The Need For Retirement Rank Normalisation For OROP

Whatever be the reason for the distinct sound of sand in the OROP gear box, there now appears to be no major conceptual hurdle to implementing it.

The only thing, one which I have stressed upon repeatedly in the past, and one which could use a bit of repetition here, albeit briefly, is if a Commissioned Officer, a JCO, a Havildar, Naik, Sepoy did x years of service before retiring in year y, that must have a direct bearing on the pension that he now earns, not just the rank he retired with in year "y".

This, needless to say, can only apply to time bound ranks. Unless it is firmly grasped that a failure to do so would only be introducing another basis of inequity and disparity, our efforts in obtaining some form of delayed justice through OROP would have fallen short.

If we apply a bit of mind to the concept of a rank, starting with ranks given with time bound promotions, the first thing that ought to strike anyone is that it is a complex entity. It is not just the sum total of the consonants and vowels that comprise the word that denotes a rank. There is a vital need to be able to differentiate between the "nomenclature" and "description" associated with a "Rank".

A rank obtained on the basis of time bound promotions can be seen to be dependent on several variables and hence is not a constant itself.

One simple depiction of a rank as follows ought to yield some very logical inferences, without the intervention of words:

ser@pr
R
ret_yr


tc







Where R~ "nomenclature" of rank; ser@pr~No. of years of service at promotion; tc~type of commission; ret_yr~year of retirement




Then, clearly, a veteran would not just have a retirement rank of M-A-J-O-R. It would be one of the following :

06
Maj
2005
11
Maj
1995
14
Maj
1975






pc

pc

pc



Or












13
Lt Col
2005
18~20
Lt Col
1995










pc

pc



















To put it in plain language, each one of those  three Maj ranks are not "one rank". Similarly, the two Lt Col ranks are different, hence the "inequality" sign.

Therefore, by hind-sight, before getting on board the OROP bandwagon, there was a need to come to terms with what was meant by “One Rank”. But having come this far, and “complexities” now being cited as a basis for the need to be “patient”, a quick fix solution, to the variability of criteria for time bound promotions needs to be urgently incorporated into any envisaged resolution of the “complexities”.

This merely re-states, at what is perceived to be a crucial juncture, some ideas expressed in the past.

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