In Chandigarh, defence veterans discuss declining military stature

The seminar at Chandigarh Press Club focused on key issues, such as One Rank One Pension (OROP), Agniveer and Short Service Commission (SSC), which the veterans said were contributing to a growing disconnect between India’s youth and military service

As many as 60 distinguished defence veterans from North India gathered at a seminar at Chandigarh Press Club on Saturday to raise critical concerns about the declining stature of the Indian Armed Forces.

As many as 60 distinguished defence veterans attended the seminar at Chandigarh Press Club on Saturday. (HT Photo)

The seminar focused on key issues, such as One Rank One Pension (OROP), Agniveer and Short Service Commission (SSC), which the veterans said were contributing to a growing disconnect between India’s youth and military service.

The veterans voiced strong dissatisfaction with current policies while also accusing politicians of adopting questionable measures that were eroding the military’s prestige. Among the main concerns highlighted were the degradation of military ranks, the need for a universal OROP, the establishment of a three-tier system for military ranks, fixing a tenure for SSC, and the introduction of an Ex-Servicemen Welfare Act.

Lt Colonel GPS Virk (retd) and Captain Ramesh Bhardwaj (retd), two prominent veterans present at the seminar, shared that the outcomes of the discussion were immediately communicated via a live tweet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh.