Preview of Research Projects Completed
1
GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL INDIA
P R E V I E W
Not many people would remember today that at the time of independence in 1947, India was terribly short of food grain because the areas that produced surplus food grain were transferred to Pakistan. Even though India’s population at that time was possibly one third, we had to import large quantities of wheat and rice from US, Canada and Australia. When the First five year plan was being drawn care was taken that increase in food production must be given priority .Hence the schemes of rural reconstruction. As a result of the efforts made since, India is able to, not only feed a population which is more than three time now than what it was in 1947 and also in a position to export wheat and rice, which is all due to the green revolution in which the rural development played an important role. The architect of this rural development was then a little known man S.K. Dey. Born on September 13, 1905 in Sylhet district of the present day Bangladesh, S.K. Dey’s beginnings were humble. He called himself a farmers son. He was basically a public relations expert. He drew a plan based on the lessons of Gurudev Tagore’s Santiniketan, Gandhiji’s Sewagram, F.L. Bryane’s experiment in Gurgaon and an American organization’s work in Etawah district of U.P. and came to the conclusion that basically one departmental work was complimentary to the others work and coordination would yield better results.
His experiment at coordinated approach impressed all, including the rehabilitation Minister, Lady Mountbetten and Jawaharlal Nehru. S.K. Dey drew up a plan of community development which could be initially implemented in 55 districts spread all over India. The project was actually launched on Gandhiji’s birth day in 1952 at Alipur near Delhi by Jawaharlal Nehru and other dignitaries in other districts. Officers were specially chosen for the project. Care was taken to ensure that they were a committed lot. One of the officers had been working in Sewagram under Gandhiji. They were taken from other departments and not the revenue department whose reputation was somewhat “tainted” . It was the dedicated approach of the community project officers that was responsible for the transformation in the rural areas and awakening of the people.
An important aspect of the programme was the administrative unit. Before independence, the lowest administrative unit was the district, where the principle function of the collector was maintenance of law and order and collections of land revenue. For the collection of land revenue the administrative unit was the Tehsils or Taluk. The effective administrative unit was the district, where the agriculture, veterinary, education, health department had posted their representative. As against this S.K. Dey thought of a community project consisting of 300 villages and a population of 200000. Each community was provided with officers representing agriculture, veterinary, panchayat, cooperative, health department. Later it was realised that even the project of 300 villages and a population of 200000 was too big. Hence the decision of having three community development blocks in place of one Community development block was taken. Each community development block was to consist of 100 villages and population of 60000. This then was the unit where representative of the different departments were posted to work under the supervision of a Block Development Officer who was provided with a jeep. Furthermore, each CD Block was divided into ten circles of ten villages having a village level worker or Gram Sewak who maintained personal contact with, say about 600 villagers and helped them resolve their problems with the guidance of the block level technical expert. Each community development block was provided with fifteen lakh rupees for incentive work for three years.
The success of the coordinated approach at the block level caught the imagination of the people. Therefore, there was a demand for the extension of the program. The USA agreed to help the community development project by sharing part of the expenditure. Government of India was to bear half cost, the rest being borne by the State Governments. The underlying idea was the people’s participation. And the people came forward to help setting up schools or such work as Panchayat Ghars, village roads through voluntary labor etc. The people in the process realized the great potential they had. The community development block became the new administrative unit throughout India. It also led to the creation of new services e.g. block development officers, village level workers, or Gram Sewak and social service organizers/department had not existed in administration till then. Then Special institutes were set up in different parts of the country to produce and train such officers. All this was S.K. Dey, contribution.
In due course, as often happens, the dedicated officers, who had been able to motivate people for voluntary work, faded. The Panchayats were now encouraged to come forward and take over the development work, the basis being the three institutions of village Panchayat , village school and the village cooperative. So far dedication to the original concept of community officers is concerned, an ICS officer associated with the program had observed that, with the creation of a regular community development, a ministry had been born but a mission had been lost. The name community development was changed to rural development. However, it had done a pioneering job, created new administrative units throughout India, and the Green Revolution. This study will go into all aspect of rural development which has mainly suffered due to urban development on the one hand, and the inability of the Government to formulate suitable policy and program on the other hand which could meet the changing demand of developing society both in rural and urban India.
