,” the ministry said in a statement.

The results of a few women officers have been withheld for administrative reasons and awaiting the outcome of the clarification petition filed by the central government in the Supreme Court, it added.

Therefore, the Army had constituted a special selection board in September 2020 to screen women officers. The results were declared in November 2020.

The women officers who were not granted PC in November 2020 moved to the Supreme Court. The top court in March this year found that the “evaluation criteria set by the Army constituted systemic discrimination” against these women officers.

The Supreme Court, in its March order, laid down revised parameters on the basis of which the women officers would be evaluated for the permanent commission in the Army.

The Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that all women officers, who have been granted PC, would undergo special training courses and challenging military assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles in the Army.

A batch of 33 women officers has already successfully completed the mid-level tactical orientation course from Army War College Mhow recently, it added.

The ministry said all women SSC officers, who were considered by the Army’s selection board and not granted PC, will still be eligible for pension subject to serving for a minimum of 20 years in service.

Also read: 422 women Army officers now eligible for permanent commission, 46 more have to wait

The centenary speech an exercise in self-aggrandisement and promotion of CCP

In command: The party was honoured with a 100-gun salute. Reuters

Jayadeva Ranade

President, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concluded its centenary celebrations with a grand event and speech by CCP general secretary Xi Jinping on July 1. It provided the CCP and Xi Jinping an opportunity to share their assessment of the journey thus far and give a broad sense of direction for the future. In his speech Xi Jinping mentioned the Belt and Road Initiative and the ‘community of shared destiny’ — his personal projects — hinting that he would continue in office beyond the party congress next year.

The celebrations confirmed also that the CCP leadership is sensitive to the military’s morale. Contrary to its announcement in March, a carefully vetted crowd watched a military parade and flypast by the latest generation J-20 ‘stealth’ fighter aircraft and ZL-10 transport helicopters over Tiananmen Square. The party was honoured with a 100-gun salute.

The entire CCP politburo was present on the Tiananmen Gate Tower. The state-owned CCTV showed Xi Jinping deferentially walking a step behind his grey-haired predecessor Hu Jintao. Former President Jiang Zemin was absent, possibly because of age. The invitees included many retired veteran cadres, including 104-year-old Song Ping and former Premier Wen Jiabao.

Suggesting that Xi Jinping is possibly seeking the support of party ‘elders’ at the next party congress, Jiang Zemin’s long-serving chief of staff and ex-Vice President Zeng Qinghong was present. Particularly interesting was the presence of Bo Xicheng, son of one of China’s ‘Eight Immortals’, Bo Yibo and brother of incarcerated former politburo member Bo Xilai, who tried to push Xi Jinping aside in the run up to the 18th party congress in 2012 and take over China’s top three posts!

The CCP’s international liaison department had requested political parties from around the world to send congratulatory letters on the occasion. Of the Indian parties, only the CPI and CPI (M) responded positively.

Xi Jinping’s nearly hour-long speech was crafted to exude confidence blended with aggression and nationalism. It was calculated as much to concretise the CCP’s monopoly on power in China as to rally nationalist sentiment against anti-China foreign forces and mobilise the people towards achieving the second centenary goal under the CCP’s leadership. It avoided mentioning calamitous disasters like the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, in which over 80 million people lost lives, were disabled or scarred for life. Surprisingly, neither did it list what material benefits the people could expect in the coming decades.

Xi Jinping paid the ritual obeisance to veteran Chinese communist revolutionaries, acknowledging them by name. The rest of his speech focused on the party: how it had ushered in ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’, ‘profoundly changed the course of Chinese history in modern times’, modernised China, and its indispensability for China. Xi Jinping declared ‘we must uphold the firm leadership of the party. China’s success hinges on the party. Without the Chinese Communist Party there will be no new China and no national rejuvenation’. The party was mentioned 133 times.

It also conveyed a message to foreign powers, whose remarks bore Xi Jinping’s imprimatur. Stressing that China was no longer ‘a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society’ and had ended ‘all the unequal treaties imposed on our country by foreign powers and all the privileges that imperialist powers enjoyed in China’, Xi Jinping was emphatic that ‘any attempt to divide the party from the Chinese people or to set the people against the party is bound to fail’.

