[BeeCee, who had penned a few guest posts earlier (here, here, here, here and here), is back with some fresh insights on how the SCPC has indulged in duplicitious behaviour. Regular readers of the blog are aware of BeeCee's credentials and his eye for detail. A slightly different version of this blogpost is at Navdeep's Blog.]
Having seen the cacophony on Pragmatic’s blogpost titled ‘SCPC logic‘ (mostly under the ‘street light’ pattern), I managed to have a cursory look at the SCPC report on the net and their logic. I must say that they have been ‘less than honest’ brokers, to say the least.
This can be seen in the way they have selectively stated previous CPC positions and moved away from the established Service Officers – Organised Group A Services/ IPS equation to a new standard of comparison with CPMFs. The parity with civil services, though stated as given,has been given a complete miss.
- In the chapter on Armed forces, they have shown both Captain and Major as STS(III CPC) merely to manipulate and suit their view and take the logic forward. The Major’s starting pay was higher than JAG even if you add the starting edge of Rs50. The higher pay was also not because of any special dispensation, but because time for promotion to Major was 11 years as against 9 years(including training) for JAG. The distinction between pre and post AVS Major has been obfuscated. If this is placed correctly, present Lt Colonel[replacement of pre-IV CPC Major(SG)] as NFSG in armed forces would be clear.
- Only one pre-IV CPC civil NFSG scale has been shown for comparison with the armed forces. This was the highest NFSG among the many available then. If they had also shown the other civil NFSGs of the time(some shown in the chapters on Group A/AIS civil services) the logic would not have held.
- The pre-IV CPC scale of Major(SG) crucial for the equation up to NFSG level has not been shown.
- The III CPC scale of DIG which is shown appears to be wrong. What is shown is the Pre-IV CPC scale to mislead the reader. The DIG’s scales were revised by the Home Ministry just prior to the IV CPC placing him above Cols. This was explained and corrected by the IV CPC in its report and who again placed DIG between Lt Col and Colonel actually with a Lt Col and then upgraded the DIG. In fact there were two DIG scales linked to the year of promotion.
- The civil scale of SAG II(Brigadier’s nearest equivalent), that was merged with SAG I at IV CPC has not been shown. By the same logic, the Brigadier should also have been on the SAG scale from IV CPC.
In effect, what has been attempted now is to use the III CPC disparity that existed between ‘the most advantaged in the civil services’ vis-a-vis the armed forces to push down the Services, while narrowing the gap between the various civil services. This is the reason why Services are now left to compare with CPOs, MES etc instead of the Organised Services. (This is absolutely not to denigrate the CPOs or MES, but only to draw attention to the hierarchy that existed earlier, from which the Services alone have been displaced.) No mention has been made of the uniform progression up to 14 years available across the board so far and was to be maintained. If parity with civil pay structure has been accepted, why is it that only military officers don’t get paid during training? Unless the Services confused the issue by clubbing NDA and IMA training.
In places where the same logic has been applied for both the military and the civilians, like inter-se equation of JCOs with civilians, disability pension etc, the civil logic has been beneficial to the Services. In fact I do not know of any situation where Services have been at a disadvantage if the same logic is applied across the board.
I think Services walked into a trap with the ‘we are different’ argument.
Regarding the SDA, the IV CPC did away with the concept. They standardised progression up to NFSG in the 14th year for Organised Gp A services and Armed forces. For the Services this included Rank pay of Major. Since Maj(SG) was done away with, the pay of JAG and NFSG were combined to give a longer run for the Major terminating at the same level as NFSG. Only the starting edge and late commencement of pay was maintained. As to why this was done, may be the report clarifies it. I don’t know.
After the Vth CPC also, the Major moved to 14300/-(start of NFSG) in the 14th year(plus 1). This again included the Rank pay. They also don’t seem to talk of any edge in the scale as such.
Things may be clearer if the full reports are read. I am not sure if the extracts quoted by the VI CPC would give the complete picture or can be trusted. What appears to have happened is that VI CPC wrote the analysis/ findings first, and then extrapolated the figures to suit/ justify the analysis. Otherwise there is no way that they could have got to equate a Brigadier with a DIG or a Lt Colonel with a JAG.
There is no end to the debate on ‘my job is more important than yours’. It can get quiet silly as seen by various comments on the blogs. It is to avoid such meaningless debates that the IV CPC brought in ‘uniform career progression upto a point’ and the V CPC suggested a ‘model cadre structure’, i.e. a percentage of the cadre strength in each pay-grade. Implementing these would have been of tremendous benefit to the armed forces and would have given a sense of fairness across the board.
The problem at the last CPC was that they accepted the model cadre structure for every one, except the armed forces. This is the single major anomaly that has remained post V CPC. The issue of SDA was a forgotten chapter and irrelevant to be revived now by either the CPC or the Services.
