RANK, APPOINTMENT & DESIGNATION

 

RANK, APPOINTMENT & DESIGNATION

By

Maj Gen VK Singh

 

In recent years, there has been a lot of debate on the correct manner of addressing officers of the Armed Forces who have retired from service. Some recommend that the word ‘Retired’ or abbreviation ‘Retd’ should be used after the rank e.g. Colonel (Retd) AB Singh. Others feel that the correct method is to write ‘Retd’ after the name e.g. Colonel AB Singh (Retd).  Army HQ tried to remove the confusion and issued a circular on 21 July 2021 clarifying that the latter option is correct, and the name should be written as Colonel AB Singh (Retd). Unfortunately, this has only confounded the confusion.

Army officers are granted commissions that are signed personally by the President of India. Under British rule, officers commissioned in the Indian Army before 1935 were known as Kings Commissioned Indian Officers (KCIOs). Their commissions were signed by the King or Queen of England. Most of these officers were granted commissions after undergoing training at Sandhurst or Woolwich in the UK, except for a few like KM Cariappa who was trained at the Daly Cadet College, Indore. After being commissioned, Army officers were earlier granted the rank of Second Lieutenant. This rank has now been abolished in India and officers are being commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant, which was earlier granted after two years’ service as a Second Lieutenant.  Thereafter officers continue to get promotions until they retire or are released. The highest rank in the Army is that of General, which is held by the Chief of Army Staff. A few who are exceptionally deserving are promoted from General to Field Marshal, who never retires. In India only two officers have reached the rank of Field Marshal – KM Cariappa and SHFJ Manekshaw.

In India, Army officers are entitled to retain their rank even after retirement, as per privileges given under the Constitution which was adopted in 1950, when India became a Republic. However, the practice of military ranks being retained after retirement was in vogue earlier also under British rule. This tradition is followed by most countries, including the UK and the USA. The confusion about the manner of writing ranks after retirement was not there in the initial years after Independence. Old timers will recall that KCIOs such as Cariappa, Nathu Singh, Maharaj Rajendra Sinhji, Thimayya, Thorat etc. did not use the word ‘retired’ after hanging their uniforms. I am not sure when and why this practice started. Lately the word retired has been replaced by veteran, following the custom in most countries. In fact, the Retired Officers Identity Card issued to officers after retirement has now been replaced by the Indian Army Veteran Card, which has the officer’s photograph in uniform as well as civil dress. Since this card is also issued by Army HQ, I wonder if there was a need for the circular issued on 21 July 2021.

According to article 18 of the Constitution ‘No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State’. Titles are used before names, in formal correspondence as well as on invitation cards and during normal conversation. Many professions carry titles, either by usage or as a result of a professional or academic qualification. Medical practitioners including dentists are universally referred to as doctors, as are those with post graduate degrees such as Ph.D. Judges of the Supreme Court and High Court also carry their titles, even after they retire, though this is from usage and custom rather than any written rule. Similarly, many people who have held the post of ambassador are now using this as a prefix, which is technically incorrect. A person holds the appointment of ambassador in a foreign country for a few years. It is not a title that should be used for life. In smaller countries, the position if often held by a relatively junior member of the Indian Foreign Service.  Sometimes the appointment of ambassador is held by a person who is not from the Indian Foreign Service. S Radhakrishnan, VK Krishna Menon, MC Chagla, Karan Singh, Nani Palkiwala and General KM Cariappa have held the appointments of Ambassador or High Commissioner. None of them was from the Indian Foreign Service. And none of them used the prefix Ambassador with their names.

 

            As regards the All India Services such as the IAS and IPS, very few of them use these abbreviations as a suffix after their names. Some use the designation or last appointment held. So you may find names such as AB Singh, IAS; AB Singh, DIG, or AB Singh, DG BSF and so on.  These are all incorrect. The day an IAS or IPS officer retires, he ceases to be a member of the service. Of course, there is nothing wrong in mentioning his last appointment, e.g. former Cabinet secretary; ex-DGP Haryana and so on. Again, it is a matter of individual choice and if someone wants to add IAS or IPS after his name, it is for the particular service or their association to take a call.