Alluding to increasing US pressure on China, he declared that ‘the Chinese people will not allow any external forces to bully, oppress, or enslave us; anyone who deludes themselves into doing so will suffer a crushing and bloody head-on collision with the great wall of steel (PLA) made of the flesh and blood of 1.4 billion Chinese people’. China’s official news agency Xinhua subsequently released a toned-down version saying ‘anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 million people’.

Xi Jinping subtly directed credit for achievements towards himself. He declared ‘a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China’, as China marched towards its second centenary goal. The goal of alleviating absolute poverty by 2021 was Xi Jinping’s flagship programme. Xi Jinping also said ‘in this new era, we have upheld and strengthened the party’s overall leadership’, overcoming many ‘major risks and challenges’. Xi Jinping traced these achievements to the 18th party congress. He reinforced this with a call to uphold the core position of the general secretary on the party central committee and in the party as a whole.

Xi Jinping’s uncompromising remarks on Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are revealing. He promised Hong Kong and Macau the rule of law, but tempered with greater autonomy. On Taiwan, he specifically mentioned the 1992 consensus and reiterated China and the party’s commitment to the ‘full reunification’ of China.

Xi Jinping asserting full reunification indicates that he will remain unyielding on issues of sovereignty. It is relevant for those with whom China has unresolved territorial or maritime disputes. While the celebrations allowed the CCP to effectively project its contribution to China’s ‘rise’ and its future relevance, the repeated references in Xi Jinping’s speech to foreign bullying, efforts to separate the party from the people, and call for the people’s support, reveal the worries of the party leadership. He deftly fashioned his speech to take credit for China’s achievements and affirm that the party would guide China towards ‘the second century goals’.

Photo for representational purpose only

Chandigarh: An Army officer from Chandigarh, Lt Col Amarjeet Singh Sidhu, died after the jeep he was travelling in fell into a gorge in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. His mortal remains are being brought to the city and he will be cremated here on Thursday. He was serving with 64 Cavalry and was posted at Pathankot. He was travelling to Ahmednagar when the accident occurred. tns

Laptop, purse stolen from car

Chandigarh: A resident of Sector 21, Gurmeet Singh, reported that a laptop and a purse containing a driving licence, a registration certificate and other documents were from his Honda City car parked near his residence. A case was registered. TNS

Biker snatches woman’s purse

Chandigarh: A bike-borne miscreant allegedly snatched a purse from a woman outside her house in Sector 34 on Tuesday evening. Complainant Shalini Goyal (45) reported that the miscreant snatched her purse containing Rs5,000, car keys, a mobile phone, a debit card and other belongings. The police have registered a case. TNS

Court notice to Administration

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday put the Chandigarh Administration on notice on an application seeking directions to a school to accept monthly tuition fee “at the same rate as was paid during the academic year 2020-21”. The notice by Justice Sudhir Mittal came on an application filed by Manpreet Kaur and other applicant-petitioners. Taking up the matter, Justice Mittal also fixed August 18 as the next date of hearing in the matter. TNS

Boxing tourney begins tomorrow

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) will organise the 41st Junior Men and 17th Junior Women State Boxing Championship at the Sector 42 Sports Complex from July 16 to 17. During this championship, the CABA will also select teams for representing the city in the Junior National Boxing Championships to be held at Sonepat, Haryana, from July 25 to 31. Interested boxers of Chandigarh are advised to report at the venue with original and photocopy of valid photo identity proof (Aadhaar card, original institutional identity card and age proof). The weighing-in time is from 6 am to 9 am. TNS

2 held under NDPS Act

Chandigarh: Two persons have been arrested under the NDPS Act. The crime branch nabbed Ravinder Pal Singh, alias Ghoda (38), of Patiala with 51.15 gram of heroin in Sector 40. In another incident, the police nabbed a resident of Hallo Majra, Amarjeet Singh, alias Happy (52), with 85 banned vials and 68 syringes at Ram Darbar. TNS

