Govt ignored military secretary's recommendation on Army chief's age

India Today / India / North / StoryCourtesy: Headlines TodayShiv Aroor New Delhi, January 20, 2012 | UPDATED 17:44 IST
The Ministry of Defence ignored a crucial document which shows that Army chief General V.K Singh's contention on his age was accepted and there was no controversy on it within the forces. The document clearly gives the Army chief an edge over the government's stand on the issue in the court.

Headlines Today accessed the July 2011 note from the military secretary's (MS) branch which states that the chief's age be treated as May 10, 1951 and not 1950.

The document, signed by then military secretary Lt Gen G.M Nair, provides instances of selection boards that promoted V.K Singh up the ranks based on 1951 as the year of birth.

The reason why this document could prove crucial is that it was the MS branch that originally had in its possession the documents which recorded the chief's year of birth as 1950.

In other words, the document is the MS branch recommending that the anomalous records in its possession be ignored and 1951 be treated as the year of Singh's birth.

As it turned out, the government chose not to accept this recommendation. However sources told Headlines Today that the document strengthens the chief's case and could prove a trump card in the Supreme Court.

The document also lays to rest the notion that there was any internal conflict over the chief's age between the MS branch and the adjutant general's branch.