Vetting process for next Army Chief begins : Seniority Still Remains The Best Unbiased Choice
The vetting for selection of the next Chief of the Army Staff has begun, with a list of six top officers being considered for the post after the retirement of incumbent General Bipin Rawat at the end of the year.
When an Officer is selected as a Lt General and then cleared to command an operational Corps, it means that he is capable of directing and carrying out all types of military operations. Once he has successfully commanded a Corps then he is fit to command an Army or to become the Army Chief.
Now the selection for Army Chief is made from among the six Army Commanders and the Vice Chief. Even the Chief of Staff to the Chairman Chief of Staff Committee may be included in the list in case he is from the Army. The selection is to be done by the Cabinet Committee on security. The CCS members are neither from the military nor generally have put in any military service. Therefore they have no military acumen to judge the military proficiency/ efficiency or deficiency of any of the candidates vis a vis the others.
So from the service records, how will the CCS decide as to who is the best candidate for the post of COAS. Only the the outgoing chief, being a military person may make a recommendation which certainly will not be binding.
Making any selection based on any non military considerations and from inputs which are in case from sources who have no transparency in the first place, then it is most objectionable. The selection will be highly subjective and biased.
Also in a scenario where the integrity of the CCS may itself be doubtful, then the Nation may have to pay a very happy price. This has been adequately demonstrated by our neighbours.
Hence the guillotine must be used in the most transparent and fair manner when selecting our LT Generals.
Thereafter when time comes for selection of the Chief then rightly, rest every thing being equal, the choice should be left to God ……that is seniority of service and in case of being from the same course, then by Commission Number.The old convention of seniority must apply.
At the top of the list are the Eastern Army and then the Northern Army Commanders — both of whom have rich operational and command experience and a good track record when it comes to anti-insurgency operations. Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, who is currently the Eastern army Commander, would be the seniormost officer of the Indian Armywhen General Rawat retires in December end.
The Sikh Light Infantry officer has commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Kashmir, has served in the Assam Rifles and has been posted as the defence attache to Myanmar. For a short duration he was also posted as the head of the Army’s Training Command in December 2017.
The Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, also has an equally enviable career record. The government broke from tradition by choosing him as the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) in 2016 despite him being approved to command a Corps level formation.
The officer, who belongs to the Dogra regiment, was a Major General in the military operations department when surgical strikes were planned in 2015.
While the selection process will look into the service record of both officers, there’s also speculation that the much delayed restructuring of the top military brass may also be in the offing in the coming months.
