The General and the labyrinth

Your support for Gen. Singh's case is justified only if it is proved that the 'mistake' in his UPSC form did not give him any advantage. Before coming to a conclusion on this, one should check what was the minimum age for taking NDA exam in the year in which Gen. Singh took it. If boys born in 1951 were eligible to compete that year, the entry in UPSC form can be taken as a genuine mistake. If on the other hand, boys born in 1951 were NOT eligible to take the exam that year (being under the minimum age), the wrong entry in the UPSC form must have been deliberate. If that is the case, Singh committed a fraud to enter the Army. In which year did Singh take NDA exam? What was the minimum age for being eligible to take exam that year? If boys of 1951 were eligible, Govt must apologize to Singh and correct its records. If boys of 1951 were not eligible, Singh should be stripped of his rank obtained through fraud.

Govindrajan and sivakumaran ji,
you both are wrong. As per information available on net army does not go for promotions by age but residual service and hence 1950 would be no advantage. The FR and govt rules stipulate first that age is as per matriculation certificate and second that once entered in service records at the commencement of service it can not be chenged. So who is RIGHT- the general who has correctly got the date as 1951 or govt which now wants to change to get someone of their choice?

All those commenting in favour of the General are ignorant of facts and rules of the Govt.. In govt. service , it is usual for many to start seeking change in their date of birth, near about their retirement. It is a syndrome. To stop such claims, there is clear Government Rule which says that any change in date of birth should be effected within two years of entering the service, providing clear evidence justifying the same. The general having failed to do so, has to accept 1950 as his year of birth. If an exception is made for him, there will be floodgate of litigation from others whose claims have been denied. It is strange that the General who himself must have decided several such cases in his career, should want to violate the rule in his own case. His honour will be in tact only if he honourably retires gracefully in May 2012.

Your editorial is not looking into the stand of the Defence Ministry. Army Chief's current position & 2 other earlier positions were decided by considering his year of birth as 1950. If it is true, then the Army Chief had benefitted himself with his seniority based on his year of birth as 1950. Having got into his current position based on the year 1950, he can not now change his stance that he was born on the year 1951. I feel that this controversy has not done any injustice to the Army Chief as it made out to be. He got his current position earlier than what he truly deserves. If he was a great person, he should not have accepted 3 promotions based on the year of birth as 1950. He could have stuck to the year 1951 & allowed his deserving peers to occupy the positions he held / he is holding now. He did not do that. The Govt is right to advise the concerned agency to correct their records to the year 1950 as that was used for all the promotions.

In the Army promotions do NOT depend upon the DOB but on the ACRs of the offr, army courses done and the gradings obtained, appointments held etc. So the contention of the def ministry that he was promoted based on his DOD is basically defective. IT is the AGS branch which holds/upgrades personal records of officers. Now what will happen if the AGs br replies to say that provision does not exist in the Army Rules to change the DOB. This is what is going to happen

Recently I read in one of articles "In India , Government's decides age of Army Chief whereas in Pakistan the Army Chief decides the age of Government". Rest is to be understood.

the genral should have sorted this case many years ago if he is a good strategist

Your edotorial is lopsided despite the fact that all papers, including yours, had, in the past, reported both sides of the story, i.e., those furnished by the General and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It seems that you have shown bias against the MOD by not mentioning their contention in this row, therefore misleading your readers. I have no qualms against whoever you choose to support, but at least be fair to the other side, for yours is an esteemed paper to serve the public.

Concepts of honor and courage are almost unknown to our politicians and bureaucracy today. Civilian control of the military rests on a bed-rock of respect. Loosen that bed-rock, and you essentially play with fire. Such a controversy would never have arisen if our political bureaucratic complex had an iota of common sense. The unbridled crass corruption and mismanagement of Pakistan's ruling classes after independence, resulted in an army takeover in that country. No one benefited as a result, with that nation's institutions reduced to tatters today. As the saying goes, only fools venture where angels fear to tread. Our bureaucracy needs to tread carefully, in order to not upset a time honored tradition that has served our democracy well. The fate of General Singh and of Civilian - Military relations in India now rests in the wise hands of the Supreme Court. I have no doubt that the the learned Judges will come out in defense of the truth, and the interests of the nation.

If promotions granted to Gen Singh were on the basis of the files forwarded by the Adjutant General Branch (1951 date) and not MS Branch (1950) date, then it is the govt / MOD that is at fault and not Gen Singh. If the Attorney General recommendation to keep 1950 and not 1951 was because MOD provided MS branch files instead of Adjutant General branch files or potentially both files but with an input justifying MS Branch date instead of Adjutant General Branch date, the Attorney General will still need to come clean as to why he went with the MOD recommendation.If there was no recommendation we need to know why the AG has set a precedent questioning the role of the Adjutant General Branch as the custodian of the such related facts. We look to the honorable supreme court to bring the truth out whatever the cost.

When a handful of dedicated government servants remain tough on corruption, the corrupt enforces all might to see that the non corrupt is taken to task, for which they will succeed in augmenting support. Because the non corrupt remains very less in number. No surprise this Major is also not spared. Happy to note that at last he has succeeded in establishing his credibility by awakening the sleeping administration though he had to knock the door of the Hon'ble Suppream court.

While we must now await the Supreme Court to give it's verdict, another aspect must be investigated. The Chief has made the eradiction of corruption a policy for his tenure. In the overall situation of the maliase of corruption in our country on an unprecidented scale, this stated policy of the Army Chief runs against the obvious resistance by the politicians and beauracracy.It is quite possible, in the present scheme of things , for vested interests to pull the strings behind the public stage to try and attack the Chief's credibility to protect their own criminal long term interests. Such mischief is quite common and these guys are past masters at hiding their tracks.So, let us await the Supreme Courts verdict and ignore all the diversionary tactics of rouges in the establishment.

