MILITARYVSCIVILOFFICERS7thPAY

COMMISSION,THEDISPARITYCONTINUES
VINITKHANDELWAL

Introduction
TheUnionCabinetchairedbythePrimeMinisterapprovedtheimplementationof
therecommendationofthe7thpaycommission,clearingthewayforthepayment
ofincreasedsalariesandpensionstoaround10milliongovernmentemployeesand
pensioners.Accordingtothecommissionsreport,thefinancialimpactofthe
recommendationsin201617willamounttoRs.1.02trillion.Ofthis,theincrease
inpaywouldaccountforRs.39,100crore,increaseinallowancesforRs.29,300
croreandincreaseinpensionsforRs.33,700crore.

Themuchawaitedsalaryhikehassatisfiedthebureaucratsandcivilianemployees
toanextent.Butthearmedforcesappeartobedisappointed.Mostofthedemands
raisedbydefensepersonnelandexservicemenhavebeensidelined.Thebrightest
newsforthemilitaryforcesisthattheminimumsalaryofasepoyhasbeen
increasedby2.57times.TheenteringranksepoyusedtogetRs8,460.Ithasnow
beenincreasedtoRs21,700.TheMinimumSalaryPayhasbeenincreasedfrom
existingRs6,000toRs15,500permonthforofficerrank.Apartfromthesetwo
thereisnothingmuchinthecommitteereportforthedefenseforcestoboastabout.
Thepaydisparitybetweenmilitaryforcesandcivilservantshasbeenanissuefora
longtimeandhascontinuedwiththispaycommissiontoo.Theservicechiefsare
nothappywiththeseventhpaycommissionrecommendationsonnonfunctional
upgrade,NFUpayfixationandMilitaryservicepay.

NonfunctionalUpgradation
ThedemandforNFUbythearmedforcesisanoldone.Itessentiallyallows
officerswhoarenotpromoted,todrawthesalaryofhigherranksorpaygrades,as
theirbatchmatesarepromoted.TheSixthPayCommissionhadgrantedNFUto
mostGroupAofficersbutnotthemilitaryofficersonthegroundthatample
benefitsintheformofmilitaryservicepayandvariousallowancesareavailableto
armedforcesofficers.Inthe7thPaycommissiontoo,despitepastfeedbackand
strongrepresentation,NFUhasnotbeengrantedtothedefenseandcentralarmed
policeforces,whereascentralcivilcervicesareassuredNFUforuptoadditional
secretary.

Itseemsthatdefenseofficershavebeenloweredinrankwithrespecttocivil
servants.Theinvestigationsrevealthatthecoreissuesraisedforparityhavebeen
overlooked.ThebenefitoftheNFUhasbeenextendedtotheGroupAservices
whoseofficersworkwiththearmedforcesinasupportingrole.Further,while
IndianPoliceService(IPS)OfficerspostedtoCentralPoliceOrganizationslike
BorderSecurityForce,AssamRiflesetc.withtheArmyweregrantedNFU,the
ArmedForceswereleftout.IfanIPSofficerpostedasDeputyInspectorGeneral
drawsthesamegradepayashisdivisionalcommanderwhoisMajorGeneralof
thearmy,ItsobviousthattheDIGmightrefusetoobeythedivisionalcommander.
ThisisresultinginademoralizingeffectontheArmedforces.

MilitaryServicePay
Militaryservicepay(MSP),isgrantedtothedefenseforcesfortheharshand
difficultconditionsunderwhichtheyserve.Inmostofthecountriesitisa
substantialamount.ButinIndiaMSPfordefenseforcesamountstolessthan10per
centofthepay,contrarytorecommendationsinthesixthCPCof52percentof
basicpayforofficersand62percentforsoldiers.

Themilitaryservicepayisanallowancepaidtothemilitarypersonaluptothe
rankofbrigadierandequivalent.TheSeventhPayCommissiondeniedittoMajor
Generalandabove.ThismeansaMajorGeneralafterayearwoulddrawlessthan
abrigadier,oneranklower.Thisisbecausethetworanksareinthesamepay
gradebutabrigadiergetsthemilitaryservicepaytoo,whichstopsoncepromoted.
Thepaydisparitymighthaveseriousimplicationsforcommandandmoraleofthe
militaryforces,whichisvitaltoIndiasnationalsecurity.