Community Development program is one of the oldest program of the Government. No other program has been subjected to greater probe and scrutiny than this program meant to bring about an all-round improvement in the living conditions of rural India. Addressing both houses of Parliament on May 16, 1952, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President announced an 8-Point Program to raise the quality of life in Indian villages where the heart of India still beats. The Program included:
1. Reclamation of Wasteland providing water for Agriculture, development of other agricultural facilities for farmers;
2. Development of Roads and of Animal transport;
3. Provision of free and compulsory education unto Primary stage in every village of India;
4. Provision of Public Health and Community medical measures.
5. Providing Houses for all villagers;
6. Imparting Training to villages in different trades, including traditional trades handed over in the family from father to son;
7. Promotion of cottage industries and small-scale industries for self-employment; and
8. Other community program such as sports, Khel-Melas, and other cultural and entertainment program.
The First Five Year Plan envisaged the establishment of 500 Community Centers. In 1953 ‘National extension Service’ was started. But Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) found that the people’s participation was not there and the village Panchayats were not even involved. The Committee, therefore, recommended a three-tier system of rural local government namely the village Panchayats at the local level i.e. village, the Panchayat-samiti at Block level and Zila Parishad at the district level. This was considered as a Magna Carta of Community participation in the New village which was to emerge in Free India. The Panchayati Rai institutions particularly the Gram Panchayats known as tiny legislatures worked very well till the mid sixties but they fell out of favor as a form of local government.
The Ashok Mehta Committee Report (1978) sought to strengthen the Panchayati Raj not only thought community participation but also open participation of political parties, induction of women and youth to make Panchayati Raj a people’s movement. He made 100 recommendation the two-tier system of Panchayati Raj instead the earlier three, viz the Mandal Panchayats and the Zila parishad. Elected directly by and from among the villagers all adult inhabitants of the village are its members. Most of these recommendations were theoretical. The result was the dream of ‘Gram Rajya’ remained unfulfilled till Rajiv Gandhi came on the scene, with his ideas of ‘participatory development. He wanted rural development to be based on science and technology, where the Panchayati Raj system should play a pivotal role. He was of the view that this system alone can enhance the awareness of the villagers about the various schemes launched by the government.
On 24th April 1993 the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act 1992 came into force. It was a Red-Letter Day for the Panchayati Raj. It gave constitutional status to the Panchatyati Raj institution. The Act provides for a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj in the all states having a population of 20 lakh, regular elections to these bodies every five years, reservation of seats for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and women, with not less than one-third of the seats reserved or them appointment of state finance commissions to recommend financial power to the Panchayats and to have district planning committees for preparing development plan for the entire district.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made it abundantly clear to Plan panel that India has to improve delivery system and the Planning Commission was engaged to various ways and means to improve efficiency in the system of Governance today. But no solution has been found out to address this fundamental issue of governance and development of rural India. It is for this reason that this study was undertaken to highlight all possible known deficiencies in planning and functioning of all central/state government departments and agencies created or deployed for the welfare and development of rural India. The large scale corruption reported periodically in the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana etc. all over the country can be attributed directly to poor governance at the level of state and below. The study was, therefore, titled ‘Governance and Development of Rural India’ which can be described as most comprehensive in terms of scope, holistic in terms of approach and truly empirical lasting a period of 15-20 years.
