After seeking a slew of clarifications over the past five months, the Ministry of Defence today cleared the much-awaited promotions of senior Army officers, albeit with a rider.
Despite the clearance of the promotion list today, the Ministry will separately review the promotion policy which, at present, allows for five discretionary marks to an officer based on the judgement of the top commanders of the Army, sources said.
The list cleared today has promotions for Brigadiers who will become Major Generals and those for Major Generals who will be promoted as Lieutenant Generals. In the Army, all officers are not promoted to the next rank. It is a selection process. Those who are left out retire and do not carry on till 60 years of age. Over 40 Major Generals and 60 Brigadiers have been considered by the Army boards for promotions.
The promotion boards were conducted by the Army in the middle of October 2011 and had been pending ratification by the Ministry of Defence. In case of officers who have been promoted as Major Generals, the Defence Minister is competent to ratify and the same and that has been done, said a senior functionary while adding that the cases of those to be promoted as Lt Generals have been sent to the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister.
Crucially, some of the Major General who are to be promoted as Lt Generals, were slated to retire on March 31. A promotion will mean they will serve for two more years that is till the age of 60.