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Time line: One Rank One Pension (OROP) 1973-2013

1973- 1990
1973

In 1973, two years after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Indira Gandhi led Congress (I) Government, terminates ‘One Rank One Pension’ the basis for deciding pension of Indian Armed Forces Personnel ‘which had been in vogue for 26 years since independence’ through an ex parte administrative order. In 1973, the Government, on the basis of the report of (3CPC), composed of bureaucrats, implemented the following changes in pension and service conditions: [1] Increased the pension of civilians, who retired at 58, by 20 percent, from 30 to 50 percent; [2] reduced the pension of soldier, Non Commissioned Officers, and Junior Commissioned Officers, by 20 percent, from 70 to 50 percent of basic pay, with the caveat that for full pension the minimum service was 33 years; [3] an exception was made for the armed forces, the mandatory service for full pension was reduced to 25 year. But as soldiers in 1973 retired after 15 years service, at the age of 33-36, they got less than 30 percent of the pay as pension; [4] soldiers pension was thus decreased not by 20 percent but 40 percent from 70 to 30 percent. The government in addition to down grading military pensions down graded the status of soldier by equating "infantry soldier with less than three years’ service" with a "semi-skilled/unskilled labour". These decisions were based on the recommendation, and endorsement of K B Lall, Defence Secretary. The decision was announced two months after Sam Manekshaw, the victor of the 1971 war, retired from service. The reason for depressing the armed Forces pensions given by the government was to ensure ‘equivalence’ of Armed Forces pensions with civilians.

The Armed forces report to the Third Pay Commission was prepared led by Brigadier Srinivas Kumar Sinha, who as the senior officer acted as a chair for preparation of the combined report of three services. Sinha's immediate senior was Major GeneralTapishwar Narain Raina, the deputy adjutant general, who was responsible for overseeing the preparation of the report. The 200 page report, prepared after a 'year of research' with foreword by General Sam Manekshaw, was submitted to the pay commission through the Ministry of Defence. The report was, however, largely ignored by the Congress government.

1984

Indian National Congress (I) Government led by Indira Gandhi, PM, on the prompting of ex servicemen, appoints a High Level Committee headed by Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo, MP from Dhenkanal in Odisha and Minister of State for Defence, and a former officer in the Territorial Army (India) who had served with 144th Air Defence Artillery regiment, to guard the Lalru ammunition dump near Chandigarh. KP Singh Deo committee had 17-member including PA Sangma, Rajesh Pilot Jaswant Singh, Vayalar Ravi and Vilasrao Deshmukh. The committee submitted its 166-page report on 27 October 1984, four days before Indira Gandhi's assassination. Committee made 69 recommendations, like improvement in the efficiency of the Allahabad-based Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions) and the grant of family pensions to about 25,000 "pre-1.1.1964 widows of pensioners". Some of its recommendations were implemented. K P Singh Deo Committee found that ‘Ex-servicemen throughout the country... are of the view that a Defence Forces pensioner irrespective of the date of his retirement should get the same pension as another pensioner who retired later for the same rank and the same length of service.". This the committee noted "is indeed worth consideration". the then Government, however, ignored the K P Singh Deo Committee findings and recommendations. This provoked the six Members of the All-India Ex-Services Welfare Association to go on indefinite fast in 1987, which resulted in creation of another committee to consider the issues.

1985

By 1985, Armed Forces has fourteen different categories of pensioners.

1986

Rajiv Gandhi led Indian National Congress (I) Government in the wake of 4 Pay Commission implements concept of 'Rank Pay' for armed forces officer ranks from Captain (armed forces) majors, Lt-Colonel, colonels, and brigadiers, and their equivalent in the airforce and the navy. The introduction of Rank Pay is resented by the officer corps as it undermines basic-pay, and rank parities with the police and defence civilians. It affects the pay and pension of tens of thousands of serving officers and veterans. Brigadier rank is reduced to police time scale rank of DIG with 14 years of service. Three armed forces ranks, Second Lieutenant and Lieutenant and Captain were "clubbed with a single civilian rank of Junior Time Scale (JTS) "; Captain a rank Senior Time Scale till 3CPC,  reduced to JTS. In 2005, in a case by Major AK Dhanapalan, a retired major, the Supreme Court(SC), in a landmark decision, declares deduction of 'rank-pay' from the basic salary of officers illegal. In its judgement, the SC notes that the 'rank pay' was wrongly deducted from basic pay and ordered re-fixation of pay with effect 1 January 1986.