Shuttler gets rs 2-lakh reward

Chandigarh: Shuttler Devika Sihag, a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, has won a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh from the Sports Department, Haryana, in recognition of her achievements in badminton during the past year. She is ranked No. 2 in girls’ doubles and No. 6 in girls’ singles as per last year’s rankings released by the Badminton Federation of India (BFI). She has won gold in sub-junior doubles (U-17), a bronze in U-15 singles and a team bronze in the U-19 category. She is at present training at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, Bengaluru. Senior Principal Vineeta Arora congratulated Devika on this feat. TNS

Two held for duping man

Chandigarh: Two persons have been arrested for duping a resident of Nayagaon of Rs 48.46 lakh. Tarsem Lal had reported that he had received calls from unknown persons who made him deposit money in lieu of LIC bonus and a club’s membership. He later found that he had been duped. Two suspects, identified as Atul Abhishek (37) of Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh and Hardeep Kumar (32) of Fazilka district in Punjab, have been arrested. TNS

Elderly man hit by train, dies

Dera Bassi: An elderly man died after being hit by a train near here on Wednesday. The deceased is yet to be identified. Rajinder Singh Dhillon, Mubarikpur railway police station in-charge, said a person was reportedly hit by a train heading from Ambala to Chandigarh around 6.30 pm. TNS

The SC on March 25 had said the Army’s evaluation criteria for granting permanent commission to women SSC officers systematically discriminated against them

Photo for representation. iStock

New Delhi, July 14

A total of 147 additional women short service commission (SSC) officers of the Indian Army have been granted permanent commission as per the revised parameters set by the Supreme Court in March this year, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court on March 25 had said the Army’s evaluation criteria for granting permanent commission (PC) to women SSC officers systematically discriminated against them.

“The women officers were re-considered as per directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and fresh results have now been de-classified. Consequently, 147 more women officers are being granted PC, taking the total PC granted to 424 out of the 615 officers considered,” the ministry said in a statement.

The results of a few women officers have been withheld for administrative reasons and awaiting the outcome of the clarification petition filed by the Central government in the Supreme Court, it added.

The apex court, in a landmark ruling in February 2020, had directed the Centre to ensure that women SSC officers are given PC in the Army, including command postings.

Therefore, the Army had constituted a special selection board in September 2020 to screen women officers. The results were declared in November 2020.

The women officers who were not granted PC in November 2020 moved to the Supreme Court. The top court in March this year found that the “evaluation criteria set by the Army constituted systemic discrimination” against these women officers.

The Supreme Court, in its March order, laid down revised parameters on the basis of which the women officers would be evaluated for the permanent commission in the Army.

The Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that all women officers, who have been granted PC, would undergo special training courses and challenging military assignments to empower them for higher leadership roles in the Army.

A batch of 33 women officers has already successfully completed the mid-level tactical orientation course from Army War College Mhow recently, it added.

The ministry said all women SSC officers, who were considered by the Army’s selection board and not granted PC, will still be eligible for pension subject to serving for a minimum of 20 years in service. PTI

The increase in the DA and DR will impose an additional annual burden of Rs 34,401 crore on the exchequer. Reuters file

New Delhi, July 14

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday decided to restore dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for Central Government employees and pensioners with effect from July 1, 2021, increasing the rate of allowance to 28 per cent.

The increase will lead to an annual burden of Rs 34,401 crore on the exchequer,

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said. — TNS

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at bilateral meeting on the sidelines of Dushanbe SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting. PTI

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 14

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Dushanbe on Wednesday and agreed to discuss all outstanding issues regarding tensions on the border at a meeting of military commanders and seek a mutually acceptable solution.

The meeting on the sidelines of the SCO ministerial conference took place amidst reports of the PLA reoccupying some of the posts it had vacated along the LAC in the winters.

