The Indian Air Force (IAF) is reportedly under pressure from the Government to review its promotional policy for ranks above the air commodore level. The Defence Ministry is in favour of the Air Headquarters reducing its liberal discretionary powers as it feels it has the potential of playing havoc with the promotional avenues of the top brass. Official sources say the promotion of at least four Air Vice Marshals to the next rank of Air Marshals has been stuck for the past three months after it was found that liberal doses of discretionary powers had changed the complexion of the promotion list. While it is learnt that the Defence Ministry had cleared these promotions on the Air Headquarters recommendations, the matter is now stuck with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) that has the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister as members. The ACC, in an unusual move, has reportedly asked the Defence Ministry for promotion files before it clears the Air Marshal-level appointments at the Air Headquarters. But Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy denies this. The Chief of Air Staff says: ‘‘We have a promotional policy.It has not changed, it remains the same.’’ According to sources, before Air Chief Krishnaswamy took over the reins of the IAF in January 2002, the promotion to senior ranks was based purely on the annual confidential records (ACRs) of the officers, with a pen portrait of the officer to be promoted being considered by the IAF board. This meant that the officer was promoted on the basis of his service record and profile. In a bid to give preference to merit over seniority, Krishnaswamy decided to come up with a new formula for promotion after taking over. This policy in simple terms gave 80 per cent weightage to the ACRs of an officer, with the remaining 20 per cent being decided by a 14-member board headed by the Air Chief. Significantly, this IAF policy was approved by the Defence Ministry last year. However, three months ago, when the Air Headquarters sent the promotion list of Air Vice Marshals to the Defence Ministry for approval, the South Block found that at least one officer of the rank of Assistant Chief of Air Staff (ACAS) had made it to the list due to excellent marks from the board’s discretionary powers. This made the Defence Ministry take a re-look at the current promotional policies of the IAF and the file was not cleared till last month. While the IAF officials say that the promotions have been cleared by the Government, Defence Ministry sources indicate that the list has only been approved on the understanding that the board’s discretionary powers will be reduced to 5 per cent in future promotions, with 95-per cent weightage being given to the ACRs of the officers. But even though the Defence Ministry has approved the current promotion list, the matter is now stuck at the Cabinet level. The ACC, which is the apex body for promotions equivalent to the rank of joint secretaries, wants apparently to first look at the files.