Very well written.May I add,this is a battle between an honest PM
surrounded by corrupt courtiers and honest Chief cleaning prestigious
institution.However,we need a "visionary" and not a puppet PM to lead this country.If the govt can increase term of RBI governor by 2 yrs, why can't it honor COAS date of birth? Why suddenly DOB became an issue as entered on UPSC form? This raises doubts on the intention of the govt.
A civil servant with 15-16 years service(Jt Sec. level) is given same >status & privilege as a Lt. Gen with 37 years of service.Moreover, in US, COAS is the personal adviser to the President; Indian COAS is reporting to Babus in Ministry Of Defence,who have no knowledge of the "art of warfare".Our country's intelligensia still suffers from "Indo-Pak syndrome"; thus this politician-babu nexus of suspicion, control and subdue the Army.This Gen. is no "push over", he is a highly decorated and respected commando with clean record in the Army.

Article is excellent but if honour and dignity would been the yardstick, it is better for this gentleman to submit resignation instead of following the counterpart across the border!

But the editorial fails to mention the fact (according to the Defense Ministry) that he seems to have had promotions all along based on 1950 as year of birth. Thereby he might have benefited over many of his senior colleagues, and now blocking the promotions due for his junior colleagues. He can't enjoy both.

A good editorial i give my support for the General cause and also believe his stand is right and now and than this congress government is becoming more and more stubborn ..i hope it ends soon because this will not only have a bad effect on army morale but whole country ..when this monmohan singh government is going to learn its lesson only god knows all thickheads of this country have gathered in a place and they call it UPA-II

I don't know whose the real culprit here. But, this is letting down country's and defense's image for sure. There should have been an in-settlement of the the issue without media coming to know about it. If the General is not wrong, government is exaggerating the issue. And in case if he is, it should also be a let down for the system that a man with faulty documents is reigning at such a crucial position.

Thanks to The Hindu the layman in the country has been briefed. Unfortunately our self-serving babus and corrupt politicians do not understand what dignity is. Not very long ago a Naval Officer was sacked. Again how shabily the career of a brilliant general was ruined because he refused to carry out orders of a babu and did not commit gencide. Present defence minister is following deplorable example set by Krishnan Menon. It is a pity that so highly educated Prime Minister has to honour colition dharma and give in to babus. It is high time we learn to respect our armed forces.

To say say the least it is most unfortunate.Having been risen to the highest level possible and having lead one of most respected organisation with rare competence. It does not appear appropriate to agitate in court over a strictly private matter, particularly when by default or by design he claims year of birth as 1950 when joining NDA (To be 15 year of age) and giving undertakings to this effect while
getting promoted as Lt. General and General(Younger officers gets preference) and 1951 for retirement.

A responsible government must peruse this well researched and written editorial and impending SC decision and act fast to avoid any embarassment and disgrace to UPA- II and close the chapter.

It cant be that difficult to trace his birth certificate....

sorry media cannot be a judge and it just a reporter to people. press
do not have much higher role. better it stops all judging what courts to
do!

A country who does not honour its soldiers is bound for destruction. The
bureaucracy is hell bent on proving its supremacy and the ignorant
political lobby is acting on their advice. Its time for the government
to go and see rule books before making any comments about the chief of
army staff in public.

It is amazing that someone made mistake for this gentleman, and he kept repeating the mistake till he nears retirement. I have to fill my dob at least in ten different forms in last five years. Has general been filing wrong dates because he is afraid? What a piece of crock and shame on Hindu for suggesting that people who question generals argument somehow are supporting corrupt because general has been tough on corruption.

What was the minimum age requirement for admission to NDA , is it 14Years or 15Years ?

No one should grudge the COAS his right to seek Judicial decision,if he has a genuine grievance.But the issues are more complex than meets the eye.Did young Cadet Singh get into the Rashtriya Indian Military Academy at Dehradun on the strength of his age as 14 years at that time? Would he have been under age,if his age was 13 at that time? Why was'nt the record set right, right at the Academy? Once he joined the regular commission, did he at anytime get the benefit of age seniority over younger officers or those of his apparent true Age, in matters of promotion and selection for various prestigious training programs in the country and abroad? The common man outside the Government doesn't understand these complexities.But the Supreme Court does.Why not have a little patience and await the Apex Court's decision? I am sure the court will give him an early hearing, considering that reputations of every one involved in this mess is sought to be dragged to the soil,almost unnecessarily.

Edit is sensible. Honor the General who did Yeoman's service to
country. Else this kind of Government bureaucratic action of Military
secretary's branch error will demotivate officers of armed forces as
government may stoop to anything just to satisfy its arbitrary
authoritarianism.Government need to behave properly. Else
constitutional court will interfere under Art 32 as custodian of
Constitution. Then governments position will be just embarrassing. May
it lead to parliament move no confidence on government and the allies
also may not support this high handedness as their own constituencies
will not accept anything that affects voters rights please

If I understand the facts correctly, as some others have highlighted earlier, wonder why the General took undue advantage of an earlier DOB to gain promotions and be in the position he is now. If it was not an issue then, it is not an issue now. I can understand individuals acting in self-interest; but even more intriguing is why the respected newspaper is painting only one side of the story. With or without the age controversy, it should be the prerogative of the elected government to choose people for the highest offices on the land; mere seniority in age cannot be a factor. The Chief should step down.

Having got the opportunity and serving the country thus far with dignity, the Generals' decision to challenge the Government (ie master) is certainly UNFORTUNATE.

Inteligent mistakes are always committed by over inteligent people. Any decission of govt should be sound Technically,Legally and as far as possible Ethically.A very simple case has been turned into a complicated issue by over inteligent peoples at helm of affairs.We all know in public that at least 20% of our law makers can not draft a proper letter at their such a advance status and age then what is expected of a innocent boy entering NDA.Common sense and natural justice conveys that date of birth mentioned in High School Certificate should be deciding factor as DOB in UPSC form could have been also by mistake 10th May 1955 as 90% NDA- UPSC forms are always filled by well wishers of applicants.