Jaishankar pointed out to Wang that their earlier hopes had been belied. “The successful disengagement in Pangong Lake area earlier this year had created conditions for resolving the remaining issues. It was expected the Chinese side would work with us towards this objective. However, the situation in remaining areas is still unresolved,” said the MEA’s readout on the talks.

Attempting to pick up the threads afresh, the two ministers noted the agreement in the last meeting of the WMCC on June 25 to hold another round of the meeting of senior military commanders.

“They agreed this should be convened at the earliest. They also agreed that in this meeting, the two sides should discuss all the remaining issues and seek a mutually acceptable solution. There was also an understanding that both sides will continue to ensure stability on the ground and neither side will take any unilateral action that could increase tension,” said the readout.

The two Ministers had made similar commitments as at Dushanbe during their last meeting in Moscow on September 10, 2020.

Jaishankar referred to this aspect and emphasised the need to follow through on the agreement reached then and complete the disengagement, resolving the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh at the earliest

The minister recalled that both sides had agreed that a prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest of either side. It was visibly impacting the relationship in a negative manner.

SCO: Sever ties with terror groups, China tells Taliban

China asked Afghanistan to make a ‘clean break’ from all terrorist forces, including Qaida-backed Uighur Muslim militant group.

One-shot Sputnik Lite vaccine to be available soon, says envoy

Roman Babushkin, Russian dy head of mission.

New Delhi, July 14

Russia is not in favour of a military alliance with India to help out the Government in Kabul, but is interested in close coordination while the Afghan issue seems to be acquiring new dimensions with the rise of the Taliban, a senior Russian Embassy official said here on Wednesday.

“We have got some real experience in Afghanistan but let us be very clear, the situation doesn’t require foreign military involvement. We are not considering this option. We will be acting through the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) to fortify the borders, if required. It will be important for all of us to maintain coordination. India has been training army personnel. So too is Russia. All options are possible,” said Russian Deputy Head of Mission Roman Babushkin at a media conference.

Important to maintain coordination

We have got some real experience in Afghanistan but let us be clear, the situation doesn’t require foreign military involvement. It will be important for all of us to maintain coordination. —Roman Babushkin, Russian dy head of mission

The CSTO is a six-nation grouping comprising Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belorussia and Kyrgyzstan. The Russian assessment is that the new Taliban is fragmented. There are some hardliners who want to fight on, but others favour a political solution. “We have heard commitments, but have to see their implementation,” he said.

India is a big player, which has always been supportive of the government in Kabul by providing economic and social assistance, and training Afghans in Indian universities and defence institutes. “It shows India has a huge interest and this is quite a crucial moment for everyone to remain in very close touch to support the original consensus on Afghanistan and effort by Afghans to share power according to agreements reached before,” observed Babushkin.

Russia supported Indian contacts with the Taliban because it is a reality in Afghanistan and following US blessings, it is a party in the intra-Afghan talks.

“It would be useful to deal with everyone in the region so that national interest is better ensured,” he observed.

In his opening remarks, Russian Ambassador Nikolai Kudashev noted that both countries were poised for intensive consultations and interactions in the coming months.

India will assume the presidency of both BRICS and SCO in September which will be occasions for meetings between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Overall, Jaishankar’s discussions with Lavrov (last week) were comprehensive and forward-looking,” said Kudashev.

The Ambassador said it was a matter of pride that Sputnik vaccine was a part of the Indian vaccination campaign. The launch of the one-shot Sputnik Lite is also expected soon. “We are committed to continue discussion on mutual recognition of vaccination certificates,” he said, while welcoming the Indian desire to increase its involvement in the Arctic Council which is currently chaired by Russia.

Outstanding officers with a strong individuality and intellectual curiosity get culled by the stubborn seniority system.

MOHAN GURUSWAMY@mohanguruswamy

In his seminal On the Psychology of Military Incompetence Norman Dixon poses the questions: “How, if they are so lacking in intelligence, do people become senior military commanders? And what is it about military organisations that they should attract, promote and ultimately tolerate those whose performance at the highest levels brings opprobrium on the organisations they represent?”

