General Bikram Singh takes over as Indian Army Chief

[ajtr]

Army chief Gen Bikram Singh lifts ban on Lt Gen Suhag's promotion, reverses V K Singh's decision



:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::

so next COAS in line of succession has ready been decided and all hurdles are being cleared for future COAS .

 

[amitkriit]

Repeating word "secular" is ladder to success in india.Doesnt matter if its fake secularism.If Gen.B.K.Singh is serious about secular apolitical army then let him first demonstrate it by doing muslim census in army as proposed by sachar.

Pakistan must prove that it is a self respecting nation of "pures" by stopping itself from getting droned by those Kafir birds. Secularism doesn't mean special treatment for Indian Muslims, it means equal treatment.

 

[Tronic]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

Neither is Pakistan its just another formidable military competitor to the west.

LOL.

A desperate plea for attention.

 

[ajtr]

Many challenges for General

General Bikram Singh assumed charge as the 25th Chief of the Indian Army on Thursday, May 31 and received the ceremonial baton from his predecessor – General VK Singh. The turbulence and controversy generated by General VK Singh's defiant actions and statements on various issues during the last phase of his tenure has created an environment that is not conducive to what may be described as a 'smooth' transition – and there are many challenges – both personal and professional that General Bikram Singh (better known as 'Bikki') would have to address almost immediately.

A small mention here of the Sikh Light Infantry (LI) regiment in which General Bikram was commissioned in March 1972 – that is more than 40 years ago. One of the elite regiments of the Indian Army, the Sikh LI can be legitimately proud of the fact that it has thrown up two Army Chiefs in recent years – the first being General Ved Malik who was the Chief during the Kargil War of 1999.

Tracing their origins to the first Corps of Mazhabi Sikh Pioneers which was formed in 1850, the modern Sikhl LI was formed in 1944 and earned its spurs in the Burma campaign of World War II. Post 1947, the regiment has been deployed in every major combat operation and theatre and the new Chief epitomizes the valor and spirit that is sacred to the military as an institution and of which the Indian Army has been an outstanding exemplar for more than 200 years.

Restoring the ̩lan and combat readiness of the Indian Army which has taken a beating over the last decade plus will be of paramount importance for the new Chief and his predecessor had highlighted the scale of the inadequacies in the Army's inventory in the letter to the Prime Minister Рwhich alas was leaked.

However this is only one of the many challenges that the new Army Chief will have to address and the other two which are equally critical are to remove the 'bitterness' in civil-military relations that the Raksha Mantri had referred to; and ensure that all the issues raised by his predecessor are pursued – and taken to their logical conclusion – within the time available to him.

The first remarks made to the media on May 31 are encouraging and along expected lines. Very prudently the new Chief refused to comment on his predecessor's actions – despite the latter having made some veiled and less than complimentary references to the Eastern Command, which Gen. Bikram was heading prior to elevation to Chief. These remarks were in relation to the case of Lt. General Dalbir Suhag – whose appointment as the Army Commander in Kolkata has been placed on hold by General VK Singh.

It is this personal context that will prove to be a major test to the new Chief's perspicacity and leadership qualities. One of the central elements of the many controversies associated with the VK Singh tenure is the date of birth issue. There is a widely held perception that this was engineered by previous Army Chiefs to ensure than Gen. Bikram would become the Army Chief in mid 2012. The favoritism twist to this interpretation is self-evident and to my mind , unfortunate.

But in keeping with the prevailing trend in India of intrusive transparency into every aspect of government decisions, two charges have been made against Gen. Bikram in the public domain and the matter referred to the judiciary. The first pertains to an encounter with terrorists in J&K and the other in relation to a UN Peace Keeping operation. In both cases Gen. Bikram is being indicted for command failure.

This pattern of aspersions being cast on the appointment of the new Chief will make significant demands on his time and focus and his own actions will be under intense media scrutiny on every issue that has a VK Singh linkage. Thus it was encouraging to hear Gen. Bikram reiterate that no issue will be swept under the carpet and that all matters would be dealt with by 'the rule-book'.

