Armed forces losing an officer a day to early retirement

[Zarvan]

The highest number of those seeking to quit were from the Army, at 664 between 2012 and 2015. (Getty Images photo)
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In his written response to Nishank, the defence minister said that in 2012, 564 officers opted to exit before their set date of retirement; in 2013, 448 officers sought early retirement, and in 2014 the number was 319. So far, in 2015, 97 officers have opted for premature retirement.That in effect is more than an officer retiring prematurely every day in the last three and half years.

The highest number of those seeking to quit were from the Army, at 664 between 2012 and 2015.

Retired Lt General KK Khanna, sharing his concern over the large number of early exits from the armed forces, said, "Dissatisfaction simmers when officers are overlooked for promotion. There are fewer vacancies in the higher ranks, and only those high in merit have assured career progression. This sometimes nudges officers to quit and pursue something else."

Khanna, a former commandant of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, said this was compounded by the fact that there is these days no dearth of opportunities for officers wishing to pursue a career, for instance, in the aviation industry or merchant navy. "Dissatisfaction, however, is not confined to the mid-level, colonel-rank officers. It is present even among higher levels," Khanna said.

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Besides the aviation sector and the merchant navy, officers with experience in the armed forces also find attractive opportunities in the corporate sector and industry, fuelling premature retirement plans. Retired Brigadier AN Acharya said: "The glory and charm of service in the armed forces has taken a hit for many reasons. Even if one were to retire as general, there are many things one loses out on, in the end. Those who still have time in their favour, at the middle of their careers, might opt for a corporate job or pursue education to re-skill themselves for entry into the service sector or business."

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The defence minister, in his response to the status of vacancies in the armed forces, said the Army has 9,642 vacant officer positions and 23,909 vacancies among other ranks. Navy has 1,179 officer vacancies and 11,653 vacant slots for sailors; the Air Force has 6,664 airmen slots vacant. The minister's response showed that over 68,331 recruits were under training for the Army; there are 2,247 trainees set to enter the Navy, and 6,152 the Air Force.

Times View

Such a huge number of officers quitting the armed forces on a regular basis should ring alarm bells. When they leave, a lot of time, effort and money spent on training them goes at least partly waste. The forces need to figure out a way of lowering the attrition rate. The problem must be thoroughly studied and ways found to incentivise people to stay. After all, what is at stake is no less than the defence of the nation.
Armed forces losing an officer a day to early retirement - The Times of India