Fortunately we have not had a major war in recent times to test the mettle of our commanders. But even in peacetime, many have, unfortunately, managed by their acts of omission and commission to bring opprobrium on our military.

The upper echelons of India’s military are now visibly dense with incompetent and uninspiring leaders, who simply managed to get good ACR’s year after year with bland obsequiousness.

Also read: Why India is losing respect for the Army

They then go about expecting the same from their subordinates, and get it in plenty. Outstanding officers with a strong individuality and intellectual curiosity get culled by the stubborn seniority system, adopted from the bureaucracy.

The Indian military, like many others, doesn’t appreciate standout talent and personality, and prefers a uniform greyness. The system beats out the commander and dashing leader in an officer long before he becomes a general. We will never study this, as if this opaque system of evaluation is a military heirloom.

Also read: Hyper patriotism biggest dishonour for Indian Army

Younger officers in Western militaries often challenge mediocrity and are willing to run into their swords for this. Have we any serving officer who will write on this? No, I don’t think so. Even those who are retired seem to have deep tribal loyalties. Tribal loyalty is very different from institutional loyalty.

The nation cannot afford the military to be a bureaucracy where even the undeserving rise. 

However, it was not always this way. Thomas Ricks has argued in his book The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today that the US military used to expect its generals to fail. In the Second World War, the US Army fired 16 division commanders and at least five corps commanders.

The British Army fired generals Wavell, Auchinleck, Cunningham and Ritchie in North Africa alone. Many were given second chances.

Also read: Why Indian Army looks weak in front of China

Somewhere along the way this tradition has lost. Ricks writes: “To a shocking degree, the (US) Army’s leadership ranks have become populated by mediocre officers, placed in positions where they are likely to fail. Success goes unrewarded, and everything but the most extreme failure goes unpunished, creating a perverse incentive system that drives leaders toward a risk-averse middle where they are more likely to find stalemate than victory.”

At least the Americans have started the debate. In 2007, lieutenant colonel Paul Yingling published an absolutely blistering, full-frontal assault on American generals entitled “A failure in generalship”.

In it he challenged the US Army for producing generals with insufficient education, language skills, creativity and moral courage.

He attacked the general officer promotion system as fundamentally flawed. His core argument was clear: “Our generals are not worthy of their soldiers.”

Amazingly, the article – by a serving officer – was published in the Armed Forces Journal. Less surprisingly, Yingling is now a high school teacher. Can anyone imagine an Indian Army officer writing such an article, or the Army War College Journal publishing it?

Ricks further writes: “We often think of the military with a culture of clear accountability. This is only really true for lower ranks. In contrast, there is absolutely no question that if the British Army were a listed company (heaven forbid), a slew of generals would have been kicked out of theatre early.

“Boards of directors have very little patience for poor performance, and regularly give CEOs months rather than years to prove themselves. Recent examples include GM (four CEOs in eighteen months) and Hewlett-Packard (five CEOs in six years). In fact as many as a third of CEO departures are due to poor performance.”

This begs the question; must all officers be promoted to their levels of incompetence?

Once at the Farnborough Air Show, I ran into a serving Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot who looked well into his middle years and was still a wing commander.

He was flying an aircraft at the show. When he saw the surprise on my face, he explained that he loved flying and to keep doing that he opted out of vying for higher commands.

His juniors wear stars but he prefers to see the stars from close up. He made his choice but many more get passed over and serve under course mates or juniors. Heavens don’t fall when this happens.

But in India a general made a post-retirement career over his supersession, ensuring that the seniority rule is chiselled in stone.

Dwight Eisenhower became a brigadier general in September 1941. In December 1943, he was appointed as the supreme allied commander in Europe.

In January 1944, he also assumed command of the North Africa theatre and was re-designated as Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) making him the overlord of all allied forces in the West. He was also promoted to general of the army, the US equivalent of field marshal. As SHAEF he was the master and commander of famous generals like Bradley, Patton, Montgomery and Dempsey.

Their views about Eisenhower were interesting. Montgomery said: “Nice chap, no general.” Patton wrote: “It’s too bad Ike had no personal knowledge of war.”

