Various Types of Pensions - 5. Rate of Disability Pension

Determination of Amount of Disability Pension Where an Armed Forces Personnel is invalided out of service, which is accepted as attributable to or aggravated by military service, he shall be entitled to disability pension consisting of Service Element & Disability Element as follows:- Service Element The amount of service element ahall be determined as 50% of less emoluments drawn as given in para 6 of MOD letter dt- 12.11.2008 which is subject to minimum Rs 3500/- p.m. Disability Element The rates of disability elements for 100% disability for various ranks shall be 30% of emolument last drawn subject to Rs. 3510/- per month. Disability lower than 100% shall be computed by reducing proportionately

Disability Element on Invalidment Where an Armed Force personnel is invalided out of service under circumstances mentioned in para 4.1 of Govt. letter dt. 31.01.01, the extent of disability shall be determined as follows for the purpose of computing the DE: Percentage as finally assessed by Competent Authority Percentage to be reckoned for computing DE Between 1 to 49 50 Between 50 & 75 75 Between 76 &100 100

Govt being unjust to disabled soldiers, say MPs

Disabled military veterans have found a voice in the Rajya Sabha. BJP MP Smriti Irani has raised the issue of denial of benefits to disabled soldiers, stating that this is amounting to injustice towards disabled soldiers by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

 

Supported by MPs across party lines, Irani stated in the Upper House that though rules for grating disability pension to disabled soldiers were inherently liberal as also held by the Supreme Court in a recent judgment of Dharamveer Singh vs Union of India, the same were being technically and restrictively interpreted by the ministry, leading to denial of disability pension.

 

She also stated that while employment of civilian employees was protected in case of disability, the same was not applicable on defence personnel who could be released without any kind of pension on account of non-service connected disabilities if their service was less than 10 years, leading to denial of the right to live a life of dignity.

 

The tendency of the MoD of filing appeals in the Supreme Court against verdicts of high courts and the Armed Forces Tribunal in disability pension related matters was also brought to light by her when she stated that majority of civil appeals and SLPs filed by the MoD in the apex court were against their own disabled soldiers.

 

She further claimed that far from safeguarding the welfare of retired soldiers, sailors and airmen, many of them disabled from battle injuries or the bleak conditions of service, the MoD’s Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), ironically, stonewalled the benefits of military veterans till they were either dead or broke. More than 1 lakh retired defence personnel have been adversely affected.

 

Military veterans have long protested the policies of the DESW, which they feel harbours an anti-military sentiment and heaps multiple litigation on veterans, disabled soldiers and their families in pensionary matters, unlike the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare for civilian employees which is highly positive in its approach.

 

Even decisions of courts and tribunals are openly defied by DESW on the ground that the decisions are ‘against government policy’. Veterans also feel that that they or the military establishment have no representation at policy formulation level in the Defence Ministry.

It is probably for the first time that the issue has been strongly raised in Parliament and supported by MPs of other parties too. Forced litigation and negatively interpreted policies are a cause of major dissatisfaction amongst ex-servicemen.

 

Courtesy: The Tribune, Chandigarh

Various Types of Pensions - 4. Disability Pension

Disability Pension

Conditions of Grant

A claim for disability pension arises only if an individual is invalided out of service on account of disability which is accepted as attributable to or aggravated by his military service.

Individuals placed in low medical category permanently and discharged as no alternative employment in their trade/category suitable to their low medical category could be provided or unwilling to accept the alternative employment or retained in alternative appointment and subsequently discharged before completion of their engagement shall be deemed to have been invalided out from service for the purpose of the Entitlement Rules.

All PBOR are required to be medically examined by medical officer prior to their release/ retirement / discharge.

Categorization of Disability Pension

For determining the Pensionary benefits the circumstances to decide the attributability/aggravation have been categorised as under:

Category "A"

Death or disability due to natural causes neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service, such as constitutional diseases, chronic ailments, prolonged illness while not on duty.

Category "B"

Death or disability due to causes which are accepted as attributable to/ aggravated by military service such as diseases contracted because of continued exposure to hostile work environment subject to extreme weather conditions or occupational hazards.

Category "C"

Death or disability due to accidents while performing duty, such as:

(1) Accidents while travelling on duty in Government/public /private vehicles or during air journey or mishap at sea.