A comparison with what the VI CPC says and what the Services actually asked for, or responses to each other could be enlightening.
very insightful indeed
BeeCee – tussi kithe ho? Pairi pawna.
@Bee Cee
“…Only one pre-IV CPC civil NFSG scale…”
CrPC, CPC all scary stuff. What all this Sir ? Aam admi ko samajhna mushkil.
{1} In principle: Why for ji, 5 year plans, 10 year wage commissions and 20 year galley service without remission ? All that tortuous tweaked fine print tableted by the Pharoah’s janisseries is probably lost on 95 % of the Fauj. The KISS principle and if they don’t like it allow pink slips at platoon level.
{2} We need ‘Thand’ eg
The 1979 issue of the Sikh Regimental journal has entries regarding their 6th Post War reunion. Awards section:
Order of the Rehearsals (OR)
Order of the Thand (OT)
I mean Pay Commission – why all the fuss ? Thand karo or quit.
Actual figures for comparison would throw more light & may help the pay commssion cell of the services to fight the case better
The confusion in equation of IPS to the military arises from the military look alike badges of rank worn by the IPS. Hence when you make a DIG and a Brig stand next to each other an uninformed bystander may equate them based on the similarity of badges of rank/appointment (Military has ranks whereas Police has appointments) . Even military soldiers sometimes fall prey to such semblances and say “Brigadier sahib aaye hain”, when an IPS DIG comes.
In the military ranks are sacrosanct and universal but no so for the Police. The Police can tomorrow change their badges of rank at the drop of the hat.
The Military should also take up a case to change the Police appointment badges from universally accepted military rank badge look alikes. This will stop any further illusionary anomalies. Also, it will not give our country the effect of being under Army occupation when the Police are on duty.
@ MENON..
U R RIGHT..WHEN I WAS DOING ADC TO A GEN..I CAME ACROSS A DOCUMENT WHERE IN 1968(YR NOT SURE) ARMY HAD OBJECTED TO THESE BADGES..THE REPLY GIVEN BY HOME MINISTRIES WAS THE FUNNIEST OF ALL…THEY SAID POLICE IS NOT WEARING ARMY BADGES SINCE ARMY WEARS BRASS AND POLICE WEARS SILVER…THAT WAS A GREAT LOGIC..TODAY SECURITY PEOPLE WEAR BRASS ..UP POLICE WEARS BRASS…NOW WHERE IS THAT LOGIC…
@logical
“ TODAY SECURITY PEOPLE WEAR BRASS ..UP POLICE WEARS BRASS…NOW WHERE IS THAT LOGIC…”
indian law prevents any civvy from using military insignia, uniform material and even vehicle colours. sue the b’s. the relevant section is well known. perhaps Maj Navdeep could kindly tell us please sir ?
Here is the Gazzette of India Establishing the Equivalence.
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
CORRIGENDUM
New Delhi, the 12th February, 2007?
No.1 (E).-The following further amendment. is made to Govt of India, Ministry of Defence Notification
dated 4th November, 1937 Laying down equivalent ranks in the General Reserve Engineer Force and the Regular Army for the purpose of the Army Act, 1950 as applied to the General Reserve Engineer Force,namely:-”‘–
(Gcneral Reserve Engineer Forl.X Regular Army
Chief Engineer Major General*
Superintending Engineer (Functional Scale) Colonel
Executive Engineer (Non-Functional Selection Grade) lieutenant Colonel
Executive Engineer Major
Assistant Executive Engineer Captain
2. The inter-se-seniority between the Colonels and Superintending Engineers (Functional Scale) will be with reference to date of their assumption of charge as Superintending Engineer(Functional Scale)/the date of appointment as Colonel. The inter-se-seniority between
other ranks at different levels will be decided similarly.
*The post of Chief Engineer may however be held by a Brigadier till such time sufficient number of Major Generals
is not available from the regular Army.
Ref .No. BRDBI06/86198/GE-Il
HARCHARANJIT SINGH, Scy., BRDB & JT. Seey.
Now it is for all to decide which parity equation has been disturbed by SPC or by COS or by BABOOZ as is being reported with contempt.Are armed forces justified in asking parity of Lt Col with a Suprintending Engineer(Director level officer).Who is responsible for current situation, is also not that difficult to answer.
@PRAGMATIC,
Certain things for you………
-Stop reading Indian Express,they are just repaying the babus some help rendered to them
-The armed forces have been at the recieiving end for years(YOU KNOW IT WELL,)we have been forced to do this.We had to make a public spectacle of things,it’s only then that these guys listen.
-BJP has expressed concerns over the SCPC(Remember your saying that no political party has supported us)
-This is only the begining…..EACH TIME AN INJUSTICE IS METED OUT TO THE FORCES,WE WILL HIT BACK IN WHICH EVER WAY POSSIBLE.
-These are desparate times,we need desparate measures to wake up the babus…