But Ike organised the greatest amphibious landing in history and oversaw the defeat of Nazi Germany in Africa and Europe. Not even Zhukov or Rokossovsky commanded such huge forces operating simultaneously in many sectors.

Eisenhower went on to become POTUS (President of the United States of America) and when laying down office after two terms, warned his fellow countrymen against the growing power of the “military industrial complex”. Our problem is that the complexity of military organisation eludes our leaders and the subject has become another sacred cow.

Nearer home, William Slim was a brigadier doing a staff job in the Indian Army in Basra in 1941. He was fortuitously appointed GOC of the 10th infantry division in the Middle East and his performance led to him becoming the GOC of the 14th army headquarters in Imphal.

There he led it to what is now arguably the Second World War’s greatest military victory.

Interestingly enough, he still held the official rank of a colonel with the wartime rank of major general and temporary rank of lieutenant general. He later became field marshal and chief of the imperial general staff (CIGS). He was the only Indian Army officer to become CIGS.

In 1965, an Indian GOC went to war with his briefcase containing papers pertaining to his passing over for promotion.

In the face of a Pakistani counter-attack, he withdrew in haste from his forward position on the Ichogil canal leaving behind his briefcase. The Pakistanis gleefully read the out the contents of his gripe over being passed over on Radio Pakistan. In 1971, an IAF pilot (later an air marshal) landed his Gnat in a Pakistani airfield, but that didn’t stall his climb to a higher command.

Clearly, we need to separate the wheat from the chaff in time before it becomes expensive.

As wars become shorter, we can ill-afford to test our generals in war. We have to do it well ahead and be ready for war.

The nation cannot afford the military to be a bureaucracy where even the undeserving rise. The solution to this can come only from within the military.

The politician is not interested. The bureaucrats will just bring more of their ideas, which could be fatal. The military must look within. But who will bell the cat?

The morale aspect of close air support can be best gauged by an example of the Gulf War. A marine captain, Robert Alexander, was blown off his jeep by an Iraqi shell. He asked for quick close air support to retrieve him. Marine Harrier Jets were immediately deployed. They destroyed the enemy mortar platoon and saved him. ‘It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen when those four bombs were racing through the air,’ he said.

Turf wars: The desire to take credit for the success of joint operations is universal. PTI

Lt Gen Gurbaksh S Sihota (retd)

A few days ago, there was a flurry of writings in newspapers criticising the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for making a statement about the role of the Indian Air Force in relation to its close support function to the forward troops engaged in active battle with the enemy.

It was disheartening to note some columnists casting aspersions on the intellect of the CDS. I do not think they have given credit to the ribbons on his chest which have been earned by being through operations beyond the comprehension of most people. Aren’t they also indirectly questioning the authorities who placed him in this position and have tasked him with an important mandate which will change the functioning of the Indian defence forces for the future?

Turf wars are a universal phenomenon. They are not peculiar to our country or our defence forces. The Americans have been through this phase. One of the defence secretaries, who chaired the commission on roles and missions, had said, “I have decided that Machiavelli got it about right when he wrote, ‘there is nothing more difficult to carry out or more doubtful of success, nor dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For, the reformer has enemies — and only lukewarm defenders.’”

We have observed turf wars between various branches of the civil services, within the paramilitary forces and defence forces, as also going down further within the various branches of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

There is always the desire to take credit for the success of joint operations. This has been so evident when a large number of paramilitary forces as well as the police started conducting counter-insurgency operations in the Valley.

The appointment of the CDS had to wait for a very long time as each of the services feared losing their supremacy. It is well known that many former chiefs had opposed it and let it be known to the then prime ministers.

The proposal to increase the number of senior commanders with a ratio of 3:1:1 between the Army, Navy and the Air Force, based on their strength, came under serious objection. In the interest of the country and to retain harmonious relations between the defence forces, the then Army Chief decided to accept the ratio of 1:1:1, despite his own senior officers’ “strong displeasure.” It is on record that the then Defence Minister commended the graciousness and magnanimity of the Army Chief

As the structure of the Indian defence forces is being re-imagined as theatres, their composition will be influenced by the threat perception, type of terrain for operations and budgetary constraints.