Well written editorial.Gen Singh is not angling for an extension,he only wants the DOB be corrected in the records as he feels the dual entries besides misleading sends wrong signal in the environment. He stands by his conviction and is prepared to meet the odds to defend his honour. A soldier and an honest man only can go to this extent. By going to the SC has he not placed his life- reputation in this case,in danger? We need to respect the Chief's words like we do of their opinion on matters that are 'military'. They have their place and a definite role in this country.This should not be altered nor their position eroded in the name of Civilian supremacy. Is Mr Anthony the only honest man in the country? No sir, there are countless countrymen with high integrity,honesty and impeccable character they do not go trumpeting around about it. But it is true most of them happen to be serving/served in the Indian Armed Forces and they need to be handled with care and not this way .

'There are a slew of documents — including a birth certificate and a
school-leaving certificate — that prove beyond the shadow of a
doubt...' Apart from the two documents mentioned there is no other, if
there is the editorial should mention it.Every promotion mentioned the
date of birth as recorded, he could have set the record straight if he
wanted to do so; why has he waited so long? Why is he muddying a long
and illustrious career by trying to hang on to power when he could
have retired with dignity after pointing out that he had made a
mistake when entering a wrong date of birth while filling out his
entrance form to the Academy? Is there a political twist here to embarrass the Govt.?

I cannot understand why your editorial, which otherwise looks sensible,
ignored the question as to whether the Gentleman would have been the
Army Chief had his DOB been taken as 1951 at the time of his
promotions.I feel this is crucial to the question of his integrity. If
he had kept quiet during promotions which was done on the basis of 1950
and now cries foul when retirement comes, then this Gentleman should not
be treated with such high 'superlatives'.

I.fully agree with SV Raju's opinion. If the General had derived advantges in his service career based on 1950 date he should give up honorably otherwise the government should accede to Generas request. Genreal going to SC in the context of corrupt governments in India not unjustified. Ego & Corrruption divides Nation and Society and Family too and the World we live in becomes horrible place !

A very good 'One sided'editorial. Does not mention how The general got his last 2 promotions based on the wrong date. Did he supercede others with the wrong date at that time ? Did someother upright officer loose hise chance to becomethe general?

Well, I don't subscribe to your editorial.At fag end of the Career the
General is raising the red flag about his DOB. If he has corrected the
DOB, any other officer who is senior to him would have succeeded to the
current post and he would have asked to wait till his turn comes.
The general seems acting very smart here.

The article is very informative and well written. Congratulations for
this excellent piece. Antony should have sorted out this issue earlier
instead of dragging his feet. He is known to be slow in decision
making. Hope the govt. will backtrack and settle the issue now.

To be fair to the General and GOI: How this mistake done at age 14 went unnoticed for about 40/45 years ? Is there a birth certificate issued by Municipal / LSG authorities and when it was obtained ? When did he make the first request for correction of DOB to 1951 ? What was the decision, then and by whom ? If there are answers to these questions, there can be a fair decision.

My first question is is there no institution to address military person's grievences? I am sure answer is , yes!!. Then , what is the puprpose of their existance? What on the earth made General Singh to approach Supreme coart and be in the lime light.
I am proud and i appreciate from bottom of my heart the kind of deed military personnel do for the country but in certain situation the greed within them over shadow their purpose thus leading to the situation of this type. Where was the Mr. Singh's pride before ascending to the post of General? I would like to remind Author that any one in the place of Mr.Singh's place would have taken same stand on the issues of Adarsh scam given the kind of media attention it got.

The Hindu has made a very sensible suggestion and it would be good if
the Govt heeds the suggestion in national interest. It appears that the
Govt does not care for its image, the image and long term interest of
the country, and the adverse impact that its arrogance may lead to.

A very good editorial.Some people are saying here that he manipulated 10th certificate.they don't know that he was born in military hospital, pune.hospital has it's records.His father was also a army officer, in his fathers service documents it's recorded as May10,1951. His class 10th certificate comes latter not prior to these records. So to say that he corrected it latter is beyond facts.His full service record and decorations by government are on basis of 10 May1951.To say that he accepted promotions on basis of 10 May1950 than let government put the proof in public.It is true that when he was considered for promotions the controversy came to fore.So while accepting promotion, he put application to straight the records but God knows due to unknown reasons two previous Chiefs and government dragged the case.So many stories planted in media against general that he is power hungry, tried to malign a true soldier but now it boomranged on those liars and govt is red-faced.

While it is true the General's age row has taken an unprecedented and avoidable turn which may have a bearing on Army's morale, it would be erroneous to hold Government solely responsible for this unwanted saga or even to hold a 'trial by media' and pass a one sided judgment without taking into account all the facts. For me it is shocking that the editorial has sought to pin the blame on 'bureaucratic thick-headedness' when it is public knowledge that General's petition has already been reviewed by two former Army Generals, four defense secretaries, two law ministers and two defense ministers. Where does a case for bureaucratic lapse arise then? I believe that going forward, it would be prudent for both government and the general to maintain a low key and accept the decision of Supreme Court gracefully.

I am sure that that Chief is right. But his action have caused immense harm to country. Whatever be the story of honor and legal right,fact is a soldier on the ground will never have same respect for their chief. You cannot deny this reality.

The editorial overlooks many aspects of the issue as to why the
General committed in writing earlier accepting the old DOB to take
up promotion not once, but three times? Why was he silent for thirty
three years on this issue? Why he did not make an attempt to correct
the DOB as it became evident to him earlier itself? Above all, was
it correct thing to provide wrong DOB to get into the admission in
to the NDA? The whole episode smells fishy and what we see at the
moment seems to be only the tip of the ice berg. Subsequent actions
of the General also leave much to be desired and one simple
question, from a layman’s point of view is what kind of legacy the
General kept for the young generations to follow, let the history
judge on this issue regardless of what the Supreme Court has to say
in this matter.

