An update: Raucous debate in Twitter over #NFU2Fauj

This post is meant to have us thinking of how NFU should be implemented because the bureaucrats will keep using the DoP&T policy letters to delay implementation of the Court's judgment. This post in NOT meant to deprive anyone of NFU, as has been alleged in an email.

Further, comments of a personal nature are not appreciated as this blog is to provide information and have intelligent minds thinking of solutions.

Thank youi 

I spent a better part of eleven months witnessing and some times commenting on the demand, vociferous and raucous at times, strident and verging on malevolence at other times on why the Armed Forces should not be denied NFU. 

Yes, why should the Armed Forces be denied NFU if every other GoI organisation is being made eligible?

OK, as the matter is sub-judice awaiting an order from the honourable Supreme Court, I will not venture into that area but, supposing the Court does award the NFU to Armed Forces, how will it be implemented?

Over the past few years, after discussions with officers from Army and Air Force Pay Cells, I have framed a few aspects for the consideration of all logical rational, sane thinking readers of this blog. Here are my observations.

  

1. The scheme, effective 1.1.2006 is that all Organised Group A Services who have not been considered for promotion when an All India Services (IAS, IFS, IFoS, IPS) batch has been empanelled for promotion will be awarded the NFU i.e. one increment and next higher grade pay.

For example given in the GoI letter – if 1987 batch of AIS are empanelled for promotion, all Or Gp A Org Services people will get one increment and the next higher Grade Pay. This was in the Sixth CPC regime.

2. In the Seventh CPC regime as Grade Pay has been abolished, is the NFU essentially one increment in the same (existing) level? Or does one cross over to the next higher Level i.e. it is a promotion and not a NFU?

Implications for Armed Forces: 

3. Army, Navy and Air Force have same time frames for promotion from Lt & equivalent to Lt Col & equivalent i.e. Commissioning + 2 years  Lt to Capt; Commissioning +6 years Capt to Major and Commissioning + 13 years Major to Lt Col and finally Commissioning + 26 years Lt Col to Col (TS).        

4. However, Army has further micro-time framed it i.e. different time frames, say for Col (Sel) – Commissioning + 16 years for Arms (Armd Corps, Infantry, Arty etc); Commissioning + 17 years for Support Arms (AD Arty etc) and Commissioning +18 years for Support Services (AOC, ASC, etc). For more details see the judgment in the Command-Exit policy case judgment.

5. Then there are different time frames in the Navy – Executive and other Branches and in Air Force – Flying, Technical and Ground Duties.

So how will Armed Forces set the Benchmark

6. So the common bench mark like 1987 batch AIS vis-à-vis 1985 batch Org Gp A Services may have to be discarded. Then, will each Service have different promotion time frames based on Cadre (Arms/Support Arms/Service in Army; Executive/Non-Executive/Technical in Navy; and Flying/Technical/Ground Duties in Air Force)? 

7. If that happens, then what happens to OROP because next increment is awarded to some one 2 years later but his batch mate(s) awarded Col (Select) Rank & equivalent is/are already enjoying 2 increments @ one increment per year?

Will Promotion policies & Retirement ages have to be modified?

8. Will they have to be changed by

8.1.Empanelment will have to be year–wise and not course 

wise or Cadre wise.

8.2. Then there cannot be supercession because NFU cannot be awarded to one who has been considered as “not having met the grade for promotion”. So based on Minimum Performance Level (MPR) all will be empanelled?

8.3. Then, will Services have to promote based on merit i.e maintain 3 lists – all empanelled, all placed in order of merit and all considered not fit for promotion. 

                                                                                        

8.4. Presently in the Air Force's Ground Duties branches, Gp Capt (TS) superannuate at 57 years of age (Supreme Court judgment in UoI Vs Gp Capt Atul Shukla & Others). All other Gp Capts & equivalents in Army and Navy superannuate at 54 years of service. Will this retirement age have to be modified for Army and Navy's equivalent ranks in TS?

Food for thought?