When it comes to the employment of air power and distribution of its resources, the recommendations of the Indian Air Force will matter the most. There is no doubt that they are the best judge for its employment.

However, concentration versus distribution is going to be impacted by the shortage of resources. There are enough experienced commanders who will find the right balance and resolve the issue.

In the past, counter air operations have always taken precedence over the availability of air effort for close support to the troops. The introduction of multi-role aircraft has further compounded the problem.

Young officers who have been affected on the ground have always raised this issue with their senior commanders. This has had an adverse effect on their morale and needs to be addressed.

As the Army Commander, before a pending operation, I had to invite my Air Force counterpart so that we could jointly convince the junior commanders about the primary role of the Air Force and assure them that whenever it became vital, close support to them would not be denied.

With the induction of attack helicopters, this problem will get mitigated to a great extent if all the machines are merged into the Army Aviation Corps.

The morale aspect of the close air support can be best gauged by an example of the Persian Gulf War. A marine captain by the name of Robert Alexander was blown off his jeep by an Iraqi shell. He asked for quick close air support to retrieve him. Marine Harrier Jets were immediately deployed. They destroyed the enemy mortar platoon and saved him. “It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen when those four bombs were racing through the air,” he said.

It is in this context probably that the CDS talked about the necessity to provide close air support, besides keeping the skies clear of the enemy aircraft.

Some have also claimed that just like the air power of the developed nations, our Air Force too would be able to create a situation when ground troops will be able to achieve objectives without fighting. If this had been possible, not much blood would have been shed for the capture of Tololing and Tiger Hill.

Soldiers are often misunderstood as they have not had lessons in diplomacy. We need to see the CDS’s statement in that light and move on.