Very well written article.Corrupt officers scaling such heights anywhere, in anyplace where dignity and honour are considered the most esteemed characters is impossible. Gen V.K. Singh is one man who has been honest and straight forward to the core. His case clearly states it as a fight for his dignity and honour and not for a mere extension and the privileges that comes with it. Its time the Government doesn't spoil its already tarnished image. It's always good to see beyond the west boundary to understand about the all powerful Army and to realize what it is capable of.

Thank you The Hindu editorial for presenting such a crisp, clear analysis of the problem at hand. If the defense ministry official system fails to correct the problem as a citizen of a democracy General Singh has every right to approach the judiciary to argue his case. It is a shame that the defense ministry babudom and minister AK Antony had failed to address the issue so far. Once again the UPA govt proves itself as inept and indifferent.

Gen Singh has been promoted the last 3 times based on the 1950 date of birth and going by that guideline it is fair that he retires in 2012 instead of 2013. In Army seniority is very important & Gen Singh can't have it both ways - claiming an earlier DOB to get promoted and a later DOB to stay longer in office. To protect the morale of the Army and the discipline of listening to orders, Gen Singh must go on May 10th 2012. If not he will be setting a very bad example for the junior officers & soldiers.

This editorial is testament of the fact that there are still some newspapers beyond reproach and cannot be bought over with allurements such as Padma Awards. It takes courage to tell the truth rather than singing for the powers that be. As one can gather, the general has officially intimated through Army channels in early 70s about his date of birth. The Branch mandated to maintain the official records correctly records his DoB. Mysteriously the Branch looking after promotions and postings chose the DoB in his NDA Entry application form which is earlier by one year, in the later stage of his career to tailor a particular line of succession. This the ministry did not realise as the editorial says”.. in the process tread on a proud soldier's sense of honour”. The soldier wants the courts to look at the facts. Who here is afraid of facts?

The controversy over the age of General V.K. Singh arose due to
different sets of records maintained in the Adjutant General and
Military Secretary branches of the Army headquarters.The adjutant
general's branch, which deals with pay, perks and pensions, maintains
Gen. Singh's DOB as May 10, 1951, and the military secretary branch,
which deals with appointments and promotions, has his DOB as May 10,
1950 in its records.General V.K. Singh must be aware of this
discrepancy but he chose to correct the DOB, citing documents, only
with Adjutant General's records.It can be presumed that he
deliberately chose not to amend the other record as it will adversely
affect his promotion chances. He got his last three promotions based
on May 10,1950 as DOB.The editorial has only pointed out the legal
position based on documentary evidences .The General's has
deliberately committed mistake for his personal benefit. His integrity
is thus doubtful and should resign immediately on moral grounds.

The editorial is one sided and does not tell the facts on the government side. Last 2 promotions were given to General on the basis he is born in the year 1950. The General has given in writing that he is accepting 1950 as the birth year and accepted the promotions. In case he had pointed out at the time itself that his birth year is 1951, then the promotion might have gone to another army officer. Now, after taking complete adavantage of birth year as 1950, he is fighting for 1951, when he is about to retire. I expected Hindu to be more objective in this case.

The school leaving certificate gives the birth date and it is an accepted document in issuing even the passport.Moreover the age shall not be a limiting factor in an able man/woman in deciding the retirement at such levels.Only competance matters.

General's last promotions has nothing to do with the present DOB issue.In past general has drawn attention of Def Min to correct his DOB,but very unfortunately Buerocracy prevailed in Army sacrosant domain.This is not a good sign .If the issue is not resolved respectfully & honourably, army will not remain duck-sitted to bear such undemorcatic & unpatriotic attitude of govt.Any miscalulation is must to rebound drastically on govt.Accepting promotions on time is also part &parcle of Mil discipline .

To clear up certain issues: -In army Seniority is based on number of years of service & not on DOB -The AG's branch of the Army is the legal custodian of DOB & it has maintained his DOB as 1952 & not as 1959.It is the MS branch which has reported the date as 1950.The Supreme court will go by the AG's branch since it is the legal custodian.
-He is born in a Military Hospital (since his father was also an army officer) & his records can be checked from there.
-For the record Gen VK Singh is the only Chief who has topped the Rangers Course of the US army which is considered as a real test of a commando(though this has nothing to do with DOB) -The Gen is a soldier's & no nonsense Gen & has risen through merit -He is not just fighting for his DOB.He is fighting against a corrupt system.Just as Anna Hazare did(another soldier)
The nation needs to support such Gens so that honesty & merit matters in the country.

Excellent editorial who is honestly acknowledging the feeling of very diligent person who did entails of Hard work to save our country.Through the editorial people are brimming with new ideas.government is eschewing him self from this topic and behaving like a curt.its plausible that government will scorn by world which will be very disgrace for government.why govt. is making collossal issue instead of showing honour to the person who devoted his life to save the nation.

The simmering conflict between the defence forces and the babus has been going on for a long time and the forces have tolerated everything lying down because, unlike babus and other armed forces (police, BSF, CRPF etc which come under Home Ministry) they are debarred from communicating with the media or form unions to put across their point of view. This is for the first time that a Chief has taken a stand and brought out the unilateral imposition of babus' will upon Defence Forces. Defence Forces have so far tolerated their budgeted billions surrendered every year for taking no decision to acquire new weapons and equipment or improve their pay and promotion structure. Their heroes, widows, war-wounded and veterans are a neglected lot with every new pay commission cunningly cutting corners. Its time all the three Chiefs took bold stands to keep the babus and politicians exposed to save themselves from being treated as mere tools for their advancement and promotions.

The general is a brave soldier, there is no doubt in that. However, he
joined NDA at the age of 15, which was 47 years back. Why did he have
to wait till 2006( full 42 years) to bring this to the notice of the
army. Was it an after-thought of finding himself to be heading the
army. The army rules seem to say that you must get all your records
corrected with-in 2 years of joining the army. Why did he not do this
as per rules. Lastly, the general says he was coerced by seniors to accept this date. Where was his honour and integrity as an officer
then. Why did he accept this date at that time, if he was so upright
and honourable. Is the intention to get an extra year, or to get your
own man as next chief or both.

