NEW DELHI: A partially implemented career progression scheme seems to have affected the morale in the Army. Several gallantry award winners have been left out in the latest list of promotions due to paucity of posts at senior levels.

Of the 700 Lieutenant Colonels who sat for the boards for selection of Colonels this year, only 128 could make it. Among those not considered for promotion was Sonam Wangchuk, only surviving Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) award winner in the batch.

A Major during the Kargil War, Lt. Col. Wangchuk led an assault on a 18,000 feet high key Pakistan position that commanded an overview of the entire Chorbat-La area of the Batalik sector. A news report at that time said, "his incredible bravery won him a [instant] commendation from the Chief of the Army Staff, the first in the ongoing war." He was later awarded the MVC. He technically has two more chances, besides the option of making a non-statutory representation to the higher authorities.

S. C. Rana, a Kirti Chakra winner, too has not been promoted. He is the sole survivor among the four awarded the Kirti Chakra in 2002.

Of the 21 Sena Medal winners among the 492 "fresh cases" out of 700 Lt. Colonels (some from earlier batches were trying again), 13 were not promoted.

The Government had addressed the need for youthful officers at the junior level because they take part in direct combat operations. A newly commissioned Lieutenant (and its equivalent rank in the Navy and the Air Force) is now promoted to the next rank after two years instead of the earlier four. A Captain becomes a Major after six years instead of 10.

Time-based promotion

The `not-so-young' profile of commanding officers has been corrected by introducing time-based promotion to the rank of Lt. Colonel and a time scale for Colonel. As a result, 750 posts of Lt. Colonels to Colonels were upgraded in the past two years.

But that was 20 months ago. Since then, the Defence Ministry had been unable to effectively address the consequent problem of an enlarged base with fewer posts at the top.

Apart from enlisting a private advertising agency to make commercials on the appeal of a career in the Army, the Ministry of Defence has made little headway in convincing other Ministries to make the Short Service Commission more attractive and in obtaining additional deputations and absorption opportunities in other arms of the Government.

It has also been unable to implement recommendations relating to more industrial attachments and relaxation of age and course paper norms for the civil service examinations.

However, many officers feel the Army should improve the method of assessing their capability. In part II of the "basic assessment" of the annual confidential report (ACR), the marks given for "moral courage" and "tenacity" have varied widely over the years for the same officer though he had won gallantry awards during direct combat.

To curb demoralisation, the Army top brass has indicated setting up of a special merit review board for the left-out officers.

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