This study project has covered all aspects of rural development today which has mainly suffered due to fast growing urbanization on the one hand and inability of the government to formulate new policy framework to modify and reform program and program implementing agencies (PIA), which could meet the modern day requirement of a developing society in rural India. The study succeeded in identifying all the governance issues related to all agencies directly involved in development of rural India. Each sector discussed in this study project includes plan perspective at national level, policy framework, program and scheme drawn at Government of India level to implementation of welfare and development program or scheme under each sector from state to village level. The findings and conclusion drawn in this study project report clearly brings out that there is multiplicity of both government and non-government agencies as well as duplication of welfare and development programs, schemes targeting same population in rural areas resulting into wastage of human and financial resources without any accountability and delivery of benefits to the beneficiaries. To overcome this problem, it is necessary that structural and functional reform of the existing government machinery at the level of state and below is undertaken to make them more effective to bring about visible development in rural India.(The study project was completed in 2010 and published in 2014 with the approval of Planning Commission)
2
MODERN LIFE MANAGEMENT GUIDE
•pp. 444 •Rs. 395/- •ISBN 81-85776-05-9•
P R E V I E W
Hard Work used to be the dividing line between penury and survival in the old days. Today hard work is not merely about survival but living well also. However, time management coupled with hard work is the key to success. It is now an accepted fact that Indian middle class is becoming bigger every day. If the middle class fails to learn the art of managing the modern day life in the face of rising cost of living and demands of growing children increasing, they will be left with no alternative except sell off their ancestral house or existing assets for their survival. While on the one hand single source of income is unable to meet the requirement of the middle class families today particularly in urban areas-doubling of income through employment or self employment for both husband and wife may result into neglect of the aged and the children who are left with no opportunity for sporting etc except sitting with television or computer for entertainment. This is the first ever attempt to bring out a comprehensive ‘Guidebook on Modern life Management’ which deals with all important subjects affecting directly the personal, family, social and national life of all responsible and progressive citizens of the country. The importance of public education programme is finally being realized in India too. It is the growing middle class population of the country who have a responsibility not only to regulate their own lifestyle but also serve as a leader or a guide to other fellow citizens of the country following behind them.
While malnutrition is a major problem for a vast section of the population in our country, lifestyle defects are fast emerging as an equally serious concern for the people as well as the Government institutions. Increasing population, fast developing surface transport system, telecommunication, movement of population, total dependence of human being on modern technology, oil and machine- now require proper education to manage modern day life efficiently both in rural as well as urban areas. Unfortunately uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization of small and big towns have also created many more social and health problems for the people residing in urban and semi urban areas. The problems faced particularly by the educated middle class include not only the health of the family members but also the problems related to social security, financial security, housing and total dependence on service sector for all their daily requirement.
Besides health problems created by pollution and environmental degradation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 60 to 85 per cent of the people in the world, from both developed and developing countries, lead sedentary life style. As per WHO report, incidence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity is on the rise because of the combination of physical inactivity, increasing tobacco use, poor nutrition and unhealthy dietary habits. India’s crowded metropolis where life is characterized by fast paced movements, high level of stress and improper diet-seem to be ideal breeding ground for lifestyle related ailments. Millions of citizens continue to be struggling against infectious diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. Although life style related diseases are on the increase, the number of people who continue to suffer from HIV or tuberculosis is very high. About 2.2 million new cases of tuberculosis are reported in India every year. Most of the people are generally ignorant about the causes of their ailment, first aid, preventive or precautionary measures that can be undertaken and also treatment facilities or options available for all kinds of ailments.
Whereas increasing population, poverty and malnutrition are the main reason for poor health in rural areas, unplanned development of social and service sector are the main reasons for the problems related to health, housing etc multiplying in urban areas. Regular physical activity benefits communities and economies in terms of reduced health care costs, increased productivity and better performance at schools. Physical activity should begin sooner rather than later in ones life span. Parents, schools and community should provide a supportive environment that encourages and integrates physical activity into our daily lives. People of all ages must be introduced to regular physical activities and provided with opportunities and skills that can be enjoyed for many years. The health benefits from regular physical activities are many and can prevent a variety of non-communicable diseases. Even though life expectancy is increasing in India, the people suffering from non-communicable diseases are also on the rise.
Only good health does not have any meaning if an individual fails to utilize economic prosperity, mental and physical health for the good of the family and the society. The Government efforts, to undertake public education program have been limited to publishing full page advertisement in national dailies year after year, generally on the occasion of national or international day fixed for remembrance with a view to educate or remind the people at large on matters of national and public interest including issues related to health, social security, social welfare etc. These advertisement, though containing valuable information with special message from the President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and the Minister of the department concerned, could hardly be made use by any individual. The public at large does not take these advertisement or publicity material seriously nor they have time to study the newspaper in detail. Besides sensational news occupying the main headlines of all news papers in the present day world, news related to crime and politics are the main attraction for other news seekers. As a result of this phenomenon news, views and information useful for the people at large get diluted and is wasted out, without being made use by any one.
