Battling Man-Power Shortages: Indian Army To Cut HQ Postings, Deploy Re-Employed Officers

In response to a significant shortage of officers at the Major and Captain rank levels, the Indian Army is planning to reduce the number of staff-officers posted at various Army headquarters and is exploring the possibility of appointing re-employed officers to these positions.

Presently, the Army is grappling with a shortage of 8,129 officers, including those in the Army Medical Corps and Army Dental Corps.

Additionally, the Navy and the Indian Air Force are facing shortages of 1,653 and 721 officers, respectively.

Currently, mid-level officers holding the rank of Major are typically assigned their first staff appointments within various corps, command, and division headquarters after approximately six years of service.

Staff appointments involve handling policy formulation and coordination across various subjects, in contrast to unit appointments where officers are primarily responsible for operational and ground actions.

The exposure to staff appointments prepares officers for subsequent command roles throughout their careers.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the latest proposal entails a temporary reduction in some of these staff appointments within headquarters, until the officer shortage is mitigated.

As part of this initiative, junior and mid-level officers of Major and Colonel ranks, presently serving in staff appointments at various headquarters may be reassigned to their units upon completing their slated tenure of 24 months.

The appointment of re-employed officers is under consideration to fulfill these roles, the IE report says.

Re-employed officers are individuals who serve in the Army for two to four years after retiring from active duty, holding the ranks of Brigadier and Colonel.

While re-employed officers are primarily assigned to tackle the officer shortage, they are typically assigned to positions one rank below their retiring rank.

Most retirees who held the rank of Colonel or Brigadier serve in appointments typically reserved for Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel ranks, while a few Lieutenant Colonels may secure positions intended for the Major ranks.

Currently, the Indian Army comprises approximately 600 re-employed officers. Re-employment within the Army is voluntary.

These officers are mostly senior in rank compared to existing staff officers, and some of them may have previously held similar appointments two to three decades ago.

As a result, their deployment will likely be limited to select positions, the IE report stated.