A very well researched and balance view of the imbroglio. Some sanity in the midst of an insane and intensely politicised media reports on the issue.

Why the editor failed to consider the fact that the Government considered the opinion of 3 Attorney Generals before arriving at a final decision on the General's DOB.

I appreciate ‘The Hindu’ for its unbiased writing style. The editorials and news coverage on social issues such as corruption, poverty, malnutrition, farm suicides etc, are highly laudable. Thanks to Hindu for this editorial which clears the air about the General Singh DOB issue. As it rightly pointed out that the unseemly civilian-military confrontation should have been avoided and it should have been solved amicably. The most worrying part is taking this issue to Supreme Court. At least from now on wards, both departments have to cross check records to make sure that both are having same bio data details of the army so that this kind of confrontations can be avoided. Well, it is not surprising to know that, they refused to give assent to the General Sing’s request of correcting his DOB based on documented proof as he is tough on Corruption.

When the General approaches the court the govt. leaks some letter through media. This makes it clear what annoyed the General. Since He is believed to against corruption and courtmartialled some he enjoys better reputation than his predecessor. Regarding his DOB I lets trust Matriculation certificate
Lets hope Govt. makes amends so that issue is settled amicably.

1.The promotions appear to have been made under 1950 background. 2.The General is right in insisting on the correct date of birth as a honor.3.If the date is accepted by the Govt as anticipated promotions are aborted.4. I suggest that Govt should gracefully concede the date as requested. the General reciprocates by going out on voluntary retirement from the currently due date.5.This solution will save both the faces of general and Govt.

This is a 1-sided editorial...Gen Singh would not have become Army chief based on DOB of 1951...The Gen is trying to eat his cake and have it too

The Hindu's unequivocal stand and separation of the facts from the spin is much needed in an atmosphere of constant disinformation on the matter. It is utterly shocking to read some of the news items appearing on prominent news channels quoting 'anonymous' Govt "sources": Talk of not wanting to arouse 'caste sentiments', ' insubordination', 'endangering civilian command of the armed forces' and much more. This is certainly not the manner in which the Chief of Army Staff should be engaged with by our elected government. The pre existing chasm between the civilian run MOD and the Forces has been left to linger with no solutions for long enough, this episode displays a further lack of understanding of our military's ethos. Lastly to all those civilians who find water in the governments spin, it is an insult to the history of our republics democracy to suggest our Chief of Army Staff is risking civilian supremacy by exercising his legal rights (unfortunate though the affair is).

One do not understand -why this issue was not raised for such a long time.

An excellent and government-guiding editorial. The Defense Ministry should have had an unbiassed common sense in having dealt the case. The initiation of the controversy may impartially be investigated so as to take prophylactic steps in entire administration lest such sordid issues should tarnish the Administration.

It is yet another example of the kind of governance, PM and his team, are dishing out to the Indian public.It has been hanging in the air for over a year now. The Ministry instead of stepping in and putting the issue at rest, lingered on, pushing the general to the Apex court, to redeem his honour. Mr AK Antony should resign owning the so called moral responsibility for this episode and shabby treatment to the highest Army post.For all practical purposes, School certificate is the admitted evidence. Will the govt wake up at this late stage? I wonder.
The General will go down fighting with the civilian govt rather than on the war front. He will have an unceremonious exit . That is the fate of the country.

Well, I am surprised why does it take 36 years for him to raise such a
minor issue!! Also, if honour & integrity is such an issue, then why did
General accept previous promotions with 1950 as DoB? Changing DoB (for
whatever reasons) will affect the succession hierarchy of army and it
will set a very bad precedent for future. Sadly, he has been short-
sighted in putting self-before-service. Moreover, the media should
refrain from hyperbole & portraying it as 'civil vs military' rift,
keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the matter.

a very clear article which in a few words clarifies what appears to be a complicated mess.Cheers to the Hindu editor for this piece of classic precis writing

The UPA government which has fallen so low in public opinion seems keen on bringing down other state institutions which still command some respect. It attempted to dilute the CVC by appointing a man of questionable integrity; It has repeatedly tried to undermine the CAG which provided extensive proof on the low standards of accountability in government; it has repeatedly clashed the Supreme court on various matters. Now it is the turn to besmirch the Armed forces, which are uniformly respected and which in contrast to our neighbors have maintained stellar standards of democracy and respect for civilian control. Instead of resolving the issue in a legal fashion, the government has tried to apply bureaucratic tactics to bring down the general with complete disregard to how it will affect Army morale and the overall security environment. Raising the issue with the Supreme court is a good move by the Army chief.

Brilliantly written piece...hope the government (read thick-skinned MoD mandarins) make amends to redress the General's genuine grievance!

I fully agree with you. However if any benefits like promotion etc., are given based on the wrong date, then the General should gracfully retire this year otherwise the government should change its decision and allow him to retire next year without fighting the case in the Hon. Supreme court.

From the editorial it is very clear that General V. K. Singh's date of birth is on May 10, 1951; however anybody who joins any govt service knows his retirement date also at the beginning of service itself and will be clearly mentioned in his service book. One uses his DOB, date of joining service etc at many occations ( daily how many forms one has to fill!!!) . However it is not clear that which DOB General V. K. Singh regularly uses, hope he uses May 10, 1951 only; otherwise....

Excellent editorial wherin by honestly acknowledging the feelings of an honest and proud soldier, you have done your bit to boost the morale of our country's forces. The Government has obviously blown up the issue to this proportion by not handling it properly.

Blaming bureaucracy even considering it's very incompetent doesn't solve
the matter.It's to be seen how the matter couldn't be resolved at military level.The matter should have been sorted out at the time of appointment.It would have been more appropriate if Gen. V. K. Singh moved SC if he wasn't granted promotion then because of anomaly in DOB.It smells fishy now.Everybody is in the wrong in this including the felicitated General.