The focus by Gen Bikram on looking ahead – and not through the rear-view mirror as he put it is well-taken. The Indian Army is robust and can weather these convulsions at the higher ranks and must move ahead. But his challenge is not the view in the mirror – it is the multiple storms and under-currents that have been triggered by his predecessor – and the aspersions cast on the leadership that preceded VK Singh.

Beginning with the ignominy of the booze Brigadier followed by the dal General and later the Adarsh allegations and the Sukhna scam that saw a Military Secretary being stripped of his rank, and now most recently a mini-mutiny in one Army unit – the internal challenges are varied and complex..

Carrying his senior officers in restoring the internal balances inherent to a one million plus Army is the top most priority and here Gen. Bikram begins with a personal handicap. But hopefully the internal resilience of the Army will ensure that the collective interest is prioritized over the personal or the sectarian.

The larger challenge and gap in the higher defence management that came to the fore in the VK Singh tenure was the manner in which the political establishment with the Defence Minister at the helm have allowed grave matters of national security to languish and deteriorate in the manner that they did. Inefficiencies and corruption in defense production and procurement a la the Tatra fiasco and denying the Army funding for modernization are structural problems that have plagued the military for decades. Redressing this will have to begin among legislators – the elected representatives - and one hopes that there will be more debates on reforming the Indian military in the Parliament than on national television!
Good luck General Bikram – and be careful of the many banana peels strewn on your path.
Tags: challenges for General Bikram Singh, General Bikram Singh, Indian Army, C Uday Bhaskar, C Uday Bhaskar blogs, Chief of the Indian Army, Bikki

 

[ajtr]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

LOL.

A desperate plea for attention.

No thats the truth.Pakistan has held India into a stalemate formidably.Such is the case India cant even think of punishing pakistan for its guerrilla war for decades on.India's desperation wrt to pakistan can be gauged in those dossiers after each attack on indian city.

 

[amitkriit]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

No thats the truth.Pakistan has held India into a stalemate formidably.Such is the case India cant even think of punishing pakistan for its guerrilla war for decades on.India's desperation wrt to pakistan can be gauged in those dossiers after each attack on indian city.

You call it stalemate! Pakistan has waged full fledged guerillla war against itself to purify the land of "pures".

 

[Tronic]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

No thats the truth.Pakistan has held India into a stalemate formidably.Such is the case India cant even think of punishing pakistan for its guerrilla war for decades on.India's desperation wrt to pakistan can be gauged in those dossiers after each attack on indian city.

This is the beauty of it.

India continues to strip Pakistan bare naked in front of the whole world, while you continue to enjoy the false sense of security. The entire world has come a long way in the Indo-Pak conflict and today sees Pakistan as the culprit and the epicenter of evil. Mission accomplished. Cheers!

 

[ajtr]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

This is the beauty of it.

India continues to strip Pakistan bare naked in front of the whole world, while you continue to enjoy the false sense of security.

The entire world has come a long way in the Indo-Pak conflict and today sees Pakistan as the culprit and the epicenter of evil. Mission accomplished. Cheers!

Do you think World care about your howling.Same world treat people attacking in kashmir or all over india as kashmiri freedom fighters and strategic assessts.World only cares about those groups those attack their interests not those which attack indian interests.nuisance has its own value in geopolitics of the world.

 

[Tronic]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

Do you think World care about your howling.Same world treat people attacking in kashmir or all over india as kashmiri freedom fighters and strategic assessts.World only cares about those groups those attack their interests not those which attack indian interests.nuisance has its own value in geopolitics of the world.

The last time India and Pakistan went to war, the western countries condemned India, and the US sent it's carrier group to the Bay of Bengal to deter India from attacking East Pakistan.

Whereelse today, the US, and those same western countries are drawing up plans to seize Pakistan's nuclear weapons sending Pakistani generals in a constant state of paranoia.

So yes dear, it matters.

