107 vacancies, but Army gets only 11 engineers

After facing a major intake crisis at regular officer training academies in January...

After facing a major intake crisis at regular officer training academies in January, the Army is now struggling to fill vacancies for Short Service Commission SSC officers of the engineering branch. Things, in fact, look so bleak that the Army Headquarters may even need to cancel upcoming courses at the Officers Training Academy OTA due to a shortage of eligible candidates.

Only 11 engineers have been shortlisted for SSC training courses starting next week at the Chennai-based academy that were supposed to churn out 107 engineering branch officers for the Indian Army. The number may dip even more as officials fear that not all selected candidates will end up joining the academy.

While most of the vacancies were in the civil engineering branch 8212; where not a single candidate has been shortlisted 8212; the Army has also burnt its hands in an experiment to meet talent shortage by inducting women officers in the engineering branch.

Only six candidates have made it to the merit list of the first ever short service commission course for women in the technical branch. The course, which was scheduled to commence on April 16, had 52 vacancies for IT, Electronic, Telecom and Civil engineers and five vacancies for architecture graduates.

The SSC technical course for men fares no better with only five candidates shortlisted for 50 vacancies in IT, Computer, Mechanical, Production and Civil Engineering branches.

While the massive shortfall is being attributed to the general demand for engineering graduates in the country, the Army says that it loses talent to the private sector due to a lack of monetary incentives.

8220;Engineers are getting huge packages in the private sector and are not inclined to join the services where harsh working conditions are coupled with low salaries. The pay commission too has not done anything to address the problem,8221; a senior Army officer said.

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The Army, which is facing a shortage of 11,238 officers, is also struggling to retain mid level officers Lt Cols and Cols who are applying for early retirement to pursue private sector jobs. More than 1,000 officers applied for premature retirements in 2007 and the number is expected to go up significantly this year due to disappointment over the pay panel recommendations.

In January, the low intake levels at both premier officers training academies 8212; the National Defence Academy NDA and the Indian Military Academy IMA 8212; created shockwaves across defence circles.

Only 86 cadets joined the 124th course of the Dehradun-based IMA that had 250 vacancies while an all time low of 190 cadets joined the NDA against its training capacity of 300.