I commend The Hindu for bringing out the facts clearly unlike other
newspapers/media houses. The General has been pushed into a corner and
like any upright, honest officer, seeks recourse to protect his honour.
The Govt and the bureaucracy have very badly mishandled this situation
and from the looks of it, intentionally. The Govt is playing a very
dangerous game with the Armed Forces. We owe it to our men in uniform to treat them with enormous dignity and respect.

Congress should act wisely....Otherwise this event may mark the beginning of an era where India may fall into a situation like Pakistan where army revolts are a day to day affair....Its not necessary to politicize every issue.Lets respect the General as lots of sacrifices would have got him the position

Very crisp and comprehensive Editorial. If the application form was wrongly filled and that wrong date of birth has not given any benefit to General and further if he had taken up the matter long time back, PM should have shown the grace of advising MoD to correct the records. Pity it has not happened. Suppose SC turns down his request on some technical grounds, a brilliant General with Dynasty of Services to Nation shall be deprived of natural justice. Let us pray he wins.

It is a good editorial. However, in view of the many recently exposed activities of the UPA governments, I cannot help but wonder whether the UPA's strong determination to replace Gen. Singh as soon as possible, with someone perhaps more agreeable to their desire, has anything to do with the Army's resistance to recent attempts of Congress leaders to remove AFSPA from Kashmir,or please foreign governments through acceptance of Pakistan's terms on Kashmir issue. I hope this is not the case.

It is really sad, but things are happening on expected line, this is how corrupt political class can treat & respect chief of one of the largest & best army. You can not expect any grace from this disgraced political class. India again needs Parshuram.

But as mentioned "Army Headquarters that maintains personal records relating to postings, transfers, and promotions — records him as having been born on May 10, 1950" this is the DOB on which General has received his promotions and the General has accepted that so then on the same basis he should have accepted his retirement and step down gracefully and pave way for further dignity of the governmental proceedings!!!

Our civilian-military relationship has been a matter of national pride and salubrity as compred to that in other nations. Now, the virus of conflict has sneaked into this glorious nexus also. That the reason for this engenders from a faux pas, committed by the bureaucracy not amenable to reason and reality, that maligns the "integrity and honour" of an army officer of proven nobility and commendable character is unfortunate. Perhaps, General V.K.Singh may be a thorn in the flesh of the officialdom subserving the cause of the UPA governmat, for he cannot be coerced to discharge his duties out of the way. When pliant officials wait in the wings of hierarchy, it may pave good for the wire-pullers to remove General Singh from his office. Defence Minister A.K.Antony is wellknown for his integrity. His antecedents constitute saturated decency. He should resolve this issue of ignominy that is likely to assume debasing dimensions in respect of civilian-military relationship.

The issue of date of birth is creation of vested interest. Man Mohan and his Government has been degrading any one who is honest or fights against corruption. Army is the last bastion which is still quite honest, although there is dishonesty, as we all are enrolled from the popul;ationand cannot be kept isolated. The Government has projected its image as protector of corrupt, and hence, want Gen VK Singh out as he has stood against corruption. Lt Gen KT Parnaik is honest and a clear headed Gen. It appears Govt doesnot want him and that is the reason for manipulation at highest level.

Why should government back-down? Does it not hurt the Defence Ministry credibility? General V.K. Singh did not have any problem while using his old DOB for promotion but now it is all about honour and integrity. What non-sense! General V.K Singh is morally corrupt and should step down immediately. It has become a habit for the public to paint political class in a sorry state. I completely support GOI decision. Decision making is not about convenience but taking right decision.

Gen. Singh has signed 3 undertakings, accepting the 1950 DoB, claiming coercion. Coercion cannot or should not work on a senior army officer at his level. Therefore, he must have signed them fully understanding and accepting the reasons. These were clearly conditions related to the criteria for his promotion.
If his application form was incorrect, as a 14 year old, was he eligible for the NDA entrance ? The current minimum age is 16.5 years. Corrections to DoB have to be done within 2 years, an action missed by the General. Such DoB issues are in the hundreds in the Army and all govt. jobs. Hence, rules are made for such correction and therefore they need to be followed. Else, we will have arbitrary discretion and corruption to support such decisions.
The SC will decide and all will have to abide by the judgement. Gen Singh has a right to appeal (though in my view not the wisdom to refrain). The govt has the right (and the duty) to go by the rules and fight the case in the SC.

A very lucid and elaborated editorial has been given by the Hindu team. A lacuna in the central govt.has yet again shown by the administration. The weakness in handling the issues are occurring on daily basis. Behaving in this manner,govt. just drowning and loosing his vote bank.This is totally mishandled case.This would have been better if kept matter indoor.

Government again blundered for uncalled litigation. The hotheadedness and its tactics of delaying the decision is hallmark of our beauracray. Today in the courts many of the pending cases are between government and employees. Nobody takes decision in time, rather they shirk their duties. Gentleman, it is known fact, approved by the Apex court that matriculation certificate or date of birth certificate are the instruements to be relied upon for any controversy. Now if you donot believe it, it means many of beaurocrats , leaders have entered wrong information in the papers. Strange logic put forth by the Attorny General of India (as per newspaper reports). Its not that Singh is becoming egoisitic it is the Government which is behaving in most callous manner.

It seems someone really wants to get Gen Singh off early as the decision on 1950 as his birthdate by the MoD and the MS branch refuses to acknowledge his birthdate which is recorded in his father's military service records. With this decision the Army and MoD are questioning the authenticity of a document issued by an Army hospital and the service records of his father too!! Definitely its going to get the goat of any self respecting citizen leave alone a decorated soldier for whom Izzat is above all else and no smear on it can be tolerated. This is because the service records charts not only the professional life of the office it also records his personal details in terms of name of wife, marriage date, childrens names and birthdates and is used for pension and next of kin requirements. With this one decision a Pandora's box will be opened wherein the service records of an officer or official docs issued by the AG's branch, Army can be called into question. Hope the SC notes this.