(2) Electrocution while on duty.

(3) Accidents during participation in organized sports events/ adventures activities/expeditions/training.

Category "D"

Death or disability due to acts of violence/attack by extremists, anti social elements, whether on duty or even when not on duty, bomb blasts in public places or transport or disability occurring while employed in aid of civil power in dealing with natural calamity.
Death or disability arising as a result of - (wef-03.02.2011):

(1) Unintentional killing by own troops during the course of duty in an operational area.

(2) Electrocution/attacks by wild animals and snake bite/drowning during course of action in counter insurgency/war.

(3) Accidental death/injury sustained due to natural calamities such as flood, avalanches, landslides, cyclone, fire and lightening or drowning in river while performing operational duties/movement in action against enemy forces and armed hostilities in operational area to include deployment on international border of line of control.

Category "E"

Death or disability arising as a result of poisoning of water by enemy agents while deployed in operational area in active hostilities:

(1) Enemy action in international war, action during peace keeping mission abroad, and border skirmishes.

(2) During laying/clearance of mines, accidental explosions of mines.

(3) War like situations, including cases which are attributable to / aggravated by:

             (i) Extremist acts, exploding mines, etc while on way to operational area.

            (ii) Battle inoculation training exercises, or demonstration with live ammunition.

                 (a) Flying operation involved in rehearsing of war plans and implementation of

                 Instructions inclusive of international war.

                  (b) All combat and Tactical sorties in preparation of war.

             (iii) Kidnapping by extremist while on operational duty.

             (iv) An act of violence/attack by extremists and antisocial elements etc. while on
             operational duty or while employed in aid of civil power in quelling agitation, riots or revolts
             by the demonstrators.

             (v) Operations specially notified by Government from time to time.

            (vi) Death or disability arising as a result of poisoning of water by enemy agents    while

            deployed in operational area in active hostilities. (wef-03.02.2011)

 

Various Types of Pensions - 3. Retirement / Death Gratuity

Service Gratuity:   The minimum period of qualifying service for earning service gratuity is 5 years ( without weightage). The service gratuity is admissible at the rate of 1/2 a month's reckonable emoluments (Pay, plus Grade pay plus MSP plus ‘X’ group pay, including classification allowance, if any and DA admissible on the date of discharge) for each completed six monthly period of actual qualifying service rendered.   On Dismissal:   An individual dismissed from service under the Army Act is ineligible for pension / gratuity in respect of his previous service. However in exceptional cases, he may at the discretion of the President, be granted service pension or gratuity at a rate not exceeding that for which he would have normally qualified.   Individuals removed from service under section 20 of the Army Act may also be considered for grant of pension/ gratuity by the competent authority i.e. Government of India subject to the reduction in amount of pension/ gratuity if considered necessary on the merits of each case.   Retirement Gratuity:   An individual who has completed 5 years qualifying service and is eligible for service/invalid gratuity or pension of any type, shall be granted Retirement Gratuity equal to 1/4 of reckonable emoluments (Pay, plus DP including classification allowance if any, plus dearness relief on the date of discharge/invalidment) subject to maximum of 16½ times of the reckonable emoluments restricted to Rs. 10 Lakhs.   Death Gratuity:   Death gratuity at the following rates is admissible in the event of death in harness:   Sl. No. Length of Qualifying Service Rate of Death Gratuity 1 Less than one year Two times of reckonable emoluments. 2 One year or more but less than 5 years Six times of reckonable emoluments. 3 Five yrs or more but less than 20 yrs Twelve times of reckonable emoluments 4 20 years or more Half of the reckonable emoluments for each completed six monthly period of qualifying service subject to a min. of 12 times and a maximum of 33 times of the reckonable emoluments with a overriding ceiling of Rs. 10 lakhs.

 

Various Types of Pensions - 2. Service Gratuity

Service Gratuity:

The minimum period of qualifying service for earning service gratuity is 5 years (without weightage).

The service gratuity is admissible at the rate of 1/2 a month's reckonable emoluments (Pay, plus Grade pay plus MSP plus ‘X’ group pay, including classification allowance, if any and DA admissible on the date of discharge) for each completed six monthly period of actual qualifying service rendered.