Ask your beloved Generals who are having sleepless nights.

 

[amitkriit]

Re: China is not an enemy, just a competitor: Lt Gen Bikram Singh

Do you think World care about your howling.Same world treat people attacking in kashmir or all over india as kashmiri freedom fighters and strategic assessts.World only cares about those groups those attack their interests not those which attack indian interests.nuisance has its own value in geopolitics of the world.

We have suffered once in a while, you are the daily sufferer, and now the drones have joined the feast. Truth is that our howlings are more relevant/important than the life of a Pakistani.

 

[ashicjose]

Army chief Gen Bikram Singh lifts ban on Lt Gen Suhag's promotion, reverses V K Singh's decision - The Times of India
Army chief Gen Bikram Singh lifts ban on Lt Gen Suhag's promotion, reverses V K Singh's decision


NEW DELHI: Overturning the decision of his predecessor Gen V K Singh, Army chief Gen Bikram Singh has lifted the ban on promotion of Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag clearing the way for his appointment as Eastern Army Commander.

The 3 Corps Commander, who can head the Army in 2014, was put under a discipline and vigilance (DV) ban by Gen V K Singh on charges of "abdicating responsibility" in handling an intelligence and surveillance unit under his command after a failed operation in Assam.

The decision to lift the ban on Lt Gen Suhag was taken by the Army chief and the officer can now be promoted, sources said.

The post of Eastern Commander is lying vacant since Gen Bikram Singh took over as the Army Chief.

The DV ban resulted in the holding up the promotion of the officer as Eastern Army Commander. The promotion had been already approved by the defence ministry and was being considered by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) for the elevation.

Gen V K Singh had issued a show cause notice to the officer on May 19 and subsequently imposed the DV ban on him.

Lt Gen Suhag filed his reply on May 31, the same day Gen V K Singh retired and the new incumbent took over.

Lt Gen Suhag was earlier given only seven days to respond to the notice but was later given ten more days to do so after the defence ministry intervened and sought a detailed reply form the Army HQ about the entire episode.

 

[Ray]

JJ Singh and friends plan of 'Line of Succession' is cleared.

Back to business as usual before there was all this hullabaloo!

 

[Ray]

BIRTHDAY SECURITY
- Promotions in the army should not be based on seniority alone

Brijesh D. Jayal

Passing on of the baton to the new chief of army staff in South Block the other day must have been accompanied by a huge sigh of relief just across the corridors in the offices of the ministry of defence. Indeed, the internecine warfare between the civilian leadership and the army these last few months had reached such a collective pitch, that one wondered from which direction the next salvo would emerge and what further damage it would do to the image of the army.

That the twilight period of the previous army chief's tenure has demonstrated a huge void in trust between the civil and military leaderships is stating the obvious, but what must concern every citizen of this country is that the institution of the army itself appears deeply faction-ridden and afflicted by the very corruption bug that haunts our daily lives. To a people that rate the institution of the armed forces as the soundest amongst our democratic pillars, this must come as a rude shock. Whilst it falls on the shoulders of the new incumbent to pick up the debris and remould this fine army of ours, it would be naïve for others on the higher rungs of defence management to believe that life can move on without any introspection. One crucial area relates to the seniority principle in high-level appointments.

If there is one inference that emerges from this dark chapter, it is that at the core of many ills and the deep factionalism lies the hugely competitive race for promotions to the highest echelons of the military, those of service commanders and thence on to chief. The core implication of the erstwhile chief's request for the recognition of his date of birth was the length of his remaining tenure, which in turn would have determined the fate of his successor, whose name was being openly mentioned in the media without having been formally announced. That was in itself a recent phenomenon, as names of successor chiefs are confidential till a formal announcement is made.

More ominously, during this unfortunate saga, we have repeatedly heard of succession plans being in existence. Indeed, even as the promotion of the army commander of a corps was held up owing to a discipline and vigilance ban by the army headquarters, he was already being billed as the successor to the new chief. All this appears new and lends some weight to claims that succession plans are indeed being hatched with manipulations to execute them. That would explain why factionalism seems to be rearing its ugly head in an institution that should have none of it. This trend has serious implications for the integrity and morale of the army. Some of these have been on display these last few trying months for the institution of the army.

