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Indian Air Force - News Folder - January 2004
Re: Indian Air Force - News Folder - January 2004
Government clips Air Chief's powers
[Business Standard, 21 January 2004
Following evidence of a 'highly personalised' use of the discretionary quota in promotions available to the Chief of Air Staff, the government last month cut the quota from 20% to 5%. Doing away with the minimum performance criteria, where officers above the rank of air commodore were selected on the basis of merit, vacancy and seniority, a new policy of 'deep selection' was introduced, reportedly ordered by the defence ministry.
Under this, the Chief of Air Staff was able to exercise his discretion to the extent of 20% for all senior-level promotions. Out of a 100-point scale on which senior IAF officers were graded prior to a promotion, the Chief's recommendation had 20% weightage. This has been reduced to 5%. The decision follows several instances of quixotic promotions as a result of which many IAF officers have gone to court.
Air Marshal TS Chhatwal went to court in protest against the IAF's decision not to give him an extension. The high court found that Air Marshal Chhatwal's dossier was 'fudged and manipulated' by the reviewing officer and the Chief of Air Staff gave him only 5.5 points with the sole object of keeping the petitioner out of the criteria (for promotion). Air Vice Marshal Harish Masand's case is being reviewed after he put in a statutory complaint. Air Vice Marshal Masand was denied a promotion as Air Marshal because of the alleged use of discretionary powers by the Chief of Air Staff. Other cases in which senior officers were superseded are also being reviewed.
[Business Standard, 21 January 2004
Following evidence of a 'highly personalised' use of the discretionary quota in promotions available to the Chief of Air Staff, the government last month cut the quota from 20% to 5%. Doing away with the minimum performance criteria, where officers above the rank of air commodore were selected on the basis of merit, vacancy and seniority, a new policy of 'deep selection' was introduced, reportedly ordered by the defence ministry.
Under this, the Chief of Air Staff was able to exercise his discretion to the extent of 20% for all senior-level promotions. Out of a 100-point scale on which senior IAF officers were graded prior to a promotion, the Chief's recommendation had 20% weightage. This has been reduced to 5%. The decision follows several instances of quixotic promotions as a result of which many IAF officers have gone to court.
Air Marshal TS Chhatwal went to court in protest against the IAF's decision not to give him an extension. The high court found that Air Marshal Chhatwal's dossier was 'fudged and manipulated' by the reviewing officer and the Chief of Air Staff gave him only 5.5 points with the sole object of keeping the petitioner out of the criteria (for promotion). Air Vice Marshal Harish Masand's case is being reviewed after he put in a statutory complaint. Air Vice Marshal Masand was denied a promotion as Air Marshal because of the alleged use of discretionary powers by the Chief of Air Staff. Other cases in which senior officers were superseded are also being reviewed.