I dont understand why everybody is blaming the government. Had his
date of birth been 1951 was he eligible to join the army in 1966 the
36th batch of NDA. I dont think so. He or his teacher as per him faked
his age so that he could join the army. Isn't submission of wrong date
of birth a crime.He should have been dismissed on that very day itself
when his date of birth in his application and the actual were
contradictory.This may open a floodgates. Many officer may come up
with the same story to change their date of birth.This issue should be
solve as quickly as possible.

Having served in the Army for over 36 years, I checked my records in the
AG'Branch three times and updated any shortfalls I noticed. Civilian
record-keepers were proud of their job and made us comfortable during
our visit. Military Secretaries Branch was strict NO-NO. You never knew
what data they presented to promotion boards. So much for the
credibility of two wings of Army. Sir, an excellent editorial.

Indeed it is a small issue, if this had been corrected in time! PM should have intervened when the issue came and resolved. It is again proved that PM is very slow in acting on any sensitive and important issues!

I think Check all the Age proof of PM and Ministers also Babus who are in this issue. I am sure most of them will have fake certificates only. Fire all of them. This is Shame to Govt. for mishandle this issue. Our Army is Supreme and Its insult is showing the insensivity of our Burocracy. Seems there is no functioning Govt. In India. Every matter related to nation is mishandles or no decisions weather it is related to finance, corruption or Border security. All army deals for arms are delayed or nowhere in conclusion. Every month one of our fighter Jet is down , We have old medieval guns and arms. If burocracy will hold this country then again our neighbours will bite our borders. God Please save us from this Sleeping corrupt Government.

The enlightening editorial is worth reading which plumbs the depth the reasons as to why the centre shuts its doors in lieu of accommodating the version of the army chief. That his honest track record did not spare the tainted army officers mired in Adarsh scam, has given a new twist to this imbroglio. The national security rests with our prestigious Defence ministry and its unconvincing defence in DOB row is unfortunate.

I can't believe that the newspaper of your reputation is giving just a
one sided view on this topic.I dont understand why everybody is
blaming the government. Had his DOB been 1951,was he eligible to join
the army in 1966 the 36th batch of NDA. I dont think so. He or his
teacher as per him,faked his age so that he could join the army. Isn't
submission of or providing wrong DOB a crime.He should have been
dismissed on that very day itself when his DOB in his application and
the actual were contradictory. Is Hindu trying to convey to the people
of India that we can filled up wrong DOB and then asked to change it
later on for our convenience.

Like many other issues that have assumed gigantic proportions because of the 'guidance' provided to the UPA government by its 'trusted' advisors, this issue is one more example of the absence of common sense, as aptly pointed out in the editorial.The UPA II regime is marked by avoidable lethargy,negligence,and to cap it all, by sheer arrogance.Unfortunately, there seems to be no wise counsel available within the government to deftly handle any of the issues that have rocked the nation in the recent few years.By accepting the year of birth on the basis of the voluminous documents provided by the Army Chief, the government would have saved its image gracefully.It failed to do so. General Singh is not a politician trying to stick to his chair and promote his family interests by any means, but an honourable officer who leads a force that is ever ready to sacrifice everything in guarding the nation. When and how will the government realise this simple truth and fact and correct its ways?

The Hindu's editorial in definitely one sided. The general's story is not that elegant. He was forced to accept another date of birth according to him, on the verge of promotion. This does not bode well for a wannabe general. He is supposed stand up against wrong doing . Is he not, especially in his own case? Else how will he protect others?

This is an excellent editorial, sane, sensible and based on reality of the situation and the background. The government could have easily solved this problem through respectful negotiations with General V.K.Singh. Yet it failed as has been the case on many vital issues.
Even now it is not too late for the government to retract the steps it is planning to take in the court instead of bravado. The Supreme Court has time and again maintained that the matriculation certificate and / or the birth certificate are the ones that should be relied upon in the event of a dispute relating to one's date of birth.

This is a reflection of a sorry state of decision making . Such acts puts Indian bureaucracy/politicians in poor light . But is the matter as simple as it's written up here? Can we really understand this issue without having any inkling of calculations/game/ego fight behind the curtains , which this article talks in a tangential manner

Defense Minister has informed the Parliament that General V.K. Singh, got his last three promotions based on the basis of May 10,1950 as DOB. Why did the General keep quite at the time of his promotions? Army Chief can not fry ignorance of rules and procedure. In spite of General V.K. Singh having irrefutable evidences in the form of a birth certificate and a school-leaving certificate,there is something fishy in the entire episode.It is in the interest of Army's prestige the brave and highly decorated officer should voluntarily relinquish his post on May,10, 1952. Army Chief must be above suspicion.

This is definitely an unfortunate episode on the mix up of dates. However, one cannot help wondering why the General did not decline or even react when he was given promotions based on 1950 DOB - from what i understand from media reports this was within his full knowledge (and there is no report to the contrary) - is this a case of issue of convenience?

A very balanced and honest editorial. Just when one was losing hope and assuming that all media on this topic has been bought, at least there are some newspapers who are not willing to put just about any unresearched, slanted stories quoting "sources" that besmirch an honest soldier. No facts, but only innuendos. Well done.

Thanks to Hindu for clearing the matter up. UPA Govt. is committing one
mistake after another and then they take a so called stupid aggressive
approach instead of correcting the mistake. "offence is the best
defence" : this quote has left a deep impression on UPA govt's mind. But they forget that this is not applicable on every case. You cant murder a
person and goes on being offensive that you did a right as person
derserved to be murdered. They are acting same in this matter also as
they did in past.

Thank God there's the Hindu- your editorial gives a perspective that has been missing in most media reports. Our journalism by and large has descended from reasoned reportage to frenzied insinuations. The last I read, Gen. Singh was backed by BJP!??!?

