(a) whether the Government has made any assessment regarding the total vacant posts of officers in the Army;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to fill up the vacant post;
(d) whether the Government has made any assessment regarding the decreasing interest of youth in Armed Forces; and
(e) if so, the corrective measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 170 FOR ANSWER ON 3.8.2006
The total number of vacant posts of officers in the Army is approximately 11,000.
With economic progress and opening up of new avenues of employment, there are other options available to the youth, other than employment in the Defence Services.
However, several steps have been undertaken by the Army to attract the youth for joining the Service. These include:
(a)granting of accelerated promotions to the ranks of Captain, Major and Lt. Colonel after 2, 6 and 13 years of reckonable service, for both Permanent Commission as well as Short Service Commission officers;
(b)extending the tenure of Short Service Commission from 10 years to 14 years of service;
(c)sustained Image Projection and Publicity Campaigns, to create awareness among the youth on the advantages of taking up a challenging and satisfying career in the Army;
(d)regular interaction with the media by the Directorate of Public Relations of Ministry of Defence;
(e)providing career related information on the Websites of the three Defence Services.