1987

Six members of the All-India Ex-Services Welfare Association led by Colonel Inderjit Singh, former Commanding Officer 14 Grenadiers, start indefinite fast on February 25, 1987. They have five demands: pension for pre-1964 widows, restoration of commuted pension, One Rank One Pension, employment up to 58 years, and evacuation of soldier land and house when he retires. On the 16th day of the fast, following danger to his life, Colonel Inderjit Singh was admitted to Wellington hospital in Delhi. The first two demands were conceded. The demand for OROP was conceded in a diluted form in 2015.

1989

In 1989 the VP Singh Government appointed Jafa Committee to implement his promise of OROP for ex-servicemen. This committee, according to ex-servicemen, however, "did every thing to scuttle this concept" An Ad hoc was offered in October 90, which the ESM called "betrayal of their trust" and rejected it. The ESM alleged that " The half truths and lies trotted out by this Committee are being utilized by the Bureaucrats to mislead the leadership in denying the ex-servicemen the grant of this One Rank One Pension".

1991-2010
OROP is considered by Sharad Pawar committee (1990-1991), during the tenure of PM Chandrasekhar (1990-1991). In 1992, the Government grants a 'one time increase', instead of OROP.

1997

The 5 CPC submits its report in January 1997. The Government approves 5 CPC recommendation of full parity between pensioners before and after 1 January 1986 and a modified parity between pre- and post- 1 January 1996 to all pensioners including Armed Forces pensioners, but ignores OROP. Government decision to accept 5 CPC depress military pensions, including that of General Officers who, in an precedent action, file a lawsuit against the Government. After protracted litigation, strongly contested by the UPA Government, the Supreme Court of India rules in favor of the litigants.

23 November 2002

Sonia Gandhi, Chairman UPA, in run-up to elections, at a public rally, in the Sector 46 sports complex at Chandigarh, declares that she and her party support grant of OROP. OROP is included in the party's election manifesto.

2006 

6th CPC submits report. Its stand on ‘One Rank One Pension' is ambivalent. 6CPC recommends that "extant provisions may continue".

The 6 CPC recommended that in future posts in the "CPOs/defence civilian organisations" should be filled by lateral transfer of Armed Forces personnel, including Short Service Commissioned Officers, after they complete their term of military service.

July 2008

Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), consisting of General Deepak Kapoor (30 September 2007 – 31 March 2010), Fali Homi Major), and Sureesh Mehta, send a detailed note to A. K. Antony, Defence Minister, flagging the adverse impact of NFU on the Armed Forces. The COSC urge that Armed Forces Officers be treated at par with All India Services. The minister on the advice of Vijay Singh, Defence Secretary, ignores COSC submission.

29 August 2008

UPA Government issue Gazette notification accepting most of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission. To the considerable disappointment of the serving armed forces members and veterans, Government fails to address the many anomalies that adversely affect Armed Forces pay, pensions, ranks, organizational structure, basis for relations with civil bureaucracy, and police led security establishment in the centre

Government decision to accept 6CPC widely perceived by high-ranking Armed Forces veterans, including former heads of the Armed Forces, as attempts by the civil and police bureaucracy to undermine Armed Forces honour, esteem and Izzat (honor). Public protest by armed Forces veterans escalate.

The acceptance of the 6 CPC by the government provokes widespread dismay amongst ex-servicemen. For the first time Ex-servicemen engage in public protest and threaten hunger strikes. Major General Surjit Singh writes that "The Sixth Pay Commission has done inestimable damage to civil-military relations", and giving vent to the general mood says, "The protest rallies are actually a manifestation of the seething anger which many veterans carry as baggage accumulated during service. We all seem to have very bitter memories of the shoddy treatment meted out to us by civil servants."