PastPayCommissions,MilitaryCiviltussle
TheprovisionsofthethirdPayCommissioncutthepensionsofdefenseforces
from70%to50%.Whereascivilservantspensionsincreasedfrom30%to50%.
Alsothemilitarymenreceived50%pensionsonlyafter20yearsofservice.The
thirdCPCbroughtinonerank,onepension(OROP)asanalternativetodecrease
inpensionsfrom70percentto50percent.TheOROPwas,however,not
implementedandthefourthCPC,triedtocompensatefornoOROPbygivingrank
payuptotherankofbrigadiers.Thisimpactedawholerangeofallowances.
Nearlythreedecadeslaterthiscaseisyettobefullyresolved.TheSupreme
Courtsordersonpaymentofrankpayareyettobefullyimplemented.

ThesixthCPCruledthatpensionshouldbefixedat50percentoftheminimumof
therankinthepayband.Thisputfourdifferentranksi.e.lieutenantcolonel,
colonel,brigadierandmajorgeneralinthesamebandandplacedallofthematthe
bottomofthepaybandforthepurposeoffixingpension.Asaconsequenceofthis
brigadiergotmorepensionthanamajorgeneral.DespitetheSupremeCourts
ruling,thistoohasnotbeenfullyresolvedyet.

Amajortusslehappenedbetweenthethreeservicechiefsandthegovernmentover
therecommendationsofthe6thPayCommissionin2008.Theserviceheadquarters
hadreasonedwiththeministrythatsincethearmedforcesmakeupfor30percent
ofthegovernmentemployees,theyshouldhavearepresentativeonthecommittee.
Notonlyweretheirmajorgrievancesnotaddressed,threemoreanomalieswere
introducedbythecommitteeofsecretariesinthefinalcabinetnotification.
ThethreechiefstooktheircasetothedefenseministerandthePrimeminister.
Bothagreedthattheirconcernsweregenuineandshouldberesolvedbutcouldnot
meetbecauseoftheirprescheduledforeignvisit.That'swhenthethreeservice
chiefsdecidedthattheywoulddelaytheimplementationoftheflawed6thPay
Commissionreport.Theysawthispaycommissionasaneffortbythebabusto
discriminatethepowerofmilitaryintermsofmoney,status,respectandprotocol.
ThisactofthethreechiefsforcedthePrimeMinistertoappointaministerialpanel
toredressthegrievances.Acoupleofmainpointswereimmediatelysettledbut
evenaftereightyearsmanyoftheanomaliesinthe6thPayCommissionawardfor
themilitaryremainstuckinbureaucraticredtape.
Conclusion
Thearmedforcesmusthavehighmorale,highselfesteemandstatusinthe
society.Indianyouthoptingtojointhearmedforcesasofficersormen,arealso
lookingforeconomicstability,assuredcareerprogression,goodfacilitiesof
educationandrespectinthesociety.ButtheIndianarmedforcesfaceseconomic
disparitywhencomparedtocivilservants.Overallthenewmatrixsystemwould
worsenthedisparitybetweenmilitaryofficersandtheirciviliancounterparts.In
IndiathemilitarypaystructureissuchthataMajorGeneraldrawslessthana
brigadierwhoisoneranklower.ThisisaviolationofFundamentalRightto
Equality,wherepayofaseniorofficerislessthanthejuniorofficerinrankand
service.

ServiceconditionsofarmedforcesareharsherandtougherthanorganizedgroupA
services.Theseserviceconditionsincluderestrictionoffundamentalrightsand
strictdisciplinarycodes,separationfromfamilies,stringentpromotioncriteria,and
threattolife.NoneofthepersonnelfromtheOrganizedGroupAservicesface
theseissuesbuttheyreceivegreatersalarythanthearmedforces.

Thearmedforcesmakeupfor30percentofthegovernmentemployees.Inspite
ofthistherewasnomilitaryofficersinthepaycommissioncommittee.The
EmpoweredCommitteeconsistsof13secretaries,whichincludesnineIAS
officers,oneIPSofficerandonefromRailwayBoard.Itsobviousthatgrievances
ofthemilitaryforceswouldnotbeaddressedbysuchacommittee.Defense
establishmentofIndiaisnotreadytoaccepttherecommendationsofsucha
committee,particularlywhenitisfinalizingtherecommendationsinveryshort
timeandthattoowithoutanyinputfromthearmedforcesatall.

Thesystemshouldbeconcernedwiththerisingdisabilitiesandstresslevelsinthe
military.NFUisonemajorcompensationwhichifgranted,willmotivatearmed
forcesofficerstostayoninserviceandnotoptforprematureretirementowingto
notbeingpromotedtobeyondcolonel/equivalentrank.
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