Innumerable and voluminous guide books on each specific subject affecting day to day life of the individuals can not serve any purpose. An individual need guidance in a nut-shell and not lengthy books written for specialist or professionals. The lifestyle of the people in urban India is changing dramatically due to fast developing economy, tele communication, transport system and computerization etc. No one has time to read lengthy articles and books in a fast moving and busy life of the citizens today. Nor it is possible for an individual to buy books on every subject, study and then act to manage their day to day life mostly revolving around health, housing and finance etc. It is for this reason that this single comprehensive guidebook has been written to provide basic and essential information in a nut-shell on all subjects connected with the management of modern day life. Every effort has been made in this book to include all the information on need to know basis so that one could take preventive, precautionary and pro-active measures on matters related to health and also do proper planning on matter related to housing, finance, travel, education of children, care of the women and the aged etc.
The book also contains basic and essential information which will help individuals to take right decision and approach appropriate authorities to deal with all the problems related to citizens rights and responsibilities including basic legal rights. 158 topics included in this ‘Guidebook’ have been covered in 20 Parts representing twenty main subjects related to ‘Life Management’. Now you don’t have to search for 158 books, pamphlets, leaflets, authorities or institutions to deal with your day to day requirement related to general health as well as deadly diseases, senior citizens and care of the aged, housing, cooking, power management, car buying, kitchen gardening, sports, match making, citizens rights and responsibilities, basic legal rights, travel rules and personal financial management etc. This book is equally valuable for housewives, househusbands, busy executives and those living or working in remote and difficult areas with limited facilities. This book is equally useful for various government and non-government organizations who are genuinely interested to work for human resource development and welfare of the society as a whole. The book also aims at educating citizens who are economically better off but least informed about their family, social and national responsibilities. Besides being educationally and economically forward one also need to be responsible citizen of the country. Major portion of this book deals with the health of the children, adults and the aged. Healthy citizens are the most valuable resource of any country and only healthy and responsible citizens can(strengthen the health, economy and pride of the nation.(The book was completed and published by me in 2005)
Preview of Research Projects In Progress
4
ADMINISTRATION AND WELFARE
OF ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL
Introduction
In the present context, the Indian Armed Forces has a dual responsibility. Besides protecting the national border (15168 Kms of land and 5689 Kms of maritime border) and as a deterrent against any form of real or anticipated foreign aggression, it maintains internal unity and integrity of the nation by coming in the aid of the civil administration in emergent situations. It is often deployed by the civil authorities to crush communal riots and other major law and order problems. The Armed forces are called to restore the essential services in case of snap strikes, and to mobilize its resources in the aid of the nation on a war footing during grave natural calamities. The soldier is an important human element behind the grand military machine. He has the great honour to wear the country’s uniform; and in turn, he is willing to lay down his life for the defense of the country. But like every human being, he does have his awn problems and inclination, which are to be cared for by the nation. His problems have to be attended to with sincerity, sympathy and urgency. Then only nation can expect its soldiers to be ever prepared to sacrifice his precious life with pride and contentment.
Considering the magnitude of the Armed forces immense responsibility, it is logical to conclude that it is in the interest of the nation to accord priority to soldiers wherever necessary. Indeed no human life carries a price tag , and the least of all the soldiers. So the person, who is ever willing and eager to die for his nation, certainly deserves something more than common citizenry. Therefore, it is the sacrosanct duty of the bureaucracy- the executive arm of the government to look after the interest of the Armed forces personnel.
