Compulsory Military Service - What says Parliamentary Standing Committee 40th Report?

Compulsory Military Service - What says Parliamentary Standing Committee 40th Report?

Compulsory Military Service to Government Servants - Matter is with DOPT

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has recommended five years Compulsory Military Service to Government Servants to be made mandatory and it was informed that the matter is now with DOPT

The Standing Committee on Defence, headed by Maj Gen B C Khanduri, AVSM (Retd) has submitted its 40th Report on ‘Demands for Grants (2018-19)’ to the Central Government this month.
The Committee, taking into the account of acute shortage of manpower in Officers Rank in Armed forces, has recommended five Years Compulsory Military Service should be Made mandatory for Government Officers on their initial appointment to address this issue. When the Committee asked the Ministry of Defence about the status of this recommendation, the Ministry has said that the matter has been taken up with DOPT and response of the Department is awaited

The Committee has taken serious view over the functioning of Bureaucrats in respect of addressing the issue of Shortage of Manpower in Armed Forces. The standing Committee is not satisfied with the Ministry's reply and made the following observations and recommendations in the Report.
The observation and Recommendation of the Committee as follows …

Shortage of manpower in the forces
"From the data furnished by the Ministry, the Committee note that there is a shortage of 7679 Officers and 20,185 JCOs/ORs in Army, 1434 Officers and 14,730 Sailors in Navy, 146 Officers and 15,357 Airmen in Air Force"

While examining the Demands for Grants 2017-18, the Committee pondered on this issue and recommended for providing five years of compulsory military service to such aspirants wanting to directly join Central and State Government Gazetted services. The Ministry, in its Action Taken Reply on the matter has stated that the recommendation regarding providing five years compulsory military service to such aspirants wanting to directly join Central and State Government services, with a view to overcome shortage of officers in Armed Forces, has been taken up with Department of Personnel and Training (DoP&T). The response of the Department is awaited.

Apparently, the Ministry of Defence has not taken up the matter with due seriousness with the DOP&T. The Committee, while recommending five years of compulsory military service to such aspirants wanting to directly join Central and State Government Gazetted services, have taken into account the fact that there is a perennial and alarming shortage of Officers and PBOR in the Armed Forces, which needs to be corrected. The Committee, once again express their desire that the issue of shortage of officers needs to be given priority for being addressed."

In the same report the Committee fired the Ministry of Defence on another issue with the following comments

"The Committee found the reply as bureaucratic in nature and not conveying anything about specific actions taken or proposed"

So it appears that the Standing Committee on Defence is very serious in addressing the issue of Shortage of Manpower in Armed Forces by enforcing Five Years Compulsory Military Service to such aspirants wanting to directly join Central and State Government Gazetted services .

As the matter is now with DOPT, it is believed that the Central Government may accepts this recommendation though it had earlier rejected the Proposals submitted in Parliament for implementation of Compulsory Military Training for Youths and Citizens.

Military Service Mandatory for State Government, Central Government Jobs?

Military Service Mandatory for State Government, Central Government Jobs?

Compulsory Military Training

Aspirants for the state and central government jobs should henceforth serve five years in the military. A proposal to this effect was made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

More than 20 countries around the world, including North Korea and Russia, have compulsory military service for all its citizens. Some of these countries have compulsory military service for women too. They insist on this training because they believe that, in addition to instilling a sense of patriotism in its citizens, military training also teaches them discipline and good values.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has pointed out that there is a shortage of about 7,000 officers and about 20,000 soldiers in the Indian Army. The Indian Air Force is short of 150 officers and 15,000 soldiers; and the Navy is running short of 150 officers and 15,000 lower ranked personnel. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has suggested ways to reduce this growing shortage.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee, under the leadership of Retired Army Major General KC Khanduri, submitted its report on defence. The committee has recommended that a five-year military service be made mandatory for those who are seeking government jobs. The committee believes that the measure would reduce the shortage of human resource in armed forces.

The central institutes that design and implement the various training programmes for government employees could look into it, the committee said. According to statistics, more than 30 lakh people are employed in various central government offices, and more than 2 crore people are employed in the various state government agencies throughout the country.

Central Minister Arun Jaitley had, in July 2014, clarified that the government was not supporting the implementation of compulsory military service in India. But, he also informed that the number of recruits in the National Cadet Crop is increasing.

Statement to be made by the Minister in every six months regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in the Reports of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Demands for Grants

Statement to be made by the Minister in every six months regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in the Reports of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Demands for Grants

REMINDER
IMMEDIATE
PARLIAMENT MATTER

No. 41034/7/2015-Estt.(Res.)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training
Establishment Reservation - I Section

North Block, New Delhi-110 001
Dated November 23, 2017

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Statement to be made by the Minister in every six months regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in the Reports of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Demands for Grants

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department's OM of even number dated 23.10.2017 (copy enclosed) on the subject noted above and to say that the requisite information has been received only from the Ministries/Departments listed at Annexure.

2. It is requested that the information sought by the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice on Demands for Grants may be forwarded to this Department by 01.12.2017 positively for onward submission to the Hon'ble Committee.

(G. Srinivasan)
Deputy Secretary

Source: DoPT

Recommendation of Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Compassionate Appointment

Recommendation of Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Compassionate Appointment – Regarding

Parliament Committee Matter
IMMEDIATE

No.4 1013/ 1/2013-lstt(D)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel and Training)

New Delhi-110001
Dated 8th July, 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Recommendation of Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Compassionate Appointment – Regarding

The undersigned is directed to invite reference to this Department’s Office Memorandum of even number dated 25.3.20 13 and subsequent reminder dated 26.5.2014 on the above mentioned subject wherein all the Ministries/Departments were requested to furnish an annual report in the enclosed proforma latest by 30th April of every year, indicating the status of implementation of Government instructions on compassionate appointment as on 31st March of that year.

2. it is observed that the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and their subordinate/attached offices are furnishing the requisite information in a piecemeal and haphazard manner, compilation of which is a time consuming and difficult exercise for this Department.

3. In view of the above, the Ministries/Departments are requested to furnish the requisite information in a consolidated manner, including the information in respect of their subordinate/attached offices.

(Mukta Goel)
Director(E- I)