General V.K.Singh PVSM, AVSM, YSM, the 24th Army Chief of the Indian Army, according to the media, had studied in Class X in the Birla Public School, Pilani in 1966. His date of birth (DoB) was recorded in his School Leaving Certificate as 10 May 1951. He applied for admission on 13 July 1966 for the entrance examination for 36th NDA course for which the eligible age limit was 15 years to 17 ½ years. At that time, his age was 15 years and two months and he was not underage for appearing for the entrance examination. On 3 Aug 1966, his father, late Jagat Singh of 14 Rajput is said to have given his DoB to the Selection Board as 10 May 1951. . It is not understood as to how the wrong date of birth of 10th May 1950 had entered in the records of the Army Headquarters.
The media had stated that the General had in writing accepted his DoB as 10th May 1950 for getting promotion to the rank of General. Some papers have even stated that the General when he was a young boy of 14 years had erroneously entered this wrong date of 1950 in some form and the Government is not accepting his correct date of birth of 1951 and is planning to retire him on 31 May 2012.
The General has now approached the SC for justice, so that he can continue to serve upto 31 May 2013. He has further stated that his integrity and honour have been affected by the refusal of the Defence Ministry / Government to accept his correct DoB of 1951.
Some of the newspapers have even mentioned that the Government, to save its face, may approve the new post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) proposed some time earlier and offer the General that post. This rank would be equivalent to that of the rank of Field Marshal. Since the Government has yet to approve and implement the earlier recommendations of some Committee, approving the appointment of an officer nearing retirement as the CDS may not be acceptable to all the three Services. Some other newspapers have speculated that General might be hoping to become the first serving Field Marshal of the Indian Army.
If the post of CDS is introduced in the Services in India before May 2012, General Singh will have a good chance of becoming the first Serving Field Marshal. But if the appointment is approved after May 2012, the next senior most Chief of Staff from the Navy or Air Force could become the lucky person to hold that new post. That is the reason why the General has now approached the SC and might be putting the Government in a tight corner thereby making the appointment before he actually retires in May 2012.
The General is only obeying the old dictum “Aim at the sky boys, so that you may hit the top of the tree". To be ambitious is not a crime.
The media had stated that the General had in writing accepted his DoB as 10th May 1950 for getting promotion to the rank of General. Some papers have even stated that the General when he was a young boy of 14 years had erroneously entered this wrong date of 1950 in some form and the Government is not accepting his correct date of birth of 1951 and is planning to retire him on 31 May 2012.
The General has now approached the SC for justice, so that he can continue to serve upto 31 May 2013. He has further stated that his integrity and honour have been affected by the refusal of the Defence Ministry / Government to accept his correct DoB of 1951.
Some of the newspapers have even mentioned that the Government, to save its face, may approve the new post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) proposed some time earlier and offer the General that post. This rank would be equivalent to that of the rank of Field Marshal. Since the Government has yet to approve and implement the earlier recommendations of some Committee, approving the appointment of an officer nearing retirement as the CDS may not be acceptable to all the three Services. Some other newspapers have speculated that General might be hoping to become the first serving Field Marshal of the Indian Army.
If the post of CDS is introduced in the Services in India before May 2012, General Singh will have a good chance of becoming the first Serving Field Marshal. But if the appointment is approved after May 2012, the next senior most Chief of Staff from the Navy or Air Force could become the lucky person to hold that new post. That is the reason why the General has now approached the SC and might be putting the Government in a tight corner thereby making the appointment before he actually retires in May 2012.
The General is only obeying the old dictum “Aim at the sky boys, so that you may hit the top of the tree". To be ambitious is not a crime.
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