For ages Indian Armed forces were manned by professional soldiers who were always pround of being soldiers and sacrificed their life for the country without asking for any additional monetary benefits. Time have changed now and in a democratic and developing society with higher pay and perks, the wages has to keep pace with cost of living for all including personnel serving in the Armed forces. Thus the Government of was bound to constitute Pay commission from time to time to examine the existing wages for all government employees including Armed forces personnel. While in case of civilian employees, successive Pay commission did present a report to the satisfaction of the civilian employees, the military pensioners claim /demand could not be studied in a comprehensive manner for various reasons and therefore recommendation made by the Pay commissions particularly after 4th,5th and 6th pay commission has in fact resulted into more anomalies and court cases instead of rationalization or parity in pay and pension between military pensioners retiring prior to or after 1986.
The Indian Armed Forces have deep rooted traditional values which they have followed for centuries. It is these traditional values and regimental tradition and training which makes them do supreme sacrifice for the defence of the country. While the soldiers were duly honored, rewarded and respected in the society prior to and after independence for the defense of the country both during war and peace, the situation has deteriorated in recent years. The soldiers have also been compelled now to fight for their due pay, promotion and pension etc. and approach various court, tribunal both during service and after retirement. The veteran feel that the bureaucracy and political leadership is least interested in the welfare and morale of soldiers which is an important factor to win war both with in or outside the country. The demand for OROP was the result of this negligence and the soldiers continue to struggle to regain their lost pride and honor.
The service conditions peculiar to Armed forces affecting the pay, promotions and subsequently pension and terminal benefits must be understood by all those concerned about the welfare and morale of soldiers as well as its adverse affect on the performance of the Armed forces personnel. Criteria for promotion to the next higher rank keeps on changing in the Armed forces depending upon the vacancies available in all branches of three services at different point of time due to sudden expansion, reduction and reorganization undertaken to meet the security threat to the country. There can be no minimum service limit laid down for promotions. During emergency say in 1964-65, one could become Captain/ Major without any service limit. As a matter of policy all ranks in the Armed forces are also trained to hold two next higher ranks.
Unfortunately there is nothing known as Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme and no career planning can be done in the Armed forces which often results into stagnation at middle and higher level affecting both officers and PBOR.Upgrading of post or downgrading of rank structure on ad-hoc basis is not the solution to ensure due time bound promotion on merit. Prior to 1986, certain post that were held by an officer of the rank of Major with 10-15 year of service, are now held by an officer of the rank of Colonel with 20-25 years of service as a result of up gradation of post.
As far as pay scales or pay band applicable to Armed forces personnel are concerned, broad parity between pay scales of Armed forces personnel and civilian Group ‘A’ officers in general and IPS officers in particular will have to be maintained. Revision of lower and higher pay scales and pay fixation without broad parity in terms of status vis-à-vis Junior, Senior and Higher administrative grade or class A,B,C,D of civil services will have serious repercussions in lateral entry on re employment of Armed forces personnel in various analogous post both in civil services and Central Para Military forces. The 6th CPC had rightly recommended Military Services Pay (MSP) for Armed forces personnel over and above pay band and grade pay. The MSP can be revised or modified for each rank by GoI whenever considered necessary and the military pensioners could be compensated for the financial loss they suffer due to non-existence of Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme and non implementation of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme resulting into lower pay ,promotion and subsequently retirement benefits.
Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) had recommended that grant of DACP scheme only to doctors would lead to resentment and not be in the interest of national security and smooth functioning of Armed forces. It will cause stratification of the officer cadre, based on differential in grade pay with consequent command and control ramification. DACP is currently applicable to technical services- doctors, dentist and scientists in central government services. Under DACP a doctor is suppose to get functional grade pay of Rs.8700/-( equivalent to Director or Colonel) at 13 years and non-functional grade pay of Rs.10000/- (Joint Secretary level) at 20 years of service.
Joint consultative machinery for Central government employees had also represented to the 7th CPC for grant of OROP for all post to remove injustice done to them. The 7th CPC had also recommended that there will be parity between past and present pensioners with same length of service and pay scale held at the time of retirement. However, there is no justification to compare Military service with civil service or even Central Para military forces who are governed by different set of civil service rules and conditions of service. Military service is governed by strict military law which even denies certain fundamental rights in the interest of professional soldiering and national security. Military service involves round the year training and preparation for modern day warfare in all kinds of terrain in any part of the world. Fitness of both men and weapons with highest level on proficiency has to be maintained all the time to be able to undertake any operation jointly with artillery, tanks, aircrafts and warships or independently by Army, Navy and Air Force at short notice and without even any warning.