At the heart of this problem lies the supposedly fair principle of seniority in matters of promotion to the top rung in any service. There can be no dispute about the principle that, while selecting individuals for senior level appointments, especially of chiefs, the aim should be for a system whose fairness does not relate to an individual's interest, but to the interest of the service and, indeed in the final analysis, to the security interests of the country. The present system of seniority above all else patently fails this test as it is aimed more at avoiding controversy and in this sense is the soft approach.

As the present controversy has shown, this has a flip side as well. Those waiting in the queue can, by the sheer logic of dates of superannuation of those above, determine years in advance if they will have a chance to breast the tape. If so, they will not risk being forthright in their advice, will not stand by their subordinates in pursuit of justice, will not take the bold decisions expected of them or indeed expose themselves to hazardous assignments as this approach may needlessly rock the boat of their future. The name of the game, then, is to keep the powers that be happy, lobby and keep one's tail clear. As long as one follows this status quo principle, the seniority model is sure to get one places. This is a recipe for pliable commanders and disastrous for any fighting arm, as the history of 1962 tells us.

Whilst initial seniority is determined at entry level depending on the date of commissioning, within the same batch it is also determined by the order of merit. The armed forces then have a time-tested system of assessing performance and accordingly determining promotions as one rises in operational experience, command experience and rank. The attrition rate is also cruelly high, but accepted as the price to be paid in the larger interests of national security. At higher ranks, as numbers lessen and the rough-and-tumble of the military profession takes its toll, not just past performance, but also employability for higher appointments become decision-making factors. So the competition gets even tougher. As long as the competition is fair and rules of the game transparent, officers take this in their stride. In true soldierly fashion they fade away in dignity, thereby setting an example of service before self. But times are now changing and the rot is beginning to infect the armed forces as well.

The question that needs asking is whether the so-called seniority principle is enhancing or eroding national security. Can leadership and, above all, task accomplishment even at the cost of the ultimate sacrifice, survive amidst such a culture? Does not this imply mediocrity and sycophancy in the services? Ironically, this cycle is also self-perpetuating. Those that aspire to reach senior-level appointments by benefiting from the system do not expect their subordinates to be fearless and upright professionals but meek 'yes men' and, sadly, there are many with ambitions larger than competence only too happy to fall in line because the service lists tell them that their time will come. Except that no one pauses to ponder that in war there is no prize for the runner-up.

Why, then, all this fuss about seniority? Should not the usefulness of seniority be limited to arriving at a panel? To those who say that all things being equal seniority must prevail one must put this poser. When looking for qualities of leadership, performance over some four decades in peace and war, moral courage and exposure to different assignments, which would add to experience in future employability, can you ever find two individuals in any panel and call them equal? To argue, as some have done recently, that every commander is fit to don the mantle of chief is to underestimate the diverse demands on a chief as both leader of his force and as adviser and partner to the civilian leadership. Many an otherwise brilliant field commander may well fall short of these qualities. That is why employability for each assignment needs to be weighed carefully during the selection process. And that is why in Western democracies the last mile selection process sometimes involves going well down the seniority list, with no slight being perceived by those passed.

Unfortunately this is a classic case of choosing a soft and lazy option over the more rigorous one of finding the right man for the right task. But such a system will only work if we have faith in the integrity of our system and are not swayed by parochial interests. We need to have the courage of our conviction to draw up panels for senior level appointments from service lists based purely on the criteria of merit and employability. Let the final selection be based purely on the principle of most meritorious and not that of seniority. The former meets the needs of national security while the latter is to meet the needs of an individual over a service.

