Uncertainty over Indian Army chief’s age rages
December 26th, 2011 - 8:42 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) Uncertainty over the year of birth of Indian Army chief Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh continues, with all indications that Defence Minister A.K. Antony may not respond to a statutory complaint from the former submitted in August this year.
The controversy relates to the army chief’s request, made over a year ago, for restoring his date of birth as May 10, 1951, in the army’s official records, which also had May 10, 1950 as the year of birth.
The complaint’s 90-day mandatory period for a response ended a month ago, but Antony has maintained that he was not bound by the Army Act under which the statutory plea had been made by Gen. Singh.
Defence ministry sources said Monday that Antony will, however, reply to the complaint from the army chief, but say he was not competent to sit on judgement over the age controversy as it involved legal issues.
The minister would go by the advice of the legal officers.
Gen. Singh had submitted his statutory complaint in August over a month after the defence ministry rejected his request to change his birth year from 1950 to 1951, based on the recommendations of the attorney general, who had rejected the demand.
Antony also informed parliament then that the age was fixed with 1950 as the year of birth when his case came up for appointment as army commander and earlier as corps commander, and hence he will retire in May 2012.
The army chief’s age had become controversial as a change in the year could upset the line of succession of the 1.13-million strong army.
If 1951 is accepted, Gen. Singh would be entitled to serve another nine months than his scheduled retirement on May 31, 2012.
If he retires in 2012, the present Eastern Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh, is likely to take over as the next army chief. If Gen. Singh’s tenure gets extended, then the present Northern Army commander, Lt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik, may get to head the army.
The army chief had earlier sought the opinion of five legal experts including four retired chief justices of India: G.B. Patnaik, V.N. Khare, R.C. Lahoti and J.S. Verma, apart from former solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam.
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- It's official: 1950 is army chief's year of birth (Timeline) - Feb 10, 2012
- Amidst age row, Indian Army chief meets key aides - Jan 02, 2012
- Government reiterates order on Army chief's age issue, to settle case in court (Lead) - Jan 29, 2012
- Indian Army chief sues government over his age plea (Second Lead) - Jan 16, 2012
- Army chief's age plea before Supreme Court Friday - Feb 09, 2012
- Government to settle army chief age issue in court, not administratively - Jan 29, 2012
- Indian Army chief will retire in 2012, rules Antony - Jul 21, 2011
- Letter on army chief my personal opinion: Amarinder - Jan 03, 2012
- Age row: Army chief files statutory complaint - Aug 29, 2011
- Decision on Indian Army chief's age soon: Antony - Apr 25, 2011
- Antony blames army for chief's age row (Lead) - Jan 31, 2012
- Government, army chief set for legal battle (Evening Lead) - Jan 17, 2012
Tags: antony, army act, army chief, army commander, bikram singh, birth year, corps commander, defence minister, defence ministry, indian army, judgement, line of succession, mandatory period, ministry sources, New Delhi, nine months, northern army, plea, rages, vijay kumar