Unlike civil service where one is available all the time to attend to attend to his personnel problem and that of his dear ones round the year, a soldiers family is left alone to fend for themselves or be dependent on others for security of the family and property etc. In other words it is not only the soldier but his family also sacrifices for the sake of the country. While in civil service, one can proceed on leave and be absent from duty at his own sweet will, the military service is for 24×365 days and no one is permitted to be absent from duty without written permission provided he can be spared from duty.
Military is a steeply pyramid like hierarchy where only 3 per cent officers reach the rank of Brigadier. Unlike civilian counterparts where pay rises irrespective of promotion, soldiers pay is linked to military rank. Article 311 of the constitution gives full protection to AIS officers which is not available to Armed forces personnel. It was for this reason that military personnel were given 70% of the last pay as pension as against 30% to civilian employees prior to 1973. Since civilian employees have been moved to contributory pension scheme in 2004, military pensioners can now be given 70% of last pay drawn as pension in lieu of OROP and minimum guaranteed pension as and when pension is revised by the CPC.
Welfare of Armed forces personnel
Indeed, the Armed forces occupy pre-eminent position in the country. The very existence and survival of the country as a nation primarily depends on the quality of its manpower and strength of the Armed forces. History is a witness to the fact that from the days of Chandragupta Maurya right upto to the advent of the British Raj and even beyond, the military was the prime cementing force which maintained the unity and integrity of the empire or country. It is a matter of historical record that the rise and fall of the major empires in the world depended mainly on the strength, efficiency and functioning of their existing military machine.
The welfare and morale of soldiers is considered as one of the ‘ principle of war’. The aim of welfare, as taught to Indian Armed forces personnel, is to ensure that a soldier gets all his due entitlement in time i.e.
- Food, shelter ,pay, allowances and due promotion in accordance to existing rules and regulations.
- His family is not harassed by any authority on any count and is given prompt necessary assistance by the authorities concerned to help get their claims, dues or enforcement of their legal rights. So that the soldiers remain free from worries while carrying out his duties in defence of the country.
- A soldier is paid all his terminal benefits, pension and medical facilities after retirement without any undue delay or harassment. Because a soldier who sacrificed his youth for the defence of the country under adverse conditions deserves to be treated with preference.
In case the soldiers fail to get their legal entitlement during service and after retirement, the welfare schemes undertaken on charitable basis may become totally irrelevant. This is also one of the main reasons, which has resulted into politicization of soldiers like scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and backward classes etc.
Welfare and Resettlement of Ex-servicemen
Many brave soldiers of the Armed forces have made supreme sacrifice while defending the country during various wars and conflicts since 1947. These wars and operations have left many broken homes without a bread winner. A large number of Armed forces personnel have become disabled imposing severe handicaps on their capacity to maintain themselves and to support their families. Soldiers render yeomen service not only in times of conflict and calamities but also in peace time. They guard our land, sea and air frontiers round the clock under extremely hazardous conditions. They also undertake valuable service in aid to civil authorities to restore law and order and also render help in the event of natural disasters. On numerous occasions, Indian Armed forces have played an effective role in the United Nations peace keeping operations in various parts of the world. It is therefore mandatory for the Government to ensure that Armed forces personnel and their families are well taken care of both during peace and war.
The requirement of keeping our Armed forces young and active necessitates their early release/ retirement at comparatively young age. Each year about 55000 soldiers. sailors and airmen between the ages 35-40 retire or released from service and also transferred to reserve list. These men are young, physically fit and mentally alert, and have qualities of leadership, drive and discipline. Since compulsory retirement is necessary in the interest of service, resettlement of ex servicemen becomes moral responsibility of the Government. Befitting rehabilitation of the released Armed forces personnel contribute to a large extent towards the maintenance of high morale of serving personnel. It also motivates young men to get attracted towards a career in the Armed forces when they become aware that the terms and conditions of service are favorable in comparison to other professions and that the nation takes care of ex servicemen and their families.