 

Coming back to the question of Army ranks, my view is that it is a matter of personal choice. Once an officer has retired, it is entirely up to him how he writes his name. He can write only his name or his rank and name. Considering the ethos of the Army and the pride most of us feel, no one would like to hide his rank. If he prefers to write Retd or Veteran after his name, so be it. A name is a precious possession and an heirloom given to us by our parents. The rank is sacrosanct symbolising the nation’s trust. Nothing else is important.

 

ADAPTING TO CHANGE - WHY DOES THE ARMY ALWAYS LAG BEHIND?

 

 

ADAPTING TO CHANGE - WHY DOES THE ARMY ALWAYS LAG BEHIND?

By

Maj Gen VK Singh

 

Change is part of life. With time rules and trends change in every walk of life. In almost all cases, these changes are for the better, and make our lives easier and more comfortable. Fifty years ago, the only way to communicate with family members and friends was the letter sent by post or telegram, unless one had a telephone. Today, even those living in remote areas have mobile phones. Very few people had cameras and one had to rely on professional photographers during important occasions such as weddings and family gatherings. The only medium to get news of what is happening in the World was the radio and newspaper, which only the privileged few could afford. Most of the rural population did not have access to banks and had to keep their savings in cash or gold ornaments. Even in cities and towns, depositing and withdrawing money was a tedious process. ATMs and online banking changed all this. Earlier, when a migrant worker wanted to send money to his family in the village, he had to send a money order, which took days if not weeks to reach it destinations. Today the migrant labourer transfers money to his wife online and it reaches her instantly.

 

            Another change concerns the identity of the citizens. The only people who had identity cards were members of the Armed Forces, Police and Government departments. A person without a job had virtually no identity.  One could vote, provided his name was in the electoral rolls. With the passage of time the use of identity cards has grown exponentially. Fifty years ago, the only card an Armed Forces veteran had was the identity card issued by the Service HQ or Records Office. These granted him access to almost every place including military establishments, offices, hospitals, canteens and so on. These were valid for life and did not have to be renewed. Of course, if one owned a weapon or a car, one had to get a licence for its use, which needed to be renewed from time to time. The same applied to passports for foreign travel.

 

When I retired twenty years ago, my identity card was withdrawn and I was issued a Retired Officers identity card. A few years back this card was withdrawn and I was issued a Veterans Card. With time the number of cards kept increasing. Today a veteran officer has literally dozens of cards. There is the veteran card, the ECHS card, the canteen card, the DSOI membership card, the golf course membership card, the PAN card, the Aadhaar card, the voter card, the driving licence, and so on. In addition, you have debit cards for withdrawing cask from your bank account and credit cards for purchasing items in shops or online. In recent years some more have been added such as the ESM identity card from the Zila Sainik Board.

 

            The plethora of cards have created a number of problems, with regard to their safe custody and renewal. As one grows older, keeping track of where each card is kept and when it is due for renewal becomes a hassle. The issue that troubles elderly veterans the most is the process of renewal. Almost all other agencies, government and private, have switched over to online renewal. This applies even to the life certificate one had to submit for his pension from the bank or annuity. Earlier, one had to submit these certificates in writing after getting them countersigned by a gazetted officer or the bank manager. Since the last couple of years, ICICI Prulife which earlier insisted on a physical life certificate now does it on line. After you log in the camera of your phone or laptop takes the photograph and the process is complete.  

 

For some reason, the Armed Forces have still not switched on to the online mode. The ECHS card has undergone two changes. Each time, one had to collect it in person. The Veteran card also had to be collected personally from Station HQ. The Zila Sainik Board also insists that you must visit their office to collect the ESM card identity. One might ask, once you have a veteran card, why should you need an ESM card to prove your identity as an ex-serviceman?    Credit and debit cards for banks are also renewable. But the new ones are sent by post. If the banks can do it what prevents our military establishments such as Station HQ, ECHS and Zila Sainik Boards from doing the same? Consider the plight of elderly and disabled veterans who find it difficult to make personal visits. Some living in remote villages have to spend a lot of time and money to travel to these establishments just to collect a card. Can we not make their lives somewhat easier by adapting to change and adopting new practices being followed by others?