Indian Ex Servicemen Movement(IESM) an "All India Federation of Ex Servicemen's organizations" is established in August 2008, in the wake of the UPA Government decision to implement Sixth Central Pay Commission, which depressed military pays, pensions, and ranks, relative to civilian Government employees, especially in the Ministry of Defence (India)( MOD) and Police led security services. IESM focuses on identifying, and advocating veteran causes, principally issues affecting veteran honor and Izzat (honor), and the implementation of One Rank One pension for the armed Forces of India.

OROP protest gained momentum and support following Government decision to [a] disregard OROP; [b] grant time bound higher pay grades and ranks to civilian and Indian Police Service, who wears army badges of rank, at fixed intervals, independent of the job requirement, or span of responsibilities; [c] sanction assured automatic pay promotions, to all officers of All India Services, and the police, under what has been called the "Non-Functional Up-gradation" (NFU), and [d] terminate "traditional pay parity between the commissioned officers and the AIS".

9 September 2008

Supreme Court in the case of Union of India v. SPS Vains, (2008) 9 SCC 125, directed that the pay of all pensioners (who retired prior to 01.01.1996) in the rank of Major General be notionally fixed at the rate given to similar officers of the same rank (who retired after 01.01.1996) after revision of pay scales with effect from 01.01.2006, and, thereafter, to compute their pensionary benefits on such basis with prospective effect from the date of filing of the writ petition and to pay them the difference within three months from date with interest at 10% p.a. Thus, the decision of Supreme Court in the case of SPS Vains, clearly lays down that there cannot be a disparity in payment of pension to officers of the same rank, who had retired prior to the introduction of the revised pay scales, with those who retired thereafter. The case is rooted in the anomalies caused in pay and pension fixation, following governments introduction of rank pay after 4 Pay Commission(4CPC), and the implementation of 5 Pay Commission (5CPC), which were the cause of several anomalies, including Maj Generals being paid less pension than brigadiers.

24 September 2008

Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chief of the Naval Staff, issues signal to the Navy, on 'serious disparities' that have been introduced which disturb the 'extant parities between defence officers' and those from other central services.

16 December 2008

Ex-servicemen begin a relay fast at Jantar Mantar. The peaceful protest is largely ignored by the government. Veteran decide to surrender of their war medals, including war and gallantry medals.

7 January 2009

On the 21 day of the fast at Jantar Mantar, designated as the 'battle front' and some times as 'battle site' by the Lt General Kadyan, chairman of the IESM, there was a contingent of veterans from Bawal region of Haryana, the 'Lucknow brigade' consisting of Col Saxena, Col Kuldeep Singh and nine JCO, and NCOs from Lucknow, and contingent from Varanasi, held-up by train delay, was expected. There are messages from veterans in Gujrat, and Mumbai, expressing support for the protesters, and intent to join the protest movement. To lend support, and show solidarity, the 'battle site' is visited by several ranking officers including Lt Gen Surjit Singh, Lt Gen Kulbir Singh, Lt Gen HBL Kapur, Lt Gen PD Bhargava, Maj Gen RK Vadhera, Maj Gen Soorma, Brig Ravi Awasthy, Brig Raghu Sohal, Col Vijay Sekhri, Col Partap Singh. Many visitor become paid members of IESM. Maj Gen Kuldip Singh Bajwa (Retd), 85, from First Post War Regular Course IMA, 1946, in show of solidarity and support, encouragingly wrote to Kadian, "You have amply shown the stuff soldiers are made of. Bravo! I applaud you... . Let me know in what way I can help. We must fight on till we get our due place in the firmament of our great nation. "

IESM have four demands: One Rank One Pension (OROP); Resettlement till the age of sixty; Ex-servicemen Commission headed by ESM; and Services representation on all committees pertaining to ESM welfare.

9 January 2009

Arun Prakash, former Chief of Naval Staff and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, declares his support for the OROP protest movement. He donates Rs 5000 to the OROP cause. He is the first former Chief of the Armed Forces to  publicly declare support  for OROP protest and become of member of IESM,

8 February 2009

Armed Forces veterans from the three services march to the Rastrapati Bhavan to meet and surrendered their medals to Pratibha Patil, the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Pratibha Patil refuses to meet with the ex-servicemen (ESM). Instead ESM are met by junior official in the president's secretariat who collects the medals. The presidential slight and "studied disrespect" fuels ESM grievance.