Changing role of civil administration
According to a paper by an IAS officer published by United Service Institution of India New Delhi in 1986, the following four major indicators had been identified to assess the role played by civil administration while dealing with matters concerning Armed forces personnel.
- The lack of adequate and ready response from the civil administration is the first indicator of the substantial erosion in the military-civil interaction. The soldiers has a growing feeling that he is not being attended to with much care. His pressing grievances are generally being ignored or looked into belatedly and in a slip-shod fashion. Whenever the soldier has some problem, he puts up his petition through the ‘command channel’. The commanding officer normally sends a demi-official letter to the concerned civil authorities to look into the problem. Earlier, every such letter invoked a courteous and prompt response from the civil administration which are lacking today. And if reply comes after repeated reminder, it is usually not positive in its content.
- Secondly, there has been a fall in the prestige and value of Armed forces personnel except during war, when soldiers are honored and even worshipped and thereafter forgotten. Such decline in the social estimation has reduced this once ‘premier occupation’ into a job of the ‘last resort category’. Therefore, vacancies exist at various levels in the Armed forces due to non availability of right type of manpower.
- Thirdly, the degree of erosion in the interaction pattern is also visible from the persistent family problems of the soldiers. The traditional social structure of joint family system breaking down coupled with the lack of adequate co-operation from civil administration, has heightened the insecurity in the soldier’s family which affects both morale and performance of soldiers.
- The fourth indicator is the mounting frustration among the soldiers. In a age of controls, quotas, permits and reservations, they do not get the kind of attention they used to get in the past. Since they neither have the money nor the time , either to bribe their way through or patiently await their turn, they feel anguished, angered and let down. Individually, when a soldier’s problem remain unresolved for a long time, a feeling of resentment, relative deprivation and despondency builds up in his psyche. In extreme cases, this mental state leads to desperation and may even culminate in suicide.
Bureaucracy in a transitional society assumes an entrepreneurial role as an initiator of change. But presently it is unresponsive, marked by red-tape, rampant corruption and declining professional ethics. Having said this , one must hasten to add that praise or blame will do little to alter the situation, which must be attended to if the bureaucracy has to acquire a new sense of direction, its performance capability sharpened, and its waning credibility restored. In this context, the corrective measures shall have to be pursued with absolute sincerity, devotion and integrity, or else, if the present trend continues, the nations Armed forces will be surely be in a sorry state. There will be frustration, demoralization and covert unwillingness to sacrifice life or lead precarious life style, and an all round decline in the performance of the Armed forces.
Due to gradual democratization of the polity, control and direction on matters related to welfare of the Armed forces personnel have gone into the hands of far too many agencies, who are neither accountable nor trained to serve the personnel of Armed forces. This has resulted in steady neglect of welfare issues affecting Armed forces personnel.
Earlier it was said that military-civil interaction and cordial relationship was necessary for national security. This may have been true when the Armed forces enjoyed sufficient powers and authority to deal with civil matters affecting Armed forces personnel. But today in the democratic society and polity , the Armed forces personnel are totally dependent on the civil administration for all matters affecting their livelihood. This interaction is said to have been conducive to favorable action in the early years after independence. But ever since , the trend started towards gradual erosion in the harmonious interaction. As a result there has been change in the perception of the soldiers who feels that he is not getting due consideration by the civil administration.
Failing of civil administration
With the changing social structure with in Indian society, the bureaucracy denies special privileges and preferential treatment to an honest and sincere soldier by taking refuge in the name of rules and procedure. However, bureaucracy will resort to all kinds of manipulations to help or favor particular person or parties who have the resources to keep them in good humor. A soldier is neither able to bribe nor has any means to put political pressure on the officials for any kind of help or relief he is entitled to receive.
Failing of civil administration can also be attributed to low level of professionalism, inept handling of the major problems faced by the nation, inability to innovate and come up with imaginative solutions, lack of cost consciousness, extreme reluctance to take decisions and even neglect of routine administration which are left to be decided by the Account officer or Section officers at various level of the Department.