On Dismissal:

An individual dismissed from service under the Army Act is ineligible for pension / gratuity in respect of his previous service. However in exceptional cases, he may at the discretion of the President, be granted service pension or gratuity at a rate not exceeding that for which he would have normally qualified.

Individuals removed from service under section 20 of the Army Act may also be considered for grant of pension/ gratuity by the competent authority i.e. Government of India subject to the reduction in amount of pension/ gratuity if considered necessary on the merits of each case.

Retirement Gratuity:

An individual who has completed 5 years qualifying service and is eligible for service/invalid gratuity or pension of any type, shall be granted Retirement Gratuity equal to 1/4 of reckonable emoluments (Pay, plus DP including classification allowance if any, plus dearness relief on the date of discharge/invalidment) subject to maximum of 16½ times of the reckonable emoluments restricted to Rs. 10 Lakhs.

Death Gratuity:

Death gratuity at the following rates is admissible in the event of death in harness:

Sl. No.	Length of Qualifying Service	Rate of Death Gratuity
1	Less than one year	Two times of reckonable emoluments.
2	One year or more but less than 5 years	Six times of reckonable emoluments.
3	Five yrs or more but less than 20 yrs	Twelve times of reckonable emoluments
4	20 years or more	Half of the reckonable emoluments for each completed six monthly period of qualifying service subject to a min. of 12 times and a maximum of 33 times of the reckonable emoluments with a overriding ceiling of Rs. 10 lakhs.

 

 

Various Types of Pensions - 1. Service Pension

Definition: Service Pension is a pension, which is sanctioned to a P.B.O.R. on Completion of his terms of engagement for the qualifying service Rendered by him in the Armed Forces.   Condition:   Minimum qualifying service without weightage to earn a Service pension is 15 years (20 years in case of NC (E)) .   Linkage of full pension with 33 years of Q.S. is dispensed with from 01.01.2006. Now pension of PBOR will be calculated at rate of 50% of emoluments last drawn or average of reckonable emoluments drawn during last 10 months which is more beneficial. Authority : G.O.I. letter no 17(4)/2008 (2)/D(Pen/Pol) dated 12/11/2008.   The above calculated service pension shall in no case less than 50% of notional pay in the post – 01.01.2006 revised pay structure corresponding to the maximum of Fifth CPC pay scales including whole of classification allowance last drawn in the rank and group held of the time of discharge / invalidment. The amount so determined will be the pension for 33 years of reckonable qualifying service including improved weightage (except TA personnel) as given below at point IV. For lesser period of reckonable qualifying service this amount will be proportionately reduced.   After 01.01.06 with the implementation of the order on “Improvement in the Pension of PBOR” the weightage in respect of Sepoy, Naik and Havildar has been raised to 10 years, 8 years and 6 years respectively (for all past and future retirees.) subject to a restriction of 30 years as maximum qualifying service. The benefit would be given only in respect of Service Pension.   The amount of pension finally arrived at will be subject to a minimum of Rs. 3500/- per month.   Authority: G.O.I. letter no 14(3)/2004-D(Pen/Sers)/Vol.III dated 01/02/2006 and 02/05/2006. The service pension in respect of PBOR for 33 years of qualifying service is calculated at 50% of the maximum of the scale of pay, including 50% of the highest classification allowance, if any, of the rank/pay group actually held continuously for 10 months (or maximum period of 10 months) before the date of discharge subject to minimum of Rs.1275/- p.m.(Rs.1913/- pm after merger of DP)

TA Personnel   No service pension in respect of TA Personnel was admissible prior to 11-06-1985. Minimum qualifying embodied service to earn service pension in respect of TA Personnel is 15 years . 5% cut is imposed on the pension who have completed 15 years or more aggregate embodied service but have not completed 20 years of aggregate embodied service. In no case the pension so calculated should exceed the normal pension of a regular Army personnel for same rank and length of service.   At Own Request   No service pension is admissible if the individual is discharged at his own request, if the qualifying service is less than 15 years. In case qualifying service rendered is 15 years or more, Service Pension is admissible for the rank and group and qualifying service rendered as in case of those who discharged on completion of terms of engagement.   On Dismissal   Service pension is not admissible if the individual is dismissed from service under Army/Air Force/Navy Act. However, service pension in such cases is admissible at the discretion of the President not exceeding the rate which would have been admissible had he been discharged in normal circumstances.