 7 July 2009

"Report of the Committee on One rank One pension and Related Issues" dated 30 June 2009, a 21-page document, is issued by Department of Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance  to Secretary Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence. The Committee, referred to as cabinet secretary's Committee on OROP, was constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to examine OROP for the armed Forces. It consisted of seven bureaucrats from the IAS, but excluded armed Forces representative. The Seven member Committee consisted of:K. M. Chandrasekhar, Cabinet Secretary of India, Chairman; Vijay Singh, Defence Secretary, Ministry of Defence (MOD); Neelam Nath, Secretary Ex Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence; (MOD), Madhukar Gupta, Secretary Home, Ministry of Home Affairs (India); Rajni Razdan, Secretary Pension and PW; Rahul Sarin, Secretary, Department of personnel and training, PMO; and Sushma Nath, Secretary Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. The committee met five times. The 21 page report, is shallow in its analysis: while recounting past developments, it ignores growing disparities in pay and pension between civilian and armed forces, the reasons behind OROP becoming a cause of street protest by officers and men of three armed forces of India, and the impact of OROP protests on military morale and national security. The committee did not recommend OROP for the armed forces. The salient reasons for not recommending OROP in the report are: historical, i.e., OROP has been examined before, and not recommended by GOM (2005–06), law ministry, etc.; that acceptance of OROP has financial implication of Rs 8000-9000 crores; and that grant of OROP "cannot be implemented for ex-servicemen alone and a demand for similar dispensation among civilian would also arise"

7 May 2010

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence in its report to Parliament strongly recommends grant of OROP.

29 October 2010 

K. Sanjay Prabhu, a resident of Bengaluru, submits petition to Rajya Sabha Committee On Petitions for grant of one rank one pension to the armed forces personnel. The petition is countersigned by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, M.P. (Rajya Sabha).

8 Nov 2010

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, on behalf of the IESM, sends Letter to A.K. Antony, Defence Minister (DM). The letter distributed to all IESM members, and the media, expresses concern and alarm, on Antony's reply in parliament, to a question by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, and in his letter to Pratap Singh Bajwa, Congress MP from Gurdaspur, in which the Antony affirmed that OROP had been examined but not recommended citing examples. Satbir asks, why examples of OROP being recommended including by Group of ministers, amongst others, was excluded in his reply. The letter which runs into several pages provides a detailed background of OROP, including related issues, and implications.

2011-13
6 March 2011

IESM organizes a Vishal (name)(विशाल) Rally, in Delhi, to gather to collect service medals to return to the President, sign blood petition to the President, and decide on future course of action. 6500 Ex servicemen and 125 widows from 16 states of the union participate in the rally. 30 ex-servicemen make speeches. The speeches, and interaction with the participating ex-servicemen reveals growing sense frustration, sadness, anger, despondency, unhappiness, and impatience with the government. The governing body recognizes that the big challenge is how to keep the movement peaceful in the face of growing impatience. At the rally, the following proposal are voted on, by show of hands: [1] IESM to continue with the campaign till the Government agrees with the demands; [2] medal to be handed over only to the President; [3] Ex service organizations in states to lobby Vidhan Sabha members to pass resolution in favor of OROP; and [4] At the national level only those parties have right to ex servicemen vote who favor its implementation.

15 March 2011

Rajya Sabha, Chairman, admits petition for grant of one rank one pension to the armed forces. On 4 May 2011 ten member Koshiyari Committee commences hearing.

16 Mar 2011

Indian Ex Servicemen Movement issues 'Khabarnama' its first newsletter. The newsletter in roman Hindustani language, is distributed widely amongst IESM members through the Internet and social media. The newsletter, demands that the Government set up an ESM Commission, on the lines of Women's commission and Scheduled Caste Commission, free of MOD bureaucracy, composed of ex servicemen. Recalling Government announcement of separate Pay Commission for the armed forces, the newsletter, calls on the Government to establish the Pay commission now, so that it can address the anomalies caused by the 6 CPC.