Further, as a result of proliferation of welfare and development program, the work load has increased at the level of Collector and Superintendent of Police at the district level. The number of ex- servicemen have also increased who can not be given personal attention by the district administration unlike during old days. The district administration now remains more preoccupied with the rights and relief available to SC’s, ST’s, religious minorities, landless laborers etc. Here the importance of experienced Zila Sainik Welfare officer with adequate staff and resources can not be over emphasized.
The role played by local politician and rural leadership is also important who would generally look after the interest of their own group. The soldiers are apolitical and absent from rural scenario and therefore can not identify themselves with any of the groups. This results into soldiers family not able to avail the benefit of other schemes universally applicable to all citizens. This job could be entrusted to qualified and dedicated welfare workers for soldiers and ex servicemen.
Redress of grievances
It had been reported a few years back that about 7000 petitions from ex servicemen were pending with the Ministry of Defence and another 350 are being received by the Prime Minister’s office every month from the Armed forces personnel. In addition 6000 cases were pending in various courts and tribunal in the country.
Government of India may have realized by now that in spite of high power committees constituted from time to time such as High level committee to look into the problems of ex servicemen in 1984, Koshyari committee recommendations on OROP, Cabinet Secretary’s committee, Judicial Committee of 2015 on OROP- there is no end to litigation and grievances of Armed forces personnel. In 2020 names of 198 retired Major General had been notified on the website of PCDA(O) Pune whose pension had not been revised wef 1.1.1996 for want of certain documents even after Supreme Court Judgment dated 9.9.2008 and MoD policy letter issued on 15 July, 2009. It is not known as to how many of the affected officers may or may not be living to claim their due pension. The procedure laid down for revision of pension in respect of those officers who retired prior to 1.1.1986 are also to be regulated as per policy laid down in MoD policy letter dated 27.5.1998. The worst kind of news was that serving officers of the rank of Major General had to approach the Court for correct fixation of their pay wef. 1.1.2016.The problem of military pensioners has been discussed in detail in the following chapters.
The expert committee also observed that the representative of the MoD ( Finance), IFA setup, the CGDA and the office of PCDA(Pension) were not enthusiastic with ideas for bettering and further sensitizing the system and generally kept on shifting the onus on the other agencies/department. Today the civilian employees are least interested in military pay, pension rules because they are themselves governed by different set of pay and contributory pension rules. Defence Account Department (DAD) under Government of India headed by CGDA is responsible for financial advice, payment, accounting and internal audit in respect of expenditure and receipt of the Defence services and defence related organization such as DRDO, ordnance factories, coast guard and border road etc. Only an officer of Director level not necessarily from DAD who is well versed with pay, promotion and pension rules applicable to Armed forces personnel could do the job more efficiently and effectively provided official ‘Manual’ of rules and regulations are in place and available for ready reference.
Conclusion
There is no end to non- payment of pension or illegally denying pension to all categories of pensioners including military pensioners in the country who are then forced to approach the high court, supreme court and tribunals etc. for grant of pension under the existing orders of the government. In most of the cases government is ordered to pay pension which may take 20-30 years time
It will be in the interest of the country to end all anomalies in pay promotion and pension rules including fundamental/subsidiary rules applicable to Armed forces once for all by notifying legally valid regulations. This can only be done by experienced people with upto date knowledge of existing pay, promotion and pension rules including fundamental/ subsidiary rules, constitution of India and court ruling given from time to time. Any other order notified in violation of constitution of India , court ruling is bound to create fresh anomalies and court cases. Service rules can not be laid down to benefit one group of employees and deprive another group employees with in same organization.Armed forces who remain fully occupied all the time to ensure internal and external security of the country can not wait for recommendations of Central Public Grievance commission to regulate rights of citizens for delivery of goods and services or Redress of Grievance Bill No.131 of 2011 and National Commission for ex- servicemen Bill 2015 etc.
Therefore fundamental pay, promotion and pension rules without any ambiguity can be drafted and notified for the Armed forces to implement present and future CPC report leaving no loophole for the record office, pay account office, pension sanctioning authorities and the departmental heads who act in a discretionary manner and without any accountability which is the main reason for grievances multiplying year after year.