To give the selected individual wider national acceptability it would be appropriate, once the appointments committee of the cabinet has selected a candidate for the post of commander or chief, that such individuals face the defence committee of Parliament for final endorsement. One sees some benefits to this approach. First, in matters of such crucial appointments there would be unanimity across the political spectrum. Second, lobbying, which has permeated even the services, would become redundant and, lastly, should there be any skeletons in any contender's cupboard, a transparent system will bring them to the fore and save the institution of the military any embarrassment before damage is done.

The armed forces and, in particular, the army, have been through a harrowing time. If we are to emerge stronger rather than weaker from recent happenings, there is work to be done and since the weaknesses are well known the need of the hour is total transparency in the system and in the manner of selections to senior service appointments of commanders and chiefs. Not only will this give the services the benefit of capable leadership, but even more importantly, the message down the line will clearly be one of reward based on professionalism, leadership and sacrifice; the very qualities that our officer cadre needs to display if we are to face the formidable challenges to our national security.

If this awakening follows the trauma of the past few months, the price may still have been worth it. The alternative is frightening and being watched keenly across our northern and western borders.

The Telegraph - Archives

The author is a retired air marshal of the Indian Air Force

 

[amitkriit]

Who is this Prem Sehgal from Noida who calls himself a Military Vetran and is everywhere on net defending Lt Gen Suhag and giving him good-character certificate?

 

[Singh]

Ray sir, army chief today has become a ceremonial position. Is there any clause/precedent to promote an outstanding/promising 2 or 3 star general as an army chief and hand him over the reigns for half a decade or more to undertake reforms ?

 

[Ray]

Ray sir, army chief today has become a ceremonial position. Is there any clause/precedent to promote an outstanding/promising 2 or 3 star general as an army chief and hand him over the reigns for half a decade or more to undertake reforms ?

The post of the COAS is not ceremonial.

He initiates all policies and vets all concepts and modernisation etc.

No there is no clause that allow what is called 'Deep Selection'.

For each promotion to the next rank, two courses are vetted and that many are promoted as per the vacancies.

The promotion is based on Annual Confidential Reports, Decorations, combat service, appointments held, courses done and so on and so forth.

I don't know if it is still in vogue, but for high ranks, there was something called a 'spoken reputation', meaning that while ACRs may give laudable thumps, one's spoken reputation may indicate otherwise.

Then there was the IB clearance.

Then for high ranks OK from the Ministry.

I believe these days there is a lot of political pulls and pressures and lobbying by officers too!

 

[Patriot]

JJ Singh and friends plan of 'Line of Succession' is cleared.

Back to business as usual before there was all this hullabaloo!

Now all the good work done by VKS will go in wane. I doubt Bikaram Singh is in a position / willing to do some cleaning work like VKS.

His line of action & very intent is quiet evident , as the first thing he has done is lifting the ban from Suhag.

GOD save Indian army; enemies bestow some mercy on us.

 

[Blackwater]

Now all the good work done by VKS will go in wane. I doubt Bikaram Singh is in a position / willing to do some cleaning work like VKS.

His line of action & very intent is quiet evident , as the first thing he has done is lifting the ban from Suhag.

GOD save Indian army; enemies bestow some mercy on us.

Dont jump to conclusion unless u know the facts. we cant know the facts its classified.

Suhag army chief promotion is still depend on 2014 govt, not in hands of bikram singh

 

[Singh]

@patriot @bw

Not sure what is classified, but in my opinion Gen VK Singh did harm to the Army's image, and all those leaks and interviews and media glare greatly tarnished Army's image. I am not casting aspersions on Gen VK Singh the soldier or the armyman or his intentions but he'll be rembered for all the wrong reasons.

Ray sir is better to qualified to comment though.

 

[Patriot]

Dont jump to conclusion unless u know the facts. we cant know the facts its classified.

Suhag army chief promotion is still depend on 2014 govt, not in hands of bikram singh

I am not at any conclusion yet but can estimate the probable events in future to come.

Just a fortnight before the ban was put on Suhag by VKS & now the ban has been lifted by the new COAS with out any justification or inquiry etc. !!!