18 Mar 2011

Major General Satbir Singh, Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement, sends an appeal to Satpal Maharaj, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), and Chairman, Standing Committee on Defence.

The appeal notes that veterans have deposited 22000 medals with Government, and a petition signed by over 100,000 ex servicemen in their blood has been submitted to the President to mark of their distress and anguish over the inaction by Government.

The appeal ends with the refrain "Do the Armed Forces Veterans have to continue paying the price for being patriotic, law abiding and disciplined?" The appeal was distributed over the Internet to IESM members, and copies were separately sent to Members of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Partap Singh Bajwa.

27 May- 19 December 2011

Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chairman Committee on Petitions, presents the report, to the parliament. The report finds no merit in the Arguments by the UPA Government opposing grant of OROP to Armed Forces pensioners. It finds that "there is merit in the demand for One Rank One Pension by Armed Forces Personnel" and strongly recommended that, "Government should implement OROP". Neelam Nath, Secretary Ministry of Defence, Department Ex-servicemen Welfare (1 June 2009 to 30 September 2011), opposes grant of OROP to the armed forces, citing financial, administrative and legal reasons. Secretary Department of Pensions and Pensioner's Welfare (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions) tells the  commission that if OROP is accepted for the Armed Forces  there will be similar demands from the civilian pensioners and others. Cabinet Secretary's Committee tentatively  asseses  financial implication of OROP at  Rs. 8,000-Rs. 9,000 crores per annum.

12 July 2012

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to the Ministry of Defence Annual report for 2012-13, "on the persistent demand" of ESW, constitutes a Committee under Ajit Kumar Seth, the Cabinet Secretary of India " for looking into pay and pension related issue of relevance to defence personnel and ESM" but not specifically OROP.

Ajit Kumar Seth committee to look into armed Forces pension has no members from the armed forces, but six secretaries from the IAS: [1] PK Nair, the Principal Secretary (India); [2] Shashi Kant Sharma, Defence Secretary; [3] Secretary, Department of Ex- Servicemen's Welfare, Ministry of Defence; [4] Secretary, Department of Expenditure; [5] Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training; and [6] Secretary, Department of Revenue. There are no Armed forces personnel on the panel despite separate letters from the Chiefs of the Army, Navy and the AirForce to AK Antony, Defence Minister to include an Armed Forces representative on the panel. The Panel lacks credibility and little is expected from it.

Nirmal Kumar Verma, Chief of the Naval Staff (India) and Chairman, Chiefs of the Staff Committee, makes a presentation to the Committee. The committee also meets with Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, Chief of Air Staff and Bikram Singh (general), Chief of Army Staff. The Committee submits report on 27 August 2012; its position on the OROP is no different from that of secretaries who deposed in front of Koshiyari Parliamentary Panel. It evades the OROP issue.

18 July 2012

Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), ACM, NAK Browne, chief of Air Staff and Bikram Singh (general), Army Chief, in their interaction with 'High Powered Committee' highlight need to implement NFU (non-functional upgradation) for armed forces on the lines extended to other services; resolution of anomalies on account of rank pay; common pay scales for all JCOs and ORs; and Higher administrative Grade Plus (HAG+) for all Lt general.

24 September 2012

UPA government announces that it has approved OROP. Says it has set aside 2,300 crore for the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme. Despite the declaration, the government does little to implement OROP.

15 September 2013

Narendra Modi, the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, at a large election rally in Rewari, Haryana, attended by tens of thousands of Ex-servicemen, with former General VK Singh and Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army standing by his side, declares that he will implement OROP, if elected.

April 2013

Army headquarters responding to growing sense of disenchantment amongst ex servicemen establishes a 'Veterans Cell' under the Adjutant General. The 'veteran cell', to cope with its expanding mandate, has since grown into 'Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV)' It is meant to be 'a single window for the redressal of veterans’ issues and aspirations at Army HQ level'. The new directorate, it is expected, will provide succor to ex-servicemen who have grown increasing impatient with government response to their concerns which so far been mainly the responsibility of the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare, under the Ministry of Defence (India).