A proposed uniform promotion policy for the Armed Forces seems to have lined up the Army against the other two services that follow similar promotion procedures.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister wants the three forces to follow an uniform promotion policy to avoid embarrassing interventions by the judiciary.The Indian Air Force and the Navy follow similar procedures for promotions to the rank of air commodore and commodore. In the two services, a board headed by the chief of staff has discretionary powers. Though past service records are taken into account, the promotion board and the discretionary powers often play a crucial role in tipping the balance. But the Indian Army decides on promotions above the rank of brigadier by secret ballot —— a tradition that is nearly 200 hundred years old.The first meeting to hammer out an uniform policy was convened last Tuesday, which was attended by the Adjutant General of Indian Army and the Chief of Personnel of the Air Force and the Navy.It is understood that while the IAF and the Navy want the Army to switch to their system, the Army is reluctant to give up its traditional promotion method.It has been argued that the system of secret ballot does not hold good any more. On the other, hand objections have also been raised about the discretionary powers of the promotion boards of the Air Force and the Navy.