 

Annual Day & Annual General Meeting of Air Force Association

Annual Day and Annual General Meeting of Air Force Association will be held on 15th September 2013 at Air Force Auditorium, New Delhi. 

Boeing Delivers Indian Air Force's 2nd C-17

The Boeing Defense, Space & Security business unit recently delivered the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) second C-17 Globemaster III, a month after India’s first C-17 arrived in the country and immediately began supporting IAF operations.

 

This second IAF C-17 also will immediately enter service. India will receive 10 aircraft by 2014. 

 

"Our first C-17 Globemaster III not only signifies a tremendous boost in our strategic airlift capability, but also is poised to form a major component in the IAF's modernization drive,” says Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Indian Air Force. “Because it was delivered mission-ready, it soon undertook its first strategic mission to our Andaman Nicobar Command at Port Blair. I wish to place on record my appreciation to the U.S. government, the U.S. Air Force and the Boeing team for the timely delivery of the aircraft that makes the IAF the world's second-largest operator of the C-17 after the U.S."

 

Boeing is on schedule to deliver three more IAF C-17s this year and five in 2014. The C-17 can operate in extreme climates, transport large payloads across vast ranges and land on short, austere runways.

 

“C-17s have an important role in supporting unique Indian Air Force operations in remote locations such as the Himalayas and desert environments," says Nan Bouchard, Boeing vice president and C-17 program manager. 

 

Boeing is supporting the IAF aircraft through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics contract. The GISP “virtual fleet” arrangement ensures mission readiness by providing all C-17 customers access to an extensive support network for worldwide parts availability and economies of scale.

 

Boeing has delivered 255 C-17s, including 222 to the U.S. Air Force, and a total of 33 to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.

 

Courtesy: Aerospace

‘Touch the Sky’ in Indian Air Force Simulator

India’s Air Force wants to put you in the cockpit of a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI—not the multi-million dollar fighter jet, but its digital avatar. It is planning to create flight simulators in the hope that young Indians will enlist.
 

The Air Force announced July that it plans to develop an “air combat game based on the Indian Air Force.” It plans on Aug. 8 to meet with game developers to build a game for smartphones, and possibly game consoles.
 

 

              A formation  by  Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran team  at an exhibition in Bangalore, February 14, 2009
 

 

The Air Force, whose motto is “touch the sky with glory,” hopes that the experience of flying a jet fighter on their phones will lure youngsters to sign up.
 

While the transition from iPhone gamer to Top Gun is not immediately obvious, the Air Force is facing a real problem. A.K. Antony said in November that the Indian Air Force faces a shortage of 882 officers.
 

The idea that video games can drive recruitment is not as far-fetched as it may seem.
 

The U.S. Army in 2009 created America’s Army, an online multiplayer game, hoping that experiencing the reality of combat would lead young people to join up. Even Hezbollah has tried its hand at attracting recruits with a video game called Special Force 2, a simulation of the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon.
 

A study by academics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested that video gamers make the best drone operators in pressurized situations because they are good at multitasking.
 

Depending on the content of the game, India’s Air Force simulator could be controversial. The Chinese online game Glorious Mission Online, created in partnership with the People’s Liberation Army, simulates the invasion of disputed islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.
 

No bombing runs over the Line of Actual Control then.
 

The game could work as a recruitment tool, by increasing the “cool quotient” of the Indian Air Force, said Jehil Thakkar head of media and entertainment practice at consulting firm KPMG.
 

He did, however, caution that the quality of the game would be important. “The Air Force though will have to be mindful to make sure that these games are high quality – otherwise the effort could backfire,” said Mr. Thakkar.
 

So, no cutting corners like Al Qaeda, the game’s cheap graphics inspired laughter not fear.

 

 

The Indian Air Force plans to introduce the games for phones powered by Google Inc.’s Android- as well as Apple Inc.’s iPhones and iPads. Should the game prove popular, it could make the game available on consoles, such as Sony Corp.’s Playstation and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox, as well as on social gaming and networking portals.


Courtesy: The Wall Street Journal