by Col LK Anand Retd
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India is a country where strange things keep happening day after day. It would be unheard of anywhere, that the Army Chief of a country, would be embroiled in a strange controversy involving his age. Should Gen Singh, thank or curse RTI for this? Whatever may be the eventual implications of this anomaly, in the actual age and the officially accepted age by the government, the fact remains that Gen VK Singh himself cannot be absolved of existence of such a difference coming to light at the fag end of his Army service. Like a mother is the only authority to say who the father of her child is, it should be Gen VK Singh, who should be certifying what his correct age is.
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There are two things which come to mind. firstly - that while filling the UPSC Form, VK Singh must have himself filled his actual age as 10 May 1950, to make himself eligible for appearing in the competitive examination and it may have been possible that if he wrote the modified age of 10 May 1951, he might have been underage and ineligible for the examination. Secondly - in the earlier days it used to be a usual practice for the parents to write one to two years below the actual age to give an advantage of age in the long run, in their ward’s, professional interest. This must have been the age which Gen VK Singh carries in his school leaving certificate eventually. Legally, it should be acceptable as his correct age, but then carrying different dates of birth for over 40 years is bound to raise eye brows of many, especially those closely affected by this controversy.
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The UPSC permits candidates to go through a competition, only provisionally, subject to production of all the original certificates especially of age/qualifications etc usually at the time of joining. If he did not point out this anomaly, which he must have been aware of, at the time of submission of his certificates could be termed as a serious and cognisable lapse on his part. Similarly, if the official who received the certificates without verifying the facts earlier provided, is equally at fault. To say that Gen VK Singh was unaware of this anomaly all along his service and became aware of this anomaly only after becoming Army Commander and was never advised to have it corrected only amounts to an unpardonably serious lapse. If a thorough inquiry is held in the matter most of the facts should and would come to light.
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Incidentally, Gen Singh has been writing his Date of Birth as May 10, 1950, whenever he was required to fill the forms himself. This is confirmed by the fact that besides the UPSC form, even on completion of his course at the National Defence Academy (NDA), General VK Singh, then a cadet joined, the Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun. Even at IMA, where the term Gentleman Cadet is used, he entered May 10, 1950 as his age, while filling the form there.
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Isn’t it a pity that the Indian Government is still unaware of the correct and authentic age of its Chief of Army Staff (COAS), which is not only likely to affect his own future as the chief, but may also jeopardise and affect the appointment of the future COAS as also a complete line of succession of the Chiefs. Surprisingly, even the Adjutant General's Branch and the Military Secretary's Branch of the Army HQ are maintaining different dates of birth for Gen VK Singh. The AG's Branch maintains it as May 10, 1951 and the MS Branch as May 10, 1950. However, Ministry of Law says that General VK Singh's school leaving certificate, records his date of birth as May 10, 1951, and that is to be treated as a bonafide document. All these documentary evidences have confounded the confusion which seems to have made the whole issue a laughing stock.
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As a result, at present at least two Army Commanders (Lt Gens) are on tenterhooks, because they are not yet aware when the present Chief would retire and who would be the next to succeed him. This certainly is not in the overall interest of the Army. Under, such circumstances the Government as has done many times in the past, may show favouritism to the one who is more prone to tow their line, with least consideration to seniority or professional competence and ability of the incumbent.
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In the interest of the services and to put an end to uncertainty, it would be better that the Government takes a prompt action to sort out the mess created by the age controversy of the Army Chief Gen VK Singh, one way or the other.
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By Col LK Anand Retd