It is usual in the government service that issues regarding date of birth of its employees is not settled till the fag end of the employee's service. However, it is surprising that the case of even the chief of the army staff should be treated with such callousness. In the light of the indisputable evidence in support of the date of birth claimed by the general, the government should abide by its own instructions and the guidelines of the apex court in this regard and settle the issue without leaving it to the supreme court to give a direction. Let the brave soldier complete his service with satisfaction and honour.

Really good editorial. From the day one after coming to power,this government is handling every issue very causally. Mr Manmohan Singh has taken the name as "Sleeping PM". Now even the Defense minister Mr A K Antony started following our PM!!

Compliments to The Hindu for the bold editorial presenting a clear picture of the sordid and wholly avoidable issue of the date of birth controversy of Gen. V.K. Singh. Indeed the “issue has the makings of an unseemly civilian-military confrontation that could easily have been avoided had plain common sense prevailed over bureaucratic thick-headedness.” Yes! common sense that has become very uncommon in UPA 2 dispensation these days. We are unable to get away from the impression that even an honest administrator like Anthony is unable shakes free bureaucratic tail wagging the dog syndrome, taking advantage of a very weak political leadership. However loudly it may be proclaimed that “Age row not affecting Defence Ministry-Armed forces ties”, people of the country are not fooled. If this is true we are unable to comprehend the sorry spectacle of dirty linen being washed in public.

A brilliant ,brave man who has devoted his life for national service must be given honour for a genuine cause.The indirect message sent by the govt. should successfully be amended in near future for the army and nation.

Clearly this article will provide a source of knowledge to the people, who think that Mr V.K Singh wants to cling the power as far as possible.Consecutive short-sightedness of Congress on public matters will be catastrophic for its future.Congress must provide a stringent look on corruption -stainted people rather than trying every step to protect them.Only then It could justify that it's a party who belongs to Mahatma Gandhi.

It seems that the Govt is afraid of Mr.V.K.Singh's presnce as Army chief.

A sensible editorial1

A balanced view has been presented in your editorial. One cannot find fault with the General for having aproached the court for seeking justice. He is holding the high office of Army Chief, but he is also an individual. If he needs to seek justice to redress his own grievances, where he should go? I think he has a right to approach the court to seek justice.

a well balanced editorial.it exposes the arrogant attitude of the babus, in handling the the most respected & trusted organisation of this country. it is time that the people in armed forces /serving /retied are given the respect they deserve.

Fiddling with age to gain an extra year or two of service has been a national pastime in Independent India more so in the Northern hemisphere of the country. One reason has been late start to education and need to catch up. In the case of the Army Chief in parenthesis one cannot help feeling he has preferred to sit on the fence and sought to cry foul after enjoying his tenure as Chief which perhaps would not have been available to him as there might have been other chronological claimants to the coveted post at the time of his elevation on the basis of seniority. In hind sight the present Army Chief has been an opportunist now seeking to seek redressal through judicial intervention with an air of injured innocence. Tampering with age is well known on the field of sports to enjoy a longer tenure in age related competitions which now is mercifully eradicated thanks to medical intervention in the form of biological tests. Proper birth certificates will end the age old malaise.

The UPA has been hell bent on demolishing institutions - the parliament,
the judiciary, the CBi, the CEC and the CVC and now it has embarked on
the Army. What else can be expected of such a corrupt dispensation ?

The government has created a labyrinth out of a simple issue. The reocrds should have been corrected earlier with the Military Secretary - In India, a matriculation certificate is a conclusive proof for a persons date of birth. I completely feel at home with the sentiment created by the article. I also noticed the mainstream acting as a spokesperson for the government on this same. Well done Hindu for publishing this unbaised and straightforward editorial. Moreover, I feel there is more to this issue than seems on the surface - by far this has been the most corrupt government we got since independence, or perhaps, this one has been highlighted for its corruption.

There could be many other reasons as to why the Defence Ministry is insisting on the 1950 birth date. It is only surprising why this dispute has come at a late stage in his career. He must have had many chances to get it corrected earlier in his career. Further it is surprising that certificates were not checked by the MS Branch against his application when he joined as a cadet.There seem to be many mysteries in this case and the Supreme Court has a problem on hand to unravel this mystery.

Inaction is the halmark of this government. But it is leaving a very bad impression about the affairs of defence. This is an unncessary controversy. DOB in the school leaving certificate should be official and this issue should be closed immediately. As usual vested interests are playing their part. We have more urgent matters to focus our energy on, not on non issues. Is inaction a good virtue of government? Lead if not get out of the way.

You lay out the case well that Adjutant branch-the official keeper of Army personnel record should be the one to go by- not the Army secretary office. Defense secretary and minister are bone headed about this. PM should find a honorable solution to this petty matter and settle it quickly before India's political system and bureaucracy are scorned by the world.

Excellent editorial. No other newspaper has brought out the facts so clearly and neatly. The advice to the government to close the issue by accepting the year 1951 speaks of the paper's concern for truth and the national interest.

A just battle by an honourable soldier of our Nation. It is a pity that such immaculate people need to be treated like this. A Nation must first learn to honour its heroes.

I dont know how we (civilians) keep check on Corruption in Army - since I believe it is neither under CAG nor RTI covers it. One thing which is clear is - this issue is just a tip of iceburg which is visible. Even as a civilian it is easy to understand what Dignity for such a high army officer means. Its a duty of all civilians to respect our armed forces who stand up on the wall and guard us. Reaching out Supreme Court is the right of Army Chief.

Well written.

This govt. has again showed that it does not care about people who want to respect and follow the rule of law. Peaceful protestors are mishandled while separatist elements are given protection. The govt. has to realize that this is a great mistake.

FYI: You can get a class 10th ceritficate for 50 bucks. And it's more of an ego battle fort he General now. As far as his action against the corrupt leadership was concerned, that was again more our of vengence (again for not accepting 1951 as his date of birth). He should be immediately sacked.