CDS Gen Bipin Rawat laid claims to superiority on behalf of the Army, because he believes it is ultimately all about control of territory. This mindset needs to be disparaged
by Lt General Prakash Menon (Retd)
It would be naïve to expect that anything good would emerge from the public spat between Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on the politically mandated creation of the Theatre Command System. There is nothing wrong in professional disagreements but to air them in public is unacceptable to the military ethos. Worse, it comes at a time when threats to national security are assuming ominous proportions.
In all probability, both Gen Rawat and ACM Bhadauria would have got the political pipe down messages and one can expect that things will settle down. India’s military image would have temporarily taken a beating. But certain good things can come out of this unbecoming episode, if the next moves by the political leadership are appropriately and speedily managed.
CDS Encumbered With Multiple Roles
First, let us be clear that change and progress required for theatre commands are practically impossible without political intervention. In essence, the CDS-IAF chief fracas showed the base instincts of tribalism, wherein commitments to group goals are deeply rooted in the emotions of individuals who make up the tribes. CDS Rawat’s statement betrayed highly questionable professional views – unless he said what he meant but did not mean what he said.
What is also of concern is that when the IAF’s image was belittled, there was no attempt to control the emotions and resolve the issue behind closed doors. It seems the surge in the baser instincts of tribalism had overwhelmed prudence. Yes, it was a natural human reaction, but surely it has to be kept private and not allowed to find public expression. India is a nuclear power and it can ill afford its top military leadership displaying such standards of professionalism or letting wisdom succumb to emotions. The political leadership, it appears, has decided that the squabble be granted innocent passage in India’s democratic waters.
It seems that Gen Rawat has been unfairly encumbered with three hats — of CDS, Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (PC-COSC) and the head of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). The range of his responsibilities as given in the MoD press note is staggering and the time frame of three years is unrealistic.
The political leadership must take note and shift the responsibility of crystallising the structure of the future theatre command system away from the CDS. Gen Rawat should no longer be the chief architect who conceptualises the structural blueprint and gives it shape and form. Instead, he should be the builder who oversees, guides and executes the decisions on the structure that should be externally crafted and politically approved after widespread consultations by a group of experts. These are challenging tasks because they have to be undertaken in an ambience of heightened geopolitical threats, financial stringency, internecine disagreements within the armed forces and between ministries.
No operational role was visualised for the CDS, but in practice, it was unavoidable as long as he was wearing the hat of the PC-COSC. In a conflict with nuclear overtones, it is not possible for the CDS to be easily available to the political leadership, if he is also PC-COSC. A separate four-star PC-COSC should be responsible for coordination of all joint service issues as elaborated in the MoD press note. The PC-COSC should focus on the complex and lengthy process of transition to theatre commands. One of Gen Rawat’s main challenges will fundamentally involve fostering jointness based on a shared and common narrative. Right now, the dominant narrative in each of the three services is polluted by lack of trust and the ascent of animosity.
‘Superiority’ Mindset Must Be Tackled
The extant default posture has a deepened sensitivity to protect stretches of turf that are believed to be under threat of encroachment by another service. It is apparent that the CDS has, on behalf of the Army, laid claims to superiority, perhaps because he believes that ultimately it is all about control of territory and therefore the other services serve to enable the function of the Army. This mindset needs to be disparaged. As always, and especially in the information age, it is more about the control of perceptions, and who is in support of whom is a dynamic concept depending on the political, strategic and tactical context. Deterrence, which is the primary objective of military exertions, is a mind game. Flexible combinations of military instruments during force application is best carried out when the notion of ownership is replaced by a custodial and shared ethos.
There is nothing strategic that inheres in any form of military power whether it is air, sea, land, cyber or space. Whether it is strategic or tactical depends on what effects are generated when used in a particular context. No service can claim superiority over the other. The predominance or importance is determined by the context alone. It seems that the higher Indian military leadership is missing out on this truism.
The newly appointed PC-COSC has to first repair the psychological damage and nurture the story based on perceiving the military as one instrument that is more than the sum of its parts. The story must promote the idea that the military instrument is like an orchestra or a musical band that can be flexibly assembled depending on the mission at hand. The story has to be first sold at the top and percolate downwards through personal examples that are buttressed with other forms of communications. It should be ingrained in the professional military education system from the entry level.
But right now, it is the extant top level military leadership that must receive the booster dose, which the PC-COSC must initiate and monitor. When professional reasoning is oriented towards jointness, it can foster synergistic efforts. None of this is going to be easy but without the senior military leadership being reoriented first, there is no hope for the theatre command system.
Fear And Hope In Indian Military
One of the undercurrents weakening the reform is the fear of domination by the Army and also the possibility of losing some three or two-star ranks. The CDS seemed to speak for the Army and his diminution of air power as a support force has understandably touched the rawest nerve of the IAF. It would have confirmed the Navy’s suspicion too. Only another PC-COSC can repair this damage. Not only will it take time but also require persistent tending.
The fear of inequity in distribution of various appointments is soaked in individual self-interests and should not be allowed to impede decisions that ought to be based purely on professional imperatives. However, since human ambitions are natural spirits that haunt the innards of professionalism, an assurance that no service will lose any of its sanctioned ranks may assuage the fear.
The IAF chief’s professionalism was displayed when he gave an assurance that despite the differences of opinion, the efforts towards the creation of theatre commands will be sustained. There is hope and maybe this episode could be the harbinger of change in mindsets that seem to be the major stumbling block obstructing, what is, a laudable PMO-driven reform.
In a discussion document, India’s Theatre Command System: A Proposal, the role of the military leadership in the transition was described thus by this author — “The military leadership will have to more than match the political vision that has mandated the Theatre Commands. Service parochialism must give way to a combined services outlook. It will not be easy and the transition to Theatre Commands will be a challenging process and its main threat will come from within the Armed Forces.”
The threat has surfaced on the public domain. The actors in play must change their outlook or have it reoriented through political diktat. The decision is for the political leadership to take. But one way or the other, they cannot be spectators and believe that the winds of discontentment will go away. Such a belief can pose a security threat for which they will have only themselves to blame.