The Army headquarters has identified January 2016 as the month for
launching these initiatives. This coincides with the Army Day
celebrations, which will take place January 6-15.
As the protests by military veterans over their demand for “One Rank,
One Pension” (OROP) continue, the Army is planning a slew of measures to
honour and engage the ex-servicemen community. These include
establishment of a new Directorate of Army Veterans, launching a
veterans magazine and institutionalising a “veterans day”.
The Army headquarters has identified January 2016 as the month for
launching these initiatives. This coincides with the Army Day
celebrations, which will take place January 6-15. The celebrations will
include debate, quiz and painting competitions, besides a band concert
at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, an Army Raahgiri Day at Delhi’s Connaught Place
and a two-day Army seminar. The celebrations will culminate in the
traditional wreath-laying at India Gate and an Army Day parade at Delhi
Cantt.
Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year to mark the ascension of
the first Indian officer, Lt General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa,
as the Commander-in -Chief of independent India.
As part of these 10-day celebrations, the Army has mooted plans to
celebrate January 14, 2016, as Veterans Day or the Army Veterans
Remembrance Day. It will also launch a veterans magazine and inaugurate
the Directorate of Army Veterans the same day. The Directorate of Army
Veterans will be established in the Army headquarters, and will be the
first such organisation among the three defence services. These issues
will form part of the deliberations during the Army commanders’
conference scheduled to be held October 12-16.
The “revision of policy related to pensions and pensioners grievances”
is also on the agenda of the meeting. Sponsored by the Army’s Adjutant
General’s branch, the discussion is expected to cover all the issues
related to OROP.
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