Close on the heels of the 2G verdict comes the Supreme Court's flaying of the government in the Army Chief's date of birth issue. Unnecessarily, a small issue has been blown up. The episode makes one recall the proverb “a stitch in time saves nine.” Had the government machinery taken right action at the right time — when the controversy first arose — the unhealthy consequences could have been averted. It was just an administrative lapse which could have been fixed.
T.V. Nageswara Rao,
Visakhapatnam
When General V.K. Singh could accept his promotions to three grades on the basis of his birth year as 1950, why is he fighting for his DoB to be revised on the eve of his retirement? What was convenient for seniority is not convenient for retirement? That said, it would have been appropriate for the government to have set the record straight by clearing the confusion while giving the promotion in the first instance.
V. Sethumadhavan,
Chennai
On reading the article “The controversy over age … then and now” (Open Page, Jan. 29), I was reminded of a similar instance in the early 1970s when a Medical Lieutenant Colonel sought a change in his DoB. He succeeded in his endeavour and rose to the highest rank in the Armed Forces Medical Services, retiring in the early 1980s.
In the armed forces, many officers do not know what information about them is maintained in the headquarters. Though Army Lists are published every two years giving the particulars, very few junior officers check the lists in the early years of service and miss the opportunity to rectify errors, if any. In my own case, my civil service of five years and 117 days from Nov. 3, 1957 to April 22, 1963, was counted for pension and this was published in successive Army lists in the late 1970s. However in the Army List of the early 1980s, the period was shown as 5 years and 17 days only. I took it up with the authorities. Fortunately, the matter was settled favourably for me.
The government writing to the Adjutant-General to “correct” Gen. Singh's DoB is a dangerous trend. The General cannot be faulted for seeking legal remedy.
Lt. Col. Dr. G Kameswara Rao (retd.),
Secunderabad
