Indian Army Still Short Of 11,371 Officers

There is No shortage of soldiers in the Army. However, there is a shortage of 11,371 officers in the Army which is mainly in the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and below. Several measures have been taken by the Government to enhance recruitment in the Army.

All officers including those in Short Service Commission (SSC) have been made eligible to hold substantive rank of Captain, Major and Lieutenant Colonel and equivalents after 2, 6 and 13 years of reckonable service respectively. The term of SSC Officer has been extended to 14 years.

This has made the Army an attractive career option. Besides Army has undertaken sustained image projection publicity campaign to create awareness among the youth. Awareness campaigns, participation in career fairs and exhibitions, advertisements in print and electronic media are also some of the other measures in this direction.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Amir Alam Khan in Rajya Sabha.