Army's proposed 'TOUR OF DUTY' recruitment model, explained

 In May this year, the Indian Army announced it was planning to introduce a novel programme on a pilot basis that will allow civilians to serve within its ranks on a three-year short service 'TOUR OF DUTY'.

• The Army has branded this as an opportunity for India's youth to experience military life without having to join the armed forces on a long term basis.

• Currently, the only option available to civilians to enlist in the Army apart from regular permanent commission route is the Short Service Commission(SSC)

• The Army has drawn attention to the rising defence pension sums that now, reportedly, account for a staggering 30percent of the nation's defence budget.

The tri-service establishment is currently muling expanding the breadth of the nation 'Tour Of Duty' recruitment model to include the Indian Air Force and India Navy as well, according to a report from the print.

In this May, the Indian Army announced it was planning to introduce a novel programme on a pilot basis that will allow civilians to serve within its ranks, either as officers or jawans, on a three-year short service 'Tour Of Duty'. However, it was quick to clarify that model was not similar to military conscription as witnessed in other nations like South Korea and Israel.

Commenting on the proposed voluntary three year stint, India's Chief Of Defence Staff(CDS) General Bipin Rawat had noted in mid-may that the recruitment model was still at a nascent stage at the time, a proposal to fill 100 officers and 1000 jawans was being considered.

Similarly, the defence establishment's Tour Of Duty recruitment model has been conceptualised to address the shortages of personal, including officers. The Army also branded this as an opportunity for Indian youth to experience military life without having to join the armed forces on a long-term basis.

The recruitment process has also been proposed as a means to generate increased employment opportunities within the country Currently, the Army, reportedly, spends roughly Rs5.12crrore in total on an officer under the the SSCroute who retires after ten years. For officers who serve the full fourteen year term, the cost rise to 6.83crores. The proposal also outlined that the total saving on jawans could amount to Rs11,000crores  a sum that could be used for defence procurement or elsewhere.

According to reports, the Army currently has roughly 43,000 officers - 80 percent of whom are in the permanent commission class and an additional 11.8 lakh forming other ranks. in order to make the proposal attractive to prospective recruits, The army is also considering making all individuals earning tax free for three year period, while preference given to such recruits in public sector jobs as well as post graduate courses. The nation would benefit from "trained, disciplined, confident, diligent and committed" youths who may gain an edge in the corporate sector. When they finally leave the Army to take up new work, it said.